It's the day we leave

It's 4 in the morning on the day that the games begin. Rod and his friend, Rich, have just stopped by to pick up the trailer to take it up over the border and ultimately to our final destination at Whistler. Rod really wanted to have someone along, in case there are transport issues pulling the trailer in snow. Rich is the longtime companion of Rod's sister Leigh, whom I have known since I was 13 at Einstein Junior High School, in Richmond Beach, WA. This was a perfect blend because Rich really wanted to come up and experience the Olympics. The two of them have become good friends over the years, and are embarking on their journey together. If anything is "off" with the trailer, they will be able to problem solve together.

Rod has never hauled a trailer in snow and ice. He has owned an operated them for many years, in many weather conditions, just not inclement weather including freezing temperatures. Have you ever had visions of what it would be like to pull a large trailer on the ice and snow, and have things go bad? I keep shaking my head in an effort to get the vision out of my head of what this would look like in traffic, on the Sea to Sky Highway with drop offs into the water....Okay...that's enough of that vision. Let's change this. Okay, now I have visions of blue skies, dry pavement, and smiling faces of travelers carefully managing their way up the hill....this is much better. I am very thankful Rod is hauling the trailer and it's not me in the driver's seat. That would be a worse vision...I've never hauled a trailer before.

At this time, it looks like the weather will be good for today's travels. No snow is in the forecast for Whistler Valley, but most of us know, who have spent much time in the mountains, that forecasts are merely suggestions.

So, what goes into preparing a trailer for cold weather? The biggest fear is that the pipes will freeze, and break, and there will be no running water for the duration of time. This would not only be highly inconvenient, it would also be very expensive. Trailers and boats have something in common. If the part costs $50 for a car, the same exact part is $100 if there is the word "boat" or "RV" in the name somewhere. So, we have prepared the trailer so that we minimize the risk.

So, in writing a blog about the Olympics, why am I talking so much about a trailer? Because if I have problems with the trailer, there will be no blogging. Instead there will be a lot of words used with tremendous frustration and several trips to places at Whistler and possibly even Vancouver to try and sort out my living situation. I would much rather enjoy the Olympics with everything working properly, than spend time with a wrench, screwdriver or drill press underneath a trailer in freezing temperatures.

What does it take to prepare the trailer? Rod has added more insulation to the perimeter of the trailer where pipes come into contact with the exterior. There is an outside shower, that I will NOT be using, that has been packed with foam to maintain warmer temperatures. At times when we are not in the trailer, we will have heaters running to keep water from freezing. Luckily, the tanks in this particular trailer are lines with heated wires to minimize risk. However, if temperatures drop significantly into the teens, then it will be a challenge to keep things from freezing. We have added insulation to the sky lights and put extra down comforters in the trailer "just in case". All in all, it has become very comfortable and will be my little home for 2 weeks. If things became really bad, I have my car right next to the trailer. I have visions of freezing in my bed, and deciding to hop in my car at O dark thirty, starting up the engine, and snuggling in the front seat while it warms up. I hope not to do that.....but it will certainly be a blog if that happens!

So, now the trailer is gone, I will need to get up and go to work. It will be important to make sure that all my work is complete before I go today. When I walk out the door after work, it will be when all is done, and I can disconnect from the work world, and begin to connect with the journey ahead. It's finally here, and it is quite surreal.

Olympics, here we come!!