My memories of Snowmageddon probably start on the night of December 13th when I first realized how bad this storm really was. Myself and another snowmobiler went to fill up our sleds at the gas station in Forest when a Forest OPP officer approached us wondering if we would be able to make it out to the 402 by snowmobile. There was a motorist stranded and in need of insulin. I got his contact information and said we would give it a go.
We headed outside of town towards the 402 and could barely see. Once we reached Douglas Line and started heading up the hill on Hwy 21, visibility became zero. All I could do was feel the edge of the ditch with my ski until I almost hit a mailbox. 11km’s of this until the 402 was impossible. I let him know that we felt we would become stranded ourselves but we would try in the morning with daylight on our side.
That morning we received a call from the Plympton Wyoming Fire Department joint with the Warwick Snowmobile Club that there were drivers stranded on the 402 and they needed help. We were to bring them food and water or bring them to Reece’s Corners gas bar for shelter. So we packed up and headed out. It was still a blizzard but we could see a lot better than the night before so I know we could deliver the insulin, but found it was already delivered so that was a relief.
When we reached the 402 I remember the first vehicle we saw was a transport truck just on the edge of the first bush line. I pulled up on the rock hard snow drift. It was so high that I was looking down at the passenger in the truck. The passenger happened to be a firefighter from Michigan who had made his way to the truck from his own vehicle when it ran out of fuel. He was the most memorable person we rescued. I asked him if he wanted some food or to go to a shelter and I remember him saying “Get me outta here!”. He chose shelter. He said he has rescued many people in the past but never been on the other side, in need of being rescued. He climbed up to the top of the snowbank to put the snowmobile pants on that I brought, as we were skill 8 km to Reece’s Corners. I remember his foot got caught while putting on the pants and he fell backwards and slide all the way down the bank to the road in front of the truck. He just started laughing and so we all joined and he sighed “I so needed that.”
The other most memorable experience was when the Canadian military arrived. Wow I was so impressed with how they took over and had the stressful situation under control with people evacuated in no time. We were directed to bring people to turn around points on the 402 where they were loaded and taken to shelter.
An incredible event I will always remember and incredible how the community came together to help those travelers, most of whom were not from the community. They will always remember the great people of Plympton Wyoming and area. Definitely proud to be a Canadian and from Lambton.
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