A Visit From the Priest – III

As I mentioned, Washington Mountain Road had its own adventure – it is called “driving”. Prior to its repaving, the asphalt on the road was in such poor condition that to drive in either the northbound or southbound lane was to invite vehicular destruction at worst, and a trip to the garage for a front-end alignment at best. I often thought that someone should open an alignment shop at each end of the mountain, as well as a chiropractic clinic – perhaps driver and car could be straightened out at the same time for a special combination price?

The only way to avoid the bone-wracking car-rattling ride when traversing Washington Mountain Road was to do the only sane thing – drive in the middle, straddling the center. The good news was that there was little traffic on the road; the bad news was that there was occasionally traffic on the road coming from the opposite direction. That in itself would provide for an interesting ride, but what heightened the experience was speed and topography. The road was undulating, it was, after all, a mountain; this meant that one’s line-of-sight was often limited. And as to speed, well, just let me say that the tendency of motorists when on a sparsely traveled stretch of road is to push the accelerator down just a wee bit more than they would normally. I hasten to point out that I speak not from personal experience, but from observation and from listening to others.

Therefore, a central question in a driver’s mind when identifying a bogey at 12:00 o’clock on the radar screen was, “When will he get off the center of the road? When will I choose to get off the center of the road?”

Now if the bogey moves into his lane first, it is, after all, only decent etiquette to do likewise. After all, to remain in the center lane long after the oncoming vehicle has pulled into its assigned lane is discourteous – plus the reality is that if you don’t move into your lane, like an idiot you’re going to hit the oncoming car. So most folks do the decent thing and move over upon recognition of the other car.

There is always, it seems, the exception to the rule, that driver who has watched too many James Dean movies and wants to play “chicken.” You can’t really do much about that driver, just remain in your lane and hope that he stayed awake long enough in science class to know that two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time without some rather interesting things happening – none of which are good.

Depending on where you are in Pittsfield you might be inclined to choose Washington Mountain Road to return to Becket as opposed to Route 8, it can be quicker. The weather is also a factor for the wind and rain and snow can whip across Washington Mountain reducing visibility, eliminating traction, and serving up a ride worthy of Bush Gardens or Disney World. After one particularly harrowing drive in the snow I swore off the road in snow and ice. That particular time I was heading home from Pittsfield and it had been snowing for only a few minutes and I thought I could make it. The ascent from north to south is steep with a number of curves, thereby reducing traction at every turn – I had my doubts whether I’d get to the top for the  snow accumulation was rapid, traction was all but nonexistent, and I could hardly see – and while one side of the road is fairly tight against the mountain, the other side has a drop off that I’m sure more than one driver has experienced.

I have found such rides to encourage my prayer life dramatically, kind of like those booster rockets hitched to the Space Shuttle. (Sometime I may relate our drive over Beartooth Pass in the snow while heading into Yellowstone – that was the mother of all Space Shuttle prayer-boosters.)

When most folks drive over Washington Mountain Road they only drive one car, there was once, however, a man who drove two cars – let’s save that one for next time…oh…I wonder how Jean Claude is doing?