It hit us the week before Christmas in December of 2008. Cold weather moved in from the north and brought snow with it…lots of snow. My husband and I had tickets for a Madrigal feast at Skamania Lodge, 40 miles away, with plans to stay the night. We got up that morning to find the ground covered and snow coming down heavily.

Facing weather reports of blizzard conditions, we bundled up and headed out anyway. Halfway there, I was suggesting that we turn around but it wasn’t an option. We followed a semi which helped clear the way ahead as the roads were closing behind us.

Arriving at the lodge, we were assured that the program would continue regardless of the weather since the players were from the local area. The lodge was decorated beautifully, and we decided to settle back and enjoy our one-night stay.

The program was wonderful and as we went back to our room, we scarcely noticed that it was still snowing. Weather reports predicted the storm would clear off the next day and even though we knew the roads were closed, we weren’t worried. It would all be done by morning.

The next day dawned with snow still falling heavily. By lunchtime, when it hadn’t let up, we began to be concerned. Members of the hotel staff were working frantically to keep steps and driveways clear, but there was nowhere for us to go anyway. We sat by the fireplace with other travelers and discussed our options which were few.

The road was clear to the east; we could go that way with the hope that we would be able to circle back somewhere and head west to our home. There was no guarantee that route would be open when we got there. Our only other option was to stay put and wait out the storm. We had four-wheel drive and chains and would be able to get through once they opened the roads. And, we had to acknowledge that there definitely were worse places to be stranded as we watched the reports of travelers stuck at the airport and the train station. All in all, we weren’t in too bad a place.

We bought swimming suits and tried out their pool and hot tub. My husband’s hair froze when we went for a soak outdoors. For two days, we walked the halls of the hotel and took dozens of pictures of the snow. We visited with hotel staff who had set up a Wii system in one of the meeting rooms to pass the time. We found the lodge’s library and read old Reader’s Digest condensed books between naps. We watched the weather reports anxiously waiting for the “all clear”.

We were in our room that afternoon having exhausted the library, the pool, and the resort menu when we heard that State Route 14 was opening briefly. We had already extended our stay for the next night, but the hotel staff was as excited as we were to see us leave. We drove back to Vancouver slowly and carefully arriving back in town just as we heard that they once again closed the roads. Needless to say, we no longer wish for a “white Christmas.”