Christmas Tree Adventure
More “fun” than planned!
Photos & article by Aleah Anne
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So Exciting! A Real Tree!
I love winter and the Christmas season. I love getting out my boxes of decorations each year (after Thanksgiving) and arranging them around my tiny apartment to create a cozy, festive atmosphere.
Usually, I put up an artificial tree, but this year my boyfriend and I had the opportunity to go “tree hunting” up in the mountains just out of town towards Mt. Rainier. His parents had decided to obtain the $10 permit from Washington State to cut their own tree on forest land, and we decided to tag along. It was a beautiful day, and I am always up for a trip to the mountains. The PNW (Pacific Northwest) is known for its beautiful forests, and they would surely find the perfect tree.
What started out as just a trip with them to find their tree turned into our getting a tree as well - but it wasn’t easy.
Upon arrival to his aunt and uncle’s Thanksgiving campsite, we were informed that they had an extra tree permit that we could use to obtain a small tree for our little space. I was beyond excited as I have not had a real tree in over 20 years! We bundled up (I always bring a little bag with warm gear to put on – ear warmers, hat, gloves, cozy boots for the drive home) and loaded up into two trucks. His aunt and uncle and their dog, Manny, were in the first truck. My boyfriend, his parents, me, and their dog, Willow, were in the second.
We started up the Forest Service road on our way to find some trees. You need to get high enough that the trees are not too thick. Trees need to get sun on all sides; branches grow more on the side toward the sun. We wanted a balanced tree.
It was the weekend before Thanksgiving and there was very little snow on the sides of the roads, and no ice to be seen. That is until we turned around a corner about a mile or two up the hill…. Suddenly the road was a sheet of ice!
Now, my boyfriend’s family members were all born and raised in the PNW and are experts in the snow and ice. They all have 4 wheel drive and carry chains in their vehicles – some of them are first responders. I knew that we were prepared. Chains were not necessary for going up the hill as we had the 4 wheel drive on. After spotting the ice, we knew that we would likely put chains on coming back down the hill after obtaining our trees.
Here’s where things got…fun…
His aunt and uncle thought their 4 wheel drive was on, but it, unfortunately, was not. In the process of attempting to turn it on, they stopped on the hill. Now, if you’re not familiar with icy road conditions and driving, I’ll let you know stopping on an icy hill is never ideal. You need to keep momentum going while moving up a hill. They stopped, we stopped, they started forward again (and luckily were able to move forward), we started driving again and….uh oh…we’re not going forward.
We began sliding down, down, down, the icy hill (no guard rails, a drop off to one side, and a ditch to the other side).
We were hoping to be able to slide all the way back down to the non-icy part, or at least slide safely into the ditch. Nature had other plans. My boyfriend’s mum jumped out of the vehicle in case anything happened (always good to have someone available to call for help if necessary and to be able to easily direct help to those in need). My boyfriend told me to be ready to bail. I was of two minds about that. I didn’t feel scared or worried about being in the truck, but jumping out seemed pretty terrifying. He jumped out as the truck began to turn toward the drop off. I tried to open my door and couldn’t get it unlocked (I’m not used to being in that vehicle; I suggest checking these things when you get into a vehicle you are not familiar with). Before I could even think much about bailing, the truck stopped.
We had high-centered, sliding off the side of the road (no tires touching the ground). I checked with my boyfriend’s dad to be sure it was safe to get out of the vehicle (moving around inside can cause the vehicle to move – I didn’t want to go down the side of the hill further). Once I knew it was safe – we were STUCK – I got out of the vehicle with help from my boyfriend’s mum. Because I was in the back seat, to get out I had to step onto the hill. I needed her help to make sure I didn’t roll down! My boyfriend got Willow out. His dad stayed in the truck and called AAA.
The road was so slick none of us could walk on it, and we had to stick to the sides where it had melted a bit. My boyfriend slipped on the ice and hit his shoulder (minor injury) and his mum got a small puncture on her hand from the ice when she bailed from the truck. Otherwise we were all okay! His aunt and uncle walked down to see what the hold-up was and saw our predicament. They obviously felt horrible, but in the end it was just an accident. Things can happen.
Be Prepared - Stay Calm
When traveling in the mountains, especially with snow or ice in the area, you need to remain calm and always come prepared. We were dressed in warm clothing, and we had water bottles and snacks with us. Luckily, we all miraculously had cell service. All we could do was wait for the tow truck (which was going to be a few hours due to the special circumstances).
Family Time
My boyfriend’s aunt and uncle continued up to get trees for all of us while we stayed back to warn other drivers. We enjoyed some outdoor family time with a fantastic view. Willow got to run around outside and listen to the chipmunks. We were able to look out at the beauty of the PNW.
My boyfriend’s brother, sister in law, and nephews came up to see if they could lend a hand and just hang out with us. It ended up being great family time!
Success!
We got our trees, spent time in nature with family, and have a wild story to tell now. So, while it wasn’t the day we had hoped for, I think it wasn’t so bad.
Now, so you don’t worry. The truck finally got pulled out and was able to be driven home. No undercarriage damage. It ended up requiring a second tow truck due to how it was wedged into the ground and the ice so we all got a ride home and my boyfriend’s dad stayed behind with the first tow truck driver to wait for the second. Unfortunately, someone decided to go up the hill without chains even after seeing our predicament and when coming down slid into the truck causing some minor damage (best to wait if you’re not properly prepared). Everyone was okay though, and the truck is *mostly* fine!
We left our tree at my boyfriend’s parents’ house to acclimate for several days. Then, we brought it home to decorate. That was the final step to making our tiny little apartment a cozy Christmas home. Perfect timing to start reading my December book club book, The Little Book of Hygge!
Christmas Projects
I turned a fallen tree disaster into a beautiful evergreen bouquet for my front porch. Easy! Use holiday items from your stash.