March 11, 2008

We're still digging out. Apparently, we had 52 cm (20 inches) of snow and with the 10 feet or so we had before this dump, there's no where to put it. And it's not melting much yet. Crews are clearing for vehicles first but there are a few spots cleared for pedestrians.

At the big intersection at Woodroffe and Navaho, where many people coming from the bus station cross to get to Algonquin College and to the College Square shopping plaza, they have done a good job clearing the way.

They haven't cleared in all directions so you may have to walk out and then over but at least you can manouever.

At the shopping centre, there are still huge piles of snow, waiting to be taken away. Where, I am not sure.

They haven't bothered to plow the bike path behind the bus station - it's not a priority. The wind was strong during the snow storm and after and the snow has drifted into pretty shapes.

Along this section of the path, I saw some nice wind-sculpted shapes yesterday. Today, they are being broken up a little by people walking along and touching them. You don't even have to bend over to touch these drifts! What you can also see is how the sun is melting whatever is left on the pavement. If you could navigate some of the snow banks, you could be riding your bike in some places.

Compare this photo to the one I took on December 17, 2007. The Nepean bell is almost completely buried now.


This is where I usually cross Centrepointe. In the past, I have complained about how they don't plow a path through the snow banks at the crosswalk. This time, there's a nice clear path but nowhere to go!

Once you cross and head south on Centrepointe, the cleared sidewalk ends abruptly and you have to walk in the road. I guess I can't have everything.

Finally, I wonder if the path between Plunkett and Castlebrook will be cleared any more this Winter. After the second last snow fall, they didn't clear it and now it looks like a lost cause. Apparently, it's not in our snow clearing contract so they have been doing it just because it's there.

However, now, we are walking about 2 feet off the ground. The main problems are negotiating the mountains at either end of the path, and going off the narrow packed path and up to your hip in snow. And hope you don't meet anyone walking the other way on the path. It's just like the good old days!

December 17, 2007

I don't remember seeing that much snow all at once since the 70s.

This one was taken from the upstairs window (note the snow building up on the sill) in the early afternoon of the 16th. Note the car nearest the tree. They haven't driven it since the snow came, so it has a head start being buried.

This is the same car, about 6 hours later. All you can see now is the side mirror.

We went for a walk around 7pm and took several hand-held photos. The plow had been around once, to clear the streets, but nothing had been done about driveways or anything else. The bump sign warns of a speed bump but it's buried under the ton of snow.

That's your normal height street sign.

Sorry this is blurry but that's what happens with no flash. But it looks nicer than the flash. When you have a dog, you have to get out!

I am reminded of the old saying about snow on the roof.

The next day, there were no sidewalks, except where private plows had been at work. I had to walk on the street to get to the point where I could cross to a cleared sidewalk.

I've taken several photos of this tree in front of the old Nepean City Hall. The snow around it has not been piled there - that is just buildup from falling snow.

The big problem is where to put all that snow. You really have to chew it up with a snow blower, spit it into a truck and take it away to the snow dump. Here, it has been piled at one end of a very large parking lot.

This is the northeast corner of Woodroffe and Navaho and it is owned (up to the public road allowance) by the shopping centre. The centre's plows have been out and done a good job of clearing snow - up to the point where the land turns public. You can get almost all the way up to the road and then there is a three foot snowbank blocking your way. There was a "path" formed by a few foot prints in the bank so if you put your feet in the holes left by the intrepid first person, you could cross the street. But you couldn't push the walk signal buttons on the east side of Woodroffe and if you don't push them, you don't get the walk signal. So you have to take your life in your hands and run across when cars are making the left turn. Good grief.