Last night the snow started falling before I went to bed, and it was still coming down this morning when I woke up. When I saw that it wasn't going to let up, I picked up a friend and headed off to the beautiful Gatineau Park in the province of Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa. Well known for its gorgeous fall leaves, Gatineau Park is also a winter wonderland; home to a myriad of ski hills, hiking, snowshoe and cross-country skiing trails and entertaining roads that wind their way up, through and around hills, lakes and valleys.
While some people avoid driving when it's snowing, I relish it. I enjoy a relaxed drive in the snow, especially when I don't have a particular destination and can take my time to enjoy the scenery. Winter driving is more challenging than summer driving, of course, but it is simply a matter of paying close attention to what your vehicle is telling you and not over-driving the roads.
There was a fair amount of accumulation on the roads through the park, though the plows were out trying to keep ahead of the heavy snowfall. At one point we ended up at the parking lot to the Camp Fortune ski hill. It seemed that 90% of the vehicles in the lot were SUVs, so the presence of a lone BMW sedan caught my attention.
There was a fair amount of accumulation on the roads through the park, though the plows were out trying to keep ahead of the heavy snowfall. At one point we ended up at the parking lot to the Camp Fortune ski hill. It seemed that 90% of the vehicles in the lot were SUVs, so the presence of a lone BMW sedan caught my attention.
The brave BMW 325i had won the battle against the weather to get to the hill. The driver had clearly arrived early to the ski hill, as the car was covered with a thick layer of snow. I am no BMW expert, so I had to look up the 325i model, and learned that it was sold in Canada from 1987 until 1991. This 30 year old car still cuts an impressive profile and appeared to be in good shape, despite a few rust spots made extra noticeable in contrast with the white paint and white snow as a background!
Apparently an all-wheel drive model of this generation of 325 existed, but this was simply the rear-wheel drive version. Equipped with winter tires (like all cars are mandated to in the province of Quebec) and decent ground clearance, the BMW somehow looked made for the role of winter adventure vehicle. The skis strapped on the top made it seem even more authentic, as did the Euro plate on the front bumper.
For those that don't know, vehicles licensed in Quebec do not require a plate on the front, so I suspect the owner is a European who brought their plate with them. Perhaps it's a German, Swiss or Austrian who is used to carving through deep snow crossing the Alps and wanted a touch of German's best engineering here in Canada. Whatever the back story, it is always exciting for a car fan to see these older models being used, and not simply sitting in storage somewhere, collecting dust.
For those that don't know, vehicles licensed in Quebec do not require a plate on the front, so I suspect the owner is a European who brought their plate with them. Perhaps it's a German, Swiss or Austrian who is used to carving through deep snow crossing the Alps and wanted a touch of German's best engineering here in Canada. Whatever the back story, it is always exciting for a car fan to see these older models being used, and not simply sitting in storage somewhere, collecting dust.
My own car, a little Hyundai, is certainly less exciting than a classic BMW, but I still enjoyed my Sunday drive. The snow stopped for a while but I see that it has starting again this evening. I imagine that after an enjoyable day of skiing, the owner of the BMW climbed back in behind the wheel and enjoyed an equally entertaining drive home in their cool Bimmer. For some of us, snow on the roads is s'no problem at all!
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