A rocky trip

Thank goodness for the rainstorms that flowed through the area over the weekend. It was great news for firefighters and for our area. I know not everyone was happy with the downpour. I am certain the tourists who were here for our beaches, boating and BBQs where wondering where the sun went, but there were at least three other people who found out that rain in the coulee can also mean “watch for falling rocks.”

Saturday evening, part of the family and I decided to boogie on down to Ephrata real fast. The drive down was interesting since we were hitting the beginning of the storm head on. At times, the wipers were going full speed and still were not clearing the window, and it appeared, in places, that there was at least an inch of water on the roadway. We also hit hail once and pulled over for a while to watch.

By the time we hit Ephrata, things had let up and we were able to do our errands without getting too wet. We then headed back toward the coulee.

Then things got electrifying. We watched the awesome lighting storm most of the way home. With many downpours along the way. Then we got to the home stretch — Coulee City to Electric City. Being locals, we know to watch for rocks. But others were not so lucky on this evening.

Just after Million Dollar Mile, we came to a car that had hit something large. It was not going anywhere without a tow truck. There was lots of damage to the front and underneath of the car, and two wheels were out of commission. We stopped to help, but the guy was OK, and his family was coming to get him from Steamboat, along with a tow truck not far behind them.

We moved on down the road, and in less than two miles we found a pickup truck that need a tire changed from a rock as well. A little further down the road, another pickup, but this one was going to take more than a tire change. It had super damage to the front and the wheels. A State Trooper was at this crash site and we advised him of the other two. We headed down the road, a little slower and full of caution.

This strip of road has always been known for rocks and deer, but it seems that lately we keep getting more rocks, and bigger ones, too. At one time the Million Dollar Mile was where we had to keep an open eye, but now it seems like the entire stretch may be becoming more and more unstable, especially during storms.

So be cautious, Couleeites and visitors. It sometimes can be a rocky trip in the coulee.