Almost two years after the iconic Hitching Post Restaurant burned to the ground in the middle of the night, people in Hedley continue to hope it will rise from the ashes. Visitors to our community still ask if it will be rebuilt. It’s a question owners Bill Carmichael and Trisha Mills have been grappling with since that fateful night when they jumped from the second floor into a void of darkness. In a conversation in our home last week they talked about their life journey since that night, including their ongoing battle with serious, life changing injuries sustained when they jumped. To this day they live with pain and an uncertain financial future. Some individuals would have been driven to their knees by the misfortune that has assaulted them. Many relationships would have floundered. Amazingly, Bill and Trisha have found the inner resolve to carry on together.

They spent much of this past winter in Mexico, living in their small car top tent. I had noticed upon their return that their walking seemed easier. “It wasn’t as warm as we expected,” Trisha said. “Much of the time we wore winter clothes. It was warmer than Hedley though and this contributed to the healing of our bodies. Walking on the sandy beaches increased our muscle strength. We couldn’t use our walking sticks on the sand.”

“We both still have nerve pain,” Bill continued. “Some days are better than others. I use my walking stick more than Trisha.”

They know some of their physical issues will likely never completely leave them, but they aren’t grumblers. “That’s just life,” Bill said. “If you want to survive you make decisions and move forward. We don’t mire ourselves down. There’s never been a time when we came to a full stop. In Mexico we talked a lot about our future, “ Bill continued. “It’s still our desire to one day offer Hedley a year round food service. We’ve drawn a floor plan for a restaurant, but we know we won’t be able to replicate the Hitching Post experience. The extent of our recovery will determine what we can do.”

A year ago they were urged to consider a mobile food service as a beginning. “We thought maybe in a year we’d be able to do that,” Trisha said. “We didn’t feel physically strong enough at the time, but we needed an income so we began looking into possibilities.” Several months ago they bought a food trailer with an established customer base in Penticton. “It’s pushing our bodies to the limit,” Bill noted, “but we’re getting an understanding of what we’re capable of. We’re happy to have a sense of direction.”

Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday they are on location in Penticton at the Indigenous Bloom cannabis store across from Super Save Gas, west of the channel. In the evening they drive into the surrounding mountains and sleep in their tent. “Dexter, our dog, absolutely loves it in the mountains,” Bill said.

On Thursdays they set up in the heart of Hedley, on the former site of the Hitching Post. “People seem happy to see us here,” Trisha said. “It’s very encouraging to have their support.”

At this time Trisha is more involved in food preparation and serving customers. Bill sets up and maintains the systems to ensure their fledgling enterprise functions smoothly. Both are on their feet a lot. “Being physically active does exact a toll,” Trisha observed. “Nerve damage causes pain. Sometimes when I’m sitting down and want to get up, my body screams “no, no, no!” “We deal with the pain when no one is around,” Bill added. “Usually at the end of the day.”

Their menu entices. Linda and I have both sampled the breakfast sandwich and the smoky hotdog. This Thursday it may be bratwurst or a black bean burger. Then likely the pulled pork sandwich. Knowing the food trailer will be in town, we look forward to Thursdays.

Since the loss of the Hitching Post, Bill and Trisha have lived in a small motor home or their car top tent. In spite of the cramped quarters, ongoing pain, being together almost continuously and having only limited funds, they have retained their resolve to move forward. Listening to them and observing their actions, it seems possible that one day some version of the Hitching Post will rise from the ashes.