By Jesse Winter

HOPE (British Columbia) – The first night of the terrible trip was for hundreds of people who were left on a mountain road that ran between two mudslides just outside Hope, British Columbia. They were forced to stay in their cars.

Then their luck began to change. A lodge happened to be nearby. That’s how 300 strangers were crammed in for just three nights.

According to provincial officials, the repair of damage from storms and landslides could cost billions.

Stephanie Schafer (food services manager at Camp Hope Lodge) was alerted via a telephone call on Monday.

She said, “So I went in and made breakfast… then people started to come in – there ended up being 271 people sleeping all over,” in an interview Friday.

The 72-room lodge had already been used to house several hundred people who were evacuated in the wake of wildfires that destroyed Lytton, a nearby community in June.

Newcomers were forced to sleep on the mats that had been crammed in the halls, the auditorium, and the dining area. The day was spent playing cards and other board games.

“It was truly an incredible experience. Schafer stated that the two women were lovely people who were so happy to get out of car and to have a place for their bathroom.

Craig Schelter, who was stuck in his truck near Hope, saw a school bus and took him to the lodge. The experience was emotional, he said.

He stated, “It’s great to see how everyone supported each other,”

Late Wednesday night rescuers had opened the narrow road leading to the village, and residents were free to leave.

Doreen and David Crozier lost all their possessions when Lytton’s burned down, but that did not exclude them.

Doreen stated, “It’s kind of strange (experiencing), so much at once.”