Tracey Jones took perhaps the longest road to the B.C. Scotties.
Even though Jones and her rink of Kay Thompson, Melinda Kotsch and Falon Burkitt were one of two Prince George teams to compete in their hometown provincial curling championships last week, it wasn't easy to get there.
Four return flights and two ferry rides.
Eleven nights and two rooms in a hotel.
Twelve tanks of fuel, 53.4 hours in the truck travelling 4,802 km.
And when Jones stepped onto home ice and eventually lost in a final, do-or-die tiebreaker that didn't finish until just past midnight Friday, one that would have qualified them for the fourth playoff spot, it was still worth it in the end.
"It really was a week to cherish, to play in front of hometown fans and family," Jones said Sunday prior to the championship final. "It truly was a great experience. My team never game up and I'm so proud of my team."
When the dust settled, Jones finished the week with a 5-6 record. That includes her final round-robin victory over Karla Thompson of Kamloops Friday morning that qualified them for a tiebreaker and a log jam between five teams with five losses.
She beat Cloverdale's Marla Mallett 5-2 in the first tiebreaker, then lost 6-5 in a heartbreaking extra end to Abbotsford's Allison MacInnes in the second tiebreaker.
And while it didn't all come up roses for Jones, she gave a bouquet to the Prince George organizing committee.
"The host committee did a tremendous job, they spent countless hours organizing it and it was wonderful to be a part of it all," she said. "I have a big family and a lot of friends. My kids were here, my grandparents were here. They would not have been able to see that anywhere else."
Being tested by the best teams in the province was good for her team, she added.
"We showed we could play at that high a level all week. The younger up and coming teams pushed the envelope and you had to stay sharp. You had to have your game."
Jones and her team, who decided to try and qualify for provincials after Prince George was awarded the championships, will finish league play this season and then sit down and determine their future.
