Trail, B.C. "Sock Pole" is a mystery without match

There's a mystery brewing in the hills of B.C.'s West Kootenay.

Along Highway 22, just outside of Trail, is a utility pole that for years has been covered in single, unmatched socks.

Whoor whatput them there is a question Jacquelyn Konkin of Castlegar has pondered for several years as she keeps driving past the utility pole.

"They just magically appeared one day, and for years, I and many others have been driving past and wondering what it's all about," she told Radio West host Rebecca Zandbergen.

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Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. She snapped some photos of what has been dubbed the "Sock Pole," and shared them on her Facebook page to see if anyone else knew what was going on.

And while no definitive answers came forth, it turns out she's not the only one who's wondered about the Sock Pole.

A darning mystery

The sock pole has about 50 mismatched socks affixed to it. They've started to get a bit grungy over the years as they've been in the elements.

Konkin doesn't believe that the number of socks is growing, which means they must have come at one time.

So the question now is who? And why?

Konkin has some theories.

"Some people have said grads put them up," she said. "Some people have posted to Facebook, they're thinking maybe this is where all the ones that go missing from the drier go to meet their matches. But that's unconfirmed."

The intrepid crew at Radio West is also looking for the answer to this mystery. If you know anything about the Sock Pole or even just have a hunch they want to hear from you.

You can send them an email at radiowest@cbc.ca.

To hear the full story, click on the audio labelled:What's behind the mysterious "Sock Pole" in Trail, B.C.?