Day Seventeen - Outlook

I slept like a rock last night after a late arrival at camp due to the insane headwind and getting to bed late because I was on cooking crew. 

We were all done with clean up at camp by 8 but I was the last cyclist to get on the road.  The forecast was for a westerly tailwind but the head wind wasn't too bad. 

I was able to catchup with Matt about 20 km into the ride as he stopped to eat a sandwich.  We agreed to be on sweep together and off we rode. 

We rode into Rosetown and looked for a place to have "a proper lunch".  We rode through town looking around and noticed a bunch of familiar bicycles parked out front of the Dairy Queen. 

It is amazing how a quick stop and a cold drink in an air conditioned restaurant makes you feel so much better. 

We got on to highway 15 and found the road to be in very good condition, very flat, and very straight. In the far distance we saw a storm forming. 

With only 10 km to go it started to lightly rain. It wasn't too bad. Compared to yesterday everything is no problem. 

We arrived into camp to hear about stories of other riders that got soaked in the storm. 

While dinner was being cooked I hand washed my 2 pairs of bike shorts, jerseys, and socks as a rest day is still two days away.

Matt taking a roadside break

We watch this storm form for hours as we rode east towards it

Panorama of flatness

Day Sixteen - Kindersley

Last night I got a really good sleep last night despite sleeping in a gym with 15 other people.  The gym was air conditioned, had hot and cold running water, and a flush toilet.  Five star accommodation on a no frills tour.

I quietly packed up my gear in the near dark and put it in the truck like most mornings.  i ate my cold breakfast and left by 6:30.  The day was 149 km and the previous day there was a head wind and I wanted to get going before picked up.

Only a few kms in Kerry caught up with me and explained that he wanted to get to Kindersley ASAP because he wanted to FaceTime with his family for his granddaughters 1st birthday.He made it in time before she went to bed. 

Shortly after that Ken caught up to me and then left me in his dust too.  Along the way he was riding in front of us, stopping ahed of us, and taking some really nice pictures of us as we pass by him.

Vicky, Matt, and Duncan caught up to me and i joined their pace line to avoid the wind but I dropped out because I wasn’t fast enough to keep up.  The pace line sure does help you to go faster in the wind but I was going anaerobic and didn’t feel to good at that level.  I knew that I still had a ways to go.

At the 88 km mark I crossed into Saskatchewan.  I took a selfie and rested in the sliver of shade that the welcome to Saskatchewan sign shed.  Shade is a very underrated thing in my life normally.  In the prairies however I have come to appreciate shade and seek it out whenever I can.

At the 94 km mark I broke my chain.  ugh.  I proceeded to put it back together but I hadn’t aligned the pieces and I broke my chain brake.  The chain brake was made of brass, or some light metal, and broke where tool pushes the pin into the link.  The sun was blazing down on me and there was no shade anywhere to be found.  I knew that there was some people still behind me so I called them hoping they had a chain braker.  They did.  About an hour or so later I had it fixed and was back on the road.

Sam, Julie, and I rode the rest of the way together and drafted each other most of the way.  We made it to Kindersley in just under 10 hours.  Most had got there in much less time.  I was on kitchen duty but the food had already been prepared and eaten so I did the clean up.

Shortly after dinner I had a shower.  Yesterday in Youngstown one of the ladies gave me there keys to their jeep so I could drive 3 guys over to have a shower.  The water from a glacier would have been warmer.  Today at the campground the water was scortching hot.

Everyone is in bed as most have admitted today was a tough day.  Tomorrow we are supposed to have a tail wind but yesterday they said that. 

Through Alberta, on to Saskatchewan

Taking a break in a small bit of shade.  Shade is a scarce resource in the prairies

Lead truck told me to move into the ditch when the truck passed.  I thought she 

Day Fifteen - Youngstown

I went to bed early so I could get a head start. It didn't work out that way.

I headed out around 6:15 and headed east toward Drumheller. About 13 km in I spotted a cyclist ahead that a group of us had passed a couple of days ago. 

After I caught up with her we introduced ourselves and exchanged our stories. Her name was Lisa McKenzie from Edmonton and she is biking with her dog to St. John's. 

At that time I felt some sloppiness in my back tire and thought I might have a flat. I stopped my bike and flipped it over and found that my tire had totally come apart. 

I pulled out my phone and had no service as I was surrounded by hills. I walked to the top of the hill and proceeded to call everyone at camp to ask them if they had  a tire and if so could they bring it to me. 

The campground didn't have very good cell coverage. The location at the top of the hill had intermittent cell coverage too.  Then I got a call from an Ontario number and I picked it up. It was Duncan and he said he could go back to the truck and grab a tire for me. 

By 8:30 I had fixed the tire and was on the road. Sam and I road together until we went into Delia where I saw a bunch of tour bikes park beside Mother Mountain Tea House that looked to be closed. 

We headed in and found all the riders happily sitting down and and drinking cold drinks waiting for they pie and/or lunch. I ordered the peach pie and scarffed it down. I also filled all my water bottles with the very good water they had. 

We continued on and ended up in a five man pace line. I really appreciated being in a pace line as the wind was brutal. At top speed we were going 19 km an hour and slowest at 13 km.

We arrived at Youngstown to the gym where the very generous people of the town prepared a potluck dinner. Thanks to the good people of Youngstown. A very good end to a very tough day. 

Memorial to those riders that died during a past Tour du Canada in the hall at Youngstown AB

Lisa McKenzie just outside of Drumheller AB

Bikes lined up outside of Mother Mountain Tea House in Delia AB.  Good pie!

Day Fourteen - Rest Day Drumheller

Today I slept in until 8 because it was a rest day.  For breakfast I had my regular cheerios and banana and a large cup of tea.  In Banff I bought the GSI Fairshare mug 28 fluid oz (about 3.5 cups) that I use  as a cup to drink my tea.  One cup is normally enough.

Ken, John, and Arlen went to the golf course 3 km down the road only to find out that the cook wasn't in until 11 am but still managed to eat muffins and egg burritos.

Many people today went to the dinosaur museum 5 km away but I opted to go into town to check it out and eat some lunch.  5 others joined me and we got a cab to travel the 15 km into town.  On a rest day is a chance to do what we normally don't have time for during a regular riding day.  A couple needed hair cuts, others banking, one needed shoe repairs.

For lunch 3 of us visited a restaurant recommended by John Catuchi (not sure on the spelling) Bernie & the Boys Bistro.  It is a true burger joint and was busy as we went at noon.  We ordered our food at the counter and then sat and waited 25 minutes for our food.  It was ok but I've had better.

The couple of guys that needed a haircut were turned away because the next available appointment was in a week or so.  The shoe repair didn't go so well either.  Yesterday the cobbler said he could fix it in a hour and today he said that he needed a week because he didn't like the construction of the shoe.

While 2 of the group went to the museum 4 of us were trying to find a spot to have a drink and have lunch (not me though).  After being ignored in one establishment we went to another listed high on TripAdvisor but they were not licensed.  The waitress told us about another spot and it was closed.  On our last attempt we found a place that was air conditioned and licensed and we all had a cold drink and they ate lunch.

Pretty boring stuff.  My girlfriend said to write more exciting stuff but I can't make it up.

Ken told me a story about when he was camping and he woke up to find to skunks had chewed through his tent and were rooting through his stuff.  They left the tent shortly after his discovery and no spraying occurred.  Although that would be a good story.  His daughter from Calgary visited today with his two very cute grandsons and they also brought us donughts.  mmmmmm jelly.

A couple of us finished the day off with a quick swim followed by a shower and an ice cream from the store at the campground.  Tomorrow we are going 145 km and when we arrive the towns people are putting on a potluck for us.  Sounds like a good end to the day.

Lunch at Bernie & the Boys in Drumheller

Sunset at the campground

Drumheller water tower

Day Thirteen - Drumheller

After yesterday's 172 km and a short day today I slept in to 6. I tried for more but I was too close to the kitchen area where they cooking crew were making breakfast.  

Today we had an option for 2 routes and decided on a third one because it was on a highway and using Google street view I could tell that the shoulder was in good condition and it was wide. 

For the most part today the scenery was of canola fields. The are bright yellow and are used in canola oil. There was also wheat fields and some cows. 

Once we started our decent in Drumheller we started to see the hills that have been created over thousands of years with sedimentary rocks and soil. A pic below these typical formations.  

Once at camp I set my tent up on a nice grassy spot with some nice shade from some tall trees. 

I really appreciate shade a lot more now that we are in the prairies.  We stopped for a quick sandwich today and I could only find a sliver of shade to keep out of the sun. Today's max was only 30. After that day at 48.8 30 is no problem. 

Today I heard that the rider that left a sandwich in their tent and had a prairie dog tear his tent screen took the sandwich and threw it into the prairie dogs hole. In the morning the sandwich was still there. I guess it did t like peanut butter and jelly. 

As I was putting up my tent I got a good pic of Duncan and his ground sheet which he also uses as a rain poncho.  

I welcome the day off tomorrow. 

Duncan sporting his groundsheet / rain poncho at 30 degrees Celcius

Hills adjacent to the camp ground

Lots of dinosaurs scattered throughout Drumheller

Day Twelve - Irricana

Today I got the alarm went off and I set it for 20 minutes later at 5:15.  I had heard the rain fall on my tent in the night and I had also felt that it was cold outside, 11 degrees, but not as cold as the morning before at 6.

The bike out of Banff was mostly on a paved path all the way to Canmore.  It was also mostly downhill and Sam, John, and I made really good time.  We stopped occasionally to take pictures and be in awe of the amazing mountain range that we followed to Canmore.  Banff truly is the most beautiful place that I've been to.

As we got farther away from the mountains and closer to the foothills we looked back and saw the mountains in the distance.  I felt sad to leave BC behind because I know that it is the best part of Canada.

Once we got into the foothills the wind picked up and we formed a pace line and was really successful in conserving our strength when not in the first position.  I was glad to have the two other riders because the wind really would have reduced my speed and made my day much longer.

Along the way we saw a fox and a flock of pelicans I think?  I also saw a bunch of birds that I have never seen before.  I wish I new the names of them.  Once at camp other riders reported seeing a wolf.

Today was a 172 km day on paper but we rode 184 km.  Some extra kms were wrong turns but we purposely went out of our way to go into Cochrane to eat ice cream at McKays.  Another rider suggested the stop and he were not dissapointed.

Once in camp I set my tent up close to the truck to improve my departure time in the morning.  Tomorrow is the last day before we have a rest day and I am looking forward to it.

Flock of pelicans

The route out of Banff was downhill and had mountains like this on our right side until Canmore

John on the trail outside of Banff

Day Eleven - Banff

This morning felt really cold when I got up. Six degrees someone said. Today our group has to cook breakfast which is scheduled to be eggs.

Everyone was feed and the camp packed up by nine. Today was a short day only 62 kms. There are a few side trips but I'm happy just to get to Banff and rest my legs. 

The route we took was on highway 1A which runs in the same direction as the main highway but it is less travelled.  

Around 35 km in we stopped for a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie at Johnston Canyon.  It is a side trip to walk to the canyon but I just wanted to get to camp asap as tomorrow is a 172 km day. 

The route today was by far the most scenic days with huge mountains in every direction. The mountains are my favorite.  

Although today was a short day I was riding with Kerry and he is fast. I am good on the downhill but he was really fast in the up hills. 

We rode into Banff looking for a store that sells MSR tents and found Atmosphere. They had the tent he was looking for, the Elixer 2.  While there we ran into Ken who managed to get his bike fixed after getting a cab from Lake Louise to Banff. 

We rode into the camp ground at 1:30 before the truck got there and only had to wait a half an hour before it arrived. 

Kerry and I went into town for dinner and to see the town. The truck is serving pancakes with corn and tuna, weird. We had pizza. 

As warned by Bud in orientation we are all aware of the most dangerous animal we will encounter. The pic below shows the result of storing half a sandwich in your tent. 

Tomorrow is 574 m up and 1037 m down. That should make the distance s little easier.

A rookie move made by a veteran.  Don't keep food in your tents

My favorite sign ever

Panorama of mountains just past Johnston Canyon