Minnedosa to Portage la Prairie

We met Chris and Tim in Craik. They were travelling from Halifax to Vancouver, where they live. Their mission was to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House which is affiliated with the Delta Chain of hotels. Where possible they stayed in these hotels but this night they camped in our campground. They couldn't believe how early we go to get going, even though we only had 130k to ride.
Ray on the far right was generous in treating us to the cinnamon buns. His wife Deb had made our dinner
in Regina. Enjoying the treat are Sylie, closest to the camera, Juanita on her left, then Terry from Vancouver Island.
This looks like a painting. It was a very quaint spot, fair trade coffee, everything made from scratch and very delicious.


The ride today was exceptional for a couple of reasons. We had the sun and the wind on our back for most of the day. It was one of those days that you are not constantly looking at the odometer to see how much farther you have to go. We found the landscape in Manitoba was what we had thought the prairies was all about. Flat, flat, flat. I relished the opportunity to ride in my bring ring. Miles and miles of canola fields. We were in Portage at 2:15, where I got a much needed haircut while Terri and Edith scouted out the nearby bike shop. We ended the trip with an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen.

At the 33 km of the ride today we were treated to those cinnamon buns promised the night before. Ray from my galley crew knows the owner and just works down the street in Neepawa as the school superintendent. The family moved their business from Winnipeg to Neepawa. It was the prettiest little town we had seen thus far. It is known as the Lily capital of the world and is home to author Margaret Laurence. Also Terri's brother-in-law Harold was born in Neepawa and raised in Minnedosa, where we had stayed the night before.
I had stopped a lady on the corner to ask where the nearest mailbox was and she offered to take my postcards and mail them.

It was also just outside the town of Neepawa that a husband and wife team had a spill. They were riding in close enough proximity to each other that when he went down, she rode over top of him and also went off her bike. He was dazed but still able to ride after he was checked out by the doctor. His helmet was cracked in four places. She injured her shoulder, needed meds and a sling and was not able to ride. She took a bus out of town the next morning and was to stay with family until the group got to Kenora. She would then decide if she was able to continue the ride. Anything can happen in a split second.

We are enjoying a nice evening near crescent lake in the fairgrounds at Portage. We have been spoiled the last few days with the wind on our back and good weather. We know to enjoy it for there will be times we won;t be so lucky.

Binscarth to Minnedosa

The cows and horse posed for the picture when I blew my air horn.
The Holy Cow Restaurant, likely a thing of the past.

We rode with Edith Troupe today and we found out that she is friends with the couple, Patty and Doug who run Bike Face bike store in Owen Sound. She knew them when she was living in Prince Edward Island. They moved their store from PEI to Durham in Ontario and then to Owen Sound. We have been in their store many times and plan to see them when we get to Owen Sound. Small world.
By Minnedosa Lake, a nice peaceful evening.


After our long ride to Binscarth yesterday we were looking forward to the ride to Minnedosa, 136 km. There was a time when this would have seemed endless. We were fortunate to have a fairly level terrain with the wind in our favour. We actually had the ride more than half done by the time we got to our lunch stop. We got into camp at 3:15 and the wind had picked up enough that we opted to stay in camp, wash our cycling clothes by hand and dry them on the line.

The terrain for the day reminded us of travelling in Bruce County and I had to remind myself where I was. We stopped in Birtle for coffee and The Holy Cow Restaurant was there. I had read about it on someone else's journal from a prior year and I was anxious to try it out. Unfortunately the side of the building had caved in and it was closed. We are finding the many small towns we go through have seen better days. We were told there were excellent cinnamon buns at the halfway point but we were dissappointed when we got there only to find the place had been out of business for a few years.

We camped on the shores of Lake Minnedosa for the night and it was very peaceful. The wind died down, the sunset was great and I sat at the picnic table doing my notes and downloading pictures. At stops like this it is a shame to have only a few hours to enjoy it.

There is usually something to look forward to the next day. It usually has to do with weather, terrain or food. In this case we were advised to stop in Neepawa at the bakery for a treat of cinnamon buns and coffee, courtesy of one of the riders,

Neudorf to Binscarth

Crooked Lake meandered its way throughout the valley.
The hills through the valley looked as though someone had moulded.
Such beautiful countryside throughout the valley.
These hills looked as though someone had lobbed off the tops of them.
Terri taking a peanut butter sandwich break as we finished the trip through the valley and before turned up the hill to what would be a 2 km climb.
Another province under our belts. Here I am at the Manitoba border.
Postash Pete or Smelly Pete depending on who you talk to. He is from Esterhazy, the home of two potash mines.
The sky at Binscarth before the storm.

The sky after the storm.


How Terri and I felt after we finished the ride.


Being the brave souls we are, Terri and I opted to take the route as it was written on the cue sheet. We wanted to do the scenic route which would be 174 km. It took us through the Qu' Appelle Valley and took 12 hours for the ride including our stops.

The landscape was very different, sculptured hills as you can see from the pictures. There was a very interesting lake known as Crooked Lake. It meandered its way through the valley for several kilometres. There were beautiful cottages all along the lake and we both decided that it would be a great place for a summer home. The downside of the ride was the incredible wind we encountered for the whole morning. It made it difficult to get up any speed and we knew that given distance we had we would be pretty bushed by the time we would get to camp. To end the ride through the valley we had a 2 km climb out. The good news was we had a tail wind for that and the next 20 km and next to no wind the rest of the trip.

The road took us through Esterhazy, the home to two potash mines. The product is mostly shipped overseas to India and China where it is used for fertilizer.

We crossed into Manitoba on this day and this meant a time change which put us into camp about 8pm instead of 7pm. We also had boil water advisory (the second so far) which put an immense strain on the galley crew(the same one that got it the last time) as water had to be boiled for everything including the next days drinking water. The camp store and local gas station had no bottled water for purchase. We also had a very short thunderstorm but fortunately we had our tents up before it hit.

Regina to Neudorf

Dawn(from Fredericton) Terri and I setting our for the day with our Tour du Canada look. Our white faces might look funny but we know we are well protected from the sun.
Beautiful canola fields and the their sweet smell accompanies us on our ride today.
Beautiful flax fields that from a distance look like a lake.
A texas gate not unlike the one I fell off my bike on when we were coming out of Lake Louise. Fortunately the bike fell on me and between me and the panniers, my bike came out of it with no damage.
Stephanie from Fredericton and John from Toronto took part in the face painting at the Motherwell Homestead.
I am on the upper porch of the Motherwell home.
Terri is relaxing on the veranda. Somehow the clothes and the hat don't match.
Mike (hidden by the branch), Terri, Terry (from Vancouver Island) and Dawn are strolling down lovers' lane.
Dawn, Terri and I on the porch. I couldn't figure out how to rotate the picture. Mike?? any ideas??
The French Connection, Renee Liese from Montreal and Sylvie from Quebec City met on this tour and ave become good friends in a short period of time.
Maybe when I get older I will have to switch to this bike.
Having dinner at the casino with Juanita from London and Renee Liese and Sylvie.


Our rest day in Regina was not unlike others. We did laundry, cleaned our bikes, got organized for the next series of rides. As I was on breakfast duty the next morning, I got the potatoes for hash browns ready and filled all the supplies for cereal, sugar etc. We also worked on the blog and it has been great to have access to the internet on our rest days.

After we got our work done we took the free shuttle to the casino. After spending a mere $10 on the machines we went to a bike store in the area and then had dinner in the casino. They had a great buffet. The shuttle took us back to camp with a stop at the drugstore.

Our next days ride was to Neudorf. You can see us with our Tour du Canada look. There is a special sunscreen with zinc that protects you more from skin cancer. It goes on white and really blocks everything. It makes it hard to wash your face at the end of the day but if it protects, then it is worth it.

It was a gorgeous sunny day and not too hot as we had a gentle breeze. The colors of the day were gorgeous, the canola fields, the flax fields as well as the many other grains we saw. Very little climbing today and I was glad to be able to get some speed. We enjoyed our break at Dairy Queen. You could tell it was Saturday as people travelled the secondary route we were on in a hurry to get to their cottage. It was the rudest traffic we have had thus far. We did appreciate the sweet smell of the canola fields. We were told it smells sweet in the field but when it is harvested it is a very unpleasant pungent odour.

We took a recommended side trip to the Motherwell Homesead, a recreation of the pioneer days in the prairies. As it was Saturday, there were lots of activities going on for the children. We opted for tea and a tour of the Motherwell home. He was born in Perth, Ontario and came to Saskatchewan as a young child. He was instrumental in organizing the farmers and he himself became Agriculture Minister.

The group dynamics are interesting to watch on a trip like this. You get to know people fairly quickly when you are put in close contact and with the contraints and demands placed on us each day. You learn habits and can usually predict who will be in camp first. There is some stress in the morning as the galley crew feeds the troups and most of the riders now want to be on the road earlier but the two staff have up till 8 am to get their breakfast. It makes it difficult for the galley crew especially if it is a long day. We are finding ways to be efficient in the packup to ward off some of that stress. Most of us agree the most stressful part of the tour is the galley duty. Coming in to camp at the end of the long day only to have to cook is not the greatest. The menu is fixed for us and sometimes changes are made that make it very trying. Also to get up extra early to start the porridge and whatever else is makes for a stressful start to the day. The crews work well together to put on the best meal they can.

Our camp for this night was in a small town that I am not sure will be there in ten years. There appeared to be very little activity on what seemed to be the only main street in town. Shops appeared closed for good. The arena we stayed at was very dated and I did not see anyone in the town except for who was on our trip.
The nice part was we got to use the showers and the kitchen for cleaning of our dishes.

Portage la Prairie to Beausejour

The Canada Geese were prevalent in the is park at Portage.
Renee Liese enjoying the easy ride this day.
St. Andrew's Dam which helps control the Red River. These gates swivel to let the ice go through.
Bill Nicolak, from Tiverton chose this for his clothes line in Beausejour.

Our trip from Portage la Prairie to Beausejour (164 km) provided us with the flattest terrain for the whole trip. It was especially nice as we had a tail wind for most of the trip and so the kilometres clicked by quickly.The trip was going so well we had half of our trip done by the time we had our lunch in Stonwall at a small diner. We opted to not go through Winnipeg as we felt we didn't have the time to do the city justice. We thought perhaps our chances of seeing anything new was gone as the landscape was pretty much the same. Due to the length of the day we also decided not to dee Lower Fort Garry but we were pleasantly surprised to see St. Andrew's Dam where the waters of the Red River are controlled as are the ice flows in winter. As you can see from the picture there are a series of gates that open and close. We also saw Duffy's Ditch (named after Premier Duffy)which is acts as a spillway for the Red River.

As we rode into camp Terri told the other cyclists she could smell Ontario in the air.

Our camp for the night was a mosquito haven and so we ate quickly and went to bed early. There was a fellow from the local paper taking photos. Our next day was to be over 170k so we needed the extra sleep.
A nice treat at the end of a long day was the box of chocolates that Mike sent me. Terri and I are making plans with Mike and Don to meet them on Manitoulin or Tobermory.

Land of the Living Skies

Ray and his wife Deb provided us with a great meal. Save Holly and her crew lot of time cooking.
Abandoned farms are plentiful in this area of Saskatchewan
Beautiful canola fields we saw along the way to Regina.
Old School House from 1906-1942 Smileyville
This dog came out of his yard while we were stopped for a sandwich. He was very friendly and ran beside us for almost 2k before he turned to go back.
Not many people pictures today. This is me enjoying the ride with the wind on my back.

The mud hole we had when we got to our stop in Kindersley. You can appreciate why we went to a hotel for the night. We were lucky to find a bed, we shared with another couple. The pipeline contractors have taken up most of the hotel room in Kindersley and area.
This was the sky, not at his worst, when we came into Kindersley.We thought it was going to go around us but it was treacherous for many riders who got stuck the hail and rain and wind.
We had good weather here, hard to believe that the skies got so scary.
Sunset in Youngstown, where we were treated to a nice dinner by the community. However, we had no showers. This was difficult to deal with this as we had ridden in such horrendous winds we needed a shower. Sponge bath in sink was the best we could do.
The landscape in and around Drumheller.
Terri and a local from Drumheller.

( I apologize the pictures are in the reverse order of our rides over the last few days)

July 12th and Day 16 of the tour took us out of Drumheller on Route 9 towards Youngstown. Lots of cannola and wheat fields the first part of the ride but then the land became pretty barren and dry. Odd herd of cattle could be seen in the distance as well as lots of little old deserted farm buildings. Headwind picked up after our lunch stop in Hanna and we still had another 45k to go. Just west of Hanna, we are in our northern most point of the tour. Few places to stop and get extra food or water today. The little community of Youngstown provided supper for us and will be doing the same when the second group of the tour arrives tomorrow. It was a delicious pot-luck meal with lots of choices. Today's distance was 140k.

July 13th and Day 17 takes us on to Kindersley and a distance of 149k. We started out with a great ride, with the weather being sunny and warm but could see storm clouds forming in the distance. We crossed into Saskatchewan around 1 pm and called home from the sign. Landscape continues to be mainly barren and dry. The winds began picking up and cycling was becoming difficult with the strong headwinds and the temperatures began quickly dropping. Storm clouds seem to turn around and come in behind us so we sure picked up our pace to get into camp before the skies opened up. Thus was the case for Holly and myself but a few weren't so fortunate and didn't have their raingear with them. We just got to the shelter at the park and the downpour began for a solid hour with tremendous high gusty winds and hail. The park became one huge mudhole. A few of the early arrivals to the park had their tents set up and fortunately, they survived the elements and a couple of the guys slept through the night rain and wind. Some of the cyclists got motel rooms and we were fortunate to get in a room with Sandra and Terry since they had a second double bed that was available for anyone who would like it. We did laundry and went to Tim Horton's for coffee and bagel. To bed late but felt great to be in an actual bed.

July 14th and Day 18 takes us on to Outlook and a distance of 154k. Well, the rain kept up most of the night but stopped but 0700 but the winds were still strong. About 10 of the cyclists took advantage of an offer from one of the locals to get shuttled to out next campsite in Outlook. The rest of us braved the strong crosswinds and made it to Outlook. Holly had taken the ferring off her recumbent bike for easier and safer riding. Lots of transport trucks passing as we struggled along this stretch. The first half of the ride was tough but after out turn at Rosetown, where we had lunch at A and W, the crosswinds decreased and the ride was enjoyable with canola and wheat fields. We came across an elk farm and had a chat with the farmer who had just fed them and then a little further down the road, we saw a herd of bison grazing. The land was becoming flatter the closer we came to Outlook. We had a long climb across a bridge over the South Saskatchewan River and up into Outlook. Again, there were very few places to stop and fill water bottles of get snacks along this stretch. Holly and I and one other female cyclists were the only women who rode this day. We are glad we did as so far we can say we rode EFI (Every F...king Inch) You will hear this term again.

July15th and to Craik with the distance of 119k. It was quite cool at 0600 but warmed up a bit later and just right for cycling. Today was a great ride with a trailwind most of the ride. Beautiful big fluffy clouds in the sky. Slightly rolling to flat farmland. Had our second bacon and cheese burger in two days at A&W in Davidson on route 11 and the terrific tailwind carried us to Craik. Went to the village to find a bank and drugstore. Lot of the little towns out west seem to be built around grain elevators and there was one smack in the middle of the town. The royal bank had no ATM machine!! Nice to get into camp early for a change. We had been followed for over two k by a big, friendly black lab? on this ride but he eventually got tired of the running.

July 16th and Day 20 with the distance of 124k to Regina. Another beautiful, sunny and enjoyable ride with lots of canola and wheat fields to admire and tailwind again today. This morning was even cooler than yesterday morning with John's thermometer reading 3 degrees!! but it did warm up quickly and we already had removed one layer of clothing before leaving camp. Had a good lunch at Subway in Lynden. Ray's wife, Deb, provided a delicious supper for the group. Great to have a rest day tomorrow since we will be riding for six days before our next rest day. According to the weather report last evening at the office, the Regina temperature was the lowest in the country with 2.4 degrees and broke the record which was set in 1906.

Until Kenora and provided we have internet access, stay safe and out of the wind.

Terri

Dino Says Hi

This picture is a out of order. It is the parting of the waters where one stream goes to the Pacific and the other goes to the Atlantic. On the new Trans Canada you miss this but they have a new Continental Divide sign.
This picture is also out of order. It is a group of us having our lunch break at a cemetery on the highway into Drumheller. Probably the first time we have been such a big group together since we left Vancouver.
A quaint house in Field, B.C.
Stopping in lunch in Field
Probably the only time I will be up a hill before Terri.
A lunch stop.
Jim Large, he has had 6 flats so far on this trip. He is such a trooper, always helping to load and unload the truck each day.
The climb out of Golden.
Overlooking Golden on the climb out.
The Continental Divide
A rainy day at Lake Louise.
Spiral Mountain
We thought this might be an interesting bike to try.
Oliver and Company at the Holiday Inn, where hospitality is number 1.
A beautiful mountain view coming out of Banff in the am.

A beautiful canola field on the way to Drumheller.
A great lunch out with Ron, Dean, my brother-in-law Charlie (on my right), Dean's sister Laurie and her daughter Elizabeth
The Badlands of Drumheller
Charlie thinks this might be a good option for his next bike.


What a wonderful rest day here in Drumheller, Alberta. We have a lovely spot here, it is sunny and dry, nice showers, laundry and two nights in the same place. What can be better? It is amazing what satisfies you when you are on the road as we are.

The ride here took us through some very different terrain and weather. The rest day in Golden was a difficult one with the tents being quite a piece from the truck, no power etc but we had good weather leaving town. It was especially difficult to do the 18km climb because it was first thing in the morning without a real warmup. Our destination was Field, in Yoho National Park, and as we were ready for a nice cup of tea we took a little detour into this little hamlet before heading to the campsite. Good thing, we missed a real downpour while having lunch. Once we had our tent set up we decided to take the side trip to the Takakkaw Falls, the longest cascading waterfall in Canada. Terri and I originally thought we would avoid the ride as it was quite a climb but we decided to take the plunge when others had come back and said it was worth it. I was glad to have left the panniers at the campground as the switchbacks had to be taken one at a time with a short rest in between. The weather was not great, cold and rainy so our stay there was just long enough to take photos and put the extra layer on for the descent. Our campsite was at the base of Spiral Mountain, the one where you can see the front and rear of a train at the same time. Unfortunately we did not see a train but could see the portals when we climbed out of the campgound the next day.

For some reason the first 25km of the trip from Field to Banff was the slowest 25km of my life. We had a climb through Kicking Horse Pass and the old highway was covered in heaves of pavement and we couldn't get up any speed. It was great to be passing through the border of Alberta and BC (1 down 9 to go) and from the old highway you see Divide Creek where the water seperates and one stream flows to the Pacific and one stream flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

A side trip to Lake Louise took some time but was worth it despite the rain. The shot of Lake Louise does not due it justice given the rain. I found it actually stressfull to be around so many people. After an expensive lunch at the Chateau we headed out again. I found out what it was like to fall on a Texas Gate. There were two coming out of Lake Louise (keeps the animals out of the area). I did not see notice of it and was on it and off my bike before I knew what was happening. No damage to the bike, it fell on me and the panniers kept it off the rollers. I have a huge bruise on my right arm but nothing broken and bike it fine. Thank God.

The ride to Banff was cold and wet and it was too bad our rest day was not there. I could have used it after the day I had and our campsite was so far from town we could not get back in. It was also my cooking night. The guys on my crew are wonderful and had things underway by the time I arrived. Supper and breakfast the next day was a hit. We have lost two of our cooking crew today. One was a TDC vet that was only travelling part way. The other has had to suspend his trip due to a bad recurring knee issue.

We said goodbye to the mountains as we headed out of Banff to Airdrie via Canmore and Cochrane. I had a nice chat on the phone with Helen, a friend from my days living in Calgary. Our ride to Cochrane was great
through the Indian Reserve. We felt like we were riding in Bruce County actually. We had all the possible weather, sun, rain, thunder and lighting looming nearby and 10 minutes of solid hail. Our lunch in Cochrane at Tim's was well deserved.

The climbing into Airdrie caught us off guard and the head wind made it difficult to really benefit from the downhills. Our stay in the yard of the Scout Hall was, well what can I say, it was grass, showers and washrooms a long way away. We were fortunate to have the kindness of the Holiday Inn on our side. Oliver's hospitality in letting us use the laundry facilities was very much appreciated and we got to stay out of the rain for a couple of hours with some excellent company. He even made us coffee and shared the CD he and his band produced.

The ride from Airdrie to Drumheller started out cold and damp but ended up dry, sunny and hot. It was a great ride, nice rolling hills and long stretches of secondary roads. It took awhile to sink in just how beautiful a ride it was when I realized that we had no BC traffic to deal with. It was peaceful and beautiful. The canola fields went on forever as did the road. Some wondered if that would be what the prairies would be like. We were assured they were actually flatter.

Having lived in Alberta for 10 years, this area was not totally foreign to me but I did not remember the town itself. As you know it is known for the dinosaur history but neither Terri nor I ventured to the museum. Terri enjoyed her day at camp getting her to do list done and her postcards signed and mailed. I spent a wonderful visit with my brother-in-law who came down from Stoney Plain (near Edmonton) for a time of getting caught up on each others lives and families. He and his friend Dean are very interested in my bike and are considering a long trip like Tour du Canada when Charlie retires. We shared a meal at O'Sheas with Dean and his sister, Laurie, neice Elizabeth and another friend, Ron It was so good to see family.

Yesterday was mail day. Both Terri and I got parcels from our husbands, what a treat!!! Thanks Don for the cookies and Mike for the chocolates.

Tomorrow promises to be sunny and 27. Our evening dinner will be courtesy of the Youngstown community. They traditionally put on a meal for us.

To date we have travelled 1345 km. Thank you all for your support on the blog and on the Tour du Canada site. It is very encouraging and uplifting.

See you on the road!!!