Day 13, June 11th, Maple Creek to Swift Current (142km)

Typical Saskatchewan Landscape

On the prairies, some country towns seem to be situated well off the highway.  To get to Maple Creek, you have to travel almost 10km south of its junction with Highway 1.  While its nothing by car, this can be quite the detour for someone on a bike.  Last night I was hungry.  Eagle campground is situated next to Highway 1 just before the Maple Creek Junction.  It's a beautiful campground but they have hardly any supplies.  Making a dinner out of canned soup, I was famished by morning.  I figure that yesterdays 8 hour ride must have burned in excess of 5000 calories.  It doesn't seem to matter how much you eat, your body just wants more.  Luckily, in towns like Maple Creek, there is a service road beside the highway with a restaurant, gas station and auto repair shop for those who don't want to go into town for full services.  Breakfast at the gas station restaurant was pretty good.  For $9 I got a 4 egg omelet loaded with the works on top of Tupperware dish filled with hashbrowns.  Add in 2 slices of 1" toast and you've got yourself a real country breakfast.

Flooded Prairie Farmland

Fueled up, I hit the road.  Todays ride was going to be pretty straight forward.  Flat grassland followed by more flat grassland and the occasional town on route to Swift Current.  Charging through the countryside, I had the wind at my back.  This really helped.  My legs had not recovered from yesterdays long ride and needed a break.  All around me, I could see flooded fields that were the result of an unusually cold wet spring.  Mosquito eggs hatch when they are immersed in flood water.  Today, the mosquitoes started to appear.  On the prairies it's impossible to be a vegetarian.  With my mouth hanging open sucking in air, I was swallowing a lot of mosquitoes.  After a while, you can start to tell the difference in taste between mosquitoes and flies.  Stop and you get attacked.  I'm finding if you maintain speeds over 20km/h you can stay relatively bite free. 

Steam Engine & Carriage Cars Full of Tourists

Piapot, Tomkins, the towns flew by.  As I made my way towards Gull Lake, A massive grain elevator appeared beside the road.  It looked like a train was being loaded for export.  Only 7 countries in the world are net exporters of food.  While the scenery on the prairies can be boring, traveling across by bike really makes you realize how gigantic the scale of the farming operations are out here.  The prairies are the bread basket of the world.  Across this landscape an old steam engine carrying tourists blew its whistles.  I looked to my right to see dozens of people waving at me from the carriage cars.  

Alain & I Gull Lake

Nearing Gull Lake, I came across a French cyclist.  Alain spoke a bit of English so we had a chat.  He is 62 years old and riding a fully loaded touring bike.  Alain loves to talk and talks to everyone he meets along the way.  After talking for half an hour, he suggested we get a picture together at Gull Lake.  We crossed the tracks and posed by the sign.  While trying to set up the cameras so we could get both of us in the shot, a fellow came by offering to take the picture for us.  The amazing thing was, this guy used to build bikes for Greg Lemond, a 3 time winner of the Tour De France.  He spent the next 15 minutes talking about bikes.  Meeting someone like him in such a random place really makes you wonder how people end up where they are.  Alain is traveling at a much slower pace than me.  At 62, I'm impressed he can tour the country fully loaded.  Heck, his kids are older than me.  We shook hands and parted ways.  The delay had made me anxious.  

Thunder Clouds Closing In on Me

Saskatchewan is known as "The Land of Living Skies."  While the day started off with bright blue skies, cumulus clouds were appearing to my left, right, front and back.  The clouds that scared me most were the ones behind me and to my right.  The prevailing winds were taking them straight towards me.  In the distance, I could see the lightning bolts flying.  Darker swats between the clouds and the land indicated severe rain bands.  If I was going to beat this storm to Swift Current, I would have to find an extra gear.  With 50km left to go, I floored it.  The maximum average speed I can seem to maintain is about 35km/h on flat terrain.  On route, I came across John, a Canadian soloist on his way to Newfoundland.  With the weather closing in, we talked on the fly.  We were both aware of the impending storm.  The light show behind us was spectacular.  The bolts were so bright, you didn't need to turn around to see them.  You could definitely hear them.  I kept gunning it for the city.  My legs were in pain and my water bottles dry.  It was a race to get away from mother nature's fury.  Hitting Swift Current, I quickly found a campground.  I set up my tent and watched the fury of the storm safely from the laundry room while updating my blog!  I hope John found shelter.  The lightning was spectacular but the rain never got too bad.

Downtown Swift Current

Distance: 142km

Average Speed: 22.5km/h

Maximum Speed: 48.4km/h

Time: 6:18

Odometer: 1618km