West Hawk Lake to Kenora, Ontario

A few minutes from West Hawk Lake, we joined the TransCanada, which, we were pleased to see had a newly paved hard shoulder. Soon after, we were at the Ontario border!  A couple of bikers on the other side of the highway, who were on their way to Rocky Mountain House from Sudbury, took our photo for us.  Just down the highway, at the Ontario Information Centre, there was a nicer sign, so we stopped for more photos. Here, we met a couple of cyclists, from White Rock, BC, Tanya and Jocelyn, who are also heading to St. John’s. They are riding in support of  Alzheimer’s awareness. They expect to get to Newfoundland around the end of August, so we agreed we would celebrate together if we arrive at the same time.

It was a pleasant, fairly easy, ride  along the #1, which turned into the #17 in Ontario. The wide paved shoulder continued  all the way and the scenery was dramatic, with boreal forest, rocky outcrops and many lakes.

 We also passed the 3000 km mark today.

Kenora is on the Lake of the Woods. We stood by the shore on the way to the Brewing Company of the same name.  They opened 2 weeks ago and their first beer, a blonde ale, was enjoyable.

We are on the traditional territory of the Objibway People’s, and specifically the Kenora First Nation.

Whitemouth to West Hawk Lake

We left the B&B shortly after 7:00, heading north alongside fields of canola, corn, wheat and barley. We turned east onto the #44 (the old Highway 1) and almost immediately found ourselves on the Canadian Shield. The road was quiet and the scenery was novel, for now. Apart from dealing with one flat tire, the morning was uneventful. Later it got hotter and there was a headwind, which might have helped drive away, slightly, the multitude of horse flies that descended on us while moving.

West Hawk Lake is the deepest in Manitoba (111 m) and is in a meteorite crater from 100 million years ago. The community grew up around the old Highway 1 and today appears to be a thriving resort. It is attractive, well laid out and has a lovely sandy beach. The Nite Hawk Diner  is listed as one of Macleans “great Canadian pit stops”, and deservedly so.

We remain on the traditional territory of the Treaty 3 First Nations.

Winnipeg to nr Whitemouth

We checked out Stella’s Bakery yesterday and were there again this morning for 7:00 opening. After a good breakfast and fuelled with espresso and latte, we headed out of Winnipeg, crossing the Red River Floodway, which last protected the city in 2009.
We avoided the TransCanada, as we were told at Manitoba Tourism that after about 20km there was no hard shoulder before the Ontario border. Highway 15, just north of #1 was a good alternative. Even though it also had no hard shoulder, it was relatively quiet once we were out of the city. The wind was behind us but it was very hot – mid 30s, with little access to shade along the road.
We crossed the longitudinal centre of Canada, twice! There seems to be some dispute as to the exact measurement so we recorded both. This does not mean that we are half way through our trip though.
En route, we talked to Maritia and then were surprised by a video call from Chris and Shinyoung, while we were resting in some shade by the roadside.
We stopped in Elma at the Spicy Radish for homemade iced tea and a milk shake and ordered homemade veggie burgers, yam fries and pecan pie to take to our lodgings.
We are staying in Moon Gate B&B, an idyllic spot a few kms off the highway, right beside the Whitemouth river. We considered going for a cooling swim in the river, but fatigue defeated us. We plan to set off even earlier tomorrow, to get some kilometres in before the temperature soars again.

Flora Notes: Showy Lady’s Slipper, Wood Lily

We are now in the traditional territory of the Treaty 3 First Nations. Highway 15 passed by the Metis community of St Rita.

Canada Day in Winnipeg: After the obligatory laundry and bike maintenance, we walked to the Legislature and found a crowd of people in red and white, ready for the human Canada Flag event. Wandering, we stopped at the statue of Louis Riel, who, as the founder of Manitoba, holds his rightful place on the bank of the Assiniboine. We couldn’t walk along the river trail as it was flooded and the water is not yet as high as expected, with  flow from the rains which have caused  flooding in Alberta still to come. At the Forks (where the Assiniboine joins the Red River), there was entertainment and also the Founding Peoples celebration at the Oodena Circle. A 1/2 hour boat trip gave us a good view of the Museum of Human Rights, which opens in 2014, the Provencher Bridge and the St Boniface Cathedral. We had hoped to stay to see the fireworks, but retreated early to our air-conditioned hotel.

Today, we met a group of cross-Canada cyclists outside a bike shop. We don’t think that they believed us when we said that we were doing the same thing until we showed them our bike tans! An exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, The 100 Masters, Only in Canada, was amazing. A celebration of the gallery’s centennial, it is an assembly of one hundred works of art from twenty-eight museums in Canada and two in the United States, along with ten pieces from the WAG’s permanent collection. 1/2 of the works were by Canadian painters, some of whom, we were ashamed to admit, were unknown to us. Our euphoria continued through a dinner at  Sidney’s, where  every course was memorable.  It will make up for the limited options available back on the road.  To end the day, we walked around the site of the Museum of Human Rights. It is an inspiring building even now.

Portage La Prairie to Winnipeg

We met our French cycling colleague, Jasmin, at Tim Hortons, where he had spent the night sitting in front of his laptop. He is using warmshowers.org or couchsurfing.org, but it seemed not to have worked out this time. He was in good spirits and we shared more stories over an espresso and a latte.

It was a hot, hazy day with the Garmin at one point measuring 33C. We consumed lots of water but there was no shade and the road was as flat as we have seen. On the outskirts of Winnipeg, we turned off Highway 1, crossed the Assiniboine and cycled along the River Parkway. It was gentle and meandering and we passed many other cyclists as well as picnickers. Eventually, we re-crossed the river by the Legislature and made our way to the hotel.

We will be staying here for two days. Paul has been here often, but not as a tourist, and Lois has only visited briefly on one occasion. We are looking forward to celebrating Canada Day at the Forks!

We remain on the traditional territory of the Treaty 1 First Nations. The Swan Lake, Ojibway, First Nation is by Highway 1 just west of the city. Winnipeg is situated at the junction (the forks) of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. The rivers provided an extensive transportation network linking many First Nations peoples, including the Anishinaabe, Assiniboine, Ojibway, Sioux, and Cree.

Brandon to Portage La Prairie

It was a perfect day for going to the lake, or …….for cycling along the Trans-Canada! It was hot and long and the wind was not always our friend. We have learned not to hope for an easy ride, as we have discovered that anything can happen and when it does, it is often at the end of the day, when we are tired and beginning to think of cold beer and hot showers. This is when we suddenly encounter a tough, steep hill, or a thundershower, or one of us nearly runs over a snake, dead racoon/skunk/fox, etc. or a smelly pig truck passes us yet again!

Today, after 115 kms, just after stopping at a gas station for a final pit stop, we cycled back on to the highway to find that the hard shoulder ended. For the final 6 kms, we had to struggle through loose gravel. We left it for a bit for an unpaved service road. At the end of that road, we were greeted by a fellow cyclist, who was actually cycling on the highway, as his tires were too narrow for the gravel. He is from France and had taken a bus from Montreal to Vancouver, where he bought gear and began his cross-country tour on June 5. He went the southern route and has followed the Trans-Canada all the way. He is averaging 150 kms/day (twice our average!). Hanging off his bike were licence plates from the 4 provinces he had come through, 3 of which he picked up on the side of the road, and one a gift. We agreed to look out for each other on Canada Day down at the Forks in Winnipeg.

We are on the traditional territory of the Treaty 1 First Nations. The Dakota Tipi First Nation is situated 5 kms SW of Portage La Prairie.

Shoal Lake to Brandon

Highway 21 South was a good choice. There was very little traffic and even a hard shoulder for a good part of it. With a tailwind, the cycling was easy and the skies were blue. At Hamiota,  we stopped and made espressos beside the cemetery. We passed through the Sioux Valley Dakota community and crossed the Assiniboine River, before turning on to Highway 1.

The last 40 kms were less pleasant. The traffic on #1 was heavy and an assault on the senses after the peace of the 21. While there was a hard shoulder all the way to Brandon, it was not in a condition one might expect from the national highway. But, it was the wind that got to us again. The north wind that had helped us speed along earlier, was now battering us from the side and, when the highway turned north-east, it was partially a headwind.

To end the day we discovered a great restaurant, Lady on the Lake, where we had Manitoba pickerel, Saskatoon berry pie and Saskatoon berry cheesecake, and listened to a live Rhythm & Blues band. Oh yes, and it was margarita night!  When we got back, we received a video from Jade and Rhys, sending kisses.  Who cares about wind?

Wildlife Notes: Pocket Gophers

We are now in the traditional territory of the Treaty 2 First Nations. The Dakota Nations of South Western Manitoba are not signatory to any of the numbered Treaties.

Russell to Shoal Lake

Suddenly, we have come into summer on this trip – warm, sunny days with a cooling breeze (from the right direction). But, just as we were beginning to sing “Sum-mer time and the (riding) is easy…”, the road conditions deteriorated and the hard shoulder disappeared! For  the last 50 kms, we had to cycle on the 2-lane Yellowhead, dropping down onto the soft shoulder for traffic, which included many large semis. The shoulder was covered in thick gravel, making it very difficult to ride on or maintain balance.  After we arrived in Shoal Lake, we learned that there is likely to be little hard shoulder on the Yellowhead from now on.  The only alternative is to take a route south to join the TransCanada a bit earlier than we would have done. After consulting with the proprietor of the motel and listening to advice offered by a local resident in the restaurant, we will be heading straight south tomorrow to join Highway 1 after about 80 kms and will head for Brandon. We are not confident that Highway 1 has continuous hard shoulders, as reports are inconsistent on the status of Manitoba’s efforts to upgrade its highways, but at least it will be a divided highway.

We remain on the traditional territory of the Treaty 2 First Nations.

Yorkton to Russell, Manitoba

Paul’s presentation to the meeting in Hong Kong last night was well received but the Skype audio started to break up at the end. Because of this there were questions that were unfortunately left unanswered, at least for now. Paul did get a chance to see and chat with colleagues from WHO and the Public Health Agency of Canada beforehand.

We were back at the Cup and Saucer again at 7:30 a.m.  As we left Yorkton, the skies began to clear and the temperature climbed, hitting 30C by early afternoon. The wind was behind us again and the cycling felt good.

We stopped at the small town of Saltcoats for a break. It was named after the Scottish town that was home to the Allan Shipping Line that brought many of those that immigrated to Canada and settled in the area. It was also the first village created in the Northwest Territories in 1894 and was governed by a system of direct democracy where ratepayers met regularly and made regulations related to sanitation, fire and animals and authorized public works.

We crossed the Saskatchewan/Manitoba boundary about 20 kms before Russell, after which the highway dropped steeply to the Assiniboine River valley and then ascended in a very long  climb. It was the first real hill since North Battleford and a bit of a shock!

Russell, Manitoba has the unfortunate distinction of being home to a Barnardo Industrial Farm,  to which more than 1,660  British children were sent between 1888 and 1907, to  be trained as agricultural workers.

Wildlife Notes: We were “dive-bombed” by nesting Black Terns. Lois even had to duck!

We are now in the traditional territory of the Treaty 2 First Nations. The Waywayseecappo First Nation community is the closest to Russell, but is affiliated with Treaty 4.

We were glad to be in Yorkton when we awoke to thunder showers and strong easterly winds.   After breakfast and laundry and a quick look at the Globe and Mail,  we took a cab to the Fifth Ave Cup and Saucer for good lattes and carrot muffins.  It is a family-run business that is up for sale, with a conditional offer currently accepted.. The two young brothers are going back to school – one to do computer programming and the other, to barber school in St. John, NB. They say the business is doing well and they are confident it will continue under new ownership. We said we would be back for lunch and wandered off to the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery. The gallery is currently exhibiting local artists, so there was quite a range of subject matter, medium and ability. We noticed there were three photographs by Ed Stachyruk, the same person who had photographed the Ukranian churches, on display in the bakery in Wynyard (owned by the photographer and his wife, we now learned).  Mr. Stachyruk has been documenting the interiors of the tiny Ukranian Catholic and Orthodox churches, many of which are disappearing. The executive director of the gallery, Donald Stein (a Google search shows Mr. Stein has an impressive bio himself) told us that the icons from the churches cannot be destroyed, so are being gifted to congregations in parts of the world where there is a need. Mr. Stein needed to pop out to Staples for a computer problem and asked us if we would watch the gallery for him for a few minutes! He left us a pile of fascinating art journals and magazines to browse through. Fortunately, no other visitors came while he was out, so we didn’t have to pretend to know something about Saskatchewan art.

As we mentioned before, we visited Stuart and Mary Houston in Saskatoon. Stuart’s parents were both GPs in Yorkton and his mother, Dr Sigridur (Sigga) Christianson Houston, had a particularly interesting story.

Wynyard to Yorkton

After looking at the forecast,  we decided to go all the way to Yorkton today, rather than stopping at Foam Lake, as planned (and we did not want to get too used to 60 kms days!). The winds were from the west and south-west, with clear blue skies. Tomorrow, rain is expected, with strong winds from the east. Given the distance and the anticipated temperature of 30C, we set our alarm for 5:30 and were at the Wynyard Bakery and Cafe before 6:00. The bakery, which opens even earlier in hunting season, is decorated with a series of photographs of the interiors of Ukranian Orthodox churches in the area.

With a tailwind, the cycling was easy and enjoyable. We passed the towns of Mozart  and Leslie, among others. We were in Foam Lake by 10, where we stopped and had a lovely visit with Lois’ cousin Cecile, and her husband, Alec. We parted with goodies and refilled water bottles in hand.

At Sheho, we turned off the highway and found a shady spot under a tree to eat our sandwiches. We went into the  Hart to Hart tea shop in search of hot water to brew tea in our David’s tea mugs and  chatted with the owner, Joanna and her guests about farming and the demise of small towns in Saskatchewan.

We think we must be “hard core” as we are acknowledged, mostly, by motorcyclists and truck drivers!

We are taking a day off tomorrow. Paul will be giving a presentation tomorrow night by Skype to a meeting in Hong Kong.

Wildlife notes: White-tailed deer, Red Foxes, Chipmunk.

We are on the traditional territory of the First Nations of  the Yorkton Tribal Council. Sakimay is the closest community.

Lanigan to Wynyard

We cycled back to the Golf Club for breakfast, as it was the only place open at 8:00 on a Sunday morning. We ate there last night on the advice of the proprietor of the motel, who said it was the best food in town (grilled cheese with Kraft singles?!) We overheard a conversation about a big hailstorm in Viscount yesterday, which had cars pulled over due to poor visibility. We had obviously just missed it!

Easterly winds again today, but lighter, so cycling was easier. We were riding towards rain, but managed to avoid it, again. We passed fields of wheat, barley and canola (and possibly other crops we couldn’t identify from our bikes). There is a lot of water around, so the bird life is plentiful (mosquitoes, too!),  particularly as we got closer to the Quill Lakes, where we saw many pelicans.

There is a whole book written about Saskatchewan place names. Today we passed Kandahar, which was named after a late 19th C British victory in Afganistan; strange, given today’s Canadian connection. We crossed the old Carelton Touchwood trail. At the south end of the trail is a village called Punnichy, which is on the so-called Alphabet Line of the CNR. Some of the communities have disappeared, but the sequences from A to Z are still obvious on a map! We also passed the signpost to Melfort and remembered our year there in 1985/86.

Wildlife Notes: American Goldfinch, Tree Swallows (at nesting boxes), Bonaparte’s Gulls, Double-breasted Cormorants, American White Pelicans (50+ circulating above), Castor canadensis – live and highway kill (Q: why did the beaver cross the road?).

We are now in the traditional territory of the Treaty 4 First Nations. The closest communities are the Kawacatoose and Day Star First Nations.

Colonsay to Lanigan

We took advantage of our kitchenette in Kobi’s Hideaway Motel to make breakfast (and because Ben’s Place is closed on Saturday), and began the day with a decent espresso. Colonsay installed a reverse osmosis water treatment plant, which makes the prairie surface water much more palatable (We made sure all of our water bottles were refilled!)

The wind continues to challenge us. We have now crossed half of Saskatchewan against the wind. The effect is a bit like a continual climb, without the descent. To keep our spirits up, we have resorted to using our iPods. After a couple of attempts at sharing music from one bike with speakers, we decided that our cycling (like our running) musical interests are not compatible! (Different cadences?) Lois is listening to folk and country (and the occasional Sibelius symphony), while Paul has on his running rock mix.

Close to Lanigan is a large mine. The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan is the worlds largest producer. The immense piles of tailings are easily visible from the air. We haven’t seen much evidence of an impact of the economic boom on the infrastructure of the small communities through which we are passing.

Wildlife notes: Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, Avocets (protecting their nests).

We remain in the traditional territory of the Treaty 6 First Nations.

Saskatoon to Colonsay

We had breakfast with dear friends, Murray and Gerri Dickson, whom we hadn’t seen for too long. Murray and Gerri have spent many years working on a very successful U of S/CIDA health training project in Mozambique. We had much to talk about and were sad to have to leave. We  pedalled out across University Bridge towards the Yellowhead. The skies were grey, but cleared as we headed east, and the wind, though still easterly, was weaker, at least until later in the day when gusts grew stronger. We passed the 2000 kms mark today, the summer solstice.

We are now travelling through potash/farming country. Saskatchewan’s booming economy has become less dependant on agriculture and more diversified, with potash mining and the energy sectors leading the way.

In a rest area, we came across a plaque dedicated to Dr. Gordon Bicum, a family practitioner in the small community of Elstow for 43 years, until 1967. Colonsay prides itself  as the “isle of the prairies” and all of the streets in the village, apart from Railway Avenue,  are named after islands off the west coast of Scotland. Dinner was Chinese food at Ben’s Place, where Ben prepared a tofu dish for us, not on the menu.

Wildlife notes: Garter snake, Racoon (road kill).

We are still on the traditional territory of the Treaty 6 First Nations.

We moved over to the Bessborough Hotel this morning – a bit of luxury, a Father’s Day gift from Maritia. The Bessborough, one of the great old CN hotels (now Delta) was where our family stayed when we first arrived in Saskatchewan from England in 1985 and where we said goodbye to our Saskatoon friends 5 years later, when we were moving to Ottawa. The day was rainy and cool, but it was lovely to be back in the city, the first time we were both back here together since 1990. Saskatoon,  a planned “garden city” with wide tree-lined streets and the riverbank reserved  for public use remains one of our favourite cities. We connected with old friends, including Stuart and Mary Houston, ate at Calories again, and walked by our old house. The pelicans are still on the river near the weir.

The winds and weather should be more favourable tomorrow for resuming our trip.

North Battleford to Ruddell (to Saskatoon)

Our shoes were still wet this morning, so we cranked up the fan heater in the hotel room and left them to dry while we went for breakfast.  The weather forecast was not good, wind from the east at 40kmph gusting to 60, but as the forecast was the same for tomorrow, we decided to give it a go, rather than spend a couple of days in North Battleford waiting for better conditions. Thirty four kms and 4 hours later,  the prevailing elements led to a major change of plans. We were barely moving and tiring with the effort. We were also concerned with what appeared to be a developing thunderstorm in the east. We decided to flag down a lift. Trying to gain the attention of pick-up trucks did not work and we had almost decided to carry on cycling, when a woman  who had driven by us, turned back on the divided highway to see if she could help. Her SUV was big enough for our bikes, and she offerred us a lift to Saskatoon. Our scheduled stop at Radisson was another 36 km and, given the forecast now for Thursday – wind from the east of 45 gusting to 66. – we accepted her generosity. Nathalie, a home care nurse, told us about changes to Saskatoon as we drove along the highway. While we were disappointed not to be entering the city on our bikes, we recognize we have to be flexible (and sensible!) on this journey.

After checking in to our hotel, we  went to David’s Tea where the server gave us our tea for free, noticing that we had come in from the rain. On learning about our exploit she also offered us two small insulated mugs with tea attachment, plus some of our favourite blend. We were very appreciative and impressed. We later went to Calories for dinner, an old haunt and favoured tea (and carrot muffin) hang-out of Lois during her articling year down the street at Gauley’s.

We are on Treaty 6 land and the traditional territory of the First Nations of the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

Lloydminster to North Battleford

We knew this was going to be a long day and we knew the forecast was for winds from the east, gusting up to 30km/hr. As it turned out, it was one of  our most challenging days to date. It began well, with coffee across the meridian boundary, in Saskatchewan, at Ernie’s. The day was sunny and we soon removed our jackets and cycled in short-sleeves. For the first 50 kms, much of the farm land was dotted with oil wells.

We stopped in Maidstone for lunch, a town where Joni Mitchell spent part of her childhood, and which she sings about in “Song for Sharon”. We ate at a cafe called “Lou and Sue’s”. Lou’s brother was so impressed with our cycle trip that he asked if he could have a photo taken with him, and insisted on giving us a couple of cans of iced tea for the road!

The  wind made pedalling difficult and, after lunch, our progress seemed even slower. The air became muggy and the mosquitoes managed to bite even when we were moving. From Paynton, we followed the North Saskatchewan River, turning southeast after Delmas and coming down into the river valley. The sky became darker and we could see rain and lightning in the distance. When we finally crossed the river into North Battleford, the lightning was close by and we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a torrential downpour. It was too late to put on our rain gear so we decided to try to get to our hotel as soon as possible.  However, it just rained harder and harder, and we were forced to walk our bikes up the hill and find shelter in a gas station. The rain continued unabated, water was streaming across the roads, visibility was very poor and it was dark. Even though we were not far from our destination we ended up getting help from a young man with a truck. We were very appeciative when he dropped us and our bikes at the hotel.

Wildlife notes: Richardson’s Ground Squirrel, fox, wolf (road kill).

We are on the traditional territory of the “Plains Cree” which included the Cree, Blackfoot, and Siouan Assiniboine Peoples.

Lloydminster straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Founded in 1903 by the Barr Colonists before either province had been carved out of the Northwest Territories, it was intended to be an exclusively British Utopian settlement, centred on the idea of sobriety. Unfortunately, the colonists had no idea that the Fourth Meridian  of the Dominion Land Survey was under consideration as a future provincial boundary. (The meridian was intended to coincide with 110 west longitude but imperfect surveying methods placed the meridian a few hundred metres west of the longitude.) As a result, Lloydminster was two separate towns, with separate municipal administrations until 1930, when the towns were amalgamated under shared jurisdiction and reincorporated as a city in 1958.

Arriving in Lloydminster on a Sunday was problematic as a number of restaurants are closed Sunday and Monday. We did have a good meal last night at the local Original Joe’s (thanks to Lorraine for the suggestion) and lunch there today. Coffee this morning was at Ernie’s Coffee House in the old brick post office building.  We were approached there by a young woman conducting a survey for the city  on public transportation (there isn’t any). She was intrigued with our bike trip and, when we inquired about her, discovered that she is a Queens U grad working for a year before attending law school at Georgetown University, with plans to pursue a career in international relations.

We later headed over to the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre, which houses an impressive collection of the paintings of Berthold Von Imhoff, as well as other local artists, and the OTS Heavy Oil Science Centre, aimed at children but interesting for us too.

Vermilion to Lloydminster

We were glad of the short distance today as the wind was no longer behind us, the skies were completely overcast and the terrain much hillier. Paul was pleased to receive Father’s Day greetings from Vancouver and Geneva en route!

We are breaking up what would have been a 6-day stretch to Saskatoon with a day off tomorrow. We’re off to see what Lloydminster offers…

Wildlife notes: Killdeer, Northern Pintails, Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal

Treaty 6 stretched across central Alberta into Saskatchewan. The two Cree First Nations that make up the Onion Lake Band, live 50 kms north of Lloydminister.

Vegreville to Vermilion

  Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.          (HG Wells)

Vegreville is home to the world’s largest pysanka (Ukranian Easter egg).  It symbolizes the harmony, vitality and culture of the community.

We arose and went to Innisfree, but only for lunch (apologies to Yeats), and wore our rain gear all day, needing  it at times. The wind was behind us and when, occasionally we headed NW we realised how strong it was. Our bikes were knocked over a couple of times, with gusts, when we had stopped. We noticed more and more large concrete grain elevators, which have unfortunately all but replaced the iconic ones made of wood which marked each community.

Today we had two flats in quick succession on the same wheel. It was only on the second occasion that we discovered a small piece of wire protruding from the inside of the tire. The picture does not really signify Lois’ lack of faith in Paul’s ability.

Vermilion is named after the mud of the river.  Over a million bricks were made here in the early 20th C.

Wildlife notes: Western Kingbird

We remain on the traditional territory of the First Nations of Treaty 6. We could find no reference to First Nations in the history of Vermilion.

Edmonton to Vegreville

Somewhat disconcerted by the tornado warning for Edmonton of the previous day (it did touch down at Pigeon Lake), we arrived back in the city yesterday and picked up our bikes from Velocity Cycle. We spent another enjoyable evening with Maureen and Bev, dining at the High Level Diner (thanks, Vanita, for the recommendation!), where the Thursday special was Ukranian cabbage rolls, perogis and borscht – delicious!

Our departure from the Alberta capital was no easier than our entry had been, as we tried to follow bike-friendly routes, complicated by the same numbering of streets and avenues, and avoid the numerous potholes on Edmonton streets. We eventually found ourselves back on the Yellowhead and it was mercifully FLAT, with the bonus of a strong tailwind. We virtually flew to Vegreville on our newly-serviced bikes! Despite the risk of thunderstorms and the presence of dark clouds in all directions, we had a dry and mostly sunny ride and it felt good to be back in the saddle. We passed through Elk Island National Park, but neither elk nor island were visible from the road.

Note: Given the intense relationship we are developing with our respective bicycles, we have decided to give them names. Lois’ bike is called Starfish, after a little silver starfish milagro from Isy (and because Jade would like the name!), or Stella Maris, so as to sound less  New Age.  Paul’s bike is named Roland Nathaniel Fitzwilliam (well, just because).

Wildlife notes: Swainson’s Hawks, Black Terns, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Franklin’s Gulls.

We remain on the traditional territory of the First Nations of Treaty 6. We could find no reference to First Nations on any website related to Vegreville.

Entwhistle to Edmonton

Ok, so today was not fun. While the oatmeal at the Riverside Diner was a welcome start, we were soon in the rain again. It cleared later and the temperature rose, but at the same time the wind shifted to the east, which became more tiring as the day wore on. Rather than the mostly flat road we had become used to from Jasper, the highway was undulating, refecting the rolling parkland terrain. Unfortunately, the “downs” did not compensate for all the “ups”. As we approached Edmonton, the traffic became heavier and, from Stony Plain in, now on the 16A, it was stressful. The shoulder was often covered in gravel and we had to continually cross exit and entrance ramps. A Dairy Queen stop, the first for decades for both of us, was some respite. With great relief, we left the highway and entered the North Saskatchewan River valley on bike paths. By this time, we were racing against the clock, despite already having cycled 100+ kms, as we had booked our bikes in for servicing at a bike shop south of the river, and had to get there before they closed at 6:00 pm. Lois located the trail under the LRT bridge across the river. On the south side, after a few wrong turns in the riverside park, we were confronted by a very steep hill on the path, which defeated even our lowest gears, and we were obliged to push our bikes to the top. We then battled traffic through Strathcona, arriving at Velocity Cycle just at closing time. We have left our trusty steeds in seemingly very capable hands, for a 1500 km service.

Feeling somewhat disoriented, we piled all of our panniers into a taxi and headed to the house of our friend, Maureen, where we collapsed with a welcomed drink on deck chairs in her sunny, well- planned back garden and remained there for the rest of a most enjoyable evening, which ended sitting around a brazier as the sun went down and the solar garden lights came on. We are taking a break now, flying back to Vancouver tomorrow so that Paul can attend Canadian Public Health Association meetings in Ottawa (and Lois can have some precious Nana time with Jade and Rhys). We fly back to Edmonton on June 13th and resume our tour on the 14th.

We would like to say that, while we may be too tired to respond to comments left on our site, we very much appreciate them, and  the moral support!

Wildlife notes: Frogs croaking, evidence of beavers and a raptor flying high in the sky (?Swainson’s Hawk)

It appears that we are on the traditional territory of the Papaschase First Nations.

Edson to Entwhistle

Our coffee stop was Tim Horton’s this morning, which will amuse some who know we are espresso snobs. However, Timmy’s surprised us, as the espresso was not bad at all! The server was bemused, though, when we didn’t want any coffee with the shot of espresso!
The ride was fairly easy again, with few hills, and the same wide shoulder. The Yellowhead is divided from Hinton, so we only get half the traffic. We are still in boreal forest and muskeg country, but with more ranches, including one for bison. It rained on and off, but no thunder storms, thank goodness, though the threat of one led us to shorten our cycle today, meaning another 90+ kms into Edmonton tomorrow. (Thunder storms are forecast again for tomorrow.)
We checked into a (rather sketchy) motel in Entwhistle and went in search of milkshakes. We discovered that Sammy’s restaurant makes a very good one with fresh strawberries.
The name Entwhistle, like Edson, is connected to the railway. (Edson was first named Heatherwood, but was changed around 1911 in honour of the vp of Grand Trunk Pacific Railway – pity!).

Wildlife sightings: White-tailed Deer

We remain on the traditional territory of the First Nations of Treaty 6

Hinton to Edson

Our day started at the Old Grind in downtown Hinton away from the strip along the Yellowhead. The coffee was good and we enjoyed their tuna sandwiches later, by Obed Lake. The young server said our bike trip was “awesome”. A man struck up a conversation on seeing Pauls’s epresso. Originally from Greece, he had lived in Hinton for 50 years but obviously still  had a love for his homeland and was keen to talk about the Greek islands we had visited.

The ride took us up over the Obed Summmit (1163 metres), the highest point on the Yellowhead (perhaps our reference to the prairies yesterday was a bit premature!). As we climbed, we could see in our mirrors the peaks of the snow-capped Rockies, which had been obscured in the rain of the previous days. At the top of the summit, we called Chris, who was in transit in Seattle airport, en route to Seoul to join Shinyoung for a week before the two of them move to Paris.

The stretch of road from Obed Lake to Edson was less interesting and we relieved the monotony by playing Jazz 94, on Paul’s iPhone.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is for rain, turning to thunderstorms by noon – not good!

Wildlife sightings: two loons calling on Obed Lake

We are now on the traditional territory of the First Nations of Treaty 6.

Jasper to Hinton

At breakfast, Lorraine informed the young Irish woman who was serving us that we were cycling across Canada. Her incredulous  response was “That’s insane!”.  As we were checking out of the hotel, a visitor from down-under  advised Paul that there was a new invention – i.e., the car!  Unfortunately, Paul was not ready with the response later suggested by Norm, ” those are for old people”.

We packed up and cycled to the Bear Paw Bakery for a final coffee with Lorraine and Norm, Lorraine snapping photos of us from their car as we cycled alongside – we felt like celebrities! Not only did Lorraine and Norm drive 4 hours to meet up with us in Jasper, they sent us off with two zip-lock bags full of Lorraine’s home-made chocolate, cranberry and nut biscotti! Classy lady and a great couple!

Our  ride through the park was easy. It was flat and we even had a tailwind for much of the first 50 kms.  It rained on and off for much of the day as we cycled beside the Athabasca River, stopping to picnic and for biscotti breaks! Just past the park exit, we climbed for about seven kilometres, finally leaving the mountains and entering the foothills. We have now crossed the Cascade, Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Next, the prairies!

Wildlife sightings: elk and one great horned sheep.

We remain on the traditional territory of the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation.

Lois decided she would like to change her saddle. She has not been entirely comfortable on it, depite various efforts to adjust hight and tilt. Bike touring requires a firmer saddle, to provide proper support over long rides and to prevent chafing, so we knew that the transition from the gel seats of our hybrids was going to take some time. But after more than 1000km, Lois was no longer convinced it was a matter of breaking it in. While having coffee this morning, we happened to meet the owner of a bike store up the street. Chris was very helpful and after a test ride, Lois’ bike is now equipped with a new, slightly softer and wider saddle, but we will keep the other one in reserve. (Paul, on the other hand, will now be carrying both the old pedals and the old saddle, at least unil Edmonton.)

While on our test run, Lorraine and Norm overtook us on the main street! We spent a very enjoyable day with them, wandering around Jasper, stopping for lunch, then afternoon beers at the Jasper Brewing Companty and an excellent meal at Syrahs restaurant. After dinner, we drove through the back streets of Jasper and up to Patricia Lake, spotting some mule deer on the way there, and elk on our return.

Valemount to Jasper

A Google search for breakfast spots identified a wonderful Swiss Bakery the other side of the railway tracks, by the Valemount Via Rail Station. Run by a Swiss woman and her professional baker husband, it offers full European (Swiss) breakfasts, sandwiches and a tantalizing selection of pastries, cakes and cookies, as well as good espresso. Breakfast began with a huge stack of thickly-sliced fresh bread, butter, homemade raspberry jam and a plate of Swiss cheese. This was followed with another plate of freshly-baked whole wheat bread to accompany eggs scrambled with tomatoes, onions, peppers and mushrooms. Almost too full to move, we pedalled off with a packed lunch of thick Swiss cheese and veggie sandwiches and a couple of pastries, including a mini Stollen!
After 20 kilometres, we  joined the Yellowhead (Highway 16) (the wide shoulders do continue!) as well as the Fraser. We stopped at the memorial, which points to Mount Terry Fox, where we also had a splendid view of Mt. Robson. Just after entering Mount Robson Park, we began a steep climb for a few kilometres. At the summit, a road maintenance crew had stopped traffic in both directions to repair the shoulder, which was slipping down the mountain. We were allowed to cycle past both lines of traffic, which on the opposing side was a kilometre long.
It was quite blissful cycling down the open highway, free of traffic for a short time. We finished up the stollen beside  Moose Lake. The sun was out and the cycling was good until we entered Alberta and Jasper National Park, where we soon got  caught in a torrential thunderstorm, with the winds against us. We finally arrived in Jasper at 9:00 pm local time, weary, wet and cold. But tomorrow is a day off. Lois’ sister and brother-in-law are driving from Prince George to meet up with us – bonus! We  have now crossed one province , 9 more to go (sorry Territories – Nunavut you  know we love you!).

Wildlife sightings surprisingly sparse, only 3 elk.

We are now on the traditional territory of the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation. In 1907, Aboriginal Peoples in the Jasper area were evicted to create the national park.

Blue River to Valemount

We passed the first 1000km mark on our cross-Canada tour today, just before Valemount!
The ride was good – we’re hoping that the nice wide shoulders of the Southern Yellowhead (#5) continue on the Yellowhead, which we join tomorrow at Tete Jaune Cache and will be on throughout Saskatchewan and into Manitoba. Showers threatened all day and the temperature rose – we finally discarded our rain gear, deciding it was preferable to be rained on to sweating under so many layers. The sun actually came out towards the end and the showers didn’t really happen. South of Valemount we left the North Thompson river, which has its source in the Thompson Glacier, west of Valemount. Apart from a very stiff hill coming into Valemount, it was a pleasant day.

Wildlife sightings: One moose and one fox

We remain in the traditional territory of the Shuswap Nation

Clearwater to Blue River

What’s with this weather? A temperature of 7 degrees again this morning. Everyone keeps talking about the heat wave we missed a couple of weeks ago. We did see the sun briefly this morning (and optimistically applied sunscreen), but then it showered and showered some more and for the last 20 kilometres it poured. We continued to follow the North Thompson river and CN railway (and the Kinder Morgan pipeline). We stopped at the Raft River and read about the history of the Simpcu People (part of the Shuswap Nation) and their relationship to salmon and the Raft River. The Simpcu are still using traditional sustainable practices in harvesting salmon.
From a tip from the cyclist we met Saturday, we stopped at the Log Inn Pub in Avola, which boasts “Worlds Famous Burgers”. We did the try the veggie burger and it was pretty good.
The road was fairly flat until 18kms past Avola, when there was a steep climb up to Messiter Summit (765 metres). From there to Blue River it was mostly downhill (which was just as well, as this is when it was pouring!) As we approached Blue River we got our first glimpses of the snow-covered Rockies.
We checked in to the Blue River Motel – another gem found through Trip Advisor that we would never have known about from the highway.

Wildlife sightings today: two bears and two moose.

We remain on the traditional territory of the Shuswap Nation

We’re staying in a “Victorian”-themed modern bungalow B&B. We were warned to look out for the bear that regularly wanders through the garden, but the only wildlife we have spotted so far is the owner’s Yorkshire Terrier, Milo.
With laundry and bike maintenance completed, we spent much of the day in a German bakery, catching up on news and emails, and we also visited the informative visitor’s centre. Clearwater is the gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park. We would have liked to visit the park and view Helmcken Falls, but were not prepared to cycle the additional kilometers required. We will leave that for another time.
We caught up with Maritia, Steve, Jade and Rhys on FaceTime and were able to watch J and R on their new swing set and see Jade riding her new bike.
Maritia asked if we are having fun, which may not be all that evident in our daily preoccupations with weather, traffic, shoulders and elevation! We are indeed having fun. We love being outdoors, we love the Canadian countryside and we like being on our bikes. We expect that once our bodies become stronger and we get the “fit” of our bikes more finely tuned, we will enjoy it even more. Even the damp weather has had its benefits as the scent of wild roses has accompanied us all along the highway.

Dutch Lake, Clearwater

Barrierre to Clearwater

Today we met our first fellow touring cyclist, who was riding from Calgary to Vancouver. We shared information on burgers(!), hills and motels. He was obviously “old school”, wearing a poncho, running shorts and his panniers were well worn.

The rain, which was otherwise constant, let up briefly while we enjoyed the rest of last night’s pizza on the banks of a very full, North Thompson River. We had earlier stopped for respite from the rain at Little Fort, where we shared an enormous slice of Bumble Berry pie, (guilt-free cycling!).

Observing birds is a day to day joy along the road. The highlights so far have been two active osprey nests and, today, a long- billed curlew perched on top of a tree.

We’re still doing minor adjustments to alleviate pressure on hands and derrière, but are also noticing that some things are improving, like neck strain. We are becoming more adept at avoiding falls – falls happen when we don’t unclip quickly enough (thankfully, no longer a problem for Lois) and because of the weight of our panniers, which can make the bikes unstable. Lois fell three times one day before we realized her panniers were unevenly weighted! The bruising is still resolving!

Day off tomorrow, before 3 long days to Jasper!

We stayed again on the traditional territory of the Shuswap Nation.