Saskatchewan


Day15, Tuesday, July 28th
Gull Lake (8:20) --- Chaplin (4:30)
148.5 km, total 1767.0 km

Woke up at 6, but went to sleep as usual, knowing it was not going to be hot. At first I went to sleep unconsciously, but these days I go to sleep intentionally. It started raining while I was packing. I made farewell to David and Hamish at 8:20, and promised to see them again in Winnipeg.
The paving was not good, like yesterday, but after a while it got better. It stopped raining too, so it wasn't as bad as my first and second day in BC. The terrain was not flat though. There were lots of ups and downs.
I passed Webb on the way, but didn't stop in, and I went straight to Swift Current. It fit my definition of "city" --- 1. lots of hills. 2. shoulder is full of gravel. I don't know why, but every city I passed on my trip fit the definition. That is, Vancouver, Kamloops, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Swift Current.
I went on Trans Canada for a while, and went in A&W. As I wrote before, I'm not a big fan of junk food, but it's become my favorite food somehow. I guess it's because I appreciate civilization more than before. Contradictory to my first purpose, though. (Getting away from civilization)
I also went in Seven Eleven, where I bought some snack and calling card. My first calling card I bought in Mission BC is already ending. Kinda surprising.
As soon as I got out of Swift Current, the paving got worse again. I even ran a risk to bike out of the shoulder so I could go faster. Actually it was about 10 % faster. When I went for 20 km, things got better, but instead I met lots of up and downs. I even used the inner gear to go up hills.
Around 2, I got to a town called Herbert, where I bought a Powerade and Volvic. The terrain got completely flat as soon as I left there, and the highway went just beside Lake Reed. I got a little bit of tailwind too, and it became my first pleasant ride in the prairies.
I took a break in Morse again. I just bought Pepsi there. I'm afraid if I come down with diabetes rather than cold, since I drink lots of pop and stuff.
After Morse, I met hills again. Not as bad as before, though. Shoulder got half as wide, i.e. about 1 meter, and sometimes it disappeared. When I got close to Chaplin, there is white land ahead. It was my first time in my life to see a saltwater lake. It was as if it was covered by snow. I don't know how much I got touched by that.
At 4:30, I got to Chaplin. When I went in the campground, there was only one camper. They were from Surrey, BC. They took me to swimming pool, and gave me dinner. I had such a nice night. Went to bed before 10 so I can get up early next morning.

Day 16, Wednesday, July 29th
Chaplin (6:10) --- Regina (3:00)
161.5 km, total 1928.5 km

I woke up at 4:30, but I was too sleepy to get up. As usual, I went to sleep again till 4:45. I slept a lot shorter than usual, though. It was really dark outside, and it was also so cold I wore my fleece jacket.
I left Chaplin at 6:10. I found some more cars in the campground. The terrain was pretty flat for a while, but soon hills appeared. What made me mad is the other lane seemed a lot flatter than the lane to Winnipeg. I also encountered no shoulder zone like yesterday. Fortunately the traffic was pretty light.
I got to the first village called Parkpeg past 7. There was a gas stand, so I checked in. When I asked for a chocolate bar, the owner took it out of a fridge. It seems like it's so hot in the summer they melt.
I passed Mortlach, Caron, Caronport on the way, but didn't stop in. I was really tired though, and I took break every 10 km.
Around 10:30, I got to Moose Jaw. I tried to go into the town to look for fastfood restaurant, but found all were closed. Seemed too early. Instead I went in a convenience store, and bought sandwiches. Moose Jaw didn't fit both of my definition of city. There were not big hills as I experienced in other cities, but the road condition was not good.
When I left there I met some hills, but all are not serious. I stopped in Belle Plaine and bought Powerade and rice cracker. When I went in the store, everyone in the restaurant stared at me strangely. I don't know if that's because I'm an Asian or because I wear bike jersey which might look funny to them, but people in Saskatchewan have been less friendly than those in BC and Alberta. Few people here haven't got interested in what I'm doing or even talked to me like they did in BC and Alberta. Honestly I don't like the prairies--- boring landscape and unfriendly people!
As I got close to Regina, the real flat terrain I waited for a long time finally appeared. And I got tail wind. It was really comfortable.
And then really strange thing happened to me. When my odometer showed 1895 km, I almost went to sleep while biking. I knew I didn't go straight, which was really dangerous. I tired to watch my odometer, but when I see it there is blank of 100 or 200m. In the meantime it made me forget my fatigue, and I didn't take every-ten-kilometer break and went 25 km at once.
At 2, I finally got into Regina. I went off Trans Canada at Albert Street, and went to the youth hostel. Fortunately there were still beds available. I've read on youth hostel guide it is so nice it's always full, but there were lots of beds available tonight. The hostel is one of the best I've ever stayed, and stuffs were really nice. They let me use their shed to put my bike safe.
Since there was a lot of time, so I walked to downtown. I checked my e-mails for the second time on my trip. It was nice to hear from my friends. I went to shopping mall too, where I ate Chinese food for dinner.
When I went back to the hostel, I met 2 Japanese guys. They were first Japanese I met since Banff. I made good friends with one of them, and walked around the town with him. I phoned Vince in Coquitlam tonight. We just couldn't believe I came all the way to Regina.

Day 17, Thursday July 30th
Regina (8:30) --- Broadview (7:00)
157.4 km, total 2085.9 km

Woke up around 7. I slept really well in the bed. It took me only half an hour to get ready. I took breakfast with Takuji, the Japanese guy in the same room, and left there around 8:30.
Traffic in Regina was not heavy, but instead there were lots of gravel on the shoulder, like other cities. Today there were not many hills, and I think the real flat land has come.
About 10 km before Indian Head, I met the first cyclist on the prairies. His name is Jason, and he is biking to Ottawa where his home is. He told me his girlfriend is accompanying by bus and waiting for him in Winnipeg. He biked a way faster than me. While my average speed is around 22 km/h, he goes from 27 km/h to 30 km/h. I managed to keep up with him to Indian Head.
I got to Indian Head before twelve. I bought a Powerade there, and for the first time I won a free Powerade. The shopsclerk didn't know that, and charged me 71 cents for deposit. I had a little lunch there too.
Very soon after I left there, my odometer hit 2000 km. My halfway point is just 500 km away! But come to think about how more kilometers I have to go, I'm not sure if I can really make it to Montreal.
From Indian Head, we went separately, and got together in every rest point. To be exact, I just couldn't keep up with him. I've been afraid if I've been slowing him down a lot. In Wosley, we went in a gas stand, where I bought some snacks. There was a nice tourist info, and there I got free mineral water. We took break in Grenfell too.
When I was biking from Glenfell to Broadview, where I was thinking about stop, a very strange thing happened to me. At about 5 km from Glenfell, I got really hungry, which often happens, but this time I lost my whole energy to pedal. I took a short break, and ate chocolate crispy. It eased my hunger a little bit, but soon after I couldn't pedal. I guess it's the hunger knock I read about in bike touring book. Now I understand how much energy is necessary for long bike touring.
At 6:30, I got to Broadview, and went in Esso. I bought some food and chocolate milk, which I consumed there. That made me better. The campground was about 5 minutes biking from the gas stand. It was my first free campground. There is only faucet and pit toilet, but nothing is better than free! When I was eating my dinner, a man in a camper gave us a beer, and also offered us shower. We didn't take it, though. It was such a lucky day.

Day 18, Friday, July 31st
Broadview (7:30) --- Virden, Manitoba (6:00MT, 7:00 CT)
142.7 km, total 2228.6 km

I woke up at 6, but went to sleep till 6:30, knowing Jason is not awake. When I went to the pit toilet to empty the bowels, I found the tank was already full. I didn't have lots of paper either, so I decided to hold it till I got to the gas stand. I successfully did, and felt better.
Wind was blowing pretty strongly in the morning, and I guessed it would be stronger and that I would have a hard day today. From Broadview to Whitewood, I managed to go without any break. I was able to keep 22 to 25 km/h at most. I felt really vexed, because the terrain was flat. From Burrows to Wappela, the wind got stronger, and I had trouble keeping even 18 km/h. It would be a lot easier to climb up hills, since where there is uphill there is also downhill.
After a break in Wapella, we decided to take a break every 8 km. It was only 8 km, but it seemed 30 km to me. Never had I hated wind this much! I tried to use my aero bar, but it didn't help me a lot either.
Around 12, we finally got to Whitewood. It was not such a big town, but I found a Dairy Queen. I didn't go there but went in a gas stand. I saw a Canadian flag facing to the way we are going. I wished I had a "sailing" bike. I think it wouldn't be impossible, though. Jason went to look for am ATM. He's been having financial problem. Eventually he found there was no money their parents sent me. He seemed to be pretty mad. I felt sorry for him, but I was not sure if I should help him by lending him money.
From Whitewood, I went straight to the border of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I met a German cyclist on the way. He said it took him 2 months from Halifax and that he is going to Vancouver. I wish it was me! When I crossed the border, we had our picture taken. The visitor info was about 5 km away, where I got information about campground. I got water too, but it stunk so much I didn't feel like drinking it.
Another 5 km took me to Erkhorn. I lent Jason 20 dollars. He seemed to be sorry, but at heart I didn't want him to. I didn't even care about the money I lent him, because I've borrowed lots of money from my parents and I know money is a big problem in this kind of trip.
After 30 minutes break, we left there. We took break every 9 km, but like yesterday I couldn't pedal well because of hunger. I don't know if it really comes from hunger. It might have come from fatigue or something.
Around 6 we got to Virden. When we went in a supermarket, I met a 15-year-old cyclist, Joey, biking across Canada. He has hepatitis C, and has been collecting signatures across the country. Though he has his father to support him, I think he's doing good. I couldn't have done this trip when I was 15. I don't know how much I got inspired by him. We stayed at a campground Lions Club runs. They charged 7 dollars to each of us. Kinda unreasonable, but 7 dollars is still reasonable. I turned on radio as I'm writing this, and knew we've lost an hour. I felt like I've lost an hour to sleep. But I listened to the radio for a while, because they played classic rock, (like AC/DC) which is my favorite. It inspired me as much as Joey did.



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