Day 34. Thunder Bay to Nipigon. May 31. 110 km.

We lucked out yesterday by spending time in Thunder Bay and not on the road. The weather today was perfect for bicycling; even the wind cooperated by blowing across our path. We used streets that were designated for bikes; that worked well as the traffic was better and the road was smoother. We used streets that took us to Lakeshore Drive, which parallels the Trans-Canada Hwy almost a third of the way to Nipigon.

On the way through the city, we saw lots of high water in the streams.

After we got on the main road, we stopped at a rest stop half way to Nipigon for lunch and met Dave who was bicycling from Victoria to Nova Scotia. He was making really good time by riding about 150 percent of our daily rides. We arrived in Nipigon about 3 PM and got a great room at the Pinecrest Motel.  As the picture shows, it is done tastefully and has all the little details such as USB outlets for our electronics.

 

High water within Thunder Bay- Ferguson Creek? 

 

Fellow Cross-Canada Cyclist 

 

Nice room in the Pinecrest Motel 

Day 33. Thunder Bay maintenance day. May 30. 8 km.

We found that Petrie's Bicycle Shop in Thunder Bay was really good on a previous ride, and planned to stop there to have our bikes maintained this time around. Accordingly, we booked our motel here for two nights and called ahead to the bike shop. This morning we had a nice leisurely breakfast and left for the bike shop at 8:30 AM for their 9 AM opening. Wouldn't you know it. I had a flat front tire so we pushed our bikes to the shop. The mechanic was impressed with the dirt in the sprockets etc. As it turned out, Gramie's bike needed a good clean up of the chain and sprockets along with adjustments to the shifters. Mine needed more. He replaced the chain and rear sprocket cassette as well as the front inner tube. My bike needed everything adjusted and the brake discs cleaned. I thought that we were set for the remainder of the trip.

While we were waiting for the bikes, we went to the White Cedar walk-in clinic to have Gramie's persistent cough addressed. The doctor prescribed a different antibiotic, levofloxacin. Distance today was 8km to the shop and back.

We were fortunate to have picked today for our bike maintenance because the skies opened up a couple of times and poured buckets on the city. Had we been biking, we would have been soaked. Later a car driver told us that he had to pull off the highway for a few minutes because of the intensity of the rain. The storm appears to have moved on so perhaps tomorrow will be a good cycling day.

 

Petrie's Bicycle shop- Gramie and the mechanic who serviced our bikes. 

Day 32. Upsala to Thunder Bay. May 29. 135 km.

Our goal for the day was to get to Thunder Bay so that we can have our bikes checked over first thing Monday morning. With rain in the forecast, we left the motel about 6:30 AM and arrived at the Black Spruce Motel and Restaurant just as they were opening. We had really good bacon and eggs for breakfast and were off toward the Lakehead. There was a modest headwind in the morning, which became significant in the afternoon. By the time we rolled into Thunder Bay, Gramie was gassed.  She had to walk up most of the remaining hills and had difficulty riding up relatively gentle hills.

Today we found the official time zone sign that we looked for yesterday. It was still at its official site about 20km east of Upsala but the people here change the time well to the west, if fact a bit west of English River. Then some 12 km further east, we found the watershed sign that marked the divide of the Arctic and Atlantic watersheds.

Tonight we are in the Econolodge Motel, which is convenient to the bike shop that we have used before and our other needs.

 

Watershed sign. 

Day 31. Ignace to Upsala. May 28. 108 km.

Today was almost a rest day because we could bike only to the motel just east of Upsala, a distance of 108 km. The ride was quite easy when we started but became more challenging as the day went on with the wind picking up and blowing into our faces. The first half had excellent shoulders and then we encountered road construction where they were starting to pave the shoulders. A lot of the construction section worked to our advantage because we were able to ride in the lane that was closed to vehicles. Essentially we had a private lane.

We met a walker today who made us look like whimps. He started in St.Johns, NL in January and was headed for Victoria, BC. Not only did he walk during the winter months but he was camping along the way. His backpack was quite small so he must have used a bivvy bag or something very compact.

All along the highway, we have seen communications towers at regular intervals but I never seem to have a cellphone signal. I am starting to feel that the cellular towers should be a public utility so that we can have some service regardless of your contractor's carrier.

If anyone has checked my distance reports, you will see that my numbers are consistently a bit higher than the published distance between any two points. I checked my odometer against a measured distance and confirmed that I am consistently a bit high. If you have looked at bicycle tracks anywhere, you will know that they never follow a straight line but oscillate back and forth. I know that I go back and forth across the shoulder of the road regularly. Thus, my odometer reads the distance that my bike travels but it will consistently err on the high side compared with map or published distances.

Today we crossed into the unofficial eastern time zone but I don't have a picture of the sign to indicate that because we didn't find it. I hope to find the Arctic-Atlantic watershed sign tomorrow.

Day 30. Dryden to Ignace. May 27. 108km.

There was no breakfast at our motel so we pedalled a short distance to Subway and got breakfast subs. The ride today was uneventful, which was good. We had a nice relaxing pedal with a few modest ups and downs. The only thing that made us work was a bit of headwind. By noon, we had covered a decent distance, so I said that what we needed was a rest stop with picnic tables. Fortunately, that's exactly what we came across. We used a nice table under a sun roof. The shoulders were really good for cycling- wide enough and mostly quite smooth. By 3 PM we were in a nice, clean and spacious room at the White Otter motel.

The major challenge came when I tried to book a room at the Black Spruce Motel just beyond Upsalla. They didn't have a room for tomorrow and the Parkview nearby didn't know if they could take us. Eventually the Parkview called back and arranged to leave a key for us the next afternoon.

Day 29. Kenora to Dryden. May 26. 137 km.

By 6:30 AM we were ready for the hotel breakfast, which was quite good. Shortly after 7 we were peddling our way eastward in the direction of Dryden. The day was warm and dry with no wind throughout the morning. The sun was shining and the road shoulder was pretty good all the way to Dryden.

The major unknown was the condition of the road near Vermillion Bay because of the heavy rains a week previously. We had various reports about the road, ranging from thigh deep water to the problem is over. When we arrived in Vermillion Bay after lunch, Susie asked a gas station employee about the road and was told that it was about 6 km east and it would be ugly on a bicycle. When we got to the problem, there were men sending traffic through a single lane. The centre of the road was dry and presented no problem. One of the flagmen told us that last week, there was about 35 cm water over the roadway. Distance for the day was 137 km.

 

The water problem east of Vermilion Bay. 

Day 28. Falcon Lake to Kenora. May 25. 70 km.

As our cabin in Big Buffalo resort had a kitchenette, we made dinner and breakfast in it. That made for a smooth getaway this morning. The weather was ideal although we had headwinds from the southeast. The road had lots of small hills, which we geared down for and then enjoyed coasting down the other side. The shoulders were very good all the way into Kenora. Moreover we saw that the forest had been cut back parallel to the road indicating that they planned to widen it to four lanes.

 

Future four-lane highway?

 

After 16 km we came to the Ontario border where we stopped for pictures and to pickup a new Ontario map. The welcome centre wasn't opened yet so I didn't get a Ontario map.

Just after noon we got into Kenora where I got a new Ontario map at the welcome centre.and we treated ourselves to large ice cream cones at Dairy Queen. After that we found the local health unit and asked about getting a shot of the Novavax vaccine. They weren't doing it today. The idea was to be vaccinated to give us more options when we travel home from Newfoundland.

We carried on to our room at the Comfort Inn. Because of all the flooding in the area, all the hotels were nearly full making it necessary to book ahead. This also doubled the price of accommodations. The receptionist told me that there were some roads closures because of the flooring so we checked into it as thoroughly as possible and have concluded that we can make it through tomorrow. If we are stuck we might have to thumb down a pickup and hope to get through with some help from a stranger.

 

Entering Ontario but not another time zone. 

Day 27. Deacons Corner to Falcon Lake. May 24. 140 km.

We had great cycling conditions today. It was warm but not hot and the wind was either from the right or from behind. The shoulder of the road was excellent most of the day and where it wasn't, we could ride in the slow lane of the four-lane highway because the traffic was so light.

After about a half hour of cycling, we came to the geographical centre of Canada and stopped to take pictures. Later on we saw a domestic herd of bison, and the roadside changed from farm fields to forests.

About noon we stopped at a rest stop for lunch. We arrived in Falcon Lake about 2:45 PM hoping to get a room at the local hotel. Much to my surprise, it was being renovated and was closed. The workers suggested Big Buffalo resort just up the road but it was also not open because of some maintenance work. Fortunately they were open to suggestions and decided to open a single cabin for us; they just needed an hour to prepare it. We used the time to to get food at the local grocery store and then I asked about getting a bottle of wine. This was a first, as I was sent to the building supply store for the wine. I found a nice bottle next to the paint area.

Nevertheless we managed to assemble a good meal that went well with the bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

Theoretically Halfway Across Canada 

 

Bison Farm. 

Day 26. Winnipeg west side to Deacons Corner,Trans-Canada Hwy east the perimeter highway. May 23. 45 km.

We spent the morning and early afternoon just enjoying Linda and Jerry's company in their apartment. It was a chance to relax and recharge our batteries. Around 2 PM, we got on our bikes and rode west to get back on the perimeter highway. We rode around Winnipeg to the south and ended up just east of the Winnipeg floodway. Both the floodway and Red River were high and muddy. Distance ridden today was 45 km. The wind was from the south at 20 kph so the first 10 km were slow but we were able to ride faster as soon as we turned eastward.

 

Jerry, Linda and Gramie. 

 

Red River. 

 

Winnipeg Floodway. 

Day 25. Carberry to Winnipeg. May 22. 157 km.

I spoke with Linda the night before and we concluded that a visit would be okay as Gramie was being treated for her cough. Although the day started off at just above zero, it was sunny with essentially no wind, in particular there was no headwind. The Robin's Nest didn't have great food and wouldn't open until 8 AM, so we snacked on some things in our possession and pedalled eastward. At 28 km we stopped at another Subway restaurant and had another breakfast sub, and I got my coffee for the day. 

Riding conditions became ideal and we pedalled eastward in brilliant sunshine with cloudless skies. On the bypass around Pottage la Prairie, we encountered road construction and had to ride around the usual barriers etc. At one point, the road went down to a single very rough lane, so I decided to wait a go through the area when the traffic cleared. The driver of a semi saw my predicament and did me a great favor. He flashed his light's and motioned me through while he held up the traffic to protect me.

We rode through lots of evidence of the recent rainy weather. The fields were soaked and the rivers were high. I feel for the farmers because they can't get on their land.

We made good time and covered the 157 km to Jerry and Linda's by just after 4 PM.

They have a wonderfully spacious two bedroom apartment with lots of storage space and excellent common facilities. They served us a great home-cooked dinner and provided us with a clothes washer and dryer.  Best of all, they provided us with a great opportunity to just hang out with them and chat.

 

The ditch beside the road became a stream. 

 

High water, Assiniboine River. 

 

More flooded fields west of Winnipeg. 

Day 24. Virden to Carberry. May 21. 125 km.

Bicycling today held much more promise because the temperature was above zero and the wind was blowing from the northwest. We made good time to Brandon where we stopped at another Subway for a breakfast sub even though the motel had provided us with a reasonable continental breakfast.

There was evidence of recent rain all around. When we reached the Assiniboine River just before Brandon, it was over its banks with water covering the flood plain.

In Brandon, we decided to go on to Carberry and take our chances with the only motel shown on the maps (Robins Nest). It was very basic as was the attached restaurant.

The machinery that we saw on the road has been impressive. We have seen lots of heavy machines on trucks and also some big farm machinery being driven down the road. The farm unit shown here was folded up for the road but it still occupied two lanes. Normally they travel using the slow lane plus the paved shoulder.

 

That speck of yellow is Gramie going into the Assiniboine Valley west of Brandon. 

 

More big farm machinery. 

Day 23. Moosomin to Virden. May 20. 65 km.

Today was a very different day. As Gramie had a persistent cough for many days, we looked for a solution. Fortunately Moosomin Hospital was a 20 min walk from the motel and they took her in immediately. When we left about an hour later, Gramie had a negative result for COVID and a prescription for an antibiotic. We waited until after the pharmacy opened at 9 AM and picked it up.

Near the pharmacy, we were able to buy a pair of wind pants for Gramie to keep her warm.

Last night, it was below zero and the roads were covered in snow and ice until around 10 AM. We left the motel at 11 AM, pedalling towards the east. The wind was at our backs making for easy riding. Today we entered Manitoba and lost another hour. Because of our different activities and the cold, we decided on a shorter 65km day.

 

Entering Manitoba and another time zone. 

Day 22. Grenfell to Moosomin. May 19. 101 km.

According to the weather forecast, we were supposed to have two hours of headwind and then it was supposed to become a tailwind. Unfortunately the headwinds persisted for a good four hours all the way to Indian Head, where we stopped for lunch and a break. After that the headwinds persisted for about another half hour when they became a southern crosswind. Eventually we got the tailwind for the last two hours into Moosomin. We stayed at the Motel 6 in Moosomin. Distance today 101 km.

The freight trains were impressive today. One was 200 cars long and within 10minutes another 160-car train followed. The freight seems to be containers, oil or potash with some grain as well.

In addition to the headwinds, we had cold weather again today. It didn't get to 10C today and the forecast for overnight was some snow. While we feel the cold, the farmers are worse off because the land is wet and won't be suitable for planting for some time. For us it's an inconvenience but for them, it's their livelihood that's at risk. The fields are wet or flooded as shown in the picture.

 

Fields with too much water. 

Day 21. Regina to Grenfell. May 18. 123 km.

As we were finishing our breakfast, it was raining lightly with a temperature around 6C. It just so happened that I had a bit of GI upset so we took our time and waited until the rain stopped. Even without the rain, it was cold. We stopped in MacLean for a cup of hot tea and for me to add another layer of clothing as well as socks on my hands.

A bit later, one of the locals caught up with us on his bicycle and we had a little chat until he had to turn back. We stopped for lunch in Indian Head where we decided to carry on to Grenfell. There we walked into the Legacy Inn and received a nice large room with plenty of space for our bikes. Today's ride was 123km.

They told us that it's going to be even colder for the next two days and that we might even have snow in the morning. Not what we wanted to hear.

Day 20. Rest day. May 17. O km.

 

Shopping area east end of Regina. 

0 km today. After yesterday's ride into the wind, we decided to have a rest day in Regina. After all the forecast was for more headwind and our motel room was very suitable for resting. This also gave me a chance to find a new bicycle computer for Gramie's bike and get a screw to re-attach her bell. While we were at it, we picked up a bit of lunch food and chocolate. Fortunately, the motel had a coin laundry for guests, so Gramie did a load of clothes. Sure beats washing clothes by hand in a sink and trying to dry them on hangers. The best thing about today was simply resting most of the day. 

This area of the city along the Trans-Canada Hwy on the east side of Regina, is shopping central. There is every store and restaurant imaginable. The parking lots are huge as are all the individual stores. The only problem appears to be the random placing of the buildings. In any case, we easily found everything that we needed. This picture was taken from our room.

An interesting but irritating event today was someone impersonating our hiking friend, Len, and asking me to send him $400 in Amazon gift cards. It became apparent that it was a scam when the person didn't specify USA or Canadian dollars and made grammatical errors.

Day 19. Chamberlain to Regina. May 16. 96 km.

This became a 96km day. We knew in advance that we would have strong headwinds especially later in the day, so Gramie suggested using an early start. The alarm went off at 4:30 and we were pedalling by 5:30 into a significant headwind and after a few hours it was a strong headwind. In some places, we lost the paved shoulder but it remained four lane and divided, making it safe enough especially as the traffic wasn't heavy.

By 10:15 AM we were in the Subway in Lumsden having breakfast and resting. There was a place to stay there but we decided to go on. It might have been a nice village to stay because it is in the Qu'Appelle Valley. We struggled with the wind all the way into Regina. Gramie was beat and immediately had a nap. The room in the Country Inn is very large and the comfortable.

 

Morning sun over the prairies.

 

 

Nice paved shoulder for bicycles. 

Day 18. Saskatoon to Chamberlain. May 15. 170 km.

We knew that this would be a day with a tailwind so we put on as much distance as our bodies would allow. Accordingly, we peddled to Davidson and refueled at a Subway restaurant and then reserved a room at the Shotz on 11 hotel in Chamberlain. We made decent time as we covered 170 km by 4 PM. The afternoon wind pushed us along nicely.

The hotel is a throwback to an earlier day with only six rooms. The rooms are not en suite and not large. Nevertheless the place is very clean and the food is good.

They are predicting strong headwinds tomorrow so we have set our sights lower. It may take us two days to cover the hundred km to Regina.

Our original plan was to take the Yellowhead all the way to Portage la Prairie. In Saskatoon, we changed to going via Regina because it is a four lane highway which we thought would be safer. A good portion of the way had a wide paved shoulder. I know that Hwy 16 east of Saskatoon is just two lanes and can be narrow and lacks a paved shoulder in places. Overall we think that we made the right decision by taking Hwy 11 down to Hwy 1 in Regina.

Day 17. North Battleford to Saskatoon. May 14. 147 km.

After yesterday, I thought that today should be a short day, then I saw the forecast for winds from the west. That changed our plans to start thinking of Saskatoon as our target. As it turned out this was our best riding day of the trip. It was warm but not hot and the wind was behind us all the way. Even with negotiating the Saskatoon traffic, we were in a motel by 3 PM in the south east corner of the city.  We are at the Colonial Motel.

 

Lunch stop. Tortilla with peanut butter and banana. 

We stopped for lunch at the bridge across the North Saskatchewan River and had a pretty easy ride today. Today we covered 147 km and considered it a short day.

For dinner, we dropped into the local Save On and got a bunch of wings, Greek salad and a pasta salad to go with a bottle of merlot. This was probably the best travel meal we have purchased along the way. The Greek salad was particularly good.

Day 16. Lloydminster to North Battleford. May 13. 141 km.

The distances today could be either very short or very long. Th next town with accommodation was Maidstone at 55km and then it as North Battleford at 141km. Although there was a significant headwind, we choose the latter and paid for it. We spent all day pushing into the wind. By the time we pulled into the Canadian Motor Inn, we were tired and later than we had planned.

We saw lots of evidence of the economy beside the highway. There were ample numbers of livestock and many granaries and grain elevators. Add to that many well heads and sidings full off tank cars, you get the picture of a busy economy.

 

A typical siding with train forming. 

 

Farmers with big equipment do multiple tasks in one pass. 

 

Oil train in preparation. 

Day 15. Mannville to Lloydminster. May 12. 83 km.

The first thing that got my attention this morning was the beeping cell phone. When I went to use it, all it would do put me a loop. Finally I changed the the SIM cards around called Simply Connect and spoke to someone who who got me going again. What frustration.

Today it was above zero when we left Mannville in bright sunshine. The ride was on good shoulders all the way to Lloydminster. Clearly this is is farm and gas country. We saw lots of well heads and cattle today. It was also a short day because Lloydminster was only 83km distance. Lloydminster didn't strike me as being unique because the main drag was littered with chain stores of various stripes such as Super Store and Canadian Tire. Our motel, Econolodge is off the main street but is spacious and clean. To avoid another restaurant meal we picked up food from the local Super Store and ate in our room, with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. We are literally steps from the Saskatchewan border. In fact the markers are on our side of the street and are shown in an attached picture. I've also shown one of many well heads and some impressively large grain elevators.

 

Grain elevators 

 

Oil and/or gas storage at well heads

 

Alberta-Saskatchewan order running through Lloydminster 

Day 14. Sherwood Park to Mannville. May 11. 158 km.

Today turned out to be a 158km day. We started with a hot breakfast at the Super 8 then went directly to the Yellowhead and pedalled eastward. Fortunately it was a bit warmer than it has been so I didn't have to wear socks on my hands to keep them warm. The traffic was lighter than it was west of Edmonton and the paved shoulder was in better condition making it nice for biking.

The most abundant wildlife was birds, mostly geese and ducks. There was a surprising number of horses in the fields by the highway. Probably three times as many horses as cattle. Also some of the farmers must be doing very well because some of their houses were impressive.

We were in Vegreville before 1 PM so we decided to carry on after booking a room in Manville. By the time we got to Manville it was after 4 PM. The motel is basic but clean. Dinner at the restaurant was similarly simple. The staff are very pleasant and helpful. During dinner we had chat with a local senior, who said that she had moved to Mannville from a farm near Viking. With that I mentioned the Sutter brothers of NHL game. She told us that her husband's sister was their mother.

 

This is a farm house east of Edmonton.  Not small. 

Day 13. Wabamun to Sherwood Park. May 10. 69 km bike, 25 km bus, 94 km total.

I hoped that today would start differently from the previous few days but it wasn't in the cards. It was below zero and snowing lightly when we awoke. So we dithered and didn't rush to get on the road after a basic continental breakfast at motel. We got back onto Hwy 16 and cruised along toward Edmonton until we veered onto Hwy 16a because it took us through Stony Plain and Spruce Grove. We stopped at a bike shop (Mud, Sweat and Gears) and picked up another inner tube to replace the one that gave out yesterday.

We continued on into the city where we found the bus terminal at the West Edmonton Mall. There we loaded our bikes on the bus bike rack for the first leg to Clairview. Then we changed to another bus boundary for Abbotsfield. From Abbotsfield we took some bike paths, which took us across the North Saskatchewan River into Sherwood Park. Once we cleared the river and were securely in easy reach of Hwy 16 East we took a room at Super 8. Today we biked 69km and covered about 25km on bus.

 

Snowed last night in Wabamun. 

 

Bikes on a transit bus

 

 

Bike path across the North Saskatchwan River to Sherwood Park 

Day 12. Edson to Wabamun. May 9. 137 km.

As we ate breakfast, we knew that we were in for another cold day, hopefully our last. It froze last night as evidenced by the fresh ice on ponds beside the highway. Nevertheless the conditions were good for covering ground. There was a good but cold tailwind.

About 6 km from Edson my front tire went flat. Working in the just above freezing temperatures, it took 25 minutes to replace the tube. We stopped in Niton Junction to warmup at a Subway restaurant. Our next warmup spot was Entwistle. Then we continued on to Wabamun for the night.

We went 137 km today.

 

Wabamun Lake 

Day 11. Hinton to Edson. May 8. 90 km.

Cold is the operative word as evidenced by the flakes of snow that we saw at breakfast. By the time we left the motel, the temperature was about 2C and in Edson it was 6C on arrival.  We made good progress going up to Obed summit, which is the highest point on the Yellowhead highway at 

1162 metres.

 

 

Although it was cold, fortunately it wasn't wet and the wind was blowing from the west and pushed us nicely. On arrival in Edson, we had chili at St. Timothy's; we decided to stay in Edson rather than going further. As we were in Edson by 1 PM, we could have gone on to Wildwood but the cold made it less fun.

While warming up at Tim Horton's, I booked a room at the Travel Lodge less than half a km towards Edmonton. They gave us a spacious room with a sitting area and breakfast for $87, our best value on the ride.

I plan to check out Sobey's for deli food that will have fewer carbs and more vegetables. Restaurant meals tend to be higher in carbs and lacking vegetables. Yesterday we ate a tasty meal at a Japanese restaurant but it was high in noodles.

We went to Sobey's and got a big salad and their roast beef.  It was delicious. I would so again. We also picked up a bottle of wine, which went well with the beef.

Day 10. Jasper to Hinton. May 7. 80 km.

The weather was cold relative to my expectations. Moose Lake in Jasper NP had only a trace of open water this year, in comparison to three years ago when half the lake was open. Last night in Jasper it was below zero and today's ride was cold but beautiful. The road was excellent with a nice shoulder.

In addition to the mountains, we saw elk and Dahl sheep right beside the highway. The elk only raised their heads for a moment and the sheep only moved when a motor bike tooted.

Now that we have left the park, the accommodation is better and cheaper. Today we are in the Hinton Lodge. It is a large clean room with breakfast for less than $100.

Day 9. Valemount to Jasper. May 6. 122 km.

 

Entering Mt Robson National Park

 

This was a 122 km day, which started the with a forecast of rain all day. Fortunately it didn't rain and we made it to Jasper in about 8 hours. Google maps says that it's mostly flat but with loaded panniers, it seemed to have some hills. When we left the motel, it was about 2-4C. Fortunately it warmed up as the day progressed.

Today we saw the mountains in their true beauty. There was still a lot of snow on them.

We also saw more pipeline work. I took a picture of the wooden roads that they build to lessen the environmental impact.

Dinner today was a brisket burger at Montana's, with excellent fries.

 

 

Temporary board roads used by pipeline construction equipment

 

 

Yellowhead Summit 

Day 8. Blue River to Valemount. May 5. 92 km.

The weather forecast wasn't very promising this morning as it called for rain most of the day. Fortunately the distance was just 92km which would reduce the number of hours spent in the rain. It turned out better than forecast because we waited until after 9 before leaving and the rain went from moderate to light to spitting over an hour and a half. Then it quit and the roads were dry.

We continue to be impressed with the pipeline work. There seems to be massive machinery everywhere and huge sections of large pipe being welded together and waiting to be buried in trenches. I stopped to ask one of the workers about crossing the highway. He told me that they drill a horizontal hole then simply push a section of pipe under the road. The augers used are huge.

On arrival at our motel in Valemount, it had become cool and windy making us appreciate the shelter of our room. After eating lots of potatoes the last two suppers, we opted for a a low carb meal from the supermarket, chicken and salad.

The forecast calls for more rain tomorrow, so we will have to just deal with it. The ride to Jasper will be longer. We hope that it doesn't rain all day.

Day 7. Clearwater to Blue River. May 4. 108 km.

Today started out as being uneventful, overcast skies and 6C. Although Gramie's bottom was still tender, we had to ride to Blue River 108 km away for the next accommodation. The pain was worst when she pedaled hard up hills so we decided to walk up the hills and ride the rest of the time. This worked well enough for us to reach our motel around 4PM.

Gramie had slept poorly last night and the tiredness got the best of her before noon. In fact she proved again that she can sleep anywhere by having a nap beside the highway. Not only that but she used the pup tent ground sheet under her and the tent per se as a blanket. I didn't want her lying directly on the grass because she picked up ticks doing that on a previous bike ride.

About an hour before Blue River a fellow stopped and told us about the bears along the road then gave us bear spray for protection. Within five minutes another fellow stopped to tell us about a bear just down the road. Two others warned us in the next 10 minutes. When we finally saw the bear, it was resting at a pullout and only raised itself to get a better look at us. We have encountered so many nice people who are concerned for our safety.

 

Gramie found a new use for the pup tent.