From the Prairies to the Mountains...and Another Train

This morning was a far cry from yesterday. Instead of heavy clouds hanging in the sky, I was greeted by a dome of blue with patchy clouds. Although the sun was shining, it didn't seem to provide much warmth. When I left Brooks, AB at 8:30 the temperature was 16C. 

As I rolled west the nature of agriculture changed. Instead of corn, sunflowers, and canola, the land was spotted with wheat and, grasslands and prairie. But the sky is as big as it was yesterday. Instead of the greens and yellows of previous days, the landscape is dominated by gold, browns and some green. And the land, instead of being flat is gently rolling. To the south the land slopes away and one can see for miles (using the old measurement) To the north the land slopes upward to the sky. This time and place is a perfect time to appreciate the beauty of this land. At least for me. I enjoy the colours and the broad vistas.

West f Brooks, AB. More big sky and some ranchland.

An appropriately named county.

Almost white blond colour of ripe wheat.

Another variation on the colour and sky.

I pulled in to a rest area to take a break. I met a couple from Delta who were travelling with a motorcycle in a trailer. They were also carrying camping supplies, so the would stop overnight in rest areas for several nights, then get a motel room. When they reached a destination, they would unload the motorcycle and explore the area. It is an economical way to travel, but a little to basic for me.

As dry as this land seems to be, it is spotted with small ponds that support lush vegetation, and often flocks of ducks. Ducks Unlimited buys areas of prairie wetlands to protect them and also to save duck habitat. The payoff is that they can hunt ducks in the fall. They must be doing something right, because I saw lots of ducks in many of those small bodies of water.

Typical prairie duct habitat.

I continued on the Strathmore and Calgary taking a bypass around the northern end of the city. Traffic was heavy and occasionally the need to merge caused stop and go traffic jams. Along the bypass the city has expanded with many developments of similar cookie cutter houses. As the bypass became Highway 1 again I could see the ski jump from the 1988 Calgary Olympics. 

at this point I was running low on fuel, but there were no gas stations to be seen in the whole distance around the north end of Calgary. Fortunately, there was a PetroCan station on the highway, because I was running on fumes at that point. So were many others because there were lines at all the pumps. I refueled and set out to Canmore and Banff. 

There are pullouts every so often and I stopped at one. It reminded me of the first time I saw the Rockies in the summer of 1966 when the Ontario contingent to the Banff National Army Cadet Camp (BNACC) was being bused from Calgary. For a boy who had never been father away from Perth than Ottawa and Montreal, it was magical. I was awed by the sheer mass of these mountains. I had never seen anything like them. That awe has stayed with me to this day. These scenes are my first views if the Rocky Mountains fifty-seven years ago.

First views of the Rockies from 1966

I took several photos just to emphasize the sheer size on these mountains. There is a reason that Banff and area is inundated with tourists and sightseers year round.

Views from the Banff Information Centre

For years I have wanted to return to the Cadet Camp where I spent such a wonderful summer so many years ago. Sadly, the camp has been removed and replaced with a grassy meadow. All that remains is a plaque hoouring the thousands of young men who attended the camp from the late 1940s until the mid 1990s. I feel that an important part of my past has been lost. In 1966 the meadow was covered with living quarters for cadet and staff, a mess hall and a parade square where cadets were on parade on several occasions.

Plaque honouring the BNACC cadets and staff.

Cascade Mountain opposite the former cadet camp.

After engaging in this bit of nostalgia I headed west and took the old Highway 1A for about 25 kilometres. I crossed the Bow River and shot some photos of more mountains. I never get tired of seeing them.

Here is where the first serious glitch in the whole journey happened. I took a wrong turn and when I attempted to turn around and get back on course, my left foot slipped on loose gravel and I dumped my bike. Damage was minimal, a few scratches and such, and a slightly damaged spotlight, but as I went down a part of the bike landed on the side of my left foot. It is now slightly swollen and sore but I can get on with it. It is just frustrating to have such a small stupid thing mar a epic trip. It will cost me some money, but I will have it returned to its normal good condition.

The next stop on this day's ride was the Spiral Tunnels built by the CPR in the first decade of the past century to reduce the 4.4% grade on the Big Hill east of Field, BC. It is quite grown in so it is difficult to see the tunnels from the viewpoint, but one of the portals was reasonably clearly visible.

Tunnel portal in the distance

Close up of the tunnel portal of one of the spiral tunnels.

Over the past several years the BC government has been spending hug sums of money to improve the Trans Canada Highway from the Alberta border. It is paying off, but there is still much to do and construction delays are common. However, part of the construction has been what is called the 'Golden Skybridge'. It is spectacular, but I was only able to get a peekaboo view of it, but it is enough to give you and idea of what it looks like.

Golden Skybridge

In 1962 the Trans Canada was completed and there is an interpretive near the summit of the Rogers Pass. And here are more mountain photos because they are all so impressive.

Glacier the mountain to the west of the Rogers Pass summit.

The last item on today's agenda was to visit the site of the Last Spike ceremony to commemorate the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway from the east to Canada's west coast, bringing the country together in what one writer has called a 'ribbon of steel'. While I was there I was able to take a video of a freight train passing over the spot where Donald Smith drove the ceremonial last spike on November 7th, 1885. The line still links the various parts of Canada almost 138 years later. It is a living link to our country's history, and I appreciate that.

Here is the link to the Craigellachie CPR video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8AsK4FrxU

Last Spike cairn with plaques honouring various aspects of the railway's construction, erected on the centenary of its completion in 1985. 

Section of original rail used on the line in 1885. This rail was manufactured in 1883, 140 years ago.

So, I am coming to the end of my epic adventure. When I began the journey, I had doubts about whether I could pull it off. Not to get ahead of myself, but I have one more big day's ride left before completing this personal challenge. I have seen a tremendous variety of landscapes from Vancouver, across the Canadian prairies and the American Great Plains. to the Great Lakes, Superior and Huron and then to the place of my birth and early life, eastern Ontario. I have realized in a very real way, that beauty if where you find it and what you make of it. It is only necessary to be open to it. And, it's never too late to do something big. We have a limited number of revolutions around the sun, and it is up to us to make the most of our days. Nothing is sadder than regret for what might have been.

Anyway, I have one more big riding day, then I'll park my bike for a while and get back to real life 

 

B-r--r-r-r!!!

After yesterday's late afternoon heat I expected that today would be more of the same. Wrong! The temperature at 7:30 a.m. was about 15C with heavy clouds again threatening rain. As I headed to Moose Jaw to the northwest of Weyburn, I saw patches of blue which gave me cause for optimism. Those hopes were soon dashed however, as the clouds closed in and the temperature hovered in the mid teens. 

I stopped to shoot several photos of the sky and the farmland covered with crops. The clouds in the photo were as good as it got for most of the day. I can't ever remember a day in late July that was so cold. 

Close to Weyburn I met two trains heading south to the border crossing to the US at North Portal, SK. I stopped to shoot a video of the second one and I was pleased to finally be able to shoot a CP train video since I have been trying to do that for several years. The link to the video is posted below.

https://youtu.be/_QJsLY4d8MU

On the first half of my journey, about three weeks ago, I posted several photos of the brilliant yellow canola fields. As I rode by them this morning, it was evident that the bright yellows had faded to a duller shade. I'm not certain how close the crops are to being harvested.

The 145 kilometres to Moose Jaw passed quickly as I was pushing through the cold weather. West of Moose Jaw, I finally gave in, pulled my sweat shirt out of my tour pack and put it on. It made an immediate difference as my torso began to warm up. My feet and hands continued to be cold for the whole day.

I also made stops to take photos of sights along the way. One of these was a seemingly abandoned barn along the Trans-Canada Highway. Patches of blue were showing through the clouds but somehow, the sunshine never seemed to reach me, and when it did it didn't provide much warmth with the cold wind that was blowing. 

As I travelled west I saw about eight to ten trains. Not remarkable, but the unusual aspect of these sightings was that every single one of those trains was heading east. With the CPR (CPKC now) mainline being mostly single track, I wonder if CP runs all trains moving in blocks in one direction during certain times and at other times in the opposite direction to make more efficient use of their trackage. I have also noticed that the engines of American railroads such as Union Pacific and BNSF are generally relatively clean, while the CP locomotives seem dirty and dingy. Not cleaning their motive power might be a result of what Hunter Harrison, former CPR CEO called 'sweating the assets. Money spent on cosmetic work may have been seen as a waste of resources that could be used in other ways. I'm just speculating though.

Someone didn't get the message. Havelock, ON.

Many people have told me that the prairies are boring. I find it to be quite the contrary. I find the variety of landscapes and the vastness of the sky to be quite intriguing. I often wonder if the open vastness of the landscape and sky has an impact on how people think and behave. The distances are so great that it must be necessary for the people who live in the country to depend on and help each other. I am only surmising but it might be something for someone with more skill than I to investigate.

Abandoned? barn

Big sky

Further on I stopped again because the landscape is so overpowering. One can't help but realize one's insignificance when standing in the middle of it all. The clouds in these photos is representative of conditions for most of the day. At this stop I walked away from the highway to take these photos. As I moved through the grass hundreds of grasshoppers took to the air. However, I noticed an insect that tried to fly but couldn't. It was unlike any of the other grasshoppers and I wondered what it was.

More large vistas. & nasty clouds.

Strange insect

And even more vast landscapes.

I stopped in Swift Current to refuel and met a young man whose truck and trailer had BC plates. He was from Abbotsford and was travelling with his fiance and a trailer full of wedding supplies. I presume the wedding was to be soon and in Saskatchewan, but I didn't find that out. He did tell me  though, that the thermometer n his truck read 18C. No wonder I was cold. At 115 kph, the wind chill of 18 degrees Celsius is something to be reckoned with. Incidentally, the high temperature in Swift Current and Medicine Hat was 18C today. In my mind these are not summer temperatures.

I arrived at my motel in Brooks, AB at about 4:45, eight and a half hours and 691 kilometres later. Tomorrow, I have a similar distance to ride. I will be passing through Calgary, Banff, Golden, and Revelstoke before I reach my destination. I plan on stopping at the site of the Banff National Army Cadet Camp where I spent the summer of 1966 and had my first taste of the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains. The wonder I experienced that summer in those mountains has continued throughout my life. It is with me even to this day any time I pass through these natural wonders. And tomorrow I will have the opportunity to experience it all over again.  

Sunflowers, Oil Wells, and Pelicans

 After last night's heavy rain and based on my experience of the past few days, I fully expected to see a sky full of fat grey clouds that threatened rain. I was disappointed to see that I was correct. The temperature when I left the motel was in the high teens and the sky was grey with nary a sign of the sun for the first 200 kilometres. I could see clear sky to the west but I didn't seem to be able to fins the sun. Then things changed. The clouds ended and the sun began to warm everything, including me. My boots and gloves were still damp and cold from my encounter with heavy rain yesterday morning so I welcomed the warmth. motorcycle. 

I stopped once more at the spot that marks the geographic centre of North America both to visit that spot, since the time that I saw it last before my first visit on this trip was forty-nine years ago when I was riding my 1972 Suzuki GT750J, but mainly to stand in the sun and suck up some warmth.

I carried on to Minot, ND, where I stopped at the local Walmart to pick up a bottle of ibuprofen to ease the pain I have been developing in my shoulders and forearms. Holding handlebars and the throttle of a motorcycle for hour after hour, day after day stresses shoulders and forearms. Ibuprofen is my friend. I find that it relieves the aches that I develop while riding.

About 30 kilometres west of Minot, Highway 2 continues west and Highway 52 heads north to the Canadian border about 125 kilometres to the northeast. The highway runs through one of the most beautiful valleys I have seen in my travels. The low rolling hills border a lush valley that is farmed for much of its distance. Two crops that stand out are canola and sunflowers. They make an already beautiful place even better.

Shortly after I took tis photo I saw a porcupine making his best effort to become buzzard bait alongside the highway. I hope he made it.

Sunflowers in the valley of the Souris River.

Additionally, the graduates of a local high school mark some of the hillsides with large two digit numbers denoting the year that they graduated. On an earlier trip I saw the same thing near Arco, Idaho, with the earliest being a large '24' from the class of 1924. The earliest one I saw today was a '68', so the tradition goes back a long time. This photo shows the number from the Class of '73 and faintly, the number '68'.

Class numbers on a hillside.

Small lake along Highway 52.

Further along the highway passed two lakes and I was surprised to see a flock of twenty-five or thirty North American pelicans swimming along the shore. I found out that there is a large nesting population of these birds in North Dakota. Apparently there is a lake in Saskatchewan named Pelican Lake because of the presence of these birds.

On the way to the border near the little town of Flaxton, MN, my attention was drawn to several oil wells. Unlike most of the wells I have seen previously, these wells had flares to burn off natural gas. Several dozen oil wells ad these flares, so I can only surmise that natural gas must be a feature unique to the oil fields in this area. It is beautiful in a strange way, though.

The run to the border went smoothly and the crossing at North Portal was not overly busy, although the wait to pass through customs sitting in the sun on a hot motorcycle dressed in black leather isn't the most pleasant experience.  A sign at the border tells people to declare any cannabis products when passing through customs. I was curious about that because cannabis is legal in North Dakota and Canada and I imagined that it would be treated like alcohol - declare what you have and if it is below a specified amount, you would just pass through just as if it was alcohol. I asked the customs officer if that was the case. He told me that you are required to declare any cannabis upon entry and it would be confiscated. Apparently, while it is legal in both jurisdictions, it is illegal to bring it across the border. Go figure. Lesson learned, though.

Southern Saskatchewan is an energy producing area as well. In addition to oil wells, the area also produces coal. The coal deposits are close to the surface of the land, so the overburden is stripped off with huge shovels and draglines. The land left behind is a hellish landscape. It surprises me that the land hasn't been reclaimed because the landscapes in the area are quite striking.

The results of strip mining for coal near Estevan, SK.

When I rode through this area almost three weeks ago the canola fields were bright yellow. Today they seem to have matured into a darker yellow. Not as attractive, but still attention getting. I earlier mentioned seeing fields of sunflowers, but the ones southeast of Weyburn were the best I have seen. Huge fields were filled with perhaps millions of sunflowers in full bloom. Most people don't get to see the likes of these scenes and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to experience it.

Sunflower fields southeast of Weyburn, SK

Today's ride was 652 kilometres, so in the past four days I have ridden 2666 kilometres. Tomorrow I will ride to Brooks, AB, about 650 kilometres. I sure hope the weather continues to be as good as it was for most of today. I'm done with riding in the rain.