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.
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.
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