Middle Ground

The westward journey across Canada by bicycle is generally deemed more difficult than an easterly route because of the prevailing winds. They’re called prevailing winds for a reason. And they come from the west. Sometimes with great determination and strength. I was well aware of this before I started this adventure but nature decided to send me a reminder today.

After a successful night at the Reynolds Community Club and a quick breakfast at the gas station I was ready to hit the road. Before leaving I tried to get my water bottle filled at the restaurant but was denied. Yes, it’s true. Denied water, under the guise that the tap water isn’t potable. Fair enough. Except yesterday when I was at this same restaurant I was brought a glass of water with my chicken sandwich. Clearly water was available. However, one thing I won’t do (given that this wasn’t a survival situation) is argue for water. Of course, the woman behind the counter suggested I could buy bottled water. I’m sure that was true but I’m a firm believer that the bottled water industry is completely ridiculous and I avoid participating it whenever possible. And it was definitely avoidable in this situation. I still had some water packed away in reserve and was confident it would be enough to get me to the next faucet. It was time to leave Prawda.

It didn’t take long to realize that today was going to be a grind. The road signs indicated that today’s destination, Winnipeg, was 92 km away. In reality, I knew it was more likely to be about 110 km. And the prevailing westerly winds were awake early this morning.

There were a couple of small towns along the way but each would’ve required a bit of detour off the highway and that was something I didn’t really want to do. The day was going to be long enough without adding extra kilometres to my ride. So, my first stop would be in Richer – about 50 km away.

And speaking of the ride, I’ve mentioned the wind but the road itself has also made travelling in Manitoba a challenge. After crossing into Manitoba yesterday, the first 30 km were great. Wide, smooth shoulders. Beautiful. Then I reached kilometre marker 452. It’s been brutal ever since. Huge cracks every 5-10 metres and no shoulder at all. And the rare time when a shoulder appeared, it was frequently covered with so much sand and debris that it was practically a gravel road. The ride to Richer continued this not-so-pleasant trend.

By 11:30 I was getting pretty tired, fortunately I was arriving at Richer at that time. It was a relief. Knowing I could get some food. Hoping I could get some water. And there was even a fresh fruit stand where I could get some, well … fresh fruit. Go figure. In this case, the fresh fruit was White Flesh Nectarines. And they were pretty amazing. Although, perhaps cycling for three hours into a headwind may have affected my appreciation for food in general.

Having eaten lunch, filled my water bottle, and bought nectarines, I could delay my return to the road no longer. And the wind was only getting stronger.

Not long after returning to the road, the day got a little more gruelling – at least mentally – when I passed a sign indicating the start of an “Odometer Check Area”. This consisted of a 10 km stretch of the Trans-Canada highway with markers indicating each passing kilometre. Great idea if you’re in a car. But, when you’re cycling into the wind, it’s just a constant reminder of how slow you’re going. I was more than a little relieved when I finally passed the 10th marker. On the upside, it would seem my cycling odometer is very accurate.

The first true highlight of the day (although, the nectarines were great) was reaching the Longitudinal Centre of Canada. Sure, there’s still a long way to go to Vancouver, but at least now I know I’m on the western side of the country. Vancouver here I come.

The rest of the ride into Winnipeg continued to be challenging. Between the wind, the roads, and the traffic, there really wasn’t much opportunity to relax and just look around. There was even one section along the Trans-Canada where I wasn’t even convinced I should be riding there. It actually felt similar to the stretch of highway on Long Island last year, the one where the State Troopers eventually pulled me over.

I eventually made it through the city and arrived at the home of my Warm Showers hosts, Ian and Sheri. But not before making a brief stop at Dairy Queen. I felt a hot fudge sundae was well deserved after a tough 110 km and almost six hours of pedalling into winds that I later found out were up to 30 km/h.

As for my hosts, Ian and Sheri have been fantastic. They’ve been a lot of fun to talk with, we had an amazing dinner, and then walked over to a local bakery for dessert. And Sheri assures me there are “healthy” cinnamon buns to be had at another nearby bakery. I’ll have to investigate that tomorrow. Ian and Sheri offered to let me stay an extra night so I can have a bit of a rest and also explore Winnipeg. So that’s what I’m going to do.

As a side note, their house is currently a bit busy (in a good way) as they are fostering four kittens (plus the mom). I have to admit, the kittens are very cute and a lot of fun – although, their interest in my computer screen is making typing a challenge. Talk about your first world problems.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 112.25 km
Ride time: 5:48:56
Average speed: 19.30 km/h
Maximum speed: 29.05 km/h