Heading West

Posted on August 18, 2012 by debbie

August 17, 2012

I am not sure what it is about sleeping outdoors, but we rolled out of the tent at almost 9 am this morning.  It’s cool in the shade so I have my usual 5 layers on. As we munch down breaky, we decide to go for a hike instead of a ride this morning.

Reesor Lake is literally at the end of the pavement located in the east end for Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. It is a really pretty setting. There is no beach but if the number of fishers is any indication it must be good for fishing and looks as though you could paddle a canoe or kayak, although power boats are not an option. The campground is small with only about 40 sites. There are a few  ‘’walk-in” sites, one of which we stayed in. It is a super place, but there is not much to do but loaf.

Part of the TransCanada Trail system runs through Cypress Hills. There is about 15 – 20 km of trail through the park.  We hike a few km out from Reesor Lake towards Elkwater Lake. It is a climb right from the start, but not too hard and we set a steady pace. There are cow tracks in the dried mud and we ponder whether the cows were going up or down. After passing through a “cow gate” we arrive at the top of the hill, the meadow is flat across the top.

We walk for a bit and catch glimpses of the surrounding landscape which reaches to infinity as the horizon melds with the sky.

Murray on the TransCanada Trail

Murray on the TransCanada Trail

The trail is 2 tracks wide and carries on through the meadow for as far as the eye can see.  Deciding we do not need to go further we head back. This trail system would make a great 2 day backpacking trip with fairly easy terrain to cross and a camp spot at about ½ way.

Next stop, Medicine Hat.  It’s here we find a lunch spot, WIFI and a place to swim.  We stop at the tourist information and procure a map with which we locate a park for a picnic lunch.  We take a spin through downtown to see the old center and the early 20th century buildings. We are on the lookout for a coffee shop that might have WIFI. The downtown is a little sparse on such amenities so we head north to the Medicine Hat Family Leisure Centre with a swim being on the agenda. The facility is basic but is pleasant enough and luckily they have free WIFI, a pool and a shower.  Murray sits in the foyer and posts to the blog and I go for a short swim and a much needed shower.

With a clean me we head west to Lethbridge to visit G. and our daughter M. Highway 3 is only two lanes but there is a little more interest than the Trans Canada. M’s directions through Lethbridge are perfect and we arrive at their new house without any detours. A big hug is waiting for mother and daughter!

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Good Bye Saskatchewan (for now)

Posted on August 17, 2012 by murray

August 16, 2012

I hear rustling in the tent, take off my sleep mask and I’m shocked at how bright it is in the tent. It’s morning and Murray is stirring, eager to get up. I lay in my sleeping bag until I hear him getting breakfast started.

Diefenbaker Lake

Diefenbaker Lake

It is a glorious day, the sun is shining, there is no wind (yet), the water in the lake is quiet, and the occasional fish jumps and makes a splash. As we eat breakfast we decide to go for a 30 km ride from the campground back north on the route we drove down yesterday. We choose that direction just in case the wind is again blowing from the NW once we get up out of the river valley.

As we ride up the long hill onto the flat prairie, we discover the wind is actually blowing from the SW, but not too hard. I ride in Murray’s draft the whole way so we can keep the pace high.  The truckers and the traffic in general must not see very many cyclists as they all give us a wide berth, to a vehicle they move over completely into the oncoming lane. Very gentlemanly of them! We turn around at the 20 km mark and head into the wind looking forward to the downhill rush into the campground. The downhill thrill is over much too fast and we are back at our campsite.

Pack up and head to Swift Current to find a coffee shop with free WIFI. We end up at the Urban Ground Coffeehouse, a great place with funky modern décor and music to suit the taste of any hard-core folk music festival attendee. Murray has hot chocolate and I have iced tea. We post the first post and are off.

The drive to Cypress Hills Provincial Park (on the Alberta side) is along Hwy 1.  A totally boring road kept in immaculate condition but solely constructed for making time. It is so boring we are reduced to making up goofy stories about the cows, horses and sheep that we see along the way.  Did you know that Saskatchewan is home to the very rare Saskatchewan Resting Cow? (I’ll leave it at that)

We land our mobile campsite in Reesor Lake Campground. A small but very cozy campground with only about 40 sites. The road is like driving a rally car route up down, eeee, right left, zig zag, oooo, up down. We are at elevation and it is getting too cold for my fingers to work on the keyboard. Goodnight.

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Saskatchewan Riding

Posted on August 17, 2012 by debbie

August 15,2012

The weeks of house renos and a taxing weekend at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival have taken their toll. We could not keep our eyes open last night and finally surrendered at 9pm. We arose promptly at 7am this morning. That is the third night we have slept 10 hours, but what better place to do it than in an open air venue like a tent.

Our intent is to pack up and then ride a few km. before setting out south. The skies are not looking conducive to a ride and the wind is howling.  Good for blowing away mosquitoes but not so good for riding. It is not as if there is a sufficient wind break along the highway to give some shelter. We decide to nix the ride.

Debbie on Battleford XC ski trail

Between The Battlefords, mid North Saskatchewan River is a very large island easily accessible from Battleford. There is a network of hiking trails on the island and we thought we might go for a walk. The trails are marginal for hiking but Debbie realizes that they are laid out as XC ski trails in the winter. Not having been here in the winter we can only guess but we both think that if they are properly maintained they would be wonderful to ski on.

We manage to survive the onslot of mossies and return to the car with our blood dip sticks showing almost full. After a short car tour of The Battlefords we hit the road.

As we leave town I realize the wind is coming from the NW and we are headed due south. For those of you that do not ride a bike this means that if one of us gets on our bike and the other drives and plays ‘service vehicle’ we can do our entire ride with the wind, and remember the wind is howling.

At Biggar, the home of world champion curler Sandra Schmirler, we stop for lunch at The Biggar Regional Park. A pleasant little park with a picnic area and campground. The towns and villages in Sask. seem to have such facilities.

I decide I am going to ride with the wind. I have been watching the shoulder, it looks fine, and the traffic on the highway is minimal. After changing my clothes I climb on my bike and start to ride. Once I am on my bike I realize how strong the wind is. I click through the gears and I spin out in all the gears in my small chain wheel and have to shift up to the big chain wheel  before I reach 500M. I warm up in 53/19, I ride 40 km over hill and through dale without using my small chain ring once. It was fast, very fast, for a recreational ride. At 43km I had averaged 36km/hr. I love riding with the wind.

Murray on the highway

Murray on the highway

When I stop Debbie hops on her bike. She has the same wind with the same affect.  It is an exhilarating ride. Debbie averages 30+ km/hr on her bike. We both agree the rides were a great idea.

We park our tent in the Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park on Diefenbaker Lake. Have a much needed supper and wander down the shore to spy on a group of pelicans lazing on the water. No rain. Another early turn in.

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East

Posted on August 16, 2012 by debbie

We have been sequestered in our house for about 4 months. Renovations had taken over our lives and we hadn’t really thought about anything else. Since this is a TRAVEL blog we could not figure out how to twist house renos into travel so we have been remiss in keeping up with the entries. Sorry.

Yesterday we flew the coop. We have been planning on a camping trip for about 2months and we are there. We travel all around the world and yet anywhere east of Alberta, in Canada, is uncharted territory for us. So east we go. We only have a few days so the distance cannot be great but east we go. 150 km or so into Saskatchewan.

The best laid plans of mice and men we thought we would leave Tuesday around noon. At noon it starts to rain, an auspicious start to a camping journey. We race the rain east (wind was from the west).  As we neared the Alberta/Saskatchewan border we had driven clear of the downpour. Even had a bit of sun. By the time we reach The Battlefords, our destination, we were well clear of the front.

It is funny what a border will do. The Alberta/Saskatchewan border is in the middle of Lloydminster. As soon as we are on the Sask. side we noticed a difference in infrastructure. The motels were not quite as fancy, the roads need a bit of repair, and the general appearance is a bit more rundown. Alberta is a “have” province and it shows.

The landscape does not change that much. It is said that Sask. is very flat. To someone from somewhere other  than the prairies this may seem the case but to us it is very rolly with lots of green in and around the fields. Quite stunning actually.

Sask. is one of the places in the world that does not change to daylight time. It remains on Central Daylight Time all year long. It was a matter of much discussion as to what time it was once we crossed the border. In the end we assumed correctly that the time was the same as Mountain Daylight Time.

There are a couple of campgrounds in and around the Battleford area, we had time so we decided to have a look. The Eiling Kramer Campground  in Battleford was our first stop. Nice place, not crowded. The other one we thought we should see is 36 km north of town. With loads of time to spare we thought we could check it out and return to Battleford if it was the better choice.

We crossed the North Saskatchewan River. I had the crazy thought that the water that was passing under us was the same water that we had seen the day before when we crossed the bridge to the north side in Edmonton yesterday.

We turned northeast headed out of town. Looking up we realized the storm was hot on our tail. It took us about a minute to realize if we continued driving in the direction we came from we would be headed towards a downpour and setting up camp would not be pleasant. A decision had  been made, a U-turn on the highway and back to the Eiling Kramer Campground in Battleford it is.

On crossing back over the N. Sask. River I am sure I noticed a log that I had seen yesterday on our second trip over the river in Edmonton! Proof that the water passing under us is the same water we had seen at home.

At the camp ground of the 50 or so sites that were available to camp in we carefully chose a spot and set our tent. Just as we were finished, the rain started. This is when we opted to eat in town rather than get wet trying to make supper in the open. Oh to be old and flush with cash. Dined at The Li King Restaurant. I find that the Chinese restaurants in small towns are always reliable and usually predictable so they are a good bet. This place was exceptional. Funny I thought that here we are in small city Sask and the food prices are the same as big city Alberta. Then the food came. We had ordered enough food for four. Lunch tomorrow is Chinese food I guess. EXCELLENT food though. I would recommend a stop at the Li King if you are on your way through Battleford.

Eiling Kramer Campground, Battleford, Saskatchewa

Eiling Kramer Campground, Battleford, Saskatchewan

Back at camp the rain had subsided so we sat at the picnic table and planned the next day or two. It was the first time we had seen an actual Saskatchewan map. Just get setup and the drizzle started. Then it dawned on me. Just as we had seen the same water in the N. Sask. River pass below us we were about to live through the exact same storm we had just left. Not the exact water as it had already fallen and was seeping into the ground somewhere in Alberta but none the less the same storm. Isn’t life strange?

Rain on our tent

Rain on our tent

The rest of the evening was spent in the tent doing crossword puzzles. We turn in early. It poured all night. Slept 10 hours! The tent did what is supposed to and we are dry.

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The Africa Trip’s “Do List”

Posted on August 2, 2012 by debbie

I suddenly realize that it is only three months until we leave on our Africa trip, so in between watching Olympics, I sort through our Africa file and make a list of major items we haven’t done for our trip. Here is the list:

  1. Tanzania Visas
  2. Final Payment for Botswana Safari
  3. Final Payment for Tanzania Safari
  4. Yellow Fever Vaccinations/Malaria Pills
  5. Create Trip Budget/Calculate Cash Required
  6. Change Symphony/Theatre Tickets We Will Miss
  7. Book Hotels in the Following Places:
  • Langley, BC
  • Arusha, Tanzania
  • Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Kasane, Botswana
  • Maun, Botswana
  • Zanzibar – town and beach
  • Vancouver, BC

OUCH!

We had sent emails to a number of hotels in Arusha, Kasane and Maun back in May. I email a few again to see if they have a room available on the dates needed. I think we can make quick decisions for these hotels in small towns as there is limited choice.

The visa applications are filled out.  We require photos, money order and prepaid return envelopes and these are ready to be sent to Ottawa.

I will plug away at the hotels. We are back on the track.

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House Renovations and Blogging

Posted on July 24, 2012 by debbie
Staples pulled from floor by Debbie while Murray was galavanting around town.

Staples pulled from floor by Debbie while Murray was gallivanting around town.

We have been rather negligent with our blog and hope to reacquaint ourselves with the blog and our Africa trip next week after our new flooring is in place.

After 20+ years, our carpet was looking rather sad.  It was time to refresh. Little did we know the beast we unleashed.  Thankfully it was only a medium sized beast. This beast includes carpet and luxury vinyl tile, wall, window frame and door paint, exterior door paint, door hardware, light switches and plug ins and plates and paint for a few sets of shelves.  Luckily it did not include new kitchen cabinets or a new bathroom.

Murray and I have to admit that we have enjoyed this process.  We painted the upstairs of the house and it was fun working together and seeing our progress. We are in the middle of ripping out the old lino, ceramic tile and carpet.  This is very hard manual labour and we are both hurting.  Murray’s elbows and my shoulder. I am going to be glad when the hard work is over. Only a couple more days.

Ripping out the existing lino and underlay in our kitchen and dining room.

Ripping out the existing lino and underlay in our kitchen and dining room. (Whitish lino around edges. The yellow is the previous owner's lino)

The flooring guys come on Monday and it should take 3, maybe 4, days to install the new flooring.  Then it is installing baseboards and putting the house back together. This is the fun part for me as we get to redecorate. We changed the colour scheme from earth tones to grey tones, so  this is our chance to do everything different.

Our new red front door!

Our new red front door!

Be patient with us, we will be back and talking about Africa soon. We also have a camping trip, ending in Lethbridge, planning for mid August. Stay tuned…………

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Bow Valley Parkway and the Two Bear Day

Posted on June 5, 2012 by debbie

I tumble out of bed onto stiff legs and I open the drape, check the sky.  Blue! White clouds too, but not too sinister looking.

Morning View

Morning View

The plan for today is to ride Hwy 1A, the Bow Valley Parkway, from Lake Louise to Johnson Canyon and back again.  About 65 km, hilly, little traffic and nice pavement.

We climb as soon as we ride away from the hostel, our legs talk to us about the ride yesterday and ask us why we are doing this again. There are two climbs before the road descends and levels out.  Mur and I have ridden this route before and we know that it is net downhill to Johnson Canyon.  I tuck in behind Mur and we spin out our legs and do a swift cruise along the straight stretches.  The group gets spread out along the road but everyone is not more than a handful of minutes apart.

We stop to regroup a couple of times and before we know it we are at Johnson Canyon.  Snacks, pee break, more liquids before the slog up to Lake Louise.

We travel slower on the way back.  The front group has 5 riders in it and we come together and break apart with each ascent and descent.  Everyone’s legs scream on the up hills.

We get a shock as we ride by a small grizzly in the ditch. There are a few cars around the bear and we gear up ready to sprint, move into the on coming lane and don’t slow down as we speed past.  He is more interested in eating than a few bike riders. The Edmonton Journal had an article in Saturday’s paper about two grizzly cubs in this area that made it through the winter without their mother. This must be one of those cubs. Bear Number One!

We ascend the last seemly endless climb and it is a rush of speed down into Lake Louise and a deserved shower, lunch and rest. The ride is tougher for some of our group than others.  We all know we will be stronger riders after two days in the mountain.

We drive home through Saskatchewan Crossing and Rocky Mountain House.  We spot a black bear in the ditch. He is also more interested in eating than two tired riders peaking out of a car window. Bear Number Two!

Black Bear

Black Bear

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Weather

Posted on June 4, 2012 by debbie

Anyone who lives in the mountains knows that the weather comes and goes in a matter of minutes. We head to Lake Louise for an event hosted by the Velocity Cycling Club.

on the road to Lake Lousie

On the road to Lake Louise

“Come to the mountains and ride up and down as many hills as you can handle.” 80 km is the short trip and 200 km is the long one. So at 9am this morning we start out and ride up. Most of the people in our group have not ridden in the mountains before and were quite apprehensive about the climbs and the riding in general.

We head north, our goal, Bow Summit. Weather doesn’t look too good but as I said that is no real determinant in the mountains. Cool yes, but no rain. Out of town and up Hwy. 93. The ride is spectacular. Even with the low clouds you get glimpses of the mountains as you ride. All their majesty shrouded in fluffy white down. This highway takes quite a beating in the winter and is in very bad shape. The government sees fit to keep the car portion of the pavement in good condition but even though people come from around the world to ride the Ice Fields Parkway, the shoulders get neglected. They are still rideable but you must be attentive.

Our group is 13 in number. Our experience varies greatly but the fitness level of each of the riders is very good. Even though we split up, the first riders in the group wait every 10 km and the others catch up. We slinky along like this and no one ever gets too far behind. Our regular ride group is doing exceptional, the spin classes this winter are showing their worth.

We go up and up and up. As we climb we notice the temperature getting a little colder. We reach Mosquito Creek and the dew point. The rain starts. We have 10 or 12 km to our goal and do not know what the future holds in store. If we ride on and the rain continues we have 40 km of fast downhill with wet clothing and a very cold and potentially dangerous ride. Saner heads prevail and we turn around. We are soon below the level where the air borne moisture turns to liquid and we actually dry a bit on our way down.

The weather ping pongs back and forth between sun and cloud but we make it back without getting drenched. The ride down from the summit is negative elevation gain and we go fast. Even the few up slopes are in the big chain wheel and the return trip is only about 2/3 as long as the trip up.

Safely back in the hostel it is time to recoup so we sit and watch the weather from the indoor side of the glass.

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Packing for a Riding Trip

Posted on May 29, 2012 by debbie

I have added a NEW list under “Packing Lists”! It is all the stuff needed for a (bike) riding trip. This list is good whether you are going on a bike tour, carrying panniers, or a weekend bike trip staying in hotels. It is only the bike portion of the gear. The street clothes or camping gear is listed elsewhere.

This list is all inclusive, so if you are going to a hot hot climate to ride, you may not need the heavy duty rain gear. Locks also may or may not be needed.  We are not taking locks for our climbing camp as our bikes will be stored in our vehicle. Bike boxes are only needed if you are flying.

If you use CO2 cartridges and are flying, remember to remove the cartridge from your bike seat bag as they are not allowed on planes. You will have to buy new ones once at your destination.

Our list is printed out, ready to be checked off as we pack for the mountains.

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Rockies Mountains, Here We Come

Posted on May 28, 2012 by debbie

The last time we were in the mountain, it was March, there was snow on the ground and we were cross country skiing.  We are trading our skis for road bikes this time to head to Lake Louise for a Climbing Camp with Velocity Cycling Club.

On the first day, we will be riding from Lake Louise up to Bow Summit and back. The second day we will ride Lake Louise to Johnson Canyon along 1A return. We have been building our mileage up to handle the 70 – 80 km rides. Our fitness is good. I rode hills last night with a couple of friends who are also going. No problemo!

Our friend, R, who is organizing the camp, sent out a list of bike essentials to take.  This got us thinking about which bikes to take.  When riding in the mountain, especially up to a mountain pass, we need to be prepared for any type of weather. Sun, rain, wind, snow. We should probably take our rain pants and jackets, and even a warm layer along on the rides.  If we take our cross (or touring) bikes, we have them geared up to accommodate panniers. Easy to stuff this extra clothing into a pannier. The only downside is the bikes are heavy, and on a long climb may not be so nice.  If we take our road bikes, we will have to either carry packs (not ideal on a road bike) or maybe use the “trunk” Murray has for his bike. I do not think all the rain clothes will fit into the trunk, so we are not that far ahead. I would prefer to take my road bike, but we will see what we decide.

We will be packing lots of riding clothes and gear, for every weather possibility. This is one of those trips that our gear is far outweighs our street clothes.

It will be good to be back in the mountains after a break. I love riding in the mountains as the views seem to ease the pain in my legs while I peddle up all those hills.

Watch for pictures of our weekend!

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