The tail end of the storm that has been beating up this part of Saskatchewan had one more day of power to throw at me. But at least it was all aimed at my back. The wind was blowing from the west with gusts from 60-90 km/hr. As long as it was a near perfect tailwind, I could manage it. It was a flat ride from North Battleford to Saskatoon and with the howling wind, it took very little effort to sustain speeds over 40km/hr. The flag, for once, is pointing in the direction I’m going.

It is tough to get a sense of the wind from a photo but you can see what it is doing to the grass and trees.

And when I pull out my little anemometer app after arriving in Saskatoon, I can see it is still blowing fairly hard.

Before getting to Sakatoon, the rain picks up and drops visibility making it dangerous to be on the road. There were also a few kilometers where the road shoulder was no longer paved. Thank goodness for a very bright vest. I also get tracked down by an intrepid Pearson alum, Fawn Jackson, Pearson Year 31. She is the environmental specialist for the Canadian Cattle Ranchers Association, representing and communicating with their 85,000 members. Fawn was driving from Saskatoon to Calgary and knew I was on the road and stopped in the wind and rain to meet me, specially dressed for the occasion.

When I finally reach Saskatoon, I receive a wonderful reception from Aneri Garg, Pearson Year 37 alum and her family.

After a hot shower we enjoy a flavorful and filling Indian meal and great conversation.

Stats – for Wednesday 27 June 2012

Start: North Battleford
Finish: Saskatoon
Distance: 119 km
Time on Bike: 4:03
Average Speed: 29.4 km/hr (!)
Distance to Date: 2,910 km