It was a day that started out unusually warm for this part of the world at this time of year. The heat and humidity of the morning was a harbinger of some dramatic weather to follow by the end of the day.

If you drive a vehicle in Alberta or British Columbia, chances are that the petrol it uses finds its way to you after spending time in Hardisty, which is a terminal for receiving oil from a number of pipelines.

The mass of storage tanks, holding over 3 million barrels of oil, is impressive to see.

Lots of things run underground through Hardisty.

The first fifty kilometers of the day went quickly but as the day wore on, another headwind built up. nothing but very small towns all day. They mostly feel abandoned, like this one, Amisk, AB.

Had a leisurely picnic lunch waiting out the heat of the day. The first one with Leisa on the road with me.

Two small children, ages four and six, came to the park to ask us all sorts of questions. When we explained what we were doing, they ran home to get their bicycles, one with training wheels, so they could park them next to mine.

After a long break, we could feel some real changes in the weather. The wind picked up and the sky looked brooding.

I take a chance on a final twenty kilometers as we just don’t know what to make of the rapidly developing weather. We make it just inside the Saskatchewan border to the town of Macklin, home to the largest Bunnock in the world. If you have to ask, I guess I will leave the suspense to your own search.

We also get to see the labours of a friendly farmer.

Shortly after finding a place to stay, nearly three hours before sunset, the sky suddenly goes dark, wind starts to tear limbs from trees, lightening is striking close and loud and all electricity to the town gets knocked out. We are very lucky not to be on the road. The sound and light as the storm comes through reminds us of a tornado we experienced while living in the southeastern United States.

After the storm passed, daylight returns heralded by a rainbow.

But power is not restored to the town until morning.

Stats – for Monday 25 June 2012

Start: Hardisty, Alberta
Finish: Macklin, Saskatchewan
Distance: 121 km
Time on Bike: 5:40
Average Speed: 21.3 km/hr
Distance to Date: 2,716 km

I set out from Camrose after a traditional small town breakfast with Ken Drever, grandparent to Pearson alum, Christie Drever, Pearson Year 32 and get on the road at a time that is early for me, 8:30 am. The road and countryside are very quiet, like a UWC campus on a Saturday morning.

I enjoy newly asphalted roads for about 25 km and until I make a near disastrous mistake.

I catch up to where they are pouring the asphalt and the road flaggers wave me through to go on my own. All is fine but a little sticky. I want to cut across the section that was just being steamrolled as it led to the small town of Bawlf where I wanted to replenish my water. I figured if the steamroller could be rolling on it, so could my bicycle. Well, those who know more about such things know what happened next. Upon entering the freshly poured area, my tires sunk immediately down the the rim and I was about to fall over. Rather miraculously, because I had just put a coat of lubricant on my pedal cleats the day before, I managed to get one foot out of the cleat and catch myself going down. I quickly hobbled the bike out to the set asphalt area and did it quickly enough that my shoes and tires did not melt.

There was immediate commotion by all the flaggers and workers and the foreman gave me a bit of an asphalt chemistry lesson. I learned that it is poured at aver 170 degrees Celsius and that aside from being stupid, I was damn lucky. Had I fallen, especially if
I got pinned under the bicycle connected to the pedals, I would be nursing some serious burns right now. And as I was riding with no gloves on, there would be no more blogging on this little iPhone for a while. One of the flaggers solved my water problem by pouring the contents of her water bottle into mine.

Shaken and humbled by this, I carry on. But I carry on into an increasing head wind.

Not a fun way to cross this open sky part of Alberta. The wind is opposite the normal flow now for three days in a row. As I have written earlier, a headwind brings lots of challenges. It doesn’t just slow you down, it forces you to be producing pedal power all day with no let up, it is deafening, it dehydrates you quickly and wind gusts force you to white knuckle it so you don’t lose your tracking.

Nonetheless, I persevere. I have a few things to look forward to on this windy day. My wife, Leisa, is joining me for about three weeks. Not on a bicycle, but with a car. Logistics with her support will suddenly get easier and if the wind ever lets up I may be able to increase my mileage. And another thing to look forward to is a rendezvous with former Pearson College board of trustees chair, Francis Saville and his wife Linda. They are camped in Hardisty in the former Saville family farm that was at one time a place where buffalo roamed and now is a training site for the Canadian military.

There is still a lot of grain and canola
grown in this area but the labour required has long been replaced by machines. Some of the architecture remains.

The landscape around Hardisty is rolling and unlike much of the flatter land that surrounds it.

We all meet and enter the military training camp, with special permission to camp on the former Saville homestead. We are reminded with a simple idea to stay safe: if you did not drop it, do not pick it up.

The valley where we camp is remote and massive. We get to hear coyotes calling, the mating sounds of snipe and even two large moose walking nearby.

With the Saville motor home, we are able to have a wonderful grilled salmon dinner as the sun sets in the valley.

Stats – for Saturday 20 June 2012

Start: Camrose
Finish: Hardisty
Distance: 111 km
Time on Bike: 6:01
Average Speed: 18.5 km/hr
Distance to Date: 2,595 km

It was a windy day again, with the wind either head on or like sailing close hauled all day. And the rain chased me much of the day but never really caught me. I could hear the thunder and see the dark clouds behind me.

I did not find a really good way to leave Edmonton so used the ring road. I felt very exposed and out of place on a major highway with lots of on ramps and off ramps but the shoulder was at least three meters wide so a whole peloton could have been riding with me.

So much in Alberta and in Edmonton has to do with energy – jobs, politics, the economy, the environment – but I found it curious that most electricity in the province is produced by burning coal. There is a lot of it and it is easy to get at so the incentive to switch to something cleaner and renewable is limited.

I am finding the rumble strips are becoming my friend. Although they cut down the space on the road shoulder to ride on, they are a reassuring presence, especially on curves.

Throughout the prairies, there is a grid system of roads. The range roads run north-south and are spaced according to the earth’s meridian lines. But there is a problem. The distance between the lines – or roads – decreases as you move towards the north pole. Rather than curve the roads, at certain intersections, the range roads are shifted to account for the curvature of the earth. Here is a sign showing an example. As someone who once studied geography, I found this kind of cool to see.

I take a long lunch break in the pleasant town of Beaumont. It feels very French Canadian and indeed I find a park with the same name as my mother’s Acadian family.

I continue to push against the wind all day with the rain now everywhere but on top of me but for a brief shower.

As I pass some grazing cattle, they seem quite interested in the lone cyclist going by.

I make it to Camrose as planned at 8 pm to meet the grandparent of Pearson alum, Christie, Pearson College Year 32. I have the pleasure of a nice meal, a comfortable bed and lots of stories about this part of Alberta.

Stats – for Friday 22 June 2012

Start: Edmonton
Finish: Camrose
Distance: 110 km
Time on Bike: 5:55
Average Speed: 18.5 km/hr
Distance to Date: 2,484 km

It rained and rained through the night and morning so I just waited it out and got onto dry roads at about 1:30 pm. But after a few kilometers of climbing look what I see.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? More or less downhill now for a long long time. And more oxygen with each breath I take.

The ride from outside Hinton to Edson is smooth with a wee tailwind and a few brief showers. The landscape is getting flatter all the time.

I find a Thai restaurant in Edson then make my way about ten more kilometers to the East of Edson campground. Yes that is the name. But there is one hurdle. Chip seal.

This is the way they pave roads here. Lay down some sticky tar then put gravel on top for cars and trucks to grind into the tar. But it is a mess for cyclists. Loose gravel covers the road shoulder and the trucks kick up the gravel into your bike, legs, arms, face and ping, ping, ping, your helmet.

When I get off the highway and into the campground, it is like getting off a battlefield. Fortunately I am met with some kind campground managers who used to be lighthouse keepers. And a nice sunset as well.

And this sign should be included in the next edition of the book “Eats Shoots and Leaves.”

And once again I set up my tent, the only one in the campground.

Stats – for Tuesday 19 June 2012

Start: Hinton
Finish: Edson
Distance: 89 km
Average Speed: 20.9 km/hr
Time on Bike: 4:14
Distance to Date: 2,156 km

I thought of talking a rest day in Jasper but the weather was just so perfect, it felt like a good day to ride. I did take it slow, beckoned by a local bakery with the smell of fresh baked bread. Shared a table with a couple of young climbers who drove all the way to Jasper from Victoria in one day. She, a nurse, he am engineer. I am humbled a bit to think what has taken me nearly three weeks to cover, albeit a very different route, they did in a day. But I am on a bike tour not a race.

Walking through town I hear my name called out from a restaurant door. It is Chris, Pearson College Year 38. He lives in Jasper. In my effort to find alumni as I travel,I realize I am neglecting current students. I will remind them all.

The ride out of Jasper is aided by a nice tailwind and made interesting by showers drifting into and out of the valley that is leading me away from the Rocky Mountains.

Soon I see a herd of something I’ve never seen before. Bighorned sheep? First they move away from me then the circle back and check me out.

Some of the small glacier fed lakes look like water in the Caribbean.

The park is a geologists paradise.

Before long, I am out of the park and on my way to the town of Hinton. The interesting thing to watch now is the sky. But a look back into the park first.

Outside the park looking east, the view is now very different.

The wider road shoulders in Alberta are welcome and, after a shower, along with a nice tailwind, it is like the Zamboni just put down a new surface for me to ride on.

At a rest stop I am surprised to notice that my chain, changed less than a week ago, is already rusting. These frequent showers are tough on the equipment.

I find myself a full meal at a family style restaurant in Hinton then cycle another 16 km to the Willowbrook Campsite. The sky cannot decide what it is going to do next.

And one last look back from where I have come.

It is unusual for me to get to a campground before sunset but as the sun is now setting at about 10:30 pm, it is hard not to.

I set up the tent next to my own little pond and fishing dock and settle in for what will be about twelve hours of rain. But I am cozy and dry and thankful the temperature got no lower than about 2 degrees Celsius.

Stats – for Monday 18 June 2012

Start: Jasper
Finish: Hinton (16 km east of)
Distance: 92 km
Average Speed: 20.9 km/hr
Time on Bike: 4:23
Distance to Date: 2,068 km

A day with a real sense of accomplishment. For some reason, getting up and over the Rocky Mountains felt like an important milestone. The Robson and Yellowhead passes were quite gradual and manageable. Showers came and went throughout the day but that just added to the mix of experiences.

When leaving Tete Jaune, I see that road flaggers have closed the Yellowhead highway heading back towards McBride. It turns out that shortly after my hellish ride yesterday, there was massive landslide, as in eight feet of mud and car-sized boulders flowing across the highway. A risk that never occurred to me in the howling wind.

There was no false advertising associated with this sign as it poured shortly after I took the picture.

Since leaving the west coast at Prince Rupert, every five kilometers has had a signpost. Here is the last one that I see. It is not meant to be in a river but every creek and river around has overflowed their banks.

The views approaching Robson Pass make one feel like an ant in the landscape.

Return later to this posting for a video clip of the ride through the pass.

Shortly after Tete Jaune, Route 5 intersects with the Yellowhead Highway and suddenly traffic is thick. More vehicles pass me today than passed me in the thousand kilometers from Prince Rupert. Route five brings travelers up from Kamloops and Vancouver.

The views through the Rockies are quintessentially Canadian.

Soon I am entering Alberta.

But before that a reminder of who built this highway.

And a final early evening look back from where I came.

And a look ahead to the twenty kilometer downhill ride to Jasper. The road shoulders in Alberta are about a meter wider than in British Columbia but there is no rumble strip to alert drivers if they wander past the white line. Not sure which I prefer.

Jasper has a nice understatement about itself. Being located inside a national park, there are no billboards just a few humble national park signs pointing towards the town. And having reached this milestone and with the need for a laundry stop too, I find an inexpensive room, find a Chinese restaurant for massive order of Ma Po Tofu then sleep heavily.

Stats – for Sunday 17 June 2012

Start: Tete Jaune, BC
Finish: Jasper, AB
Distance: 110 km
Average Speed: 19.1 km/hr
Time on Bike: 5:40
Distance to Date: 1,974 km

So, imagine yourself in a wind tunnel. Sit yourself down on a small piece of hard stretched leather and dial in the wind to hit you in the face about 25-30 km per hour with occasional gusts at random intervals and from random directions about double that speed. Have no extra padding by just wearing your rain gear. These will keep you hot and clammy even though the outside temperature is just above ten degrees Celsius. Now, connect your seat to some pedals and try to move if forward steadily about 20 km per hour. Put something on your head that makes the wind rip through it at about 90-100 decibels right around your ears. Make it so you need to stay upright at all times and be aware that the wind may gust from the side just as there is a steep embankment on the side opposite the wind direction. Throw a few Black Bears occasionally across the road, running fast. After three hours, add some cold driving rain and reduce visibility. Oh, whiz a few fully loaded logging trucks by from time to time to throw up some spray and grit into your teeth. With the rain in full force, change the bear species on the side of the road to Grizzly. Just for fun. As you approach four hours, stop the rain show a little blue sky. Could become a video game perhaps.

That was my day. The shortest ride kilometer-wise of the trip so far and by far the most challenging. Even though it was a mere 60 km from McBride to Tete Jaune, the blistering headwind, right in my face all the way, made it feel psychologically endless. There were no pull out places along the way and I just could not bring myself to turn around and have to face it all again. The flat, rolling wide open Fraser River valley was temporarily a wind tunnel bringing heavy rains from east to west.

I kept thinking about the t-shirt worn by a woman in front of me at this year’s Times Colonist 10k road race. It said: “suck it up buttercup.” That’s what I did. And I made it.

You can get a sense of the wind by looking at how it bends the top of the trees. It does the same to my head.

And this short video clip gives a sense of the sound.

In addition to how strenuously you have to pedal just to keep forward motion, I think what drives cyclists bonkers is the sound of the wind, hour upon hour. There is just no escape. I have a decibel meter on my phone and this is the reading when I pull over to the side of the road. It would be higher if I were pedaling into the wind.

Turns out that anyone who works with any steady sound above 85 decibels is required to wear ear protectors so I may take a rest day the next time I encounter fierce headwinds. A cyclist just cannot ride with earplugs.

The day was not without its pleasures. The Fraser River valley is bucolic and there was very little traffic.

And the day started late but well. I sat out the rain until well after mid day. Upon checking out of the Beaverview Campground, the British owners, Dave and Jill, offered me a proper cup of English tea.

And when I told them the only thing I forgot to take on the trip was an eye mask to deal with the 4:30 am sunrise, it turns out Dave used to be a pilot and had all sorts of eye masks to spare. They also gave me a Canadian sticker for my bicycle.

The day also ended well when Ted, the new owner of the Tete Jaune Lodge and Campground, offered me a cabin for the night for $20, five dollars more than a tent site. It was a great investment because it rained and thundered all night long.

Stats – Saturday 16 June 2012

Start: McBride
Finish: Tete Jaune
Distance: 61 km
Average Speed: 15.4 km/ hr
Time on Bike: 3:55
Distance to Date: 1,866 km