Estevan, Saskatchewan

I made it to Saskatchewan on the fourth NW headwind day in a row. With 697 miles logged in so far, I am a bit behind where I wanted to be at this point. More days on the prairies mean less to spend in the northern mountains. The frustrating thing about bicycling into the wind is that it is like going uphill all the time, with no end in sight.

In any case, I chose to bike the whole route because there is a certain grandeur to the endless prairies, the vistas, the sunsets, and the friendliness of the people who live here. I have made the transition from the corn belt to the wheat belt, with intermittent grasslands where trees are few and far between and cattle watch suspiciously as I glide by. Ahead lies several days in Saskatchewan's agricultural heartland, continuing to angle northwest.

Other than the wind, things are going smoothly. The bike and other gear are working fine, the paved shoulders on most major roads- roads that were lonely 2-lanes in 1967- make it possible to mostly tune out the traffic. The first mishap of the trip happened today arriving in Estevan, when I pulled into a parking lot, couldn't get my pedal cleat unsnapped fast enough and down I went, skinning my elbow.

More thoughts later, before I leave town.

Saturday Morning: Sunny, lighter west winds, so far. Regina newspaper forecast shows more cloudiness tomorrow and rain Monday-- maybe this stubborn weather system is going to finally move on. anyway, I'm off, into some of the flattest country on the planet, to see what the day will bring!

Jamestown, North Dakota

Today, the fourth day of my trip, has been a real grind fighting a vicious headwind out of the northwest, the direction, of course, that I am trying to go. 25-30 mph winds, with whitecaps on the duck ponds, waves of green through the corn and wheat, and swaying trees, kept my forward progress to about 6 mph including frequent breaks to rest my knees. I may call it a day here in Jamestown with only 60 miles done, as Hwy. 52 NW from here will only be worse.

Bicycle touring has its highs and lows, with the highs higher and the lows lower than most other activities. The wind has always been the arch-enemy of the bicyclist; hills always have a top with a ride down, and the rain can be dealt with using good gear. The low points of a day of struggling like today can be briefly forgotten by looking for interesting photos, or by sitting in a small town cafe listening to the farmers talk about the rain. I had the Sunday all-you-can-eat Swedish buffet in Milan, MN, and enjoyed the climb and descent through the rolling terrain of South Dakota's glacial hills west of Sisseton.

The first three days also had headwinds, along with heat, but I was averaging 113 miles a day until today. But tomorrow will bring a new day and each day is a fresh start. From Jamestown, the roads all steadily head northwest and I am looking forward to reaching Canada and the gradual end of the prairies and the midwestern heat. More soon. Regards to all, the thoughts and messages from family and friends keep me going!