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| Day 18 - July 15 - Outlook to Craik 135km |
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| I break camp at 6:00 this morning because I sleep in. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately. That's something I have to work on. As for today, the wind is back in full force. And I don't mean a tailwind. It's a mean, nasty headwind. The kind that keeps us from forming a paceline because it's slightly diagonal. The kind that kills any ambition to go cycling. |
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| Today is a struggle as we fight the wind, the heat and the psychological challenge of getting through the day. A lot of days are like that. Even the more enjoyable ones require some amount of coaching to deal with the various problems that may arise en route. |
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| We agree to stop for breakfast in Kenaston, aka the Blizzard Capital of Saskatchewan. It's another very small town with very friendly people. I get my usual scrambled eggs, toast and hash browns as I answer questions from the locals about where I'm from, where I'm going and how long it takes to get there. People are curious; I don't mind answering their questions. |
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| We leave the restaurant at 10:50 so Dave suggests we go to the church service that starts in ten minutes. [Dave Rainey is an almost-retired Phys Ed teacher from Northern Ireland who, like me, prefers to leave camp as early as possible. He also has interesting stories about previous bike tours through Europe.] We follow the sound of the church bells and step into a small (but comfortable) church down the street from the restaurant. The pews are very soft, so soft that we find it difficult to keep from nodding off. After the service we stay to answer more questions as they write down our names and details of the Tour to be printed in the local paper. |
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| We leave Kenaston at 12:30 with a strong wind against us. At the 90km mark we stop at the Esso in Davidson for food. The waitress is telling us about the tornado warning issued for tonight. I ask what we should do if we see a tornado while cycling. She replies, "Find a ditch and don't hold onto your bike". |
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| I see that my back tire is flat upon leaving the Esso. I replace the tube and I'm on my way. That's my first flat of the trip. I would be very pleased if I could go another 2000km before my next puncture. As long as I am careful to pump them up before each ride, flat tires will be rare. |
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| The next 45km are tough. The wind doesn't let up and we've both had a long day on the bike. Dave says, "Somewhere in this godforsaken wilderness is a campsite waiting for us". And there is - it's in the middle of nowhere in Craik. There is a thick cloud cover as we approach the campsite. An hour later the storm begins. |
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| As the rain pounds against my tent. I'm reminded how lucky I am to have a nice one because the old one would have collapsed or been swept away in the wind by now. This is definitely the loudest thunder I have ever heard. An authentic Prairie storm. |
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