Sunday 26th May - Canada and the start of The Trans-Canada Highway!

Before I went to bed last night I put the tarp on the bike and lashed it down as the wind was up and the rain was coming. I therefore got up this morning expecting to have a fairly cool and damp ride up and over the border.

How wrong I was – well the weather forecast was actually – the sun was shining and it was already warm by the time I pulled out of Great Falls and headed north to the border crossing at Sweet Grass.

I went straight up the Interstate as it was only a dual carriage way in effect and the ordinary road ran next to it anyway. And there was nobody on it.

 

For almost  120 miles there was just me and an old guy – yes, even compared to me – on a Harley.  It was so quiet and companiable that we even stopped for a chat on the hard shoulder.

All the way the Rockies ran parallel to me way over to the east.

A bit more traffic turned up from somewhere at the Border Crossing but nothing to worry about so I crossed over to Canada without incident.

 

And Canada was shut!

I was ready for a coffee and wanted to sort things out now I was across border so I rode into Coutts, the town on the Canadian side, absolutely dead, no one around at all. No-one to ask if anywhere was likely to be open. Never mind, Medicine Hat – the first place I would hit ion the Trans-Canada Highway was only 143 miles away.

Didn’t have a very detailed map of Alberta – The Canadian Province I was in – so into the trusty Sat-Nav went Medicine Hat and I was steered out of town on  quiet -  waste of a word that, everywhere was quiet – country road.

It ran East straight as far as I could see and that was a long way. By now it was a balmy 23°C, the wind was warm and light, I rode with my visor flipped up and all was well in the world. 16 miles of arrow straight road till I turned left. It was a wonderful ride, still a few hill on my right from the range I crossed before dropping down to the crossing but totally flat on my left.  I saw and heard  birds of all hues and yes, more deer – I know I said I wouldn’t photograph any more, but these were Canadian deer now.

They are much more robust, beefy – should be venisony I assume – than the ones I’d seen in America, less like Bambi and more like Rudolph if you get my drift. The American ones were Mule Deer which live west of the Rockies, these were White Tail Deer for those purists amongst you.

Life was good…… but then a bit of anxiety set in......

And it got worse

                              and worse.......

             The road ahead fizzled out and the “trusty”  Sat-Nav said turn left which I did and ground to a sideways, sliding halt – not fall number 4 but very close to it. It appears that setting to avoid “unpaved roads” – I’d learned that the hard way – didn’t mean she wouldn’t try gravel roads in Canada.  I just couldn’t ride through it, my road tyres just dug straight in and steering was akin to trying to pull a sow from her piglets – and yes I have tried that.

I looked around – and as I said I could see a long way – and there was nothing else for it – a lovely 16 mile ride on a road as straight as an arrow in the sun looking at the wild life – only going west this time!

Picked up a better road further north and eventually headed for Medicine Hat.

The land got flatter and the horizon dropped. I’ll stop trying to photograph it. Just imagine standing in a field, now expand the boundaries to infinity until you are looking down on the horizon – in every direction, 360°. Now place a blue dome over the whole lot and you are getting somewhere like.

Colourful farmsteads come up now and then, all surrounded by trees planted as a shield against the wind that can be merciless I understand - tell me about it!

In the few small towns, mostly just a few houses around a junction, there are grain elevators, mostly grey concrete jobs, but occasionally old colourful wooden ones like these. Get used to these  – I love them.

 I say grain elevators, they are probably Canola elevators, Rapeseed to you and me, the Canadians changed the name in the 70’s for a number of reasons primarily its “disturbing connotations” as they put it and the fact that in 1956 the rapeseed then grown in Canada was so toxic it was banned for human consumption – a bit of a handicap for cooking oil!

When I got there Medicine Hat was closed too. Well, a bit busier traffic wise but nothing obviously open.

After stopping to photograph this – I’m afraid you may also have to get used to me waxing whatever about the settlement of the Prairies – it’s my obsession on this return leg. This one is a tribute to the German/Russian Pioneers that settled here.

 

I asked a guy if there was anywhere to get a coffee –“Sure” he said “just go through the lights and through that underpass and there’s a Tim’s on the corner”.  Well there would be wouldn’t there -  probably not of any significance to anyone but the Canadian branch of the family but Tim Horton was a Canadian Ice Hockey player who reputedly started the chain because he didn’t like flying and therefore drove everywhere. He couldn’t find decent burger and coffee bars so started his own. I don’t know ...  but it is Canada’s number 1 Fast Food chain – out stripping McD’s and Stabucks. He died in 1974 bizarrely during a police chase on his way home from a match.

Had originally planned to stay overnight in Medicine Hat but it was only 2.30pm and it was such a gorgeous day I pushed on another 140 miles to Swift Current – hey the names get better, Moose Jaw next.

So I set of along The Tran-Canada Highway – another dream realised.

 

The Trans-Canada Highway runs between Victoria on Vancouver Island British Columbia and St. John's in Newfoundland. With a length of 4,860 miles it is the world's longest national highway. After driving east 800 miles from Seattle before joining it at Medicine Hat and then dropping off at my daughter’s in Beaverton, Ontario I am only riding 1912 odd miles of it – leaving scope for another ‘venture!!

It is a dual carriageway at this point - not at all like an Interstate and is still so quiet. Riding along at less than the speed limit - it's 110kph usually  - in the sun and warm breeze, lid still up and still lots of birds and deer around, it was really pleasant - actually more than that, wonderful - one of the best days I've had - and that is saying a lot!  I am one lucky chap I know.

By the time I arrived at Swift Current I’d clocked up 424 miles today so stopped at the first motel I found and crashed – no not literally I’m please to say.

 

 

Haven’t therefore looked around the town – guessing it shut today anyway – but to give you a flavour, well you remember me saying that Santa Fe in New Mexico was characterised by the Lexus Car Lot – this place has a mile and a half stretch of lots selling John Deere tractors and equipment, Silos, etc.!

Weather forecast says thunder storms for tomorrow - here's hoping its wrong again.