Aryn Adventures

the evening is a nicer time to ride when it is so hot and sunny. Up later than I’d hoped to be, though. Stopped at Innisfree campground. 

I’ve had quite a relaxed day. I saw Leo and Pete briefly in the morning. Pete biked to work, something I understand he has been meaning to do for a bit, then I hung around for a while. Mostly I talked to my brother and Kim, but then took a while more to actually get on the road. Leo had packed me some leftovers from the wonderful dinner Pete made last night, which made for an easy lunch. 

First gosling sighting of the season. First (of many I imagine) oil well sighting this region. Mosquito season opening day. First day hot enough (when available) to shower when I’m sleeping outside. These things were bound to catch up with me eventually. 

Stopped in Lashburn at the campground. Found a fork today.

I zig zagged out of Saskatoon, spent the day on the 16, often with lovely river valley overlooks. I have spent the evening in North Battleford with some friends of a friend. Pete and Leo shared a meal and showed me around and hung out a while. We watched a beaver in the river! They are bigger than I realized.

So I left Wisconsin. 

I spent about two days in Minneapolis. I got myself an excellent lunch at Hard Times Cafe, a vegetarian diner. I rode along some bike paths and went to the sculpture garden. The Grease Pit, their community bike collective, was open that afternoon, and I went there and helped some kids fixing bikes. The staffing people let me come home with them. The next day I rode around a bit more, restocked on food, hung out with my new friends some. I felt a bit anxious while there, and moving on felt like starting over and so I was glad to get on the road again.  

 

I followed the Mississippi River (the Great River Road is a marked route along both sides of the river, check it out) until St. Cloud, and then had a pretty straight shot on bike trails for a day and a half. I stopped at an RV campground, which was full even before they officially opened for the season, but the owners set me up on someone’s lawn who has lived there for decades but drives trucks and wouldn’t be home. They asked for $10, and fed me breakfast in the morning. I got a late start out of there and they told me I wouldn’t make Fargo that day, surely, there was still over 100 miles to go. I felt realy good that day, though, emotionally, physically, the wind was going my way… I kept a good pace and easily made Fargo. I wanted to call and tell them, but refrained (refrained is a lie, I called but they didn’t answer)

    

I’m terrible about taking pictures, sorry. I did enjoy my time in Fargo. I stayed with Sarah, who I had shared a bed with for a few days years ago but not until now gotten to realy spend so much time just hanging out with. I felt very welcome here and explored the city for a few days. I met lovely people and helped out at the FMCBW open shop and was drooled on by dogs.

I went back to Minnesota to head north. There were several small towns, I think the biggest I passed through in three days was under 8000 people, and the smallest ones with populations marked on signs were under 50, little farming communities where the wind blew more than a few families to the same place. It was quiet, open, flat, warm and sunny. I need to take better care not to get burnt. Weather Changed when I got into Manitoba, cloudier, a little rain. I had a cool, wet, but very nice couple days in Winnipeg, and set off west through Manitoba.

 

  
    

I had a  rough day going through Riding Mountain. I shouldn’t have, it was beautiful, but physically it was a hard day. My hip hurt when I woke up, and I felt like I was working much harder than normal when I got going. It was one of those struggle down the hills windy days. My legs were sore by the end of the day. The last couple hours weren’t actually bad, I turned and turning is always welcome on days like that. 

My general strategy, for use in climbing long hills, windy days, lonely stretches, etc: Pick a comfortable gear, if there is one, spin and let my mind wander, sing a song, perhaps. Trying to focus to sing through a whole song is a favorite activity. Slow going is ok, everything is more pleasant when patient, enjoy now for now, if possible, and try to ignore it if not.

               

             

Here are some birds I dont know names for but was able to take pictures of (if from a distance):

   
     

I think I saw a moose. I can’t be sure as it was a ways off the road, eating and partially obscured by a tree.

So now I’m in Saskatoon, and I’m enjoying the visit. I’m staying with another Bike!Bike! friend, Jamal, and meeting many cool people. 
For anyone keeping track at home, Ive got a few things to add to the list of stuff I’ve lost or broken: I took the cap off my water bottle and neglected to screw it back on, so it bounced off somewhere back in Minnesota. I tore one of my big panniers, but along a seam-it wasn’t unusable, and I’ve repaired it now. When I went to repair my flat the other day I had to switch my pump around to work with presta valve, I’d meant to set the bike up with schrader but haven’t gotten around to it… and dropped one of the important small pieces. I searched a while and eventually gave up. The hardware store in town helped me out fixing the flat then, and I have replaced the piece now. and then yesterday II was out riding around with new friends and went inside and the little computer that tells me how far I go was snagged. This is unfortunate, though not too impairing, and I’m sure unprofitable for whoever took it. They could have at least had the decency to take the rest of the parts that would make it useful for someone. I know, don’t leave things out if you want them to be there when you get back…I’m not complaining, just saying.

Trip’s first flat yesterday! Or really Wednesday night, but it was slow and I didn’t fix it till morning. 

I stopped for the day… Somewhere maybe 20 miles past Humboldt. Really, there isn’t much but farms and ponds between there and here. Birds, trucks. Some rolling hills, eventually you crest one and Saskatoon appears out of the pasture.

I am seeing quite a diversity of water fowl!

Stopped at the Wadena campground. Many towns here have a campground. Convenient. 

Today has been pleasant and uneventful. I’ve gone west, stopped for a bit in Roblin. I’ve crossed into Saskatchewan and my progress is rewarded with an extra hour (imagined). Stoppedfor the day earlyish at the Yorkton city campground, which is surprisingly bustling. I traveled 90 miles today. I could have kept on, but this is a fine place to stop, and it is plenty for the day to get me where when I want to be. 

A beautiful but tough ride, mostly north through Riding Mountain National Park, into the wind. I’m sure I learned many things. I stopped and walked around some and stared at many lakes and trees. I did see moose poop, but no moose today. I got to Gilbert Plains, and having not found any consolation road flatware, I have allowed myself to rent a room at the hotel and take a bath-out of character, I know. It seems unlikely anyone has stayed here in some time.

I stopped at a wayside in the Whitemud River Watershed Conservation area earlier for snack and some off bike stretching, and learned a little about the Yellowhead route, geologic history of the area, and conservation there- the sign said 70% of the area is farmland and the rest is conservation areas. This seems right. Quiet Sunday in rural Manitoba, I rolled through a few towns but not much to report. I’ve found some hills and trees!

   

   

I am back on the road after a lovely break in Winnipeg. I spent a couple days exploring the city and met lots of wonderful people. Stephen and Rebecca, who took me in no questions asked at request of someone who hadn’t even met me, were lovely to hang out with and made me feel quite welcome, I met many of their friends and family. 

I wandered by myself a bit, through the Exchange District, around the Forks- Winnipeg has two rivers that join up (like Pittsburgh)! I looked at but didn’t go into the Human Rights Museum, which I heard mixed reviews of and so perhaps should have checked out. Visited many art galleries.

 Winnipeg has many active community bike shops, I spent a afternoon helping out at the WRENCH, which I quite enjoyed. I miss being part of a space like that…  

I’m glad I stayed around Friday. I stopped for lunch and made a friend, who joined me at the Winnipeg Art Gallery for a few hours, showed me some more parts of the city, and happened to have been a professor of Rebecca’s. 

We went to see Cornell West talk at the University of Winnipeg, which was great, he is an excellent speaker and the talk was encouraging. Still processing the talk content, but in short, we all have work to do, improving ourselves and the world we live in.

Late night, went out to a Bike Jam, a big group ride with music, big speakers on bike trailers. Honestly I found it a little stressful, I am actually not great at riding a bike in groups and get anxious with a bunch of people in the same place. I used to like group rides but i haven’t found them (or late nights) so appealing in practice lately. I appreciate going out, and being shown cool things, but actually I am not cool.

Slow day. I’m up in Oakland, sleeping in a kind person’s yard.