Maple Creek – Gull Lake

By Deanna on July 11, 2013 • ( 1 )

Today: 84km

To date: 1,645km

To go: 6,155km

“What’s the difference between a Canada Savings Bond and a man” …. “The bond will mature”

Morning humour from an old man named Jim at the convenience store/breakfast place in Maple Creek. A lovely fellow with twinkling eyes and a genuine smile. He told us if we ever come back to Maple Creek, his farm borders on the cemetery so come and say hello – it is a shame we had not met last night because he certainly would have let us pitch a tent in his fields.

There have been no hills to speak of – so instead all the focus is on the wind….. it can make or break a day. With a great tailwind we cruised east and then as fate would have it, the winds turned and it was literally like I had a flat tire…. just that much harder to pedal.

Along the roadside I started noticing hand-made signs advertising pop, hot dogs, and ice cream (!!) – I was getting very excited – that’s the thing moving so much slower than a car, you really get to notice and be influenced by advertising. I was drooling by the time I pulled up to the food truck on the side of the road – and then I was absolutely devastated by the news the ice cream man wasn’t there yet! :(

But then!! The next little town really did have an ice cream stand! And I had the most delicious dutch chocolate and coconut – double scoop of course. And some perogies for dessert ;)

This area has a lot of cows – they have this unnerving way of stopping what they are doing (eating) and just staring at you as you ride by…. I always feel the need to say to them: “peace cow”…. and often lift a couple fingers in greeting, but it never seems to make them any friendlier. It does perhaps make me seem a lot crazier to other cyclists who happen to pass me at this inopportune moment.

Tonight we are camping at Gull Lake – a lovely campground in that it only costs $10/site and the showers are free! This is practically unheard of elsewhere. Also camping here is Siggy – another cross Canada cyclist who we have seen in passing the last day or so. Tonight we started chatting and shared our dinner with him – he is from Kingston, Ontario and cycled East – West Kingston to Vancouver a couple years ago. He is writing a blog too canadabiketour.com – I am behind about 1 week in my blog – he’s still in Vancouver!