GASP 2007 – The Diary of One Person’s Journey

Summer/Fall 2007 \Freewheelin

By Dale Cochrane

Friday, June 29 Only 20 days left until my first big bike tour, 600 kms in 8 days. I had great intentions of having a lot of kilometers under my belt by now, had planned to follow a 10 week training schedule for 1600 >kms mid-July, but a busy work load and a lot of procrastination (it’s too hot, too cold, too rainy and always too windy) has left me in this unprepared state. I have only done about 450 since the beginning of May. Hope it’s too late!! No more excuses!

Friday, July 20 - D-Day has arrived! Up at 5:30 a.m. with lots of last minute checking. Delivered “Tina” (an orphaned calf) to the farm. Turned her out with the cows but she just wanted to come back to me. Finally I snuck away and her at the R.M. spring with a few cows nearby. Arrived at the Assiniboia campground around 5:00 p.m. and set up my tent. There is no wind and the temperature is a  scorching 30 C. In the evening I met the other riders: Amand, Lloyd, Hirsch, <>Gord, Brenda, Don, Bob Cochran (no relation), Arleene, Katy, Kathy, Barbara, Mike on his 2- wheel recumbent and Ron who will be driving the support van. We all had supper at the Chat and Chew restaurant. Slept reasonably well considering the heat.

Saturday, July 21- Had breakfast at the Franklin Hotel at 7:00 a.m. and hit the road by 8:00. Rode west to LaFleche and then north to Gravelbourg Temperature was 33 C with wind from the north at 25kph. Bob and I stayed at the Heritage Bed & Breakfast, an old convent in Gravelbourg. Nice rooms, no air conditioning but lots of fans so I should sleep well tonight. The rest of the group stayed at Thompson Lake, 13 km south of Gravelbourg. Tomorrow they travel 98 kms and we will do 85. I was a little tired by the end of the ride but overall felt pretty good. Drank lots and didn’t push the pace. Everyone travels at their own speed. Most seem to go slower than I. So I go, then stop and take pictures and so stay in touch with the group. Bob and I had lunch at the Paris Café in Gravelbourg (very good croissants!) Supper was at the Mayfair Restaurant where we had an excellent 8 oz. New York steak. Spent the rest of the day reading and napping. A very enjoyable day overall. Bedtime was 10:30. The distance for today was 77 kms

Sunday, July 22 - HOTHOT! I got a very good sleep and was up at 6 a.m. and away by 7:00 The owner of the B&B is a very pleasant lady who provided us with a bagged lunch – all for $35.00 She said she would light a candl for us when she went to church this morning. By the time we got to Kincaid the temperature was 30+ degrees When we reached Mankota at 1:00, it had risen to 40! We got an air-conditioned room for $40. Judy, the owner, said she would bring us a toaster and coffee maker later on so we could get an early start the next morning. Tomorrow is forecast to be even hotter than today! The last riders arrived around 5:00 >We learned that several riders were forced> to use the sag wagon to escape the heat. I don’t blame them – I would have too if I hadn’t had the early start today. Quote of the day: “Oh F--- O--!” announced by our youngest rider, Katie, at the crest of one hill when yet another appeared. Her mother said she normally doesn’t approve of such language but that today it seemed ;>most >appropriate. Mileage for the day was 93 km with an average speed of 19.1 and a max of 38.5 down the hill into Kincaid.

Monday, July 23 – Bob and I had breakfast at 5:30 and were on the road by 6. Temperature was nice – in the low 20’s. We were averaging about 20 kph until just before Wood Mountain where we encountered big hills. Lots of deer and partridges on the road. The first two big hills ended my theory of attacking the hills. I was down to the granny gear at the top of both and gasping for air. We met a local farmer at the top and he offered Bob and me a ride to Wood Mountain. He said he wouldn’t tell anyone – “What happens in Wood Mountain stays in Wood Mountain!” We made it to the JH Quarter Circle Restaurant by 10:00, just in time for a second breakfast! It was getting hot by and reached 40+ degrees by the end of the day. We sat in the air-conditioned restaurant until 12:30 and had Saskatoon pie and ice cream. We rode the last 6 kilometres to the camp at Wood Mountain Regional Park in full heat of the day. I sweated more in that last 20 minutes than in the whole previous ride. There was a pool at the park which was a life saver! The R.C.M.P. museum was also very good. It was pleasant to visit with the whole instead of segregating myself away in a hotel, but it sure is hard to give up air conditioning and a bed on these hot nights. Decided to not put the fly on the tent. About 1:00 a.m. I heard a few raindrops hit the tent and heard thunder. I got up to attach the fly in the dark with my flashlight held in my teeth. In total it rained about 14 drops and I got hit by 2 of them! It got so hot in the tent  with the fly on that I did not sleep very well. Totals for day: 70.5 km, average speed 18.6 kph and a maximum speed of 49 kph.

Tuesday, July 24 – Forecast: hot again with a south wind. Guess which way we are traveling?? Pam Lee, the owner of the park confectionary graciously offered to come in early and make us breakfast of pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs and fruit. She also made us a lunch for the day. We started the day with a long, tough climb to the top of a range of hills. The farmer who had stopped to visit with us yesterday said the land north of these hills slopes to Old Wives Lake and the land south slopes toward the Missouri River. Missouri River here we come! It must have been a 10 or 12 km trip to the top, but there were wonderful views and at times we could see for 50 km. There were a few fantastic downhill runs – one about 5 kms long – as well as several climbs (they seem to go together but overall I think we had more downhills today). There were a couple of tough climbs before Rockglen and freshly tarred and graveled sections that were not good for biking! I got tar on my legs and my bike will need a wash as well. Hit the ditch once today. I was going up a steep pitch with a solid center line and saw a car coming which didn’t look as though it was going to give me much room so I hit the ditch. Then I walked up the rest of the hill. Once we got to Rockglen, Bob used his detective and negotiating skills to find us a cottage to rent for $65. It >had laundry, 2 bedrooms and TV (one channel but I’m not complaining because anything would beat camping in this heat!) Weyburn, which is not far away, broke a heat record of 41C (49 with the Humidex Did laundry, read my >book, then had supper of Salisbury steak. When we first arrived in town we went to Cousins Hotel and had 3 cold beer< in air-conditioned comfort. Best beer I’ve tasted in years! I saw a picture of a cattle drive on the wall. I took a close look and concluded there must have been a few hundred head being moved down the highway. They were being led by a feed truck and followed by several quads. Another patron told me it was a picture of her cattle drive. What was amazing was that there were 1400 yearlings on the road. Anyone who knows cattle will understand that herding yearlings is like trying to control teenagers. They moved them 20 miles in one day but only did it once!! Totals for the day: 67 kms, average speed 17.4 kph, max speed 49.5 kph

Wednesday, July 25 <– I felt really good today and rode hard. There were a few long hills but not as steep as the last couple of days. The only bad thing was the 10- 15 kph headwind. Five days of riding and not one with a tailwind! Not fair! Spent the afternoon at the Assiniboia museum, one of the better museums I’ve been in, and at the Shuniak Art Gallery, also a very impressive place. Went to the Western Harvest Restaurant with the rest of the group. Found out that Mike is a coffee aficionado. He has all the toys, roasts his own beans and has a portable espresso machine. Bedtime 10:00 p.m. Weather channel promises a 10 kph tailwind tomorrow. Can’t wait! Totals for the day: 56 kms, average speed 18.4 and max speed 40.

Thursday, July 26 – Took it easy day today and rode at a relaxed pace in pleasant temperatures with even a slight tailwind at times. Stopped at St. Victor for lunch. A very informative and personable 15-year-old girl was our lunch hostAmandGord, Lloyd, Mike and Kathy rode up a very steep 2 km hill to the St. Victor petroglyphs. The rest of us wimped out and rode up in the van. The view at the top was fantastic but I had left my camera back on my bike. After lunch we cycled 18 km of gravel to Willowbunch. It  wasn’t all that bad and at times we could travel at 20 kph. We had a couple of beer at the Jolly Giant Pub, then went to the Willowbunch museum where we saw an interesting exhibit on the Willowbunch giant. I am staying at the Stagecoach Motel while the rest are at the campground about 2 km from town. Bob and Hirsh have left the tour – Hirsh to a wedding and Bob to a funeral. Everyone is s in for supper at the pub. One thing I am noticing about touring is that food and rest become very important parts of your day! Totals for the day: 53 kms, average speed 18 kph and max speed 50.

Friday, July 27 I decided to ride the 2.5 kilometers to the campground at the golf course. The 2 kms was a very steep uphill which ended in a very nice treed campground. Headed for Assiniboia, I rode hard again today despite quite a few rolling hills. Lloyd left 15 minutes ahead of me. It was a 45 km ride but it took me 38 kms to catch him! When Lloyd was 60 in 1999 he rode across Canada in 60 days! I got to Assiniboia about 10:30 and made a visit to the local Vet clinic. They lent me a pail, soap and rags to clean the tar off my bike. Today was a Scavenger Hunt day but I didn’t get a lot of items checked off due to having my head down and pedaling hard, but I did see a cat at the clinic. Ron told me some might consider that cheating! We had a big wind-up dinner at the Chat and Chew where Ron gave out a lot of novelty prizes. It was quite entertaining!

I would like to thank Don and Ron and Bob for the organization of this tour. Pre-booking of restaurants, campsites, etc. had to be a lot of work. Special thanks to Ron who was the SAG van driver. Trying to keep track of a bunch of riders at all different speeds has to be a lot like herding cats, but somehow he managed to get it done. Thanks Ron!  Totals for the day: 59 kms, average speed 23.5 kph and max speed 50.

Saturday, July 28– Kathy, Robert (Kathy’s husband) and I are the only ones who had planned to ride today but by the morning Kathy decided to drive SAG while Robert and I rode. Unfortunately, Robert got three flats in rapid succession so he packed it in. I rode to Mossbank with a 30 kph tailwind and smooth pavement! Kathy, Robert and I had breakfast in Mossbank and were back in Assiniboia by 9:30. I said good-bye to the rest of the crew having breakfast at the Franklin Hotel.

EPILOGUE: I thoroughly enjoyed my first bike tour and hope to do more. I loved the physical and mental challenges of the ride and the camaraderie of new friends. The beautiful landscapes were inspiring and the local people and history were most enjoyable. Though next time I don’t want it to be so hot! I opted for hotels this trip because I was uncertain as to how tough the challenge would be. I don’t mind camping but in the extreme heat I am sure hotelling was the best choice for me. Hats off to those who camped the whole way! A

Restaurant Story: I traveled mostly with Bob because he was the only other hotel patron. I was amazed that wherever we were, people would offer him deals like a cheaper hotel rate or free lunches and breakfast. He met match in Mankota however! He wanted a milkshake but they don’t serve milkshakes during supper hour and although we had arrived 10 minutes before 6 they would not make him his shake. Even though he poured on the charm they refused. It was quite amusing! Next time I see you Bob, I will buy you a milkshake!

A Humbling Story: The last day of the tour I went to a jewellery store in Assiniboia and asked for a little memento to say I had been in Assiniboia. I told the jeweller (an elderly gentleman) that I had just traveled 500 kms in the area. He said, “Yes, I can see that you would want something that would remind you of your trip.” He then told me that when he was 17, in 1946, he purchased the best bike that money could buy at that time (a three-speed Raleigh) and rode to California to visit his cousin. He rode about 100 miles a day, starting early in the morning and riding until dark. On the way home he said it was fruit season. Orchard owners said he could have the fruit that had fallen on the ground for free. So he pedaled all the way home on free fruit and a loaf of bread a day. The bike cost him $105.00 and he dug the water and sewer lines in Gravelbourgh with a pick and shovel for 2 winters to pay for it. the end he was $20.00 short and his father had to co-sign a loan so he could make the purchase. So much for my piddling little ride!

GASP 2007, The Heart of the Golden South Tour

Welcome to GASP, the Heart of the Golden South Tour, a bicycle ride across some of the greatest frontier of North America.  GASP will cover 705 kilometers of hills, dales, highways and scenic roads in Saskatchewan.

GASP, is a bicycle tour, and definitely not a race.  Along the way you'll have an opportunity to visit many historic sites, many of which recognize significant events, people and geography of our province.

Into the Heart of Palliser's Triangle

Join the SCA "Great Annual Saskatchewan Pedal" this year from July 21st through July 28th, drift for eight days across the high plains of south-central Saskatchewan and judge for yourself if Captain John Palliser was right when he opined 150 years ago that this region was the northern reach of the Great American Desert and would prove an untenable wasteland for agriculturists.

Based out of Assiniboia, the "Heart of the Golden South," this year's ride will consist of one great loop, two lesser loops, and, just for fun, one out 'n' back day ride.

On the first day, with baggage safely stowed in the van, we will head out west across a field of stagnant ice moraine to lunch in Lafleche before riding north into the cathedral town of Gravelbourg, "a Touch of Europe on the Prairies." Ici on parlerait francais.

The next day, having either motelled in town or camped 6 miles south at Thomson Lake, we will ride up into Shamrock County west of famous Old Wives Lake, hook left to Hodgeville baking at noon in the bottoms of a glacial meltwater channel, and end the day at Kincaid deep in cowboy country. Continuing south the next day, we cross the path of the North-West Mounted Police as they struggled towards Whoop-Up country in 1874, most of their handsome Eastern horses dead by this point, fine Eastern boots destroyed by the rigors of the march, red wool tunics tattered, stupid pill-box hats cursed for their scant protection from the merciless sun. Turning eastward at Mankota with an eye out for Ord's Kangaroo rats, we follow the southern edge of erstwhile Rupert's Land to end our day at Wood Mountain, one of the first posts established by the Mounties, so named because these mounds of moraine sheltered the last firewood for a westbound traveler. Back in the old days there might have been wood, but no SWIMMING POOL: there is now.

Day 4 will see us ride south to Killdeer within 12 Kay of the international boundary to salute Sitting Bull and curl our lips at the memory of the Yankee desperadoes who fled across the "Medicine Line" into this area to evade American law. At Killdeer we swing eastward past ghosts of towns past charming Rockglen to end up a wide glacial spillway at Willow Bunch, former home of the giant Edouard Beaupré. There is a POOL here, too. An easy ride of 43 K puts us back in Assiniboia for the evening of Day 5. POOL!!!

On Day 6 we again head westward, but turn south at Limerick to circle twisted Twelve Mile Lake, whose bed was scoured out when tectonics impelled the waters of an arm of Glacial Lake Agassiz to drain toward the Gulf of Mexico. This is the land of abandoned farmsteads and hamlets, mute testaments to the despair of the "Dirty Thirties" when drought savaged the region. 102 K sees us back to Assiniboia.

Day 7 takes us out to St. Victor and its famous Aboriginal petroglyphs for lunch. Twenty miles of gravel road sees us once again in Willow Bunch, thence back to Assiniboia to complete a 96 K loop.

On the last day of our ride we pedal straight north out of Assiniboia to cozy little Mossbank south of the saline phenomenon of Old Wives Lake. There is a museum in town, and the vestiges of a British Commonwealth Air Training Program base surrounding. After lunch perhaps in the Prairie Heritage Restaurant we return to Assiniboia for final photos and fond farewells till next year.

Now, to be fair, I should caution the faint of heart that this year's GASP might not be for them. Typically it is HOT in the heart of Palliser's Triangle in mid-July, and I can foresee perhaps one or two bikies, tears of frustration sizzling to vapour on their sun-scortched cheeks, screaming wind-blown curses at Aeolus while the melting tarmac tries to rip the tread off their tires. And did I mention snakes? Rattlesnakes? Well, I probably shouldn't, 'cause they don't often make it this far east and north.