I woke up this morning and the sun was gone, turned on some music to start my day. I lost myself in a familiar song, closed my eyes and slipped away…
…to the shower
I spent a great deal of time last night pouring over MapQuest and Weather.com
My computer does very little actual computing. It mostly plays music and that video of the fat kid doing the Numa Numa dance, but last night it was on the clock, trying to decide the warmest/driest route to Saskatoon, and now I need a hot shower to mentally prepare for the fact that I am going to be riding 512 miles in pouring rain.
Cloudy but no rain as I pack my bike under the shelter of the Winnipeg Super 8 overhang.
Smoke wafts its way over to me from the early morning cigarette from a fellow guest. He is of rough looking character, and wearing a black Victory Motorcycle T-shirt. Before it actually happens I know our conversation is going to be fun and colorful.
He is returning back home from a fishing trip about 5 hours North of us in Cranberry Portage Manitoba. He indulges in a grand story of the drive, taking a 35 mile boat ride in ice covered water to a remote cabin for some epic fishing (I believe he said trout). I stand wide eyed listening to his tales, repaying him with a few recent ones of my own while he methodically drags on his grit.
This conversation lasts only about 20 mins or so, but again, it’s my favorite part of my journeys, and this one helped calm my slight anxiety of the impending forecast.
I take a deep breath before the plunge, ease out onto the Trans Canadian Highway, and grab some gears to go find some petro.
Very cold for riding, as it stands to be about 43-45 degrees, depending on what bank you do business with. No worries though, for I think I have every clothing option I brought with now on my person.
I say “on my person” now, due to my lil experience at the white garage yesterday afternoon.
I fill up at Portage la Prairie and am back onto Rte 1.
Victory guy told me Rte 1 is a great ride, and plenty of fuel/eats along the way. My destination is Saskatoon and Rte 1 takes me there 349 miles on Rte 1 into Regina and 150 some up Rte 11.
I did also notice last night that Rte 16 West, also known as the Yellowhead takes me directly there.
I already had it in mind to take Rte 1 and then that was cemented in my thoughts after talk with Victory guy, but I gotta tell ya, when I came to the point of decision 5 miles or so after fueling, I jumped on the Yellowhead.
To this moment I have no reason as to why. I thought perhaps since it goes Northwest immediately rather than directly West, that I would have a pretty decent shot at skirting the front moving in from the Southwest, but truthfully, I think I just liked the sound of it.
Whatever the answer, one thing I can be sure of is my ass looked fantastic in my jeans yesterday.
Oh, and this was one of the best rides I have ever been on in my life.
Weather was still cold and threatening mind you, and if I didn’t have a densely packed bag on the back, with the weight of a small Volvo, I would’ve just climbed right in and cuddled myself, but since it’s hard to ride a motobike AND cuddle oneself, I knuckled down and ate up some miles.
Opeth’s “Porcelain Heart” arrives in rotation and I bathe myself in Prog, attacking the giant sweeping curves and endless horizons that the Yellowhead brings.
See, The Yellowhead, its already starting to romantically entice you just with its name.
Gorgeous road unfolding like a puzzlebox, revealing its epic structure and gorgeous symmetry the further along you stumble. OUTSTANDING ride!
Hello, is anybody out there, just nod if you can hear me….
Road is so very alone, and not knowing when the next one is, I make my gas stops plentiful, every 100 or so miles I find myself filling up at Neepawa (Subway AND internet service for travelers), Russell (great restroom) and Wynyard (Gas jockeys with major HUSTLE, someone give them a raise, or some Ritalin, whichever is cheaper).
I say without any concern for my safety, that I rode just about the entire 500 or so miles on the Yellowhead without any hands, as the roads were just that open and nice, and my hands were way too busy, what with their air drumming, air guitaring, and generally playing with the airfoils, making that airplane thingy motion.
Kai is running with controlled abandonment. She is the shit!
Little know fact, she made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. She’s outrun Imperial Starships, not the local bulkcruisers mind you; I’m talking the big Corellian ships now. She’ll make point five beyond the Speed of Light. She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts.
I’m such a geek
100, 150, 200, 250 300 miles go by with me staring at the clouds, wondering, waiting and just being constantly amazed with every tick on the odometer that they just refuse to open up. The wettest I got all day today, if you subtract the Winnipeg Motel shower, was driving into Saskatoon, on extremely wet roadways, clearly arriving just minutes AFTER a huge gulley washer hit.
Maybe CO1, 2 AND 3 all prayed for a reprieve in the weather just for me after toying with my soulstrings for 2 hours.
Well, prob not CO3, he looked like a total asshole.
I find my Super 8 and am very tickled to see Smiley’s is right next door.
Smiley’s is a Chinese Food Buffet.
And it’s a little after 5 pm, so Chinese food I will have.
A pretty Saskatoony leads me to my table, drops a tall Pepsi on my table as I make just about 5 trips to the buffet, forking all sorts of wonderful treats into my belly as I peruse my worn atlas, smiling as I take notice what I’ve done and what is in store for me.
This trip is turning into quite an adventure already, and its only day 4. I’m soaking it all in. in 30 years the only excitement I’m gonna want out of my day is shaking my fist at the paperboy and redeeming coupons.
2 days away from the infamous Alaskan Highway.
Maybe I’ll break out that camera.
Peace Grease and Beats.
