Bow Island to Medicine Hat
Finally at 8:10 we were able to make our 'escape from Bow Island'. Kind of ironic since we had watched The Great Escape on television the first night in Bow Island. The cloud cover was heavy and it was 4 degrees but the wind was blowing out of the west and pushing us along. The first 30 km you would have thought that we were in the prairies it was so flat. Irrigation systems and cropland. We again crossed the St. Mary Irrigation Canal. It is actually only 312km long not 375 km as I said a few days ago. Then the landscape began to change as we entered the Cypress Region...'Canada's Badlands'. This is cattle country as we witnessed by the numerous 'outside feedlots'. The land became quite rolling as we entered Medicine Hat...'The Gas City'.
Riding was fun today as the wind assisted us. Too bad that once you leave Medicine Hat there are no towns, therefore, no places to stay for close to 100km. We really were unprepared to try a 160km day when it was so cold and the sky was threatening.
We are camping at the Gas City Campground in Medicine Hat. Yes we are actually camping tonight! Just about forgot how to set up the tent! This is a nice little campground on the top of a hill and it has trees...something we have not seen in a while. It also has a picnic shelter and laundry facilities in case anyone else is ever adventurous enough (or maybe dumb enough) to try what we are doing. When we arrived we were told that we are about the 8th group of individuals who have been through so far attempting the cross country trip. One was on a moped (smart guy) and another was roller blading across Canada. Maybe that could be my next adventure...I used to know how to skate...Sue says maybe with my next wife!!!
Daily Distance = 62.00km. Time on the bikes = 3 hours 6 minutes. Average Speed = 19.93km. Maximum Speed = 52.42 km on the flats. Wildlife Sightings = Deer, Avocets, Horned Larks, Shovellers by the dozen.
Kevin = 3 Sue = 0.
