Today started at 5:30, was on the road shortly after 6. Goal was to get to Austin for breakfast at 7. It was a 16 km ride. When I got there the sign said it opened at 8. Website said it opened at 7. At 8 I found out it opened at 9. So sitting around waiting another hour was going to be a waste of good riding time. So I went to Subway just down the trans Canada. That turned out okay, except they didn’t allow me to sit inside. I had to sit on the cement outside the restaurant. They couldn’t even provide a chair to sit on.

After my delayed breakfast I was back on the road by 9. By this time things were really starting to heat up. I got to Carberry by 10:30 and had a full lunch at Subway. But again I had to eat outside. At this point I really needed to cool down inside, but that wasn’t allowed.

Leaving Carberry shortly after 11. It was about 45 km’s to get to Neepawa. Winds were coming from the south, so that helped push me. But the heat was getting very intense. It made for a very difficult ride. I would stop every 2 or 3 km’s for a break. I had to push myself really hard to keep going. By the time I got to Neepawa it was 34, I arrived just before 3. On this day I did 100 km’s, for a two day total of 239 km’s.

Cheryl was waiting for me in Neepawa and we drove back to the city together. Got home before 7.

This was a great training ride. I learnt to never ride in the heat, it is not worth it.

This two day trip was planned as a training ride for my bigger trip for later this summer. On August 1st I plan to cycle to Thompson from Winnipeg.

Tonight I am in McGregor for night. I did 139 km’s today. When you consider the heat is great mileage. It got to 31 and never cooled down much in the evening.

Plan for Friday is to leave early and try to get to Austin for breakfast at 7. It is about a 45 minute ride. I need to beat the heat of the day. Hope to have an early lunch in Carberry and get to Neepawa a couple of hours later. Cheryl will meet me in Neepawa.

I met two cyclists today. One going from Vancouver to Halifax, the other going from Toronto to the BC border. I wish my trip could be longer also.

Dreaming and planning for a bicycle trip over 800 km’s long comes with a lot of variables. How to plan and what to take comes with experience. My 865 km trip to The Pas now comes to an end.

Packing rain gear is a must for any cycling journey. I was very fortunate to not have needed any of it. Thunderstorms were forecast for the evening last night. This is why I got to the campsite at 4 in the afternoon. By 10 in the evening some very wicked thunderstorms passed through the campground. I was safe as one can be in a tent, staying dry.

I was told last night there was nothing between the campground and The Pas. Today I can confirm that to be true. Trees are something and there was a lot of that. I kept looking and listening to the trees. From what I could tell the trees were speaking words of pain. Telling me that the earth is hurting and that the people on it are also in pain. To me this reaches to the core of why I wanted to do this cycling trip. I wanted to connect my family with a bicycle. So that they may know that no matter where they find themselves in life, the joys and struggles. That I as there Father wishes to walk with them in there journey. When it comes to healing in the bigger world issues. I feel that raising money for MCC helps bring healing to the world. As I travelled through 100 km’s of just trees today. This voice of pain became very clear to me……..this is where I cried.

I got out of bed before 6 this morning. I packed and had a quick breakfast and got on the road by 7. I soon noticed I was being cheered on by the cars passing. Many waved and some cheered by giving friendly honks for this stranger on a bicycle. I was in constant communication with Kimberly all morning. Kimberly went to the edge of The Pas to meet me. First a wave, than a hug….and this is where I cried…….tears of joy.

Mileage today came to exactly 100 km’s, all done before 1 pm. Total mileage for the entire trip came in at 865 km’s.

If you wish to donate to the work of MCC you can do so by going here: https://donate.mcccanada.ca/registry/bike-winnipeg-pas-100-x-8

This concludes my Winnipeg to The Pas journey. Dreams of future trips are always there, as long as my health allows.

Starting the day with these wonderful breakfasts is really amazing. Thank you Darlene and Byron for hosting me and looking after all my needs and wants.

Traveling to Swan River and than North was wonderful. A south wind was pushing me along.

Traveling north from Mafeking to The Pas was the part of the trip that concerned me. Being alone with only bush for miles around gives a different feeling. As I slapped myself from the bugs biting me and stopped to listen to the trees. It was as if the trees were talking, but what were they saying???

Tonight I am staying at the Overflowing River Provincial campground. 60 km’s North from Mafeking. I would have kept going with the wind blowing me. But I was told there is nothing between this campground and The Pas. I will believe them and leave the remaining 100 km’s for Saturday. I hope to get to The Pas before 2 on Saturday.

Total distance travelled today is 149 km’s. For a total distance for the trip at 765 km’s

This morning I was looking forward to seeing something I have never seen before. My sister at 6:30 in the morning. I thought this might be picture worthy, of course a picture that would be shared. But to my surprise she looked her normal self. Thank you Dan and Evelyn for getting up early and providing an excellent breakfast.

Starting out at 7:15 was such a pleasure. It felt great to be biking when it was still cool out. Last time I cycled down this road was in 1985. That summer I did a tour around Manitoba.

I was about to discover another interesting part of Manitoba. Bugs, big ones that like stinky old men, and don’t know how to social distance. It did not ruin the ride, it just made it interesting.

This was the first day that all parts of my body were clicking as one. It was like I hit the sweet spot of motion with no pain.

I pulled into Cowan by noon having done 90 km’s. Had lunch and a two hour break before cycling to Minitonas. Got there at 4 and will be staying with Darlene and Byron. Darlene is a cousin to my wife Cheryl.

There may not be an update on Friday as I may not have cell service.

Mileage update for the last two days. Day 5 was 64 km’s. Day 6 was 124 km’s. For a total of 616 km’s for the trip so far.

This morning while in bed I got asked a lot of questions. Fat tissue was asking where he should go. Muscle tissue was telling me to start acting my age. Telling I am not 52 anymore so act my age. My butt was asking me what am I doing. Saying that he is in so much pain. It was a lively discussion to start the day. Finally I said enough,I told fat tissue to leave and never come back. Muscle tissue was told to hang in there and get use to it. While my butt will just have to suffer.

Cycling from Dauphin to Wpgosis today I could not wipe the smile off my face. It felt really good to be riding going home on a bicycle.

Winnipegosis is where I grew up and has shaped me to be the weird person that I am today. Growing up on a farm was a wonderful place to learn life lessons. One of the main lessons I learnt was that I would not enjoy farming. So I left Wpgosis right after high school to explore the bigger world. Doing this for 6 years I would occasionally come back to Wpgosis to visit. I soon made a friend during these visits, her name is Cheryl. She had been doing her own exploring of the world. We did grow up together, but never really connected. I always thought she was too mature for me. She was two grades higher than me in school even though we are only six months apart in age. Our kids always laugh when I tell them I had to take grade two twice. I don’t see the humour in that.

Winnipegosis holds a special place in my heart. It is where I grew up, where I found my wife and where my parents are buried. Winnipegosis feels like home.

Campgrounds are a great place to set up a tent. Close to bathrooms, you can shower, one even gets a bear storage box to store supplies. But when your campground neighbors talk till 2 am it gets a little hard to sleep. This was my experience last night at Clear Lake. So there are times I think setting up a tent in the ditch can be better.

I got on the road shortly after 8 in the morning. Today turned out to be the best riding day so far. Little traffic, roads were smooth. Opposite of what I experienced the day before. My top speed going down hill in the park was 68 kmh. When the roads got flat after the park. There was a nice south wind to blow me into Dauphin. Got to Dauphin just past 12 noon. Staying at Kimberly’s apartment for the rest of the day.

Total distance for the day is 74 km’s, for the trip it is now 428 km’s.

Slow start to the day. Had breakfast with Chantel at Smittys and left Brandon at 10:30.

Roads okay until Minnedosa with paved shoulders. I was noticing how I could furnish my tent with the garbage along the road. I saw a really nice cushion along the road. It would have been perfect to replace my rain jacket as a pillow. But I had no room to take it.

Chris and Judy surprised me as I was resting near Minnedosa.

After Minnedosa the roads got really bad. Cracks in the road inches wide and a gravel shoulder. Add the heavy traffic, that made for a very hard journey. Worst roads I have cycled on in 40 years no question.

It was nice to greeted by Bambi and her Mother as soon as I got to the park. I really needed to see that.

Staying at the campground in Clear Lake. Such a peaceful evening.

Did 107 km’s for the day. My third day in a row doing over 100 km’s. So far I have done 354 km’s on this trip

After a good breakfast at the MacGregor golf course. I left town at 9:30. It was an uneventful day with the wind working in my favour. I arrived in Brandon shortly after 4. Home to my daughter Chantel. We enjoyed supper together at Montana’s. I will be staying at Chantels place for the night. Total mileage today was 108 km’s.

Today begins my journey to The Pas by bicycle. It felt great leaving the city on the Hart trail. I stopped at the White Horse just west of Winnipeg. Last time I stopped there was over 40 years when I did my first ever overnight bicycle trip from Winnipeg to Wpgosis. I have driven by it so many times but have never stopped there with the van. I was planning to camp in Portage but the campground is closed. So I kept going and ended up in MacGregor. 139 km’s for the first day, that was not the plan. Oh well shorter day on Sunday getting to Brandon.