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Tuesday August 6         Cycling Day 28

  Grande Prairie (Alb) to Kakwa River (Alb)

Distance:  (Km) 58

Time: 2:36

Average Speed: (Km/ hr) 22.2

Ascent:  (m). 434

Heart Rate: (beats / min).  113

Cumulative Distance:   (km). 3118

Cumulative Ascent :  (m).  25,494

Punctures so far : 0

A little rain on and off during the night but all was clear as we packed away the wet tents this morning.

Andreas, the tour leader, scouted today’s route yesterday evening and at breakfast this morning announced that due to the construction work from 58 km on, that riders would be shuttled from ther to camp in the interests of safety.

I started out from camp on Road 666, it had a narrow shoulder, quiet and very little traffic. The morning was overcast and we just knew that it wouldn’t be a clear sunny day.

Early on, just off to the right, I spotted my wildlife for today, well a type of wildlife......farmed deer.

After 11 km we turned right and followed Highway 40 south for the day. The advantage was that we had a tailwind coming in from the left and a wide shoulder just like yesterday. However, trees tended to predominate the roadsides again and just some agriculture and a number of nodding donkeys/jumping jacks taking up oil and natural gas pods.

Raindrops came and went as we moved along. Also the number of large trucks, many towing trailers increased and the shoulder narrowed. It was particularly scary when trucks were moving in opposite directions as they passed us.

Rain got heavier at 40 km and this made the truck situation scarier and riders this evening are concerned about their own safety.

A long steep descent led to the scheduled lunch stop at 58 km. On this descent it rained heavier and passing trucks threw up a gritty spray on bikes, glasses and faces. All were glad to get to the lunch stop and huddled under the cover.

Bikes were loaded on the trucks and were shuttled on to camp as we shivered in the back and glad not to be cycling on that busy stretch with the sharp drop to the construction surface.

Camp tonight is almost a Bush camp — it just has a drop toilet (outhouse) and a pump (old style). We arrived at 11:30 and got the tents up before more rain came. 

And mosquito nets are out again the little buggers are avaricious with a particular gra for the backs of my hands. The only safe place is in the tent — well, after a minute or two on the warpath it can be made a mosquito free zone.

It’ll be a long await till Riders Meeting /dinner at 6 pm and the wet /overcast/ mosquito afternoon makes it even longer.

Representations have been made to the tour leader to address the truck/construction/safety issue for tomorrow. I expect we’ll hear more at Riders Meeting.

Difficult to dry out the gear from today but did utilize the heat of the fire and also I did succeed in shaving with the aid of my bike mirror. Feels so refreshing to get rid of three days of growth.

Tha first day that has really been interrupted by the weather and conditions. Hopefully back to normal practice tomorrow.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.