Another Province checked off the list!

This post is for Friday June 20th ride.

We woke up in Whitewood to partially cloudy skies. The storm everyone warned us about bypassed much to my relief. The high winds and rain that were to  continue through the morning hours had moved on, too. The plan for the day was to nock 50km off and have some lunch in Moosomin then continue on to Virden and finally Oak Lake, Manitoba. Both of us were complaining a little about how heavy and tired our legs felt coming into Moosomin. The 160km the previous day could have had something to do with it. After a subway lunch, because they're cheap, tasty and can load them up with huge amounts of vegetables, no meat, just cheese so I can keep it squished in my pannier for later.

As I was getting ready to hop on the bike, a man asked if I was one of a pair of cyclists caught in a huge downpore to the West of us and told him it wasn't me. I've herd tell of cyclists in front of us and now behind us. It seems we all travel about the same speed so we don't see each other. Eventually we will cross paths down the road.

The next 80km to Oak Lake, which has no cell service (neither did Virden), was bliss with a big smile on top. The wind, which had been on our right shoulder the first 50kms had changed to a tail wind. Finally a taste of what we should have had all across the prairies.

Arriving in Oak Lake, we set up our tents in the small picnic shelter of the municipal campground since we were the only ones there. Karin discovered the shower and toilet building was locked so I told her not to worry because I would go into town and find someone to open it up.

Oak Lake is another one of those one street towns so it was easy to find some one to open the bath rooms. It was Friday night and there was a parade people getting their beer for the night. The guy I asked about the bathrooms had rode up on a cheep Chinese electric bike with a great big old news paper carrier bailing wired to the back. He said, "Follow me, i'll take to the guy". Two minutes later we were in front of a house knocking on the front door. I told him what I wanted and he said "No problem", then invited me in for a beer. Told him I had to decline because I had to get some groceries. He said he would be right over to unlock the doors. Later I met at the bathrooms and he had the plumbing for the showers all apart. This is when I realize he is mostly three and a half sheets. What he was trying to do I don't know. He gave up after ten minutes and left us for the mosquitoes. Clouds of them freaking Karin out. Quick bite to eat, washed up and retired to our tents to get away from the swarms.