Day 2
No report from Day 1
Date: May 23, 2009
Distance: 78.9 km
Time in Saddle: 4 hours 33 min
Maximum Speed: 51 kmh
Chase driver: Kirsty
Riders: Ken
This morning we awoke to a seasonal aberration, sunshine without a cloud in the sky. We got on our way and stopped by the front desk to find out that the staff and management of the hotel had passed the hat to make a donation to Food Cycle 2009. (When in Roblin try The Harvest Moon Inn. It was so clean that I thought it was new, it's actually been in business for 13 years!) Ever vigilant, Bruce had already left Roblin, on his way back to the city, murmuring the Harvest mantra all the while. (Thanks for the ride Bruce.)
We bought a compass at the local outdoors store and met a very helpful Roblin resident. Transplanted from Winnipeg by way of Shanghai Rob Rennie put the "friendly" in Manitoba. He was a great ambassador for his town and surrounding area as well as a new donor after we told him what we were up to. He later caught up to us on the trail with the most recent Trans Canada Trail map. If not for that map I would have been in trouble later that day.
Today was 80 clicks the hard way. The ride started with a dirt road becoming a rough double track then into open farmers fields before getting difficult. The trail went through Asissippi Provincial Park with white knuckle down hills, technical trails near Bear Creek and gut busting climbs from the valley floor. Although the trail was well marked my orienteering skills were put to the test after turning down several dead ends, blind alleys and trails to nowhere. When I emerged form the muck and the mire I was treated to an artery bursting paved up hill ascent on route to Inglis.
Inglis is a town with a population of 150 and is designated a Canadian National Heritage sight with several standard plan grain elevators in a row. At one time there were rows of 12 or 14 elevators in some communities. Today Inglis has the most at 5.
After a guided tour of the elevators we made for Russel down a 20 km dirt road and abandoned railway bed. All in all a great day!
I have attached a couple of pictures from today’s adventure for you to have a look at.
Until next time thank you for your support. Ken
