Day 44: Swift Current to Moose Jaw

I headed out of camp at 0745 this morning, planning to take full advantage of the substantial tailwind that had picked up during the night.
This would be ideal for the long shot to Moose Jaw, 176km away.

Legs are still a bit sore, and I can feel a saddle sore building.

Not long after leaving town, a bike bell trills behind me. I slow down and say good morning to Jim Isaak.
He is riding across country too, aiming to finish in St John's in mid-October. It was a blessing to have met him as the road was long and uneventful today. We talked about bikes, trains, bike touring, trains, blogs, faulty phone covers, trains and the tailwind. Having him to talk to was brilliant, the time passed quite quickly and before we knew it we were nearing Chaplin, just in time for lunch.

Today was HOT so the shade and fresh water was very welcome. Chaplin sits on the second largest salt lake in Canada, from which salt and brine shrimp are harvested. The bird sanctuaries are also prolific along this stretch of road. I have seen quite a few pelicans soaring by in the last couple of days.

Caronport in the heat

The next stop was Caronport, not for food but for a cold drink. The temperature was climbing and the salt was collecting on our cycling tops. Hydration is key in this heat!
Jim measured 42 degrees C when we came out of the cafe!

Moose Jaw was less than 20km away now, less than an hour of cycling left in the day. Nice.
Jim and I decided to share a motel room in town, and we settled on Capone's Hideaway, right at the bottom of Main Street.

Beer and Le Tour

It did the job for us. It had air-conditioning, a working shower and comfortable beds.

Dinner was at Boston Pizza. Jim shared the secret that the meatballs and spaghetti here are massive, just perfect for a touring cyclist.
We both ordered a beer and the spag and watched a bit of Canadian Football League (CFL).

We were both exhausted and full of good food, so conversation was soon replaced by snoring when we got back to the room.

Distance: 176.4 km
Time: 6:56:40
Height gained/lost: 431m /-659m
Calories: 5468