Bikely map

It was raining when I woke up, so I took my time packing up to allow the rain a chance to lighten before getting ony my way (which I eventually did at around 10:20). Through the foothills, I seemed to taking about 3/4 of the time to cover a given distance as I’d been averaging in the mountains, and by the time they were gone (and it was just still-frequently-rolling prairie, with coulees and ravines and the like), I was making close to one and a half times my mountain pace.

I grabbed a picture of what seemed to be the last of the foothills

and then getting into flatter terrain, had just enough time to take a couple of pictures showing that much of the route from the end of the foothills, pretty much right into Lethbridge, is basically a giant wind farm

I also got a shot of a facilities/tourism type sign identifying the local rifle range (actually I suspect that this range has hosted some relatively significant competitions in the recent past and is probably worth noting, but haven’t checked that suspicion)

and a peek back at the mountains now left behind

after which my camera battery was quite dead, so there are no more pictures until after Lethbridge.

While tracking my pace, I noticed, upon getting tired around km 125, that I’d also been pushing my pace, and that I ought to keep my pace tracking to tracking so as not to damage my body (I’ve been a bit better at that since). I also had a pleasant surprise that I’d been carrying a digit that I should have at some point (or some similar arithmetic error) when I got close enough to Lethbridge to realize that I was only in for a 140km ride rather than the 150km ride I had been expecting all day.

About 30min outside of Lethbridge, another cyclist pulled up beside me (from behind), noted that I seemed to be touring, and asked where my trip was to/from and other such questions. He had just ridden to the pass and back as a weekend recreation, but had made a trip not that long before, where he rode out to Victoria, stayed there for a year, and then rode back to Lethbridge. He offered me crash space at his place and, since the warmshowers people weren’t getting home until late that night, and I was taking a rest day (the night after which would still allow me to drop by and pick up my mail), I took him up on his offer.

He had to work in the evening, but left a note on the door letting me know that the house was open, I should make myself at home, which room to use, when he’d get back, etc. He was a really nice host, and since he still tours too, I mentioned the warmshowers list to him, and he seems likely to join.

The next day, I was able to hang around town, and then head over to the warmshowers host to spend my second night, and to pick up my mail (a care package from Graydon back in Vancouver). Having just done my first run of 6 consecutive days, I was really glad for the rest day.