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Quick 4 1/2 day ride

oldhippie

oldhippie

Senior Member
Finally got off for a decent little ride. My better half has been having back problems so we nixed the ride together this summer. Now that schools in and she's at work, I've taken off for a ride. Original plan was to head to Pembina, ND , then go west towards Havre, Montana and go up to Westlock, Alberta. Returning home by the Yellowhead Hwy.
Hasn't turned out that way. Left Monday after lunch (got off nightshift that morn so had to sleep). When I got to the Emerson/Pembina border crossing, the lineup was over a mile long and road construction was really slowing it up. After 15 min and a 1/4 mile, I got to where I could turn around and headed to the Gretna/Neche crossing a little more than 1/2 hour further west. Had to double back to Pembina and pick up some packages. By then it was past 5 and getting colder so I headed to Grand Forks for the night instead.
Tuesday morn was a balmy 32F when I got up so I took my time getting ready. It was 38 when left and headed to Minot. Glad I had the heated jacket and rainsuit to stave off the chills. On the way passed a couple school buses loaded with kids. One young fella in the back flashed me the peace sign so I flashed it back. He did a fist pump and I could see the smile a mile wide.
Weather really improved by the time I hit Minot; I was sweating in my cold weather gear in the 70+ temp. Loved the scenerey and the temperature.
Decided at Minot to head north to Estevan, Sask and on to Moose Jaw for the night. Made for a shorter ride to Westlock.
Got waved through Canada customs even tho I'm pretty sure I was over my duty free limit. Oh well who am I to argue.
Well, changed my mind again and headed north to Saskatoon, then on to The Battlefords. Blasted wind was getting colder so I turned south on hwy 4 and headed south to Swift Current where I'm at for the night. Not going to make it to Westlock this trip.
Nice ride down from The Battlefords past grain fields, lots of duck ponds and rolling hills with the occassional valley thrown in the path.
I'll see where tomorrow takes me.
 
The Google map of my route:
Sept 2012 Trip - Google Maps

I'm home. Was enjoying the ride so much Thursday, that I decided to keep riding to home instead of stopping for the night.

Left Swift Current at 8am in a cool 8 degC (46 F). Heated jacket and gloves kept me warm. The gloves kept my hands too warm even at minimum thermostat setting.

Planned on going to Yorkton to visit with my niece so headed east on the Trans Canada Hwy (TCH) towards Regina. Turned off at the first exit to Balgonie, just east of Regina, thinking I could catch the hwy 10 to Yorkton if I drove through the town; wrong.. Balgonie sits between the TCH and railway tracks and Hwy 10 exits off the TCH via an overpass over the tracks just east of the town (rode to the edge of town within spitting distance of the overpass). Turned around and took the second exit/entrance out of Balgonie and after a short 1/4 mile ride I exited onto Hwy 10.

Plenty of mixed farming up Hwy 10 and loved the scenerey. Go through flat with bust and fields to rolling hills to riding down into the Qu'Appelle Valley and Fort Qu'Appelle. Exit the valley into more rolling hills and farmland with the occassional tree filled ravine and duck ponds.

Stopped in at Melville for lunch before continuing on to Yorkton. Had a nice but short visit with my niece at her work and then stopped in at Harley Davidson of Yorkton to see if anything caught my eye... nope.

Left Yorkton on Hwy 16, Yellowhead Hwy, for Manitoba. I've driven the Yellowhead many times and I still enjoy the view. I could see the clouds off in the distance and getting closer as I got to Manitoba. After a quick stop in Russell to plug in my thermostat, I continued on to Minnedosa for supper. Hit some road construction along the way with some nice new blacktop. It was after 7 when I arrived at Minnedosa. After a quick meal, I donned my rain pants and my heated gloves as well as some glasses for night riding. Had to turn on the heat as it was starting to get quite a bit cooler out.

I originally thought I'd stop in Neepawa for the night, but after fueling up, I was feeling pretty good and actually enjoying the night riding, so I decided to continue on to Portage la Prairie.

Stopped in at Portage la Prairie around 9:30 to call home to let them know I was still alive and that I was planning on making it all the way home. That is, unless I suddenly started to feel tired then I'd stop off somewhere.

That last 2 hrs to home was the coldest of the whole trip. The air temp on the Ultra was showing less than 30F. That thing must be registering windchill. The temp was actually hovering not much over freezing.

Arrived home just after midnight and, with the bike in the garage, the days ride hit me. I was spent but happy.

I did take some pics so I'll try to get them uploaded sometime today.

1770 miles (2850 kms) in 3 1/2 days. The final leg Thursday was 617 miles (992 kms).
 
Looking at all that water, by your city, I bet that is where my Dad used to go to fish for Giant Pike, or was it Walleye?
 
oldhippie said:
The Google map of my route:
Sept 2012 Trip - Google Maps

I'm home. Was enjoying the ride so much Thursday, that I decided to keep riding to home instead of stopping for the night.

Left Swift Current at 8am in a cool 8 degC (46 F). Heated jacket and gloves kept me warm. The gloves kept my hands too warm even at minimum thermostat setting.

Planned on going to Yorkton to visit with my niece so headed east on the Trans Canada Hwy (TCH) towards Regina. Turned off at the first exit to Balgonie, just east of Regina, thinking I could catch the hwy 10 to Yorkton if I drove through the town; wrong.. Balgonie sits between the TCH and railway tracks and Hwy 10 exits off the TCH via an overpass over the tracks just east of the town (rode to the edge of town within spitting distance of the overpass). Turned around and took the second exit/entrance out of Balgonie and after a short 1/4 mile ride I exited onto Hwy 10.

Plenty of mixed farming up Hwy 10 and loved the scenerey. Go through flat with bust and fields to rolling hills to riding down into the Qu'Appelle Valley and Fort Qu'Appelle. Exit the valley into more rolling hills and farmland with the occassional tree filled ravine and duck ponds.

Stopped in at Melville for lunch before continuing on to Yorkton. Had a nice but short visit with my niece at her work and then stopped in at Harley Davidson of Yorkton to see if anything caught my eye... nope.

Left Yorkton on Hwy 16, Yellowhead Hwy, for Manitoba. I've driven the Yellowhead many times and I still enjoy the view. I could see the clouds off in the distance and getting closer as I got to Manitoba. After a quick stop in Russell to plug in my thermostat, I continued on to Minnedosa for supper. Hit some road construction along the way with some nice new blacktop. It was after 7 when I arrived at Minnedosa. After a quick meal, I donned my rain pants and my heated gloves as well as some glasses for night riding. Had to turn on the heat as it was starting to get quite a bit cooler out.

I originally thought I'd stop in Neepawa for the night, but after fueling up, I was feeling pretty good and actually enjoying the night riding, so I decided to continue on to Portage la Prairie.

Stopped in at Portage la Prairie around 9:30 to call home to let them know I was still alive and that I was planning on making it all the way home. That is, unless I suddenly started to feel tired then I'd stop off somewhere.

That last 2 hrs to home was the coldest of the whole trip. The air temp on the Ultra was showing less than 30F. That thing must be registering windchill. The temp was actually hovering not much over freezing.

Arrived home just after midnight and, with the bike in the garage, the days ride hit me. I was spent but happy.

I did take some pics so I'll try to get them uploaded sometime today.

1770 miles (2850 kms) in 3 1/2 days. The final leg Thursday was 617 miles (992 kms).
Click to expand...



you brought chills and flashbacks to me...the coldest i ever was, was in Weyburn Sask. it was -77.....who cares if it is c or f and yes that is a minus before the 77. anyone wondering why i moved to South America :D
 
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