More Days in Saskatchewan

Our second day in Saskatchewan began with a continuation of the mild weather. The temperature remained in the mid-teens and for the second day in a row time we finished the day (at Nipawin, Saskatchewan) in the daylight - how sweet it is!

According to all reports, it was a great day on the trails; and best of all, one more day without incident.

Unfortunately (for me), even though we finished the day early, the time saved was lost in the course of doing the laundry day chores. For the sake of all concerned I did the "duty" and brought us back into a state of common decency (a slightly, overstatement, of course!)

Our accommodations, in Nipawin were probably the best we seen thus far; although, the major part of what really made everything work, was the fact that they were located across the road from a Bar/Restaurant/Motel which had great food and a six lane curling arena.

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We knew it had to come to an end before long, and it did! When we awoke on Monday morning the temperature was a crisp 25 degrees below zero (on the Fahrenheit scale.)

Due to the bitter cold Bill Bradfield (the President of MichCanSka) gave the riders a break - they departed at 7:35 instead of 7:30!

Despite the cold conditions, only a couple of riders forced off trail early, and by the afternoon the temperature had risen to a "balmy" 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cold temperature was not the sole issue of concern; despite having traveled hundreds of miles to the north, the snow conditions were actually worsening. By the end of the day, when they finally shut down (at Big River, Saskatchewan), they found themselves frequently riding in dirt!

We suffered one misfortune when Dick Woodruff struck an unknown obstacle, and the sled, but furtunately not the rider, had to be transported to the "hospital." The report was not good; the snowmobile had incurred over $2,500 dollars in damages, and Dick decided to complete the journey as a full time driver for his team of four.

Often when traveling, it's the people you meet along the way that make for some of best and most lasting memories. Barry Nontell and Clarice Hunter (husband and wife) are perfect examples. They are the owners of the Timberland Motel in Big River, Saskatchewan, and they were the perfects hosts. They went out of the way by serving a welcoming offering wine, cheese and crackers to weary "sledder's" and their chase vehicle drivers; and by transporting us to and from the local restaurants for dinner and breakfast.

Clarice is also a Harley rider who has, more than once, rode the southern route to Sturgis, South Dakota; and her husband Barry served our snowmobile guide to Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, on our way to today's stop at Cold Lake, Alberta.