government property?
Occasionally I check out my Sitemeter, just to see who my (ahem) select few readers are, and what articles they are reading. One of the features of Sitemeter is that it lists the domain name of the reader.
Around ten percent of my readers are visiting my blog from government-owned domains. This has been the case since I started using Sitemeter.
Of the last 100 readers, I have received hits from the government of California (once), the government of Alberta (once), the government of Ontario (once), the government of Saskatchewan (SIX times), and NASA (once). In the past I have also received hits from various other state and provincial governments, as well as from various US government agencies - NASA has visited this site several times, usually after I write something derogatory about them. Today's NASA visit occurred just before 7am, their time.
Umm... shouldn't you people be, I dunno, WORKING? Since when is reading blogs a goverment function? Since when is the use of goverment property in this manner allowed?
And what in the hell are NASA workers doing just before 7am surfing the net? Does it have anything to do with this post? It certainly has nothing to do with exploring space.
C'mon people, goverment property is NOT your personal plaything. If you want to visit my blog, and lord knows I certainly want you to do so, then do it on your own time, with your own dime. Stop ripping off the taxpayers - use your home computer or go to an e-cafe, use your own bandwidth and electricity. And don't collect pay for the time you spend surfing the net, when you are supposed to be working. After all, that is why we supposedly pay taxes.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
into the wild black yonder
into the wild black yonder
Clark Lindsey has a roundup of links about SpaceShipOne's inaugural Ansari X-Prize attempt today... the rockets should kick in in about 10 minutes or so.
Live webcast here
update: that was the coolest fucking thing I have ever seen. 358000 feet, they broke the record of the X-15. Way to go Mike Melville; high five, Paul Allen... and Burt Rutan, if I was a woman and at Mojave, I'd be kissing you right now. Congratulations guys, well done.
upperdate: Touchdown, a beautiful landing. Mike Melville is one helluva pilot; he kept the nose pointed straight up even though there was a slight roll in the spaceship during launch - it rolled about 30 times or so on the way up. He then brought it under control using the reaction control system while in space, feathering the wings during the rolls. Then he rode her all the way into suborbital space, breaking the altitude record of the X-15, and brought her down safely. Picture-perfect... I'm grinning from ear to ear.
Now all they have to do is repeat the same feat on Monday, in the same craft, and they win 10 million bucks. The giggle factor is gone.
Fuckin A.
uppestdate: an excellent blow-by-blow of the launch can be found here.
Clark Lindsey has a roundup of links about SpaceShipOne's inaugural Ansari X-Prize attempt today... the rockets should kick in in about 10 minutes or so.
Live webcast here
update: that was the coolest fucking thing I have ever seen. 358000 feet, they broke the record of the X-15. Way to go Mike Melville; high five, Paul Allen... and Burt Rutan, if I was a woman and at Mojave, I'd be kissing you right now. Congratulations guys, well done.
upperdate: Touchdown, a beautiful landing. Mike Melville is one helluva pilot; he kept the nose pointed straight up even though there was a slight roll in the spaceship during launch - it rolled about 30 times or so on the way up. He then brought it under control using the reaction control system while in space, feathering the wings during the rolls. Then he rode her all the way into suborbital space, breaking the altitude record of the X-15, and brought her down safely. Picture-perfect... I'm grinning from ear to ear.
Now all they have to do is repeat the same feat on Monday, in the same craft, and they win 10 million bucks. The giggle factor is gone.
Fuckin A.
uppestdate: an excellent blow-by-blow of the launch can be found here.
Monday, September 27, 2004
galactic ghoul vanquished?
galactic ghoul vanquished?
Taylor Dinerman's column in today's The Space Review says that NASA has "got the hang of Mars robotic missions".
I dunno. I am starting to suspect that Spirit and Opportunity are not even on Mars at all.
That's a strong statement, I know. I haven't fully fleshed out the theory yet, and I pray that I am wrong... but ... well, in a week or so I will either be able to categorically state that NASA has faked the MER mission, or that I have my head up my ass. Stay tuned.
Taylor Dinerman's column in today's The Space Review says that NASA has "got the hang of Mars robotic missions".
I dunno. I am starting to suspect that Spirit and Opportunity are not even on Mars at all.
That's a strong statement, I know. I haven't fully fleshed out the theory yet, and I pray that I am wrong... but ... well, in a week or so I will either be able to categorically state that NASA has faked the MER mission, or that I have my head up my ass. Stay tuned.
Branson steps up to the plate
Branson steps up to the plate
The BBC reports that Virgin boss Richard Branson has finally become seriously involved in the space tourism business; he is having five spacecraft built by Burt Rutan, each capable of carrying five pasengers on suborbital flights. From the looks of the model, the design will closely mimic the design of SpaceShipOne, on a just slightly larger scale.
He is also making noise about orbital flights and hotels in orbit.
It was only a matter of time before Branson got seriously involved in space; he has been leaning that way for a long time, personally putting his butt and wallet on the line for high-altitude ballooning and attempts at round-the-world balloon flights.
...via Rand Simberg, who also points out that Jeff Bezos has finally taken the lid off Blue origin.
The BBC reports that Virgin boss Richard Branson has finally become seriously involved in the space tourism business; he is having five spacecraft built by Burt Rutan, each capable of carrying five pasengers on suborbital flights. From the looks of the model, the design will closely mimic the design of SpaceShipOne, on a just slightly larger scale.
He is also making noise about orbital flights and hotels in orbit.
It was only a matter of time before Branson got seriously involved in space; he has been leaning that way for a long time, personally putting his butt and wallet on the line for high-altitude ballooning and attempts at round-the-world balloon flights.
...via Rand Simberg, who also points out that Jeff Bezos has finally taken the lid off Blue origin.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
cookin'
cookin'
So, I have been back in Leduc now for about eleven days. I was in town for two days before I started looking for a job, and found one the next day. I have been working at the Leduc Diner now for eight days as a cook. I have been a cook before, but every restaurant has their own little quirks, their own special way of doing things. I have been slowly but surely getting it, and I am now at the point where they can leave me alone in the kitchen for a while if necessary. I don't need anyone watching over my shoulder constantly, which I am sure they appreciate.
I figure that by the beginning or middle of December, I will have enough money saved up to try my trip to Florida again. I won't be taking my bike down this time though; it will be too cold by then. Next time, I will be taking the Greyhound down there. By that time, hurricane season ought to be done with for the year as well.
So, I have been back in Leduc now for about eleven days. I was in town for two days before I started looking for a job, and found one the next day. I have been working at the Leduc Diner now for eight days as a cook. I have been a cook before, but every restaurant has their own little quirks, their own special way of doing things. I have been slowly but surely getting it, and I am now at the point where they can leave me alone in the kitchen for a while if necessary. I don't need anyone watching over my shoulder constantly, which I am sure they appreciate.
I figure that by the beginning or middle of December, I will have enough money saved up to try my trip to Florida again. I won't be taking my bike down this time though; it will be too cold by then. Next time, I will be taking the Greyhound down there. By that time, hurricane season ought to be done with for the year as well.
Friday, September 24, 2004
launch on hold
launch on hold
The DaVinci project's suborbital launch has been put on hold for a few weeks, mainly due to the lack of multiaxis filament winder in Canada, a necessary device to build the composite-material passenger compartment. So, unless there is a major mishap, it appears that Scaled Composites now has a clear field for its Ansari X-prize attempts on September 29th and October 4th.
Dang. For a while there it was looking like it could be a real race. I hope Burt Rutan doesn't run into any problems with the attempts by SpaceShipOne; hopefully he pulls it off without a hitch.
Of course, if he does run into problems (barring a major catastrophe), then the race is back on again... and not just with da Vinci, but with Armadillo, Starchaser, and all the other groups (check out the X-prize blog, linked at left under the blogroll).
The DaVinci project's suborbital launch has been put on hold for a few weeks, mainly due to the lack of multiaxis filament winder in Canada, a necessary device to build the composite-material passenger compartment. So, unless there is a major mishap, it appears that Scaled Composites now has a clear field for its Ansari X-prize attempts on September 29th and October 4th.
Dang. For a while there it was looking like it could be a real race. I hope Burt Rutan doesn't run into any problems with the attempts by SpaceShipOne; hopefully he pulls it off without a hitch.
Of course, if he does run into problems (barring a major catastrophe), then the race is back on again... and not just with da Vinci, but with Armadillo, Starchaser, and all the other groups (check out the X-prize blog, linked at left under the blogroll).
Thursday, September 23, 2004
razor sharp wit
razor sharp wit
iowahawk revives the lost genre of the gumshoe. Somehow I can't see Dan Rather approximating Humphrey Bogart... or for that matter, Steve Martin or even Bob Hoskins.
iowahawk revives the lost genre of the gumshoe. Somehow I can't see Dan Rather approximating Humphrey Bogart... or for that matter, Steve Martin or even Bob Hoskins.
advice from hugh hewitt
advice from hugh hewitt
...for Les Moonves. Hugh isn't in favour of firing the lot of them at CBS; his advice is to give everyone a bail bucket, and start patching the hull of the good ship CBS.
I think it is a little too late for that. The water line is already over the decks. If Rather is still there next week, then that means the crowsnest has sunk below the surface, and that no credibility buoyancy is left to keep the ship afloat.
Of course, I may just be in a curmudgeonly mood lately. After all, I called for everyone at NASA to be fired the other day, too.
...for Les Moonves. Hugh isn't in favour of firing the lot of them at CBS; his advice is to give everyone a bail bucket, and start patching the hull of the good ship CBS.
I think it is a little too late for that. The water line is already over the decks. If Rather is still there next week, then that means the crowsnest has sunk below the surface, and that no credibility buoyancy is left to keep the ship afloat.
Of course, I may just be in a curmudgeonly mood lately. After all, I called for everyone at NASA to be fired the other day, too.
more photoblogging
more photoblogging
Well, today is the autumnal equinox, so I wandered around my mom's neighbourhood and took a couple dozen pictures. Of those, only a couple turned out the way I wanted; pretty much par for the course.
These first couple of pics are of the riot of colour that happens every year around here in autumn:
The ducks don't seem to mind the cooler weather one little bit:
Well, today is the autumnal equinox, so I wandered around my mom's neighbourhood and took a couple dozen pictures. Of those, only a couple turned out the way I wanted; pretty much par for the course.
These first couple of pics are of the riot of colour that happens every year around here in autumn:
The ducks don't seem to mind the cooler weather one little bit:
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
more oil for food
more oil for food
Claudia Rosett deserves a Pulitzer prize for her dogged pursuit of Kofi Annan in the UN oil-for-food scandal. Indeed, without her tenacious reporting, the entire multibillion dollar theft might have been quietly swept under the rug by the UN.
Claudia Rosett deserves a Pulitzer prize for her dogged pursuit of Kofi Annan in the UN oil-for-food scandal. Indeed, without her tenacious reporting, the entire multibillion dollar theft might have been quietly swept under the rug by the UN.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
memo to the Washington Post
memo to the Washington Post
Are you guys stupid?
Any time I follow a link to a news site that requires registration, I just hit the Back button on my browser. Either that, or I go to Bugmenot.com
If I hit Back, I neither see the content on your site, nor ADVERTISEMENTS ON YOUR SITE. Think about it.
If I go to bugmenot.com, then I just get a fake ID that works on your site. How many 96 year old black Alaskan female sumo wresters are regular readers of your site? Probably quite a lot, from all over the world... she sure gets around, doesn't she?
All these registration schemes do is (1) provide roadblocks to my internet experience (2) piss me off and (3) prevent me from seeing the ads on your site; you know, the thing that makes your business profitable.
Stop it.
Are you guys stupid?
Any time I follow a link to a news site that requires registration, I just hit the Back button on my browser. Either that, or I go to Bugmenot.com
If I hit Back, I neither see the content on your site, nor ADVERTISEMENTS ON YOUR SITE. Think about it.
If I go to bugmenot.com, then I just get a fake ID that works on your site. How many 96 year old black Alaskan female sumo wresters are regular readers of your site? Probably quite a lot, from all over the world... she sure gets around, doesn't she?
All these registration schemes do is (1) provide roadblocks to my internet experience (2) piss me off and (3) prevent me from seeing the ads on your site; you know, the thing that makes your business profitable.
Stop it.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
looking for a pretty girl?
looking for a pretty girl?
While looking through my sitemeter stats today, I noticed two hits from sk.ca, each lasting 0 seconds. This is probably people in Gull Lake looking for that pic I took of Sheryl... you guys gotta scroll down to the September 12th entry.
While looking through my sitemeter stats today, I noticed two hits from sk.ca, each lasting 0 seconds. This is probably people in Gull Lake looking for that pic I took of Sheryl... you guys gotta scroll down to the September 12th entry.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
love is like oxygen
love is like oxygen
James Oberg reports that the crewmembers aboard the ISS have refurbished an oxygen generator as Plan B. Hell, forget about Hubble altogether, forget about ever having another space shuttle fly. They won't even have the ISS as a destination to go to anymore, if these breakdowns continue to happen at an accelerating pace.
NASA doesn't stand for what it used to... I'm beginning to think that it stands for Never A Straight Answer or Now Another Stupid Attempt.
Yep. it is high time to mothball the space station (no private buyer would ever be stupid enough to take this white elephant off NASA's hands), and to completely disband the agency. They've had their chance, and another, and another... screw it. Fire the lot of them.
James Oberg reports that the crewmembers aboard the ISS have refurbished an oxygen generator as Plan B. Hell, forget about Hubble altogether, forget about ever having another space shuttle fly. They won't even have the ISS as a destination to go to anymore, if these breakdowns continue to happen at an accelerating pace.
NASA doesn't stand for what it used to... I'm beginning to think that it stands for Never A Straight Answer or Now Another Stupid Attempt.
Yep. it is high time to mothball the space station (no private buyer would ever be stupid enough to take this white elephant off NASA's hands), and to completely disband the agency. They've had their chance, and another, and another... screw it. Fire the lot of them.
a prayer for Chris Muir
a prayer for Chris Muir
It looks like Chris Muir is having to stop drawing his Day by Day cartoon; several illnesses in his family have kept him from drawing recently. I pray for the speedy recovery of his family members.
Cancer sucks ass.
Anyhow, Chris, don't worry about it, there are far more important things than keeping me amused.
It really is too bad; his cartoon was the Doonesbury of the right wing: insightful, topical, politically ascerbic, and downright funny as all hell.
In the meantime, I'll be moving a different cartoon to the top of this blog; for all who are interested, check out his back issues at daybydaycartoon.com
It looks like Chris Muir is having to stop drawing his Day by Day cartoon; several illnesses in his family have kept him from drawing recently. I pray for the speedy recovery of his family members.
Cancer sucks ass.
Anyhow, Chris, don't worry about it, there are far more important things than keeping me amused.
It really is too bad; his cartoon was the Doonesbury of the right wing: insightful, topical, politically ascerbic, and downright funny as all hell.
In the meantime, I'll be moving a different cartoon to the top of this blog; for all who are interested, check out his back issues at daybydaycartoon.com
Friday, September 17, 2004
damn damn damn
damn damn damn
Well, I made it halfway across Saskatchewan, then ran out of money and had to come back. I am having trouble connecting my laptop to the net right now, but when I get that done I'll upload a bunch of pictures (including some of several beautiful women I met along the way). ;)
Anyhow, right now I'm dropping back ten yards and punting.
Geez, the stuff I missed while I was on vacation... I suppose I could do a roundup of it but I'd Ra[superscript]th[/superscript]er not right now.
Well, I made it halfway across Saskatchewan, then ran out of money and had to come back. I am having trouble connecting my laptop to the net right now, but when I get that done I'll upload a bunch of pictures (including some of several beautiful women I met along the way). ;)
Anyhow, right now I'm dropping back ten yards and punting.
Geez, the stuff I missed while I was on vacation... I suppose I could do a roundup of it but I'd Ra[superscript]th[/superscript]er not right now.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
on my way home
on my way home
At the bus station in Red Deer I met Jeanie. Absolutely gorgeous, with enormous green eyes. She was so friendly, after about five seconds of talking with her I felt like I was meeting an old friend. This girl is just a natural model, the camera loves her. Too bad I'm not a better photographer; I really should learn to take more than one picture of each of these ladies.
My trip is over. I feel like I have suffered a huge defeat, but my mom calls it a setback, dropping back ten yards and punting. So, now I have to find myself a job, save up some money, and try again.
At the bus station in Red Deer I met Jeanie. Absolutely gorgeous, with enormous green eyes. She was so friendly, after about five seconds of talking with her I felt like I was meeting an old friend. This girl is just a natural model, the camera loves her. Too bad I'm not a better photographer; I really should learn to take more than one picture of each of these ladies.
My trip is over. I feel like I have suffered a huge defeat, but my mom calls it a setback, dropping back ten yards and punting. So, now I have to find myself a job, save up some money, and try again.
sweet thing
sweet thing
I am in the bus station in Calgary, on my way home. Here I took a picture of the lovely Katie, a girl I met in the restaurant here. Too bad the lighting is so bad; no matter what I did to this picture I just couldn't get a really clear pic of her.
I am in the bus station in Calgary, on my way home. Here I took a picture of the lovely Katie, a girl I met in the restaurant here. Too bad the lighting is so bad; no matter what I did to this picture I just couldn't get a really clear pic of her.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
i gotta quit
i gotta quit
Well, here I am in Swift Current. I'm out of money, the trailer is getting to be a bigger drag every day, and I'm out of options. I have to go home. I have a bus ticket back to Calgary, and in the morning my mom is sending me money to make the trip from Calgary to her place south of Edmonton.
Dang.
Oh well, it has been a fun trip anyhow. Here is a picture of Jessie, a girl who works in the Greyhound station in Swift Current. Her eyes absolutely sparkle.
Well, here I am in Swift Current. I'm out of money, the trailer is getting to be a bigger drag every day, and I'm out of options. I have to go home. I have a bus ticket back to Calgary, and in the morning my mom is sending me money to make the trip from Calgary to her place south of Edmonton.
Dang.
Oh well, it has been a fun trip anyhow. Here is a picture of Jessie, a girl who works in the Greyhound station in Swift Current. Her eyes absolutely sparkle.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
beauty
beauty
This picture is of Sheryl, a waitress at Grandma D's cafe in Gull Lake, SK. Huge green eyes, a beautiful face, and don't even get me started on the rest of her. Quite lovely and very friendly, she's the first of what I hope to be many beautiful women that I will take pictures of for this blog.
I'm about 55km from Swift Current, at a rest stop a few k east of Gull Lake. It started raining lightly about half an hour ago, so I stopped here and quickly set upo the tent. The rain is coming down a little more heavily now.
I'm down to 15 dollars in the bank and about 8 dollars in cash. This sucks big time. If I don't have the damage deposit returned to me by the time I get to Regina, I may be forced to return to Calgary.
a long road ahead of me
This picture is of Sheryl, a waitress at Grandma D's cafe in Gull Lake, SK. Huge green eyes, a beautiful face, and don't even get me started on the rest of her. Quite lovely and very friendly, she's the first of what I hope to be many beautiful women that I will take pictures of for this blog.
I'm about 55km from Swift Current, at a rest stop a few k east of Gull Lake. It started raining lightly about half an hour ago, so I stopped here and quickly set upo the tent. The rain is coming down a little more heavily now.
I'm down to 15 dollars in the bank and about 8 dollars in cash. This sucks big time. If I don't have the damage deposit returned to me by the time I get to Regina, I may be forced to return to Calgary.
a long road ahead of me
Saturday, September 11, 2004
unexpected help
unexpected help
I am camped at a rest stop just east of Piapot, Saskatchewan. This is the furthest east I have ever been. The last time I was in Saskatchewan was the day Terry Fox died, nearly a quarter century.
I made a few adjustments today, putting the backpack on the rear rack and the tent, mesh bag, sleeping bag and mattress on the trailer. That took some of the load off the trailer wheels and made things a little easier. I think that once I get the new wheels I will start to really put the miles on. I might even start approaching that hundred-miles-a-day goal I originally set for myself.
Earlier today I was at a visitor information center just north of Maple Creek, and this old fella started chatting with me. His name was Joe, a retired guy from southern California on his third trip across Canada. He was very interested in my bike trip. Anyhow, after chatting with me for afive or ten minutes, he pulled a 50 dollar bill out of his picket and gave it to me, just like that, saying that he'd like to help me. I could have been knocked over by a feather, it was completely out of the blue. I didn't know what to say to him - I'm fairly sure my mouth was just hanging open. I managed to stammer out a "thank you". Yer darn right I took the money; I spent half of it right away, on a pack of smokes and a big lunch at a restaurant about 1 km away. Then I came back to the visitor center for about half an hour, and rearranged the trailer load as I described above.
Before rearranging that load, I had had the backpack on the trailer with everything else. That just caused too much friction on the trailer wheels, a constant drag. Combined with very strong winds blowing across the highway, it made the first 15km I went today seem like a constant uphill. The contrast afterwards was like a shock, it was SO much easier.
So, now here I am in a hollow next to the the rest stop, protected from any winds (unlike this morning, when my tent nearly blew down). To the north of me is the Transcanada highway, and to the south is a train track. A few trains have gone by since I set up camp, thier sound somewhat muted by the ditch I'm in. How appropriate to hear trains going by as I lay here reading Atlas Shrugged.
Tomorrow I will tear down and pack up very soon after I wake up, and not have breakfast until I reach Sidewood or Tompkins. I'm running low on methyl hydrate, so I don't want to use the camp stove for pancakes until I get a second and possibly 3rd bottle. That 50 bucks Joe gave me will go a long way, if I use it right.
Hopefully by the time I get to Regina my old landlord will have returned my damage deposit to my mom. That will help enormously; that and not staying in any more hotels.
I am camped at a rest stop just east of Piapot, Saskatchewan. This is the furthest east I have ever been. The last time I was in Saskatchewan was the day Terry Fox died, nearly a quarter century.
I made a few adjustments today, putting the backpack on the rear rack and the tent, mesh bag, sleeping bag and mattress on the trailer. That took some of the load off the trailer wheels and made things a little easier. I think that once I get the new wheels I will start to really put the miles on. I might even start approaching that hundred-miles-a-day goal I originally set for myself.
Earlier today I was at a visitor information center just north of Maple Creek, and this old fella started chatting with me. His name was Joe, a retired guy from southern California on his third trip across Canada. He was very interested in my bike trip. Anyhow, after chatting with me for afive or ten minutes, he pulled a 50 dollar bill out of his picket and gave it to me, just like that, saying that he'd like to help me. I could have been knocked over by a feather, it was completely out of the blue. I didn't know what to say to him - I'm fairly sure my mouth was just hanging open. I managed to stammer out a "thank you". Yer darn right I took the money; I spent half of it right away, on a pack of smokes and a big lunch at a restaurant about 1 km away. Then I came back to the visitor center for about half an hour, and rearranged the trailer load as I described above.
Before rearranging that load, I had had the backpack on the trailer with everything else. That just caused too much friction on the trailer wheels, a constant drag. Combined with very strong winds blowing across the highway, it made the first 15km I went today seem like a constant uphill. The contrast afterwards was like a shock, it was SO much easier.
So, now here I am in a hollow next to the the rest stop, protected from any winds (unlike this morning, when my tent nearly blew down). To the north of me is the Transcanada highway, and to the south is a train track. A few trains have gone by since I set up camp, thier sound somewhat muted by the ditch I'm in. How appropriate to hear trains going by as I lay here reading Atlas Shrugged.
Tomorrow I will tear down and pack up very soon after I wake up, and not have breakfast until I reach Sidewood or Tompkins. I'm running low on methyl hydrate, so I don't want to use the camp stove for pancakes until I get a second and possibly 3rd bottle. That 50 bucks Joe gave me will go a long way, if I use it right.
Hopefully by the time I get to Regina my old landlord will have returned my damage deposit to my mom. That will help enormously; that and not staying in any more hotels.
still truckin' along
still truckin' along
I've only gone a few hundred kilometers down the road, putting on far fewer miles than I thought I would. Internet access has been pretty scarce on the Tanscanada highway; I'm at a public terminal right now, and can't upload the few photographs I've taken... some pretty decent shots though. Hopefully in a few days I will be able to get access for a few hours and then I'll be posting a bunch of things, backdating them to the appropriate day.
Anyhow, I'm still alive and kicking; thanks to all of you who have been scoping out my blog in the last week or so. Even though I haven't been posting, it sure is nice to know that I'm not forgotten.
I've only gone a few hundred kilometers down the road, putting on far fewer miles than I thought I would. Internet access has been pretty scarce on the Tanscanada highway; I'm at a public terminal right now, and can't upload the few photographs I've taken... some pretty decent shots though. Hopefully in a few days I will be able to get access for a few hours and then I'll be posting a bunch of things, backdating them to the appropriate day.
Anyhow, I'm still alive and kicking; thanks to all of you who have been scoping out my blog in the last week or so. Even though I haven't been posting, it sure is nice to know that I'm not forgotten.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
a trailer of sorts
a trailer of sorts
Well, that didn't go quite as I expected. I ended up buying a dolly-style cart for 20 bucks, and managed to rig it up into a trailer. I think that when I set it up in the morning, that I'll do it a little differently than today, balancing more of the weight on the trailer wheels and less on the rear rack.
The wheels on the dolly spin around an axle, are made of plastic and have no bearings. I think that when I reach Swift Current I will buy some other wheels, rubber ones with bearings. Between rebalancing the load and reducing the friction, I ought to be able to start using my upper gears.
One big advantage today: the backpack is on the trailer and off my back, so now I can use the triathlon handlebars. That helps a bit, saving my wrists from a lot of pressure. There was no way I could use the triathlon bar with all that weight on my back, it made it impossible to steer or even go in a straight line.
the steed, with chariot
Well, that didn't go quite as I expected. I ended up buying a dolly-style cart for 20 bucks, and managed to rig it up into a trailer. I think that when I set it up in the morning, that I'll do it a little differently than today, balancing more of the weight on the trailer wheels and less on the rear rack.
The wheels on the dolly spin around an axle, are made of plastic and have no bearings. I think that when I reach Swift Current I will buy some other wheels, rubber ones with bearings. Between rebalancing the load and reducing the friction, I ought to be able to start using my upper gears.
One big advantage today: the backpack is on the trailer and off my back, so now I can use the triathlon handlebars. That helps a bit, saving my wrists from a lot of pressure. There was no way I could use the triathlon bar with all that weight on my back, it made it impossible to steer or even go in a straight line.
the steed, with chariot
still looking for a trailer
still looking for a trailer
Well, I'm in Medicine Hat. No bike trailers to be found anywhere. I'm running out of money and options. I'm in a hotel right now, and I think I spent 100 bucks for.... damn near nothing. No matter what I tried, I couldn't connect with the wireless network here. damn.
About the only option I have left is either to bike across Med Hat again (if the Redcliff Home Hardware has trailers), or to get a baby stroller from Walmart at this end of town and try to modify that into a trailer. Either that, or I can pick up sufficient parts at a hardware store on this end of town to build some sort of trailer. I only have $120 left, so the pressure is on.
Well, I'm in Medicine Hat. No bike trailers to be found anywhere. I'm running out of money and options. I'm in a hotel right now, and I think I spent 100 bucks for.... damn near nothing. No matter what I tried, I couldn't connect with the wireless network here. damn.
About the only option I have left is either to bike across Med Hat again (if the Redcliff Home Hardware has trailers), or to get a baby stroller from Walmart at this end of town and try to modify that into a trailer. Either that, or I can pick up sufficient parts at a hardware store on this end of town to build some sort of trailer. I only have $120 left, so the pressure is on.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
back on the road
back on the road
It's been a few challenging days. About an hour or so downstream today, I came upon some guys fishing. One of them said that there was some very rough water about four miles downstream, and that the next bridge was about 10 miles down, at Arrowwood. In three and a half days on the rive, maybe 7 hours of travel time total (it took a long time to get my stuff on and off the river every day), I travelled about 30 km.
Luckily, there was a "road" of sorts on the other side of the river near where the guys were fishing. Had it not been for those fishermen, I wouldn't have known about the small cliffs and waterfalls coming up, nor the road. Thanks, guys.
As it happens, where i managed to land the boat was a few hundred meters from the road, which itself was nor more than parallel footpaths. I had to do some exploring to find a suitable route from where all my stuff was through the brush to the road, and on my return nearly got lost. Good thing that my air mattresses are bright orange and that one of them was sticking up through the grass or I would have been wandering around for hours.
I moved my stuff in stages. First, I carried everything away from the riverbank to a clearing where I deflated the boat and air mattresses, and packed everything up. Then I made two trips to move it all from the clearing to the Texas gate in the road. There, I tried to put everything on the bike - all of it, including the backpack. No dice; I succeeded only in bending the rear rack of the bike. So, I had to wear the backpack if I wanted to get anywhere.
It was at the Texas gate, as I was bungeeing everything down, that I noticed I was missing one bungee cord. So, total losses down the river were one bungee and a 1 gallon pail.
By that time it was getting to be 6pm. I took a guess as to which direction to go on the road (which paralleled the river), and went upstream a little bit. I soon found it intersecting with some other similar roads. I just kept following the better road at each junction until I hit gravel, and then pavement. Then I turned East. It turns out that I had started from the river about 8km west of Gliechen. I kept biking east to Cluny, where I grabbed a quick bite to eat and called mom to let her know I was alive. I kept biking until 11pm, when I hit Bassano, and got a motel room for the night.
Ahhhh, a hot shower.
Motels cost me too much money though. I'm going to have to hit truck stops and the occasional campground instead, if I want to make it to Florida.
I left Bassano at 11 am today, and got to Brooks at about 3pm. There I went looking for a trailer for my bike. StarSports, no luck. Ditto Walmart. I had some MickeyDees at the Walmart, then left town around 5 or so. I made probably another 25-30 km southeast of Brooks by 730 pm, then made camp. No coffee or supper tonight, I had plenty to eat at McDs and still have some pop. I'll probably have pancakes and coffee in the morning.
I have been taking it pretty easy, averaging 16 km/h and stopping every hour for 15 minutes of rest. Until I get a trailer, that's the only way I'm going to preserve my back.
I must get a trailer in Medicine Hat. If not, then I will be going so slow that winter will catch me. Any kind of trailer will do, as long as it will attach to the seat post or bike frame so that it doesn't interfere with an empty (except for saddlebags) rear rack.
I figure that I can reach the outskirts of Medicine Hat by 3pm if I leave here at 9am. I'm in the very broad ditch of the TransCanada highway right now, about 30 m from the road and 2-3 m behind a large round hay bale - fairly safe - about 80 km northwest of Med Hat. Once I get there, I'll be hitting the first phone booth I see, and let my fingers do the biking. Gotta get some sleep.
It's been a few challenging days. About an hour or so downstream today, I came upon some guys fishing. One of them said that there was some very rough water about four miles downstream, and that the next bridge was about 10 miles down, at Arrowwood. In three and a half days on the rive, maybe 7 hours of travel time total (it took a long time to get my stuff on and off the river every day), I travelled about 30 km.
Luckily, there was a "road" of sorts on the other side of the river near where the guys were fishing. Had it not been for those fishermen, I wouldn't have known about the small cliffs and waterfalls coming up, nor the road. Thanks, guys.
As it happens, where i managed to land the boat was a few hundred meters from the road, which itself was nor more than parallel footpaths. I had to do some exploring to find a suitable route from where all my stuff was through the brush to the road, and on my return nearly got lost. Good thing that my air mattresses are bright orange and that one of them was sticking up through the grass or I would have been wandering around for hours.
I moved my stuff in stages. First, I carried everything away from the riverbank to a clearing where I deflated the boat and air mattresses, and packed everything up. Then I made two trips to move it all from the clearing to the Texas gate in the road. There, I tried to put everything on the bike - all of it, including the backpack. No dice; I succeeded only in bending the rear rack of the bike. So, I had to wear the backpack if I wanted to get anywhere.
It was at the Texas gate, as I was bungeeing everything down, that I noticed I was missing one bungee cord. So, total losses down the river were one bungee and a 1 gallon pail.
By that time it was getting to be 6pm. I took a guess as to which direction to go on the road (which paralleled the river), and went upstream a little bit. I soon found it intersecting with some other similar roads. I just kept following the better road at each junction until I hit gravel, and then pavement. Then I turned East. It turns out that I had started from the river about 8km west of Gliechen. I kept biking east to Cluny, where I grabbed a quick bite to eat and called mom to let her know I was alive. I kept biking until 11pm, when I hit Bassano, and got a motel room for the night.
Ahhhh, a hot shower.
Motels cost me too much money though. I'm going to have to hit truck stops and the occasional campground instead, if I want to make it to Florida.
I left Bassano at 11 am today, and got to Brooks at about 3pm. There I went looking for a trailer for my bike. StarSports, no luck. Ditto Walmart. I had some MickeyDees at the Walmart, then left town around 5 or so. I made probably another 25-30 km southeast of Brooks by 730 pm, then made camp. No coffee or supper tonight, I had plenty to eat at McDs and still have some pop. I'll probably have pancakes and coffee in the morning.
I have been taking it pretty easy, averaging 16 km/h and stopping every hour for 15 minutes of rest. Until I get a trailer, that's the only way I'm going to preserve my back.
I must get a trailer in Medicine Hat. If not, then I will be going so slow that winter will catch me. Any kind of trailer will do, as long as it will attach to the seat post or bike frame so that it doesn't interfere with an empty (except for saddlebags) rear rack.
I figure that I can reach the outskirts of Medicine Hat by 3pm if I leave here at 9am. I'm in the very broad ditch of the TransCanada highway right now, about 30 m from the road and 2-3 m behind a large round hay bale - fairly safe - about 80 km northwest of Med Hat. Once I get there, I'll be hitting the first phone booth I see, and let my fingers do the biking. Gotta get some sleep.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
this is taking too long
this is taking too long
Well, it was more like 3pm before I got on the river. Moving the tent and tarp to the raft helped out a lot. I went downriver for about three hours. Moving much better today, much more controllable. Even so, this is taking way too long. The next bridge I see, I'm coming ashore. If it is early enough then I'll ride the bike for a few hours, otherwise I'll camp ext to the bridge. No matter what, I'm going to have to hit the internet on the 7th, to upload what I can and to assure my mom that I'm still alive. Again, I'm going to try for an early start tomorrow,... if I get to sleep by 10 tonight, I should be up by 6 and in the river by 8am.
a repacked raft
the view downriver from this island
a cool looking red plant on this island, no idea what it is
clinging to life on the shoreline
high riverbanks
Well, it was more like 3pm before I got on the river. Moving the tent and tarp to the raft helped out a lot. I went downriver for about three hours. Moving much better today, much more controllable. Even so, this is taking way too long. The next bridge I see, I'm coming ashore. If it is early enough then I'll ride the bike for a few hours, otherwise I'll camp ext to the bridge. No matter what, I'm going to have to hit the internet on the 7th, to upload what I can and to assure my mom that I'm still alive. Again, I'm going to try for an early start tomorrow,... if I get to sleep by 10 tonight, I should be up by 6 and in the river by 8am.
a repacked raft
the view downriver from this island
a cool looking red plant on this island, no idea what it is
clinging to life on the shoreline
high riverbanks
yawn
yawn
Well, so much for getting an early start - I totally slept in. Tonight I'm going to have to camp somewhere with a tree close by so that I can try out this solar shower. I have to remember to fill it before going to bed tonight and hang it somewhere that it will get the morning sun.
I'm almost all packed up now, and should be on the river by about 1:30 or so.
Well, so much for getting an early start - I totally slept in. Tonight I'm going to have to camp somewhere with a tree close by so that I can try out this solar shower. I have to remember to fill it before going to bed tonight and hang it somewhere that it will get the morning sun.
I'm almost all packed up now, and should be on the river by about 1:30 or so.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
my god i'm slow
my god i'm slow
Well, i didn't get everything loaded until about 1:45. I only did about 2 hours down the river, then landed on a small island - very small, there aren't even any trees on it, just lots of wild oats. it only took abut an hour to get everything off the river and set up camp. I want to get a very early start tomorrow, hopefully in the river by 8am. I'll stop around noon or 1 maybe for lunch, then back on the river for another three or four hours.
Each day is a bit of a learning experience. Today I learned that I can put even more stuff on the raft, if i want to do so. I'm going to move everything in the boat around a bit too,probably moe the tent and tarp to the raft. That way I should be able to get full extension on my arms, making paddling much easier. I will also be able to put my butt closer to the center of the boat. That may balance things out better. Man, am I ever glad I bought two air mattresses, it would be a nightmare trying to pack all this stuff on the boat.
Well, i didn't get everything loaded until about 1:45. I only did about 2 hours down the river, then landed on a small island - very small, there aren't even any trees on it, just lots of wild oats. it only took abut an hour to get everything off the river and set up camp. I want to get a very early start tomorrow, hopefully in the river by 8am. I'll stop around noon or 1 maybe for lunch, then back on the river for another three or four hours.
Each day is a bit of a learning experience. Today I learned that I can put even more stuff on the raft, if i want to do so. I'm going to move everything in the boat around a bit too,probably moe the tent and tarp to the raft. That way I should be able to get full extension on my arms, making paddling much easier. I will also be able to put my butt closer to the center of the boat. That may balance things out better. Man, am I ever glad I bought two air mattresses, it would be a nightmare trying to pack all this stuff on the boat.
a rafting we will go
a rafting we will go
OK, I have the raft set up, and pretty much everything packed. I think I'll leave the raft set up as long as I'm on a river, as it takes too long to untie and retie etc. I can use the raft as a mattress as long as I put my Thermarest mattress on top of it. Keeping my air mattresses/raft inflated while I'm on the river will save me more than an hour a day.
I'm going to load as much stuff as I can on the raft, and free up a bunch of space in the boat.
I didn't get enough sunshine on the solar shower, so the water didn't heat up at all. Oh well, I'm all alone out here, nobody else is going to care if I smell a little rank today.
OK, I have the raft set up, and pretty much everything packed. I think I'll leave the raft set up as long as I'm on a river, as it takes too long to untie and retie etc. I can use the raft as a mattress as long as I put my Thermarest mattress on top of it. Keeping my air mattresses/raft inflated while I'm on the river will save me more than an hour a day.
I'm going to load as much stuff as I can on the raft, and free up a bunch of space in the boat.
I didn't get enough sunshine on the solar shower, so the water didn't heat up at all. Oh well, I'm all alone out here, nobody else is going to care if I smell a little rank today.
second try at the river
second try at the river
Bright sunshine today. Looks like I'll be able to use my Solar Shower this morning and dry off all my wet clothes.
I think I'm going to make pancakes for breakfast this morning, and maybe some cereal too. I have to boil my water before I drink it, as it is coming right out of the river.
The next town I come to I should buya couple bottles of Methyl Hydrate for the stove. If I run out then I'll be stuck making campfires.
I haven't had to use any insect repellent yet - no mosquitos at all so far.
Just downstream is what sounds like some small rapids. I went over some barely-submerged rocks yesterday; I could feel them pressing on the bottom of the boat, but went over top of them with no problems. These rapids ahead might be another story, so I'll just walk downstream a bit and check them out...
OK, what I thought were rapids turned out to be a big tree that had fallen in the river; if I stay to the right of it I'll be fine.
I think I'll be leaving here around noon or so. Then I am going to put on a LOT of miles today, probably not stopping until I reach Bow City, the fourth bridge downriver. If I can dothat then I will definitely reach Med Hat on the 5th or 6th. Then I'm back on the road. Instead of heading east, I think I'll head south through the Cypress Hills until I reach Lodge Creek, which becomes the Missouri river in Montana. That means I'll be crossing the US border in Saskatchewan at Willow Creek, rather than going all the way to Winnipeg and then heading south.
That all depends of course on how well the next couple of days on the river go. If it is too hard then I'll be biking along the TransCanada highway until I reach Winnipeg. If the river is a lot better then i will go down the Missouri to Bismarck ND, then bike to Fargo, and take the bus to Chicago.
Bright sunshine today. Looks like I'll be able to use my Solar Shower this morning and dry off all my wet clothes.
I think I'm going to make pancakes for breakfast this morning, and maybe some cereal too. I have to boil my water before I drink it, as it is coming right out of the river.
The next town I come to I should buya couple bottles of Methyl Hydrate for the stove. If I run out then I'll be stuck making campfires.
I haven't had to use any insect repellent yet - no mosquitos at all so far.
Just downstream is what sounds like some small rapids. I went over some barely-submerged rocks yesterday; I could feel them pressing on the bottom of the boat, but went over top of them with no problems. These rapids ahead might be another story, so I'll just walk downstream a bit and check them out...
OK, what I thought were rapids turned out to be a big tree that had fallen in the river; if I stay to the right of it I'll be fine.
I think I'll be leaving here around noon or so. Then I am going to put on a LOT of miles today, probably not stopping until I reach Bow City, the fourth bridge downriver. If I can dothat then I will definitely reach Med Hat on the 5th or 6th. Then I'm back on the road. Instead of heading east, I think I'll head south through the Cypress Hills until I reach Lodge Creek, which becomes the Missouri river in Montana. That means I'll be crossing the US border in Saskatchewan at Willow Creek, rather than going all the way to Winnipeg and then heading south.
That all depends of course on how well the next couple of days on the river go. If it is too hard then I'll be biking along the TransCanada highway until I reach Winnipeg. If the river is a lot better then i will go down the Missouri to Bismarck ND, then bike to Fargo, and take the bus to Chicago.
Friday, September 03, 2004
aaaoooooooo
aaaoooooooo
The moon just came up. Calgary is still close enough that I can see the city lights glowing off the cluds. By tomorrow evening I hope that I can't see Calgary's glow anymore - maybe I'll see Medicine Hat instead.
The coyotes are singing again. I went outside for a little bit... oh, the stars! I had never seen the Milky Way like that before. I heard what sounded like some really big fish splashing around in the river. Across the river, there is some construction of some sort, though I can't see it. I have heard heavy machinery operating there, a constant background drone, since I arrived. It is sort of like the river, a low level hum of white noise. If it stops during the night I'll probably wake up.
The moon just came up. Calgary is still close enough that I can see the city lights glowing off the cluds. By tomorrow evening I hope that I can't see Calgary's glow anymore - maybe I'll see Medicine Hat instead.
The coyotes are singing again. I went outside for a little bit... oh, the stars! I had never seen the Milky Way like that before. I heard what sounded like some really big fish splashing around in the river. Across the river, there is some construction of some sort, though I can't see it. I have heard heavy machinery operating there, a constant background drone, since I arrived. It is sort of like the river, a low level hum of white noise. If it stops during the night I'll probably wake up.
first time is the hardest
first time is the hardest
OK, that was educational. It was also terrifying at times.
First off, I have way too much stuff in the boat. I'm going to have to move a lot of cargo from my little boat to the raft. There is so much stuff in the boat that I can hardly move my oars, which can't be good. Speaking of the oars: one of them came apart on me. The paddle part just unscrewed itself in mid-stroke. It's a damn good thing that floats. I was able to bring myself close to shore and then snag the paddle as it floated past.
As I was getting all collected after retrieving the oar, I sort of chucked my bail bucket - a one gallon ice cream pail - into the boat. Big mistake. It went sailing right over the boat and into the river. I hopped into the boat and started paddling furiously, and made two attempts to grab it; almost caught it once, but I ended up losing it. Damn, that thing was really useful too.
I got soaked pretty thoroughly today: all that fooling around with the oar and the bail bucket brought lots of water into the bottom of the boat.
It took a long time to get ready today. I didn't get all my stuff down to the river's edge until after 1pm, and then took well over an hour to get the raft and boat all set up and everything packed. I didn't get on the river until about 3, and was off the river by 3:45. I guess today was a sort of shakedown cruise, getting all of the bugs worked out of the system; I probably only went a couple of kilometers. That's OK, tomorrow I will have everything packed better and will be launch much earlier in the day.
I grabbed the nearest shoreline around 3:45. I'm not sure if this is an island or on the riverbank; at any rate I'm done for the day. While wandering around on the "island" looking for a good campsite, I found some excrement. It isn't human, and there seemed to be rather a lot of it. It wasn't from cattle or horses either, I've seen enough of that to know what it looks like. I am pretty far from bear country, so I have no idea what made that deposit. Hopefully I don't find out at all.
From the time I came ashore until the camp was set up and supper cooked was about 2 hours. I figure that if there are no portages, then I should be able to go quite a ways tomorrow.
OK, that was educational. It was also terrifying at times.
First off, I have way too much stuff in the boat. I'm going to have to move a lot of cargo from my little boat to the raft. There is so much stuff in the boat that I can hardly move my oars, which can't be good. Speaking of the oars: one of them came apart on me. The paddle part just unscrewed itself in mid-stroke. It's a damn good thing that floats. I was able to bring myself close to shore and then snag the paddle as it floated past.
As I was getting all collected after retrieving the oar, I sort of chucked my bail bucket - a one gallon ice cream pail - into the boat. Big mistake. It went sailing right over the boat and into the river. I hopped into the boat and started paddling furiously, and made two attempts to grab it; almost caught it once, but I ended up losing it. Damn, that thing was really useful too.
I got soaked pretty thoroughly today: all that fooling around with the oar and the bail bucket brought lots of water into the bottom of the boat.
It took a long time to get ready today. I didn't get all my stuff down to the river's edge until after 1pm, and then took well over an hour to get the raft and boat all set up and everything packed. I didn't get on the river until about 3, and was off the river by 3:45. I guess today was a sort of shakedown cruise, getting all of the bugs worked out of the system; I probably only went a couple of kilometers. That's OK, tomorrow I will have everything packed better and will be launch much earlier in the day.
I grabbed the nearest shoreline around 3:45. I'm not sure if this is an island or on the riverbank; at any rate I'm done for the day. While wandering around on the "island" looking for a good campsite, I found some excrement. It isn't human, and there seemed to be rather a lot of it. It wasn't from cattle or horses either, I've seen enough of that to know what it looks like. I am pretty far from bear country, so I have no idea what made that deposit. Hopefully I don't find out at all.
From the time I came ashore until the camp was set up and supper cooked was about 2 hours. I figure that if there are no portages, then I should be able to go quite a ways tomorrow.
gonna get wet, again
gonna get wet, again
getting ready to hit the river. I have my stuff pretty much all packed up now; once that is done, I will pack the tent and then start hauling stuff down tot he river's edge, launching about 100 m upstream from here. When I am on the water, the first thing I will try to do is land on an island, just so that I can make sure that I can do it at all.
I'm going to have to be very creative packing this raft. Next entry will be a few hours downstream.
getting ready to hit the river. I have my stuff pretty much all packed up now; once that is done, I will pack the tent and then start hauling stuff down tot he river's edge, launching about 100 m upstream from here. When I am on the water, the first thing I will try to do is land on an island, just so that I can make sure that I can do it at all.
I'm going to have to be very creative packing this raft. Next entry will be a few hours downstream.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
first problem
first problem
A few hours ago I had my first equipment problem - my camp stove wouldn't light up. I had left a bit fo fuel inside it when I left Conrich, and added a bit more... but I just couldn't get the sucker to light up. I figured maybe that there was a problem in transport, that I couldn't leave it fuelled. So, I dumped one load of fuel and refilled it. No luck. It was already after 7, and I was getting hungry.
I sat down and had a smoke. Why wouldn't it light? It had lit without a problem last night and again this morning. What was different? ... and then I realized that the previous two times I had lit it while it rested on the ground, whereas tonight it was sitting on a picnic table. Whether the ground acts as a heat sink to help drive the fuel flow,or whether there was too much airflow on top of the picnic table, I have no idea. Anyhow, I put it on the ground and started it, no problem. A couple of hotdogs and some coffee later, my belly is full and I feel a lot better.
Cool... I hear coyotes howling.
The US map dried out fairly well. The Canadian map is still wet though, and coming into the tent I put my hand right through it. Hopefully it will have dried by the morning, or I will need a new map.
I want to get started early tomorrow, and be absolutely sure I can get everything down river with me. I'm buying a second air mattress, so that I can make a raft to float my bike behind the boat.
A few hours ago I had my first equipment problem - my camp stove wouldn't light up. I had left a bit fo fuel inside it when I left Conrich, and added a bit more... but I just couldn't get the sucker to light up. I figured maybe that there was a problem in transport, that I couldn't leave it fuelled. So, I dumped one load of fuel and refilled it. No luck. It was already after 7, and I was getting hungry.
I sat down and had a smoke. Why wouldn't it light? It had lit without a problem last night and again this morning. What was different? ... and then I realized that the previous two times I had lit it while it rested on the ground, whereas tonight it was sitting on a picnic table. Whether the ground acts as a heat sink to help drive the fuel flow,or whether there was too much airflow on top of the picnic table, I have no idea. Anyhow, I put it on the ground and started it, no problem. A couple of hotdogs and some coffee later, my belly is full and I feel a lot better.
Cool... I hear coyotes howling.
The US map dried out fairly well. The Canadian map is still wet though, and coming into the tent I put my hand right through it. Hopefully it will have dried by the morning, or I will need a new map.
I want to get started early tomorrow, and be absolutely sure I can get everything down river with me. I'm buying a second air mattress, so that I can make a raft to float my bike behind the boat.
now I'm soggy
now I'm soggy
Well, that was interesting. Because of all the rain, I decided not to head straight south to the Bow. Instead, I went southeast along secondary roads for the most part until I hit Carseland. That's when it started raining heavily, with a little bit of hail. I found a store, and waited out the storm inside. There is a little campground here, where I'm spending the night. I don't want to spend too many nights in campgrounds; way too expensive. I think that I might try camping on an island in the river tomorrow.
My maps were in a pocket on the side of my front pannier. With the rain, they both got rather wet. I have them spread out right now in my tent to dry.
The river is moving pretty fast. if I have this figured out right, I should be in Medicine Hat by the evening of the 4th, and into Regina by the 6th. I have enough food to last until the 9th or 10th. I'm going to have to get off the river in Med Hat, as I don't want to divert north 100km. I'm not really sure how fast this river is going to take me; if it is fast enough then I'll be in Medicine Hat tomorrow.
Hmm looks like it's going to take quite a while for these maps to dry out. meh.
Well, that was interesting. Because of all the rain, I decided not to head straight south to the Bow. Instead, I went southeast along secondary roads for the most part until I hit Carseland. That's when it started raining heavily, with a little bit of hail. I found a store, and waited out the storm inside. There is a little campground here, where I'm spending the night. I don't want to spend too many nights in campgrounds; way too expensive. I think that I might try camping on an island in the river tomorrow.
My maps were in a pocket on the side of my front pannier. With the rain, they both got rather wet. I have them spread out right now in my tent to dry.
The river is moving pretty fast. if I have this figured out right, I should be in Medicine Hat by the evening of the 4th, and into Regina by the 6th. I have enough food to last until the 9th or 10th. I'm going to have to get off the river in Med Hat, as I don't want to divert north 100km. I'm not really sure how fast this river is going to take me; if it is fast enough then I'll be in Medicine Hat tomorrow.
Hmm looks like it's going to take quite a while for these maps to dry out. meh.
raining
raining
It has rained steadily for most of the night. Hopefully the rain lets up long enough that I have a few dry hours to pack everything up. After that, I will take some pictures and then head straight south until I hit the Bow river, about 30km away; just over an hour if I'm lucky. I figure that I ought to be ready to go in the river about noon or so. Then again, it may rain for a few days - going downriver in the rain is probably not the best idea.
The rain continues, very light. Wind is from the northwest, clouds as far as the eye can see.
It has rained steadily for most of the night. Hopefully the rain lets up long enough that I have a few dry hours to pack everything up. After that, I will take some pictures and then head straight south until I hit the Bow river, about 30km away; just over an hour if I'm lucky. I figure that I ought to be ready to go in the river about noon or so. Then again, it may rain for a few days - going downriver in the rain is probably not the best idea.
The rain continues, very light. Wind is from the northwest, clouds as far as the eye can see.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
on my way
on my way
Well, I made it to Conrich. It was a little rough at first; the rear rack was not quite balanced properly. I made it about 5 kilometers, then I had to stop and adjust the load. Once everything ws all centered and tightened, it was a lot better. It took about an hour and a half to go the first 5k, due to stopping several times to adjust one thing or another. The next 8 to 10k after that took about half an hour or so.
I got to Conrich at about 1pm, then set up camp for the first time, in the backyard of a friend's place. This was the first time I had set up the tent completely, and it went up without any problems. It is a three man tent, big enough that I could bring the bike inside if I wanted to. I also set up my inflatable boat for the first time. Setting that up was a snap, and repacking it was also pretty easy; good thing too, as some rain started to roll in while I was taking it down. It took less than 15 minutes to set it up and repack it; I finished getting it all in the tent just as the rain started. No point getting it wet before I have to.
The results so far have been really good. I am particularly impressed with my little alcohol-burning camp stove - only a small amount of methyl hydrate, maybe 25 ml, and I was able to make a cup of coffee and some stew. This little shakedown has pointed out for me what sort of problems to watch out for, and verified to my satisfaction that I ought to be able to make most of this trip on my bike.
For those times that I am tired of biking or way behind schedule, I can simply hop on the bus. The weight is distributed between the front and rear racks pretty well. I will keep adjusting it until the balance works out to my satisfaction; it's fairly close right now.
the steed, loaded for battle:
Well, I made it to Conrich. It was a little rough at first; the rear rack was not quite balanced properly. I made it about 5 kilometers, then I had to stop and adjust the load. Once everything ws all centered and tightened, it was a lot better. It took about an hour and a half to go the first 5k, due to stopping several times to adjust one thing or another. The next 8 to 10k after that took about half an hour or so.
I got to Conrich at about 1pm, then set up camp for the first time, in the backyard of a friend's place. This was the first time I had set up the tent completely, and it went up without any problems. It is a three man tent, big enough that I could bring the bike inside if I wanted to. I also set up my inflatable boat for the first time. Setting that up was a snap, and repacking it was also pretty easy; good thing too, as some rain started to roll in while I was taking it down. It took less than 15 minutes to set it up and repack it; I finished getting it all in the tent just as the rain started. No point getting it wet before I have to.
The results so far have been really good. I am particularly impressed with my little alcohol-burning camp stove - only a small amount of methyl hydrate, maybe 25 ml, and I was able to make a cup of coffee and some stew. This little shakedown has pointed out for me what sort of problems to watch out for, and verified to my satisfaction that I ought to be able to make most of this trip on my bike.
For those times that I am tired of biking or way behind schedule, I can simply hop on the bus. The weight is distributed between the front and rear racks pretty well. I will keep adjusting it until the balance works out to my satisfaction; it's fairly close right now.
the steed, loaded for battle:
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