Day 32: 6/21/19: Walsh to Brooks, AB

It rained again last night, but did not keep me awake long. Before I camped at the visitor's center in Walsh last night, I looked around to make sure there were no "No Camping" signs around.  I saw no signs at all, except a few regarding pets.  When I pulled out this morning, I saw a sign that listed a few things, but none regarding camping. One of the rules was "No Overnight Parking." I don't know if my staying there was considered parking, but no one called me out on it, so all is good.

There were no breakfast options at Walsh, so I skipped breakfast and rode about 35 miles to Medicine Hat for breakfast.

I got to see the Saamis Teepee, the world's largest teepee, in Medicine Hat (pic below).

I went to McDonalds to get my usual Big Breakfast with pancakes. They did not sell that option, so I opted for a ham, egg and cheese McMuffin meal deal.  It came with hash browns and coffee.

When I arrived at McDonald's, there was a 68-year-old male worker cleaning around the outside.  He asked questions about my trip.  He then said, "I guess you're about my age, 68." I told him I was 58.  I just told Lisa last night I think this trip has aged me.  My skin is all dry and ashy, and I have been dealing with styes in my right eye that has my eyelid drooping.  Well, verification received, it obviously has aged me.

After McDonald's, I went to Walmart to buy some groceries, and figured I would use my debit card to get some more Canadian currency since I was running low.  I figured I would kill 2 birds with one stone, and avoid having to go to an ATM. I asked the cashier if I could do cash back and she said yes.  However, when I scanned my debit card, it didn't give me the option for cash back. The cashier then told me I couldn't get cash back since it is a MasterCard debit card. So now I will have a foreign transaction fee on that purchase (I have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees), and I still have to go to an ATM to get money, and that will be another transaction fee.  I just love giving money away.

After Walmart, I headed out for Brooks, AB, but I still felt my energy level was gone.  I guess that egg McMuffin combo didn't put enough in my tank. After riding about 4 miles, I stopped at another McDonalds on the other side of town and ate a Big Mac meal. I don't know if it was the Big Mac, the fries, or the 4 medium-sized cups of root beer, but I really felt energized after that meal.  I don't drink soft drinks at home, but I have had root beer twice this trip, and both times it was good.  The tingle at the back of my throat from the carbonation was very enjoyable and the taste was great.

I finally set out from Medicine Hat at about 12:30 p.m. to ride what I thought was going to be 60 miles to Brooks. It turned out to be more like 70 miles.  So what's 10 more miles, right.  Well, from Walsh to Medicine Hat, I had a gentle head wind, but could still maintain about 12 mph.  As the day progresses, I'll bet you can guess what the wind did.  It started blowing harder.  By the time I was 10 miles out of Medicine Hat, my speed was down to about 9 mph.  A few miles later, it was down to 7-8 mph.  About the last 20 miles of my ride, my speed dropped to 6 mph, with it occasionally dropping to 5 mph.  I had decided if it dropped to 3 mph, I was just going to walk.  I finally made it to Brooks at about 8 p.m.

When I arrived at the Kiwanis Campground, I saw this couple who were on touring bikes. They could speak a little English, and I asked them if they were staying at the campground.  The man said no, that they charge $40 for a site, and it only has a port-a-potty.  I told them I would check with some folks to see if tent camping is cheaper.  As I was talking to a guy in one of the RVs there, the couple rode off.  Turns out, tent sites are only $10.

I could tell they were traveling east, because $40 was going to send them on riding some more. With the experience I had riding west today, that campground was as far as I was going; I was done! I would not have even been opposed to all three of us sharing a tent and splitting the fee. :)

I hope they know what they're getting into.  The next town east of Brooks was about 45 miles away and had very limited services. The next available town is Medicine Hat at about 70 miles away. What's between those towns is what is called the Canadian Badlands (pics below).

Among all other things, as I was pulling into Brooks, my rear tire started going flat.  Below is a pic of the small piece of metal, still in the tire, that caused it. I was so tired that I originally thought I would just repair it in the morning, but then I realized it would be colder in the morning, so I repaired it tonight.

There was a rainbow (pic below) that appeared in Brooks just as I arrived in town.

There was mention on Facebook about me being sponsored by a pancake company since I post so many pancake pictures. I agree, I've never met a pancake I did not like. On a trip like this, I can eat as many of them as I want.

Total miles today: 102.3