Way out West - Canada to Central America

[T.Low]

Your pictures are indeed amazing, but you're every bit as skilled with the language as you are with the lens. And your brevity is masterful. Bravo.



But this photo in particular ...I could look at it for hours on end.

[Motojournalism]

Back to the ride report, back to the great plains and uninterupted horizons.




I've slept a little past dawn this morning next to the river. The tent and sleeping bag are a bit damp, so I hang them to dry in the warming sun.







Crossing the next border





Looks like the RCMP have good riding jackets, I think this was in Oxbow Saskatchewan.






It's a lovely sweet smell, the seas of wheat waving in the sun.





Preserved as though nothing has changed. How long can things stay this way?

















These fascinated me on a childhood trip to the prairies. Kind of skeletal and beastly, slowly pecking at the earth.





Can anybody identify these? I don't think they're deer, at least as I know them. They run wild in the plains.






Road matainance is basic out here. Cut up the bad spots, spread some tar, chuck some gravel. Let the cars press it down.














Hang on, that ain't flat...





Wow...





Big Muddy Badlands, carved out of the landscape.










I've got to admit surprise, Saskatchewan is gorgeous.






Many of these grain elevators used to have "POOL" painted on the side, but have since been covered-up. What happened? I think it was a wheat pool, how did that work?















A classic road-trip view





By the last light I find a road leading to a campground that's been closed for the season. There's absolutley nowhere to sneak the bike past the gate. I camoflauge the red KLR behind a stop sign and set-up for the night, happy to be at home anywhere, with my tent.

[Klay]

They're antelope. What a gorgeous trip.

[stickman1432]

They are actually called Prong Horn Antelopes.

The report and photos were outstanding..........Glad to see that you became adventurious and was able to get the broken bolt out of the head.

[Ragin Rabbi]

Next year I am Canada bound.

I was thinking of heading for James Bay, but maybe instead explore Ontario for a while.

KLR, open road(?) and a tent. What more does one need?

Gonna be in the area (Ontario) next year? About July(ish)?

Great report, GREAT photos. Looking foreward to more.

[Motojournalism]

Antelope! Cool, I didn't think they would be anything so exotic

[Motojournalism]

Originally Posted by Ragin Rabbi

Next year I am Canada bound.

I was thinking of heading for James Bay, but maybe instead explore Ontario for a while.

KLR, open road(?) and a tent. What more does one need?

Gonna be in the area (Ontario) next year? About July(ish)?

No idea where I'll be come July
Might be back in Montreal for work, might be practicing my spanish somewhere, Ojalá que si...

If you haven't been out there yet, I'd recommend checking out Nova Scotia and even Newfoundland if you have time!

[JoeyBones]

Originally Posted by Antontrax

Whew! it came out quite easily, just used a nail and tweezers to back it out.

TWEEZERS?!?!?



The motorcycle Gods have smiled upon you, buddy. If it was me they'd be pulling the engine out of the frame right now. Right about the time the rain started and the bridge washed out.

[cbennett5199]

Pictures - amazing


Words - amazing

[Tallboy]

Truly beautiful scenery - thanks for dragging us along for the ride!

[Motojournalism]

Only one truck passed by last night. They stopped to look, but moved on quickly.
I'm up before dawn, ready to slip out of hiding. I step in a few gopher holes hidden in the long grass while taking down the tent.







There's ladybugs everywhere! There must be thirty on my tent, some on my luggage, I brush a few from my boots.





According to the maps, Western Canada begins at the Ontario - Manitoba border. But I know better. The real West dosen't start 'till halfway across Saskatchewan. Now we're getting into cowboy country.

























My horse with no name





Among the ghosts of no fame.





Descending into Frenchman Valley





This looks like it could crawl away of it's own accord, wagging it's scorpion tail.









Amazingly well preserved, how many winters has it weathered?





I've got over 320km on the trip odometer, I'll need gas around 350. I've been looking all morning, many of these towns on the map are collections of ten houses or less. No services.





I step back in time to a Canada Post office in a dead-end town. Back in time because the ladies working there are dressed like the photos in my early 1980's math textbooks. The distance to the gas station several towns over is given in miles as well. Canada switched to metric in the late 70's, Before my time. I have no idea how far a mile is...



The gas station turns out to be a cardlock for the local farmers. I'm lucky though, there's someone there to take cash. She prints out an invoice after I fill the tank.









Would you trust your teenagers to drive these beasts?





The old propieter sitting in the shade outside the Manitoka New & Used directs me to the only game in town for breakfast.






A big farmer breakfast at that.



And back to cattle country, there's a long way to go.

















Skirting south along the border






A tumbleweed rolls across the road ahead, just like in the movies!













Not sure if they have a sense of humour in this town or what...





Not sure what it was about this place, but it took this far, several thousand kilometers into the trip, to feel like I'd really gone somewhere.














I bed down in Cypress Hills after crossing the Alberta border.

Music is a very personal thing, but lying on my back in the dark looking out at the universe, I can't imagine a more fitting soundtrack on my iPod than Dayvan Cowboy, by Boards of Canada

[ricohman]

Here is a pic of that road that leads into the muddy. But since I have a color camera its in color.
I have shot some nice mulies in that area.
I just rode from #6 through Coronach, Rock Glen and the Frenchman Valley two weeks ago. Nice ride. I'm going back in 3 weeks to do some hunting.

[ricohman]

And the elevators are mostly private now. Notice the rails lines missing?
There is some short track but the grain elevator is nearly a thing of the past sadly.

[rubRsidedown]

Great read and pics.

[dryden_rider_54]

Great story as usual Anthony. We were through that way in early Sept and know exactly what you mean.

Keep up the fantastic pics and tales of the road.

Here is a picture of the gas station at Orion Sask.



and the station owners shop