Day 25

Looking back at fifty, Day 25 was a classic example of how a simple logistical oversight can nearly derail a morning. Wendy had a persistent flat tire, and it wasn't until we tried to replace the tube that we realized we'd bought Presta valves in Chilliwack but only carried a Shraeder pump. It was a total "rookie" mistake that could have stranded us if Matthew, the solo cyclist we'd met, hadn't been there with a multi-use pump. We said our goodbyes to him after that—he was aiming for a massive 174km day to Moose Jaw, while we decided to stick to a more human pace.

The ride through the central Prairies was visually surreal. Near Chaplin, we saw what looked like massive piles of unmelted snow in the ditches, which turned out to be sodium sulphate deposits from the local salt flats. We'd planned to stay in a hotel in Chaplin, but we learned a hard lesson about trusting highway signage: despite the advertisements, there was no hotel to be found. We were forced to set up camp right next to the train tracks, knowing we'd be in for a noisy night.

But the day ended with a moment of pure Prairie magic. While we were having dinner at the Silver Dollar truck stop, the sky cleared at the horizon and exploded into shades of violet, orange, and gold. It was the first time I truly understood why the license plates call this the "Land of the Living Skies". Even with the ground feeling "harder than normal" and the trains roaring by every half hour, that sunset made the struggle feel worth it.

It rained last evening but this morning it is sunny again. As we are getting to leave, we find one of Wendy's tires is flat. We cannot find any signs of a leak so we just pump it up again. I stop atop a bridge just outside the Swift Current city limits to make sure the others made it safely through the craziness of on and off ramps. Blue and Matthew arrive and we wait quite a while for Wendy. It turns out her tire had gone flat again. While replacing her tube, we discover that the new tubes we bought way back in Chilliwack are in fact Prestas. But our pump only handles Shraeders. Fortunately, Matthew has a pump that handles both.

As we get back on our bikes, we say goodbye to Matthew. He rides ahead and vanishes into the distance. We encounter one very large uphill and I cannot help but wonder if this will be our last major hill we have to climb. The remainder of the day is reasonably flat. As we arrive in Herbert, we briefly meet up with Matthew again as he finishes lunch. We start passing small lakes and marshes. I even see what looks like a group of pelicans flying overhead.

As we approach Chaplin, we see huge piles of snow everywhere. I come to the conclusion that it must be salt but it is odd that there is so much in such a small area. Just inside Chaplin, we stop at a small info centre and discover that we are in the middle of a migratory bird route. So I did see pelicans and the orange headed birds are American avocets. The deposits of salt are actually sodium sulphate. After setting up the campsite, we go to a truck-stop diner for supper. The rain stops and the clouds start to break up, producing a gorgeous sunset of navy, violet, orange, and gold. I clearly see why the Saskatchewan license plates read "Land of the Living Skies".