Day 26

Looking back at fifty, I remember Day 26 as the day the Prairies finally gave us a break. We woke up in Chaplin to a phenomenal northwest wind—a true gift that pushed us along the highway like we were being carried by a tide. As we pedaled, I found myself noting the alphabetical sequence of the towns: Secreton, Parkbeg, Mortlach, Caron. There's something comforting about that kind of order when you're moving through a landscape that feels so infinite.

I witnessed something truly stunning while waiting for the others to catch up: a formation of seven pelicans struggling against the wind. One fell behind, and I watched as another bird actually left the formation to guide the stranded one back into line. It felt like a metaphor for our own trip, especially after the speed we were hitting—averaging over 32kph and even hitting 50kph on the downhills, often sharing the lane with massive transport trucks, including one bizarrely carrying a whole house!

We rolled into Moose Jaw early and decided to dive into the local history. The tunnels were a total surprise. We were expecting a dry history tour, but instead, we were thrown into a full-on theatrical experience with characters in 1930s garb pretending we were bootleggers during the Al Capone era. We finished the day wandering past the city's famous murals and sharing a meal in a historic house, where the kids' menu prices were listed as "3 loonies, 2 quarters, and a dime". It was a day where the "Land of the Living Skies" felt less like a slogan and more like an invitation.

Waking up, breakfast, repacking, and remounting the bike has become so routine that I perform the tasks without thinking about them. Blue tells us that the towns along the railway were named alphabetically, repeating the pattern over and over again: Secreton, Parkbeg, Mortlach, Caron. It is cloudy but the wind is phenomenal, gusting from almost directly behind us.

While stopped at the side of the road, I look up and see another group of pelicans flying above. One pelican gets separated from the group and is not making any progress. As I watch, a second pelican leaves the group and helps the stranded pelican get back into the formation. Stunning to watch. I am racing along at 50kph when I hear a transport truck behind me; as it passes, to my surprise, I find it is carrying a house on the back!

My average speed continues to get higher and higher and eventually peaks at 32.7kph. Since we are making such progress, we reach Moose Jaw quite early. We have decided to stop and see the attractions, specifically the tunnels of Moose Jaw. It was an extensive tunnel system used by Al Capone during Prohibition to get around unseen and smuggle booze. We were introduced to many different "characters" who did a good job of both giving a history lesson and play acting. Much different than what we expected.