Day 32

Looking back at fifty, I remember Day 32 as the day our structured expedition finally dissolved into a wonderful, chaotic social event. We’d arranged to meet Matthew, Erin, and Christine on the road, which gave us a rare excuse to sleep in while they hit a bike shop. By the time we finally all met in Douglas for lunch, it was 2:00 PM. A younger, more intense version of me might have worried about the 100km still ahead, but having new faces and fresh stories around was the perfect fuel for the final push.

The afternoon was a high-speed game of dodge-the-storm. We spent the day watching massive indigo clouds swirl over the brilliant green and yellow canola fields—a stark, beautiful contrast that only the Prairies can provide. At one point, we huddled in a convenience store while a downpour hammered the highway; we’d left our six bikes in a jumbled heap by the road, and I still chuckle thinking of the minivan that slowed down to check if they’d just witnessed a mass cyclist disaster.

We rolled into Portage la Prairie at dusk, bypassed the campgrounds for a cheap motel, and ended up at Denny’s for a late-night feast. The highlight, though, wasn't the food, but the absolute abandonment of our routine. We stayed up until 3:00 AM playing cards, laughing as if we weren't supposed to be back in the saddle in a few hours. As we get closer to Winnipeg, the "discipline" of the trip is being replaced by the joy of the finish line.

We wake up late since Erin, Christine, and Matthew are going to the bike store. Shortly before 11:00a we finally set out. It is mostly sunny but the wind is blowing in such a direction that it is causing a bit of a headwind. It does not take long to reach Douglas where we stop for lunch. Matt, Erin, and Christine eventually arrive and we sit around chatting before we finally find the motivation to get riding again. It is already 2:00p and we still have a long day ahead.

We spend the day riding with different groups of people, chatting while we bike. Much like yesterday, there are dark rain clouds passing by us. The contrast in colour between the rich greyish indigo of the storm and the brilliant yellow and green kenola is astounding. Late in the afternoon, we stop at a store to wait out a heavy rain. We have left all our gear and bikes in an odd pile at the side of the road. One minivan even stops to make sure it is not some sort of bizarre cyclist pile-up.

The sky is just beginning to get dark as we finally reach the outskirts of Portage la Prairie. We find a cheap motel and the others decide to stay the night with us. After some showers, we finally head out in search of supper around 9:30p. We return to our motel rooms where we stay up until 3:00a playing cards. We have abandoned discipline and routine!