Native Guides Don and Karen Ryan in Saskatoon

These two native guides, Don and Karen Ryan, cheerfully broke from their morning coffee to guide me first to a local tourist information centre (where the employee cheerfully advised me on the lack of nearby camping options) and then to a local bike shop (where I got a new chain, cassette, and tires).

Gerald from Bike Doctor in Saskatoon

Gerald the sales guy at Bike Doctor in Saskatoon who helped me wade through their trove of tires to find something to my fickle likings.

Dave from Bike Doctor in Saskatoon

Dave, a mechanic at bike doctor, who changed my cassette, installed the new chain, and did the rear tire (but didn’t line up the tire’s label with the valve stem, tsk, tsk). It was definitely worth the money to pay some pros to put the bike in their stand and make these changes. I appreciate them squeezing me in on a busy weekend day. However, lost my 34 tooth rear cog in the process. Saskatchewan is flat so the largest cassette they stock has 32 teeth. Made it through the hills of north Lake Superior with that diminished gearing okay…..so I’m probably fine. Right? Right?

Fraser of Bike Doctor in Saskatoon

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The very Canadianly-named, Fraser, installed my front tire. He has some sort of mystery power. This is the least blurry photo I could get of him.

Maureen, Seeton, and Tom in Foam Lake

Maureen, Seeton, and Tom from Calgary. We shared a couple of bottles of wine at camp in Foam Lake. (Seeton drank all of under the table. Although we had to keep pre-warming his in a plastic bottle with a rubber nipple.) Great company. Maureen and Tom are both avid cyclists (but not the jerky kind). Maureen works in oil contracts and Tom in physical therapy (in a private medical business…they have that too up here).

They were on their way to Mexico after visiting Maureen’s birthplace in Saskatchewan. Really nice couple. We had a wide-ranging conversation about biking, world politics, things to see, the differences between the US and Canada. Toughest question they posed me, “why isn’t Jimmy Carter more highly thought of in the U.S?” Feel free to take a stab.

Adam from Edmonton riding from Alaska to Argentina to raise money for autism awareness.

Adam is riding to raise money and awareness for autism. His website is www.adventureforautism.com. He’s on a very ambitious trip. Started in Anchorage, and unlike me, is trying to hit every major city he can. He’s headed to the States and ultimately to the far tip of Argentina. That’s a long haul, and he’s already lost his riding partner due to injury.

He rolled up behind me as I was entering Winnipeg. I said, “hey, are you Adam?” He was. I was tipped off. A father and daughter had flagged me down the day before in Portage La Prairie because they were aware of Adam’s quest and thought I might be him.

Rennie, Manitoba

If Rennie, Manitoba knew about Rennie Grossman, I’d think they pull this sign down and put up a bronze statue.

Three days and three hundred miles without a shower.

This is what I look like after three days and three hundred miles without a shower. I’m beginning to get that been out in the sun too long hobo-skin.

Dad and I outside the hotel near Heyden

Dad and I parting outside the motel in Heyden. This was one of about five times over three days when we said goodbye not knowing if we’d be saying goodbye for an extended period or just a couple hours. As it turns out, we did see each other later that day. (The library fiasco in Sault Ste. Marie.) And later that night. (Dad came upon me as I was fixing my seventh, and hopefully final, flat just east of Sault Ste. Marie.) And the next day. (I slept off the road in the woods that night and dad circled back in the car to see if I wanted to use the shower in his motel room in Bruce Mines. Was he trying to tell me something?)