26-27 June Clagary - Drumheller - Youngstown

Wednesday 26 June

Breakfast was served at the University at Calgary at 6.30am. Bacon, eggs and fried potato set me up for the day.There was quite a bit of ducking and diving getting out of the city. Once we got going it was a fine sunny day with no clouds. Quite warm. Peter and I made good time doing the 166km in 6 hours and 51 minutes at an average of 25kph.

The farmland is mainly planted out with canola. The route was still quite hilly, the flat bits of the prairies still a few days off. The other aspects of Drumheller that are interesting is the dinosaur museum, and the size of the mosquitoes. The wet spring has made for a bumper crop, so lots of insect repellent is the order of the day.

The campsite was fine with lots of trees providing shade. A fine and breezy night meat for a dry tent in the morning.

Thursday 27 June

Today we rode from Drumheller to Youngstown - 144km. Weather still beautifully clear with deep blue skies and not a cloud in sight.The hills are getting smaller too. The road was good and the traffic ok as well. They have sealed over old concrete roads and the jointing can be a bit hard on the system, but generally a good day with a tail wind. We stopped in Delia for morning tea and in Hanna for lunch at Subway and rested there for a while. Delia was a real hicksville type of place but the Chinese owner of the diner couldn't have been more helpful. He offered blueberry pie with ice cream and other assorted goodies, all welcome on a hot day. Otherwise not much to report - I suspect this may be a feature of prairies reporting.

Now camped outside the Youngstown hall and sending this message from the library across the road. Youngstown has 157 inhabitants according to the young librarian. We have the use of the hall facilities and Shane is busy preparing dinner. I've done the laundry and have my cycling clothes drying on the line.