7 August - Difficult decisions

Swift Current to Chaplin 93km (2495km total).

Sarah insisted on cooking me a good breakfast before wishing me luck for the rest of my trip. It proved to be a trying day, it's amazing the difference the wind makes, I wonder if there is ever a calm day? I think at some point it blew from all directions! Predominantly it seemed to be coming from the south and you would have thought a crosswind would not be too big an issue as I travel east but it still really slowed me down. Some days I can have the km's showing on my bike computer, some days I just cannot bear to see how slowly they tick over and my default screen becomes the max speed as the time elapsed and average speed can also be somewhat depressing.

There are not many towns to break up the ride on this stretch so when Herbert appeared I dived off the highway desperate for a break. It's amazing how quickly the pain goes away if you can get off the road slightly and off the bike. I first discovered this climbing the hills in BC and it is the same with the wind. I found a patch of shade near the museum, had something to eat and drink and felt like I was in a small oasis of calm. I checked out the map trying to figure out my camping options if I didn't make the 140km I had hoped for today. I went into the museum / tourist info and they were pretty sure my camping options were limited. I think the lady sensed I was having a hard day and offered me ice cream. As I ate some ice cream I learnt a bit about Herbert's history. The museum was dedicated to the railway but there is also a big Mennonite presence in the area and a number of Hutterite colonies (similar but follow a different leader). As I left I asked if she could fill my water bottle and she bought it back, with ice in too. 

The wind didn't let up and when I arrived in Chaplin I was quite surprised and happy to see a campground sign. It was 17:30 and it taken me all day to do 93km, I wasn't sure it was sensible to attempt another 50. The cloud had been building and there was a severe thunderstorm warning. Chaplin was pretty dead, I toured the dirt roads and found the campground which was basically a field with a very run down toilet, it didn't look very inviting but I found a plot with a picnic table and sat down to deliberate. I find it hard when I don't make the distances / places I plan too but I can still make it to Regina tomorrow if I get up early (I was a little later than planned leaving Sarah's) and the wind is more friendly. Decision made I pitched my tent and decided to crack open the British baked beans I have been hauling around since Suffield. 

The Prairies are not completely flat, in the last 2 days there have been a number of hills. 

Found this guy hitching a ride when I stopped.

Old fashioned grain elevator, this one was still in use but these iconic prairie landmarks have been hard to find.

Railway museum in Herbert.

The pile of white stuff in the background that looks like snow is actually salt. There is a whole lake of the stuff here in Chaplin.