Rushing River

Monday, Neepawa, Manitoba.

Just 6K south of Route 17, as the Trans Canadian Highway is numbered in Ontario, is this beautiful provincial park known as Rushing River. We saw it on the map and it's location happily coincided with our rapidly declining stamina. Tomto checked us in and for a measly $3 extra (on top of the standard $29.50) got us a waterside campsite. A reasonably level site, big by most park standards, huge flat rocks where we could dry out tent and other gear that got wet in the previous night's downpour led down to the peacefull broad river (the river must rush elsewhere). Friendly chipmunks who obviously had been well fed by campers kept us company with their constant chatter. Bold crows who also had found a bonanza of camp scraps dropped in hoping for some good luck. It was still sunny and warm when we arrived and we relaxed a while before setting up camp. I dipped my hot and shriveled feet in the water for a while and it felt soooo good.

While I set up the tent Tomto prepared dinner: fried Spam (whatever the Canadian version is called) with maple flavored baked beans. Really, not as bad as it sounds when eaten with a six pack of Lakeport Premium Lager.

Sometime during the day we had slipped over into the Central Time Zone and it was still pretty bright outside when we hit our sacks. After the Lakeport and bean dinner nature called sometime after midnight and I headed to the privy ("washroom" in Canadian) I was greeted by a fantastic canopy of stars and a sliver of new moon. The sky was refleced in the still waters and if it wasn't for the hungry mosquitos I would have moved my sleeping bag outside and slept on a rock.

Still on eastern time I was up early and walked to the end of the campground and caught a shot of the rising sun through the trees. The camp wakes slowly and we had coffee and granola bars as we packed before much of anyone else stirs. But as these things go packing and leaving take longer than one would expect. Before we left a mustacheoed man stopped by again, he had stopped to ask about our bikes when we pulled in, and we were drawn into a long discussion about his bike collection and the cost of motorcycle insurance in Manitoba where he is from. Seems that his Kawasaki cruiser costs $2000 per year to insure and his Bergman Scooter costs about $600. Would make you think twice about owning a bike in Canada. Maybe my membership in the AMA does some legislative good in the USA.

Other encounters along the way: Guy in a Jaguar convertible with Manitoba plates headed to Niagra Falls, "There is a new pipeline in Alaska and the roads are all torn up, don't even think about going there. I saw it on television"

Old guy at Grandma's Cafe after dinner. "Got to go to Casper outside of Calgary... beautiful mountains, great roads. My son lives in Kodiak at an Army base, you know, where the big bears are. But don't miss that road to Jasper."

First Nation gas station attendent at a crossroads west of Winnipeg, "You guys are going to ride 8 more days, wow. Eight more days. To Alaska!"

On to Saskatoon.