We survived the T Rex but just about got gobbled up by the Prairie winds today. They start off fairly mellow but they build and build through the day, and when they are coming from the East, that is hard going. But we survived and stumbled into LaFreche (a small, cute Prairie town) and dinner at the Wild Goose Inn where the Canucks were getting schmucked.
There are miles and miles of no human on the prairie, but what about "Hinterland's Who's Who" for all you nature buffs. There are tons of creatures out here. Yesterday afternoon there was a muskrat on the river, an antelope on the hill and a fox bounding a field. But the real action is in the ditches. In case you missed it, it has been raining cats and dogs on the Prairie (an apt metaphor) and the farmers are frustrated and crying. The result is lots of green fields with patches of water spread about and roadsides that have become vibrant marshes. So who's who in these green ditch/marsh roadsides. At the bottom of the food chain is Leah's least favourite creature... the mosquito. They come out in mid afternoon through to sunset and terrorize bikers, especially when stopped. They are bred for the Prairie so they know how to navigate the winds and travel with you, biting as you go. Above them in the chain are the wonderful sounds of the frogs (no peepers though), mostly the low vibrating calls. Then the birds.... tons of them. All kinds of ducks I have never seen, geese, sandpipers, cranes, heron and assorted others. The most common though are the red wing blackbirds with their brilliant wings and beautiful calls. They seem like proud marshalls of the marshes. Everyone seems to be thinking nesting and there are lots of mating calls in the wind. Above them all soar a range of Prairie hawks though again I do not recognize the various species. The smaller birds are not keen about them as you might expect but they seem more focused on catching small prairie dogs and mice.
It is a spectacular and vibrant ecosystem, just not the one that the farmers have in mind. The green marshes with blue waters, glistening in the sun are wonderful for us, far removed from the burnt yellow images of the Prarie that I had in my head as a stereotype at the outset.
Distance: 89.26 km
Time on bikes: 6:24:28
Average speed: 13.9 km/h
Distance from Vancouver: 2061 km
Start Time: 10:30 am
End time: 7:15 pm
Wind: from the east (headwind strong!)
There are miles and miles of no human on the prairie, but what about "Hinterland's Who's Who" for all you nature buffs. There are tons of creatures out here. Yesterday afternoon there was a muskrat on the river, an antelope on the hill and a fox bounding a field. But the real action is in the ditches. In case you missed it, it has been raining cats and dogs on the Prairie (an apt metaphor) and the farmers are frustrated and crying. The result is lots of green fields with patches of water spread about and roadsides that have become vibrant marshes. So who's who in these green ditch/marsh roadsides. At the bottom of the food chain is Leah's least favourite creature... the mosquito. They come out in mid afternoon through to sunset and terrorize bikers, especially when stopped. They are bred for the Prairie so they know how to navigate the winds and travel with you, biting as you go. Above them in the chain are the wonderful sounds of the frogs (no peepers though), mostly the low vibrating calls. Then the birds.... tons of them. All kinds of ducks I have never seen, geese, sandpipers, cranes, heron and assorted others. The most common though are the red wing blackbirds with their brilliant wings and beautiful calls. They seem like proud marshalls of the marshes. Everyone seems to be thinking nesting and there are lots of mating calls in the wind. Above them all soar a range of Prairie hawks though again I do not recognize the various species. The smaller birds are not keen about them as you might expect but they seem more focused on catching small prairie dogs and mice.
It is a spectacular and vibrant ecosystem, just not the one that the farmers have in mind. The green marshes with blue waters, glistening in the sun are wonderful for us, far removed from the burnt yellow images of the Prarie that I had in my head as a stereotype at the outset.
Distance: 89.26 km
Time on bikes: 6:24:28
Average speed: 13.9 km/h
Distance from Vancouver: 2061 km
Start Time: 10:30 am
End time: 7:15 pm
Wind: from the east (headwind strong!)
Location:Lafleche, Saskatchewan
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