Day 27

The worst thing about buying a new bike is the break in process, some of which I had done yesterday. It still meant that I wasn't able to just set the cruise and pound the pavement home. As it was, the weather would have made the almost 1,000km home a very long day, so it was probably a good thing to break it up. My folks were heading south on vacation, I was heading north, so we arranged to stay in the same town. Dinner and a chat would fill the evening, and then we can go our separate ways in the morning. 

It was less than 100km before the rain started, no breaks from the weather just because I got the new bike. I didn't really mind the rain, I've come to terms with it by now, but man was it were cold! The rain was steady for the next 150km, in a few places there were downpours. In Mayerthorpe I pulled over to use a restroom, and ended up chatting with two bikers from Quebec for 15 or 20 minutes. I had planned to stop at Tim Hortons in Whitecourt to warm up with a coffee. The two guys wanted to stop there as well, and we arranged to meet. 

It was good to get out of the rain, and the three of us sat there for almost an hour. They are headed up to Dawson City in Yukon Territory. If I didn't need the money, I would postpone work and ride with them for a few weeks. Funny how a random encounter can lead to an immediate friendship, that just doesn't happen riding in a car. By the time we finished the sun was making an appearance, so we all got ready to ride. I wished them a safe trip and I was off. 

The sun didn't even last an hour, and the dark skies ahead promised another patch of rain. It was another 100km or so of hard rain and gusting winds, every bikers dream riding conditions. The final stretch was dry, which was nice. I arrived in Valleyview a little after 5pm, and took notice of two couples on trikes arriving just before me. It wasn't that long ago I was looking at South Dakota plates, and here they were again. Naturally I decided this called for a conversation, and I short order I learned they were all headed up to Alaska. They found it quite interesting that I had just been in their state, and now they were in my province. After chatting with them for 15 minutes I checked in and brought the bags to the room.

The hotel here is attached to a Tim Hortons, and having survived the very cold ride, another coffee sounded good. To my surprise, the two guys I had coffee with in Whitecourt had also stopped again. They had gotten gas next door, and also wanted a warm drink before their final leg of the day. 20 minutes later my folks had arrived and I again wished the bikers safe travels. 

I spent the evening with my parents, having dinner and then visiting. It was nice to have arranged this, a good way to spend the final evening of the trip. Tomorrow I plan to arrive at home, time to face the real world again. Four weeks sounded like a lot of time when I started, but it has flown by. I'm already thinking ahead to the next trip, it can't come soon enough! Time to win the lottery so I can do this for a living:)