August 19 - Plamondon, AB to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan  365 Miles

We had quite a variation in riding temperatures today.  As we started out, the temperature was about 50^oF, and we ended up the day at about 87^oF; a big change.  We carry riding clothes to cover this kind of a range, and dress by layers, but it is a challenge.

At breakfast, a man who had seen us up in Northwest Territories said we should stick around to see the Fall Colors.  He said that in two to three weeks from now (about the first week in September) the fall colors would be at their peak.  That shows how short a summer they have here in the far north!

As we crossed from Alberta into Saskatchewan, we still rode through large wheat fields bordered by trees.  Some of the riding was through forests also, through the rolling hills.  It was interesting that the wheat was gold colored and ready for harvest here, whereas in most of Alberta the wheat was still quite green.

Of course there are lots of grain elevators, so we had a view of updated old ones like this and more modern ones.

One interesting thing we saw twice today and several times in the last few days was an "Elk Farm".  There were elk within high fenced pastures, being fed and kept like cattle.  There were no antlers on any of them, so we don't know whether there were no bull elk, or whether their antlers had been cut off.  We are guessing that these are elk meat farms, with the meat being sold commercially.  Sort of sad, really, to see such magnificent wild creatures in this type of pen.

In one long stretch of road, we found the infamous Canadian road repair that we had seen before when we rode to Alaska.  It is called "Chip Seal".  To do this repair, crews lay down a layer of oil or tar on the existing roadway in need of repair, and then spread a loose layer of mixed gravel, dirt, and calcium chloride over the tar.  This has to be beaten in by the cars and trucks to make it hard.  Its not bad when it is beaten in and hard, but when it is newly dumped on the roadway, it is dusty and hard to ride with a motorcycle.  We made it OK, but riding in that stuff taxes one's skill in keeping the motorcycle right side up and running.

Then we ran into some heavy construction where the roadway and a bridge were being totally redone.  It started out with our riding hard surface dirt and gravel road for a ways, then crossed the bridge, and this wasn't bad.  However, immediately after the bridge there was a long stretch of fine "sugar" sand, with ruts from the earthmovers in the very soft roadbed.  This caused us real difficulty.  We made it through, but it wasn't fun.

All in all, it was a fun day, and we're ready to go tomorrow.

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