Anniversary Weekend Ride to Pike Lake

This past weekend was our anniversary. Amanda and I have been together for 24 years. At this point I' have now spent more of my life with her than without - and it has truly been better with her!

Last week, while out on a ride, I had an idea to surprise her on out anniversary (which was on Sunday). I had kind of suggested "doing something" to make sure she didn't go make other plans... and then she made other plans. At least those plans involved me! She got it into her head that we should pull the Tandem down, get it roadworthy and take a little trip out to Pike Lake for an overnighter! Well her idea was better than mine, so I just rolled with it...

Sixteen years ago we decided to do a bike tour. I mean it was the reason we got together in the first place - bicycles and the love of getting around on them and bike touring... and yet, despite all the plans we'd made, we'd really only ever gone on one weekend tour together!

So, now that Amanda had a "real job" and before we got to having kids, we thought we'd go on a big (relatively) tour together the summer of 2003 - it would almost be like the honeymoon we never had. Almost.

After a few short rides together we got it in our heads that it would be fun to get a TANDEM - so we'd be able to stay together and it would be fun... and romantic... and stuff...

We settled on a Burley Duet (back when Burley still made BICYCLES!)



Part of the "Duet" decal got worn off and now it looks like "Duel", which, at times, seemed more apropos...

So I was left in charge of getting the bike roadworthy again and sorting out some kind of route to get to and from Pike Lake, preferably one that took us past The Berry Barn on both outward and homeward journeys!



I started with trying to get some new tires on there - preferably GRAVEL tires - so we could take circuitous, backroads route to our destinations and avoid Valley Road  or the main highway, where we could. I'd hoped the Donnely tires I'd picked up to put on my old Surly CrossXCheck (I'm trying to build up as a gravel bike for Finnegan). Unfortunately the 700x40 was just a smidge to big tofu between the rear chainstays, so I had to go looking for something else. I ended up picking up a pair of Schwalbe 700x35 gravel tires from the Bike Doctor (I can't remember their name off the top of my head...)

Having gotten it together in time, Keira and Irode out on it to meed up with Amanda on her way home from work.



The ever-lovely Amanda Plante on her way home from work!



Me and Keira on the Burley tandem



Again with me and Keira and the Burley.



Later in the evening Amanda and I took it out for a spin. Saddles and pedals had been scavenged from this bike for other bikes, so I had to scavenge some pedals and saddles to use on it from bikes that weren't regularly being used. I used the Brooks saddle from my Big Fat Dummy, and just bought some new pedals for myself. I scavenged the saddle off Amanda's mountain bike and some platform pedals she'd had... I'm not entirely sure where they came from...? Maybe they were on her Soma DoubleCross and I swapped them out when the kids took that over...?



Werode around by the south bridge, and Amanda complained viciously that the saddle was very painful - no matter how we adjusted it!




Somehow she managed a smile for this pic....?



Maybe it's a pained grimace...



Not sure... We did try another one - it may have come off a commuter type bike my mom had had... it was wide and had big springs... she said it would probably have to do... We only rode around the block once with that one.



Saturday I went out on the Fargo to pre-ride parts of the route I figured would take to the Berry Barn.




Ducks and the Chappell March Conservation Area



Llama? Alpaca? I don't really know...



Passed a couple of VERY exuberant dogs in a sheep pen.



Turning back towards Valley Road.



On Valley Road rolling up to the Berry Barn - 25Km - as I had figured my "scenic" route would be...



I needed to get back quicker so I just shot straight back up Valley road... and it sucked... Valley Road used to be nice to ride on, there was a fairly wide paved shoulder on it - but they have, since I last rode down there, resurfaced it, and the paved shoulder has completely disappeared - there is just a rough tapered bit at the edge of the road that covers what was left of the old shoulder... Meanwhile there was a pretty constant stream of traffic flying by at 90Kph!



f-bomb... despite feeling like I was STARVING all bloody week, I seem to have stagnated...



After I got home and showered, I rode with Keira to the finally "Knowlympic" event - which was being held at the J.S. Wood Library. The bike rack was pretty full.



As we were walking into the building even MORE cyclists were riding up wondering where they were supposed to lock up...?



Keira, showing me her Knowlympics passport.



And then it was Sunday. Looked like it SHOULD be sunny for our ride out and we might catch a bit of rain on the way home.



All loaded up and ready to go...



Heading off down the road.



She's smiling. We're still on pavement.



Didn't take long before that jacket had to come off.



Horse cart racing around by the side of the road.



More of the same sheep from the day before.



That "mainly sunny" was quickly turning into "Mosly Cloudy" and caused me some anxiety!



Cows.



Finally made it to the Berry Barn. Good thing we'd had reservations - it was CrAzY busy!!!



Conveniently we got a seat right by wear we'd leaned the bike!



Amanda had a Quiche and a salad and a huge chunk of blueberry crisp with Ice-cream.

I had a salad and some veggie spring rolls and some blueberry perigees for dessert.

Keto went out the window this holiday...



Back on the road.



The view of the road ahead from the stokers seat.



Shot I took of the countryside we were travelling through for my friend Aaron.



road.



More road.



Bridge across the lake at the north end of Pike Lake connecting sections of the Scout camps.



Camp Seeonee - where I did a fair bit of camping as a young lad.



The road into Pike Lade was pretty soft!



Hooties Gift Shop - where we signed in to get our cabin.



Our cabin for the night.



Little kitchen-like-dining area.



(bunk) bedroom



Living area and the refrigerator.



Plenty of space to bring the bike in.



I was pretty pooped so Ilay down have a nap once we got in.



Amanda took it upon herself to punch out all the counters for the new game I'd bought for our anniversary. But didn't read the rules.



We went for a little walk around tehswamp... er... I mean... "lake"



Lookouts along the shore of the slough... er... "lake"



Amanda decided she needed to dip her feet into the water.



Back at the cabin we ate some sandwiches we'd packed in the morning for supper.



As it was getting chilly and the mosquitoes were coming out we retreated indoors to play games for the evening. I'd brought along a half dozen smaller card games I thought we might play. We only ended up playing on - plus the new game I bought.



WE played two rounds of Cthulhu Realms - a card drafting/deck-building game very similar toStar Realms or Hero Realms - or even Marvel Legendary... and I assume all the other Legendary games.



then we had dessert - MORE treats we'd brought from theory Barn. I had a Cinnamon Roll with all sorts of pecans in it (They'd sold the last berry one just before we got up there...) Amanda had... some sort of pastry roll.



Then we tried out our new game - 7 Wonder Duel!



It was pretty fun.

After a couple games of that we decided to call it a night... and then Amanda started PUKING! She was up pretty much the rest of the evening hurling her guts out and dashing to the toilets down the way...





Chickadees in the park where I ate brunch.



Amanda trying to get some liquids back into her... Canada Dry!



Took the main highway back - mostly. It wasn't TOO busy on a Monday morning. Amanda wanted to avoid the bumps and gravel. Well, this is Saskatchewan Highway, so we were able to avoid some gravel... Luckily there was no more puking - or other emergency roadside pitstops!



Roadside point of interest.



and when we went home Amanda went straight to bed....

Ah well... Puking and being sick aside, it was pretty good (extended) Anniversary weekend!