Jeremy to the West

May 27 2018 Sun $106 Day 13

Gull Lake to Medicine Hat: 170km. For this accomplishment, I'd like to thank Quaker Oats, Clif Protein Bars and Powerade (I bought those four bottles first thing and downed three of them). Oh, and that gas station attendant who gave me a fourth scoop of ice cream free of charge. Couldn't have done it without you, bud.

But seriously, I'm dead tired after today. I started with a light wind at my back that had me shooting up hills without even switching gears. It was this great pace that made me first think Medicine Hat was a possibility.

Around 15:30 I came to the mother of all slopes and I could just feel I was close to the provincial border now. I expected to rocket into Alberta, but Saskatchewan being Saskatchewan, there was a flat stretch before the border, at which point the wind turned against me.

I didn't let it get me down, though. I was finally leaving Purgatory for the trapezoid province (though two signs both stating Medicine Hat's distance to be 32km away did make me question whether I'd really gotten out).

Exhaustion nearly dissuaded me from my goal today. I stopped a moment outside Irvine in serious contemplation before the young recalcitrant inside me decided no shit hole like that would rob me of my pride.

I arrived in Medicine Hat around 20:00, legs red and crispy, fingers stiff and sore, body covered in a thick, sticky slime of bug spray and sweat. But I'd made it. 170km, baby, take that to the goddamn bank! I'm gonna go swimming in the hotel pool.

Now that's a town. Someone put my head on that Drake meme with Waldeck's sign and this sign.

Downhill for daaaayyyyysssss.

I liked the sign.

Back in the land of the living!

Celebrating with ice cream.

Remember when Calgary was 511km away? Seems like just yesterday.