Day 26 - Melville(SK) to Russell(MB)

117.6 km - Total so far 2347.05 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5178542

It was not till this morning that we realized just how difficult yesterday afternoon was on the two of us. Maybe I should have picked up on the fact that Helene just passed out face down on the bed while I was writing the blog. Those head winds were punishing and we got absolutely no break what so ever for the last 72 km. We slept in and did not leave till around 8 am.

One of the lessons we learned from yesterday is to pedal as long as the winds are favourable and not expect that they will remain so all day. While we planned on staying in campgrounds most of the time, we also had decided that a motel was the best option after a particularly difficult day of cycling.

Today our destination was Russell, Manitoba, 114 km away. The ride was not particularly difficult with a slight cross wind. Of note, is that for almost 35 km, trucks over 8 tons were not allowed on Hwy 15 so we found ourselves mostly alone on the road with the odd car traffic. The scenery reminded us of the Ottawa Valley, with smaller fields bordered by trees and clumps of trees everywhere. There were also lots of marshes teeming with birds and ducks. These marshes make for great places to stop. This part of Saskatchewan was a lot greener then we were led to believe at one of the campgrounds in Alberta.

We saw a few herd of cows and one in particular caught our attention. We discovered that our bear bells alert all sorts of animals, causing some to run along side us. It is actually very funny. I do hope that this is not what happens when a bear hears the bell.

Find the impostor

We also found the time to appreciate the Prairie sky. Unlike the Ottawa Valley where a weather system may just sit for hours, here in the space of a few hours, the weather can go from dark clouds to sunny cloudless skies and everything in between, or as we found out yesterday a 180 degree change in wind direction.

This slice of prairie sky is for you Mike

Shortly after crossing the Manitoba border, we came upon the Assiniboine River Valley. It was a magnificent change of scenery and we had to stop for pictures. We like river valleys because they offer you both a nice descent and a challenging climb on the other side. The Assiniboine River Valley did not disappoint and offered us a challenging 3 km climb. Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bilingual welcome to Manitoba

Assiniboine River Valley

Assiniboine River Valley, the fun bit for the touring cyclist

The campground in Russell is free but without services, such as showers or running water. Had we had a car, we would have made due and driven around to find those services but on bicycles after 114 km, we decided to hunker down in a motel. As we normally do every night, we stopped at the grocery store in order to prepare our own supper. 

Russell is the hometown of Theoren Fleury (NHL Hockey player) and Jon Montgomery (2010 Olympic Games, Gold Medalist in Skeleton). 

Tomorrow we have 85 km to Miniota, so we will spend some time looking around Russell before we leave. 

Below is a video we made yesterday to remind us of what the winds were like. Here as a result of a change in the road direction, we find ourselves with cross winds. You can clearly hear our bear bells ringing and the flags flapping! 

73.20 miles - Total so far 1,458.39 miles

Day 25 - Regina to Melville

147.76 km - Total so far 2,229.5 km -

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5161095 (Part 1 - very fast and fun)

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5161096 (Part 2 - very slow and NOT fun)

We left Regina at 7 am under perfect conditions, sunny, 9 degrees and winds from the WNW at 27 kph. At first, we were on Hwy 1 which runs due EAST so the wind did not offer that big an advantage but once we turned onto Hwy 10, we had the wind to our back. We were able to reach Fort Qu'Appelle 70 km away in 3 hours 5 minutes. That is the fastest we have pedaled since the trip started. We had our second breakfast and did a little walkabout. After 1:30 hours, we got back on the bike heading for Melville.

Our turtles visiting with a Saskatchewan cousin.  Hélène Helenstill flashing her 70 km in 3:05 hours grin.  

A selfie of the entire team all still grinning from the morning ride.

Fort Qu'Applle main street with typical angle parking and the ever present murals

Qu'Appelle River Valley

Ski hill near Fort Qu'Appelle

First order of business, climb the hill out of the Qu'Appelle River Valley. Halfway up the hill, to our left, we noticed 3 Proghorns. If you think these guys came move quickly on the flat, you should see them run up a hill. They were so fast, that Hélène could not manage to get a clear picture. That is unusual as she can whip out that camra in a flash.

As we climb the hill, we noticed that the wind was now in our face when less than 2 hours ago it was to our back. While we were having breakfast in the village, the wind turned around 180 degrees. We were now looking at strong headwinds for the next 74 or so km. It took us almost 6 hours to get to Melville and it was our most challenging day to date. Climbing Allison Pass was a lot easier as once in a while the climb levelled out but this afternoon, there was no break from the wind, it was relentless. I checked with Environment Canada once we got to Melville and the winds this afternoon were 27 kph with gusts to 43 kph. No wonder, at times, it felt like we could not make any forward progress.

A lot more lush green rolling hills and many more trees

Tonight is our last night in Saskatchewan. We are hoping that the winds will be in our favour tomorrow as we head to Russell, Manitoba.

91.81 miles - Total so far 1,385.19 miles

Day 24 - Regina Rest Day

0 km - Total so far 2,081.49 km - Rest Day 

Getting around Regina - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5149871

It is difficult to sleep in when one has been waking up at 5 am for the last 24 days and it is light at 4:30. Today was a no cycling day and we got to catch up on a few things.

The plan was to buy a day pass to travel on the Regina Transit System. Unlike in Ottawa and many other places where you purhase the pass from the bus driver. Here you have to travel downtown and purchase it at the Transit Office. Thankfully our bus driver was kind enough to give us a free ride downtown. With pass in hand, we headed out the door to one of the many laundromat we found on Google. Well the first one did not work out as the place did not open till 3:30. On to number 2 which we needed help to find as it is located inside a massage parlor. We walked out of there 50 minutes later with tons of clean laundry. Back on the bus and to the motel, drop off the laundry, back on the bus heading to 'Wholesale Sports Outfitters' to pick up a couple cans of propane camping fuel. I was in heaven, the place is like 'Sail' in Ottawa but with more neat outdoors stuff. Good thing I had adult supervision as I would have walked out with more than 2 cans of gas. 

After a quick lunch, we were off to checkout the RCMP Depot Division. The visitor site doesn't open till July so there was nothing to see. Back on the bus to do a walkabout downtown. In late afternoon, we decided to threat oursleves to a drink and early supper at the Saskatchewan Hotel. Those old hotels are a testament to craftsmanship and oppulent detail and this hotel did not disappoint. We sat in deep leather love seat and got to enjoy a view of Victoria Park across the street. We promised each other that the next time we ride across Canada we will stay in that type of hotel everynight!

War Memorial VIctoria Park

12th Avenue pedestrian mall stores awaiting renovations, Regina

12th Avenue pedestrian mall, Regina

Lobby of HSBC 

Old and new next to each other, Scarth St, Regina

Skyways between buildings 12th Avenue and Scarth St

Believe it or not we finally made it back to the motel feeling more tired than if we had pedaled 100+ km. Your body gets accustomed to repeatitive exercise and today was something we have not done much in the past 24 days and that is walk. Thankfully we can recover from the walking tomorrow as we pedal to Fort Qu'Appelle (74 km) or with the right winds, Melville (144 km).

We also would like to thank Peggy who we met at the bicycle shop yesterday who offered to give us a guided tour of Regina this evening. Had we not have so much to do this evening, we would have most definitely taken up her offer. Enjoy your 8 week cycling trip, Peggy, but be advised that they are addictive. 

78.29 miles - Total so far 1,296.38 miles

Day 23 - Craik to Regina

126.0 km - Total so far 2,081.49 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5138925

We have updated Day 22.

Before we tell you about today, we just want you to have a look at our setup last night. As I mentioned, we moved our tent inside the camp kitchen to stay out of the forecasted rain. In order not to sleep directly on the cement floor, we set up the tent on 3 folding tables. There is also a picture of me working off line on the blog for Day 22.

Daniel hammering away at the blog. It was pretty chilly and I am wearing a few layers.

Hélène inside the tent sitting on the table platform...it worked well at insulating us from the cement slab.

When we left the campsite around 7:12, it was 5 degrees with a breeze from the WEST. It was the coldest morning we have had since the trip started and we had to put on our arm and leg warmers as well as our long gloves (we have fingerless gloves as well). 

The road to Regina is well travelled and otherwise pretty humdrum. It does however have a village every 15 km or so. On the plus side, there are very many marshes, and when there is no vehicle traffic your can loudly hear the sounds of life.

My bike having a rest on the side of the road. 

Have you ever been chased and pushed off the road by a house? Well just as some other questions we have asked in the past, Hélène and I can answer in the affirmative. I was following Hélène and a truck with a 'Wide Load Sign' slowed right beside me and I knew exactly what to say and do "Get off the road". Within seconds another warning truck passed and as we turned around we saw the house coming at us. It was quite a sight. 

Can't even sneak by on a bicycle

We pedaled at 25+ kph and by our first stop at 9 am, we had covered 30 km. We stopped in Chamberlain and after the mandatory elevator picture, we had coffee at 'Twisted Sisters'. We also took pictures of the hay wagon with a 'surveyor'. Along the 'Louis Riel Trail' as Hwy 11 is called, there are a number of these two sculpture arrangements but only this time was it close enough for us to get a hands on view. 

Makes for an eye catching billboard

Sculpture of surveyor, the wagon and yourstruly dressed as for a fall bike ride....brrrrrrrrr

Next stop was Lumsden, 30 km from Regina. We had a quick lunch and debated what route to take to Regina. After 100 + km, one gets tired of hearing the sound made by vehicle tires as they roll by you at 110 kph. Google maps gave us a number of options that put us on secondary roads. What it doesn't tell you is that the roads are covered in loose gravel, which is extremely demanding to pedal on. We sucked it up and once again headed down Hwy 11, but before heading down we had a nice little climb right after lunch.

Great way to warm the muscles after a light lunch (Hwy 11 coming out of Lumsden)

We made it to the bike shop (found by Ginette) in Regina to pick up the tire (arranged by Yvette). Todd was not there but we still got the tire. Hélène also picked up tubes of ladies and original Chamois Butt'r. While there, we also chatted with a lady who is planning an 8 week trip down the Western coast of the US and is still at the early stages of training and preparing. We gave her a card so that she could read on about our experience getting ready for this trip.

We tried to find ourselves a cheap and cheerful motel to spend the next 2 nights but we quickly discovered that cheap motel is not so cheap in Regina. 

 Tomorrow is laundry and walkabout Regina!

78.29 miles - Total so far 1,296.38 miles

Day 22 - Outlook to Craik

125.4 km - Total so far 1,955.49 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5127930

We had a solid day of cycling. A bit cold this morning and it did not warm up much. Tailwinds and a bit of rain, we could not have asked for more. We will slep well tonight.

As mentioned before, last evening, we had the pleasure of meeting Harry and Kathy from Saskatoon. They came to our campsite bearing ice cream bars so we just to eat dessert before the main course for our supper. They are both Harley Davidson (HD) enthusiasts and regaled us with stories of their trip to Sturgis, South Dakota. When one owns a Harley there are three must take trips; Daytona, Florida during bike week, to the HD factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the other to Sturgis, South Dakota. Harry mentioned that the population of Sturgis normally 3,200 people grows to as much as 750,000 during the motorcycle gathering. This year for the 75th anniversary of Sturgis, the population is expected to grow to 1 milion +. As Harry was pointing out their bikes, I suggested we move over to their campsite and have a better look. As expected, their bikes were spotless. We also got a tour of what they refer too as their toy hauler. This is basically 1/3 covered motorcycle hauler and the other 2/3 an extremely well set up camper with all the amenities and an ice making machine.

Harry's (near ground) and Kathy's bikes. Kathy and Hélène chatting in top right corner

We excused ourselves as we had to go back up the hill to use the WiFi at the hospital to work on and publish the blog. They immediately offered us their WiFi which we did use to publish Day 21. Once again Harry and Kathy thank you so very much for the ice cream bars and use of the WiFi. We wish you many safe and dry rides and may they all be rubber side down. RIDE TO LIVE - LIVE TO RIDE!

Today's ride started later than usual 8 am, it is Sunday after all. Destination for today is Craik 125 km away. It is overcast, 12 degrees and a nice tail wind. I forgot to tell you that we had a nice and very windy campsite overlooking the South Saskatchewan River.

The scenery was reminiscent of what we had when we first entered Saskatchewan, enough said. We stopped for our 2nd breakfast in Kenaston. We have made it a habit of checking out the grain elevators whenever we pull into a new hamlet, and we found three in Kenaston. There was also a water tower just like in Harris, but this tower lacked the 'spout' to fill the locomotives. I walked over to one of the elevators. While no longer in use, the owner's have gone to great effort to preserve it. It is completely covered in metal shingles. There was an unlocked door (red door on elevator picture) and I managed to take a peek inside. It looked like a walkway and as you can tell in the picture, there is still a lot of grain dust floating in the air.

Water tower and elevator, Kenaston

Looking straight inside the elevator. White specks are grain dust

We ate french toast at the only restaurant in Kenaston. The place is owned by a man from Laos who has been there for 8 years. He also lived in Estevan and in the Yukon before that. Asked why not Ontario, he replied his sponsor lived in the Yukon. He mentioned how happy he was to be living in Canada. As we left, we noticed 3 horses hitched around the corner. No surprise to us as we had seen horse imprints along the road heading to the elevators.

3 horses hitched behind post office

Back on the road, we stopped for a coffee to warm up in Davidson. From the outside it looks pretty much like your usual truck stop. Inside we found that every table and chair set is different and that some have a theme (see picture below).

We finally made it to the campground in Craik at 16:55. We quickly set up the tent and went up to the restaurant 1 km away to use the WiFi. Upon our return, we checked out an empty building (probably the camp kitchen) and decided to move the entire operation indoors. We will be spending the night in the tent inside a building. No wet tent to fold and carry on the bike in the morning.

We have seen many an old building along our route and often we can see round looking things on them. We have not had time to look into what that could be. Anyone have any idea? Talking about odd looking things we have seen, such as posts with metal cans hanging from them out in the field and spaced one or so kilometer apart, keeps us occupied when pedaling to recover from a small navigation error. :-)

Three round things the one in the middle is lower than the other two.

Tomorrow the destination is Regina to get a new tire for Hélène and take a one day rest.

77.92 miles - Total so far 1,215.08 miles

Day 21 - Rosetown to Outlook(via Delisle)

135.4 km - Total so far 1,830.09 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5115162

Have you ever asked yourself, either as an individual or one half of a couple, how you would feel after pedaling 100 + km in the rain going up hill or after coming to the realisation (or being told) that you made a wrong turn 72 km back. Helene and I can without hesitation answer both questions.

Big grain bins and not silos near Rosetown

Our day started a little later than usual (7:30) but did so with great anticipation. The weather forecast for today was mostly clear, 12 degrees and winds from the WEST 20 gusting to 40 kph. Finally the long awaited tail winds. On Hwy 7, we were effortlessly moving at 25 kph just eating up the road, first Zealandia and then Harris, 40 km away. It was by then 9:30 and we decided to pull into Harris and find a restaurant. Not finding one, we asked a local gentleman and he directed us to the New Horizon Centre. 

New Horizon Cenre, Harris, SK

We went in looking for coffee and as we were about to sit at a table of our own, we were invited by a number of ladies to join them. After telling a bit about our trip, we got down to the more pleasant business of finding out about Harris. We learned the village has a population of about 300 people, that they once had five grain elevators and now have only one that is privately owned and that the two churches are now used; one as a private residence and the other as a hunt camp in the fall. There is no longer an active curling ring but the village has the only water tower with a wooden tank, once used to replenish steam locomotives. The local school once housing 300 students is now down to 30. Once a thriving village, Harris is becoming a bedroom community of Saskatoon. Like many other villages we have had the pleasure of stopping in, Harris boasts a number of murals and a museum. We could have chatted much longer with Roseanne, Dorothy and Anne but we had to get back on the bikes and head to Outlook. As we stood up, Roseanne asked if we were interested in visiting the museum. How could we say no!

The Pringle Nature Gallery

Roseanne drove the two of us to the museum. She was especially interested in showing us 'The Pringle Nature Gallery'. The animals in it were a gift from the Natural History Museum in Regina. The gallery came about from a generous donation from a Mr Pringle. Mural painted by Liza Gareau-Tosh. We could have spent hours looking around but we did not want to impose on Roseanne and we did have a few more kilometer to pedal. As an additional treat, we also got to visit the water tower. The tower was built in 1934 and is one of the last ones in North America and the water tank is made of wood. It was moved from it's original location across the street next to the railway tracks. 

Water tower. Note the spout halfway up on the right. Roseanne and Hélène trying to get in

Roseanne, Dorothy and Anne, thank you so very much for your wonderful hospitality and especially to Dorothy for setting me straight  on what I had been calling 'silos' are actually referred to as 'grain bins'.

Once back on the road, we pedaled like crazy towards Outlook. It was effortless and we were averaging between 25 and 35 kph depending on the road direction in respect to the wind direction. As we neared 72 km, expecting to see the sign for the Village of Outlook, we were stopped dead in our tracks by a sign that read "Delisle 1 km" and "Outlook (turn right)". 

Reaching for the map, in horror, we realized that leaving Rosetown we should have headed SOUTH for a bit and turned EAST onto  Road #15 instead of heading EAST on Hwy 7. We were now 56 km NORTH of Outlook. The winds that pushed us along would now be cross winds and make those 56 km SOUTH to Outlook a lot slower (16 kph). 

Flag gives you an idea of what cross winds were like, and yet, still smiling :-)

For those 56 km, we discussed how we should record this major faux pas in the blog. We thought about blaming it on the GPS for giving us wrong directions but my GPS unit only records speed, time and distance travelled. We laughed more during those 56 km than we did when riding in the rain for 100 km + heading to Rogers Pass. 

To every cloud there is a silver lining. Sure we pedaled 56 km that did not get us any closer to Ottawa but had it not been for the error we would have never met Roseanne, Dorothy or Anne and spent time in Harris. Net effect we will be in Ottawa August 1 and not July 31. Moreover, we would have never had desert brought to us by Harry and Cathy, from Saskatoon, our neigbours at the campground in Outlook. That is a story for tomorrow. All in all another incredible day on our small cross Canada adventure. 

We were going to tell you about hydration while cycling the Prairies but that also will come later. As for recipes and Hélène's observation on her cycling kitchen that will also be later.

Video of horses who wanted to follow us.

84.13 miles - Total so far 1,137.16 miles

Day 20 - Kindersley to Rosetown

85.1 km - Total so far 1,694.69 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5099516

• Before we tell you about our day, we just want to thank you so much for helping us out. Within 10 minutes of the post, Ginette (Hélène's sister) had found us a bike shop in Regina. As I looked at my emails at lunch today, I noted that Yvette (friend from work - LSEC) had contacted the bike shop in Regina and spoken to Todd. We are trying to determine how soon we can be in Regina before we give the bike shop a call. We can't forget to thank Helen and Millon who gave us the answer about the two magnificent creatures in the picture, that turned out to be North American Proghorns. Had it not been for the cars, we could have gotten awesome pictures of them laying down. I just checked my emails and discovered that Sylvie has also found us a another bike shop. Again thank you so much for your help.

• We were warned as we arrived in Kindersley that there was a thunder storm warning in effect. Just in case we staked down the tent with the help of the new mallet we just bought. We are sure glad we did. At about 10:30 it started to rain, then came the thunder and lightning. Quite the show I have to tell you. After the sound effects stopped, the wind picked up and that lasted most of the night. At times the wind got under the tent and lifted the floor at our feet. We did not get much sleep last night.

• After a McD breakfast we hit the road. For the first time on this trip we started with the wind to our left rear. Not the tail wind we had read about but a nice treat for once but we took advantage of it nevertheless. We rode like two kids (well extremely mature teenagers) out for fun and just gobbled up the kilometers. What immediately surprised us was how different the scenery was compared to the day before. Nice green rolling terrain with some climbs, a lot more farm homes, pastures, grain elevators and yes the ever present silos. 

A rare trio of grain elevators

No depanneurs but quite a few of these in the countryside

We believe this to be a silo breeding farm located in Fiske. Teenage silos to the left and the younger silos to the right

• About 10ish, we decided to take a chance and venture into Fiske. The sign on the highway indicated that meals were available. We found the only cafe to be closed. Asking one of the locals, we were directed to the curling rink. In the curling rink, we found a few of the locals having coffee and chatting. Hélène and I each grabbed a coffee and sat at the table closest to the window. I picked the choice seat, directly under the TV shelf. As most of the locals left only Sandra and Eleanor remained behind. We had a great old chat telling the ladies about our trip to date and some of the experiences we had. In turn, they told us about Fiske (population 100 and that has been constant for 100 years) and how busy the curling rink is in the winter with children and families. Sandra mentioned spotting Sheara cycling on the road near Fiske, the night before. We understand that Fikse may have the only one sheet artificial ice curling rink in the world. We also learned that Kindersley was an oil town. This would explain why most of the trucks in the campground this morning were gone by the time left. We could have stayed and chatted some more but we had to get back on the bikes and our destination for the night, Rosetown. As we left, Eleanor invited us to come back next year. Ladies, we might just do that. Thanks again for the wonderful hospitality.

The sheet of ice in Fiske. If you look closely you can see a twoonie

The curling rink and "the" place to be seen and heard in Fiske 

What else but the grain elevator in Fiske

Hélène in her office in Rosetown

• What Hélène and I will remember most about this trip, are the connections we have made and will continue to make until we get home, be they on the road or right here through our blog.  

52.88 miles - Total so far 1,053.03 miles

Day 19 - Oyen to Kindersley

99.6 km - Total so far 1,609.59 km - http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5093420

• We left the campsite at 6:30 this morning hoping to use the WiFi at the Information Center. On the way there we noticed that the A&W at the truck stop had WiFi so we tried there instead. We left 20 minutes later having had breakfast but no success with WiFi. Lesson learned easier to use WiFi at McDonald's than A&W.

• With practically no traffic on Hwy 9, we got to enjoy the bird songs. We came across this huge pond that was full of many varieties of birds. It would have been nice to have a pair of binoculars to get a better look.

Large pond in Alberta just shy of Saskatchewan border

• We took the picture below during one of our 10 minute rest stops. I rest my bike on Hélène's because I carry a water bladder in each of my front panniers and don't want to have them pressed against the ground. In a later post, we will show you all that we carry for hydration. This was not an issue in the Rockies with all the streams and fast running water but it 's critically important in the Prairies given the absence of same. We also changed our riding technique. We now ride for 90 minutes (vice 50 minutes in the Rockies) with a 10 minute break and we rotate every 4 km vice 2 km as there isn't much change in terrain or scenery.

Water stop notice the straight road and the scenery

• We now get excited when there is a curve in the road. I think we had five on the way to Kindersley. Had it not been for the horrible cross wind it would have been a pretty boring ride.

More Alberta scenery along Hwy 9

Saskatchewan border near Alsask

• We could not resist when on Hwy 7 in Saskatchewan we saw this "Point of Interest" sign. We stopped and found a plaque that explained the big rock you see in the picture below, the 'Buffalo Rubbing Stone'. For hundreds of years the stone was used by buffalos to remove excess winter hair and relieve the occasional itch. The prolonged effect of doing this was to actually polish the rock in many places.

Using the buffalo scratching rock...felt real good

• We stopped for lunch in Flaxcombe at this very unassuming little place. We asked what was on the menu (we learned from our Cereal experience) we were told the only thing left was soup. We got a discount because the bowls were only 3/4 full. It was a very tasty homemade BBQ Beef soup. It was simply delicious.

Flaxcombe lunch stop an unexpected surprise

• We came upon the two animals in the picture below resting in the field. We stopped for a picture but the cars immediately following us caused them to rise. They moved away from us about 200 meters and just stood there and staring at us. After taking the picture we pedaled away, and wouldn't you know it, they followed in parallel for a good 500 meter. Curiosity works both ways it seems. We would like to know what kind of animals they are but just don't have the time to do an Internet search...any takers?

Help us identify the critters in the picture

The Prairies are flat...not!

• We need your help in locating a proper tire for Hélène's bicycle. We need a Schwable Marathon Plus Tire 26 in x 1.5. The replacement tire we got in Cochrane is not working out as planned. It would work fine on a city cruising bike but on a fully loaded touring bike as we just can get the pressure high enough. This greatly increases the rolling resistance and makes it more difficult for Hélène to pedal the "flat Prairie roads". You have our route through Saskatchewan so try to find us a bicycle shop that carries that tire. Continental also make touring tires and a Kenda tire for a tandem bicycle would also work. Merci beaucoup.

61.89 miles - Total so far 1,000.15 miles