Ride on, Highway Cat !!: Mosquito Man !

Day 20, Melville - Russell Manitoba (free campground)
Dist, 148 km, Avg, 23.4 km/hr, Saddle Time, 6:18
06 06 2011
PROVINCE # 4
I left late this morning (10am). I was trying to research the new route that I was taking. I was worried about the flooding that was going on everywhere. Originally I had planned to take the #10 from Yorkton through Roblin, Dauphin, then the 68 through the Narrows to Arborg, then along the SW coast of Lk. Winnipeg on #222. This route would offer great scenery, low traffic and good camping. Unfortunately, FLOODING may upset things and I'm not convinced that the route would be perfect. Stupid flooding. This portion of my trip and some of other portions of my trip was assisted by Steve Langston's book "Canada by Bicycle. http://www.canadabybicycle.com/
To play it "safe" I will continue on the "Yellowhead Hwy" (16) The weather is good with mostly tailwind and some headwind. It's one lane and rougher than the #1. It's got less traffic, but when trucks pass me, I get tossed and when they approach from the opposite direction, the wake hit's hard, kills all momentum. Riding along on flat stretches at 25 km/hr can be brought down to 10 km/hr each time a truck ploughs towards me. Very demoralizing indeed . (I would not recommend this route for cycling.)
Lots of farm equipment is transported on this road. Humungous machines that take up most of the highway. A warning vehicle toots his horn to give me a "heads up".
While in Yorkton, I rode by a "Staples". Then I thought " why don't I pop in and get a backup memory card for the camera ?." Here's a small nothing town with a giant Staples and what caught my attention was the relatively barren parking lot. These are factors that I look for if I need to leave my bike (Shirley) longer than 2 minutes without surveillance. Done.
Arriving in Russell, I find the free campground. There are washrooms and a large picnic table. Its a nice grassy area right in town with an IGA and a gas station 100 metres away. Maybe 12 sites with 3 of them taken up by RV's looking like they're mooching off the system.
Wicked mosquitos here. Damn Mosquitos !