At the 100th Meridian

Why... why ... why ... why... why me?

I looked at the environment Canada website.

I saw the Doppler radar for the area and , yes there was rain... but it was about 100 kms North and going to stay there. It was blowing quite nicely across our province towards the cottage country.

So... at 8:00 a.m. I hopped on The Giant and rode out of the city, up Highway 26 and South towards St. Eustache hoping to put in a generous 90k or so.

About 35 k into my ride I could see the wall of Black in the distance, but it was at least 15 Miles away to the East. I know this because I was consistently counting about 15 seconds between the lightning and the thunder claps. Besides.... the wind was blowing across me towards the South East.... thus the storm was moving away.... as I already mentioned above... confirmed by the latest technology. Anyhoo.... I stopped and took some really nice photos of the prairies and the rolling storm clouds.

Looking back towards Winnipeg.

Sun-streaks towards the prairies.

A field of wheat awaits the rain.

At the 100th Meridian, where the Great Plains begin.

Again... these storm clouds were full of thunder and lightning, but they were moving away from me...... away! Shoo you storm clouds!

After the photo session.... I continued on my merry way and was looking to put in somewhere around a half-iron distance (90k) today. I had gone over the bridge and was exploring the pristine pavement of highway 256 heading South when I felt a drop of rain..... hmmm that's weird...... so I slowed down and looked behind me.

Well.... my jaw hit the pavement like seeing the naked bearded lady at a freak show. Behind me it was Black... I mean like somehow day had become night black. Shit! There was always thunder and lightning, but with the wind in my ears, it seemed to be farther away, I guess. Now it was on top of me. So.. I pulled out my handy MEC led strobe light and attached it to my aero-bars and turned on my rear MEC red flasher and turned around into the storm and back towards home... praying that any traffic would see me flashing away in my epic battle with the elements.

I shot this video at the start of the storm about 4k after I had turned around.

As I left the bridge area and headed South towards home on Highway 26, it opened up. On Sunday when I blogged about the rain and the lightning it was intense, but nothing like this. I was convinced, as the lightning seemed constant, that at any moment the heavens were going to open up and I would see Thor and his mighty hammer.

I was wet after 1 minute, soaked after 3 and drowning after 5. The Giant now weights about 10 pounds heavier as everything I was wearing was taking on water. I could barely see as my glasses were fogging up. I tried taking them off and I could not keep my eyes open in the pelting rain..... thus the effect of the Oakley's made it appear even darker.

It was back to that classic struggle of Man verses nature. As the lightning flashed and the rains came and I soldiered on, and all I could think about was the scene in Caddyshack where the reverend plays golf in the rain.

Just waiting for the lightning strike at the end.... does aluminum conduct electricity? Are the Bontrager X Lites enough rubber to protect me from lightning?

Well, I did not have a Cell phone, so there I was in the middle of nowhere with only a stalk of wheat to hide under.... might as well keep riding.

Well about 20k more was all I could stand and I pulled into the store at St. Francis-Xavier and called it quits. I was shaking from the cold, and it did not matter how fast I pedaled, I could not generate any heat. I walked into the store to call Lori and the lady behind the counter took one look at me and started laughing. I must have looked like this.

The lady at the store was great and gave me some towels (without me asking for them... good karma) and gave me a phone to call Lori for a ride. I called her cell, and, lo and behold, she was already en route to come remove my sad sorry ass out of this hellish weather. After twelve years of wedded bliss... I guess we have become psychic.