Immense Prairie

I thought the prairie would come gradually upon me like a mountain, growing clearer for a long time as I enter its presence. But this morning, leaving Airdrie at sunrise, something was different. Yesterday’s grassy pastures with their hills, scattered trees and cattle fences were gone and the land barely undulated from flatness. The occasional creek remained, barely watered, and the odd hill rose like an island in the ocean. But I was not ready for such vastness of wheatfield, horizontal horizons on all sides, broken only by the occasional silo and barn. Barely a tree, hardly a house.

Wind pushed from the south as I traveled east, gentle and steady, an inconsequential wind in this direction. I looked forward to Beiseker, a small town having a café, I was told, and if so it would be the only stopping place on a 110km ride to Drumheller, where I would sleep.

I saw the sign as I entered Beiseker, “County Fair June 13.” Hey, that’s today; I had not known! Without much trouble I found the fairgrounds and community center thinking, Fair means Food. But it could not have been nicer food. A fine breakfast, all you can eat for three dollars. And of course the locals wondered at the strange visitor to their small gathering for livestock, jellies and quilts.





Three very strange vehicles are shown in the picture, each with a unique history and purpose for being.





I staggered away stuffed with food and good thoughts about Beiseker, heading out into what seemed like space. Towns are like planets bearing life and comfort in the loneness of prairie. The elevation dropped as I rode toward Drumheller, and the temperature rose. This afternoon was the first truly hot part of the trip.