After taking in a little bit more of the Calgary Stampede rodeo, I decided to head off, ever northward, to the next largest city and capitol of Alberta, Edmonton.
I took my time throughout the day because it's only about 3 hours away, but I ended up leaving during rush hour. Apparently Calgary still goes through it's regular functions throughout the Stampede. Much like Vegas, people still live here, and I doubt they mind having the Stampede here annually. It's an reliable yearly boost in tourism revenue (from people like me), and major names from around the western world come here to play. T-Pain even held a concert that was free with fairground admission. Imagine a Tuesday in your home town, you get to go see a major pop icon in the middle of the week for free, then head home to get back to work the next day.
Quite a concept.
I leave the Stampede raging in my rear view mirror as I head up Alberta Highway 2. Believe it or not: I'm STILL in the great plains. The land around me has a little more vegetation than Kansas or North Dakota, but it's still the same flat vast expanses I've been seeing throughout Saga 1. You're actually able to get a glimpse of the Rockies from Calgary off in the west, across the border in the province of British Colombia. I won't really be able to give those mountains a fair shake until Saga 3 on my way south from Whitehorse.
My next stop is a Bunk-A-Biker stay. If you aren't familiar, it's basically a Couch Surfing website for motorcyclists. You can pan across a world map and pick out people who will either voluntarily house or allow bikers to camp on their land.
I'm being taken in by Chuck and Shelley, a biker couple who have almost a dozen motorcycles at their home. As I roll up, they're super excited to see me and all of their motorcycles are parked throughout the garage and driveway. They have pizza ordered when I arrive. They offer me 'Strange and Different' beer in the fridge. They set me up with a bed and a bathroom. They fill my tires with air and give Lechuza a good ocular inspection. I was exhausted from getting sunburned at the rodeo, but their upbeat and happy demeanor honestly perked me up. They were so nice!
After we get to swapping stories I learn about the Iron Butt Association, their arctic travels, and how they met as a couple. Their diagnosis on my tires: I'll be able to make it to Whitehorse but I'll have to switch to 50/50 tires. By looking at how the rubber is worn down it's painfully obvious: the flat, grid like routes I've been taking across the plains have the middle of my tires worn down with the sides still thick.
Their hospitality is absolutely astounding. I expected nothing but a room!
My plan was to leave Lechuza and my gear with them as I fly down for a very important wedding to cap off Saga 1. Not only do they offer to leave my bike in their garage (I was completely prepared to cover it with a tarp outside), they even offer me a duffel bag that I can fly with. To top it off, Chuck drove me to the airport around 3:30 - 4 AM. I'm still flabbergasted at the generosity.
I'm their first guest as well, and they're my first host. There's no doubt, with whatever rating system Bunk-A-Biker uses, I'm going to give them rave, RAVE reviews.
--------Saga 2 Begins---------
After returning from the wedding, I'm picked up by Chuck at the airport who was back early enough from work to see me in from the airport! It's been almost a week since I've ridden my motorcycle. I've only been gone for 2 weeks from my old life but everything being upended it so strange. I'm entering that 'uprooted' phase that you get once you start waking up in different places for so many weeks in a row.
I spent a few more days in the Edmonton area getting ready for the rest of Saga 2 to kick off- I'm going to be heading north into the territories and Canada's arctic reaches on my way to the Arctic Ocean soon. During a few days of preparation, I spend my time with Chuck and Shelley getting ready by making reservations, making sure my motorcycle is in good shape, and using my host's invaluable local innate knowledge of the regions I'm going into.
They set me up with good routes, places to eat, sites to see, and perspectives on the lay of the land up there. I feel SO fortunate to have local knowledge. Chuck himself was actually born and raised in the Yukon Territory so I honestly don't feel like I could be any better prepared. Shelley, with her organizational skills, had a print-out of her itinerary from a previous ride into the Yukon that was copiously transcribed into my own notes.
What I wasn't expecting? An honest-to-God biker gang meeting to take place in the house while I was here. Chuck is the VP of the Local Chapter (710) of the Free Runners Masonic Order. Known as the Utazó, Hungarian for Traveler / Gypsy, the group is a fraternity of Freemasons from all levels of their hierarchy here in Alberta, Canada.
At the end of their closed-door meeting (of which I could obviously not observe, members only) they all gathered around for something I really didn't expect. One of their newest members, Matthew, had created a stack of stickers for me that I can bring on my journey!! He has a background in working with with decals, labeling, and laser-etching for a company called Blackbird Farm Alberta. In addition to that, they gave me a masonic "Challenge Coin" which must be on your person at all times. One use I've learned is that if a coin is slapped down in front of me by a Freemason brother, and I don't have the coin on me, I owe them a drink. If I do happen to have it on me, the challenger owes me one.
I talked with the guys about my journey, learned about their bikes, and honestly? It honestly sounds like a really cool club. Being a part of a fraternity like a Masonic order does sound pretty awesome. The brotherhood of it, the comradery, the history behind it all, mixed with bikes? If I lived around here and had more of a knack for staying rooted in one place it'd absolutely be considering it. The guys were really cool and fun to get to know.
The stay at this bunk-a-biker, although my first, is going to be hard to top. I was given not just a place to stay, but a home. I was given innate knowledge from locals, learned about the Canadian way of life, and I was given a great start from great people who were SO incredibly hospitable it warmed my heart and gave me that "pay it forward" feeling. I hope to be as welcoming as them one day if I'm settled and hosting travelers myself.
Tomorrow I leave early for a few big jumps over the next few days as I make my way North up the Alaska Highway. I'll be in and out of service finally leaving the plains behind and digging into the boreal forests of the Canadian Shield. Wildlife will be plentiful, gas will stations sparse, vistas will be numerous and beautiful. Wish me luck! And to Chuck and Shelley, thank you. You guys were Amaze-balls.
JT - 7/21/2022