The Ride to Saskatoon

I chose to do a kind of a ride of a lifetime for my travel to and from the Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in Saskatoon. I put just over 4,000 kms on my motorcycle on this 2-week trek. The reason the ride was special for me is that I was on roads that for-the-most-part I had been on before, only this time I would enjoy them from the open view of a motorcycle. It was amazing! The other special thing was seeing and staying with friends and family. Someone mentioned that it was something like the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys. I like that image. I took Highway No. 3 on the way to Saskatchewan. For my whole journey, I took the perspective that pictures could never do justice to the scenery around me - so I just rode and didn't take any pictures. I didn't count, but I'm sure I passed through at least four uniquely different mountain ranges. There were the mountains that start at Hope, then the desert-like mountains at Osoyoos. Once past Osoyoos, it doesn't take long to switch to a mountain that I have not really been able to describe - kind of a small and rugged type. They are not the majestic-rugged that the Rockies are. These are the mountains around Grand Forks.

Below you will see three pictures from my first night's stop. I stayed with friends that are formerly from Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver, now at Grand Forks - Tony & Jen Boschmann and their boys, Lukas and Jakob. You will see their house, their front yard and them.

After spending and evening and a morning with Tony and Jen, there was the next day. I rode through the Kootenays. The Kootenay Pass is apparently the highest pass in Canada. The air temperature was okay, but I was way above the snow line - there was snow on the ground amongst the trees as far down as I could see on the side of the road away from the mountain. I stopped for lunch in Cranbrook at Werner and Sue Froese's - retired pastors that I know both from BC and Saskatchewan. It took a picture, but it wasn't good, so I'm not putting it in here.

Travelling through Fernie and on to the Crowsnest Pass gave me a peek at the Rockies, but I didn't really get into them. The Crowsnest opens the way out of the mountains and to the prairies. The first things that stood out on the southern Alberta landscape were the hundreds of wind turbines. These are massive fans that generate electricity, placed on ridges to catch the maximum amount of prairie wind. This took me to Lethbridge for night. I actually stayed in a hotel - the only one on the journey.

Seeing the green fields of sprouting crops provided its unique beauty. I think the prairie beauty also had something to do with the fact that I was going home - that is, the place of my growing up and where my family is. I spent a week with Diane's parents in Saskatoon while attending the assembly. It was pretty cold the whole time, but then I didn't have far to ride each day. Nak Sun Kim, the pastor of the Sherbrooke Korean Mennonite Fellowship, stayed there with me.

After the assembly I went to Outlook, an hour south of Saskatoon, and stayed a night and a morning with my brother and his wife (Howard and Lori). The next day was rainy, but not real cold. Howard and I spent the day riding, ending up at the Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home - where our parents are now living.

I spent two nights with my Mom and Dad at Rosthern. They are really doing well, and it is so good to know that they are in good hands while we live 18 hours away. They posed with my bike all loaded again for the journey home.

When I hit the road, I went to Didsbury, Alberta to spend a night with Diane's brother and his family (Terry and Kim Falk). It was wonderful, including taking in their daughter Dynna's soccer game. The next day was my longest day, ending up at Clare & Bev Neufeld's in Kelowna (pastor of First Mennonite Church, and friend from Vancouver as well as Saskatchewan). On this ride is where I saw the Rockies in their fullest majesty!

Clare suggested I head for the Fraser Canyon for my trek home. So, I went through Merrit and on to Spence's Bridge. Just as I stopped at Spence's Bridge to look down at the Fraser River far below, it started to rain for pretty much the only time other than the one day in Saskatchewan. Low and behold, just ahead of me was a little restaurant that had a veranda for me to park my bike out of the rain while I had a bite to eat.

The end of my journey was at Camp Squeah where my congregation, Sherbrooke Mennonite Church was having their annual family camp. This is where I met Diane as she came by herself from home. It was a wonderful trip; it was wonderful to be together again. I officially ended back at home Sunday afternoon after the family camp.

I give thanks to God for safety and blessing.