Samuel Carey

Winter Update

2011-01-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to update everyone about what has been happening this winter. I have been out skiing a lot to try and build a bit of endurance, in the hopes of skiing across the province this winter, but family obligations are pressing and those plans remain to be proven.

I have kept busy writing and spreading the word about Alpha 1. It is amazing how many people have not heard of the disorder. Of course, before the death of my granddad, I never heard of it either. But word is getting around slowly but surely.

I have finished writing one short story, and will be soon starting on another, but will not be publishing until I have enough for a short collection.

I found this little dog breed game on the internet, and I just may have to look into making something like this for my own site.

Created by PetsDirect.co.uk

PASS THE LIGHT

2010-12-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

For the ones we love,

For the Alphas we know,

And the ones we don't.

CHERISH THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE

Please join Alpha-1 Canada in lighting our annual multipurpose Ecandle.

What better time of year to spread awareness, education and support about our disease locally, nationally and internationally in combination with your Season's Greetings.

All you have to do is forward this Ecard (using the forward button below) on behalf of Alpha-1 Canada, to your family and friends and ask them to do the same.

We thank you in advance for your participation and we look forward to making this simple activity a resounding, annual, global success.

Wishing You All the Blessings of the Season.

Staff and the Board of Directors of Alpha-1Canada

Duck Hunting

2010-10-20T10:40:00.001-07:00

I went duck hunting with Christine and her dogs. She has a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and a yellow Labrador Retriever. She is an adventurous young woman with a knack for dog training.

Christine likes to write a bit of poetry and short stories, so take a look at http://www.arctictoboggan.com/ArtistsCorner.html and look for some of her work.

She also won the Photo Contest for Sled Dogs In Summer. Her winning Photo can be found on http://www.arctictoboggan.com/Contests.html

Falling Behind

2010-10-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose I should update this blog.

I have been working a lot on finishing the sled orders for the year, and training a new litter of puppies. All in all, I have fallen behind on posting updates on the internet, but hopefully I will get everything updated this next week.

Batoche

2010-09-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

The sign from the river indicating the Batoche historic site.

There used to be a ferry here.

At the top of the hill there is a parking spot and an outhouse.

A map of the area made it easy to find our way around.

Lots of information, but I am not going to write it out here. Hopefully the pictures will be large enough for blog followers to read.

I couldn't get a very good shot of this placard.

Before and After

2010-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a great comparison picture to show the physical change that took place this summer.

In the first picture (which is posted early on in this blog on May 13th) I had cycled my first 100km day. I had also been cycling for about a month before the picture was taken. My health had already improved dramatically.

The second picture was only taken a week or so ago when Will and I were stopped for a break on a tiny little sandbar having lunch and enjoying a rare visit from the sun.

There has been almost 4 months between the two pictures.

Thanks to all the Alpha 1 Antitrypsin support groups and charities, who published lifestyle and dietary options for those of us suffering from Alpha 1. You have made this incredible change possible.

Autumn Colours

2010-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Autumn seems to be coming early this year, but then again we had such a long cold summer, that it is a welcome change.

Here the leaves are only just starting to change.

Lots of poplar in this shot. This was taken near Nisbet Provincial Forest.

There were so many overcast days while we were out on the River. In fact I don't think we had more than two days in a row where there was sunshine. I wonder if we will get a lot of snow early in the year? If so, the ice won't be ready for travel until well after Christmas.

A Mix And Match Of A Few Pictures

2010-09-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Adjusting some gear and the balance of the canoe. We had too much weight to one side and consequently kept drifting toward the port.

This buck stood majestically at the crest of a hill. He was too far away for my little camera to get a clear shot. Standing still for so long just watching us, he reminded me of the scene from Bambi where Bambi's father was standing on top of a hill watching over his children.

The banks of the river were quite high here, but it made the river very peaceful. Just over the banks were houses and traffic and the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Will and I found a tiny island the looked more like a sand bar covered in willows. Since all the land on shore is owned and we did not know who owned what, in order to ask permission to camp, we just made camp on this little sand bar of an island and hoped that we didn't wash away by morning.

End Of Season

2010-09-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this will be the end of the canoeing season for me. My health is holding, but I have run out of funds for this year's adventure. I do plan on continuing my canoe trip across the province next spring. So I need to get back to work and save more money to fund the next stage of this adventure. Remember, any sled or book that I sell this year will go directly to the Alpha 1 Adventure For Life fund. So please pass this on to anyone who has dogs and might be interested in a dog sled or book. Lots of different breeds of dogs love skijoring and kicksledding, so don't worry if your dog is not a husky. Any dog can be a snow dog!

I will also be able to get back to updating my web site on a much more regular basis. I have a brand new litter of skijoring dogs that I will be training this winter. They are wonderful dogs, with wonderful attitudes. I will get to posting a few pictures of them later in the week, so keep an eye on my site www.ArcticToboggan.com

I will continue to post several more pictures of my canoeing expedition thus far. So come back and visit often, and don't forget to donate a few dollars to Alpha 1 Canada. Just click on the red leaf button on the right of this page. The only known cure for kids with Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is a liver transplant, so lets all contribute and see if we can find a better cure.

Thanks Again to all my sponsors and supporters

A Break From The Wind

2010-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last night Samuel and Will stopped to explore the Batoche National Historic Site. They enjoyed exploring this very important Metis Heritage location. Of course as soon as they stopped the wind died down completely, but the boys were exhausted from fighting the wind all day so they decided to camp there for the night.

The weather man is calling for SE winds today, so we're hoping the wind will funnel up the river behind them and give them a boost.

More Wind!

2010-09-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

After camping on a small island last night, Samuel and Will are on their way again. Unfortunately, the weather man was correct and they are facing NW winds of 20 Km/hr. They are travelling in a fairly NE direction so they have to hug the NW shore of the river just to make any headway.

The weather man is calling for South wind tomorrow, which would be wonderful, but I certainly wouldn't place any wagers on it.

At least the sky is clear and the boys have sunshine to light their way!

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS:

2010-09-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Are you worried because your child is a high school drop out and can't find a job? Tell your child to become a meteorologist. Where else can they get paid an enormous salary for being wrong 90% of the time!

Heading Into The Wind

2010-09-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Samuel just called me and he and Will are having a hard time paddling into direct headwind. According to the weather channel they are paddling into a north wind of 25 km/hr gusting to 37 km/hr. They have to paddle like crazy just to make any head way at all, if they stop paddling, they are actually blown upstream! ... But at least it's not raining :)

More NW winds are predicted for tomorrow, but maybe this will be one of those rare times when the weather man is wrong ;)

Heading out of Saskatoon!

2010-09-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since I updated everyone on Samuel’s position. He left Saskatoon this afternoon and has traveled 28 km as of the last time I spoke with him. He has Will with him now to help out with the paddling and they are having a great time out on the river. Let’s hope the rain passes them by and they have lots of sunshine!

Outlook Saskatchewan

2010-08-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Outlook is only about 30km from Diefenbaker Lake. It is a nice clean little town. Here PJ took a few pictures of Will and I paddling under the bridges.

This old bridge is no longer used for traffic, but Outlook has plans to use the bridge as a tourist attraction.

There we go on down the river. There was a man standing on shore fishing. We rarely see people fishing from shore.

We stopped in Outlook to see the sights. Well one sight really. This is the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion at the walking bridge spanning the South Saskatchewan River.

The longest walking bridge in Canada. It was made from an old train trestle bridge.

Here is a view up river. The two bridges that we canoed under are barely discernible.

Here is a view down river from the top of the walking bridge.

Here is an interesting canine interest story

2010-08-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Just follow this link.

Hound found underground | hound, medora, underground - Local News - The Telegraph

Gardiner Dam

2010-08-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

On approach to the Gardiner Dam at the north end of Diefenbaker Lake you can see the Dam's power structures. If you see this you are too far east.

A little way to the west I came across the Dam's water control structure. There is a line of bouys that block the way. It would be a fast ride down the dam.

Further west the canoist will come across a warning sign. Better late than never!

Finally on the north east corner of the lake there is a boat launch at Danielson Provincial Park.

There is PJ waiting at the boat launch to help us around the dam.

Everything is loaded up, ready to portage around the dam.

To get down to the other side, you just go straight across the highway and down a windy road through a hay field. Here Will and I are posing with the canoe. Will has been a great help, especially on Diefenbaker Lake.

The view down river from the top of the dam.

3 comets at sunset

2010-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here's something you don't see everyday.
Click on this picture and see a larger version.
The sun had just gone down and I went to take a picture of the sunset and saw these three comets.

Sunrise and Sailing

2010-08-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

A sunset always makes a beautiful picture, but this sunrise was stunning.

One day, when the wind picked up, I took my little tarp and some driftwood and manufactured this little sail. It was quite nerve racking when the wind would gust. I thought for sure I would end up swimming for shore. The problem is, most of the time I do not have a tail wind, but I have had to fight against the wind an awful lot.

Lots Of Moose

2010-08-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

There are mornings on the river when all the wildlife come out to play. I am sure the moose hunters would love to be out on the river on a morning like this, but the tranquility was so serene that I would never tell them.

Two cows grazing in the early morning.

A family of moose on an island. I know the picture is a little dark, but there is a cow and calf and bull in the picture.

A second family of moose. The bull, cow, and calf can more easily be seen in this picture.

A second bull moose was on the same island, only a couple of hundred metres away.

I think this elk was on the same island as the first moose family.

A short distance away, I saw this family of deer swimming across the lake in front of my canoe.

All in all, a very pleasant morning.

Brighter colours to brighten the day

2010-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

A nice bright yellow flower.

Beautiful aquatic blooms

Rosehips are quite tasty and a great source of vitamin C

Wild Choke Cherries. These berries were growing on a small island, and were very sweet.

Wild grain

Health Issues

2010-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have been having small lapses in health while I have been out on the River. Mostly a bit of rest and lots of protein has been helping my recovery, but the large amounts of rain recently have been too much for me to handle. I have come home for a few days to dry out and hopefully recover more quickly. A symptom of Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is that the body takes a much longer time to recover from illness. I will keep everyone updated for when I am able to head back out on the river. Please follow the Alpha 1 Canada link on the side of the page and donate a few dollars to the Charity. There are many kids out there with Alpha 1 that never even get the chance to experience a canoe trip. Any donation helps move Alpha 1 sufferers move toward a higher quality life.

Wildlife Sightings

2010-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

An island full of seagulls.

A young moose watching intently from behind the bushes.

A calf watches me, while it's mother is resting.

This tree was just standing alone, so I thought I would take a picture of it.

A buck on shore. This is probably a very popular place in the autumn when hunting season starts.

A deer walking along the shoreline.

Another deer hiding in the bushes. The deer stand very still and are difficult to spot. At times like this, I dream about spending a thousand dollars on a much higher quality digital SLR camera, with a strong zoom lens.

Another beautiful sunset on the South Saskatchewan River.

I tried to take a picture of myself sitting by the campfire, using the timer on the camera, but I can barely be seen. The camera focused more on the few willow branches than on me. On this trip, I should be able to get a lot more practice taking pictures.

Here is a much clearer picture of my campfire. I love sitting by a crackling fire at the end of a day of paddling.

More Pictures From The South Saskatchewan River

2010-08-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. Mother Nature's abstract art!

I came across a fairly large patch of cactus growing on a hillside when trying to get high enough to get cell phone reception. There are lots of cactus growing all along the river, you just have to be cautious when looking for the restroom.

Just thought I would add a bit of flora.

About 500 metres from the ferry there are these bright yellow warning signs on either side of the river. The signs warn of the ferry and also of the underwater cable.

There are a few ferries crossing the western portion of the South Saskatchewan River. So far, they have all looked very similar.

There seems to be many Coyotes along the South Saskatchewan River. They are quite loud at night sometimes, howling back and forth. Here is another young family of Coyotes. A few moments after I took this picture, they ran off into the bush in answer of a distant coyote call.

A nice shot up river.

Some Pictures From The South Saskatchewan River

2010-08-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

The sun rising behind an island.

Even with all the rain here in the Prairies, the water level is quite low, with lots of sand bars for the canoe to get hung up on.

A couple of coyote pups watched me from the shore.

A picturesque island.

The Highway 21 Bridge.

I almost stepped on this bullsnake while I was taking a break from paddling and exploring an island. It gave me quite the start. The lighter coloured ones like this look similar to the Western Rattler, but of course there was no rattle and the common diamond pattern was not present. This snake just crawled under a log.

Cell reception fades when the terrain becomes more hilly.

Back On The Water Again!

2010-08-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

After waiting out another thunderstorm, Samuel headed out at 5pm Saturday evening. After 2 days of rest, he was thrilled to be out on the water again. He covered 18 kilometres and then pulled up onto an island to camp for the night. After a filling meal of chili and wieners, he relaxed by the fire as he listened to the serenade of the coyotes.

This photo was taken from the top of one of the hills Samuel has to climb just to get cell reception, and even then sometimes the signal is unreliable.

Taking A Break

2010-08-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

I have been taking a little break for the last two days. My paddling muscles will need lots of practice and training to get into good condition, not to mention lots of rest.

The weather has not been all that cooperative. Rain and thunderstorms are not something that I enjoy canoeing in. Well the rain is not so bad, but I could sure do without the thunderstorms while I am on the water.

Here is a nice picture of the sunset on the South Saskatchewan River. There was a lot more red in the sky that the picture did not reveal, but I was very glad for the break in the clouds and rain to get the picture.

To keep everyone updated, I will be posting as often as possible, but there are lots of "dead" zones along the river. I often have to hike quite a ways away from the river just to get cell reception. So on those days, PJ will post updates for me.

To any who are interested: Come on out, visit and paddle for a while. I would be happy for the company, and so would all the kids who suffer from A1AD.

See you on the River!

Canoe Trip - Day 2

2010-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Samuel paddled all day yesterday and covered over 70 km. This brings his total to up over 110 kms. He stopped at the Eston Riverside Regional Park and will be resting all day today while he re-energizes and dries his gear.

Samuel Is On His Way!

2010-08-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I dropped Samuel off yesterday at the point where the South Saskatchewan River crosses the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. It took all day just to drive over there so he did not get under way until around 5:30 PM. He paddled for 4 hours then camped for the night. He tried get some sleep but was frequently awakened by a curious cow. He set out again at 6 am this morning and has been paddling all day with the occasional break to eat and nap.

He is traveling through dead cell areas so I have no idea how far he has gotten now. Last I heard from him was around 11:30 am this morning and he had traveled somewhere between 40-50 km total. He told me he is traveling at an average speed of 6.5 km/h.

Unfortunately, I am having trouble with my camera and I may have lost the pictures I took of him starting out. I will be re-supplying him in a few days and he will have lots of pictures for me then.

Good Spirit Lake

2010-08-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

PJ and I went to Good Spirit Lake to ride the trails. Here are a few pictures, I will try to post the rest on the site www.arctictoboggan.com before I leave on the trans-Saskatchewan canoe trip, but that may be wishful thinking.

After entering the park, the first right will take you to the Trans Canada Trail.

After a couple of kilometres the trail will cross a small river.

We decided to head upriver to the lake to make our ford on a more solid bottom.

Back down stream we could easily find the trail.

There were lots of fallen trees across the trail. The trail did not seem to be used much in the summer, but a local cross country ski club uses the trail in the winter.

They say it is bad luck when a black cat crosses your path. We stayed far back from this black cat with a white stripe.

About five kilometres from the start of the trail we came to the ski club cabin.

The Trans Canada Trail continued, but this is where we turned around. Perhaps we will come back in the winter and ski this section of the Trans Canada Trail.

Packed And Ready To Go

2010-07-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I am packed and ready to go!

My start date seems to be set at this coming Tuesday, August 3rd. I decided to wait the extra day instead of trying to battle the heavy long weekend traffic.

I got a little paint happy, and made my letters a little big on the side of the canoe. It should be visible from shore though. So if you see me paddle by, be sure to wave and say hello.

Also, I should point out that I will be starting with two paddles on the trip. The new and improved single blade paddle is in the canoe, and the newly build double bladed paddle is sitting on top. It has a rectangular oak handle and thin birch blades. It is fairly light for the material, but still heavier than what I am used to.

Keep checking back often, as I will be attempting to post every day. PJ has consented to meet me a various places along the river and trade me camera cards so that she can upload a few pictures from time to time.

Samuel is in the News!

2010-07-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

A local newspaper, "Yorkton This Week", ran a feature story all about Samuel and the Alpha 1 Adventure. It was on page A15 of the July 14th issue. It is so nice that the media are finally starting to pay attention to Samuel's awareness efforts.

I would like to send out a special thank-you to Chris Putnam, the reporter who wrote the story.

Thanks for your support, Chris!!!

Whitesand River

2010-07-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

On Thursday July 8, I went canoeing with Samuel on the Whitesand River; we started at the bottom of the Theodore dam. The water was foamy and it stunk.

We saw some pelicans on the bank, a few great blue herons, and lots of ducks. There were a few bridges, and we had to keep watching for barb wire fences crossing the river.

I was using the small paddle but then I switched to Samuel’s medium paddle, I had a lot more control and we were going a lot faster, then I switched to Samuel’s big paddle, it was a little too big for me, but the medium one was about the right size. When I switched back to the little one it felt like I was trying to paddle the canoe with a stick.

The river was full of turns and if you stretched it out it would be twice as long, but the river was swollen, so paddling was not hard.

Then we got to a road that the river had overflowed and the water was flowing fast, I was a little scared at first but when I got there it was nothing, then we turned the wrong way and we were paddling over a field but the field ended so we went back to the river.

[Sadly, an elderly man recently tried to drive his truck across the overflowing Whitesand River and his truck was swept into the river. Two men are still missing. - Samuel]

A little after we started we lost track of the river, everything was so flooded that we had started paddling though the trees.

After that the river became very bendy, turning 180 degrees, there was a flooded field that we could have paddled across and cut off a half hour, but we decided to stay with the river.

When we got to the next bridge past highway 47 it was time to stop for the day so we called my mom to come get us. We also saw some odd birds that looked strange because their beaks were bent up.

The water overflowed the road at another spot so we paddled along the ditch to where mom was. While we were tying up the canoe Samuel found a tadpole that had all four legs, but still had a tail, after taking a picture of it we put it back in the water, loaded up our gear, and went home.
- Will

The Book Is Ready!!!!!

2010-07-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for 2 months, but finally Samuel's book is published and ready for sale. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to the Alpha 1 Adventure ... For Life.

The name of the book is "Bint" and it is about a 13 year old girl stranded in the wilderness with her little Jack Russell Terrier, Bint. The real Bint is one of my dogs (Samuel's puppy's mother), and I am thrilled that she has been imortalized in print.

The book costs $10 (plus $3 shipping) and is available for sale on Samuel's web site. A sample chapter can be found here.

We would like to thank Custom Printers Ltd. for their generous contribution to the printing of this book.

Testing the Paddles

2010-07-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we went out on Whitesand Lake to test the paddles. The River paddle worked great. It took a bit to get used to the technique, but there was a definite advantage to using this large paddle in specific circumstances.

The paddle that I had made for my main paddle did not live up to my expectations. I am going to get to work and build a new one with the improvements. First the grip needs to have a better angle on it. Second, the shaft diametre might be just a touch too wide. Third, the throat should have a longer taper. Fourth the blade was a little loud, so I will round the corners of the blade a bit more.

We saw several pelicans all along the lake, but there were certain places where a bunch of them would gather. This picture was taken at the Theodore Dam.

The Third Paddle

2010-07-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Finally my medium size paddle is finished. My plan is that this paddle will be my main paddle, but I have not even tested it yet. I have put the paddle specs up on my site at http://www.arctictoboggan.com/PutToTheTest.html

So far, my tentative date for the cross Saskatchewan canoe trip is August 1st.

New Life Jacket

2010-07-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Anka sporting her new life jacket. This jacket seems a little small, and Anka is growing so fast, I think we will have to buy a larger jacket soon.

How To Raise Money For Charity

2010-06-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is a very good question and one that I have been pondering for some time. As I have mentioned earlier, I have been looking for corporate sponsors to help fund Samuel’s awareness efforts. I got so excited after receiving the $25 dollar gift card from Staples but then … Nothing! I canvassed and called and emailed to no avail. I have come to the conclusion that nobody is just going to give me money.

When I asked one store (Peavey Mart) for money, they said no to the money, but they could donate an item for a charity auction. Well this certainly got the gears grinding in my head. I pondered it for a few weeks and then decided to give it a try. I do not have the funds or manpower to hold a live, in person auction, so I thought I would try an online auction instead.

I went back to Peavey Mart and they gave me my first donation, a toaster oven.

I had more shopping to do so everywhere I went I hit up the manager for a donation. By the end of the day I had a digital picture frame from Canadian Tire and a couple of nice western shirts from the Hitching Post.

I started thinking that this could really work. I decided to really put the idea to the test. I spent one whole day canvassing 5 blocks of stores in downtown Yorkton. I came away with almost $1300 worth of donations as shown in the picture up top. I also have more promised and a lot of follow up calls to make.

This could actually work as long as I can get the traffic to the auction. Once I get the auction online, I will put up links here on the blog and on Arctic Toboggan. So please tell all of your friends to come and bid and support a good cause.

"GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE" Fun Run & Walk

2010-06-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Kidney Foundation held a Fun Run & Walk

Some of the participants walking across the bridge in the Ravine Ecological Preserve in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

After the walk, the we gathered to fellowship and listen to a live band at the Royal Canadian Legion on Broadway.

River Paddle

2010-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

The paddle on the left is the paddle that I made for my canoe trip on the river. It is compared against a store bought 60" paddle. I have always hated the fact that I have a fairly wide wing span, but the paddle selection in stores is very limited. The overall length of this river paddle is 208cm. The blade is 52cm to the shoulder, then a 26cm long taper (throat) to the shaft. I put on a flat grip to provide enough leverage to manipulate the large blade surface. I will be posting a thorough review of the paddle performance after my trip.

My next project will be to make my main paddle, which will be a little shorter than this river paddle.

New Canoe

2010-06-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

A picture of my new canoe for my cross Saskatchewan canoe trip.

Currently, my plan is to canoe the South Saskatchewan River from the Alberta border to the Manitoba border. I am building a toboggan at the moment and will not be leaving on this canoe trip until after the toboggan is completed.

I am also in the process of building a couple of paddles for the trip. I find that large river canoeing is fairly easy going and commercial paddles are often too small, so I will build a couple of different larger paddles for river travel.

Lessons Learned - Part III

2010-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sunburn
Now that my cross Saskatchewan trip is done, I have a severe farmer’s tan. In fact I began peeling on my nose and one of my calves. I should have figured out some sort of visor to wear under my helmet, or perhaps used sunscreen. It is a good thing that it was cloudy most of the trip, I hate to think of what I would have looked like, had it actually been sunny.

Hydration
Not to give any product a bad name, but I did try a common sport’s drink and it made me sick. It was like drinking way too much cold water on a hot day. My stomach felt upset all the time while drinking it. As soon as I switched to natural fruit juice, my upset stomach went away and no more nausea.

During my ride, I drank 3-4 times more than my normal daily fluid intake. I found myself consuming approximately 5-6 litres a day. It seemed like a lot to me, but I had no cramps and I was able to cover so much more ground than I ever could before. (Prior to this cross Saskatchewan cycling trip, during my training rides, I often got cramps in my feet and legs.) As a direct result of the constant hydration, my energy levels and drive remained high all day.

Music
I read a lot of advice in the magazines, recommending that long distance athletes listen to music as a way of keeping their minds off the task at hand, or to help them keep pace, etc. Yet, I found that there was very few times that I even thought about the need for such a distraction. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the ride. The last thing I would want on a long bike trip would be to have some annoying chorus repeating through my head over and over again, driving me insane. Though if I did have my choice of something to alleviate occasional boredom, I believe I would prefer an audio book to listen to.

Lessons Learned - Part II

2010-06-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Stretching and Massage
300 kilometres in a day is a long ride, and I tensed up fast. During my stop breaks, I continually stretched my legs in several different directions. Then worked my knuckles into the muscles to loosen them and get rid of all the lactic acid and increase blood flow. This definitely helped with muscle recovery and kept me going strong for 700km.

Sore Wrists
A sore spot that I found happened daily was that my wrists got sore. I had to keep moving them around to facilitate good blood flow and to keep my little fingers from falling asleep. I did find that keeping my wrists straight helped a great deal. The next time I am going to look for different grips that might provide more support. And perhaps I can find those handlebars that allow the rider to shift the weight on the forearms as well.

Enjoying The Ride
Every once in a while I felt it necessary to give myself a very small break from the monotonous pedaling, and would speed down a hill, or more usually draft off a passing transport truck. At first, I thought that it was more polite for the truck drivers to move over a bit, if possible, but then after a while, I found that it was nicer if they just stayed in their own lane and cut the wind for me. When a fast transport would pass, I would cut in behind and being drawn along by his draft, I would enjoy a boost of speed. When several transports would pass close together, my speed would increase so much, that I could easily go from the humdrum of 25km/hr to 40+ km/hr.

Lessons Learned - Part I

2010-06-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Pacing and GPS
An important first lesson was to learn to pace myself. At first I would go as fast as I could early in the morning, but then I soon found myself tired out, making slow progress. I would pedal full speed down hills or with a gust of wind, then pedal extra slow going up hill or into the wind. It did not take me long to realize that this pattern was very draining on my physically as well as psychologically.

It was a mistake to go too fast when the terrain was easy. When I kept the pace steady on the down hills, I had more strength and endurance to climb the inevitable hill.

After revamping my strategy, I found that if I kept the GPS spedometre between 24-26km/hr I could maintain more consistent energy levels, and my motivation levels would also stabilize. During a cross wind, I would set my speed a little slower, but still maintain a two kilometre per hour range. I never got too fast, or too slow. The strategy worked great.

Taking Breaks
I had set a demanding pace for myself (I realize that this pace is nothing compared to seasoned athletes, but for me it was a challenge.) and it was hard on my knees and muscles. Initially, every hour or so I would get off my bicycle and walk for a few minutes. This gave my legs (and seat) time to recover and change up the muscle usage, preventing repetitive muscle damage. It worked better than just sitting by the side of the road waiting for my muscles to recover. The problem was that my moving speed suffered drastically every time I walked. So the second day I began to try a different approach to my rest. I put the bicycle in it’s highest gear and stood up, pedaling once every ten seconds or so, alternating standing on one foot for ten seconds then the other. My moving speed reduced to 10-12km/hr, but it was still faster than walking. This rest system worked well. I was able to change the muscle memory and stress on my legs sufficiently that, after a few minutes, I could go back to my set pace.

Day 3

2010-06-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Springside is only about 16km down the road from Theodore. It was an easy ride, except for the fact that I was getting a little saddle sore. My choice of shorts the day before was not a good choice. I learned that it is best to wear shorts with less seams.

By the time I arrived at Yorkton the wind had picked up and was coming from a southerly direction.

Even though Rokeby is a small village, their efforts to welcome visitors is certainly appreciated. So many of the towns along the Yellowhead would not even put up a sign.

There were two young Belgian stallions on the way to Saltcoats.

A new picture of the Saltcoats sign. I was reminded of when I did my first 100km ride, and how far I have progressed in my health.

Saltcoats to Bredenbury was a challenge. The highway turned quite southerly and I was pushing into a headwind. This stretch certainly slowed my speed and drastically affected my moving average.

After Churchbridge the highway turned southeast again, which meant I was able to pick up the pace, considering there was only a cross wind.

I almost missed the Langenburg sign. It was located in the centre of town and on the north side of the road.

Right beside the sign was a tourist rest area where there is a children's play area, and a giant swing called Goliath.

PJ joined me for the last 15km, and picked me up at the border. A few kilometres outside of Langenburg I ran into a torrential rain cloud. Just before the rain the wind changed to a strong east direction and almost brought me to a walking pace. The rain fell hard, but it felt great to cool down.

It took me just over six hours, traveling at a pace around 20km/hr, to make the last 123km. Altogether my GPS said the trip covered a total of 705.38 kilometres. Not bad for a guy who a couple of months ago was often ill and could hardly get out of bed.

I have to give a huge thanks to my sponsors. Without them I could not have done any of this. So please take a few moments to click over to their sites and say thanks.

Day 2

2010-06-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Colonsay is not on the highway, but the town has put a lot of work into their Welcome Sign and centre piece that I took a picture of it anyway. It was the most picturesque setting that I had seen on my cross Saskatchewan ride. The town is about 53km eastward of Saskatoon, just south of the Yellowhead.

Not much happened on the road to Lanigan. I just kept pedaling and pedaling. It started to get very boring.

From Lanigan to Wynyard the road just kept rolling. Long hills and a south cross wind, made the trip long and tedious. Dayfoe is a small town located about halfway between Lanigan and Wynyard. The shoulder of the road from Dayfoe to Wynyard is in terrible condition, and there was a great deal of transport truck traffic.

Foam Lake was a nice clean looking town.

An hour or so past Foam Lake and I stopped in to visit Anka who was staying with PJ during my cycling trip. I missed my little puppy!

Another hour down the road and I made it to Theodore. Total distance covered this day was 267 kilometres. I traveled less distance than the first day, but also rode for 2.5hrs less today.

Day 1 - Part III

2010-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

A picture of the old, and new, Borden Bridge. The bridge is a ways out of Borden, but it seemed to be a popular weekend spot with the locals. The southern sky reveals the weather I was headed toward. So far, the wind had been a kind traveling companion, but soon it would turn against me and I would be struggling to keep a decent pace.

Here is the nice sunny weather that I was leaving behind.

A view of the river from the old Borden Bridge. There were several people around, enjoying the weekend. Children running around, people fishing, etc. It was a nice spot to stop and spend the day, but I was on a mission.

After crossing back over to the south side of the North Saskatchewan River, there were a few nice views of the river valley.

A European style cottage down by the river.

It is not very often that I see the old rural mailboxes. A nice piece of history that is fading away.

The old rural mailboxes are being replaced by the new more efficient design.

Finally, at almost 300km later, I reached Saskatoon. Cycling through Saskatoon was a bit of a challenge. There are certain roads that bicycling is not permitted on and I had to wiggle my way through the city. The next time, I may contact the Saskatoon cycling club to find out if they have maps of bicycle routes through the city. One challenge was to find a bridge where cyclists were allowed to cross. Finally I asked a group of children and one of them told me where to find the old Victoria Bridge. Once across the South Saskatchewan River I made my way back to the Yellowhead and headed out of the city. It was getting late but I wanted to make up for getting turned around in the city. I did not stay on the road for long, as the sunlight quickly faded and a drunk driver was swerving all over the road and swerved way too close for comfort. I stopped in a little town called Clavett.

The first day my GPS recorded that I had covered only 315.81 km. I had a moving average of 22.7 km, and was moving for almost 14 hours, though I had stopped several times to stretch, walk a bit, and eat, etc.

Day 1 - Part II

2010-06-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

There are several small towns, which dot highway 16, but only a few of them put out welcome signs.

A visitor's map of the Battlefords and area. The problem with cycling through the Battlefords is that there was a sign on the bridge over the North Saskatchewan River that said no bicycles. Then there is a steep climb on the north side of the river.

It had started to sprinkle by the time I hit Radison.

This is a signpost outside of the Radisson picnic area. I was ready for a break, so I pulled in to have some lunch and take the town up on the offer to taste their water. And for a Prairie town, their water tasted good.

Day 1

2010-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Lloydminster is a town right on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and would be where I would start my trip. I arrived Friday evening (June 4th) and began looking for a motel to spend the night. The Good Knight Inn was the first motel that I stopped at, but they would not let me stay unless I gave them a description of my car and the license plate. I told them that I was traveling by bicycle, but they just looked incredulously at me. The motel staff was giving me such a hassle that I decided to go somewhere else (though they thought that no other motel would let me stay either). Since they were giving me such a difficult time, I was worried that they would also take my personal contact and payment information and use it mischieviously. I had quite a time getting my information back. From now on I will avoid the Good Knight Inn.

Just down the road was the BCMI. They did not seem to mind that I was traveling by bicycle. They treated me just fine. I had a good night's rest and was ready to go early in the morning.

This is the Border sign in the middle of down town Lloydminster. There is not much traffic at 5:30 am.

A couple of blocks down is the Saskatchewan Visitor Information building. The flags reveal that there is a gentle westerly breeze to get me started this morning.

The road out of town.

I didn't know how the law would react to me using my cell phone on my bicycle, so most of the time I just stopped when using it.

Samuel Is Finished!!!!!

2010-06-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Samuel finished his cross Saskatchewan trip today! Yay!! I am so excited!!

He will post some pictures from his trip tomorrow.

Another 267 km Behind Him!

2010-06-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Samuel travelled another 267 kilometetres. He only has 122 more kilometres to go. He is going to try and make it today, but the wind has decided to change directions and blow in his face, so he will not be able to keep the same speeds as the last two days. Samuel has been pushing himself very hard, but that is the kind of man he is. Way to go Samuel!

315 Kilometres in One Day!!!!

2010-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yes! I said 315 km in only one day. Samuel started early yesterday morning in Lloydminster and just kept going until he got to the small town of Clavet, 18 km past Saskatoon! Stay tuned to see how far he gets today! Don't forget to click on the map to see where he is now.

Samuel Is On His Way!

2010-06-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Samuel left Lloydminster early this morning and is well on his way. Click on the map on the right to see where Samuel is now. I will be updating the map often to show his progress across the province. So far, everything is going well.

Departure Date

2010-06-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Samuel is ready and it is almost time to go on his cross Saskatchewan cycling trip. He has tentatively set his departure date for Monday, June 7th, give or take a day or two. I am so excited!

Adventure with Lisa and Ayla

2010-05-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the alarm clock sounded at 3am. I woke to find that the Lightning storm had knocked out three power poles just down the road from my house, and I had no electricity. Fumbling around in the dark, I found my headlamp and rushed to get dressed. I already had all my gear prepared and ready the night before; Today was to be a big day.

PJ showed up around 3:30 and we loaded everything in her minivan, my bike, gear and Anka. This would be Anka's first long car ride. My puppy only half woke up as I put her into her kennel for the trip, and she was soon asleep again. Of course, shortly after we got underway, a peculiar aroma began to seep forward from the kennel. We pulled over and cleaned out her kennel, and wiped off her paws (I always carry a supply of puppy wipes for just an occasion). I think we were only back on the highway for 10 minutes when, the now familiar aroma assaulted our senses again.

Another half hour or so down the road we began hearing a scraping sound. Stopped the van to look, and sure enough the rear tire had blown out and we were driving on the rim. After a half hour of crawling around in the mud, we were once again on our way. We had planned on meeting Lisa and Ayla at 6am in Regina, though now we had lost a half hour and had no hope of making up the time driving with the toy-sized spare tire.

Approaching Regina 35 minutes late, we saw Ayla and Lisa's support vehicle for their Across Canada For Your Heart tour. Waving frantically, the driver must have thought we were nuts, but he stopped anyway. PJ got out and explained who we were and soon Ayla and Lisa rode up on their bicycles.

Introductions all around and we were on our way.

I did look very out of place. The girls were so trim and sleek on their new road bikes, and there I was twice their size on my big old yard sale mountain bike.

We rode together for 57km until lunch time, stopping occasionally to rest and chat. I would like to thank Lisa and Ayla for allowing me to join them on their cross Canada adventure, and hope that more people come out to ride with them and show their support for a very worthy cause.

Visit their web site at http://acrosscanada.wordpress.com

My Dietary Regime

2010-05-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

This post is added as information only. I am not a medical professional, and nothing posted on theis site should be taken as advice. Always seek the advice of a qualified medical practitioner.

As a teenager, many of my friends got into sports and began to develop larger muscles from all the physical activity, but my muscles stayed small and refused to grow. In fact, the more I tried to get them to grow, the more they atrophied. At the time, I tried several different muscle building and body building programs and always with the same result - small muscles and weak bones. So, left behind by my peer group, I basically bypassed the sports scene and entered the work force.

A few months ago, I realized that over the years my health had deteriorated so much that I had extremely little muscle and a lot of fat. With no energy and very little motivation, I found it difficult to even spend time with my children. It was difficult to get out of a state of depression, but I was missing out on too much, so I began looking on the internet to find any information that might help. To my surprise, I found several web sites that were dedicated to helping people with Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. One of the suggestions was a change in diet, which recommended a diet high in protein and fresh vegetables. I immediately implemented this dietary change and began to eat all the protein foods that I could find, cutting out added sugars and most processed carbohydrates. There was an immediate change. My energy levels immediately increased, and along with it, my motivation. It worked so well that I decided to add even more protein to my diet and found a powdered protein supplement made from soy. The results were remarkable. From mid April 2010 to mid May 2010 I lost a full pant size and around15kg. Mot only did the fat start disappearing, but my muscles began to grow, and I am now able to spend time outdoors with my children. I was so happy with my transformation that I just wanted to tell someone, and decided that the best way to do that was to cycle across Saskatchewan, shouting it from the rooftops (well from the internet anyway).

So far, I have found that certain supplements help a great deal in building muscle and keeping me in shape. I like to start my day with a B vitamin complex, tribulus, ginseng, and soy protein supplement. The a half hour later I consume another serving of the soy protein supplement, wait a half hour then head out on my morning ride. During my ride, I stop every hour and take an amino acid supplement and keep well hydrated. Then after my ride, I take another serving of protein. The best part is that even with all this exercise, my muscles are actually growing and getting stronger. Since my teenage years, I have known that the body needs protein to build muscle, but I think that I was just not consuming enough. Now, I try to consume twice the recommended amount for body building programs, and it is working great. During the rest of the day, my diet consists of various protein sources and fresh vegetables.

As for hydration during my training rides, I have tried several of the sports drinks designed for maximum hydration, etc, etc. Some may actually work better than others, but I have found that they did very little for me, except to slow my progress and limit my energy. My personal preference is to drink fruit juices with no added sugars. Fruit juice, with no added sugar, does not make me thirsty, keeps me well hydrated, and seems to stabilize my energy. As a side benefit, the fruit juice is less expensive than the sport drinks.

Even though this diet has worked wonders for me, I am always experimenting and improving on it.

Where Is Samuel Now?

2010-05-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

PJ has designed a nifty little map that will show my current location during my trip, which she will update daily during my ride. This map is posted near the top of the column to the right.

I would like to give a huge thanks to PJ for her tireless efforts and help in this Alpha 1 Adventure...For Life awareness campaign. Without her this entire campaign would fall to pieces.

Yahoo!!!!

2010-05-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yahoo!!!!

Today was my first 130km ride!

The ride took me 6 hours and 42 minutes, an overall average of 19.4km/hr. I did stop a few times to walk a few steps to change muscle usage. My moving time was 6hr & 7min, which works out to a moving average of 21.3km/hr. I was cycling at an angle into the wind on the return trip, so I was going quite a bit slower, which dropped my average considerably. But the upside is, I have gotten strong enough to pedal into the wind for a few hours. I think I am ready to attempt the first stage of my Alpha 1 Adventure, which is to cycle across Saskatchewan. I plan on following Highway 16, from border to border. Whether I go east or west depends on the wind. I would like to make my attempt during low winds, or perhaps even a tail wind if possible, but I will work with the weather either way.

Here is a map of Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

2010-05-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

I found a very nice blurb about Liver Affected Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and I thought it would be nice to post it here:

Alpha-1 is the 3rd most common serious genetic disorder in the world (behind Down Syndrome and Cystic Fibrosis) and can result in life-threatening liver disease in children and adults or in lung disease in adults. It affects the liver and can lead to liver failure at any time in life. It is the leading genetic cause of liver transplantation in children. Currently, the only cure for the liver disease of Alpha-1 is a liver transplant.

A special thank-you to Jen and her Alpha Girls from whom I snagged this quote.

Too much wind?

2010-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly windy out there today, too windy for Samuel to go out riding, so it is another day of cross training for him. He usually doesn't mind the wind, especially when it is blowing his way :D, but today the wind is blowing across the highway and it is gusting to 85 km/h, and that's just not safe.

While surfing the web today I came across the blog of 2 girls who are cycling across the country raising money for The Heart and Stroke Foundation. (Across Canada For Your Heart) I hope they are able to stay out of this wind.

Cross Training

2010-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today was another rainy day and so I thought I would jot down a few of the cross training exercises that I am using.

Of course squats, leg extensions and leg curls are always helpful. But I also pay attention to muscles that get sore while riding, like my neck and shoulders. Shoulders, and traps are another area that seem to tire and get sore on long rides, so shoulder press, seated rows and flies are important exercises. To balance this I like to do several push-ups at different angles. Starting with angled push-ups with my feet high on the back of a chair. Then change angles and have my feet on the seat of the chair, then move my feet to the floor for regular push-ups. Lastly I put my feet on the floor and do push-ups between two chairs, which works the lower portion of the pectorals.

Naturally, it is always a good idea to hop on the stationary bicycle for a short ride, just an hour or two.

Quill Lakes

2010-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Quill Lakes is about a 90km ride (one way), but it was a nice day to take the trip today. I have only been training for about a month, and now I can easily make 100km rides. I think I am ready to tackle the province.

Quill Lakes is a International Bird Reserve. There are many different migratory foul species here. It is a great place. I am looking forward to seeing many more of these types of areas across the province.

Wind and Canine Challenges

2010-05-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

My training seems to revolve heavily around the wind strength and direction. I am still not strong enough to ride into a 20km headwind and go very far. So on strong wind days (which we seem to have a lot of here in Saskatchewan) I like to ride on roads perpendicular to the wind. At first glance I thought this was a good strategy, but I live in a very rural environment and unfortunately a lot of farms around here have loose dogs. Now I love dogs! I have a few dogs myself. But all of my dogs are trained and/or controllable, and supervised. But I am really starting to be disgruntled at the farmers who allow their dogs to chase, and in some instances bite people on public roads. I have been chased and bit far too many times, and I am sure others have too.

Our First Sponsor

2010-05-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

I’m so excited! I just got our first official sponsor. I went into Staples to make some copies of my sponsorship proposal and I started to tell them about Samuel and his trip. The Store Manager gave me a $25 gift card which I immediately used to make the copies.

If there is anyone out there who would be interested in helping us raise funds for this cause, we would be very grateful for the help. I would be happy to send out all of the information you would need to start gathering sponsors.

Here is a quick summary of our awareness/fundraising campaign. We are calling it - “Samuel Carey’s Alpha 1 Adventure … For Life”. Starting Monday, I will begin canvassing local businesses. Our fundraising goal is $10,000, which will be donated to Alpha 1 Canada.

Samuel Carey’s Alpha 1 Adventure … For Life Sponsorship Facts

Goal: To help raise awareness of the rare genetic disorder Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AD)

Who: Samuel Carey, a 39 year old Saskatchewan resident who has Liver Disease caused by A1AD.

What: Samuel will be traveling across the province, and later the country, by self propelled means, to raise awareness of A1AD.

Why: To support the organization (Alpha 1 Canada) who taught him how to manage his lifestyle and extend his lifespan. Also to raise awareness of A1AD for those who do not even know that they have it.

Where: The first stage of Samuel’s tour will see him cycling the 700 km across the province from Lloydminster to the Manitoba border, following Hwy # 16.

When: The first stage is tentatively scheduled to begin in early June.

During his ride, Samuel Carey will be accepting donations on behalf of Alpha 1 Canada.

Alpha 1 Canada is a registered charitable organization and tax receipts will be issued.

For more information about A1AD and Alpha 1 Canada, please visit their website at www.Alpha1Canada.ca

Covering Some Distance

2010-05-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

Samuel headed out yesterday with the intent of just going for a nice easy ride, but the wind was in his favour, so ended up going 75 kilometres, all the way to and around Yorkton. I had considered going with him, but I’m glad I didn’t, I never would have made it :)

Today Samuel and I rode to Foam Lake and back (49 km round trip), but Samuel had to keep the pace nice and slow so I could keep up with him. He is out again right now, getting a second workout. At this pace, he will be ready for his cross provincial ride in no time.

Saltcoats

2010-05-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

This day marks the furthest that I have cycled in my training so far. A few kilometres past Saltcoats and I hit the 100km mark.

Whitesand Park

2010-05-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

There are lots of interesting places to cycle to in eastern Saskatchewan. Here are some pictures near Whitesand Park.

More Wind And Rain

2010-05-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

We have had a fair amount of rain lately, which has been interfering with our training. Even my basement flooded from all the rain. We have been keeping up with cross training and cycling between the clouds. Here is a picture of PJ heading into the sunset.

Joining Samuel On His Trip

2010-05-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Samuel Carey has invited me to join him on his bicycle trip across the province. He has also invited me to join him here on this blog. I have started training with him and together we are working towards the goal of bicycling across Saskatchewan and raising awareness of his genetic disorder.

Spring Training

2010-05-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

High winds and uncooperative weather has been slowing my training. On inclement days, I cross train by resistance training, and still do a bit of cycling on the stationary bike. These two pictures were taken yesterday. It was a bit of a surprise to wake up to so much snow on the ground in May.

A Few More Pictures of my Jack Russell Terrier

2010-05-04T16:24:00.001-07:00

To Bicycle Across Saskatchewan

2010-05-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

In recent months I found a website (Alpha 1 Canada) that has shown me how to manage my genetic disorder, and now I have found a great deal of energy and a noticeable increase in health and vigor. So I am planning a bicycle trip across my home province of Saskatchewan to help raise awareness of Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

I still have a great deal of physical training to accomplish before I will be ready to make the trip.

My Jack Russell Terrier Puppy

2010-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

I am always fascinated by the versatility and loyalty of dogs, not only sled dogs, but dogs of all shapes and sizes. Here is a picture of my new puppy, which I have named Anka. I bought her from a local Jack Russell breeder called Prairie Jacks. Anka is a very lively and intelligent JRT and is a joy to take with me on my adventures.