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Canada

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-- From 2012/09/17 to 2012/09/23
-- From Flin Flon to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
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The GPS tacklog
from Flin Flon to Prince Albert
from 2012/09/17 au 2012/09/23

Clearwater Lake

For the first time the temperature was below zero at daybreak. After a passage at the Post Office and a frugal lunch on the Walmart car park, I took again the road in order to bivouac at the edge of Clearwater Lake. Alas camp-grounds were closed. Sunset Beach was deserted and, although was reserved for a day use I decided to overnight there. The day was cold and sunny. I stayed here two nights

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Sunset Beach
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Sunset Beach, Green Everglade Resort
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The Pas

The Pas is a shortened version of Opaskwayak, meaning in Cree language, where the river narrows with wooded banks. The city counts about 6000 inhabitants witha  McDo and a supermarket. The official buildings dating from the end of the 19th century are out of bricks. But alas there too the museum housed in the old Court House was closed. I went to the Post office to know the address and the zip code of the Main Post Office in Edmonton where I must receive a parcel in poste restante. But after having consulted the site of the Canadian Post Office and to have questioned someone in Flin Flon I had three different addresses and three zip tcodes. I would try my chance at Prince Albert in Saskatchewan. I elected my bivouac in Dawson Bay on the port at the edge of Winnipegosis Lake. The place was not very filling with enthusiasm, but I remained two days there because I should not reach Edmonton before October 8th.

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Landmark
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Post Office & Court House

Dawson Bay

On Thursday morning September 20th I carried out the small maintenance of my truck while the Panda Generator charged the batteries. I did not find any anomaly. Around 11 a.m. a fisherman showed me his extraordinary catch in a few minutes. Then after lunching I strolled in the village without activity. The day was gloomy, without sun but without rain. In the Northland of Manitoba beautiful days alternate with bad ones. I am north of 51th parallel.

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Dawson Bay
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Bivouac
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Fisherman
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Bombardier's vehicle cemetery

During a previous control of my truck I had detected that the front kneecap of the steering bar was in bad condition. Through my brother Man-Bresse informed that the bar had to be changed supplements (!) My brother will forward it by UPS with my semi-annual provision of medicines in Edmonton, Alberta. I will then make it installed by Volvo which had made the oil change in August 2011. On the gravel road towards Norway House I passed a vehicle droving at high speed. Although I headed at low speed it launched gravels on my vehicle of which one struck the windscreen with an impact. Alas yesterday a crack appeared which was propagated. I hoped not to have to change it before reaching a MAN workshop in Querétaro, Mexico, if it exists, (+12,000 km).

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Kneecap of steering rod #3
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Windscreen crack

Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan

Friday, September 21 the first village met after the crossing of the border between Manitoba and Saskatchewan is Hudson Bay in memory of the terminus of Hudson Bay Line in the Twenties. I made a round trip in it to find the library which did not have any Internet connection. At the exit the Tourist Information Center is located in a park reconstructing the village at the time of its heydays, but behind a padlocked grid. Tourist season is over, it's winter…

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Hudson Bay Park

On the way I noted that the harvests were still in hand. Sometimes red tents were pitched in meadows, perhaps scarecrows.

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In the early morning of this first day of the autumn the temperature under my truck was -3°C at an altitude of about 450 meters. I left this coldness to head to downtown Melfort to bivouac on the Mall. On the way landscapes were typical of the Prairie in Saskatchewan. The Public Library has a good Wi-Fi connection.

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Landscape of the Prairie in Saskatchewan

Before leaving Melfort I made a stop prolonged in front of the library where Wi-Fi connection functioned outside. The way to Prince Albert was short, I stopped on a rest area to lunch. While arriving at Prince Albert by a beautiful autumnal day, I made a detour in Tourist Information open all the year but closed on Sunday. Obviously I stationed at Walmart.