I got stuck in a Muddy Creek

A TransCanada Roadtrip through Saskachewan

I have made it to all 10 provinces plus one territory. I That’s a pretty exciting acheivement.

In Saskachewan I awoke to overcast skies and grey weather so the endless expanse of a flat landscape was visibly limited. This would continue for most of my time in the province and at one time I drove through a thick cloudbank at ground level where I could only see about 20 feet.

I was a little sad because along with the clouds came a lot of dew and wetness. Although it didn’t rain, I was less inclined to trample through a wet field or slog up a muddy trail. It didn’t always matter though because I came across more trails that were closed until summer (June 1st) a week away so even if I had wanted to hike them, I couldn’t.

I mostly drove through southern Saskatchewan where the uniform grid of the roads, paved or gravel, generally ignored the rolling of the landscape landscape that was like a bunched up rug. I also missed out on the mile-long trains and I only saw a scattering of grain silos. I think I was in the wrong part of the province.

To my surprise, the gps frequently put me down gravel roads because to get to a paved road would be a detour of more than half an hour going north to hit the asphalt only to come back directly south after a while to reach the destination. I generally didn’t mind the dirt roads but I figured it wasn’t ideal with my lowered Element and street tires but I cruised along just fine.

Whether because I’ve been inspired lately by some Japanese photographers who look to sky or the openess of the prairies, I’ve also experimented with tall vertical images and attempts to capture the cloud formations. Generally speaking I’ve had mild success, though they don’t feel as tactile as I would like.

I’d been crusing down a dry gravel road for the better part of 50km or so and was nearing an intersection to the pavement when the road suddenly dipped down to the level of a small creek and the gravel was wet making a small pool of mud. With enough momentum crusing along at 60km/hr I slid through but knew that I’d lost traction. Only momentum had carried me through. Up over a short rise, through a junction, and another muddy section appeared. I didn’t think it was a good idea but the paved road was just beyond so I continued down and then up again. Only, I could not make it up the other side. My wheels started spinning and my car started sliding and I knew that even if I made it to the top, the next muddy patch would do me in.

So I made a quick pull of the wheel and turned myself around to backtrack. Only now that I’d stopped halfway up the far side I’d lost my momentum and though I got down, I didn’t get back up out of the mud. It was a thick soupy mud of fine silt that caked itself all along the bottom half of my car. My tires spun, spraying up a tall rooster tail but without really moving. I thought that maybe if I could get to the edge of the road it might be a little drier or the grass might give me a little bit of traction so slipping and slidding I edged the element over but went too far and sank into the ditch on one side. The street tires had no traction so I could do nothing to get out.

I’d been warned a few times about making sure I had enough gas and topping off so that I didn’t get stranded in northern Ontario or Manitoba but getting stuck in the mud hadn’t come up. Fortunately, there was a farmstead I’d just passed so I took a little walk down the road. It just so happened that the husband was dropping off some ice cream because the store where his wife works had a freezer that broke. I asked him if he could help me and he was very kind to bring his supersized Ram truck around with lifted and supersized wheels.

All it took was a small tug and I was pulled free, happily grateful that it wasn’t any worse. Unsurprisingly, if I’d taken a left about 25m back I would have come to the paved road sooner than if I’d continued on but the gps didn’t recognize that for some reason. My suspicion is that all of these gravel roads in Saskachewan are classified as highways so the gps and even google maps doesn’t realize that they’re unpaved.

I was trying to reach Grasslands National Park before it closed but didn’t quite make it. The visitor centre didn’t seem like it had much in terms of a display anyways and there was still enough daylight that I could do a hike and tthen the scenic drive which appears to be the main attraction but the hike was down a dirt road that was also muddy. Although it was relatively flat, I felt that my tires had zero traction and I’d lost my appetite so I decided to turn back for fear of getting stuck again. This is the first time I’ve had to turn back which is a pretty good track record considering all of the travelling I’ve done in the Element off road so far but it was unfortunate that I missed out on the park.

I also missed out on Fort Walsh National Historic Site which was an RCMP camp because it is closed on Sundays and Mondays before June 27th. I still went to it and looked at it from a distance to see what it was like. I was surprised to find that it felt very much like what I’d imagine a pioneering fort on the prarries to be like with small buildings enclosed by a wall of timber piles. Like several other national historic sites, I thought it weird to find that in it’s heyday there was a town beside it and thousands of first nations camped in the surrounding hills. But then things changed and the fort closed down and everyone moved away. Sometimes I’m surprised that these national historic sites were abandoned and didn’t prosper into towns and cities but I suppose it depends on the changing economics.

The last place I visited in Saskachewan was a giant sand dune. I almost turned back because it was down a (dry) dirt road that turned into a sand trail but the sand was compact and I seemed to be getting enough traction so I ventured on and was rewarded with a fun time standing on a bush covered sand dune. In hindsight, it was good to regain my driving confidence and not be dissuaded.

It was one of several experiences during the trip when I wished that I had someone to share the experience with, to run around with, and maybe slide down the hill. Alas, it was just me and my camera taking photos to post to instagram.