Wednesday morning I left Edmonton, on the quest for 100 mpg. I was happy to be on the road and heading into the prairies. I filled in Vegreville, AB, and wasn’t surprised to get only 81 mpg. From here on though, it was to be very light-footed. I tossed on a Joni Mitchell cd, and was happy to be under the beautiful sun fluffy clouds. The kms passed by, quietly.

Lloydminster sits on the AB-SK border, I’d been through it once before on a trip 3 years ago. I grabbed this picture from a plaque during a brief stop:

After passing through North Battleford and taking a picture (or ten), I made my way to Prince Albert, where I eagerly anticipated the mileage result. Along the way, I took this photo. smart owners can relate to the ‘blobs’ on the indicator. Having 3 of these blobs left at over 400 km is rare.

The fill in Prince Albert wasn’t earth shattering. 87 mpg, which is 3.25 L/100km - not as high as my previous best. I start to wonder about the weight of my luggage and other odds and ends.

I made it to Birch Hills in time for a great homemade dinner that Joe Hamel’s wife Darlene prepared. Ham and scalloped potatoes with fresh garden vegetables. Joe is a master of at least a few trades. He is a forklift mechanic in northern Saskatchewan, and has two masters degrees from Briercrest. I met Joe back in 1991 when I was working at a Canadian Tire warehouse in Burnaby, BC. Darlene is a long-time Birch Hills (and surrounding area) resident. The town has about 1200 people today. Recently, over 5000 people gathered there to celebrate Saskatchewan Centennial 2005. While that seems like a large influx, imagine nearby Crystal Springs - now only 21 people - growing to 750 for a weekend!

I was able to check on a few e-mails that night, but not much else. I spoke with my technical advisor Mike back in Ladysmith, and plotted out the next day’s challenge - to make 100 mpg - whatever it takes. After that, I had a great nights sleep in the 1949 era house, and departed early in the am for Winnipeg.