Day 3 : You want to come to Canada Aye? ND to Medicine Hat

I was up at about 5AM. Sometime during the night it went from about 80 to 45 degrees. I spent about 10 minutes on the bike and realized I needed to put more clothes on. I also oiled the Chain while I was stopped.  I got back on the road headed North from North Dakota . I was still uncomfortably cold and contemplated plugging in the electric gear. It was only about 5:40 and the sun had already started to come up. Man they have some long days up here. I was watching ahead it looked like the road ended into a lake. Then I started thinking maybe it was fog , then I thought lake again and the fog. It was crazy. It was indeed fog and the visibility was just enough to see the Curvy road sign followed by the deer crossing sign. I was going very slow and boy was it thick.

 

Once I cleared the fog I was pretty stressed and  had my mind on a hot cup of coffee to warm up. My GPS showed me hitting my destination before 3PM. I was in no hurry. As I was scanning the road ahead I see what I thought was a dead animal in my lane. As I am getting ready to move it pops it's head up. A dang Pheasant. Just hanging out in the road! It was awesome. Now I was on the lookout for more. This area has a lot of ponds and marshy area along the road. I was flushing dove and Ducks up like crazy. I saw more greenheads and pintails than I have ever seen in my life. I really wish my buddy Trey could have seen it. I spent hundreds of miles watching them Flush, take off, land, and buzz me. I even saw another Pheasant in full plumage perched up basking in the sun in all his glory. I tried to get a picture but he was too fast.  I know a guy who stated a trip this long isn't worth taking if you don't have months to do it in. He said the concrete looks the same up north as it does in Texas. The concrete may but to the left and right doesn't. 

 

I stopped for that cup of Coffee at a Krolls dinner and met the nicest lady. We were talking and she said her daughter use to live in Katy, TX. A small world indeed. I knocked out my BLT and coffee and jumped back on the Bike. Canada here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

********Before I get started let me tell you. I am going to try an re-account a detailed dialog of what went down. I personally know 2 people that were denied access to Canada. I was really worried about it. I made sure all my stuff was in order and I even had Canadian Insurance cards.I have crossed a lot of borders and this one went south faster than the time the customs lady in Amman Jordan opened up my suit case and found all those daggers. The following is true to the best of my ability.

 

I pull up to the Canadian border crossing. Now this is nothing like the one Debbie and I crossed near Niagara falls. This was me , a guy in an eighteen wheeler, and one other empty car. I pull up behind the rig and wait. A guy pokes his out the building window and tells me to come to his lane. Me  and Mr. Monotone exchange pleasantries and then he gets down to business.

 

Him: Do you have any alcohol?

Me: Yes Sir, 2 small bottle.

H: Small Bottles? Bigger or Smaller than a Mickey?

M: I don't know what that is sir.

H: You have never heard of a Mickey

M: Just the ruffy kind ..You know I slipped a guy a mickey

H: Oh, your talking about drugs? Do have drugs?

M: No, No, I was just saying that..

H: Your telling me you don't have drugs ? What about Tobacco?

M: Yes sir

H: How much? A carton, a case , a kilo , a pound, a baggie?

 

Now I think he is just messing with me but I am getting worried as he appears to be very serious.

M: Just a baggie of pipe tobacco

H: like a nickel bag , a quarter bag? I'm going to have to see the baggie and the alcohol

M: yes sir. Here's the tobacco and the alcohol

H: That's a Gatorade bottle . Why do you have alcohol in the Gatorade bottle. Where's the label for the other bottle? Why isn't the tobacco in the original package.

M: uh, UH, I just put the stuff in unbreakable bottles for the trip.

H: You have any guns, brass knuckles, stun guns, mace, pepper spray?

M: Um ,  I have bear spray.

H: I will need to see it.

 

As I am headed to the other side of the bike to get the spray he continues

 

H: How about butterfly knives, switchblades, katanas, sword, daggers, throwing knives, machetes, bush knives, pocket knives or any other knives I failed to mention.?

M: oh, yes sir. I have a pocket knife and a camping knife.

H: I will need to see the knives and the bear spray.

 

So this is when things go south. I open up the luggage and there it is. He spots it. The straw that broke the camels back. You may get buy with whiskey in Gatorade bottles, tobacco in baggies, Kabar camp knives and bear spray but Canada has to draw the line somewhere...

 

H: Sir, is that an orange in your box?

M: Uh, Yes Sir

H: Please pull your bike to the side and come in that door . I will have someone meet you at the door.

 

I am in full panic mode. I am seeing my trip end in North Dakota. I drive my motorcycle over to the spot he said and I'm taking off the gear and looking for a spot to stash the Banana that he didn't see. He was pretty upset about the orange and didn't want push it by telling him I also had a banana. The New Guy meets me at the door.

 

NG: Are you the person trying to bring fruit into Canada?

M: Sir it was an orange.

NG: What is the fruit for? Were you going to leave it in Canada? Give it as a gift? Sell it?

 

So now I'm thinking I am on funniest videos or something. I am waiting for someone to pop out but this guy looks pretty serious.

 

M: No, It was a snack sir. I can go throw it on the American side. I didn't know it was an issue.

NG: Sir, have a seat and wait here. You have been randomly selected for a back ground check . Someone from the black counter will be with you shortly.

M: Sir, if this is about the orange you can have it, Ill throw it away. I'm not even a huge orange fan. I just stopped at a produce stand.

NG: As I said , you have been randomly selected. Please have a seat.

 

 

 

So I here am sitting in a chair listening to the guy at the black counter tell the guy from the empty car that he is being denied entry to Canada because of the Hot Check issue he has in the states. I am really thinking I am going to get turned around at the border. As I am sitting there I notice a few guys in uniforms are standing around my bike. All I was thinking was don't open the side case that is unlatched. No Banana ....No Banana....Don't look in the box...No Banana.. The Black Counter Guy comes out

 

BCG: Sir are you the Fruit Guy

M: I guess so man.

BCG: I need you to tell me every time you appeared before a judge, consulted with a lawyer, have been arrested, detained or handcuffed. No matter how long ago or how minute

 

I am in panic mode about what to tell him. I was curious if he was just talking lower 48 or if other countries counted too. I didn't ask.  I filled out his form and he told me to wait. He goes and bangs on a key board for awhile, comes back and tells me to see the guy at the red counter. I'm still pretty nervous but proceed to the red counter where the guy tells me to enjoy my trip. I tore out of there as fast I could , went around the corner, ate the banana , smoked some tobacco and drank some of the whiskey. I saved the orange for later.

 

Later in the day I stopped to get fuel and a gentleman struck up a conversation with me. He was headed to go hiking with his kids for fathers day. We chatted for a bit . He told me about the area and he gave me one of his cards. He said if I had questions or needed something while in Canada hit him up. Really nice people so far (Minus the border guys).

 

I headed on to Medicine hat and checked in at the Gas City Campgrounds. They have camp sites they made just for motorcycles . Instead of $20 they are $12. It's a nice camp site and everyone is real nice. Time for Dinner. Tomorrow I'm off to the Ice fields Parkway

 

 

 

 

 

 NEXT DAY : Day 4

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