This is the second instalment in my potential coffee-table book on biking Saskatchewan grid roads. Below is a chapter entitled “Grid Roads”. I do not entirely know the order of the chapters yet. But most likely this one would be first or second.
The accompanying photos are just a sampling. I thankfully have numerous ones to choose from, so the final choices will come later. But these are a quick grab for this post.
As always, please comment below if you have any suggestions, criticisms, ideas, anything. Your past comments (and emails) on this project are really helping me. Many thanks!
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Grid Roads
Much of the southern half of Saskatchewan is built on a grid road system. Beginning in the 1880s after the railway system was established, a simple road system of north to south (“Range”) roads following a longitude, and east to west (“Township”) roads following a latitude were created. The intersections going east and west are every one mile while the north and south intersections are every two miles. Yes, miles. This preceded Canada’s adaptation to the metric system in 1976.
Of course, there are always exceptions as nothing can be straight-lined perfect out in nature. A slough or some other waterway will have a road go around it. Or possibly through it if the road is built up or its intended use is during the dry season. Land topography and elevation creates curvatures for the roads. And north east of Lipton is a legendary Jewish cemetery built in the middle of where the road was supposed to be. Of course, the road was later built around the burial ground. Even the longitude lines cannot be followed perfectly with the road creating a “correction line”. That is, a Range road heading north might suddenly end at a T intersection, the continue north half a mile to the west or east.
Many of Saskatchewan’s modern highways are evolved versions of well traveled grid roads. But the grids remain the gravel or dirt roads that are off the beaten path. They connect farmlands to neighbouring small towns, First Nation Reservations, and many of the remote places we bike.
Paul and I avoid paved highways at all costs. I am not a fan of traffic whizzing inches away from me. That, and we don’t care to go to the trouble to wear any special biking outfit made of spandex and reflective material. Wear whatever you’re wearing, I say. We even avoid the wide, well-traveled gravel roads if possible. The ones with a fair amount of traffic. Those roads are a little more difficult to pedal through thanks to thick gravel. They are even worse after the Rural Municipality (RM) sends their grater out to level it off with fresh gravel.
There are numerous smaller grid roads that make biking easier, with much less traffic and better pedalling surface. The added bonus is that there are usually more interesting sites down these less travelled roads. Many, many abandoned structures, fieldstone ruins, tiny cemetery plots and fortifying scenes of nature are found on these lesser known paths.
But the absolute best biking are on what’s officially called “dry weather roads”.
Dry Weather Roads
You can’t top biking down Saskatchewan’s dry weather roads. Usually made of solid dirt (no gravel), in the heat of the summer these paths are packed down well, smooth, and excellent riding surfaces. Of course, if it starts to rain, you better find a gravel road quick, or you’ll be scraping mud from your gears for the rest of the trip. They don’t call them dry weather roads for nothing.
As you might expect, dry weather roads always travel down the most remote corners of the Prairies. These roads are legal roadways, found on maps and given identifying names or numbers. But you wouldn’t dare drive your family car down these. They are intended for farmers in a work truck, tractor, or combine. These roads are often in semi-hideous conditions with random pot holes, mud patches, and other obstacles like rocks and such. All the more better for adventurous biking.
Therefore obviously, the RM does not maintain these lower level of grid roads the same way as the more well traveled ones. Dry weather roads are not built up with some sort of drainage ditch aside. Instead, they follow the topography of the land, up shallow hills and down lowlands. A perfect bike trail.
Some dry weather roads are nothing more than two tire ruts going through a field. Which almost makes Paul and I feel like we’re trespassing, as if we shouldn’t be out on some farmer’s land. But it’s a legal roadway, marked on the map and all.
Road Allowances
Sometimes the maps will show us a road to take. But when we arrive, the road is gone with a crop in its place. This happens often.
By definition, a road allowance is land that was surveyed and set aside by the government for future road development. So, a legal roadway with no real road there yet. But most of the time, it is the opposite: a road did once exist and a property owner received permission from the RM to plow over it and plant crops, if it is a seldom used road of course. Thus people like Paul and I show up on bike to discover there is nothing to ride on. If it’s pre-seeding season (April-early May) or after harvest (late August-October), we often bike over the field anyway. It’s legal passage. Nothing can stop us, except maybe uneven rows of 10 inch tall canola bristle. But that just usually slows us down.
Road Closed
Not too often, a “Road Closed” sign is placed by the RM for various reasons. Maybe a flood washed part of it away and it hasn’t been repaired. Or the RM decided to stop maintaining a little used road. For whatever reason, it is not passible in a car, thus the warning sign. But that never stops biking. It feels odd at first. Biking past a Road Closed sign feels illegal. Or dangerous. It’s not much different than traveling there on foot. No roadway will destroy the undercarriage of our bikes.
I once subscribed to this certain biking magazine. It had amazing photography balanced with well written stories. It was a good subscription. But I couldn’t identify with it much. The entire magazine was geared towards a crowd of biking enthusiasts who build and maintain trails. They’re dedication to these trails was inspiring. They would raise thousands of dollars, donate land, dig, sweat, and work for months to create and maintain some small trail system that you might have to drive 2 or 3 hours just to get to.
The entire grid road system in Saskatchewan is just sitting there. Ready to go. The Provincial government and local RMs maintain it. Numerous sights and paths can be biked right from our driveways in Fort Qu’Appelle. Others, just a mere 30 or 45 minute drive to get to a different, fully maintained location with all new sights and discoveries.
It’s almost like a free gift for cyclists who choose to live here.
Love this! Keep at it.
I think a book on this would be a great guide for people that are interested in exploring the areas.