The morning was bright and warm, so we figured we’d make the most of it and cycle along the river through downtown. Fortunately, Saskatoon has the Meewasin Trail, a network of paths running along both sides of the river and linked by several bridges. The whole thing stretches nearly 100 km, but we stuck to the section that loops through the downtown core and back. It was an amazing ride—there’s so much of a city you only notice from a bike. We had great views down the river, the weir, pelicans drifting around like they owned the place, the bridges, and the city centre, all from a mix of gravel and paved paths. By the time we rolled back to the truck we’d clocked about 20 km and felt like we’d seen a good slice of what Saskatoon has to offer.
In the afternoon we tried a walk at Blackstrap Provincial Park. It was supposed to be a simple 5 km loop, but about a kilometer in we were swarmed by mosquitoes, harassed by ticks, and then the phone chimed in to let us know a tornado was imminent. That was enough adventure for one hike. We turned around, got back to the car, and did the glamorous parking‑lot tick inspection—stripping off layers to evict the little hitchhikers before they got any ideas.
Later we received an email from Dauphin Campground letting us know they were closed due to heavy flooding. That was supposed to be our next three‑night stop so we could explore Duck Mountain and Riding Mountain Provincial Parks. With that plan washed away—literally—we had to scramble for alternatives. After some searching, we’ve updated the route to include one night at Good Spirit Lake Campground and two nights at Wasagaming Campground instead.
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