Detour, Detour, then Detour Again!!!

Ok, So, a 3.5 hour trip from Tugaske home isn't the greatest, but, it isn't the worst either. Let's go for the 5 hours it took to go around all the washed out roads. #15 Highway is washed out between #2 and Nokomis. The Lockwood grid(pictures below) is washed out. We did manage across on the Drake Grid. Talk about going further and further north to get around the water . .. that you fear your going to find more and more and maybe should have taken the southern route through Regina in the first place as it would have been quicker some how!
Now, not to be . .. hmm .. . down on Saskatchewan politicians . . . but they spent, obscene amounts of money on the exclamation mark behind Saskatchewan! but THEY DON'T FIX THE BLOODY ROADS!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love Saskatchewan, I think it would be great if people would visit and get excited about Saskatchewan BUT! How do you get excited about a province where the roads wash out continually(#15 washed out last year, does anyone know if it was out the year before too?), why not fix it, put a bridge in . .. something? The roads are a pothole obstacle course! Nasty! Oh yes, #1 is nice, #11 is nice from Regina to Saskatoon, #16(Yellowhead?) is pretty damn good . . . but get off those paths to our other communities, where you find out about the rural people and their lives in Saskatchewan(there are a lot of rural communities!!) and you are traveling some of the worst, pardon my language, Shit, for roads. I would say Gravel is better than most those highways. I say, would because I drive a little fuel efficient car, that does better on pavement than gravel(unless the gravel has not been graded recent, then I am ok). How do you create Tourism with roads of shit? Yes, come see lake Diefenbaker! But look out for that grain truck stuck in the pothole, oh that bump you see is the tarp on his load! Little bit wild and woolly on them roads! Better yet, try to come from Foam lake on 310, rather than going over to #35 south of Wadena to Elfros, which is breaking out in the same places again this year . .. and is working its way to being like #310 from Foam Lake to #5. I would like to say #5 isn't bad, but it has it's places. So, I love the idea of tourism, and making Saskatchewan an exciting place, but I think the travel in Saskatchewan shouldn't be the hair raising experience that causes the excitement! The attractions at the Fair's, the people around, the elk farms, the buffalo farm, the wheat fields, these should be more exciting than the drive to get to the community where the haunted house cart ride with its jolts and spooks, are mundane next to the drive down the highway.

Ok, so now I am done with my rant. I think . .. Let's see . . ..

So, these are pics of the Lockwood grid we tried to get across as, hwy #15 was washed out again. We after taking these pics went up to the Drake grid to get across. It was good, no washouts on it . . Yet.

Coming up on the culverts.
Road looks a little worn and the ditch is running fast! and so is the culvert!!

Its a wonder those fence posts are still standing the way the water was rushing!! Must have been put in well!Culvert is rushing just a bit don't ya think?
They dug out the road to let the water through, this is why the at ditch was running so fast!
See, that's the road we should have been on, but the water needed to get through somewhere before it washed something else out.Culvert from the pasture. James hopped out and into the field to get a pic from that side so you could see it gushing! The water on the other side of the road was damn near to the gravel! You can see how deep the ditch is in the first couple pictures.

So, this is why you can't cross #15 hwy. I think they should put in a bridge there so the water can just flow under it. And this is why Lockwood road is impassable. So far though, Drake grid is good . .. Man that makes it a long trip around! Should make it interesting to say the least for those farmers with land on either side of this . . . creek, river . .. ah hell . .. Lake at Long Lake!!

And then, we get home and there are road closed signs along the highway for grids that I am sure have washed out, or in the process of being so. . .. Maybe we need hover crafts? Would they pass over the water without trouble? Would they be more fuel efficient? Can you imagine . . . My little Toyota took almost $40.00 in gas! I know I know. . . I should be happy it has a small tank! but really!!! I am glad we were in the car not the truck we have to use to haul the bin Crane around!! Glad we have jobs we don't have to travel far to do lots of bins. I feel for the guys out there trying to make it on single bins here and there .. .. and I feel for the Farmer trying to pay those crews to make those miles with trucks and cranes on behind! OUCH expensive!!!

Ok, I don't think I should rant anymore. .. so I won't get too much into the cost of fuel, other than OUCH! *sighs* and good to be home for a day, even if it is only a day.