Tuesday

A cross country ski along the Gatineau River rail tracks. The only flat land around, perfect for a skate ski.

Wednesday

A little road running action.

Friday 

A Friday afternoon playing hooky Board Meeting with an important associate at Camp Fortune. 

Saturday

Neighbourhood trail hike with the kids.

Sunday

Another family hike on our neighbourhood trails.

Monday

A PD Day, I took off the end of the day to take the boy for a ski at Camp Fortune.

Wednesday

Monday

Perhaps the first day that felt like spring; the melt had well begun and it was almost warm for a trail run. The snow was still deep, and a foot off the packed line meant a quick knee-deep burial.

I entered a creekside valley, and the steam came off the water and enveloped me like a tropical jungle.

Good Friday

A final family ski weekend at Tremblant.

Saturday

Competitors in costumes or pure skivvies attempt to run the pool. Some make it.

A successful polar bear swim at Lac Mercier! Note the ice floes.

Tuesday

A first walk on my newly bare backyard trails.

Friday

Trail building in the backyard.

Saturday

A quick first spin of the Spring on the backyard trails!

A season’s passes

Monday

Freezing rain put a shell on all the beautiful powder we’ve gotten, but there’s always a sport to match the conditions. This time snowshoeing.

I went out for a half hour, but stayed an hour and a half, once more, completely lost in my backyard woods as the sun goes down.

Tuesday

First cross country ski of the year, getting reacquainted with beautiful Gatineau Park in wintertime. I took a trail near my house I’ve taken a dozen times, but somehow found this short trail stub that brought me to a lake lookout I’d never seen before. This is (one of) the magical attributes of Gatineau Park. You always find new things.

Halfway into my ski I crossed the groomer, and had this beautiful cream to ski the downhill return trip.

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Thursday

One of my favourite times of day to be out in the woods is late afternoon/ pre-sunset, when the sideways light casts great shadows across each scene, with random details highlighted. There’s a kind of magic to it, especially off trail in the bush where the sunlight comes through in 3-dimensional blocks of light. Thursday was quick and beautiful xc ski.

I cast a long shadow in the Parc.

Saturday

Rainy day of downhill at Mont Tremblant. The kids were in lessons, so we couldn’t miss the chance for “free” skiing.

Sunday

Sunday was a day of rest. Of a sort. A family xc ski along Lac Mercier (Mont Tremblant)

The January thaw leaves a hockey net wet and lonely. A Sutter-esque commentary on the state of the game in Canada?