After eating breakfast, checking e-mails and studying the forecast, I scrambled to get ready. I was able to have the car packed with all my gear and was on the road shortly before noon. On the drive there, I was pleased to see that the roads were in excellent condition and the traffic was light. The sun shining gave me an opportunity to take in the scenery as I passed through sections of the Niagara Escarpment.
On the drive there, I was trying to decide what to do. Should I ski, or snowshoe? When I arrived in Duntroon, I decided to ski. I wanted two hours of pleasure, no matter how far I went. I wanted something rigorous but with lower impact on the body. Also, the snowshoes available for use were not really to my liking. Attempting to run in them would have been a little awkward. I was also advised that the snowshoe trails weren't in the best shape. So... I rented the ski equipment and suited up. Because of the rigorous movement involved - compared to alpine skiing - I was quite comfortable wearing my running clothes.
The trails were well groomed and granular with hardly any ice patches to speak of. A machine grooms the trail to accommodate both classic skiers and skate skiers. The trail map is posted at various sections along the trail, and the arrows tell you which way to go, depending on which colour you choose to follow. In my case, I followed the red trail, avoiding the red sections that had a black diamond to minimise risk of injury. For you non-skiers out there, black diamonds in the Nordic and Alpine ski world stand for a high level of difficulty. In alpine skiing, the only thing more difficult than a black diamond is a double black diamond.
A great time was had overall. Yes, I will admit that I fell on the trails a few times. The falls were minor and I was back up and at 'em in no time. I was definitely more fortunate than one of the skiers who dislocated his shoulder and had to be hauled off on a sled attached to a snowmobile. Because I avoided the sections with the black diamond, I know I did not go the entire 15.5km. I am guessing that I covered 13-14km. Of course, a Garmin will be needed to verify this.
The drive down south was uneventful. After stopping in for gas and a burger from Champs Burgers - which is very filling, by the way - I was on my way. I even took a different route altogether, which made it enjoyable. Upon my return, I headed for Kula where I had my weekly meeting with the group for the 40 Days to Personal Revolution programme, which wraps up on Friday. Once I arrived home and prepared for the next day, I promptly fell asleep after hitting the pillows.
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