Winter is officially here, at least in our minds. Calendars be damned. Sure, we've been out at Lake Louise and Suzanne has worn her winter boots on more than one occasion around town, but it always felt like it wasn't quite winter; it was still shoulder season. No, this isn't a reference to Dave or his physiotherapy. Shoulder season is when those who like to roam around are suddenly stuck in the city, paralyzed by indecision. Do we muck about in our hiking boots and gaiters? Do we pull out the skis? How warm is it? How cold? Isn't it better just to stay in the city limits and drink coffee and read the paper?
That time has passed. Dave has been to the Lake a few times already (most of them while Suzanne toils away in the coal mines). But today was her turn. Together, we travelled out to Lake Louise for an afternoon of skiing. Alone, we skiied. Dave braved the masses for a few hours on Louise, while Suzanne travelled towards the Chateau to find some cross country trails. Despite being the end of the weekend, Dave found some great snow off Larch that hadn't yet been sullied by tourists. For her first solo ski of the year, Suzanne found the Great Divide, a rolling logging road trail that offered clear direction and nice tracks. And dogsleds shared the trail. After deciding to let the thousands of Calgarians jet down the highway home, we stopped in Banff for a Mex-inspired meal at the Magpie & Stump. We highly recommend it for its cheese soup, large portions and lovely margaritas.
Next week, we take our avalanche safety course. The backcountry awaits.
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