Today I skied to McKinstry Lodge from P12 and was struck by the feeling of being on the knife edge of transition from winter to spring. Not really winter and not yet spring. Part of the time it felt more like winter and at other times it felt more like spring. But when you’re on the knife edge, it actually isn’t either. We need a new term for this time. With my love of winter and my reluctance to let it go I was surprised with how comfortable I felt today to just be holding it all, holding a bit of both: snow pack on the trails some places 1-2 ft. deep and plodding through 6” of soft snow, yet at other times encountering butterflies, caterpillars, spiders and experiencing such a warm sun that shirt sleeves were pulled up to the elbows and a cap had to be worn to keep the sun off the face. It was a glorious time to be alive.
Because the snow conditions were so variable and travel slow I found myself noticing more than I normally do when skiing: the buds are starting to show on many of the trees, although you do have to look closely; shrubbery is showing an intensification of colour and in some places the contrasts were striking; lichens and moss are exposed juxtaposed against the snow; and, the creeks, the sound of the creeks was everywhere. I loved it.
Here are a few photos (taken with my ‘pocket camera’) from along the Ridge Road on the way to McKinstry Lodge. The trip was a bit of an adventure with a few ‘portages’ along the way around exposed gravel, rocks or mud, but all well worth the effort.
