What got into me?  I'm still attempting to figure that out.  Why, on only the second time out on x-country skis this season, would I suggest a 13km trail?  Why would I suggest a 13km trail on the day after going out for the first time?

Last night we narrowed down our choices to a couple of trails.  The fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky must have been drawing me to the Moss Lake trail at Elk Island Park.  Now that I think about it, that trail was the shorter of the two picked out.  The other one was 16kms.

On the way to the trail head, we saw a large herd of elk on the top of a hill to the west of the parkway.  They watched as we pulled over to snap a few photos.  As the window rolled down, they stampeded to the bottom of the hill.

Further up the road, a coyote lopped through the snow in search of a morning meal.  He wasn't about to stop while we slowed to watch him.  The scene itself was beautiful.  Large flakes were falling as the coyote ran through the snow.

There were no other vehicles in the trail head parking lot.  We gathered our gear and headed out.  There was about four inches of fresh snow and we had to break trail.  Thank goodness my son took the lead.

At the beginning of the outing, there were a number of BIG hills that we had to climb.  My legs were not sore from the night before but they were certainly fatigued after completing the climbs.  I wanted to continue forward, rather than turning around.

The snow fell silently and steadily the entire time that we were out.  The trail wound through aspen forests, spruce forests and along the shore of a frozen lake.  It looked like a Christmas card.  The tree and shrub branches wore blankets of white.  It was so peaceful.

Moose had been out on the trail.  Their tracks criss-crossed from one side to the next.  They stopped every so often to paw at the ground.  In a couple of spots, they had laid down to rest in the snow, leaving an indent in the fluffiness.

Two flocks of geese flew overhead.  Their honking echoed through the woods.  Squirrels were accessing their stores and woodpeckers were out in search of food.  The chickadees were flitting from branch to branch.

The trail flattened out as we came to the areas where the forest was thickest.  I had to stop every now and again to give the old legs a rest and to take in the beauty around me.  I was impressed with myself, my legs were beginning to feel like rubber, just as my arms were but I only had one wipe out.  It wasn't even because I lost my balance on a hill which is always an expectation of mine.  We crossed a wooden boardwalk and my ski caught something under the snow as I came off the end of the walkway.  Down I went.  All I could think of was 'Help I've fallen and can't get up.'  I had a good laugh and my son got a good picture.

We did not meet up with anyone else during the entire time that we were out.  This has become my new favorite trail for x-country skiing.  I'll practice a little before the next outing and make sure that I take some extra snacks and water along.  If I would have been by myself today, I would not have made it all the way around; having to break trail.  My son did a fine job of that.

The laces on my ski boots had huge icy snowballs on them.  My socks were soaken wet.  I could barely lift my legs up the back stairs but it was a glorious day.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon on the couch.  The wood in the stove crackled and the fire warmed my bones; that coupled with the fuzzy blanket that I was cuddled under.  A nice two hour nap ensued after which I made a big cup of tea and read for the remainder of the day.

The outings over the last two days have left me filled with gratitude.  I love the area that I live in.  All my favorite activities can be found within a short drive from home.  My weekends are mini-vacations each week.  I couldn't ask for anything better.