The official recorded temperature for yesterday was +13.5C. My outdoor time on the deck in the sunshine, left me with a rosy glow today. The sun really did a number to what little snow was left on the trails. That, in addition to the rain that fell overnight, melted just about everything. All the adult ski lessons at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre have been cancelled. No more x-country skiing unless we get a big dump of snow.

I ventured to Elk Island National Park this morning to see what the trail conditions were like. My favorite Amisk Wuche Trail had sections with lots of snow, sections with no snow and sections with lots of ice. No walking without cleats today. There was a family that started out before I did and they turned around and came back. Everyone was slip sliding away.

A breeze began to blow while I was on the trail. The tall trees creaked as they swayed in the wind. The withered leaves of the cat tails rustled. The crows flying overhead got caught in some gusts making it difficult to move forward.

I didn't see or hear any other birds this morning. There were lots of new woodpecker holes in the snags along the trail but no sight of the birds themselves.

The squirrels didn't like me wandering through their territory. I did get a scolding from them as I walked by a couple of their middens.

I stopped by Astotin Lake to see if anybody was skating. Nobody was out there yet but a few people were headed in the direction of the skating oval. There is still a bit of snow on the lake surface. I could probably take the kicksled out a couple more times as long as the lake ice holds out.

My timing was perfect today. As I was leaving the park, a number of vehicles were headed in. I like to visit the trails early in the day while it is quiet. When the trails get busier there is less chance of hearing the sounds of the forest. The sound of nature is music to my ears, even if it happens to be a chattering squirrel. 

 

 

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