Never Say Never

I said I was done skiing for the season. I even put my boots away. But when I went out for a walk to take pictures of the deep new snow early this morning, and found myself shoveling the sidewalk just to prolong my time outside, I knew I was going to renege on that statement.

My inspiration was Rich’s “epic ski” last week. Taking advantage of the road closings for building the Lakewalk tunnel, he was able to ski from home down to Brighton Beach and on up the Scenic Highway to the pumping station. I was so envious! So I set out to recreate his journey.

My timing was perfect – the sun began to emerge just as I set out, which greatly enhanced the scenery. The snow was still firm and not yet slushy, and few cars had ventured down the unplowed roads on my route. Lake Superior picked up the blue hues of the clearing sky, and big rollers brought waves splashing up onto the rocks on the shoreline. The views were glorious.

My revery was abruptly interrupted upon reaching the Scenic Highway to find it neatly plowed down to the pavement. The detours had been changed, and so were my plans. But it wasn’t the kind of day for disappointment. Brighton Beach was every bit as entrancing on my return trip.

By then I was on a roll. So I stretched my return trip to take in the Lester-Amity ski trails. The city has long since stopped grooming the ski trails, but earlier skiers had generously left good classic tracks for me to follow. When those ended, I did my share by tracking the next loop of the system. The trees were heavily laden with snow, bending deeply over the trail and occasionally snapping under the weight. Even at this late stage of spring, I had to admit it was a winter wonderland.

I’m glad my resolve didn’t hold. Just see what I would have missed!

[Click on any photo to view as a slideshow.]