Last of winter?

This year Easter was what I call perfect winter.

Sunny days, mild temperatures, snow, skiing, ice road to the island..

During Easter I got a chance to try out a pair of new kind of skis. I LOVED them and decided that now was the time to invest on something to keep me on the move. The OAC KAR skis combine the best qualities of snowshoes, telemark skis and backcountry skis. These ones are handmade in Finland.

Mindblowing experience! Revolutionary!

You can read more about them here. Now I'm just sad that it looks like skiing conditions are soon coming to an end.

Slow skiing in the sun

Boy, it was warm! Unlike on previous skiing trips, today there was no wind at all, the temperature was just below zero and the sun was shining. The island was really quiet in the morning, I had the whole place to myself. I zig-zagged in the forest, skied past the familiar buildings, and enjoyed a cuppa in the sun. By the time I got back, the shoreline was buzzing with people skiing, snow-shoeing, ice-fishing and walking. Snow-mobiles were driving around (which really spoils the atmosphere) and the parking lot was packed. Good thing I woke up so early this morning.

New trail

Back on the island again. I can't seem to get enough of exploring the abandoned island. Yesterday I went all the way to the other end of the island for the first time. And found more buildings. It's such an amazing place. I wonder what it was like when the island was habited and bustling with life..

Winter at its best: Skiing in the sun

The day after the Aurora night was sunny, but quite cold. I had a day off, so I headed skiing on ice. Around the deserted island I spotted a building I hadn't seen before.

The wind was really cold, but I managed to find a perfect spot on the shore where the air stood still. After having a snack I closed my eyes, and oddly, it felt like summer. The sun was really warm, and all I could hear was the wind and some birds singing. Until a snowmobile drove by.. that took the summer feeling away. 

This is winter at its best!

Winter at its best: Aurora

Last night coming home from a concert I saw people walking ahead of me looking up to the sky. I first thought they were looking at a comet or something. Then I looked for myself and changed my plan for the rest of the evening. I tried to think fast, where could I find a spot not too far from home with as little artificial light as possible, and with an open view to the sky.
There's an old road a few K's from home which goes between two fields. That's where I headed with my camera and tripod. It was FREEZING in the wind. I managed an hour in the cold but then had to leave to defrost my frozen fingers. These were the first really glowy Aurora this winter. I wish it had been Earth Hour and everyone had turned off their lights! Maybe another show next weekend?

Skiing in the sun

I was not planning to go skiing. Actually, quite the contrary. But this morning I found myself packing  my camera along with some sausages, pastry, coffee, milk, sugar, and thinking about bringing also bread and some juice. Then I thought to myself that it's not ONLY about eating, and left the bread and juice at home. But it tells a lot about what's important when I go skiing. It was my first time on skis this winter.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, +1°C but quite windy. I went to the island again, my favourite place to ski in. You might recognize the buildings from previous posts (here and here). I enjoy the atmosphere of the deserted, abandoned buildings, and, of course, the moment to sit down by the fire to fry sausages and sip hot coffee.

I'm glad I changed my plans for today!

Pearls, gems and other treasures

Magic

I'm glad I decided to go for a walk in the shoreline forest. There's something magical about the snow covered forest. I found the most beautiful track deep in to the forest and then off to the shore and frozen gulf. I tried to keep in mind that I'd only had breakfast, hours ago, and because of that I must not wander too far away, but the forest just kept calling me to walk deeper and deeper. I couldn't turn back.
I studied the contrast of the light and shadow and tried to catch the glittering gems on snow. When I finally made myself turn around, the sun was colouring the treetops pink.