We live steps away from the south east shores of Georgian Bay. Lake effect snow has been and continues to be a large contributor to the amount of snowfall that we get. The lake has really not frozen over this year as much as it used to, at least that is my experience over the last several years that we have lived here. In talking to long time residents, the lake would freeze almost as far as collingwood 10 - 20 years ago but as I am writing this, the ice extends not more than two to three hundred yards out into the lake. Snow fall amounts have also drastically declined. My neighbor tells me that he can remember when the snow banks at the side of the road pushed up by the snow plow would reach almost as high as the hydro electric wires (20') but not any more. We have about eighteen inches of snow at the end of our driveway, if as much.
But I digress. Cross-Country skiing is what I wanted to write about when I began this post. Today I strapped on my skis and went for a ski in the forest behind my house. It was a fairly mild day with bright sunshine. It's the calm before the storm however. Environment Canada is forecasting a major winter storm moving into Southern Ontario over the next few days. This system originated somewhere down in the gulf of Mexico & with all the moisture that it will be sucking up from the mild ocean temperatures there, it is expected to bring copious amounts of mixed precipitation to Ontario, mostly in the form of snow. The system is expected to track south of Lake Ontario so most of the snow will likely stay south of us up here in Georgian Bay.
It's late February, so as far as I am concerned, no problem!
Here are some pictures of my ski trip:
Sheds in my back yard
Picture of our house from the forest in the back
Me cross-country skiing
