End of Winter in Canada (IMG00554)

I took this photo on Jan 14, 2012 on a cross-country ski trail in the Gatineau Park on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. It was a cold day with the mercury hovering at abt minus 17 deg C and my fingers were freezing while I was fiddling with the camera without my gloves on

As a winter sport enthusiast, I have done exercise in temp much colder than -17C. During the winter trip to the hunting ground of our Cree Indian host near Moose Factory, I was x-country skiing all week in near minus 40 deg C weather.

But I have to admit human bodies thrive better in warmer temperature, and even the toughest hard-core skiers do not object to celebrating the end of Winter. Indeed many skiers feel they are entitled to some nice spring skiing on sugar-lump snow, having endured the "hardship" of a long Canadian winter many times over on wind-whipped ski hills !!!

And so on this cool Feb 29, 2012 leap-year day, let me say how happy I am to know that winter is coming to an end and that spring is just around the corner !!!

Think Spring :)