4/11/09 – I had a wonderful lake ski this morning. The lakes are quite smooth and hard, as if they have been paved with sparkly white pavement. As the sun starts working on the snow it softens just enough to get a ski edge in for a good skating stride. The sky was flawlessly blue with just a whisper of a southerly breeze.
I skied up Sawbill, Alton and Kelso to Lujenida Lake. The large fen between Kelso and Lujenida was firm enough to hold me up, so I explored some large open areas to the east along the Kelso River that are inaccessible by canoe.
I saw fresh tracks of wolf, moose and otter. The only sign of humans were some old ski and toboggan tracks. When these old tracks remain after some serious freeze and thaw cycles, they end up creating a raised track about 3″ high and 24″ wide. For skate skiing, it provides a serious advantage. You can lift each ski to the top and let it glide down the sides, giving the illusion that you are constantly skiing slightly down hill. – Bill