This afternoon we bundled up for the -22°C wind chill and headed out to the nearby Jack Pine trails for a family ski. No matter what time of year it is, this area is always busy with hikers, snowshoers, bird watchers and feeders, and fellow skiers of all ages. Today was no different with only 2 or 3 parking spots left in the lot.
Leaving the car, the trail was a well compacted path riddled with bird seed. Not ideal for skiing but before long we were back on a proper ski trail, though it was nothing like the groomed trails of Gatineau Park.
One of the boardwalks crossing the swamp was completely ripped out with plenty of signs of a new one under construction. This didn't prove to be a problem for us though as the swamp was well frozen and easy to cross on skis from any and all angles.
On the return trip as we were crossing a small hump of land that splits the swamp in two we came head to head with a couple of deer. They weren't very eager to leave the trail for the deep snow covered swamp and simply continued to come towards us. The gap quickly closed and I was told to take the lead in case things turned ugly. That's when the deer finally turned tail and raised their white flags. It didn't take long for them to bound back down the trail and skip off through the trees at the far end.
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