Melting Away

With a monsoon forecast for tonight and temperatures hovering at or above zero for the last week or so I headed for my favorite Gatineau Park ski, P19 to Lusk Lake. I'm sure it got above the forecast high of +7C on this sunny day. The parking lot was a muddy mess but there were still a lot of cars there this morning. The track was somewhat icy but also soft and it did not look like it had been groomed in a while. The melting was evident everywhere and especially on each of the lakes that I passed by. There was no snow cover at all and although there was still ice it was covered by a fair amount of standing water.

I got to Lusk cabin and had it to myself so I installed myself on the porch after stoking the fire inside and putting my sandwich on to heat. Some five minutes later the first of a big group arrived and broke the sweet silence. The kicker was the guy who arrived after the main group wearing a tank top and shorts! No real complaints though as it is hard to beat a warm day sitting on that porch soaking up the rays. About an hour and a half later I headed back down the trail and back to the car.

There is still plenty of snow up there but it seems to be melting away quickly so get out while you can!