Journal Entries

Today we tried something new: backcountry skiing at Mont-Tremblant. Technically it isn't really "backcountry" as you are basically skinning up and skiing down a full-service lift area. The great part is that you get access to all of the runs and lodges for $10.

We had a lot of fun, and everyone was thoroughly bagged by the time we left. In my books, that is the recipe for a nearly perfect day.

In this photo: @reneetougas and @celine.

Today we went for a short Christmas day hike with @reneetougas parents (@karentogo and @hammerhead). Due to the chilly winds we decided to stick to the trees. In this photo: Brienne and @mypictograph.

The first ski day of the season: easily tired feet and legs combined with this overwhelming feeling that all is well with the world.

Just finished winterizing my running footwear on the cheap! Just in time too, as we just got a huge dump of snow.

Skis? Check! Wax? Check! Heavy Metal tunes in the background? Check! Lets get these babies ready for taking out on the slopes this week!

By the end of the day, the sun had warmed-up the trail enough to make the trip down much more pleasant than the trip up. All in all a fabulous day.

The sky was clear and the mountain tops were crisp and frosty. It made for some beautiful Vermont scenery today. The trip up the trail was a little harrowing for @reneetougas due to all the slippery rocks, but thankfully we found enough dry rock to make it safely up and down.

This weekend was a "date weekend" for @reneetougas and I, we spent three days (two nights) in Burlington VT. Saturday was a shopping day in town, and today was a local hike. We had plans to do a nice loop over Mount Mansfield along the Long Trail, but we were not quite prepared for the trail conditions we encountered. It has been a while since we went on a fall hike in New England. Should have brought crampons... oh well, we will remember that for next time.

Today was another day of exploring Montreal by bike. This time we ventured towards the north side of the island, along the Prairies River. En-route we stopped at MEC to buy @reneetougas a pair of cycling liner shorts, and me a pair of gloves, because, you know, you gotta have the gear. In all, we did 23 miles which is a few more than last week. Maybe if we get good enough at this we can circumvent the island. I wonder how long that would take?

I managed to find a five dollar bill lying in the middle of the bike path, which made for a nice post ride Dairy Queen treat.

Today we decided to set out on a urban adventue and explore a tiny fraction of Montreal's cycling paths. We did about 20 miles, which included a sizeable section of the Lachine canal. We barely scratched the surface of what Montreal has to offer, and foresee many more cycling trips in our future here.