Two Wheels To Nowhere

Copeland Forest ~ In the grips of an Ontario winter deep freeze I definitely won’t be out on the two-wheeler, although not that many years ago, I would have. This year as Fall rolled into an early Winter I was happy to hang up the bikes and do something else. Today, although the base on the forest floor is thin, I was treated to some impossibly fluffy fresh powder that sparkled like diamonds in the oblique sun beams of an early morning. For the first hour I was completely alone in the Forest enjoying a peaceful yet exhilarating glide through the barren hardwoods with the bright rising Sun flickering like a strobe light on the trail in front of me. As long as I kept moving I was comfortable but even a brief pause to snap a picture left my fingers frozen. As I continued, the frost accumulated all over me from my perspiration. The bitter cold put an early end to the phone battery. In the second hour there were more people on the trails. I ran into Mark and his mom enjoying a snowshoe. People were bundled up, as if peeking through venitian blinds. The cold wasn’t stopping people from enjoying this glorious morning. As I packed the skis back into the car the thought of a hot coffee and a family brunch warmed my soul. I drove away temporarily leaving the cold behind.