A truly magic day! A good cold day like today with a warming sun needs to be experienced to be appreciated. Such a day leads me to choose "the road less traveled by" and go bushwacking.

I headed out on the FP and #1 and then, past the Champlain lookout, exited from the traveled trails and followed some ponds into #20. I took CP and FP to get back to P10.

All the trackset trails were quite hard but in good condition - the classic tracks were surprisingly fast for the temperature - the skating lanes were quite doable but not as fast. Hors piste there is a crust that supports skis covered with about 5 cm of true powder that has no glide whatsoever - once you're off-track the skis function like snowshoes.

It was really a great experience to be on the ponds in full sun. The snow is so white; the pines are so green; the sky is so blue; and the sun is so warm. Tomorrow should be as magic.