First skate on Ottawa's Ridea Canal

Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon in Ottawa. The ice is open pretty early this year and the conditions were great. Skating into the wind was mighty frosty and it made us really appreciate the tailwind.

Week 1

Hiked Sulphur mountain in Banff with Katherine, William and her folks. 700 metres of elevation and purportedly 5.5km of hiking. Wintery conditions made for a nice hike. Temperature -13.5 C at the base and colder at the top. William needed some attention by about km 3.5 and I couldn't figure out how to change a dirty diaper without having him freeze, so I hightailed it to the top while Katherine encouraged her folks to take one step at a time until the job was done. Lack of sunlight towards the end of the afternoon definitely made me nervous. Fortunately, everyone now has Fox40 safety whistles from Christmas stockings, so that will add an extra element of safety. Next time we'll leave earlier though - a 11am departure from Cochrane is too late (ahem) to leave the house with a day hike in mind.