Maligne lake

In a matter of minutes, it seems, clear skies gave way to thick overcast. There was a pocket of blue to the east but it was obvious that weather was incoming. It was calm but cold, and about 4 feet of snow covered the ground. I changed into my ski gear with the truck idling and heat on, then stepped out quickly and snapped into my cross country skis. It had been a while since the last snow and foot prints and ski tracks made it hard to decide where to go, but eventually I found a gentle down hill track and was on the lake bed. In summer, Maligne Lake is a sparkling blue expanse of water surrounded by the Canadian Rockies; in summer it is a sheet of white snow covering thick ice.