Sudbury, Canada

My mum lives on the shore of Lake Nepahwin, one of the many lakes inside Sudbury. Having lived in San Francisco for the past several years, I found it to be a bit of an ordeal to visit her. Moreover, with the number of times she was in Toronto, there was scant little incentive to do so. Nonetheless, on the cusp my return to the workforce, I decided to visit. Given the -30 C (-22 F) temperatures, I might have selected a better time.

Since the lake (and most everything else including my toes) freezes in the winter, it’s possible to stroll around, ski around, snowshoe around or Ski-doo around. Yesterday, I suited up and went for a hike in the sunny and crisp (Ok, I’m not kidding anyone with crisp. It was frigid.) afternoon air. As I strolled down the lake towards Laurentian University, I came across a couple of fellows out for exercise on snowshoes. Having some of my own would have reduced the amount of snow that ended up in my boots and the number of toes I was sure I would loose due to frostbite. Nonetheless, I trundled on, keeping mostly to paths carved earlier by snowmobiles and cross-country trail groomers. During my hike, a plane with skis attached to its landing gear roared down the lake and took to the sky. Pretty neat. In the summer, I think the owner swaps the skis for floats.

Having the lake at your front door is a pretty wonderful thing. Of course, it’s not warm enough to swim in most of the time, but it’s nice to have the quiet of the lake, the possibility for paddling about in canoe and, in the heat of the summer, your own spot for a refreshing plunge. I’ll have to come back when the (-) sign drops from the temperature so I can test the waters, visit science centre and enjoy a bit of the quiet north.