With Toys in Tow, Off I Go...

...west to where it looks and feels like winter!

I was watching the weather forecast for Lake Louise all week, praying it would align perfectly for Christmas Eve, and it did exactly that!  After a hectic last little while, I wanted a day to escape to a magical place where I could play.  I arrived early at Lake Louise, just as the ice man finished preparing the ice surface.   The view was dreamy!

This gave me that magical feeling I was seeking!

It felt so good, it felt so right to lace up my skates then etch edges in the ice.  I owned Lake Louise for a little while and for that period of time, I skated, twirled, glided all in sync to my music.  As others began to arrive, I stuck to skating wide circles around the outer circumference.   With 6.5 kilometers on my blades, it was time to switch modes of movement.

I took a brief break, had a snack, altered layers, then for the second time only in my life, hopped onto my X-C Skis.  The flat, wide open, not another single soul around conditions, were conducive for me to safely play.   I still need to work on my standing still on skis skills.

I followed the track which I had to myself, all the way to the end of the Lake.  It was just before noon, so that meant lunch time but not before taking a ski-stop-shot.  If X-C Skiing is going to be part of my play mix, then I need to work on what my ski-stop-shot should be!

While enjoying the view and lunch, the horse drawn sleigh arrived.

This photo of the frozen falls at the end of the Lake was taken with my camera set at full 35 x zoom.

After lunch, I skied the 2.2kms back to where I started then once again take a brief break, had a snack, altered my layers then went in search of more magic inside the Chateau and outside.  What a wonderful find and how perfectly this aligned into my day!

I stepped up to the ice bar!

My desert and treat to top of this magical day, was a glass of Mission Hill Ice Wine.

I stayed at the ice bar for a little while, taking photos, enjoying the fire, chatting up the bartender, and most of all savouring the wine, the scenery and the sculptures.  This has to be one of the most unique ways I have spent Christmas Eve!  I thoroughly enjoyed everything about today, and now feeling fulfilled and content,  I headed home with a permanent smile fixed on my face!