I see trees. I see snow.

I see trees. I see snow., originally uploaded by PhotoBal.

I went for a long hike last Saturday (Jan 29). My wife went to her spinning class and dropped me off at the parking lot for The Old Quarry Trail in Kanata. There was fresh snow on the ground and it was mild, about -5C.

I set off on foot along the trail. It was not long before the magic quiet that can only be experienced in a snow laden forest enveloped me. The worries of the 'real' world disappeared as the tranquility of the white world forced me to clear my mind.

I had with me my Nikon D3, 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom, and old 105mm f/2.5 AI lens and a Lensbaby composer. I used the zoom for most of my shooting. All my equipment operated flawlessly even though it was snowing heavily at times. Even my creaky body feared well for the four hours or so I was out there.

I managed to capture some nice images and was surprised at how tame the deer where. They would approach very close to you, looking for a handout. One young doe even let me pet her and she left a nose print on my lens!

The best part about going out like this is the people you meet. You will not come across the grouchy, the sad, or the depressed. You will not finder the moaners and haters of winter or outdoors. Instead you come across energetic positive people with a zest for life and a love of the outdoors and enjoy the same beauty of winter as you do.

Can't wait to do it again next Saturday!