Parc National d'Oka x2!

Last weekend I made it out to Oka not once but twice!

(I tried to post this a few times this week but it kept failing and erasing what I wrote)

My hiking group and I have been trying to rent cross country skis for a few weeks now but it's really hard. A lot of places only allow reservations 4 days in advance by phone and they go fast! Leslie was able to get a pair but only minutes later I was told they were all out. I went with her to the parc anyways as it was supposed to be a beautiful day.

I went for a bit of a jog alongside Leslie when I could, but certain trails are for certain activities only. We ended up splitting up for a while, and I just sat in the sun reading. This was definitely the sunniest day I've had this winter.

The parc had added some ice sculptures since we had been there last and it was really cool exploring them. I went to an ice sculpture open house once and I'm in awe of the patience and technique behind them.

I went back to the parc on Sunday to meet a new group of friends. I had connected with them over Facebook over the past little while but this was the first time it worked out to meet up. We explored some of the trails I hadn't yet and even ran into some deer.

It was just a s sunny as the day before so it was perfect for exploring! We stopped for a little picnic and then went back out on some different trails after lunch. The parc is definitely way bigger than I had realized, and in the winter they turn all the campground roads into ski trails.

It felt really good to be socializing more and hopefully I'll continue to find people who want to get outside. After the weekend at the parc in the sun, I actually got sunburnt!