As part of the New Year trip, also had a first opportunity to try some cross-country skiing at the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club, close to Apsley, Ontario. The trail system winds through the Peterborough Crown Game Preserve. The trail system was spectacular and the weather ideal. Recent snow overnight and little wind made for some spectacular scenes. The cross country skiing was tough with many falls, but as complete beginners, we managed over 7km on some challenging trails.
One highlight was watching a beaver cross the trail just a few metres in front of us. It dragged a small tree with it into the stream close to the trail, and continued to remove the small branches, oblivious to our presence. For many Canadians this might not be a great wildlife highlight, but for a foreigner from Africa, this was a first close-up view of a wild beaver. It's calmness with our presence is probably due to the fact that trapping and hunting is prohibited in an Onatrio Crown Game Preserve.
