The Best Part About the Trip Up North...

I'm going cross-country skiing. Finally.

Two years ago, I got up north five times in February and March (late winter -- we didn't a good snow cover that year until late January). Last year, I only got up once. We had a terrible winter in terms of snow and, besides, everyone got busy. This year, we've had a crap load of snow since late November but, people being just as busy, we haven't been able to organise a weekend when every one's been free. Finally, I just said screw it. I was going up this weekend and whoever wanted to join me would join me.

I really like cross-country skiing. It's a good workout and it's actually quite Zen once you get out there in the snow and the relative silence. My site of choice is the Highlands Nordic course in Duntroon, just south of Collingwood. I like the challenge of trying to making it around the full 15.5K difficult route without falling. The site's also only an hour and fifteen minutes from the city so, if you go up early enough, you can get two to three hours of skiing in and be back by early afternoon.

However, in spite of my love of the winter and the snow and the skiing, the best part of these trips up north may well be that first highway rest-stop out of Vaughan along the 400. We just call it "The Magical Highway Wendy's". This place has the best fast-food burger I've ever had. And there's something completely guilt-free about indulging in one whenever I head up that highway in the winter, to Duntroon, to the bushwack north of Bracebridge or up to Algonquin Park. That half-pound double with cheese is listed at 710-calories, but I know I'll easily burn that off while skiing, or snow-shoeing, or winter-camping.

I should be hitting that rest-stop around 9:30am.

A greasy, fast-food burger at 9:30 in the morning?

Hell yes.

Screw this breakfast-sandwich malarkey. I want that burger. It just occurred to me that if they have enough demand to serve burgers before 10am, that I must not be the only idiot that does this.

At least I'm just getting the burger; I'm not getting the fries and the pop.

Because that shit will kill you.