Spiders on the move

摘要

It's Easter Monday, 6 am. I'm off call, and it's time to take Nathan, the medical student to whom I am a preceptor, into the wilderness. We need the early start before the crust on the snow softens with the heat of the day. Nathan has become adept at "crust skiing" on our daily early-morning ski excursions to Flatbed Falls before work, usually after we have warmed up with 40 lengths in the community swimming pool. Today's longer trip is a continuation of the plan to sell him on how wonderful being a rural family doctor can be. We head for the wide valley that is the headwaters of Flatbed Creek about 45 minutes from town, and don our cross-country skis. It is amazing how quickly we are in true wilderness. Conditions are idyllic for crust skiing, and soon we have covered 12 km.