Seven degrees. It doesn’t seem that cold as Aki and I head out onto the lake. Aki chases after her other human, allowing me to concentrate on my hands as they stiffen under my mittens. They get worse when I have to bare them so I can bag freshly deposited Aki poop.

  On the nearside of the lake, strong slanting sunlight makes the freshly frosted spruce trees look like they are made of rock candy. Ahead the glacier ice is in shadow except for a small bright blue island.

I ski around the 7-kilometer loop, watching Aki trot after her other human, who is using the faster skate skis. The temperature rises with the sun. I have to ski without wearing mittens or hat as the sun bleaches the blue out of the glacial ice. When we reach the car, the temperature has risen to 10 degrees.