The dreaded snow crust

I had such a very enjoyable day with a birding friend yesterday, 23 November 2013, going SW of the city to Highway 40 and Highwood Pass, in Kananaskis. To look for a White-tailed Ptarmigan was our main aim, plus enjoying a beautiful, sunny day in magnificent scenery. Our weather at the moment is comparatively mild - if only it could be like this all winter long! No White-tailed Ptarmigan to be seen by us or several other people we bumped into, though my friend did see some tracks made by these birds. The main highway in this area had just been opened for the first time since all the damage done by Alberta's Flood of the Century, but the whole area will be closed again in about another week, because it always closes each winter. My photo was taken near the parking lot for Ptarmigan Cirque, and the only way you could get around was with cross-country skis or snowshoes. My friend had just bought some snowshoes, so he got a good workout checking through the trees, but I had neither skis nor snowshoes and so stayed on this very narrow track for just a very short distance, trying not to plunge through the thin snow crust along the centre of the trail, into very deep snow. Thanks so much for a great day, Tony! Much appreciated!