Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 84 S ITTING ON THE LAKESHORE, I tug on my skates—rush- ing like an impatient child, in part because of the frigid air, but also because of my excitement for the first skate of the season. Navy blue ice lies before me, inviting and at the same time intimidating—like placing the first brush stroke on an empty canvas. I take a quick step onto the flawless ice and glide effortlessly on the glass-like surface where I can see the bottom of the lake. Startled fish startle me as they dart away reminding me of the explosion of sparks when a log is added to a fire. I am lulled by the sound of my skates as I leave a trail of thin white lines—the beginning of my ice skating sketch. Skating on wild ice is truly a spiritual experience. The sensation of gliding along a frozen lake can be like flying. An experience that is surreal, exhilarating, uplifting and at times—frightening. For me, even though I grew up skating on the numerous rinks in northern Minnesota, my love for ice skating did not begin until our fortunate and very intentional landing on Swan Lake, in northwest Montana. Here we built a house, a family and a very unique life centered on the intriguing process of going through four seasons at the lake—which in- cluded winter. Until then I was indifferent to the idea of ice skating, in places where I was literally boxed in and skating in circles with a large group of people. But then I discovered wild ice. Ice without refrigeration, Zambonis and sideboards. Here your spirit could soar with your skates. One of my first experiences was on extraordinary ice. An extended cold snap caused the entire lake to freeze. I held my breath, waiting to see if the ice would grow thick enough before it snowed and buried the ice and our hopes for an epic Skating O N S WA N L A K E article and photos by KAY BJORK Swan Peak under the fog

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