After a midnight ski session at a cabin, the author reflects on their lifelong love of outdoor activities and the challenges faced after a melanoma diagnosis. With a family history of skin cancer, they were advised to avoid the sun, prompting a shift to nocturnal adventures. Despite initial reluctance and restlessness, the author found solace and connection through night walks and skiing, grappling with both the fear of mortality and the beauty of the natural world during night hours.
I was going to ski by moonlight. For most of my life, I have spent days canoeing on glistening lakes, climbing quartz-flecked rocks and circling mountains.
My doctor advised that there was one thing I could do: Stay out of the sun. This sounded impossible. Should I make friends with raccoons?
If I couldn't go out safely during the day, then maybe I could learn to embrace the night. Winter's short days and long nights aided my first attempts.
Over time, the books I read became thicker, the font smaller, the text denser. But I grew restless and started heading out for night hikes.
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