Good Time at Good Times

Today was the real deal - Max & Zorro running wheel in an 8-dog sled team!

Beginning a lean into a hard right. Max, Zorro & their 6 new buddies all airborne sprinting
machines! It is just me on the sled at this point (i.e., the sled basket is empty), so not much
weight to slow down 8 sled dogs! We hit 20 MPH somewhere on the trail and it may well
have been into this hard right :-)

Our friend Wes from Good Times Adventures invited Max & Zorro to come run in a full hookup with their sled dogs. Now, Max & Zorro have run in a 2 and 3 dog sled hookups before and, of course, they have skijored over 2000 miles in their lives; but today was the first time in a full dog sled hookup. As you can see from the photo above and the images & videos below - they were quite prepared to drop into a full sled team and GO! Woohoo, did we have a blast on the trails!

Wes decided to start them together in the wheel position (just in front of the sled) and we would adjust, if needed, as we hit the trails. Well, no adjustments necessary - Max, Zorro and their 6 new sleddog friends took off and enjoyed a great run through the trails. Highlights below:

About to start. I am in the sled basket and Wes is driving the sled. Notice cute Max & Zorro
glancing back at me as I called out one last bit of encouragement before Wes released
the snow hook.

And we are off! Max & Zorro (and their 6 new buds) sprinting out of the gates.
Clearly Max & Zorro "get it" - just like pulling the human on skis :)
[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

It is now me driving the sled, Nancy sitting in the basket and Max & Zorro still
sprinting along in wheel. Watch for the fun dip near the end of the video - whee!
[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Nancy got this shot from the front when I was
driving the sled solo. Nothing like 8 happy
sled dogs hauling you along the trails!

Back to Nancy riding in the sled basket with me driving and Max, Zorro and their 6 buds
weaving us through the trees.
[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

My first comment to Nancy once we finished was, "I could get addicted to that!"
My first comment to Wes after we unhooked the dogs was, "I could get used to 8 sled dogs!"

Max & Zorro were all smiles at the finish - I think they could get used to this too...