Two in a Row

On the snow 2 days in a row in September - woo hoo!

"Loving it!" exclaim the happy pair looking back at me at our turnaround point of the morning.

We knew two things coming into today. First, the snow was over and the bright & warming sun would be out. Second, the trails at Buffalo Pass are still open to 4WD vehicles as it is hunting season and yesterday's snowfall ranged from 2-6 inches atop the pass. Warming temps + vehicles on the trails meant we got out early (while it was still below freezing) to enjoy what was left of the snow atop Buffalo Pass.

Our decision was perfect, as the sled could still glide over frozen ground where vehicles had cut down to dirt or a thin layer of snow...

It may look "sketchy" in this photo; but it was perfect for dog sledding. The ground was frozen
so we easily glided over patches that would have been sticky mud within a few hours!

Did I mention hunters & 4WD vehicles? The "dot" in the upper/center of the photo is a truck that we encountered and then kept pace with for a while until hitting a steep incline. Max & Zorro viewed it as a target to chase and kept this same distance until a steep hill - impressive :)

"Let's catch the truck, bro!" declare the sprinting pair.

Everyone is already in midseason form for silly antics at our quick "turnaround break" of the day:

"Chomp, chomp - love snowcones!" declares snow chomping Zorro.
"Rub a dub dub!" exhibits snow rolling Max.

Since this wonderful September snow is disappearing quickly, we had to drive to the top of Buffalo Pass before taking out the dog sled to frolic around the rolling terrain. As a result, we were able to cover 6.9 miles on the sled with 400 feet of elevation climbed. A nice early season sled run!

2016/2017 Season to Date: 2 days on the trails covering 12.1 miles with 1200 feet of elevation climbed.

Unfortunately, this afternoon's warming temperatures will melt away what is left on Buffalo Pass and we are back into the "waiting cycle" for the next snowstorm. Pray for Snow!