Season Finale

Jack & Rudy ready to complete our 2024/2025 skijor season:

Ready to go!

Our final outing was actually the morning of Wednesday, May 21. I am just getting around to writing up our finale this morning. While Jack & Rudy are poised and ready to go in the prior photo, notice all the indentations in the snow. The kids often roll snow angels BEFORE we get started on our outings because I clearly take way too LONG to put my skis on. So, you might as well roll before you go while you wait for the slow human :)

Our final outing took us out the Harrison Creek trail atop Rabbit Ears Pass. This trail has a quick elevation rise and is well shaded; so it is often the last usable trail at Rabbit Ears. The conditions were soft & slushy, making for a very aerobic outing for all!

Jack & Rudy's deep footprints demonstrate just how soft and
slushy the conditions were. The last outing of the season is always
quite interesting conditionwise.

Being the end of season meant we came across many hazards to navigate around as well:

"Uh, now what?" asks Rudy as he knows I cannot cross this on skis.
"Hey, I see a smidget of snow to the left!" declares smart Jack.
Yes, I was able to ski over that small patch of snow to our left.

The conditions were getting softer and slushier by the minute as we were going out. The elevation rise at Harrison Creek was not enough to out race the warming temperatures. So, I turned us around after less than 2 miles as I wanted to be able to get back safely & comfortably before it became too mushy. Our turnarounds typically go as follows: I callout "Wait, time to turnaround." and Jack & Rudy take this as "Stop, drop, roll snow angels and then turnaround." Well, my call to turnaround so soon clearly caught them off guard as they turnaround without the "drop & roll" ritual. But, once around, they realized a turnaround is a turnaround so snow angels must still be rolled:

We completed the turnaround BEFORE the kids rolled snow angels.
Typically they roll first and turn second. So, I clearly caught them off guard
but they sure made up for it once turned :)

Our final video clip of the 2024/2025 season goes along with the prior photo. Come along and watch as we start the clip with the comedians rolling snow angels before rising and taking off back the direction we came. You lose complete view of Jack & Rudy for a bit as I am in a tight ski tuck trying to stay upright on a downslope in soft/slushy snow. Once the terrain levels out, I'm able to rock back and we get full view of the fun kids again :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

The return leg was a bit easier than the out leg as we had the tracks we set on the way out to compact the soft/slushy snow a little bit. But, it was still soft & slushy :)

Making use of the ski & foot tracks we set on the way out for a little
firmer conditions (but still soft) on the way back.

This season was not a record by any means (see our 2022/2023 season of 1444 miles for a record season), but any & all seasons on snow are fun, fun, FUN! Right guys?

"Yes, we LOVE snow!" says the happy kids who found snow hump to climb
to end the season climbing up for end of run treats as they love to do.

A soft & slushy finale, but still a great time: 3.7 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 18 MPH.

2024/2025 Season Recap: 108 days on the trails covering 822.8 miles with 81,200 feet of elevation climbed.

We'll be back in September or October (weather dependent) to start our 2025/2026 skijor season. Until then, enjoy boring summer and Pray for Snow!!!!

Still Going

After a LONG week off, we were back on snow this morning. Yay for Skijoring in May!!!

"Are you having as much fun as me?!?" Rudy is yelling out to Jack :)
Love their footprints in the light layer of new snow.

With new snowfall Sunday & Monday, we were having a blast laying fresh tracks up, down and around Walton Peak atop Rabbit Ears Pass. The kids were ecstatic to have toes back on snow after a long, long, long week off :)

Catching air with fun footprints behind the kids again.

We did an out & back skijor this morning as I wanted to witness the trail conditions on the mostly uphill out leg before turning around and going much faster on the mostly downhill return leg. Wait, did I say "turn around" - yep!

"Turnaround, roll around!" goes the snow rolling sillies cooling themselves
off at our turnaround point.

Once, upright, it was time to floor it on the return leg. We were laying fresh tracks on the way out and then were second tracks to ourselves on the way back. At our highest elevation of the outing, the fresh snow was roughly an inch or two (as compared to the trace of new snow in the first two photos above):

Coming back down Walton Peak in the best snow of the day.

Now come along for the video counterpart to the prior photo. I love watching Jack & Rudy adjust to the conditions as they bounce around to find the firmest snow to support their weight at speed. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Back to the trailhead and all the snow walls have melted. So, it was my turn to get down to Jack & Rudy's level as opposed to them climbing snow walls to come up to me as they prefer. Either way, human down or huskies climbing up, it's enjoyable end of run treats!

"We prefer climbing up snow walls, but we'll accept them this way too!" says
the happy & focused fun kids.

We don't have many outings left this season as it is melting fast; but today was a great outing for late May: 8.4 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 107 days on the trails covering 819.1 miles with 80,800 feet of elevation climbed.

Rudy 8000

7 year old Rudy surpassed 8,000 career skijor miles yesterday morning! Impressive!

"And I've been singing for 8000 miles too!" adds proudly wooing Rudy.

Rudy's skijor career to date is the following: 1034 days on the trails covering 8000.3 miles with 742,100 feet of elevation climbed. Consider that most of this has happened since he was 1.5 years old and that is quite an impressive career he has strung together. For the curious, 5 month older Jack surpassed 8,000 career miles himself earlier this season.

Back to yesterday's outing. It was another fun tour around the top of Rabbit Ears Pass. But, the signs of summer are really starting to come through - boo!

There was lots of breakup in open meadows:

Yikes, the snow caving in to Jack's right with more exposed water
to Rudy's left.

There was lots of dirty snow in heavily wooded sections of trail:

Look at all that "tree debris" covering our otherwise beautiful white snow!

There were lots of narrow stretches with views of "no snow" at elevations below us.

Cruising along a narrow stretch with views of snow bare lower elevations
of Colorado to our right.

But, what did remain constant with the comedians was rolling snow angels to cool off at our turnaround point:

"Stop, drop and ROLL!" goes the snow rolling sillies.

Which deteriorating condition to feature in today's video highlight? How about gliding along behind Jack & Rudy in the tree debris covered snow amongst thick trees. Sure, it's not pretty snow, but it is toes on snow in mid-May, we'll take that any day!!!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Another constant, along with rolling snow angels, was still finding snow walls to climb for end of run treats. Despite heavy melting, the kids can still find a wall to scale!

"If there is a snow wall, we'll find it and climb it!' declares the happy
kids getting up to my level for end of run treats.

Yesterday's tally: 9 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed with a top speed of 22 MPH and passing 8,000 career skijor miles for impressive 7 year old Rudy. Yay!

2024/2025 Season to Date: 106 days on the trails covering 810.7 miles with 80,000 feet of elevation climbed.