Footage Issues

Fun "shot from the front" of the happy, happy kids towing me to the finish of this morning's skijor!

Wheeee - smiles all around!

We started out the outing laying fresh tracks in a light layer of new snow over a mini groomer track in the backcountry. A mini groomer is a snowmobile towing a grooming sled, so the resulting "groomed trail" is the width of a snowmobile. 

Whee - laying fresh tracks in the mini groomer track!
Nice shot of my skis too: shift weight to my right leg (in track) to
speed up and shift weight to my left leg (out of track) to slow down
and/or get under control :)

Today's video highlight will go along with the prior photo. Come watch as we are galloping along in this mini groomer track and, then, watch Jack & Rudy kick it into "high gear" and really take off for the last 20 seconds or so of this clip. Fun time!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Shortly after the prior video clip, the following happened: an unapproved game of "tag, tackle & wrestle" broke out :)

"I double dog dare you to try and tag me!" says instigator Rudy.
"Easy kid! Here I come!" responds Jack who immediately leapt into Rudy
right after this posturing :)

Well, apparently my GoPro did not approve of this unsanctioned episode of play either as it shut off shortly after this point and would not turn back on for the rest of the outing. Well, it would turn ON but it would record for about 2-4 seconds and then shut off again. So, the rest of today's awesome outing was lost due to issues with the GoPro :(

Then we get to the second "footage issue" of the day. Nancy has a new, fancy iPhone to take "end of run" shots with. Well, she was operating fine at first (see the first photo above). But, once it got time to share end of run treats, she was, well, way too close to capture us properly. She cut off most of Jack and most of me. I guess Rudy is her favorite (hahahaha).

Somebody needs to learn to backup with her new, fancy iPhone to get
us all in the photo :)

A fun time was had by all, unfortunately we lost most of the footage: 6.3 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 34 days on the trails covering 251.2 miles with 23,600 feet of elevation climbed.

We're Back!

We're back! Zipping along with Jack & Rudy catching air at Gold Run Nordic Center!

Wheeee!

"Where have we been?" you might be wondering. Well, our last skijor outing was December 17, 2024. After that, I was placed on the medically inactive/injured reserve list. Well, that episode is over and Jack, Rudy and I are back to doing what we love in the snow! Wheeee!

What route did we choose to celebrate our return to the trails? Well, we did our favorite "Dry Gulch Backcountry" to "Gold Run Nordic Groomie Zoomie" combination outing. Dry Gulch had a wonderful layer of light new snow for us to enjoy:

Laying fresh tracks in a light layer of new snow - wheeee!

After Dry Gulch, it was time to go speeding on the groomed trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. Cross country skiing versus skijoring - what is the main difference? Well, skijoring is orders of magnitude faster than cross county skiing. Jack & Rudy will catch and pass ANY skier in front of us on the trails :)

"Whee, we are faster than you! Coming through!' says the speedy kids
towing me on by a skier that was ahead of us on the trail.

Today's video highlight starts with us cruising a long a nice groomed nordic trail. A little bit into the video and you'll see the skier in the photo above on the trail ahead of us. Well, watch as Jack & Rudy do what they love: catch anything in front of us! Eventually we catch the skier (of course), then we have to slow through a blind left corner. But, once through the corner, we see the open straightaway in front of us and fly on by we go! If your volume is up, you can hear the skier exclaim "Hee Haw!" as we fly on by her. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Catching and passing skiers in front us is a lot of fun; but so is entertaining any oncoming crowds who always pause, watch and smile as we fly on by :)

"Coming through! Made you smile!" says the entertaining sled dogs.

Then there is Jack & Rudy's personal entertainment: rolling snow angels to cool off during any pause during the outing :)

"Aaahhh, rub a dub dub!" goes the snow rolling sillies.

Finally, back to the trailhead and time to enjoy end of run treats with my best pals once again!

"We sure missed 'end of run' treats the last 3.5 weeks!"says the happy, happy kids.

A beautiful morning to get back out on the trails! We took it easy (by our standards) to make sure I was truly ok, but I passed with flying colors. We'll be incrementally increasing the distance of our upcoming outings until we are back in full form! Today's tally: 4.6 miles traveled with 300 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 33 days on the trails covering 244.9 miles with 23,100 feet of elevation climbed.

Comedy, Go, Catch

Fun "shot from the front" of the happy kids towing me to the finish of today's excellent skijor outing!

Wheeee! Smiles all around!

Notice anything special about the prior photo? Well, Jack & Rudy are first tracks on the groomed corduroy! Sure, there are a couple of snowshoe tracks to our left, but we are first tracks on the center of the freshly groomed trail!

We spent most of today's outing at Gold Run Nordic Center (with a little bit of the outing on backcountry side trails). At one point along the nordic center trails, the groomer does a little cul-de-sac turnaround. This is at the highest elevation point of our outing. So, I typically pause at the top of this cul-de-sac for two reasons: 1) to let the goofballs roll snow angels to cool off after towing me up; and 2) for me to get ready for the Jack & Rudy missile to LAUNCH me back down the trail! So, here we are at the top of the cul-de-sac:

Cooling our jets, rub a dub dub!

Now for today's "comedy, go & catch" video clip. The clip starts just after Jack & Rudy had got up from their snow angels. Jack & Rudy had turned around to GO but I have us paused while I adjust some equipment before restarting. So, if your volume is up, you'll hear Rudy protesting (by wooing) about how long I am taking. Then, as I rotate around you'll see what Jack is doing with my extended pause: rolling snow angels as he always does (once I re-paused us, he stopped, dropped and rolled AGAIN). 

Next, all it takes is one "Ok, here we go Jack." from me and he pops up from his snow angel and launches down the trail. Now watch the fun as we top 24 MPH in what I knew was a chase. "What chase?" you ask, well about 1m 8s into the clip and you can start to see groomer lights ahead of us until we finally catch the groomer and have to slow down. Jack & Rudy love playing catch the groomer!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

For the curious, we know the groomer drivers from skijoring these trails for years. When the trail eventually gets wide enough for us to pass, the driver will pause and wave us on by. On today's encounter, the trail was not wide enough yet for us to safely pass. So, I'd slow Jack & Rudy for a bit to give the groomer a little head start and then we'd catch right back up again. Slow, Run, Catch - repeat, repeat, repeat :)

Catching the groomer again after slowing to give it a head start.

As I said, eventually the trail gets wide enough for us to pass. The driver always stops and we safely trot on by. The driver and I always exchange smiles and waves as we pass!

Wide enough to pass - here we come!

For us to have encountered the groomer where we did, meant it had already groomed the main trail at Gold Run. So, once we passed, we connected onto the freshly groom main trail around a couple of corners. Well, Jack & Rudy know what to do with a fresh groomie zoomie:

Zoom go the hover huskies. Wheeee!

Finally, a really nice high snow wall to climb today for end of run treats!

"That was so FUN!" says the 'catch the groomer' pair.
Sorry my head is unseeable in the bright sun, but we are here
for Jack & Rudy's happy faces anyway :)

A fast, fun and short day playing catch the groomer at Gold Run Nordic Center: 5.4 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 24 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 31 days on the trails covering 234.9 miles with 22,400 feet of elevation climbed.