For Z

Today's skijor was in honor of and for Zorro.

Jack & Rudy hovering over the trail. Just like Zorro taught us!!!

Our beloved elder and lifelong mentor, Zorro, passed away on Friday, May 20. We have been sad and crying since. We all miss the wonderful guy SO much...

On Friday, I was telling myself I'd never skijor again. How could I possibly go to a trail without Zorro? Then, the logical and emotional sides of my brain started arguing. On Saturday I realized I would skijor again with Jack & Rudy but certainly not this season. 

Meanwhile, a late season winter storm swooped over Colorado and dropped fresh snow all over the mountains Friday and Saturday. Late Saturday, the logical side of my brain started telling me to think about what Zorro would want. Zorro had a pure LOVE of snow and absolute passion for skijoring. Zorro's lifelong actions exemplified his motto: "I love snow, summer is useless (unless you are hiking to snow leftover from winter)."

With fresh snow Friday and Saturday, I finally realized it would be a disservice to Zorro's memory and lifelong passions to not be on magical late season new snow. Zorro lived for these types of late season storms. So, logic finally won out and Jack, Rudy and I skijored Walton Peak at Rabbit Ears Pass this morning in honor and memory of wonderful, wonderful Zorro.

What happened? Well, we had a super fun late season outing. We were not out too long as temperatures were rising and the terrain was softening. But, come along for a video glimpse into one stretch of perfect conditions on May 22nd!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

I did learn two new things on this morning's skijor. First, I can skijor behind talented Jack & Rudy with tears in my eyes and blurred vision. Good thing the kids are so perfect on the trails :)  Second, I can hand out 'end of run' treats with tears rolling down my cheek. Two things I never thought I'd need to learn...

In honor of Zorro we skijor and celebrate running on snow!

I want to conclude today's blog post with a fitting skijoring tribute to Zorro Below I have included a collection of memorable photos from skijoring with wonderful Zorro and added what Zorro would have been saying in each photo.

"Max & I - the original skijoring hover huskies - wheeee!!!"

[After Max passed and before Jack matured to join]
"Might as well 'fly by myself' towing dad around :)"

"Ok kids, let me show you how it's done..."
The "hover husky trio" taught by Zorro to Jack & Rudy.

"I have LOVED this since the day we started skijoring.
Big bro Max is SOOO fun!!!"

[After Max passed and before Jack matured to join]
"I can still have fun even with just slow old dad :)"

[Zorro's 11th birthday skijor outing]
"Hmmm, the kids look like I wore them out - hehe!"

"Hang on dad, wait until you see what I taught Jack & Rudy."
Triple sled dog skijoring was a fast, fun & wild ride!!!

"'End of run' treats have always got our attention!"

"Get in line kids - time for 'end of run' treats but remember
I ALWAYS go first!!!"

Today's outing: 5.7 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2021/2022 Season to Date: 155 days on the trails covering 1293.1 miles with 121,200 feet of elevation climbed.

For Zorro: we miss you more than words can express. You taught us everything we know, have fun rejoining Max over the rainbow bridge. Gone but NEVER forgotten.

24 Hours

What a difference 24 hours can make...

We skijored this stretch of trail yesterday and the water to our left
was NOT there just 24 hours ago!!!

It is pretty amazing that so much melting can happen and so much water can become exposed in just 24 hours. But, it is the middle of May with warm daytime temperatures. Yet, it is still "toes on snow" and skijoring the most we can while the snow lasts, right guys?

"We'll do anything to keep the season going!!!" exclaims the happy kids.

Despite a lot of melting happening in the last 24 hours, we still found some stretches of "perfect for May" trail to open up the skijoring engine:

Zooming along the remnants of a packed snowmobile trail from the
past winter. Wheeee!

We even found one wonderful & endless meadow of firm snow to skijor across. Keep in mind that there is no road under this snow but just miles of bushes in the summer. Come along for a video glimpse into the fun:

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

As nice as that video clip looked, by the time we reached the end of the meadow, the sun had already softened the snow and we would have punched through if we tried to go back across the meadow! As planned, though, we connected onto a snowmobile trail over an actual dirt road to continue going (snow over a road stays solid longer than snow over bushes). Of course, it didn't help that the goofballs paused to 'stop, drop & roll' 3/4 of the way across the meadow. Come on guys, we have to get over the meadow before it gets too soft!!!

The 'stop, drop & roll' twins :)

Another wonderful day to report back to retired mentor Zorro:

Yay for 'end of run' treats with our elder!!!

After the dwindling conditions of the past 24 hours, I was tempted to call today our last outing of the season. Yet.... there is a Winter Storm Warning forecast for late Thursday night through Friday and into Saturday morning. If this storm really materializes into what is forecast, we'll be back on the trails soon after the snow lets up. But, if the storm does not deliver, we may be done for the season.

Stay tuned and Pray for Snow!

Today's skijor tally: 7.4 miles traveled with 600 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2021/2022 Season to Date: 154 day on the trails covering 1287.4 miles with 120,700 feet of elevation climbed.

Still Going

Jack & Rudy were THRILLED to be back on snow this morning!

"We LOVE snow!!!!" exclaims the happy, happy pair.

After an unplanned week off, we returned to Rabbit Ears Pass to try and get a few more runs in before the 2021/2022 season comes to an end. While the conditions were choppy, bumpy and full of obstacles, it was actually better than we expected. Come along for the fun ride this morning...

There was a lot of choppy & bumpy terrain to bounce the human across. Jack & Rudy can glide across this surface just fine, but my legs certainly felt it!!!

Bumpy & choppy terrain. But, hey, it's snow on May 17th!

For all the hard work towing the human through the bumps, we were rewarded with several large meadows of wide open terrain to go, go, go - wheeee!

The bumps were worth it to get onto vast (and smoother) open meadows!

Of course, the "end of season" signs were everywhere as we encountered many melt holes along the way:

Yikes, huge melt hole to the right, stay to the left!!!

Silly me, I forgot that all melt holes close to the trail are potential obstacles across the trail too. Come along for an example of what I mean. We are cruising along this wonderful section of trail when the melt hole appears to our right. Then, as the hole meets the trail, notice the big dip in the terrain. I completely forgot melt holes lead to deep trail dips if the hole is close to the trail. Watch as I scramble to slide left to send myself through the smoothest part of the dip. After the dip, Jack finds himself off the packed trail and on the choppy shoulder. But, it only takes him a few seconds to recover and slide left to rejoin Rudy on the smoother surface. 

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

May brings on warm temperatures, even in the morning. So, you know what that means...

Rolling, rolling, rolling - rolling snow angels to cool off :)

After a week off from skijoring, curious Rudy was wondering if he gets to be first for 'end of run' treats now (instead of his usual 3rd in line):

"Me first today?!?" asks cute Rudy.
"Silly youngster, when will he learn?" adds smooth Jack.
"Ahem, ahem - ME first!" declares elder Zorro.

The end of the 2021/2022 season is definitely close; but we are still able to get in some short runs on what snow is left: 4.8 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2021/2022 Season to Date: 153 days on the trails covering 1280.0 miles with 120,100 feet of elevation climbed.