Moving Average: 7.6 MPH!!

Note the "break" in the snow to the right of Max & Zorro.
French Creek is just below the snow here. As we were
approaching, the snow gave way and created a sinkhole
into the creek. I just happened to have the camera out
as this happened! Notice Max scooting to the left, "Whoa,
where'd that sinkhole come from?!!?"

Max, Zorro & I did a short tour in French Gulch Saturday morning. The highlight: we maintained a 7.6 MPH moving average for the duration of this skijoring outing!


If you have read our recent posts, our last few tours have been strenuous outings - combining distance, snow depth and extreme conditions. So, I decided to reward everyone with a short sprint outing today.

French Gulch is the perfect trail for this goal when the conditions are right. The right conditions: (1) inclined, but not too steep for the human to lose control (French Gulch rises 700 feet over 3.3 miles - a gentle 4% grade); (2) 2-4 inches of fresh powder to give the human a little friction to keep under control; and (3) hard packed trail under the fresh powder to keep the human stable on the trail. Yes, the criteria for "right conditions" are all a function of the silly human - the right conditions for the Siberians: snow (any amount, any type, any trail ;-)

French Gulch was in perfect condition for the human to "skijor sprint" with the Siberians today! The result: a 7.6 MPH moving average as we sprinted up from the French Gulch winter trailhead to the last meadow in the gulch and back. FUN!!!!

What did Max & Zorro think of my rewarding short sprint route? "Geeeez Dad, if you'd told us we were going out for only 6.6 miles, we would have really SPRINTED! Yawn, how's a husky supposed to get any exercise around this joint!"


Vital Stats: 6.6 miles; 60m total time; 52m moving time; 7.6 MPH moving average; 19 MPH top speed; 700 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Cruising across the last open meadow in French Gulch.

Rolling around in the snow before turning around and heading back
to the French Gulch winter trailhead.

A look back at our tracks & path up French Gulch.
2-4 inches of powder over a packed trail with moderate incline = the recipe
for maintaining a 7.6 MPH moving average!