Slush Layer

We had a layer of slush atop the trails on our run at Vail Pass this morning.

For the first time this magical 2013/2014 skijoring season we can see deteriorating conditions suggesting that we really won't be able to skijor through the summer :-)

A slush layer has two impacts on the outing, as shown below:

You can see the tracks Max & Zorro are laying in the slush layer.
Slush is wet & heavy which means it slows the outing as it is extra work to run through
(think about running on sand, that is similar to running on slush)

The other side effect of a slush layer is slush bombs!
A slush bomb is a junk of slush that flies off Max & Zorro's feet and pelts the poor
musher behind them. The "white blob" in the upper right of this photo is a slush bomb
that just flew up from the trail behind Zorro and into the GoPro.
I always joke I need mud flaps on Max & Zorro during slush runs :-)

Today's video highlight showcases the side effects of the slush layer. You can see Max & Zorro going a little slower than normal as they work through the heavy top layer and if you watch closely you can see the occasional slush bomb flying back into the poor guy on skis. But, it is still skijoring on May 25th, so no complaints from any of us!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Any problems with the slush layer slowing us down? Let's ask...

"Nope! No problem. Still on snow on May 25th and we are as happy as can be!"
exclaim my snow loving pals.

A fun, albeit slush slowed, run atop Vail Pass today covering 7 miles with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a modest top speed of 16 MPH.

2013/2014 Season to Date: 152 days on the trails covering 1314.2 miles with 149,900 feet of elevation climbed.