First Left

Perfect form as Jack executes his first "skijor left" with Zorro and I yesterday morning!

"I'm a sled dog! I'm a sled dog! Look at my perfect left!!!!" exclaims perfect puppy Jack!
"Nice, kid, you've got potential!!!" declares Zorro.

This has become our new skijor pattern: Zorro and I go out for a nice run and then we hook up Jack on a short downhill or flat slope to finish the day's run. To date, we have had Jack hooked up on easy straightaways where his only goal is to free run along with Zorro towing me. Well, yesterday morning we introduced some mind exercises into Jack's run - his first skijor left! It was perfect (see photo above and video below). Of course, we had already been working on lefts and rights during walks; but this was his first on-command left while skijoring - woo hoo, he gets it!

Come along and watch Jack on his first on-command left. A few things to note about how well Jack did. (1) The trail has both a straightaway and a left option, so he had to listen to know which way to go. (2) Nancy is on the straightaway and nobody is to the left, so he had to "abort Mom" and go left on command! (3) Jack is on the outside of the left, so he had to listen as opposed to having Zorro on the outside to nudge him left. Perfect, perfect, perfect!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Enough compliments on Jack, back to Zorro's run. We did a short & gentle semi-circle on the Harrison Creek main trail and side trails. It was a fast packed and fun day:

Launching Zorro as we sprint along fast packed terrain!

Okay, here we go zipping along behind Zorro. Watch as we open it up along a nice straightaway and then cut into a hard left before opening it up again. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

The trails were so fast that we were way ahead of schedule to meet Jack & Nancy near the trailhead for Jack's finish; so, Zorro and I followed a snowmobile track off trail and then found ourselves a moose track to inspect:

"Sniff, sniff - very fresh - moose this way!!!!" declares track inspecting Zorro.
Zorro tried to convince me that following the moose track into the thick trees was a good idea.
"Sorry, Zorro, the human is not that brave (or stupid :)!" I said.

Fast sprint tracks, fresh moose tracks and a perfect left with the young puppy. What a day!

"Yes, yes, what a day! I had a blast!" says cute & happy Zorro at a turnaround point of the day.

A quick & fast outing: 4.1 miles traveled with 300 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2017/2018 Season to Date: 13 days on the trails covering 90.8 miles with 8250 feet of elevation climbed.

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