Second Pass

Having a blast skijoring single track trails this morning!

Great shot of Jack & Rudy towing me along this cool
single track trail.

We started the morning on single track trails as shown above. Then, after a few miles, we dropped onto the wide, groomed trails of Gold Run Nordic Center. Jack & Rudy love to floor it on these trails!!!

Zooming!

There is a loop trail at the highest point of the nordic center. This morning we did the loop twice. On our second pass of the loop we came across moose tracks crossing the trail and going into the forest. These tracks were NOT there on our first pass, just 15ish minutes earlier! Apparently we just missed a moose crossing the trail!

"Moose exited trail here, going in!" says Rudy going full in the
moose trough off trail.
"Right behind you!" adds following Jack.

Despite being 15 minutes or less behind the moose, we never actually saw it. But, I was on HIGH alert the rest of the outing as were Jack & Rudy. I wanted to see the moose from a distance, Jack & Rudy wanted a closeup :)

After our two passes on the upper nordic loop, it was time add some distance on single track trails again. But, by this time the morning sun had started to appear on the trails:

Nice bright shot of us skijoring single track trails.

Once done with the single track, it was back onto the nordic center to fly back to the trailhead on the main trail that leads to the upper loop we skijored twice. Once again, the sun was out & bright for this stretch. Love the hover huskies with the sun and shadows:

Catching air in the bright morning sun.

Come along for the video counterpart to the prior photo. This is a really fun stretch of trail. We start on a wide and open straightaway as Jack & Rudy are flooring it. Then, about 40 seconds into the clip and we come upon a hard left in the trail. It takes ALL my skiing abilities to take this corner at Jack & Rudy speeds (20+ MPH) on cross country skis - talk about working my legs! Then, once out of the corner, I can lean back again as the speed kids take off along another wide straightaway. Whee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

We have one turnaround point on this outing named "Jumbo Overlook". You are supposed to take in the stunning views from this overlook. Jack & Rudy, though, have other plans for any turnaround :)

Turnaround.... Roll Around! So much for the views.

A zippy fun day with a near miss moose encounter: 10.3 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 24 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 62 days on the trails covering 536.8 miles with 47,100 feet of elevation climbed.