Repeat

Look at this "groom treat" in May! Yay!!!!

A groomie zoomie in May! What a treat!

We went back to the same area on Rabbit Ears Pass this morning that we skijored yesterday. This groom treat started right at the trailhead and went west towards Walton Peak. Now that you see this incredible groomed track in May, you can understand how I forgot to turn on the GoPro yesterday and, thus, had no footage from the outing. I was so excited, I wanted to get on the groomie as quick as possible and lost my head :)

Well, today we went back to the same location and I was able to remember to turn on the camera before getting going with my fast pals. Come along for a video glimpse into this incredible groomed trail in May. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

The groomed track only lasted for about 1.5 miles; but it was 1.5 miles of super fast fun as you see in the prior video. After sprinting the groom track, we did roughly the same route as yesterday. We continued past where the groom ended and took the Spring Crust towards Walton Peak. Today was a little warmer than yesterday, so we cut the outing a little shorter. Yesterday we climbed most of the way up Walton Peak, today we stopped to turn at the base of the final climb up the peak. Everyone ok with skipping the final climb and turning left instead?

"Yep, you just tell us which way to go!" says the happy, happy kids.

Why turn instead of continue the climb? Well, there is a HUGE endless meadow extending away from Walton Peak. I wanted to get on this meadow while the Spring Crust was still firm. So, with rising temperatures, it was time to get on the crust to continue on.

Endless snow covered meadow with a firm Spring Crust. Wheeee!

Eventually that meadow ends and connects into another vast meadow. But, this next meadow is the home of Walton Creek. All the snow melt in this area of Rabbit Ears drains into Walton Creek which takes the snow melt into the Yampa River and eventually into the Colorado River. The creek starts to break through the snowpack in May, so eventually it becomes impassable. But, there is a "snow bridge" that lasts longer than most of the snowpack. This is not a real bridge but the route the groomers and snowmobiles take all winter as the main trail out this direction. So, after months of heavy machinery packing the snow, it holds as a snow bridge over Walton Creek longer than the rest of the snow.

Crossing Walton Creek on the groomer/snowmobile packed snow bridge.
All the holes/indentations on either side are openings in the snow into
an exposed Walton Creek.

Once over the snow bridge and it was back to yet another vast meadow with a wonderful Spring Crust to take us to the finish for this morning. Yesterday we came this same route but then continued on the original groomed track to keep going. Today we ended the run after this meadow.

Whee, back to a great crust in vast, endless meadows.

Now you see why I forgot to turn on the camera in excitement yesterday! How were my pals with doing the same basic route two days in a row? Well, they were just as thrilled as me :)

"That was a BLAST again!" exclaims the happy, happy kids awaiting
end of run treats.

What a perfect skijor day in May: 7.6 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 152 days on the trails covering 1343.4 miles with 122,600 feet of elevation climbed.

This is now our second biggest skijor season ever. Max & Zorro had 1433.5 miles in 2016/2017 and 1341.8 in 2013/2014. Jack & Rudy just passed the 1341.8 season and are chasing the 1433.5 mile season. Will we catch the 1433 season? Probably not as that year had epic spring snow. But, stay tuned for how much more we are able to pull out of this year's snowpack...