Years or Months?

Great shot from the front of happy Jack & Rudy flying on by as they tow me to the finish of this morning's awesome skijor!

Wheeee!

Now that Rudy's 6th birthday has come & gone, I can refer to Jack & Rudy as "the six year olds" (Jack turned 6 back in July). Today's outing started on single track trails in the backcountry; but we dropped onto the fast & wide trails of Gold Run Nordic Center after about 1.5 miles. The six year olds were really zipping around the trails this morning - such an impressive pair:

Catching air as the kids tow me up a slight rise in the trail. Cool!

But, then, at one point, all puppy broke out in front of me. 6 year olds? Yeah right, looked more like 6 month olds to me :)

Unauthorized play session breaking out in front of me!
"I triple dog dare you to play with me!" asserts play bowing Rudy.
"Can't turn down a triple dog dare, have at you!" responds Jack getting ready
to pounce :)

After a separation and short lecture from me on the difference between 6 years and 6 months, it was back to business skijoring and flying around the trails again.

Cool shot of the kids catching air in a full sprint stretch!

I love today's video highlight. I mentioned the other day that this particular trail has been re-routed at one point due to low snowpack so far this season. This re-route happens at about 25 seconds into today's video where the trail typically continues forward but veers right this season. On our pass by here the other day, Jack & Rudy slowed briefly as the trail had changed from past years. Today, though, there is not so much as a break in stride. You only need to show the smart kids a new trail once and they get it. Finally watch this clip at about 36 seconds in where the kids shift into another gear and literally take off along the trail. The GPS clocked us at 24 MPH along this speed burst. I was actually expected it to register 25 or 26 MPH as it felt that fast to me! Zoom!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Outside of the one unauthorized play session I showed above; it was zoom, zoom, zoom all morning long. We were going so fast that we were way ahead of schedule to meet Nancy at the trailhead. So, we did a quick out & back on a side trail near the trailhead. As we were on the side trail, the groomer came up the main trail. As a result, we got to be first tracks on the fresh groom for the last 1/2 mile or so of the outing!

First tracks on the fresh nordic corduroys!

Back to the trailhead where 6 year olds, not 6 month year olds, get end of run treats. Which do we have?

"Aw c'mon man, one little game of tag and you blow it out of
proportion!" says the happy 6 year olds quite proud of their
entire outing today!

Another wonderful nordic speed day: 9.6 miles traveled with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 24 MPH.

2023/2024 Season to Date: 50 days on the trails covering 421.6 miles with 40,200 feet of elevation climbed.