Perfect Day

It was a perfect day to catch some air flying along snowmobile trails around Walton Peak at Rabbit Ears Pass. Wheeee!

The hover huskies doing their thing!

With such great conditions, Jack & Rudy were in a real groove going uphill, downhill and cruising along endless sections of flat trail:

Peacefully gliding along a great flat section of trail. Whee!

The downhill sections are, of course, Jack & Rudy's favorite where they can uncork the skijoring engine and go, go, go!

Making full use of the wide trail as the kids kick into into overdrive
on a downhill pitch of trail. Zoom!

Now come along for today's video highlight. Watch as we are peacefully gliding along a nice flat section of trail until we make a slight right and FLOOR it as we transition to a downhill grade. Fun kids!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Of course, all that flying around means you REALLY need to roll snow angels to cool your jets at any and all turnaround points of the outing!

"Ah, rub a dub dub, cooling our jets!" goes the funny snow rolling kids.

To complete the day, Jack & Rudy found a snow wall taller than me to scale for treats! I had to coax them back down a little to get to my head level to receive treats :)

"We love climbing snow walls! We LOVE end of run treats!" declares
the kids atop a very tall snow wall!

A perfect day for a 7.7 mile skijor with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 47 days on the trails covering 291.4 miles with 31,200 feet of elevation climbed.

Headless

Oops!

Sometimes, "Oops!" is all you can say about unauthorized tag & wrestler
breaking out on the trail between the two comedians.

Prior photo aside, it was a great day of fresh & first tracks out on the trails this morning. Come along for the ride...

First it was laying fresh tracks in a couple of inches of fresh snow in the backcountry:

Wheeee! Love the snow poofs coming off Jack & Rudy's feet as we enjoy
the morning's new snow!

Then it was first tracks on the recently groomed trail at Gold Run Nordic Center!

Such a treat to be first tracks on the groomie zoomie trail.
Jack & Rudy know what to do with a fresh groom! ZOOM!

To add to the fun, it was then stepping off trail to roll snow angels in fresh snow at the Jumbo Overlook:

Some of us take in the views at the overlook - ME!
Some of us take the overlook turnaround as a chance to stop, drop and roll
in the fresh snow - Jack & Rudy!

Today's video highlight will be the flying fun on the groomie zoomie! Come along as we are ZOOMING along this wonderful trail. Then, we come to a hard left in the trail which causes me to crouch into a ski tuck to try and keep pace with the kids around a tight corner. Finally, it's opening it back up to zoom, zoom, zoom!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Did you notice the snowshoer coming up trail in the video as we rounded the corner? Usually I get fun shots of oncoming skier/snowshoers smiling and waving in awe at Jack & Rudy launching me on by. But, today I was in a "23 MPH ski tuck", so we miss the onlooking smiles. It was there, I was just trying to keep pace at fast speeds :)

"Coming through!" goes Jack & Rudy who are swinging to the right to fly
by the oncoming snowshoer. I caught his smile (even though the camera did not)
and he said, "COOL!" as we zipped on by.

I have an excuse for the headless shot above - you try cornering over 20 MPH on skis and see if you don't dip into a tuck too! Nancy, on the other hand, has no excuse for cutting most or all of my head off in today's end of run treat shots :)

At least she got 1/2 my head in this shot - I was headless in most of the
other shots she took!
"You going to babble on or dish out the treats?" asks curious Rudy.
"You have my FULL attention!" adds focused Jack.

Despite how pretty today's photos & video look, it was quite cold this morning with starting temperatures around 5 degrees (F) with a breeze bringing the wind chill below zero. So, the wimpy human (ME) kept the outing short - better to save the human today for more fun on another day! 4.8 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 39 days on the trails covering 245.1 miles with 26,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Nordic Fun

Who was having a great time out of the trails this morning?

"We were! We were! We had a BLAST!" says the happy, happy sled dogs.

It was a day of fast skijoring zooming around the trail at Breckenridge Nordic Center this morning. The kids were in a real fast mood!

It was zooming along in the early morning shade:

Cannonball Jack and Rudy the Missile with fun snow poofs behind their feet!

It was catching air as it got lighter as the morning unfolded:

Whee - the hover huskies at it again :)

It was flying by the silly warming huts, zoom;

"Who needs a warming hut? Floor it!" says the 'never cold' Siberian Huskies.

There was one interruption, though, you CANNOT ignore pesky rodents under the snow off trail!

"Dunk! I sense rodents!" declares rodent lunging & dunking Jack.
"Really? Well, then, INCOMING!" adds high arching rodent diving Rudy.

But, aside from the rodent dunking/diving distraction, it was zooming all day. Come along for today's video highlight as Jack & Rudy tow me around some fun corners as we complete the morning's fast and fun outing. Hang on human! Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Fun day, right guys?

"Oh yeah, we love nordic zooming days!" says the happy kids awaiting
end of run treats.

Today's tally: 8.4 miles traveled with 1100 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 32 days on the trails covering 203.3 miles with 22,500 feet of elevation climbed.

BOOM

Laying fresh tracks in a light layer of new snow in the backcountry this morning! Whee!

Beautiful conditions, beautiful skijor partners!

After a few days off (my fault :), Jack & Rudy were ready to floor it this morning. They had the "pedal to the metal" pretty much all morning long!

Flying!!!

We found ourselves starting in the backcountry and then eventually dropping onto the trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. Along the way, we had two turnaround points of the outing. At the first turnaround, Jack & Rudy turned quickly and then had to wait for the slow human to cycle around on skis. That brings us to today's video highlight. Watch Jack is patiently sitting and Rudy patiently standing as they wait for my turnaround. But, then watch as soon as I say "Ok," (my release command for them to go) and the kids virtually shoot out of a cannon to launch me down the trail with them. Such power & speed in this fun video clip. BOOM!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

As I mentioned, we had two turnaround events during the outing. On the second turn, Jack & Rudy were back to "normal form" rolling snow angels while I turned around.

There we go, this is the usual turnaround event.
Stop, drop and roll while I turn around :)

Then, to our surprise & delight, we found ourselves being first tracks on the freshly groomed main trail at Gold Run Nordic Center. Jack & Rudy know what to do with a fresh groomie zoomie trail:

The hover huskies catching air on the groomie zoomie trail!

The final treat of the day was, of course, climbing a snow wall to receive end of run treats:

Such fun partners! Such happy kids!!!!

A nice zippy morning covering 6.1 miles with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 31 days on the trails covering 194.9 miles with 21,400 feet of elevation climbed.

Fresh

It was a beautiful morning to enjoy a light layer of fresh snow all over the trails this morning!

Laying fresh tracks in the backcountry on a 1/2 inch or so of new snow!

Everywhere we went this morning was fresh, fresh, fresh snow fun!

Come along for today's video highlight as we are zipping along laying fresh tracks in the backcountry. Watch as Jack & Rudy really kick it into overdrive near the end of this clip. Zoom!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

After laying fresh tracks in the backcountry, it was time to inspect fresh moose tracks crossing the trail and leading into the forest!

"Sniff, sniff, these are VERY FRESH!" says moose inspector Jack.
"It went *that way*, we should too!" suggest Rudy lifting his head to 
scan for the moose itself.

After thoroughly inspecting the moose tracks and scanning the forest, it was back to fresh tracks. This time we were first on the new snow on the upper most trail at Gold Run Nordic Center:

Laying fresh tracks in about an inch or so of new snow at our high point.

After zipping around the upper loop at the nordic center, it was time to cool off in the fresh snow before connecting onto the main trail:

"Rub a dub dub, fresh snow makes for the best snow angels!" says the silly kids.

Then, to our surprise, we were still FIRST tracks on the main trail leading back to the trailhead. This is a rare treat on the popular trail!

So fun to be first on the new snow on this popular trail!

Even when we finally ran into another skier, the trail was still plenty wide for us to lay fresh tracks along one side while the skier took the other side. Wheeee!

"Zooming through! Made you smile!" says always entertaining Jack & Rudy.

Finally, there was fresh snow to sit atop to accept end of run treats:

Cooling our buns in the fresh snow awaiting end of run treats.

Fresh snow all day, YAY! What a wonderful outing: 8.4 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 29 days on the trails covering 184.0 miles with 20,600 feet of elevation climbed.

 

Zoomies

Sometimes you just need to roll in the snow to cool your jets!!!!

"Rub a dub dub, cooling the engines!' goes the snow rolling sillies
taking in the soft snow just off trail to roll and cool in :)

What a tale of two days between yesterday and today. Yesterday was a technical brain day weaving through downed trees. By contrast, today was a speed day ZOOMING along recently groomed nordic trails. Come along and see for yourself.

We went to the higher elevation trails at Breckenridge Nordic Center this morning. As expected, the nordic center had cleared all downed trees on the trails from the Wed-Fri super wind event here. But, to our surprise, only 1-2 skiers had been out on the day's recently groomed trails. What a treat to be 2nd or 3rd tracks on a nordic speedway all morning long. What did Jack & Rudy think of this?

Well, it was flooring it to catch air on speedy straightaways:

Whee - the hover huskies in action!

It was flooring it winding around gentle bends in the trail.

Whee - the hover huskies catching air as we swing through a slight
left bend in the trail.

It was ZOOMING to top 23 MPH and catch air at the highest elevation point of the outing:

BOOM!

I think you get the idea, it was a day of the "nordic groomie zoomies" with Jack & Rudy. Come along for a video glimpse into the action. Most of the day looked just like this 60 second clip. Whee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

What a contrast from technical yesterday to zooming today. But, all outings are deserving of end of run treats, right guys?

"You bet! We work hard in ALL conditions!" says the happy & focused kids
atop a nice snow wall to receive their treats.

A nordic zooming day: 8.4 miles traveled with 1100 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 14 days on the trails covering 86.6 miles with 10,500 feet of elevation climbed.

23 MPH Day

Jack & Rudy were in a groove this morning on fast nordic trails as we hit our top speed of this 2025/2026 season: 23 MPH! Zoom!

The hover huskies were in full form today zooming around
the groomie zoomie nordic trails!

The trails had been freshly groomed this morning and, while we were not first tracks on the fresh groom, only a handful of people/dogs had been out before us. So, the conditions were perfect for Jack & Rudy to floor it and that they did! Come along for today's entertainment from the fun sled dogs:

We caught air hovering by the Hallelujah Warming Hut, wheeee!

Floating on by, no need to stop at a silly warming hut!

We did have to pause momentarily, though, for pesky rodents off trail under the snow. Jack caught scent of them first and did his usual rodent lunge in search of the pests. Rudy, of course, followed with his patented, high arching rodent dives to investigate with Jack:

"I sense rodents right here!" declares Jack lunging off trail.
"Really? Well, then, INCOMING!" goes Rudy joining with a beautiful swan dive.

I've been impressed with my new video camera that I got just last week to replace the dead gopro. This camera has the widest viewing angle of any camera I've ever had. Well, Jack & Rudy decided to test "just how wide" it really could capture. They almost out spanned the wide camera :)

"Turnaround, roll around - can you capture this wide separation?" says the
far apart but snow rolling sillies. No camera I've ever had before would have
captured both of them this far apart!

Back to action and "hovering over the trail" was the action theme of the day!

The fun kids catching air yet again as we hover by the Kathy's Viewpoint
Warming Hut.

What do use for a video highlight today? So much to choose from. I'll go with the video counterpart of the first photo. Come along as we start out zipping along a perfect trail amidst dense trees. Then, we round a right curve in the trail and the trees start to part to reveal some stunning mountain views ahead of us and to our left. What a beautiful morning!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

As the final act of entertainment from the fun kids, they found their highest snow wall of this young season to climb for end of run treats. It's always so fun when they find waist high (or higher) snow walls!

"No need to kneel, dad, we'll climb to you for treats!" says my happy
and polite pals!

A great morning on fast and freshly groomed nordic trails: 8.8 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 10 days on the trails covering 59.4 miles with 7000 feet of elevation climbed.

Packed Leftovers

Look who was enjoying "toes on snow in mid-May!"

"We LOVE toes on snow!!!" exclaims the super happy kids thrilled
to still be on snow in mid-May.

We returned to Rabbit Ears Pass for another skijor this morning. We started the day by skijoring yesterday's surprise groomed trail. We just HAD to do this wonderful stretch again today!

The kids flying along yesterday's surprise groomed trail. Wheeee!

After flying along the 1.5 mile groomie, we changed our route from yesterday to follow leftover snowmobile trails towards Walton Peak. There is a network of "primary trails" on Rabbit Ears that get tons of snowmobile and snowcat traffic all winter long. These heavy machines really pack the snow. As a result, the leftover snowmobile trails remain skiable far into May even though conditions off trail are quickly deteriorating. Here's what I mean:

The fun kids catching air as you can make out the packed leftover trail in
front of us as compared to the choppy mess off the trail. Nice leftovers!

Now come along for the video example of what I am talking about. Watch as Jack, Rudy and I are having a blast skijoring the packed leftovers at the base of Walton Peak at Rabbit Ears Pass. What fun!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

This particular network of trails has one "guardian" to how far into May you can use them. There is a "snow bridge" crossing Walton Creek that is formed by snowmobiles and snowcats continually running over snow covered Walton Creek. There is no real bridge, just a bridge of packed snow. Once this bridge melts, there is no way to cross the creek and we have to abandon this route. We are happy to report that the packed snow bridge was still intact this morning!

You can see exposed Walton Creek to our left. Directly in front of us is
a bridge made out of packed snow allowing us to still skijor over the creek.
It's melting fast, but still intact this morning!

We did an "out & back" on the snowmobile leftovers. So, you know what that meant happened at turnaround time :)

Turnaround, roll around!!! You are pretty much guaranteed to get the
comedians rolling dual snow angels once we get into warm May days :)

Back to the trailhead and the kids found a mini snow wall to climb for end of run treats:

"We love snow walls! We LOVE snow!" says the happy kids awaiting
their end of run treats.

A wonderful mid-May skijor this morning: 9.6 miles traveled with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 105 days on the trails covering 801.7 miles with 79,200 feet of elevation climbed.

Snack

Look at what we stumbled upon at Rabbit Ears Pass this morning!

Whoa, a FRESH groom! Holy smokes!

Yes, the local snowmobile club had groomed some of the trails late last night and we were first on the new groom for miles and miles this morning! We pay yearly dues to the snowmobile club, so it is perfectly fine that Jack, Rudy and I were the first snow machines out on the groomed trails this morning. What a fun late April surprise!

The fun kids catching air again on the fresh groomie zoomie.

Eventually the surprise groom did end. But, conditions were still perfect to keep skijoring the packed snowmobile trails for miles.

No more fresh groom, but still perfect late April conditions!

While the surprise groom might seem like the highlight of today's outing, it was upstaged by another event at one point. A suicidal squirrel darted across the trail in front of Jack & Rudy and nearly became a trail snack for them!

What a stupid crazy squirrel to dart in front of two meat eaters!!!

Now let's put the squirrel event to video. Come along and watch as we start out galloping along until the suicidal squirrel darts across the trail, barely making as Jack & Rudy are on the hunt once they see it! Nothing like a squirrel near miss to add a little extra juice to the Jack & Rudy skijoring engine!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

It was above freezing all morning long, so I knew this would happen at our turnaround point:

"Turnaround, roll around!" goes the silly kids rolling in the snow
to cool their jets :)

Since we (barely) missed the squirrel, how about some pork end of run treats instead?

"Ok, we'll take the pork; but that squirrel would have been tasty!"
says the fun kids.

It is not often we come across conditions good enough for a 10 mile skijor in late April: 10.4 miles traveled with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 99 days on the trails covering 757.5 miles with 74,200 feet of elevation climbed.