Cautious to Speeding

Flying to the finish on this morning's fast skijor with smiles all around!

Wheeee!!!!! Such happy kids!

It was "ends of the spectrum" for conditions on this morning's outing. We started in the backcountry and found the trails to be quite slick and icy. Luckily, Jack & Rudy automatically know to proceed cautiously on such conditions. So, it was a gentle jog through the backcountry to start the outing.

Gentle going on slick & icy conditions.

Then, we transitioned onto the groomed trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. What did we find? We were FIRST on the freshly groomed upper loop at the nordic center. What did Jack & Rudy think of the fresh groom? Well, BOOM! Oh my, they were flooring it on the groomie zoomie after being so good and gentle for me on the slick backcountry trails.

Flying on the freshly groomed nordic trail! Zoom!

How much did they appreciate getting on the nordic trails and being able to go full throttle? Well, 25 MPH worth of appreciation as that is the top speed the GPS registered us hitting this morning. Come along for a glimpse into the fast & wild ride as Jack & Rudy topped 25 MPH during this stretch of the outing. Hang on human!!!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

We were going so fast that we did the upper nordic loop twice - first tracks on the first pass and second tracks (to ourselves) on the second pass. Finally, we transitioned onto the mani nordic trail to skijor back to the trailhead. While not first tracks on the main trail, we were third as only two skate skiers had been on this trail before us. Third tracks on a recent groom is still groomie zoomie conditions :)

The hover huskies catching air on the main trail as you can see two
sets of skate skis tracks on the trail before us.

What did Jack & Rudy think of the fresh groom?

"So fun, so fast! Need to roll and cool my jets!" declares snow rolling Jack.
"I approooooooooooooove!" woos signing Rudy.

Finally, back to the trailhead for some well earned end of run treats:

"We had a GREAT time today!" declares the happy, happy kids.

From cautious backcountry skijoring to full speed nordic skijoring all in the same outing: 9.3 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2023/2024 Season to Date: 109 days on the trails covering 932.1 miles with 91,000 feet of elevation climbed.

Frisky

Uh-oh, unauthorized antics breaking out on the trail this morning....

"I triple dog dare you to play with me!" asserts the typical unauthorized
instigator Rudy.
"You KNOW I won't back down!" responds cool Jack.

Okay, authorized antics breaking out later...

Perfectly allowed "stop, drop & roll" at a turnaround point on the trail :)

As you see in the first photo, the kids were quite frisky out on the trails this morning. A couple of reasons: first, we took yesterday off so Jack & Rudy were itching to get going fast and second, there was active snow falling on us all outing long - active snow makes for frisky sled dogs :)

We started this morning's outing touring old mining ruins following snowmobile tracks in the forest:

Cruising through an old ghost town of mining buildings in Dry Gulch.

Then, as we usually do after skijoring around Dry Gulch, we dropped onto the wide trails of Gold Run Nordic Center. Once again, our timing was impeccable as we were first on the freshly groomed trails. After an unauthorized game of tag & wrestle to celebrate being first tracks, Jack & Rudy got down to business and were FLYING around the trails.

The kids flying fast with cool snow poofs coming off their feet from
the nice, soft groomed trail.

How fast were they flying around? Well, the GPS registered us topping 25 MPH! Zoom! Come along for a glimpse into 25 MPH skijoring as we are zipping along this perfect trail. Also, notice the active snowfall coming down around us during the clip. A fresh groom and active snow really turns Jack & Rudy ON!!!!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

After doing two laps on the uppermost nordic loop, we transitioned onto the main trail to take us to the trailhead. I did not realize until I got home that snow was collecting on the camera during this leg. So, we have one initial shot with a little "snow spot" and it only got blurrier from here on out...

The blur in the dead center of this photo is a snow induced water spot.
The spots continued to collect and grow from here on out.
Oh well, we'll trade clear footage for fresh snow any day!!!

Back to the trailhead and everyone is very proud and satisfied with today's zipping outing:

"What 'unauthorized play'? We were perfect all day!" suggests the happy
kids with selective memory of the outing :)

Zooming! 9.6 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2023/2024 Season to Date: 83 days on the trails covering 696.0 miles with 66,800 feet of elevation climbed.

25 MPH Burst

Oh my, what a fast day we had on the recently groomed nordic trails this morning!

"WOO! I feel the need, the need for speed!" belts out wooing Rudy.
"Oh my we were FLYING, need to roll in snow to cool my jets!" adds
snow rolling Jack.

After spending the last 4 skijor outings on ungroomed backcountry trails, today we decided to go floor it on the groomed trails at Breckenridge Nordic Center. We were not first tracks on the recently groomed trails but we were 2nd or 3rd all morning long - that's pretty much the same as being first tracks!

The kids, Jack & Rudy, were in super speed mode this morning. I could not believe how fast we were flying around the terrain! Come along and see for yourself...

It was catching air as we zoomed by the Kathy's Viewpoint Warming Hut:

Flying! Love the snow poofs you can see in sun behind Rudy.
If you look closely, you can see similar poofs behind Jack; but they
are in the shade so harder to see.

It was catching air with views as we flew along this stretch with awesome views to our right:

Poofs off the feet again, catching air again, zooming again!!!!

It was catching air on the approach to FLY by the Hallelujah Warming Hut:

Did the kids ever actually touch the trail today? :)

It was catching air as we hit our top speed of this season: 25 MPH!

Such incredible lift from the hover huskies!

Now come along for the video of Jack & Rudy's 25 MPH burst. The kids maintain 14-18 MPH for extended distances on groomed trails; but we typically get a few speed bursts mixed in along the way. Come along for today's burst. We start out on the approach to the Hallelujah Warming Hut. Then, about 8 seconds into the clip and you see Jack & Rudy kick it into overdrive. Boom! It's quite the amazing feeling to be behind these bursts on skis. What a fun & wild ride :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

What a way to earn end of run treats by FLYING all morning long!

"That was fun! How about some refueling?" asks the focused, happy kids.

The theme for today's skijor outing? Zoom! 9 miles traveled with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2023/2024 Season to Date: 47 days on the trails covering 392.0 miles with 37,300 feet of elevation climbed.

 

Skijor the Ski Resort

Smiles all around as we complete our Skijor of Breckenridge Ski Resort this morning!

Wheeee!

It has become an annual tradition for us, when Breckenridge Ski Resort closes Peak 9, we go out and skijor the ski resort. Technically, the ski resort is still open as they attempt to stay open as far into May as the snowpack allows. But, come mid-April, the crowds start to shrink and the resort begins to shutdown some of the ski runs to match the need. The first to close are usually the runs on Peaks 9 and 10 (while they keep the runs on Peaks 6, 7 & 8 open). Once they close Peak 9, it is time for us to get out and skijor up and down downhill ski runs.

We never know what we are going to find, condition-wise, when we head out to Peak 9. Sometimes we find a groomed trail (as they groom for maintenance and other operations) and sometimes we find ungroomed slick terrain. This morning we found a groomed trail; but it quickly turned towards Peak 8 (which is still open), so we could not follow that trail. Instead we cruised around ungroomed trails on Peak 9 for a while. A bit slick, but still fun:

A bit slick, so polite Jack & Rudy are keeping speeds to a minimum.

Then, partway through the outing and look what we ran into coming up the trail!!!!

A groomer! A groomer! Yay!
"Cool!" says fascinated Rudy.
"Thanks dude, now the human will let us GO fast!" adds Jack.
The groomer driver smiled and waved to us as he passed by.

Alrighty - a groomed trail. Jack and Rudy know what to do with that!!!!

Zoom! Thanks Mr. Groomer!

It was zooming the rest of the day on this freshly groomed trail. Here we are near the end of the outing cruising by Beaver Run Resort.

Groomie Zoomie!

Now come along for a fun "skijor to the finish" on the great groomed trail we came upon. If you are wondering about Jack & Rudy at about 20 seconds into the clip (as they slow a bit looking around). Well, there was a bunch of employees to our left doing "shutdown work" and nosy Jack & Rudy wanted to see what was going on. Once past the employees, we pick up the pace again. Nosy kids!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

How fun, let's go have end of run treats in front of the ski resort trail map:

"Ready!" says the happy, happy kids.
Nice shot of the trail map behind Jack & Rudy.

Remember ski resorts are designed for downhill skiing. So our "skijor the ski resort" outings are typically short in distance but large in elevation. Today: 6.3 miles traveled with 1300 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 136 days on the trails covering 1207.6 miles with 110,300 feet of elevation climbed.

 

Groomer Fun

Fun "shot from the front" of happy Jack & Rudy towing me on by Nancy to conclude this morning's skijor outing. 

"Hi mom, we had a BLAST today!" says the happy kids.

Today started as a very challenging skijor outing for me. We have had daily temperatures well above freezing and nights below freezing. Well, that means the trails are getting wet in the daytime and then refreezing into ice overnight! We started the outing in the backcountry on what turned out to be icy and very scary terrain. Lucky for me, Jack & Rudy know to go slow on slick trails. So, we took the shortest path possible out of the backcountry and onto the groomed trails of Gold Run Nordic Center.

But, much to my dismay, the groomer had not been out on the trails yet this morning. While it did groom the trails yesterday morning, the same thing had happened to the groomed terrain: melting to wet/water the previous day and refreezing into ice overnight!

On what is usually a wonderful groomed nordic trail.
All the shininess you see in this photo is ICE! Yikes.

The nordic trail was still usable, just very slick. But, our plan was to do the upper loop of Gold Run twice. The prior photo is our first pass on the upper loop. When we completed the loop, we were THRILLED to see the groomer had started up the loop during our first pass. Oh boy!

Same location as the previous photo.
No shininess, lots of fresh corduroy! Yay!

Now, the groomer had started the upper loop some time ahead of our second pass. It will do the full loop and then return to the clubhouse along the main trail. So, that meant there was a groomer somewhere ahead of us. Jack & Rudy love to play "chase & catch" the groomer. So, after flying around the upper loop once more (now freshly groomed), we started back towards the trailhead. As we came around a corner, there was the groomer! Yay, we caught the groomer!

"We caught it! We caught it! Whee!" goes the fun kids.

I've mentioned in the past, that the groomer driver knows us from years being on these trails. When the trail is wide enough and safe, he will stop and let Jack, Rudy and I pass on by. Jack & Rudy are, of course, much faster than a groomer :)

Perfect kids passing on by at a safe distance and gentle speed. Good boys!

Now let's put it all together into a fun video of today's "pass the groomer". We start out the clip stopped as we had just caught the groomer and are giving it a head start. Then I see the groomer stop and I know the driver is waiting to let us pass on by. So we start and gently pass the groomer and then TAKE OFF on the trail in front of him (the groomer was returning to the clubhouse, so the trail was groomed in front of him too from his first pass). Oh, and a little fun flying by an oncoming skier after we pass the groomer. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Back to the end of the outing. The kids love flashing their happy faces to Nancy on the side of the trail; but they also love flying on by her to complete the outing :)

"Bye mom - see you at the trailhead!" goes the fast running kids.
The trailhead is at the fence you see ahead and to the left.

From what started as an icy, cautious day to what turned into a fast groomie zoomie! 8.9 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 110 days on the trails covering 975.9 miles with 89,500 feet of elevation climbed.

 

Endless

Uh-oh, that's not skijoring...

Oh those 5 year olds starting an unauthorized play session on the
side of the trail!

Prior photo aside, it was a beautiful day for endless skijoring around Walton Peak atop Rabbit Ears Pass. We were first tracks on the freshly groomed snowmobile trail. Time to floor it :)

Jack & Rudy catching air as we connect from one perfect trail onto another.

The kids were really in zoom mode whenever they had a chance to open up the throttle:

Flying, literally flying, along the groomie zoomie.

While the prior two photos are incredible action shots, Rabbit Ears is also known for its long stretches of flat, endless terrain. Come along for today's video highlight of this fact. Jack & Rudy were in an endless gallop across miles & miles of endless stretches of flat terrain. Impressive kids!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Of course, all this endless terrain means you really need to roll snow angels to cool off at our turnaround point of the morning:

"Ah, cooling the jets!" go the funny kids.

Finally, all that endless zooming around means you really earned your end of run treats at the completion of the outing:

Jack & Rudy still cooling their bellies in deep snow while the await
end of run treats :)

Endless day, endless fun: 10.1 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 103 days on the trails covering 911.5 miles with 83,600 feet of elevation climbed.

A Little Z

 First tracks on the freshly groomed trail at Gold Run Nordic Center this morning!!!

Riding the Siberian Tow Rope up a slight rise in the trail.
What incredible conditions!

We started the morning in the backcountry. But, after a warm & dry yesterday (and cold over night), the side trails were pretty hard packed and slick. Compare and contrast the prior photo with the following:

Narrow, hard packed and slick trail in the backcountry!
Only safe enough for a gentle trot from Jack & Rudy.

Along the way, we stopped to sprinkle some of Zorro's ashes. We so miss our wonderful mentor who passed away last May. Jack & Rudy snapped to attention when I said the word "Zorro," and sat to watch what I was going to do after stating this memorable word...

"I see Z in the sky!" exclaims Jack looking up the the ashes coming
out of the bag in my hand.
"I see Z in the snow!" declares Rudy studying the ashes that have
already landed on the snow.

Why this particular trail for Zorro's ashes? Well, this is the trail that Max, Zorro and I pegged the term "groomie zoomie" for how fast they would run on groomed nordic trails. Jack & Rudy, of course, know full well about flooring it on the groomie zoomies:

Flying kids on the groomie zoomie.

But, it was Zorro who taught Jack & Rudy just about everything they know. Here is a memory from January 21, 2020 - 11 year old Zorro's last time topping 26 MPH skijoring. 2 year old Jack & Rudy's first time ever topping 26 MPH skijoring. This is on the same trail and almost same location as the photo above.

Left to right: Zorro (11 yrs old), Rudy (2 yrs old), and Jack (2 yrs old) topping
26 MPH skijoring on January 21, 2020.

Come along for the video counterpart to this fast section of trail. It would have been so cool if the GPS clocked us at 26 MPH today, but alas, it registered 25 MPH. That's still zooming! But, watch closely and you will see the occasional chunk of snow/ice flying off Jack & Rudy's feet. Well, these small chunks have to go somewhere such as my face & chest! I got 4 hits on the cheek, 2 on the goggles and 1 in my right ear. Sometimes it's tough in the back of the pack :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

As I said, Zorro taught Jack & Rudy just about everything they know. But, there are two things that are uniquely Jack & Rudy: snow angels and woos. Jack has rolled at least one snow angel on every single skijor outing of his life. Rudy has perfected singing his beautiful woo on the trail. 

This didn't come from Zorro! :)

We sure miss the fun Z, right guys?

"Please tell us he's coming back!" pleads my wonderful partners.

Staying safe on the groomie zoomies today as we celebrated Zorro's zooming memory: 8.9 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 101 days on the trails covering 892.0 miles with 81,700 feet of elevation climbed.

Rare but Nice

Another fun "shot from the front" as Jack & Rudy finish off this morning's fun skijor outing!

Whee! Happy kids towing me to the finish of a 10+ mile skijor.

We started the day tickling our toes in a light layer of fresh snow on backcountry trails:

Laying fresh tracks in the backcountry!

Then, as we often do, we dropped out of the backcountry and onto the groomed nordic trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. Jack & Rudy know what to do with a groomie zoomie trail:

Flying!!!

While we were not first tracks on the recently groomed trail, only a handful of other skiers had been out before us. That's close enough to "freshly groomed" to floor it and catch some air :)

The hover huskies floating over the trail again.

Now here is a nice but rare photo... Oncoming skiers HOLDING their loose dog so Jack, Rudy and I can fly on by! We have met this couple and their dog before. The people are in AWE of what I do (skijor behind fast Jack & Rudy), so they nicely hold their dog to the side of the trail for us to fly on by (I still shorten the gangline for safety, but only in case they lose hold of their dog). Think about it... If you saw a dog sled team (be it 2 dogs, 16 dogs or any number in between) approaching at 20+ MPH, would you (a) leave your fluffy loose in the middle of the trail; or (b) hold fluffy to the side and let the team run on by? You'd be amazed how rarely option (b) happens! 

The rare "option (b)"!

Now for the video clip going along with that "nice but rare" photo. Come along as we start out flying along the fast nordic trail. But, seconds in and I have spotted a loose dog ahead on the trail (it's hard to see at first in the shrunk down video, but I saw it). So, I start preparing the team to stop for a loose dog. Then, once I see who it is (and they have hold of their dog), I know we will be able to pass on by. I still shorten the gangline for safety in case they lose hold of their dog. Anyway, a nice couple holding their dog as Jack & Rudy would rather fly on by (as they do) and then we floor it again once past. Great partners who prefer running 20+ MPH over sniffing a random dog :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Finally celebrating another fun outing with my perfect partners!

"We LOVE zooming!" declares the happy kids.

A little backcountry and then a lot of groomie zoomies: 10.1 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 100 days on the trails covering 883.1 miles with 81,000 feet of elevation climbed.

Cool

Cool action shot of Jack & Rudy whipping me around a corner on a fast nordic trail!

Love the snow poofs behind the fast kids.
Love the action as all three of us are leaning into a fast & wild left in the trail!

We got a light layer of new snow overnight, so we headed to the backcountry to start this morning's outing. With some new snow, I knew the trails that were slick & icy just a day or two ago would be safe this morning.

Cruising along in a backcountry single track. Wheeee!

We actually spent the majority of today's outing in the backcountry. Nice to use these trails when they are safe with new snow. We were winding through the forest having a great time!

Zipping along, winding through the trees!

Then, to end the day, as the first photo implies, we dropped onto the wide & groomed trails of Gold Run Nordic Center. Once on the groomie zoomie trails it was ZOOM from the cool kids:

Jack & Rudy literally FLYING along the groomie zoomies.

Today's video highlight? Another day topping 25 MPH skijoring! Jack & Rudy love this particular stretch of trail as they know I'll let them fully open the throttle and go, go, GO! Oh yea, perfect trail conditions too as we were first tracks on the freshly groomed nordic sprint track! Come along and watch the fast fun.

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Our turnaround on the nordic trails was at a point called Jumbo Overlook. Humans stop here to take in the views. Siberian Huskies stop here to roll snow angels :)

Those snow rolling sillies at it again :)

Winding through the backcountry to then finish on the groomie zoomie nordic trails. My pals really earned their end of run treats today!

"Ready!" declares the happy, focused great kids.

Really enjoyable morning skijoring with Jack & Rudy: 9.9 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 25 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 96 days on the trails covering 845.8 miles with 77,700 feet of elevation climbed.