Bluebird

A beautiful bluebird morning to get a postcard photo of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us!

Beautiful view, beautiful sled dogs, beautiful morning!

While the morning was beautiful, we are starting to see the "end of season" realities. It's been a horrible snow year in Colorado (snowpack less than 50% of normal), so ground that we do not usually see until late April or May is already starting to show in early March. Yikes!!!

We did have a dusting of fresh snow overnight, as you can see by Jack & Rudy's
footprints. But, yikes, look at all that exposed ground to our left that is
typically not visible until late April or May. Yikes!!!

We did our favorite combination route this morning of starting in the Dry Gulch backcountry before dropping onto the trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. If you've been reading along this season, you probably recognize this location with Jack & Rudy rolling snow angels. It's called the Jumbo Overlook (for its views) and it is a natural point to turnaround from Dry Gulch onto Gold Run. Well, since I said "turnaround", you now know why I get so many photos like the following on this route!

"Turnaround! Roll Around!" goes the snow rolling sillies who have NEVER
failed to roll at snow angel (or 2 or 10) at the Jumbo Overlook :)

Once the snow angels were done, it was time to floor it on the fast & wide nordic trails. Whee!

The hover huskies catching air on fast & wide nordic trails!

Now come along for today's video fun as we glide to the finish of the day's outing. If you can take your eyes off Jack & Rudy, notice what a gorgeous bluebird morning it was!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

If you can also take your eyes off Jack, Rudy and the gorgeous morning, you'll notice Nancy on the side of the trail at about 35 seconds into the prior clip. It was a great day for her to get out and try to capture a front shot of us gliding to the finish. Success!

Smiles all around! "Hi Mom!!!!" says the flirtatious kids

Things may wind down sooner than usual this season, so let's enjoy it while we can, right guys?

"Yes! We don't want summer!!!!" says the happy kids giving me their
full attention for end of run treats.

A beautiful morning to get out for short skijor amidst dwindling conditions: 4.6 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 45 days on the trails covering 277.9 miles with 29,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Angels with a View

Rolling Snow Angels with a View!

Beautiful postcard shot of the slopes of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the
valley from us as Jack & Rudy roll around in the snow instead of taking
in the stunning views :)

We have not done a lot of side trail or single track skijoring this season as the snow has not been great. But, with some good snowfall the past week, we were able to venture off the main trails and onto one of our favorite single tracks this morning. Fun!

Winding through the trees on a narrow, single track ski trail. You need good
snow to risk skiing through the trees!!!

After the fun side trail, it was back to the main backcountry trail at Dry Gulch. Jack & Rudy love flooring it along this wide albeit unmaintained trail. Whee!

The fun kids kicking up snow as they pack themselves in tight to 
zoom in the backcountry.

The next leg of our outing was on the trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. Jack & Rudy love encountering oncoming skiers to flirt with and fly on by:

"Coming through! Made you smile!" says the fun kids putting a smile
on the face of the oncoming skier as they fly on by.

The kids also love encountering oncoming machinery to flirt with and fly on by. Today was a mini snowcat groomer coming up trail.

"Still coming through! Made you smile too!" says the entertaining kids
putting a smile of the face of the oncoming snowcat driver.

Now let's put it all together for today's video highlight. We start out zipping along, then we encounter and fly on by the oncoming skier, then we encounter and fly on by the oncoming mini snowcat and finally we are clear of traffic and on good snow so the kids FLOOR it and off we goooo! Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Fun day, right guys?

"Oh yes, that was a blast!" says the happy, happy sled dogs.

We sure packed a lot of activity into today's relatively short outing! 4.2 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 42 days on the trails covering 262.4 miles with 28,500 feet of elevation climbed.

Safety Dust

Nice wide angle view of the ski runs of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us this morning!

The fun kids in the morning shade while Breck Ski Resort is in
full sun across the valley from us. Postcard shot :)

Today was a "safety dust" outing for us on Dry Gulch, one of our favorite trails. A snowmobile had run along the trail a day or two ago. With warm days and cold nights, such tracks become very icy and almost unskiable each morning. But, we had a light dusting of new snow overnight. All we need is such a dusting to turn unskiable icy snowmobile tracks into safe to ski tracks. I refer to this as the "safety dust" :)

Just enough of a dusting of new snow to make the "unskiable yesterday"
snowmobile track skiable today! Yay!

Now come along for the video counterpart to the prior photo. It is so much fun to have the safety dust so I can let Jack & Rudy uncork the skijoring engine. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

After a fun ride along the backcountry safety dust, it was time to transition to the groomed trails at Gold Run Nordic Center. Well, the transition came with a pause, so the pause came with a stop, drop & roll from the comedians:

Hopped off trail to "stop, drop & roll" in the untouched new snow.

Next it was time to entertain the oncoming skiers at the nordic center. Jack & Rudy love flying on by skiers and putting smiles on their faces:

"Hi! Bye! Coming through!" says the entertaining sled dogs.

Then, when we had the whole trail to ourselves, it was time to floor it. Wheeee!

Pedal to the metal on the groomie zoomie nordic trail.

Finally, it was the usual ritual to end the day: climbing a snow wall to receive end of run treats:

"What a fun day! Ready for the treats!" says the happy, happy kids.

From backcountry safety dust to nordic groomie zoomies: 7.6 miles traveled with 600 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 34 days on the trails covering 218.3 miles with 24,100 feet of elevation climbed.

Finally

Nice "postcard shot" of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us with the morning clouds burning off to showcase the ski runs.

Fun & fast Jack & Rudy with a postcard shot in front of us.

Today was really exciting for me. We FINALLY got to skijor my favorite network of trails this morning. It has been a way below average snow season in Colorado so far and many of our usual trails still do not have enough snow to safely skijor. But, with some fresh snow the last few days (not a lot, but some is better than none), we were FINALLY able to get out on my favorite route. I believe this is one of Jack & Rudy's favorites too as I can see how they kick it up a notch in excitement and enthusiasm on this network.

We start in the backcountry doing some technical skijoring on unmaintained trails:

Zipping along in the backcountry. Whee!

We eventually drop onto the well maintained trails of Gold Run Nordic Center. We typically begin by doing the uppermost loop which is an aerobic ride on black diamond rated trails. There are various up/down dips interspersed along this route. It's such a cool feeling to be below Jack & Rudy in an "up dip" and see them higher than my waist (sometimes even chest high)!

I'm still down in the dip while the flying kids are up. So cool :)

Finally, we get out onto the gentler (blue rated) main trail to FLY to the finish. Today was PERFECT!

The hover huskies catching air! Notice anything special in this photo?
Yes, we are FIRST TRACKS on the freshly groomed nordic trail. Sweet!

Of course all this zooming around a types of terrain means you really need to "stop, drop and roll" to cool your jets at any & all pauses during the outing!

"Aaaahhh, stop, drop and roll!"
Powder Jack loves to step off trail into deeper snow to roll.
Rudy tends to just drop wherever he is at and roll :)

Such a fun and varied network of trails to enjoy. Today's video, though, has to showcase us zooming as first tracks on the fresh groomie zoomie. Come along for the fast & furious fun!!!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

So great to FINALLY get on our favorite network of trails, right guys?

"Oh, we had a BLAST!" says the happy kids atop a nice snow
wall to receive end of run treats.

What a marvelous day: 8.4 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2025/2026 Season to Date: 24 days on the trails covering 150.8 miles with 17,800 feet of elevation climbed.

2025/2026 Season Opener

Let the 2025/2026 Skijor Season FINALLY Begin!!!!

Whee, we are back on skis & snow!!!!!
Smiles all around!

After a ridiculously dry October and start to November in Colorado, we FINALLY got our skijor season started this morning. This is the latest start we EVER had to a skijor season (and we've been doing this since 2010 - first with Max & Zorro and now with Jack & Rudy). My goodness, we typically get at least one and usually multiple outings in October and we've even had a few years with September starts. Jack, Rudy and I were starting to wonder if it would ever snow this season!!!!

To get the season started, though, we needed an assist from the snow making machines on Breckenridge Ski Resort. While we did get some new snow overnight, it was not enough to skijor without an assist. So, we went to one of the closed runs at Breckenridge where they are making snow in an attempt to open new terrain. Well, snow is snow - we'll take natural or man made at this point to get the season going!

Zipping along a ski run of mostly man made snow with an active snow gun
making snow to our left. Any snow is good snow!

It was actually pretty fun to skijor amidst the active running snow guns. We were galloping (Jack & Rudy) and gliding (me) in and out of active, man made snowfall. Wheeee!

A somewhat blurred photo from snow guns spraying snow down
upon us. Fun!

Now come along for a video view into the fun as we skijor along a this ski run amidst active snow guns. 

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Despite a much later than usual start to the season, some things remain the same with silly Jack & Rudy.

First, snow angels MUST be rolled at any turnaround point of the outing:

"Rub a dub dub, turnaround roll around!" goes the snow rolling goofs
already in "mid season snow rolling form" :)

Second, everyone is at full attention and all smiles awaiting end of run treats:

"We'd NEVER forget about end of run treats! Dish them out!"
says the happy & focused pair.

We needed an assist from the ski resort snow guns, but the 2025/2026 season has FINALLY begun: 3.1 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 15 MPH.

Pray for Snow - we need MUCH more!!!!!

Skijor the Ski Resort

Skijoring Breckenridge Ski Resort - wheeee!

The fun kids towing me to the finish of a "skijor the ski resort" outing
yesterday morning.

It has become an annual tradition for us. When Breckenridge Ski Resort closes Peak 9 for the season, we skijor the ski resort the next day. While the ski resort itself is still open, they start to shut down some of the trails as the season & crowds wind down. Well, Sunday was the last day peaks 9 & 10 (of the 5 peaks of ski runs at Breckenridge) were open. So, Monday was our annual "skijor the ski resort" on the closed trails on Peak 9. This outing is best shown through pictures versus me talking, come along for the fun ride:

We flew down wide trails high up on Peak 9:

Whee!

We floored it down narrower corridors of tree lined ski runs:

Zoom!

We zipped on by slopeside condos and hotels:

Wouldn't it be cool to step out on your hotel deck to see this
flying on by!!!!

So much cool video footage from the day. Let's go with the counterpart to the prior photo for the highlight of the outing. As I said in the photo caption: wouldn't it be cool to step out on your hotel deck to witness this flying on by :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Great time, right guys?

"Oh, the best! We love to skijor the ski resort!!!" says the happy kdis
with a nice trail map of Breckenridge Ski Resort in the background.
Peaks 9 & 10 are on the far left of this trail map.

Remember, ski resorts are designed for downhill skiing. Thus, our outings on the resort are always steep in elevation but lower in mileage: 4.8 miles traveled with 1500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 24 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 92 days on the trails covering 709.5 miles with 68,800 feet of elevation climbed.

26 MPH

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

"Oh, the BEST time!" exclaims happy Jack.
"Yes, yes, I'm having a BLAST!" adds happy Rudy.

Today's skijor outing started with a postcard view of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us:

Beautiful shot of the ski resort across the valley as Jack & Rudy zip along.

The outing then changed to a postcard view of fast & impressive Jack & Rudy:

Max speed reported by the GPS on today's outing: 26.0 MPH!!!!!

We usually top 26 MPH skijoring 1-3 times a season. Typically this happens in January or February when the conditions are best. Before today, though, our top speed of the season had been 24 MPH (multiple times). I thought maybe that was going to be our season's top speed once we got into March. Then today came along with a perfect trifecta: 1) great snowpack on the mostly shaded upper loop at Gold Run Nordic Center; 2) no significant new snow in the last few days to slow us down; and 3) the groomer had run on the trail moments before us and we were first tracks on the fresh groom! I could feel the speed behind Jack & Rudy and fully expected this outcome - max speed: 26 MPH!

Come along and watch the fun as we topped 26 MPH along the way in today's clip. Unfortunately the incredible sprint ends when we encounter a loose dog, with no responsible human in sight, in the trail and have to stop for everyone's safety. Oh well, it was an incredible speed sprint before that! :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Eventually a human showed up to collect the loose dog (so much for the "sight control" rule at the nordic center). No big deal, Jack, Rudy and I happily got past fluffy and then it was time to floor it again:

Catching air on the groomie zoomie! Wheeee!

Of course, going this fast means you really need to roll in the snow to cool your jets during any pause in the outing. Jack apparently needed to "cool his brain" today too, haha!!!

Jack looking like his is about to transition into a headstand in the snow.
With Jack, it would not have surprised me if he really did a headstand!!!
Rudy, on the other hand, it gently cooling himself in the snow.

Just when I thought we were going to top out at 24 MPH this season, my pals turned it up a notch and showed me!!!!

"If I lick your hand, will the end of run treats come out faster?" asks silly Jack.
"Can't believe you doubted our top speed of the season!" adds cute Rudy.

Zoom: 8.3 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 26 MPH!

2024/2025 Season to Date: 74 days on the trails covering 576.1 miles with 54,300 feet of elevation climbed.

Foreshadow

Nice shot of Breckenridge Ski Resort in the morning sun across the valley from us!

Pretty view of the sun covered ski runs at the ski resort as we round
a corner in the morning shade of the mountain we are on.

Today's outing came with a big foreshadow from Jack & Rudy. We were gliding along a nice nordic trail when the kids came to a stop and took their attention off trail. I know from their body language (and seeing their noses twitch) that they caught the scent of moose. But, there was a constant breeze this morning, so the moose could be pretty far away and still have its scent flowing to Jack & Rudy.

"Sniff, sniff - we smell moose in the area!" says the professional moose
seekers.

It so happens, if you follow Jack & Rudy's gaze in the prior photo, across the meadow in front of them and through the next set of trees is the trail we will be on in 10-15 minutes from this point. So, off we went away from the "direction of scent" originally before turning into those far away trees in the prior photo.

Once we got into the trees, sure enough, MOOSE TRACKS all over the trail! 

A two-toed moose print at the tip of my left ski with more flowing
down the trail in the direction we are going!

Now come along for the video counterpart to the prior photo. Watch as Jack & Rudy are very "moose juiced" and have it pedal to the metal through this whole clip despite my snowplowing as we near any corner to be ready to throw myself on the ground to stop if we encounter a moose. A pair of moose tracks (thus two moose) are on the trail this entire clip (and beyond, I had to stop the video at some point :) Luckily, we never encountered the actual moose; but Jack & Rudy were sure juiced by what have been pretty fresh moose tracks!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

All that energy expended seeking moose means you really need to roll and cool off at any pause during the outing:

"Roll to cool the jets then restart the moose quest!" says the goofs.

Eventually, the moose tracks finally went off trail and into the forest. With our moose quest over, it was time to head towards the trailhead. We were thrilled to be first tracks on the freshly groomed main trail. Wheeee!

First tracks on the groomie zoomie - wheeee!

Nothing like a little moose juice to energize the day!

"Yes, we've earned our end of run treats from an intense moose quest!" says
the focused & happy pair.

Today's tally: 8.7 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 48 days on the trails covering 358.9 miles with 33,100 feet of elevation climbed.

View & Go

Nice view of the ski runs of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us as we round a corner on a single track trail in the backcountry:

Nice view of the ski resort. Nice view of trucking Jack & Rudy :)

Today's video highlight goes along with the prior photo. Come along as we start with nice views of the ski runs of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley from us. Then, after rounding a corner, the ski resort goes out of view so it's time to watch Jack & Rudy galloping along in this nice single track trail. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

We did an "out & back" on Prospect Hill to start today's outing. So, that meant we turned around at one point. Oh those turnaround goofballs :)

"Turnaround, roll around!" goes always snow rolling Jack.
"Turnaround, woooooos abound!" belts singing Rudy.
Oh, another nice view of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley.

Once done with the single track skijoring on Prospect Hill, it was time to drop onto the wide trails of nearby Gold Run Nordic Center. The kids really opened it up on the nordic zoomies today!

They started by topping 23 MPH on the upper nordic loop trail:

Zooming! Wheeee!

They continued by catching air in a little bit of sun breaking through the morning clouds:

Let's catch some air with some nice shadow effects!

Then it was time to entertain the oncoming crowds (it was pretty busy near the trailhead on this weekend morning). Jack & Rudy love to fly on by and put smiles on the onlooking faces!

"Coming through! Made you smile!!!!" says the entertainers zipping on
by the onlooking skiers.

Backcountry single tracks to views to speeding to catching air to entertaining the crowds - all in a day's work for two impressive sled dogs :)

"I was smiling all day too!" adds cool Jack.
"You have my UNDIVIDED attention!" says very focused Rudy
awaiting the end of run treats.

Fun day, fun skijor partners! 9 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2024/2025 Season to Date: 41 days on the trails covering 298.8 miles with 27,500 feet of elevation climbed.