Entertaining

Paused to watch a dog sled team cross perpendicular on the trail in front of us!

"Hey friends! Wait for us!!!" says focused Jack & Rudy.
Look up from Jack's left ear and that is the musher and sled.
In front of the sled, the "8 little dots" are the sled dogs :)

It was a very entertaining day for Jack & Rudy skijoring Swan Valley this morning. We got to do both of their favorite activities: moosing and sled dog flirting!

We started the morning doing some warmup laps on the Middle Fork Trail. Partway along the trail and we found fresh smelling moose tracks going up trail. Jack & Rudy kicked it into overdrive to search for the moose. But, all we found was the moose's "exit point" where it eventually left the trail and went back into the forest. Did it hear us coming and leave the trail just ahead of us? I think so given how intense Jack & Rudy seemed at the freshness of the tracks. Big, long-legged moose sure leave deep troughs when they exit the trail!

Jack submerged in the "moose track trough" as he checks for freshness.
Rudy has himself propped up on the edge of the trough as he is
studying the trough of tracks leading into the forest.
This trough of tracks was apparently VERY fresh!

We never saw any moose; but it was still very entertaining for Jack & Rudy to sniff & follow the tracks and study the deep trough leading off trail :)

Once done moosing in Middle Fork, it was time to go flirt with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. Here is a fun shot of Jack & Rudy flying up one trail while an 8 dog team and musher are going the same direction up a trail parallel to ours. Here we come, wheeee!

Jack & Rudy flooring it as we are gaining ground on the
8 dog team. Love to play "sled dog chase" :)

A little further along and we spotted another team visible but far ahead of us on the trail. Ok, a target to chase!

Flying along Jack & Rudy as you can make out the sled+musher
directly down the middle of the photo. A few of the "sled dog
dots" are also visible in front of the sled+musher.

Today's video contains the prior shot. Come along as we are having fun gaining on the dog sled team far ahead of us on the trail until we have to go right whereas the team went straight. If you look really close, you can make out the team far ahead during parts of the video clip (maybe try watching in full screen mode). Once we turn right, we stop to yield to a bunch of snowmobiles coming along the trail. Well, stopped means you roll snow angels, right Jack? Right! Funny kid!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Moosing and sled dog flirting: what an entertaining day! Let's tell Zorro all about it:

"Unless you brought me some 'moose meat', let's get on with
the 'end of run' pork treats!" suggests focused Zorro.
"So much fun this morning!" adds satisfied Jack & Rudy.

Beautiful morning for a 10.1 mile skijor with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2020/2021 Season to Date: 114 days on the trails covering 933.6 miles with 79450 feet of elevation climbed.

Favs

 Paused on a side trail to watch a dog sled team come along the main trail!

"Hi friends! Wait for us!!!" declares watching but ready to go
Jack & Rudy.

We got to do Jack & Rudy's two favorite activities this morning: moosing and running with dog sled teams. What a fun morning outing at Swan Valley!

We started by doing a warmup lap out & back on the Middle Fork Trail. Partway along the way, we all noticed some moose tracks entering the trail from the forest. Seconds later and Jack & Rudy kicked it into overdrive as we spotted the moose. Look closely and that is a moose in the center of the trail in front of us!

"Moose ahead!!! Go, go, go!" demonstrates powerful Jack & Rudy.
Look closely and you can make out the long legs of the moose
on the brown blob in the center of the trail.

Need help seeing her? Well, here is a zoom to the moose in the prior photo. Sure it's a bit blurry from zooming into a video frame; but you can definitely make out the long moose legs now in the zoom!

There she blows :)

Luckily the moose exited the trail just around the bend in the trail. Jack & Rudy launched me around the bend (while snowplowing and ready to drop my body into an anchor at any second) to discover the moose had exited the trail in deep snow into the forest. The "exit point" did not go unnoticed!

"Yes, Jack, the moose exited right here and went into the trees."
"No, Jack, we are NOT doing the same!!!"

After the fun moosing on the warmup lap, it was time to drop onto the dog sled trails used by Good Times Adventures. We got to watch some teams from side trails as you saw in the first photo above. Then, we got to get behind some teams on the trails and play "dog sled chase" - such a fun game!

Flying along as you see a musher and 8 dog team
just ahead of us on the trail.

Different trail and similar results: a musher and 6 dog team to catch in front of us!

Here we come! Wheeee!

Today's video clip did not come out quite as good as I had hoped. Come along as Jack & Rudy are sprinting along with a team a bit far ahead of us on the trail. We were closing the gap on the team the entire clip, but it does not come out a clear as it was in person! If you look closely as the clip ends, I am directing Jack & Rudy to go right while there is a dog sled team paused ahead and to the left of this fork in the trail. Fun, fun time!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Back to the trailhead to tell elder Zorro all about the day:

"Did you bring me any moose meat?" asks curious Zorro.
"We tried, we tried!" asserts happy Jack & Rudy.

Moosing and playing with dog sled teams, a perfect outing! 10.1 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2020/2021 Season to Date: 101 days on the trails covering 824.4 miles with 71,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Hi Friends

Happy faces all around on this morning's skijor outing:

"Yes, yes, having so much fun!" declares happy Jack & Rudy.

Notice the fresh tracks behind Jack & Rudy in the prior photo and the trail of untouched snow in front of us! We were first on the South Fork Trail in Swan Valley this morning and laid fresh tracks up one side of the trail and then fresh tracks again down the other side of the trail.

The following photo outs silly Rudy. I often the mention the attention span of a Rudy (or lack thereof) or Rudy in "la la land". Well, in the following photo the tracks to our left are our "out tracks" on this trail. Notice anything? Well, look closely and the ski tracks are going straight as well as one set of dog tracks along with the skis. But, the dog tracks closest to us are wavering. The ski tracks are mine of course and the straight line dog tracks are Jack's. Jack is our uphill motor and always goes straight line up with me. The wavering tracks? Well, that's Rudy in a moment Rudy la-la-land. He seriously has these comical moments of "la la, let Jack do the uphill work" as we cruise along the trail. They never last long, but just the occasional moment of seeing Rudy being, well, Rudy :)

Rudy "la la tracks" to our left while we have now focused Rudy
burning up fresh tracks with Jack in the live action.

Today's video highlight? Well, laying fresh tracks on South Fork in Swan Valley. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

After doing an "out & back" warmup lap on South Fork, it was time to dip onto the trails shared with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. Quick explanation on what is in the photo. The dog sled tours run with 8 dogs and a sled with a group of guests and one guide. One or two people at a time are on the sled with the 8 dogs. The rest of the group is in the "guest sled" you see in front of Jack which is being towed by the guide on a snowmobile. This way groups of more than 2 can go on a tour and take turns being on the dog sled. Back to the photo - notice how perfect mellow Jack & Rudy are as they are stopped to let this team cruise on by. I love how both people in the front of the guest sled are more interested in cool Jack & Rudy and the crazy guys on skis than their tour group :)

"Hi friends! Nice to flirt with you!" declares perfect Jack & Rudy.

A little further along and we encountered another team stopped on the trail. As we approached, the guide in front waved us on, letting us know it was ok for us to continue to pass on by. I was ready for a signature perfect pass by Jack & Rudy but the swing dogs had other ideas. Notice the guide is with the two lead dogs of the team but the dogs right behind the leaders (the swing dogs) are coming towards us. As a result, I had to instruct Jack & Rudy to move far left. So, while we all passed just fine, it was not picture perfect as we swung far left into the deep snow to get by. Oh well, still fun!

"Here we come on by!" says flirting Jack & Rudy.

Back to the trailhead to join Zorro and celebrate the day's fun outing:

We ALL had a great time today!

A nice fresh tracks warmup lap on South Fork and then some great encounters with dog teams on the trails: 9.6 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH

2020/2021 Season to Date: 83 days on the trails covering 669.6 miles with 58,500 feet of elevation climbed.

Crust

Another beautiful morning for a skijor with my handsome & happy pals :)

"We are having a GREAT time!" expresses the happy trio at a turnaround
point this morning.

The highlight of today's skijor? Well, the Spring Crust is set!!!! Every season, at some point in March or April, the spring crust will develop over our solid snowpack. Once we get to a stretch of warm days followed by cold nights, the crust over the snowpack solidifies such that it can support our weight every morning without punching through. You never know when the crust is going to solidify; but we have been in a warm spell recently with the warm days/cold nights needed to solidify the crust. It is so fun once the crust is solid as we can abandon set trails and skijor any direction we want for miles and miles!

What a perfect crust as we are making our own path across a
vast meadow. Just 1 week ago, we would have been punching through
the snow and could not skijor these meadows.
Love the fun footprints on the crust behind the three
(especially behind Zorro :)

Come along and watch as here we go for our first "crust skijor" of the 2019/2020 season. Note the snowmobile track on the crust as the video starts. We were originally on the set trail far off to our right when I noticed the snowmobile tracks on the crust in this vast meadow. Well, if the crust can hold a snowmobile, it can most certainly hold us. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

We were out in Swan Valley this morning when we discovered this wonderful crust. Our plan was to do a warmup lap out the Middle Fork Trail before coming back to the main trail. Well, it ended up being a super fun warmup lap on the endless meadows of crust near Middle Fork and then we dropped back onto the main trails to flirt and run with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures.

Unfortunately, the "dog sled trails" were not too busy today. But, we did get to stop and flirt with 2 teams we encountered on trails nearby us.

Look real closely. The wheel dogs of the team are just to the left of Jack's tail
and the musher/sled is just to the right of Jack's head.

A little further along and we stopped to watch a team go up a trail parallel to us.

You have to look real hard on this one.
The wheel dogs are to the right of Jack's head just before the tree branch.
The musher is wearing white but look for him to the left (and almost touching)
Zorro's head.

As I said, only a couple of flirt opportunities in Swan Valley today, but still a fun time had by all:

"Whee, any and ALL skijoring is FUN skijoring!" declares the happy trio
as we end the day's run.

A fun day as we traded "flirting with dog sled teams" for "skijoring the crust over endless meadows": 6.1 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 121 days on the trails covering 821.0 miles with 74,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Z Lead

Everyone having a good time this morning?

"You bet!!!!" exclaim super happy Zorro & Jack.
"Yes, but why are we stopped!" asks Rudy.

Today's outing was one of our favorite "weekend routes" as we go to the trails in Swan Valley to run with dog sled teams and avoid the overcrowded amateur trails in town. It is so refreshing to run with the professionals instead of dealing with tons of tourist crowds :)

As always, today was a smashing success as we got to flirt and run along with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. Here is a fun shot of us paused to let a team cross the trail perpendicular to us.

6 dogs of the 8 dog team in front of us and the musher on the sled
to the right of Jack's head.

Doesn't Jack look so well-mannered in the prior photo as he is sitting to watch the team go by. Well, fast forward to a different trail and we are stopped again to let a team cross in front of us. This time Jack does a complete 180 from above and he is a bucking bronco lunging forward trying to get me to release us to join and follow the team :)

Oh Jack, you are one strong bucking bronco! He was able to slide me
forward about 5 feet before I used all my strength, skis and poles to
keep us still!

After a few perpendicular passings as you see in the two prior photos, we finally got on the same trail as a team in front of us. Time to play "fly & follow" with the team in front. Wheeee!

My fast running partners as you see the musher and 8 sled dogs going
around a right bend in the trail ahead of us.

Today's video goes with the prior photo. Come along and watch closely as you can make out the team in front as they go around bends in the trail. Then watch closely at about 30-35 seconds in the video and you'll see the team exit the main trail onto a side trail to the right. Zorro clearly saw this too as he proceeds to back out of the middle of the team to move himself to the right to try and make sure we go the same way, which we do once we get to the same side trail. Everyone follow Zorro, he knows where to go :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Such a fun outing leads to well-earned 'end of run' treats!

"Dish them out! We had a blast today!" says the focused & happy trio.

A wonderful way to avoid weekend crowds by joining the dog sled teams in Swan Valley: 6.1 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 114 days on the trails covering 771.1 miles with 70,600 feet of elevation climbed.

Extra

Smiles all around during a quick pause on the trail this morning!

"Having a GREAT time!" declares the happy trio.

We went to the trails at Swan Valley this morning and did our usual pattern on these trails. That is, we do a quick out & back on one of the side trails before coming back to the main trail for the real highlights of the outing.

Flying by a silly SLOW sign during our warmup lap :)

"Hey, we are PAST the sign, so it doesn't apply anymore, right?" says the speedy trio.

The highlight of these trails is, of course, running & flirting with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures on the main trails. Good Times' contract with the forest service allows them to run sled dog tours through March. So, you can view this year's February 29 as an extra day to run & play with the dog sled teams on the Swan Valley trails!!!

Here we are at a trail intersection as we pause to let an 8 dog team go perpendicular in front of us:

"Hi friends!" says my flirtatious trio.
If you look closely, you can see at least 3 of the team dogs giving flirting
glances back :)

Rudy cracks me up in the following photo. We are at a Y in the trail stopped on one branch of the Y while an oncoming team takes the other branch of the Y. Rudy started out next to Zorro watching the oncoming team. Then, as the team proceeded up the other side of the Y, Rudy backed up, lined himself with the team and tried to get us going parallel with them. It was as if Rudy was saying, "If I line us up with the team, maybe dad will let us go along with them!" Funny Rudy!

"Hi more friends!" says Zorro & Jack watching the team go up the other side of the Y.
You see the two wheel dogs and the dog sled in this photo.
"Lined up to go with you!" adds silly Rudy :)

Watching the teams pass by trail intersections is fun; but the most fun is running with them! Here we are following a team ahead of us on the trail. It helps that the musher is wearing a bright yellow coat. Look in front of the bright yellow to see the dark blobs of the sled dogs in front of the musher.

"Here we come!" says the sprinting trio.

Today's video highlight goes along with the prior photo. We start out FLYING along the fast trail knowing that a dog sled team is far ahead of us. Eventually we come to a bend in the trail and I see the team stopped around the bend so I bring us to a stop too. We always wait and see if the musher group in front is going to wave us "on by" or not (typically, they do and we get to execute perfect passes). But, today the group did not wave us on. So, I cut out the section of video with us paused until the team restarts again and we proceed to fly & follow them on the trail. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

An extra day of "sled dog flirting" this leap year, so we made the most of it! 6 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 109 days on the trails covering 738.6 miles with 67,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Misaligned

Happy fellas watching a dog sled team from Good Times Adventures run on a trail parallel to us.

"Hey friends! Love watching you run!' says the happy watching trio.

We went out to the trails at Swan Valley to do one of our favorite skijor activities: run alongside the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. It was a very fun day with lots of excitement on the trails.

Here we are executing a perfect pass by a team stopped on the side of the trail. You can see the 2 lead dogs of the 8 dog team next to the snowmobile. Notice the leader on the right is talking up a storm as we go by :)

"Hi... Bye!" says my trustworthy 'on by' partners.

Unfortunately, that is the best photo of the day. Unknown to me, the camera on my chest got shifted to the left of my body during the day's excitement. It was just after this photo that the camera got misaligned. You can see a team coming down the trail in front of us as I get my partners under control on the side trail. But, notice Zorro is lining himself up to go too. I had to kneel and keep ahold of the gangline to keep us from taking off as this team went by. In all the "control work" by me, I accidentally moved the camera far left on my chest and did not notice the rest of the day.

"I'm coming too!' says powder plowing Zorro getting ready to join!
"We are ready too!" says Jack & Rudy getting ready to join.

How misaligned was the camera after the prior photo? Well, here we are paused on a side trail watching another team go perpendicular. I am lined up straight but the camera is on the left of my body so you can barely make out Rudy on the right.

The misaligned camera getting only a smidget of Rudy's mouth but a nice, full
view of Zorro & Jack watching the team go by.

Just how misaligned? Well, here we are executing another perfect pass yet all you can see is Rudy. Trust me, Zorro & Jack were executing a perfect pass out of view of the misaligned camera.

"Coming through!" says trotting Rudy.

Oh well, sorry for all the misaligned shots. But, back to the originally aligned camera. Here we are executing our first pass on by a paused team on the trail. We start in a quick jog along the open trail until I see a stopped team around the bend in the trail. So, we slow, shorten the gangline for safety and then perfectly pass on by. Once on by, I need to call out a little encouragement to my partners before we restart going fast along the trail again.

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

A very fun day with, unfortunately, a lot of misaligned footage: 6.9 miles traveled with 600 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 96 days on the trails covering 655.7 miles with 60,450 feet of elevation climbed.

Klutz

The happy sled dog trio getting their well-earned 'end of run' treats!

Smiling, focused and READY for treats!!!

We went to the trails in Swan Valley this morning to run alongside and flirt with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. Zorro, Jack & Rudy LOVE getting out on the trails with the other teams. Come along for a fun, fun, fun skijor!

There's one!!!! Pretty far away here but look up and slightly right of Jack's head and you can make out one of the dogs on the 8 dog team crossing the perpendicular trail in front of us.

"Hi friend! Why are you so far away - come this way!" says the 'wanting to flirt' trio.

That was too far away for fun. But, wait, there is a team on the trail in front of us. Oh boy, "sled dog chase" - wheeee!

Look at that Rudy missile!!!
Look closely and you can see the musher and 8 dog team rounding
the bend in the trail in front of us.

The chase was a blast, now how about some up close flirting? If you haven't seen dog sled tours at Good Times (and similar places), let me explain. You can see 2 of the dogs on the 8 dog team in the following photo with a dog sled carrying a musher and passenger. The large sled in front of us is NOT what the dogs pull :)  This is the "tour sled" attached to a snowmobile so large groups can go on a tour and take turns riding the real dog sled versus watching from the tour sled.

"Hey friends! Nice left!" says my trio to the team turning left on the
other side of the tour sled we are paused safely behind.

A little more skijoring around and we encountered the same group paused in front of us on the trail. Zorro, Jack and Rudy LOVE to flirt & pass paused teams. They are so good at it - quite impressive!

On the approach - "Hi friends, coming through!" says the perfect trio staying right
to safely go on by.

Finally, it's another perfect pass as we get even with the team and simply exchange a happy flirt or two :)

"Hi.... Bye!" says flirting Rudy.
"All business on by!" demonstrates perfect Zorro & Jack!

Today's video highlight... The klutz - ME! Come along as the video starts you can make out a team on the trail in front of us. We had been following this team for 3+ minutes before this video segment and it starts with us continuing the fun follow. But, about 30 seconds in and I see the team pausing around the next bend in the trail. I slow us to shorten the gangline to execute a safe pass. But, then we get the klutz. I accidentally cross my ski tips while shortening the gangline and topple over. What a klutz. My perfect partners wait as I reset the klutz and then we continue to perform our perfect pass.
What a klutz!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

A fast, fun and flirtatious day: 6.4 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 83 days on the trails covering 572.3 miles with 53,000 feet of elevation climbed.

Chase

Enjoying some well-earned 'end of run' treats with my happy sled dogs!

"We sure earned them today!" says the happy & focused trio.

We went to the trails in Swan Valley this morning to run amongst the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures. My pals love encountering the teams on the trails and playing chase, flirt and/or pass with the teams. Today was basically a "chase day" as we kept coming upon teams from behind but then would miss the chance to flirt or pass before they turned off on different trails. Oh well, it was a very fun chase day!

Here we come upon a team rounding a right corner in the trail in front of us. We were closing in on them but they turned off this trail and went a different direction than us just around the corner.

"We see you! Here we come!" says the sprinting trio.
You can see the musher as the black blob in the middle of the trail in
front of us. You can barely make out a few "sled dog blobs" too.

Further along and we were again gaining on a team on the trail in front of us. Once again, though, this team turned off the trail and went another direction before we actually caught them.

Look in front of us and you again can see the black blob which is the musher.
You can also see 3 smaller black blobs which are pairs of sled dogs
pulling the sled (the teams have 8 dogs but the two leaders are already
around the bend in the trail in this shot)

On we go again and another team appears that we are gaining on once again!

"Wait for us - here we come!" says my sprinting trio.
But, alas, no luck as this team also turned off our trail and went a different direction
before we could catch and/or pass them.

Finally, once again with today's theme of "chase and almost catch". Here's another team just in front of us as you can see the musher in bright blue and the 8 sled dogs in front of her.

"Here we come again - wheeee!" says my excited partners.

Today's video highlight goes along with the team in the prior photo. Come along as we spot this team in front of us and begin a game of "sled dog chase". But, this musher is clearly "riding the brake" as we are gaining much too fast on them. I know there is a fork in this trail ahead but we are gaining too fast to not catch them before the fork. So, I slow us down for about 10 seconds to give them a head start and then release my pals again. Off we go, gaining again, as Zorro decides to change lanes and take the left side of the team. Then, just as I planned, as we are getting real close to the team, we get to the fork in the trail and I take us right while the team continues forward. What a fun game of chase!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

A fun day of "sled dog chase" this morning: 6.5 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 78 days on the trails covering 535.4 miles with 50,100 feet of elevation climbed.

Far

Getting some well-earned 'end of run' treats after a fast & fun day on the trails!

"You have our complete attention! Hand them out!" says the focused & happy trio.

We had a blast skijoring around the trails in Swan Valley with the dog sled teams from Good Times Adventures this morning. We saw and ran behind many teams but never got close enough for today's photos to really show the flirting fun. All the teams were very clear to Zorro, Jack, Rudy and I but they were just a tad too far away to come out clear in our snapshots. Oh well, we'll show the day's fun as best we can.

Here's a ridiculously camouflaged team just over the snowbank in front of us. If you draw a line from Rudy's back right hindquarter, the line would intersect one of the sled dogs with the dog sled a smidget behind that. Oh well, we saw & watched them closely!

"Too camouflaged for the camera but not for our eyes!" says the sled
dog watching trio.

Here we go again with an 8 dog team clear to us on the trail ahead but barely visible in the clip.

Draw a line up from Rudy's left cheek and that line would intersect the musher behind
his 8 dog team on the trail ahead. Again, we all saw them CLEARLY!!!

One more time and still too far for a good photo... Start in between Jack & Rudy and draw a line up the trail and it would intersect the musher and team in front of us.

Perfectly clear to me and my partners but just a bit too far to come
out clear in a shrunk down photo :(

Today's video clip is us having fun playing "dog sled chase". Watch closely for the following. The team ahead of us on the trail is visible for about the first 5 seconds (watch for the movement in front of us). Then, after a few curves in the trail, you can see the musher ahead of us about 22 seconds in before he disappears around another bend. Then at about 42 seconds in and the team appears ahead of us again for a short straightaway. Note that we are closer to the team at 42 seconds than at the start - we are gaining on them :) But, after about 15 seconds of gaining, the team turns off the trail onto one of the side trails. I know this side trail is too narrow to follow them and pass, so I gently slow us to a stop at the point where the team disappeared.

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Ok, so the dog teams did not come out too clear in today's photos; but the silly signage did :)

"Got it - CAUTION, you better HANG ON back there!" that is the sled
dog interpretation of a CAUTION sign.

Once you are past the sign, it does not exist any more, right?

Maybe we went slow before the sign, maybe we didn't. But we are past
it now so FLOOR IT!

A fun day chasing and flirting with the dog sled teams on the trails but not the best footage. But, some great footage of unnecessary (and ignored) signage: 6.5 miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 72 days on the trails covering 497.0 miles with 46,900 feet of elevation climbed.