Powder Day

Breaking trail in 10+ inches of fresh powder this morning! Wheeee!

The impressive powder hounds, Jack & Rudy, blasting through the
deep snow as they tow me along.

Today's outing found us skijoring out and back on Buffalo Pass Rd from the Dry Lake Trailhead. There was about 3 inches of fresh snow at the trailhead and then, as we went up in elevation, the snow kept getting deeper and deeper! It is not often we can report we were happily "slowed by deep snow" in late April! One benefit of doing an "out and back" outing is that we get to reuse our out tracks on the way back:

Gaining a little speed by reusing the track we set on the way out.

Breaking trail is a very aerobic activity. Just ask Jack & Rudy who really needed to roll snow angels to cool off at our turnaround point:

"Ah!" declares snow rolling Jack.
"Snow facial!" goes silly Rudy.

While we were slowed by deep snow up high, we were sped up by a fresh snowmobile track down low. A pair of snowmobiles came along and packed the snow near the trailhead. We followed these tracks on the way out until the snowmobiles turned and went a different direction. After the snowmobiles turned is when we found ourselves breaking trail in 10+ inches of powder for the next leg of the outing. Finally, on the return we were able to floor it again once we got back to the snowmobile tracks.

Zooming in a snowmobile track.

It was snowing steadily our entire outing. That means the camera collects snow, especially when we are going fast. Here is the camera within minutes of the prior photo:

Blurred footage from a snow covered camera.

Today's video highlight goes along with the first "breaking trail" photo above. Come along and watch the impressive kids powering through 10+ inches of powder as they tow me along. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

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

"We'll come up to your level!" states the polite kids climbing up to get treats.

It is not often we can say an April skijor outing was "slowed by deep snow": 7.4 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 139 days on the trails covering 1232.2 miles with 113,200 feet of elevation climbed.

Late April Powder

A Late April Powder Day! Everyone having a good time?

"Oh boy! You bet!!!!!" declares the super happy trio!

This morning was a real late April treat a we awoke to a couple of inches of new snow at home so we headed up to the trails on Peak 7 with anticipation of even more fresh snow a little higher up.

What did we find? Powder Day! We started the day with the threesome (Zorro, Jack & Rudy) and found ourselves laying fresh tracks in 4-6 inches of fresh powder.

Wheeee - late April freshies!!!
Great shot of the trio plowing through the morning's fresh snow!

With 4-6 inches of powder, we were at about 11-3/4 year old Zorro's limit of "trail breaking". I paused twice to give the fun elder a break. Did he need the break? Well, the initial pause was the first photo above - sure doesn't look like anybody needed a break. The second pause is below. Hmmm, I don't think Zorro needed my silly breaks :)

"He stopped! Drop & Roll!" demonstrates the goofball kids.
"Would you quit stopping!" declares 'ready to go' Zorro :)

After the first 1/3 of our planned outing, we looped back towards the trailhead to hand elder Zorro off with Nancy. He may not have looked like he needed any breaks, but we know his "almost 12 years old" limits :)

Look at powder plowing Zorro (and powder plowing Jack too).
Meanwhile, silly youngest and biggest Rudy is taking the shallower middle track. Silly kid!

After dropping off Zorro, the kids and I went out & up Peak 7, knowing the powder would get deeper and deeper. But, just how deep was a real aerobic treat!

Partway up Peak 7 and we are breaking trail in over 8 inches of fresh powder.

If you think the prior photo was impressive, how about the following as the kids are plowing through at least 10, maybe 12, inches of pow, pow, POWDER!!!

Late April Powder Power from Jack & Rudy. POW!!!

Sometimes it is really impressive to watch the power of the sled dogs in slow motion. Come along for a slowmo of Jack & Rudy busting and plowing through some impressive April powder! Slow POW :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Originally I was going to do an "upper elevation" loop with Jack & Rudy on Peak 7. But, once I saw how deep we got, I changed plans and directed them back the way we came. With such deep snow, you want to reuse your "out track" on the way back so you can open up the throttle!

Jack & Rudy at full throttle as they run back in the tracks we set on
the way out. Notice the slight blurring in the photo. This was the
last shot of the day before the camera got covered with actively falling snow!
Yay for Snow!

Fun April Treat - plowing through shallower powder with elder Zorro and then getting into deep trail breaking with young Jack & Rudy: 7.6 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 19 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 155 days on the trails covering 1060.9 miles with 96,700 feet of elevation climbed.

Baldy Treat

Oh Jack, you silly snow angel rolling Jack!

Snow rolling Jack at our second turnaround event of the morning.
The first turnaround happened with Zorro and Jack stayed upright that time!
"Oh come on - you can't expect me to remain upright through TWO turnarounds!"
demonstrates silly snow rolling Jack.
"Look at me - mature Rudy!!!!" says smiling Rudy turning without
rolling TWICE today!

This morning was one of the rarest of treats. A skijor on Baldy Mountain in mid April! Some background first: Baldy is an extremely steep network of trails with extremely rocky and uneven terrain under the snow.  We regularly skijor Baldy in the middle of winter when the snowpack is deep. But, we also ONLY skijor Baldy after 5+ inches of new snow - the terrain is way too steep for me to skijor behind my power three (or even two) without fresh snow to slow them down.

Now, come April, we need a lot of factors to come together to be able to skijor Baldy. First, it must have remained below freezing for multiple days (to firm up the spring dirt/mud below the snow). Check, it has been below freezing for three days straight. Second, it must have snowed multiple times in the preceding days to replenish the snowpack. Check, it has snowed almost daily for 7 days straight. Third, it must have snowed 5+ inches the night/morning before we go out on Baldy. Check, we had at least 6 inches of new snow at home, so more on Baldy! With these three factors in place, it was time to get out on for a rare April skijor on Baldy.

Today, we had a fourth factor. We were not first on the trail and multiple skiers had packed it before us. Normally I do not care if the trail has been packed as Jack & Rudy love to break trail. But, for "almost 12 years old" Zorro to come along, we need at least one packed single track on the trail. Check, some powder hounds had been out before us. I thought Zorro's days of skijoring Baldy were behind him as usually the snow is too deep when we go out early. With the set single track, though, we were able to let Zorro ride the middle with Jack & Rudy flirting in the powder on the sides.

Woo Hoo - an April skijor on Baldy!
Woo Hoo - a Baldy skijor with elder Zorro!!!!!

Come along for the fun ride as Zorro is cruising in the set track with his polite brothers dipping into the soft side powder. What a treat to skijor Baldy in April AND with Zorro!!!!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Zorro came with for the first 1/3 of the outing as we went up/down Baldy. Here we are back to the trailhead and keeping our distance as we wait for all the other powder hounds who got out early to get on Baldy.

"Look at all the people who need our help going up!" says Zorro & Jack.
"Hey sir, you could use my help!" says Rudy to the skier passing by.

Once the traffic cleared at the trailhead, we handed Zorro off to Nancy and the kids, Jack & Rudy, and I went back out & up & back further on Baldy.

Both Jack & Rudy were in "2 year old" moods this morning. Their comical sideline antics were in rare form. Every once in a while I get reminded that they are really only 2 years old :)

Rudy back to an expert rodent swan dive for the second day in a row.
"Hey, little bro - what do you have over there?" asks Jack peeking back
to diving Rudy.

Did Jack need an answer from Rudy? Ha, no - you trust any rodent dive from your brother as a valid and necessary off trail surge :)

"I'm coming, I'm coning - INCOMING!" demonstrates low diving Jack.
As you see, Jack has his own low-angle rodent dives as
opposed to Rudy's high arching swan dives.

Despite the first picture above and the prior two, guess what? We really did do some skijoring on Baldy after we dropped Zorro!

OMG - the kids are upright, on trail and going forward!!!!!

One of the rarest of treats - a mid April skijor on Baldy with an unexpected addition of elder Zorro for the first 1/3 of the outing! 6.3 miles traveled with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2019/2020 Season to Date: 150 days on the trails covering 1026.7 miles with 93,500 feet of elevation climbed.

April Trail Breaking

It is not often that you can say "slowed by deep powder" in late April.

Today was one such rare day...

Breaking trail as we glide past Sally Barber Mine.

As the photo above and 2 below show - we did some serious trail breaking on today's outing. The west side of the Sally Barber Mine trail was breaking trail in 6-7 inches of snow and the main French Gulch trail was breaking trail in 8-12 inches of snow!

Lower French Gulch and breaking trail in at least 8 inches...

Middle French Gulch and approaching a foot or more of untouched terrain.

The east side of the Sally Barber Mine trail was the only time we were not breaking trail as there was a set of snowshoe tracks paving the way. Today's video highlight comes from Max & Zorro moving quickly as they get a snowshoe track to ease the way...

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Who made those snowshoe tracks? Ah-ha, found them:

Flying by the snowshoers as they laughed and said, "Wow, looks like fun!"

A rare late April day when we can say "slowed by deep snow" - 7.2 miles with 750 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 18 MPH.

2013/2014 Season to Date: 139 days on the trails covering 1207.3 miles with 138,950 feet of elevation climbed.

April Pow

An April pow, pow, Powder Day on the trails today!

Having a blast plowing through about 10 inches of fresh powder!

Powder days in April are always a rare treat and today was spectacular as we found ourselves in 5-10 inches of fresh snow for most of our 7.4 mile outing.

Cresting over the trail at Sally Barber Mine as we break trail in 8-10 inches of fresh snow.

Gliding down a gentle slope with tons of fresh snow to ourselves all day!

Our route for the day consisted of 3 parts: (1) breaking trail up & over Sally Barber mine as we traversed from the west trailhead to the east trailhead; (2) breaking trail out the main French Gulch Trail; and (3) riding our own tracks back along the French Gulch Trail. So, it was breaking trail for about 3/4 of the outing and then riding our own tracks for the last 1/4.

Picking up the speed as we enjoy running in the tracks we set on the way out
French Gulch.

A rare extreme powder day in April covering 7.4 miles with 900 feet of elevation climbed.

2013/2014 Season to Date: 130 days on the trails covering 1121.8 miles with 129,900 feet of elevation climbed.

Thank You

A crazy April 23rd found us breaking trail in 12-18 inches of fresh snow this morning!

Not everyone likes "breaking trail" as much as Max, Zorro & I as evidenced below. We had just broke trail uphill to Sally Barber Mine with snow as deep as 18 inches. We were coming back down the track we set on the way up when we ran into a couple of skiers coming up. The front skier's comment to me, "Thank you so much for breaking trail for the rest of us!"

"Thank you so much for breaking trail for the rest of us!" said the skier to me as she stepped out
of the track to let us by. "Don't thank me - thank them." I responded as I pointed at my trail
breakers Max & Zorro. "Thank you so much nice doggies!" she then responded as we
continued on by. 

As I said above, this was a crazy amount of new snow on the trails for April 23rd!

With so much new snow overnight, we were able to start on French Gulch Road and skijor
up some tire tracks until connecting into the backcountry at the French Gulch trailhead.

As soon as we were off the road and onto the trails it was immediately 12+ inches of new
snow to break trail through! Untouched terrain as far as the eye could see.

Plowing through some seriously deep snow!

"We like breaking trail!" express a happy Max & Zorro.

Today followed our theme for most of April: long stretches of breaking trail in 12+ inches lead to "less than typical" mileage but a very exhilarating outing. 7.1 miles with 800 feet of elevation climbed and breaking trail in snow as deep as 18 inches - woo!