Crest & Go

Rounding the corner by the historic Sallie Barber Mine this morning:

Zipping on by, wheeee!

We had a fun outing doing laps near Sallie Barber Mine. We did 3 laps on the lesser used backside of the mine (up, then down and then back up again). Lesser used means tighter trails:

Jack & Rudy packed in tight to fit on the narrow backside set trail.

We then did 3 laps on the much busier front side of the mine (down, up and then down again).

Flooring it on the much wider front side trail. Zoom!

Come along for our first pass by the mine. Recall we had just gone up, down and back up this side of the mine. Watch as Jack is clearly demonstrating his desire to "fly on by" to the front side on this pass by the mine. Rudy, on the other hand, starts this crest in a light trot, waiting to see if I call out for us to turnaround again. Once even with the mine, both know this means we are not turning around and ZOOM, off we go. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Finally, I believe I was the center of attention at today's end of run treats meeting :)

"You have our FULL and UNDIVIDED attention!" declares the ultra
focused pair.

Fun morning doing laps around the mine: 8.1 miles traveled with 850 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2022/2023 Season to Date: 46 days on the trails covering 385.4 miles with 33,400 feet of elevation climbed.

 

Content

 There is nothing quite as content as a Siberian Husky or two covered in snow :)

"Ahhh, covered in snow!" says the content pair.

Why are they so covered in snow? Well, they just did a pair of rodent dives and dunks into the deep snow off the side of the trail:

Dunking for rodents as we get buried and covered in snow :)

Besides dunking and diving for rodents, we did do some wonderful skijoring today!

Come along for a fun ride as the GPS registered our top speed at 23 MPH as we laid fresh tracks in the morning's new snow on Gold Run Road. Wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Some more fun photos of the fast kids. Zooming along the wide "main trail":

Flying Jack next to sprint tucked Rudy.

Note the short fence we are approaching on our right in the photo above. There is a trail on both sides of this fence and it serves to keep the two paths separated at their closest point. Do you see the trail to the right of the fence? Well, how about now:

Flying along on the lower trail now as we approach the same short fence.

Pretty cool to see why this short fence exists as a trail separator when you look at Jack & Rudy flying by on each side.

Back to the trailhead and we have the most focused 'end or run' treat threesome I have ever seen!

So focused, but so patient too! Good boys!

Great day laying fresh tracks on and around Gold Run Road: 7.4 miles traveled with 600 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2020-2021 Season to Date: 50 days on the trails covering 391.3 miles with 34,700 feet of elevation climbed.

Varying Terrain

Today's skijor outing found us on wide & fast trails, laying fresh tracks on shoulder-to-shoulder trails and playing follow the leader on narrow single tracks trails. All in one outing!

Making use of the entire wide trail as Max runs in the left track, Zorro runs in the right track
and I glide down the shallow powder in the middle - wheeee!

Our outing started on French Gulch Road and then took us out & back on the main French Gulch Trail. Come along for the fun.....

(1) Everybody ready to go?

"YES! Let's get a moving!" answers happy Max.
"Always ready!" states Zorro surveying the trail ahead waiting for his release...

(2) The lower 1/3 of French Gulch was wide & fast. Today's short video clip shows this wide, fast and fun trail:

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

(3) The middle 1/3 of French Gulch found us laying fresh tracks in a lightly snow covered snowmobile track.

Love laying fresh tracks on a trail wide enough to run shoulder to shoulder!

(4) The upper 1/3 of French Gulch found us laying fresh tracks in a single track trail. We broke trail to make this single track 7-10 days ago and were happy to find some other skiers had ventured this far back in the gulch to keep the track visible amidst recent snowfall.

Laying fresh tracks to maintain the single track far back in French Gulch.

People often ask me if Max & Zorro really listen to me when we skijor. It is a silly question, because OF COURSE they listen to me. But, here's some proof for those who ever doubted...

"You speak, we listen! What's the plan?" ask my intensely focused pair listening to my
description of the plan for our return route in French Gulch.

As is expected, no trip to French Gulch this year is complete without encountering fresh moose tracks or seeing moose themselves...

"Sniff, sniff - these are VERY fresh! Where's the moose?" ask my moose seeking partners.

A fun day traversing 3 types of varying terrain covering 8.8 miles with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.

2014/2015 Season to Date: 48 days on the trails covering 396.7 miles with 42,850 feet of elevation climbed.

Indiana Creek Snowpack

A peaceful day jogging along the trails around Indiana Creek.

Sprinting Siberians as we uncork it along an open straightaway.

It may be Spring, but the snowpack in Indiana Creek is wonderful. The following shot gives a good perspective. The trail marker to the right of Max is a 3 to 4 foot marker in the Summer yet is is barely 6 inches above the snowpack today!

"We love trail markers buried in snow!" says an approving Max giving the marker
a glance as we jog by.

It is late March, though, so it is expected for Indiana Creek to start exposing itself here and there. But, in a bad snow year, the creek would be fully exposed in late March. Today we only had fleeting glimpses of the creek as it was still covered by snow for the most part.

A little bit of the creek can be seen to the left.
"No big deal, the snowpack is still great along the shores!" say the happily trotting pair.

Everyone approved of today's fun outing:

"We're a happy family!" express smiling Max & Zorro at one of our turnaround points.

We were making good time on the packed trails so I paused while determining which side trails I could add to the day. I was talking out loud, but to myself, when I looked down and saw I was most certainly not talking to myself! What focus!!!

"You are talking and we are listening. Always listen to the musher!" say my intensely
focused pair!

A nice & peaceful outing covering 7.9 miles with 1000 feet of elevation climbed.

2013/2014 Season to Date: 113 days on the trails covering 973.1 miles with 113,200 feet of elevation climbed.