1100 Miles

Flying (literally) past 1100 miles skijoring for the season!

1105.8 miles and counting...

Catching air as we open up the throttle on a fast straightaway atop Rabbit Ears Pass.

This is our second year in a row surpassing 1100 miles of skijoring for the season. We are dreaming of 1200 if the snowpack can hold up (or Mother Nature gives us some new snow).

"1100 was fun, how about 2200?" asks happy Max at one of our turnaround points on the trail.
"I hear Antarctica has a great snowpack for summer!" suggests fun Zorro.

Come along for today's fun tour up, down and around Rabbit Ears Pass...

The top crust of snow is holding up beautifully for late April!
Having a blast sprinting along the top crust!
The two points on top the mountain directly in front of Zorro are the ears for which Rabbit
Ears Pass gets its name.

Nice semi-side view of my out-stretched skijor partners as I glided out to the left a bit
to catch this nice view.

Today's route took us by the Rabbit Ears Pass Marker. Always fun to stop and inspect:

"Hmmm, does not smell like rabbits!" declares inspector Max.
"Hmmm, I do not see any rabbits!" states inspector Zorro.

Max provides the day's comical interlude. If the musher ever takes too long during a quick pause (equipment adjustment, gps check, etc.), he is always told about it by at least one. Today was Max's day to let me know just how slow I really am...

"Aaahhhhh - you are KILLING me! I'm getting bone rot waiting for you!" screams Max.
"I would never say anything like that!" says 'it wasn't me this time' Zorro.
Note my shadow with my left arm in the air as I am saying, "I'm coming, I'm coming
you impatient red head!"

A day spent touring the terrain around the Rabbit Ears Pass Marker: 8.7 miles with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.

2014/2015 Season to Date: 128 days on the trails covering 1105.8 miles with 115,850 feet of elevation climbed.

Where is Everybody

The theme for this morning's skijor outing: Where is Everybody?

Fresh, untouched snow as far as the eye can see!
Where is Everybody?

We went to skijor our favorite "easy trail" at Rabbit Ears Pass this morning. This trail is typically popular with snowmobiles as we have never found ourselves laying fresh tracks on this trail. Well, "never" ended today as we found ourselves laying fresh tracks in 1-3 inches of snow for 10 miles! Apparently people think winter is over and have put away their snow toys. Well, winter is still doing just fine on Rabbit Ears Pass. Here we go...

Zooming along the trail of untouched snow!
Where is Everybody?

Second verse, same as the first...

Not another track as far as the eye can see. Really, wow!
Where is Everybody?

Third verse, same as the first...

What beautiful terrain all to ourselves. Unbelievable!
Where is Everybody?

Fourth verse, ... almost the first...

Look, tracks to our right. Someone else knows it is still winter is what you are probably thinking.
Wrong... We did an "out & back" today and those tracks to the right are our own from the
"out direction".
Where is Everybody?

Seriously, it felt like we had the Colorado outdoors all to ourselves this morning: 10.1 miles of laying fresh tracks with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH. Where is Everybody?

2014/2015 Season to Date: 127 days on the trails covering 1097.1 miles with 115,150 feet of elevation climbed.

Solo Track

Laying Fresh Tracks in a Solo Snowmobile Track atop Rabbit Ears Pass - Wheeeee!

"I'll take one 'runner track', you take the other 'runner track' and give the human the wide center
track and off we goooo!" say my fun partners as we lay fresh tracks in 2-3 inches of fresh snow
in a solo snowmobile track leading us up, down and around Rabbit Ears Pass.

We were laying fresh tracks in 1-4 inches of new snow the whole outing on Rabbit Ears Pass. Our route had us following snowmobile trails all over the terrain. Near the trailhead the snowmobile tracks were wide (e.g., multiple machines wide); but after about 2 miles, all tracks disappeared except for a solo snowmobile track. We had a great time following this solo track for miles and miles as if felt like it was just us and one other person who had experienced this great April snow!

Most of the outing looked like the first picture with us running in the solo track. But, down low it was laying fresh tracks on wider snowmobile trails:

The trail is about 3 snowmobiles wide near the trailhead; but it was still laying fresh tracks
in 1-2 inches of snow near the start of the day.

It was below freezing; but not by much....

"Aahh, rolling snow angels to cool off!" demonstrate the funny pair at our quick midpoint
break of the outing.

A fun video highlight from the day as we uncork the skijoring engine along the trail - wheeee!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Great day atop Rabbit Ears Pass laying fresh tracks in a solo snowmobile track for most of the day: 9.7 miles with 900 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2014/2015 Season to Date: 126 days on the trails covering 1087.0 miles with 114,650 feet of elevation climbed.