Look at those 3 distracted sled dogs glancing to the left (without breaking stride :)
Distracted but not slowing down!
What could cause such a distraction without causing a break in the skijoring? Certainly not a moose as that would be a distraction that interrupted skijoring. So, what is distracting enough to look but not stop? Well, a large bird...
Cruising along as you see a large bird atop the tall tree to our left.
Despite being on the top of the tree, the bird got scared of the 3 sled dogs coming along fast below. As we neared the tree, the bird took off...
Guess 3 oncoming sled dogs is scary from 20+ feet above :)
Put the last three photos together and you get today's fun slow motion video clip. Come along as we are cruising along the trail when the bird gets scared and takes off out of the tree and then dips down (this is what got everyone's attention in the first photo) before taking flight to the left. All three of my partners watch with interest but never really break stride. Once the bird is gone, back to front-focused skijoring.
Our outing today took on on the Blue River Recreation Path from Breckenridge to Frisco. As you see in the photos above, we started the day with Zorro and ran partway to Frisco.
The complete trip to Frisco is too much for 11.5 year old Zorro, so we dropped him with Nancy partway and I continued on with Jack & Rudy. Along one stretch of the rec path, we are skijoring close to Highway 9 between Breckenridge and Frisco. We always get honks and cheers out of open windows as the oncoming cars see us flying along the trail:
Putting on a show for the oncoming cars on Highway 9 :)
The rec path also crosses side roads a few times. We have to stop, take the skis off and cross the road before restarting. Well, Jack & Rudy continue to provide entertainment for the oncoming cars at the crossings too!
This truck stopped to watch the snow rolling goofs and then snapped some photos
with their smartphone. Constant entertainment from the kids.
Once we got to the outskirts of Frisco, we added Zorro back in and completed the days run from the outskirts of Frisco to the Frisco Nordic Center. Wheeee!
Zorro back in the group as we fly to the finish in Frisco.
What a fun day. Start with Zorro, entertain the tourists with Jack & Rudy in between and then end in all smiles with Zorro added back in again: 8.6 miles traveled with 400 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 20 MPH.
2019/2020 Season to Date: 58 days on the trails covering 397.8 miles with 38,100 feet of elevation climbed.
Nice view of "trail breaking tracks" behind Jack & Rudy and morning fog on the mountains of Breckenridge Ski Resort across the valley.
Breaking trail for the kids. Nice view for me :)
We gave Zorro most of the outing off today as I took Jack & Rudy on the complex backcountry trails on Baldy Mountain. This was Rudy's first skijor on Baldy and Jack's 4th (but his first without Zorro).
The kids got a valuable lesson today. Sometimes, deep in the backcountry, the set trail is only one Siberian Husky wide while the snow outside of the set track is extremely deep. As a result, you have to skijor single file. If you try to go side-by-side, either half your body is in snow too deep or one brother is in track while the other cannot keep pace in the deep snow out of track. It took a little bit of work and encouragement from me, but eventually the youngsters "got it" - simply go single file and you can actually go surprisingly fast!
Sprinting Rudy behind Jack as we go surprisingly fast in a single file configuration.
Of course, everyone wanted to be the "brother in front" at first. This lead to an unapproved discussion between the kids when we first started learning single file skijoring. But, I was impressed that only one such unapproved trail discussion broke out - pretty good for the first time :)
"I WANT to go first!" says Jack to Rudy.
"No! Let's play instead!" responds Rudy.
After I intervened in the unapproved discussion, we all got going and did a perfect single file skijor for many miles. Jack took lead about 75% of the time and Rudy took lead the other 25%. This is exactly what I hoped would happen as Jack has more "lead dog" tendencies than Rudy.
Eventually we got onto the more popular trails on Baldy. At this point there was a set track in the middle with shallow powder out of track. If the powder is shallow, Jack will typically run in the side powder and let Rudy (or Zorro & Rudy) have the set track. We call him Powder Jack for his love of the side powder when it is shallow enough to keep pace:
Powder Jack on the right with in track Rudy on the left.
Today's video highlight goes with the prior photo. Come along as Rudy is running in the set track while Jack happily takes the side powder which is shallow enough for him to keep pace. Powder Jack.
We stopped once to turn around and, well, we stopped...
"You stopped, we roll, roll, roll!" demonstrates the snow angel twins.
Finally, we met up with Zorro to let him join for a short run to the finish. Love this photo of the happy trio:
All smiles as the trio tows me to the finish. Once again, we have Zorro & Rudy in the
set track while Powder Jack is in the shallow side powder.
A great day teaching Jack & Rudy about "single file backcountry skijoring" while giving Zorro most of the day off and then a fun run to the finish with Zorro: 8.1 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 19 MPH.
2019/2020 Season to Date: 57 days on the trails covering 389.2 miles with 37,700 feet of elevation climbed.
Happy, happy boys enjoying their 'end of run' treats this morning:
"We had a great time, now dish them out!" says the happy & focused trio.
We spent the morning zipping around the recently groomed trails of Gold Run Nordic Center. The trio really likes getting out on these trails and uncorking the skijoring engine. Here's a cool shot of hovering Zorro & Jack next to flying Rudy:
Hovering blacks alongside red Rudy the flying reindeer :)
While the trails at Gold Run are super fun, there is one caution to be aware of: moose! This terrain has a pretty dense moose population (well, as dense as you get amongst aloof moose; but still pretty populous). I am always scanning the terrain for moose and watching Zorro & Jack for any indication of moose in the area. Youngest Rudy does not have a reliable moose sensor yet, so you pretty much ignore anything that distracts him; but a distraction to Zorro or Jack is a "moose alert"!
Anyway, we were cruising along when Zorro made a very serious (for him) glance into the woods to our left. Eek, MOOSE ALERT!!!!!
"Beep, beep - to our left!" says glancing Zorro.
We never saw any moose and Zorro's glance was very quick. But, from years of experience watching Zorro, I know his glance was serious. I was on high alert the rest of the outing. Come along for today's video clip and see Zorro's quick "moose glance" to the left at about 25 seconds into the video. Yes, the glance was very short; but the intensity from Zorro told me it was serious...
Back to the day's outing, we did an out & back trail. So, that meant we stopped once to turn around. Well....
"They are at it again, aren't they? I can't look!" says Zorro.
"Stopped means rolling!" demonstrates the goofball twins (you can make out Rudy's
back legs behind Zorro - he is upside down just like Jack, of course :)
Rolling snow angels done but I was not yet done texting Nancy our arrival time. So:
"Ready and waiting!" says happy Zorro & Jack.
"I'm not looking until you are ready to GO!" adds Rudy.
Finally, all smiles as we end the day's run:
"Wheeee!" says the happy trio.
A speedy day on fast trails with a quick yet serious moose alert from Zorro: 7.1 miles traveled with 700 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 22 MPH.
2019/2020 Season to Date: 56 days on the trails covering 381.1 miles with 36,700 feet of elevation climbed.
