Deep

 A very fun & aerobic deep snow day in Indiana Creek this morning!

"Deep is fun!" declares happy Jack & Rudy at a pause on the trail as
I try to determine which direction to go.

The forest service and county has spent the last 6ish years trying to reduce visitors to Indiana Creek as it had grown out of control due to being too popular. The last time we skijored Indiana Creek with any regularity was 2013. Well, the forest service has accomplished their goal as virtually no visitors/tourists know about Indiana Creek any longer and only local, serious backcountry skiers venture there any longer! All the tourists are now over in French Gulch and, thus, the reason we have abandoned skijoring French Gulch and reintroduced Indiana Creek to our trail set.

We started the day on a narrow single track:

Shoulder to shoulder in a narrow single track as we start trotting up
Indiana Creek.

But, after just a mile or 1.5 miles at most, all existing ski tracks ended (it's a lot of work to cross country ski 2-3 miles roundtrip in backcountry conditions :)  Once the existing tracks ended, we had our choice of three trails to continue on, all requiring serious breaking trail in 15-20 inches of powder. The first photo above is of us paused as I assess our trail choices. Well, apparently I took too long in my assessment:

"Wooooo - Let's Gooooo!" exclaims impatiently wooing Rudy :)
"Looks good to my left!" adds patient Jack.

Despite taking way too long to pick a direction, according to Rudy, my selection turned out to be perfect. We looped back to my left (not the direction Jack picked above) to break trail out in the sun and deep snow. What was so perfect about my decision? Well, only one animal had been on the trail before us: a moose!!!! 

Moose tracks to follow in front of Jack & Rudy!

A tall, long-legged moose does NOT make an easy, packed trail to follow in deep snow. Notice the deep snow Jack & Rudy are still plowing through above. This was quite the trail breaking exercise but had "moose juice" added to give them extra motivation and power :)

We broke trail in 15+ inches of snow, following the moose tracks, until the moose abandoned the main trail after 2ish miles:

Jack & Rudy off the main trail sitting in moose leg holes.
"Moose went this way! Can we too?" asks the moose seeking kids.

No, we didn't follow the moose off trail. Instead it was time to turnaround and head back. We did have the fun of now being able to run a little faster in the track we set on the way out. But, a single ski track in 15-20 inches of snow does not make for a packed return track (you need multiple passes to pack the trail):

Kicking up powder as we try to fit and run in the single ski track I
set on the way out. Wheeee!

Finally, well earned 'end of run' treats with Zorro at the trailhead:

Such focus as all three patiently await their end of run treats!

A fun return to Indiana Creek after many years off. We'll be going back to this trail for serious trail breaking exercise on/off this season. 5.8 (trail breaking) miles traveled with 500 feet of elevation climbed.

2020/2021 Season to Date: 17 days on the trails covering 126.6 miles with 11,500 feet of elevation climbed.

Happy

 Happy Jack & Rudy during a quick break on this morning's 10 mile skijor!

"I could do 20 miles!" exclaims happy Jack!
"Me too! Quick break then I'm READY to go!" adds chilling Rudy.

We had an incredible morning skijoring every possible inch of "dogs allowed" trails at Breckenridge Nordic Center this morning. These trails are high up on Peaks 7 and 6 of the Ten Mile Range and you get some really nice views once you get high enough for the trees to start thinning (i.e., approaching treeline):

Great trail in front of us, great sled dogs flying down the middle
and incredible views of the Rocky Mountains to our right!

When you go as fast as Jack & Rudy, eventually you run out of nordic terrain but not sled dog energy! In order to keep going, we'll dip out of the set trails and make our own path breaking trail for a few short stretches:

The "powder twins" plowing through 15+ inches of untouched powder
off the main trail. Wheeee!

We did two short stints of breaking trail on untouched side trails. But, we spent the majority of the day flying fast all around the set trails of the nordic center. Nice shot of us skijoring near treeline. Whee!

Catching air (just barely) in a synchronized sprint tuck high up on Peak 6.

Now for the video counterpart of the prior photo. Come along as we are on an endless cruise along the highest elevation trail at Breck Nordic Center. Fun, fun, fun!

What a wonderful morning for 10+ miles of fast & fun skijoring, right?

"Thanks for exercising the kids!" says Zorro.
"Whew, that was a fun outing!" adds Jack & Rudy.

You may have noticed we've been spending a lot of time on the upper elevation trails of Breckenridge Nordic Center this November. Well, that's where just about the only good snow is right now (it's been too dry and warm on the lower trails). That's ok, we'll take the same trail over NO trail any day! 10.2 miles traveled with 1000 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 23 MPH.

2020/2021 Season to Date: 16 days on the trails covering 120.8 miles with 11,000 feet of elevation climbed.

Freshies

Cool shot of Jack kicking up fresh powder as we fly along in the morning's new snow!

Fresh snow flying off/behind Jack as we sprint along!
Same for Rudy, but the gangline is obscuring most of his kick dust

We had a blast laying fresh tracks in 1-2 inches of new snow on the trails at Breckenridge Nordic Center this morning. 

The GPS registered our top speed as 21 MPH; but I sure felt faster to me! How fast? Well, I cannot answer that, but look at "how fast" this looks:

Jack the Airborne Bowling Ball :)
Rudy the Flying Missile :)
Looks darn fast to me!

Come along for the video counterpart to this photo. Zoom, zoom, zoom!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

But, alas, the GPS said "21 MPH" so that's what will go with for the day' outing. It was plenty fast enough for Jack & Rudy to take a dip in the snow to cool off at our turnaround point:

Well, ok, so they roll snow angels to cool off at every
turnaround point :)

We had an early morning appointment that made our run shorter than typical. Funny evidence of this at our end meeting up with Zorro:

"I'm ready for 'end of run' treats!" declares reliable, retired Zorro :)
"We are going to burn some more energy digging a hole in the snow
first!" demonstrates the silly kids.

What were they digging for in the snow? Who knows with these two goofballs. But, once I reminded them we had 'end of run' treats, they do know what is more important:

"Finally children!" says Zorro.
"Reporting for duty!" says the now focused Jack & Rudy

A fun albeit quick morning run laying fresh tracks for 6.4 miles with 500 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2020/2021 Season to Date: 15 days on the trails covering 110.6 miles with 10,000 feet of elevation climbed.