Jack Instigator

Today's skijor featured Jack the Instigator multiple times during the outing!

Goofy Jack trying to bait elder Zorro into a game of tag at the trailhead!
"Come on big bro! Remember how to play with me?!?" instigator Jack tries with Zorro.
"Hmm, maybe... NOT!" responds Zorro who started a play bow back but quickly
aborted and walked away :)
"Good boys are on the right ready to go!" adds perfect Rudy :)

Now, if you've ever met Jack, you know he is one super cool & mellow fellow! But, he is still only four years old and the wild "cracker jack" comes out every once in a while. Today was one of Jack's cracker days! After trying (and failing) to bait Zorro into play, he tried with Rudy out on the trail:

"How about you little bro? Tag!!!" pokes cracker Jack.
"You KNOW I don't back down!" responds playful Rudy getting
ready to rumble.

Ok, outside of Jack's antics, we had a wonderful skijor on the upper elevation trails on Peak 7. We had 1-2 inches of fresh snow to enjoy. We were second tracks on the trail to start but quickly caught & passed the skier in front of us and then found ourselves laying fresh tracks for most of the first leg of the outing!

Freshies! Wheeee!

After a fun climb out, we turned around and flew back down in the tracks we set on the way up. Zoom!

Jack & Rudy flying in the tracks we set on the way out.

Come along for the video highlight of Jack & Rudy towing me fast along the great conditions. But, wait, watch what happens about 40s into the clip. My ski catches something under the snow and I almost wipeout. But, nice recovery by the human as I regain balance, right the ship and continue to fly along behind Jack & Rudy. I'm still patting myself on the back :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

Back to the trailhead and time for end of run treats. Rudy had a suggestion for today:

"Shouldn't the 'good boy' get treats first?" suggests Rudy who was trying
to ignore Instigator Jack all morning :)
"Nope! Nice try kid, but I'm still first!" declares Zorro.
"Hey, I was just providing some added entertainment!" claims Cracker Jack.

A nice layer of fresh snow this morning; but still thin & early season coverage on the trails: 7.6 miles traveled with 850 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH. Pray for Snow!

2021/2022 Season to Date: 25 days on the trails covering 192.2 miles with 18,500 feet of elevation climbed.

Nice up High

Beautiful conditions up high this morning at Breckenridge Nordic Center!

The hover huskies, Jack & Rudy, catching air on perfect
trail conditions up high!

I've alluded to our slow starting snow season in recent posts and today, I bring you the "good, bad & ugly" of where we have to skijor. It was an unseasonably warm October and then unseasonably warm & dry November. The snow we do have (from a few good Nov storms) is drying up! We really need winter to start! 

Usually my "good, bad, ugly" posts occur in October, early November, May or June. I don't think we've ever had a "good, bad, ugly" post in December! Egad! Well, come along for the ride as we reverse the phrase and show the ugly, then bad and finally good.

The Ugly: at our lower elevations, we encountered multiple stretches of "dirt only". Yuck!

"Aw man, you can't even roll snow angels on this!" declares Jack looking
for something else to do while I pause to remove my skis.
"Good snowcones on the shoulders!" demonstrates Rudy :)

The Bad: barely enough cover to cross slowly at the mid elevations of our outing. Good thing Jack & Rudy listen and know to lead me over snow/ice and not dirt!

"This way human, we found a snow/ice path through!" suggests smart
Jack & Rudy looking back to let me know to drift right to get
through safely.

The Good: oh my, so nice up high. The first photo above is a beautiful "good shot". Come along for a beautiful "good video" as we had a blast at our highest elevations of the outing. Wheeee! Oh, and yes, my ski hits a sapling sticking through the snow at about 40s into the video and, yes, I almost wipeout but am able to stay upright :)

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

With bad/ugly conditions at most of our pauses this morning, did Jack get in his daily snow angel (or 2 or 3 or 100 :)? Well, yes, phew. We drifted off trail a bit at our highest point and this allowed Jack to get in his patented angels at our high point turnaround.

"Ah! Turnaround, roll around!" demonstrates funny Jack.
"I'm hunting for rodents instead of rolling angels today!" declares hunting Rudy.

Back to the trailhead with retired Zorro. Everybody squeeze in tight so we can fit all 12 feet on snow and not dirt!

All toes on snow - ready for end of run treats!!!!

The warm/dry start to the season is SUPPOSED to come to and end next week. Pray for Snow!

A quick outing today on what terrain we could find: 6.4 miles traveled with 850 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 21 MPH.

2021/2022 Season to Date: 24 days on the trails covering 184.6 miles with 17,650 feet of elevation climbed.

Butt Brake

Scanning the terrain for rabbits at the official Rabbit Ears Pass Forest Service Marker :)

"Where are the rabbits?!?!?" asks scanning Jack & Rudy.

Little did I know what a foreshadow the prior photo was. Foreshadow of rabbits, you ask? Nope, foreshadow of moose! Oh my! Come along for yesterday morning's moose encounter...

Flying along with Jack & Rudy. Nothing but normal, fast skijoring
at this point...

Ok, enough foreshadow, now onto the real excitement of yesterday morning's outing. I'll give a few frame shots first to set the event and then you can watch it in real time on video.

We were cruising along a nice snowmobile packed trail when suddenly Rudy started scanning the surroundings and Jack started dipping his nose in/out of the ground (mostly in). I noticed moose tracks that Jack was dipping into. Given their intensity, the tracks were fresh (thanks to Jack for pointing that out) and the moose were still "in the area" (thanks to Rudy for pointing that out).

Ok, so moose in the area, I was on high alert to stop/avoid any moose. But, we then come around a corner and three things happen to throw me off: (1) we encounter 3 moose slowly exiting the trail; (2) there is exposed ground all over the trail (if my skis hit this, I'll wipeout); (3) Jack & Rudy see the three moose and are juiced to chase! Yikes...

"MOOSE!" declares intense Jack & Rudy.
I have put arrows to the three. One was still on trail and the other two were
exiting up the side and are very camouflaged against the brown landscape.

Zoom of the prior shot. Trust me, we were much closer to the moose than these photos imply!

Yikes!

Ok, moose + moose juiced Jack & Rudy + exposed ground all over the place. What did I do? Well, I used the old, reliable Butt Brake (planted my butt on the ground) to stop the developing catastrophe! Turns out I planted right next to some moose prints :)

My knee (left), moose print (right). But, at least we are stopped!

Now, come along for the video counterpart. We are cruising along nicely on this trail. But, then, watch at about 50s into the clip and you'll see "Rudy scanning" and "Jack dipping" as I get plenty of warning from my pals that there are moose in the area! Then, about 1m28s into the clip and you'll see the 1 moose on trail and 2 off trail moving. Around this same time and you'll see the "oh no" trifecta: 3 moose, juiced Jack & Rudy and too much exposed ground. Shortly after, I plant the Butt Brake to bring the event to a close. Note that I also call out "wait" to Jack & Rudy as we all come to a halt with my butt. Phew!

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

We need to report this event to Zorro!

"Any chance you have 'moose meat' for 'end of run' treats today?" asks Rudy.
"Yeah, moose meat for all!" suggests Zorro & Jack!

I do not need it often, as Jack & Rudy are excellent at listening & obeying my verbal commands, but every once in a while, the Butt Brake comes in handy! 6.6 miles traveled with 600 feet of elevation climbed, a top speed of 21 MPH and three moose on the trail!

2021/2022 Season to Date: 23 days on the trails covering 178.2 miles with 16,800 feet of elevation climbed.