We slept in on Sunday. Jen still recovering from her cold. Myself battling what might be the onset of a mild version of what Jen had. But we knew one thing: It was a beautiful day, and we wanted to get out. The night before I had mentioned the idea of getting our old skis out; those being the only skis we currently have skins trimmed for, and that’s exactly what we did. After a yummy breakfast we dusted the old skis off, and ignored the rust that had built up on the edges as well as on the bindings. Beacon-shovel-probe was put in the packs, and alongside the packs, Strelka jumped up and into the car, and we headed up into the mountains west of Nederland.
Telemark and Dog booties
We started out at the winter trail head on Fourth of July Road and followed the road along for a little bit, then we split off towards the Hessie Trailhead. From here we made our way up towards Jasper Lake. More than a year ago we went up this exact same way, but with Lost Lake as the destination, and with no snow around. Strelka was doing great in the snow, sporting her stylish winter coat and booties to match. I don’t think we passed a single person not smiling and often commenting on Strelka’s booties. They do look really cute, but also help fend off snow and cold feet. After all, the Rhodesian Ridgeback was bred to hunt lions in Africa, not hike around in snow in the Colorado rockies. Strelka doesn’t seem to know this as she runs around like a crazy nut in the snow covering at least 3 times the distance of Jen and I.
Fresh tracks with a view
We motored on with the intent to get to or above tree line before turning around. On our way, and just below a nice open area with a couple of flat looking rocks sticking out of the snow, we veered off the trail to sit down for a little bit and enjoy the sandwiches we had brought along. I love the way skis with skins, much like snowshoes, allow you to go wherever you want to go, trail or no trail. Strelka too enjoyed a little bit of our sandwiches and found comfort and warmth sitting in my lap. She almost fell asleep, that’s how comfortable she was. Despite her size, she thinks she is a lap dog. She might be small for a Ridgeback, but big for a lap dog!
Nice place for a lunch break
After our little break we continued on. The terrain got steeper and the trail less stomped out which made it difficult for Strelka to continue as she kept postholing. Close to tree line we passed these funky looking snow drifts, much like what you see in the dessert and sand dunes, and shortly thereafter we decided to turn around. The trip back went fast. With the skins off the skis we were flying. Both at the higher elevation laying out new tracks in the fresh powder, and back down on the stomped out trail, cruising down what we earlier had been climbing up on. Strelka was smart, taking the trail when we veered off into the powder, and she kept up! I was surprised she still had that much energy left, and the best part: Her tale was wagging so profusely she had a hard time running straight!
Strelka waiting patiently
What a day! What a weekend! I can’t wait for the next one!