Buldozers

Well while I was out with the flu, and not running dogs, some big changes took place in my little sledding microcosm. My neighbor apparently wanted to do some logging so he had the little trail I was running on bulldozed flat and graded. There is absolutely no snow for the first mile of trail. This is the part that my driveway connects on to. So I can't use that.
Meanwhile, we have had a few days of balmy 35-40 degree weather and the roads are all sloppy and muddy now. So I can't run on the road. Some parts aren't that bad. I'm not sure I still might use it.

So today I got my own little bulldozer, Jack, and worked on laying a little trail of my own through a stand of Norway pines on my 40 acres. I got the special training leash and put his harness on him and got to work with him breaking trail. It's fun working with such a confident little guy, invariably he screws up and I correct him, but its impossible to dent this guys boundless enthusiasm. He seems to be really picking up "gee" and "haw". He is good at forging ahead out in front of me where there is no trail. This is harder than it sounds, not all dogs can do this, especially yearlings. But Jack is a little bulldozer. Ifter one pass around the little loop I was a pretty out of breath. I'm still getting over the flu so I thought I woukld head in and rest. I had a bit of a coughing fit.

I might get some snow shoes and lay it in even better, then on days like today where the trail is unuseable, we could have our own little track. The other thing I am going to do is put a new hitch on my truck so I could tow the dogs out to other places in search of trails. Some mushers have to do this every time they run so I have been lucky.