Last Run for Winter

I knew this was going to be one of the last days of dog sledding for the year.  Other than a warm spell around New Years we’ve had snow on the ground since the first of December so I really couldn’t complain.  It was late February in central Indiana and much more snow just wasn’t going to happen.  I was going to enjoy the day and savor being out with my two dogs and my 3 year old son who was fast asleep inside the sled bag, his sleeping bag keeping him warm.

This day had started out like many others I’ve had since late September when the temperatures started to drop; after dropping my 6 year old daughter off at Kindergarten we would head to the trail and train.  Our trail is a local park that has two main loops of 2 and 3 miles respectively and several connector trails.  At first training was with my mountain bike and kid trailer, the dogs pulling us up to 15 miles then when the snow started to fly it was the dog sled for a 5 mile run.

This day was above freezing so with our dogs being accustom to the cold I had to be careful that they didn’t get over heated.  I would stop at several points along the trail for the dogs to eat some snow and take a few minutes to cool down.  Part of the trail goes through an Indiana prairie so it is pretty wide open and not very interesting for the dogs.  Right before we head back into the squirrel heavy, winding wooded section of the trail that my dogs love I stopped them to cool down.  I walked up and just sat down in the snow with my dogs and I remembered why I love being out in the woods during winter.  The silence was only broken by the gentle pant of the dogs.  After a few minutes I gave both dogs a good rub, walked back to the sled, and told the dogs “Let’s go”.  With the sound of runners cutting through the soft snow, collars jingling, and dogs panting we were off.

The run through the woods was kept lively due to a couple of squirrels running across the trail and safely up a tree.  Near the end of our run is a section of trail the dogs don’t like or at least they don’t like to pull through there.  I’m not sure what it is but no matter what direction we run on that section of trail they just shut down.  By now I know this and I’m ready to walk.  As we enter this slow section Ozzy our lazy but alert dog perks up so I know there’s something out there.  To my surprise a deer jumps up from bedding in the tall weeds and runs parallel to the trail, just the motivation my little teams needs to make quick work of their least favorite section of trail.  As we round a left hand sweeper to the section I call the drag strip we are keeping up a good pace.  The drag strip is a nice long straight section before our last right hand turn and back to the trail head.  The dogs know that frozen hot dogs and lots of water are just around the next bend so they always pull hard hence the drag strip.

As we near the end of the drag strip I start to set up the sled to make the last tight right hand turn and a squirrel leaps out and runs straight down the trail.  There is no stopping these two dogs.  The squirrel isn’t smart enough to make a 90 degree turn off the trail and after a winter of pulling the brake has little effect in stopping the dogs.  I hang on and try to get them to stop.  They do stop right before the squirrel hits the safety of the tree line Kenai our little 2 year old pulling machine (little as in 50lbs malamute) nails him.  She may be a puller but she’s no killer, Ozzy who we rescued after his stupid owner let him run free and didn’t understand why he was killing the neighbor’s chickens, is our highly efficient killer.  Kenai got the squirrel to low on the back and the squirrel got her.  Her inefficient strike allowed the squirrel enough room to swing around and grab a hold of her muzzle.  She lets go of the squirrel but he doesn’t let go of her!  At least it gave Ozzy enough room to go in and break its back.  This all happened in the time I could leave the sled and run up to the dogs.  I kicked the squirrel free from the dogs and pulled them from the kill zone.  Not knowing if all the blood on the snow was from Kenai or the squirrel.  The squirrel crawled off with only the use of his front legs, I don’t like leaving an animal to die a slow death so the thought of giving him the death blow with boot ran through my mind.  The worry about the condition of my dog and not wanting my 3 year old, that was now awake, see me stomp a squirrel to death over powered how I felt about the squirrel’s slow death.  I wheeled the dogs around and headed for the truck which was only about 200m away.

Once at the truck I cleaned up Kenai with some snow and found there were only 3 or 4 small bites on her muzzle so I felt much better.  After cleaning her up, getting the dogs a snack and water we loaded up for the drive home I called the vet and arranged to get a round of antibiotics for Kenai.  The vet also briefed me on what to watch for to make sure is was ok.

Once back home and everything was settled down and cleaned up I realized even though the end hadn’t been what I would have wanted it was a darn good year of dog sledding.

Still Making It Outside

So you’re the former adventurer still trying to make it happen but you have kids in tow. How do you still make it happen? It’s pretty easy but requires you to have a shift in your expectations, getting a mile down the trail may be a cause for celebration where your use to doing 10 or 15 in a day

Make sure you take a pack with diapers, snacks, and sippy cups. It will make life a lot easier. Remember you are responsible for their safety so have the proper gear for your self also, and have your camera. Getting your kids out on adventures will be something you will want to remember. Don’t worry it is normal for it to take longer to get you, the gear and the kids ready than you will actually spend outside, but it’s worth it.

You might also want to think about the adventures you do. I have been a cyclist for 20 plus years but really didn’t get back into it heavily until I had kids. I load up the bike trailer just after lunch when it is hitting nap time and we can go for an hour or two. My kids get their nap in the trailer and I get some exercise and time outside. Probably not the use Cannondale had in mine when they designed the Six13 racing bike but it works for me. The same thing works for me when the snow is flying. I enjoy dog sledding and a car seat fits perfectly into my sled bag. My son rides in the car seat, and sleeps, his sister rides the runners with me. She knows to grab on tight when we are making turns, other than that she has made up her own games that keeps her busy for the hour plus we are out with the dogs. Hand and toe warmers keep her comfortable but I have cut the runs short when it has just been to cold for her.

When we are hiking I always have my camera. Stopping to take photos gives both my kids some rest and a chance to just play. Planning lunch while we’re out gives them something special to do on the trip.

One thing I’ve noticed is how new a place is when seeing it through your children’s eyes. My wife and I have been to Kentucky’s Red River Gorge thousands of times. With our kids it is always new. It doesn’t matter if we are hiking or climbing they are seeing things for the first time and it is so exciting for them. It also helps me get over the fact that I can no longer climb 5.12 when I’m encouraging my children to climb. They may only get 5 feet off the ground but we all have a good time. On hikes we plan a destination, someplace with water they can play in is the best.

The last tip is to go no kids from time to time. My wife and I plan 1 or 2 “Mommy/Daddy” trips a year. They are only for a couple of days but they are refreshing. It usually involves kayaking, mountain biking or a winter backcountry trip something that is hard to do with kids.

I want to leave you with one last thought. A few years ago we were hiking in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. I was well ahead of my pregnant wife and our daughter who was jumping from rock to rock on the trail. A man and his older teenage daughter passed us coming down the trail with backpacks on. The man commented to wife how he remembers being in the same situation as we were then. He said to sick with it gets better and he and his daughter headed off down the trail.
So as they say on the TV show Dinosaur Train “Get out there and make your own discovery”.

To see more of my photography please visit my web site, Sean Underhill Photography, or become a fan of my Facebook page.