Even more snow!!

 Didn't really technically measure it but it seems we have about 8 to 10 in of snow on the ground!!! 

Randy seems to have given up on the "loser snowmaking" so today and yesterday we ran the dogs with our"wimpy" snow machine (which I might as has no back rest for me)

It was not as cold today temperature wise but I still managed to get cold feet out on the trail!  I had ordered some new Sorel boots good down to -100 degrees but had some trouble getting them to apply the 15% discount through PayPal so I ended up cancelling the order and instead today found a Sorel outlet supply store and got the same boots that sell for $180 for $55 (including shipping of $10)  Randy thinks they won't turn out to be the same quality boot but we shall see!!

We trained today with 8 dogs and the snow machine - Bruce and Laura are training with the sled but we don't feel confident the sled could be stopped with putting the snow hook down but don't think the trail is hard enough for the hook to hold - so still with the snowmachine

Went to Newberry again last nite and went to the hardware - it took us 45 minutes and they were just about to close but it's good Randy got what he needed!

After the hardware we went to the board meeting of the Tahquamenon race committee as we often do just to see how things are going - and offering advice if asked for.  this was the last meeting until the week before the race when the draw the bibs for starting sequence - they are going to have the meeting/draw at Waltman's so we will be there!!

We asked for it and we got it!!!

Snow to be exact!!

We need some snow to cover up the ruts of ice that several vehicles had left by driving over the trail while it was slush = so we had hoped that by Sunday morning there would be enough snow to cover up the icy parts and we did get a couple of inches in some places and managed to train on of the 2 teams of 9 - it went well and Randy got in a 28 mile run!!!  so he was very happy!!  We don't like to have the weather change our training schedule but he was thinking that we are well on our way to being where we need to be at the end of January for the stage race in Wyoming so it wasn't as "painful"!

So today on Monday we get up and we've been hammered with a ton of snow!!!  Like 6 to 8 inches in some places- so Randy feeds the dogs and then says he needs to go out and pack the trail so the dogs wouldn't need to be running in such deep stuff and that he might easily be gone 3 hours to do the 28 miles of trail and for me to come looking for him if he is out longer than 3 hours...........well that was the first clue that things were not going to go well for the day!!!

2pm came around and he was not back and the 3 hours was up so I got all my clothes on (which at this point with the temp in the mid to high 20's is like 5 layers !!!) and started out on the 4 wheeler to see if he was in trouble=  no sooner did I get across the road and about a mile down the trail and here comes Bruce on his snow machine and Laura running a 9 (?) dog team on the sled behind him, and who should be on the snow machine with Bruce...........you guessed it!!!  Randy!!  The snowmachine that we bought used 4 years ago and that has broken down every year since then (as both Ocean our grandson and I can attest......) broke down again!!!  Just stopped going down the trail 8 miles out and then wouldn't start again!!!  so Randy starts walking back (wearing his white Mickey Mouse boots which probably weigh 4  pounds each or more..........) and gets all the way shy of 2 miles back to the house and Bruce picks him up and is bringing him back to the main road we live off from when I see them going out to find Randy on the 4 wheeler!!!  He is so sore from walking that far and with those heavy boots on!!! When he gets on the 4 wheeler with me he has to stand up and drive because his legs are cramping!!!  and then has to change every layer of clothes when he gets in the house because he sweated so bad walking through the 8 inches of snow and 6 miles in those boots!!!!!

Bruce offered to go out with his snow machine and pull ours back in but Randy opted to take our pick up out and pull it back - when we got to it and turned around to hook onto it we had one big hill to pull it up and then it was pretty much flat going - so I got on the dead snowmaking and Randy pulled me up the hill and even with 8 inches of snow I got a dirt bath with the truck trying to get a grip going up the hill!!!  By the time we got back it was too late to train dogs so we had another lost day and the team that was supposed to run today will have had 5 days off............

More snow tonite and will probably have to pack the trail before we train tomorrow but this time I am thinking I will have to be the "escort" vehicle to make sure he doesn't have to schlepp it back home again!!!!

No training for 2 days and maybe even not tomorrow

 Depending on how much snow we get tonite it may not be in the dog's best interest not to train again for the 3rd day!!  Yesterday Randy knew that if he ran the dogs they would sink into the slush and maybe hurt themselves and surely make the trail a dangerous one when it froze overnite.

So no training yesterday and then today as predicted, anywhere someone rode over the trail left and icy treacherous course for any dog..........it will take a couple of inches of snow and for Randy too smooth it out with the drag before it will be safe for the dogs to run on again............So today we went to Sault Ste. Marie to do a Walmart binge!!  One and a half hours there and spent $300 and still didn't get all the things on the list!!!  It did snow a bit on the way home but not yet the blizzard they are predicting!!! 

We will see what it looks like in the morning to know if we will be able to train safely tomorrow!!!

Rain, rain, go away ====come back again some other day.................

 Like in the spring!!!

We trained today early afternoon knowing that is might rain overbite an mush up the trail - and it is and we won't know how bad the damage is until tomorrow.  It was about freezing when we ran the 9 dog team and the trail was good!!  We are a bit worried about the loggers dropping off their machines right near where we train but so far haven't seen too much impact - we think we can change our training routes to avoid them and still get in the miles we need!

So at this point we are 2/3d's into our training season and are pretty happy with how the dogs are handling 24 miles - they come back not breathing hard and seem happy to go every day!!!

Probably are not going to train tomorrow because this heavy rain will puddle plus when it freezes overbite it will make the terrain frozen and sharp and hard for their feet!!

Will have to think of something fun to do tomorrow!!

Winter is here............will he stay???

 So far since Thanksgiving we have had snow intermittently and it is still here out on the ground!!  It has been just enough to keep us from having to run the dogs on frozen dirt and has saved their feet............not quite enough to pack but Randy did even the snow out once or twice using the pipe drag -   we are going 24 miles now and traveling out to the trail that goes around Ready and Rainy lakes - the most beautiful part of the training trails in my estimation - the dogs are still very happy to get harnessed and run and come back without breathing hard at all!

We did find a Christmas tree from one of the trees that were going to end up coming down over the trail so that has taken up much of my time since Sunday!!!  Though I don't have all of my ornaments and decorations from home, I have accumulated things that are special to our home in the UP and enjoy seeing them again each of the 4 years we have been here for the holidays.

Randy just communicated with Greg Janders near Escanaba and he is going to be putting liver in the beef that we order and mixing it and putting it in the square buckets that we have the fit under the floor in the dog part of the trailer - so that's lining up food for the rest of the dog racing season=  I also means that we will be going thru Escanaba again in a week or so and that means stops at Aldi's and Walmart!!!  Places that I can get foods and cheaper that around here!!