Skijoring - Attempt One

There comes a time in every girl's and dog's life when the snow flies and it's just not much fun to trudge waist deep in snow.

It's at these points in time when the girl has to toughen up and say "It's time to try something new."  Luckily, this girl had a boyfriend that was willing to help her and not laugh at her too hard.

That's right, my friends, last Saturday I learned how to cross-country ski.  Simultaneously, Koda continued to learn how to skijor.

"Wait." You may be thinking "What the heck is skijoring and how on Earth do you say it."

Skee-yor-ing (if you're a Norsky) or Skee-jor-ing (generally how most folks Stateside pronounce it) is when a dog, horse, or snowmobile pulls a human who is wearing cross-country skis.  The biggest trick in skijoring (as far as I can tell) is ensuring that your dog will pull you on the trails and not take off after wildlife.  There are a few common commands that folks like to use when skijoring:

"Hike" - Let's Go
"Easy" - Slow Down
"Gee" - Right
"Haw" - Left
"On By" - Pass without slowing (or a "leave it" command for those who have dogs that may want to stop and smell everything).

The key, as far as I'm learning, in this activity is to maintain patience and consistency.  Really, in this way it's not much different from teaching elementary music.

So, off we went! I wish I could tell you the trail that we went on, but I forgot to look at the name. It's north of Bohart Ranch in the Bridgers (which is north of Bridger Bowl).  There are a lot of off-shoot trails that you can go on, we went to the very top of the road and took the left trail.  Side Note: You'll need 4-wheel drive to get up to the top.

Koda did really well for being scared stiff of the skis and ski poles.  At first, we started with Nathan and Koda in front and my following (I mean, c'mon, it was my first time).  It was entirely uphill and the snow was deep.  Koda was a champ though and kept going, even though the snow was above his chest.  Nathan was a champ for being patient with Koda and his wanderings.

And you know what, the entire way going uphill I didn't fall. I didn't biff even once.

However, the time came to turn around and go home, and that was an entirely different story. Yes, I fell. And, yes, it seemed like a lot to me.  But, that's part of learning. I'm starting to appreciate the struggle and I think that's important.

Besides, if we all didn't struggle with something, how dull would life be?  It's the constant pursuit of something and the struggle that comes with the pursuit that teaches us more about ourselves and our environment.

Best,

 A

PS: Check out Nathan's Blog to read about his summer travel experience! And Happy Holiday Season from both of us.

The Trails - Appalachian

To further explain what it means to "Triple Crown" in USA hiking, I thought I would discuss the trails involved.

Today, we'll just cover some jargon and the Appalachian Trail.  In a week, we'll discuss another one of the trails, the Pacific Crest. Finally, two weeks from today we'll wrap up with a discussion about the Intercontinental Trail.

There are three trails (hence the "Triple") that hikers must complete and a variety of ways to do so.  Some people argue that you have to do the entirety of one trail in one backpacking excursion (known as thru-hiking).  However, for those of us who have jobs, completing the entirety of a thousand-mile or greater trail in the matter of months simply isn't possible, no matter how much we may want to.  Fun Fact provided by the official website of the AT: Only 1 in 4 hikers who attempt to thru-hike actually complete it.  Ready for a cheesy pop-culture reference? "May the odds be ever in your favor".

Some people like to hike against the general population, so they complete one portion of the trail starting from a mid-point, then go back to the mid-point of the trail at another time and complete the other half (this is known as "flip-flopping).  Sometimes flip-flopping makes a lot of sense.  For example, on the Appalachian Trail, one hikes from the southern most states (Georgia) up through to the northern most state on the east coast (Maine).  To get an early start, a large quantity of people start hiking in April.  It's still rather brisk in Maine at April, so it makes more sense to start in Virginia and work your way up to Maine so that, come the heat of mid-summer, you're in Maine. Then, upon completing Mt. Katahdin, going back to the starting point in Virginia and working south so that you're in the southern states when fall sets in and the temperatures start to drop.

Finally, for those who cannot do either of those options, there is "section hiking", which is exactly what it sounds like. You select a section of the trail to do and do it.

Going back to the three trails, they are:
Appalachian Trail (fondly known at the AT): 2,184 miles long, the AT goes through (from South to North): Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

According to the AT's website, there are three main types of blazes.  For those unfamiliar with the vernacular, blazes are trail markers that allow hikers to know that they're on the right path.

One type of trail marker is a white blaze that can be found on trees, posts, rocks...you name it.

Another form of blaze is a double blaze, these are used to "signal an obscure turn, route change, or incoming side trail".

Finally, and perhaps my favourite form of blaze, is a cairn.  They're used above treelines or in any area where a blaze may be obscured.

Dogs and the AT
There are portions of the AT that are dog friendly and others that are not.  The areas of the AT that do not allow dogs are:

• Baxter State Park, Maine
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Bear Mountains State Park (though this one has an alternate road route available....but how safe is it to walk your dog along the road?)

Then, of course, those that are dog friendly can vary from allowing complete off-leash hiking to those that require leashing your dog.

For the parts that do not allow dogs, occasionally there are kennels available to house your dogs while you're hiking. In most cases, you can find a kennel, though it is best to do your research.  I will continue to look this up and post links as I find them under an applicable tab.  However, remember, thousands of people hike the AT yearly, it is best to reserve a kennel as early as possible.

There are hostels and shelters along the way - but most of these expect you to keep your dog outside.  So, if you have a hard time leaving your dog alone in unknown territory, then plan on tenting it most of the way.


To read more about people who have hiked the AT and they're journey, check out any of these online journals.