Skijoring!

Here is my winter conundrum:
1) A super-energetic, snow-loving dog who, unfortunately, must be leashed more often than not.
2) A desire to get my exercise by gliding miles on skis rather than trudging a few laborious blocks through the snowdrifts.

Skiing while holding onto a leash is a recipe for entanglement and frustration, and skiing without said dog is a guilt-inducing option that requires a post-ski trudge anyhow, because the dog is still raring to go when you get home. The brilliant solution: Skijoring!

 

To close out a trilogy of Maisie posts, here's the winter sport to which I alluded after those summery frisbee shots. The basic idea is simply to put the dog in a dogsled-type pulling harness, step into a waist belt, don your cross-country skis, and clip a towline between the harness and the waist belt.

Over the Christmas holiday, I borrowed skijoring gear from a neighbor at Burt Lake to see if Maisie would take to it. We headed out onto the frozen lake (where there are no trees to run into). Before I could even think about how to coach Maisie, we were off and running. Success! We still need to work on small details such as steering and stopping, but it seemed well worth it to invest in our own gear. Here's the setup.

I ordered a harness and a towline (with a bungee section for shock absorption) from official skijoring outfitters (along with Maisie's boots). But some creative repurposing resulted in a very economical alternative for the waist belt. My dad donated the sling he used after his shoulder replacement surgery last year, and I added two webbing straps from my camping box. Voila! A bit of cutting and sewing, and I had a perfectly functional, adjustable (and free!) skijor belt.

I finished the belt last week, and Nick and I spent this past weekend at Burt Lake enjoying the winter wonderland with my family. We relaxed by the fire, played games, slept under a mound of cozy blankets in the chilly back bedroom, and concocted delicious meals (including sourdough bread and pancakes using starter that's more than a decade old and Nick's terrific baking skills). And we skiied - the main item on the agenda. It was a perfect opportunity to put the skijoring gear to the test. Fresh snow, good thick ice, not too cold...and off we went!

It's quite the exhilarating ride.

Bella, ears flying, kept right up. 

Mush!