Day off! … from training that is.
Trail work … on the Dike Trail. There has been a snarly blowdown about fifty yards from the trail head since December. There was passable route through the branches and I’d hoped my sister would help me with the chainsaw when she visited in January, but her plans changed. Then Rocky Raccoon happened and I spent several weeks lying on my a**. And honestly I was a little scared. I have never used the chainsaw by myself. But, today was the day!
I had mixed feelings about moving this. It has been my experience over the years that people who ride these things (circled in the photo), at least in this area, are unable to decipher pictographs and are possibly illiterate. When I have attempted to explain the pictographs, the riders’ cognitive abilities have proven below average. A big tree close to the trail head would stop them before they get up the trail, get stuck, and subsequently cause a lot of damage to the forest; the usual sequence of events.
On the other hand climbing through the branches on snowshoes, and especially skis, was a little treacherous. And, if this tree remained during the summer months, there would be a new trail beaten around it … possibly a new “trail head”.
So this is it. Job done. The biggest tree I’ve cleared by myself. My past efforts having been limited by the length of my 
Pocket Chainsaw; 10-12″ diameter. (BTW, the Pocket Chainsaw is absolutely the best handsaw I’ve used for clearing trails in 15 years.) The diameter of this tree was about the same length as the blade of the chainsaw I was using. I had discussed the strategy for dismantling it with my sister a few weeks ago. (Hmmm. She nearly broke her femur last year cutting up an oak tree. Maybe I should have done additional research. But it all turned out ok.)
Yeah, this tree is probably no big deal to chainsaw experts, but I am a wimp and was literally weak with fear until the final cut was finished. Cleared a couple other trees today, but nothing else worthy of photos.
New bed!
I don’t know, for some reason I think Bonnie likes her trailer better than her pack. She seemed curious about the smell right away and after an initial inspection she was happy to accept my invitation to try out her new bed. I hope we are both this comfortable once it’s moving.
How do you like that dirty dog?
We had a little spring snowstorm today. The sun came out around 4PM and Bonnie and I went for a slog through the slush and streams and mud. Since I am still on the short run program I had the brilliant idea of letting her carry her pack for some additional exercise. This was the first time she’s worn it. (Doesn’t she look thrilled about it?) It was empty. You can’t tell in this photo, but we definitely need to do some fine-tuning of the fit. Hopefully this summer she can carry some of her own water and Hammer Gel. Yes really! Vanilla is her favorite flavor. We split a pouch when we are out more than 3 hours.
Warning: Be careful with dogs and sports drinks. A lot of energy drinks, including Hammer HEED, contain xylitol. This sugar-alcohol is extremely toxic to dogs. It triggers an insulin reaction. Even a single piece of gum can kill a dog in 30 minutes. It is in a lot of products because it has been shown to help prevent cavities in humans. Be careful what people food you share with your pup. Also dogs don’t sweat so they don’t need electrolyte replacement like people do and giving them unneeded electrolytes may make it more difficult for them to stay cool.