Let me tell you something about cross-country skiing: I love it.
You know what I mean. Like I don’t actually wear skis. I leave that part to
Beagle Man. But there’s a heckuva lot of other things I can do . . .
• I can trot through the snow alongside him, like a good little dog.
• I can dash way ahead, then charge back at him; then dash way behind, then charge back again. This way I put in maybe 3 to 4 times the mileage he does.
• When I find a spot where the snow is fluffy and drifted, I throw myself in it, and wallow on my back, thrashing my four legs as if I’m swimming. Oh, man, does that feel good! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
• I can plant myself at the bottom of a hill that B-Man’s about to glide down — right in front of where he’s headed — and just stand there, till he screams, “Kemba, GO!” Then I jump out of his way at the very last second, to avoid a wipeout. Kind of like playing chicken. Easily my favorite thing to do out there.
We used to go on these great Vermont cross-country adventures all the time,
when the Landgrove Inn (nearby, in the town of Landgrove) maintained trails. But a few years ago, they stopped grooming the area for X-C, so we had to give it up. None of the other places Beagle Man goes cross-country skiing allows dogs.
But . . . good news! Beagle Man heard about a trail in South Londonderry, also close by, from a bartender friend. It was used for the West River Railroad in the olden days, but now it’s for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Best part? Dogs are welcome!! It runs along the West River, and it cuts through a forest. Beagle Man and I have hiked it twice now — there wasn’t enough snow for skiing either time — and it’s awesome! Snow has been scarce so far this winter, but we’re bound to get some eventually, and then we’ll give it a try.
I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes . . .
Beagle Man always has a lot to say, so I’ll just pipe up in The Duck Dog Speaks whenever I can.
Hey Beagle Man—I was told that a wire whisk used for mixing baking batter works wonders on removing those mini snowballs from the legs of long-haired dogs. My two get them all the time, but I got the info after the fact. Well, snow is in the forecast for Tuesday. I’ll report back if it happens!
Good intel!
Snow??!! What’s that? Down here on Cape Cod snowy fun has now been replaced by clouds and rain in “winter.”
Would love to hike that trail some time. Or maybe wake up my ol’ cross country skills????
Why not???
Keeping our fingers and paws crossed. Expecting a few inches Mon-Tues!