Musher Math

I've made some investments in control. The line is tied off to the trailer hitch of the van. This allows me to hitch the dogs while they buck and scream and try to start. When I'm ready to go I just pull the stick and I'm released. First time I stop I tuck the stick back in the sled bag. The flat mat is a drag mat brake. I use that to slow them down. I've been known to stand on it with both feet. The horizontal bar closest to the sled is my new bar brake, finally installed. Took some work on my sled to get that on correctly. That can stop the sled quite well in a variety of conditions. You can flip the drag mat brake up out of the way so that it does not act like a snow plow or get in my way if I need to jog along up a hill.

Here is today's video installment. Very deep snow and not well tamped by snow machines yet. Just skip from 6:05 to about 9:50. That is me deciding that there is no viable outlet and turning the team around. Our usual trail was deep and the sled just got stuck. Now I know why they have those toboggan style sleds so in deep snow the sled rides up on the snow rather than gathering snow beneath it like a plow. Though I threaten Jag (wheel dog on the left) with his life several times, he did manage to control himself so lives to run another day. He loves to bolt off early, taking the team and sled with him.