It was a Thursday morning when I loaded up the dogs and the sled and headed to the Pawnee Lake.  The road around the lake is five miles with the back half of the lake being closed for the winter and the front half being barely driven on.  There was a nice fog cover, not so heavy you couldn't see but just enough to give some mystery to what lies ahead.

Each day we have gone out on the sled the dogs have done a better job of working together, sticking to the course, listening to me when there was an option in paths, and they even kept there lines straight.  The front half of the trip was covered in a gallop.   What a thrill.  After we snuck under the gate on the backside, the snow was untouched except for the footprints of the various critters.  The dogs settling into a nice trotting pace which allowed me to take in the sights and sounds of all the birds.   It wasn't long before I spotted one of the two resident Bald Eagles.  I couldn't help but imagine that the reason he was wintering in Oklahoma was to get away from the sled dog teams up North.

After another mile the dogs picked up the pace and began an all out gallop.  I guessed that they picked up the scent of something and then I spotted the coyote they were after. We chased for a bit before a second one emerged from the tall grass around the lake.  We pursued the not to concerned coyotes for about half a mile before they headed out on a point.  The dogs wanted to follow despite the road going the other direction, so we had to stop and get redirected.

We finished our lap by crossing the dam and just before our car came into sight I decided that they were doing so well and I was having so much fun that I turned them around and retraced our path back around the lake.  The second time around was not as fast but every bit as enjoyable.