It's getting to be that time of year again. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the piles left by the dogs throughout the winter are starting to materialize. It's so much nicer when it just keeps getting covered by one fresh layer of snow after another, but the consequence of that pleasure has arrived once more.
This year, I thought that I would get a start on things a bit earlier. I figured that it would be easier to clean up those piles that are still on top of or within the snow by using a shovel now rather than bending down and picking it up with cold, gloved hands later. My plan was to just shovel the loads onto an old sled and then trek the sled to our dumping location.
The first big obstacle was that the rear gate to the dog yard is frozen solid into a patch of ice. I had hoped that it was just wedged in the deep snow, but I guess that the metal fence has heated up in the warmth of the sun, melting the snow around it which then refreezes at the ground. This means that I need to pull the sled across our driveway--which is clear of snow.
I also underestimated how much weight heavy, wet snow adds to the total. It was especially difficult to pull the laden sled across our driveway, let alone maneuvering it around in the dog yard (since I couldn't just go straight through to the back gate). Also, the old sled was not quite up to the task and required a makeshift repair to its "rope" by the time I was on the second (and final, for now) run.
What I really didn't expect was how deep the snow still was in the yard. It still went well over the tops of my boots, soaking my jeans as I trudged across the yard and back. Apparently, my Fitbit was impressed with my heart rate through the experience and awarded me an exercising badge as I huffed and puffed my way back to the house.
I only made the two trips as nature decided that I had more than enough and decided to drop a tiny cloudburst on me just as I finished dumping the second load. I wasn't completely soaked by the time that I got back to the house, but I could take the hint. I only cleared about a sixth of the yard (if that), but I'm still glad that I made the attempt.
This year, I thought that I would get a start on things a bit earlier. I figured that it would be easier to clean up those piles that are still on top of or within the snow by using a shovel now rather than bending down and picking it up with cold, gloved hands later. My plan was to just shovel the loads onto an old sled and then trek the sled to our dumping location.
The first big obstacle was that the rear gate to the dog yard is frozen solid into a patch of ice. I had hoped that it was just wedged in the deep snow, but I guess that the metal fence has heated up in the warmth of the sun, melting the snow around it which then refreezes at the ground. This means that I need to pull the sled across our driveway--which is clear of snow.
I also underestimated how much weight heavy, wet snow adds to the total. It was especially difficult to pull the laden sled across our driveway, let alone maneuvering it around in the dog yard (since I couldn't just go straight through to the back gate). Also, the old sled was not quite up to the task and required a makeshift repair to its "rope" by the time I was on the second (and final, for now) run.
What I really didn't expect was how deep the snow still was in the yard. It still went well over the tops of my boots, soaking my jeans as I trudged across the yard and back. Apparently, my Fitbit was impressed with my heart rate through the experience and awarded me an exercising badge as I huffed and puffed my way back to the house.
I only made the two trips as nature decided that I had more than enough and decided to drop a tiny cloudburst on me just as I finished dumping the second load. I wasn't completely soaked by the time that I got back to the house, but I could take the hint. I only cleared about a sixth of the yard (if that), but I'm still glad that I made the attempt.
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