-Doggedly Independent
Dear Doggedly: I feel your pain. Sundog takes his 19-pound long-haired Mexican mutt hiking, rafting, and skiing, unless threatened by a ticket from a tree cop. The bans at trails are annoying because often dogs were allowed before the skiers began their grooming. So why do they get priority?
To fully answer the query, we need to delve into a rarely visited vault of minutiae: the history of cross country skiing. These skinny boards are the original skis, dating back millennia, the free-heeled vehicle of choice for winter hunters in Russia and Scandinavia; they can be seen kicking and gliding in a 10,000-year- old cave painting in China. In the 20th century, with the mass popularity of downhill skiing and locked-heel bindings, XC skiers became a subculture of Baltic Olympians wrapped snug in debatably flattering onesies, and closer to home, nature bugs escaping the crowds, not buying lift tickets, and romping with dogs and children through the wilderness. These