Anyone ever hear a coyote bark?

Or at least bark at you like a dog wanting to play? Read the last para
for the story of the coyote/dog beast. Read the rest ifin your bored.

About a year ago I received a pair of Telemark skis from a guy I know
in Houston Tx. What a guy, he said just pay shipping on them and you
can have them. AWESOME! I Couldn't pass that up! A few months later at
one of the local ski sales/swaps. I found a pair of gently used Asolo
leather boots, and some poles for a grand total of 4 dollars!! SCORE!

So this year was the first time I was able to get out on them. I've
been out twice now, once in my yard while it was snowing at 9 pm at
night to try them out, and then again today 25 Jan, I hit up Fox Run
Park.

I've since decided that the gentlemen that gave me the skis is in a
conspiracy with my wife to knock me off and collect the insurance
money as this is one of THE hardest things I have ever done. I just
don't see how you turn or STOP on a pair of skis....I had to stop by
grabbing a few trees on the way by....

Even though they are Tele skis, they have a free heel, which looks to
my uneducated eye that they are or would be great for doing that
gentle cross country skiing I see so much off....push glide....push
glide....isnt that how its done? Problem is though I cant go
uphill....I get about half way up and slide right back down....Fox Run
is FULL of hills....For some strange reason, I though it would be
flat....Well that was a dumb thought...

So after about an hour of this, I decided to pack it up and go home.
Looks like I need some skins or maybe even some wax. I may try the wax
first as skins cost a LOT of money...

One cool note while I was taking a rest break under a tree, I was
alerted to what looked like a HUGE coyote following me. This was the
biggest coyote I'd have ever seen. I was sitting and he was about 50
yards from me...Then he started charging me...I grabbed my pack and
stood up and took a step towards him...and he playfully changed
directions. He wanted to play so bad, but couldnt figure out what I
was so would never get close enough to me. I whistled, he'd jump
around in the snow, I'd move, he'd jump around in the snow. Very
strange for a coyote. After a bit he barked like a dog. I could never
get closer than about 50 yards to him, but he looked to be some kind
of half dog/coyote beast thing. From a head on shot he looked like ALL
coyote..but alas they dont bark like a dog, not that I have ever heard
anyways...

BT