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May 13, 2012 Finally! I got my trail story done. I apologize up front, because it is almost a novel. Once I start re-living the race to write about it, all the details just have to go in. If I just add in a few more descriptions of the villages and some of the mushers I ran along with, it actually would be novel length and I could become famous... If you want to know exactly what it was like out there on the trial this year, this is the way to find out. If you just want to read the highlights, I'd say Leg 9, Leg 17, and Leg 18 were the toughest for me. Click on the Stories link to the left <--------. Then scroll to the last entry on the bottom. I hope I did a good job conveying my experiences and what it means to go the entire distance. Let me know what you think. What is most interesting (I know, I know, I need more on the dogs!)? What could you live without? What part sounded most difficult? What part sounded like fun? I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
May 9, 2012 By special request, we have a new item in our 'store' - long sleeve tee-shirts. Check it out!
April 8, 2012 Happy Easter! It is definitely spring at the kennel. Which means lots of slushy snow and wet sloppiness. And lots of buried treasures showing up in the dog lot! The trails are either crystal sharp in the morning, or punchy slop after it warms up - not so great for getting the dogs out to burn off a little energy. They are not so happy about our decision not to run this week, but it has to end sometime... I am still unpacking, cleaning, repairing, and putting away gear from the winter. I have also been putting in lots of time getting sponsor gifts together (we have some really neat things for our great sponsors!) and putting presentations together for my trip to California next week. If you can make it up to Baldy on 14th, I'll be doing a neat show about the characteristics we look for in an Iditarod caliber sled dog. And yes, I am STILL working on my Iditarod story. So far I have made it just over 200 miles. It takes longer to remember it all than it did to run it! Once I get that posted, there won't be much news to post until next fall. Except we are planning a summer litter from Scotch and Fly, so I will keep you up to date on that. April 1 marks the beginning of our new 'year'. You can check the sponsor pages to see who has come on board to help support the team for next year.
March 29, 2012 Yep - I still owe you my race story. It's coming along - very slowly. I've been busy since I got home! Work is taking a lot of my time - getting caught up after a months absence is a chore for sure. And the poor dogs are itching for more running than they are getting. We did make time for the pups to go on their first run. They are so small they don't even fit into harnesses yet, but it's amazing to see how MUCH these little baby dogs want to go down the trail! Here is a fun shot of the team (with tiny Elway helping to lead!) after their first run. And another of dogs playing loose in the yard.
And here's a preview of my some of what I encountered on the trail - these are just example pictures (not mine, not even from Iditarod this year), but I'm trying to show you what it was like out there... at least a couple of highlights.
March 22, 2012 Whew - what a race! And I promise to tell you all about it. Soon. We finished on Friday, March 16, but we weren't able to ship the dogs home until the following Monday, and I didn't get home until Tuesday evening. Now it's Friday, a week later, and I'm trying to get back to the rhythm of work, dog care, and getting back to normal life - plus fighting the inevitable Idita-virus. I'm hoping to find some time this weekend to get a race re-cap together. And for our wonderful sponsors, we are putting together some goodies to send you!
March 4, 2012 Today is the day! I just have time for one last update before we head to Willow for the start of the Last Great Race! Thanks to all our sponsors and everyone who helped us get to this point - the rest will be up to me and the dogs. The team this year will include (in order of their houses, because that's how I think): Aberdeen Mars Doc Chase Flip Fly Spartan Hatchet Cutter Razor Chisel Trouble Mercedes Bree Lyra Harp
February 26, 2012 Would you believe, more snow? We are drowning in it. It is making it impossible to get the dogs run, and difficult to finish up all the last minute things that need to be done. Quick message today, because I really have more to do than I can get to. We have a few winners from our raffles:
We are down to our list of 20 dogs that will go to the vet check on Wednesday. It's easier to tell the dogs that didn't make the cut. Starting the season with 27 contenders, we have ruled out the following dogs:
Each of these dogs is a great part of our team, and we are sad to see them out of the running for Iditarod. But someone has to stay home, and for now we know these 7 won't be going. We have four more eliminations to make, but it will be a really hard choice. If Luna and Mercedes don't come in to heat (they are overdue)....If Lyra's red blood cell count comes up to normal....If no one gets an injury in the next few days.... Lots of variables, and only a few more days!
February 16, 2012 After a season of snow, breaking trail, and slow, hard going, the dogs have settled into a hard-pulling, but rather slow routine. My goal lately has been to speed things up. That requires hard packed trails. We're not having much luck in that arena. Wednesday it snowed. Just a few inches, nothing to pay much attention to. But then when I was away at work, the wind blew and pushed all that new snow around. It swept across the swamps and obliterated our trail (once again). When the team and I burst out of the trees into the open swamp we saw a sea of white - and not even a hint of where the trail had once been. The dogs were game, bravely leaping through the thick, wind-packed snow. They threw their bodies forward, and every time they got off the packed trail they began to flounder in the deep untracked snow. I had better luck, because I could step forward and feel for my footing instead of leaping. So for two miles I walked in front of the team, feeling my way, occasionally going thigh deep, but mostly finding the trail. The dogs were fresh and ready to run, but they were very restrained, following along behind me and waiting (fairly) patiently when I cast about looking for the packed trail hidden under the thick snow. I knew we weren't going to get too far with me as lead dog, so I called Varan and asked for a little snow machine assist. He packed the new snow just enough that the dogs were no longer swimming, but it was still a slow, deep trail. If this year's Iditarod is a hard packed, fast run, we are going to be plodding along near the back. Slow but steady. But if the snow conditions are deep and a bit slower, my team is going to feel right at home!
February 8, 2012 Food drop is coming up next week, and we are hopping to get everything done. Our good friend Adva is here to help and keep us smiling too! Just a quick note - if you are in Alaska on February 24, please come to Twister Creek in Talkeetna. They are hosting an Iditarod fundraiser for us. Great food, award winning beer, and lots of fun! If you can't make the party, you can still win some cool Alaskan prizes at our raffle (ok, we aren't supposed to use that word - you can donate to the kennel and receive opportunities to win some cool prizes - what a mouthful!) Prizes include beer from Denali Brewing Company, a ticket to the Iditarod Banquet with us, and a sled dog ride with me after Iditarod. Down in California there is another "opportunity" to win a beautiful Iditarod quilt. Check out the details for getting your tickets for either
February 2, 2012 I will never forget the Northern Lights 300 race. First, we almost didn't get there. Second, it was so darn cold I couldn't wait to finish. We left for the race start with plenty of time. About ten miles down the road, I heard a loud crack, and Varan looked in the mirror to see that the trailer tire was flat. Except it wasn't just the tire - the suspension on the trailer had also broken, and there was no way to repair it, and no way to keep going. Stuck on the side of the highway with 26 dogs, 2 fully loaded sleds, 4 people, and a bunch of equipment. Did I mention it was cold? Like 30 below. I called the race director to let her know we might not make it to the start. Then I started calling everyone I could think of who might be able to at least get us and the dogs home. Through the musher network, a local couple found out about our plight and promised to come with their dog truck as soon as they could get it started. And we waited. And waited. After more than an hour, I was convinced they were not going to make it. A woman pulled up in a small Subaru and asked if we needed help. I said yes, but only if you have a dog truck. She said, hold on a minute, I'll go get mine. Within 20 minutes she was back with a small trailer just big enough to haul one team. I abandoned Varan and his dogs, and she took us all the way to Big Lake to the race start, an hour away. She promised to go back for Varan after she dropped me off, but not too long after we left Varan called to say that the couple with the dog truck had arrived, and he was on his way too. We arrived at the race start after everyone else had already taken off. We were surrounded by experienced, helpful handlers, including members of the Redington, Mackey, and Buser families. They immediately unloaded the dogs, got them harnessed and bootied, and into their leggings and dog coats while I loaded my sled and prepared to leave. I've never had such a chaotic start, but it all went well due to the amazing help from so many! The race was fairly uneventful. The trail was beautiful, well groomed, well marked, and fun. It just happened to be colder than a popsickle at the north pole. I shivered my butt off for three solid days. I was never in any danger, and neither the dogs nor I got any frostbite, it was just darned cold all weekend. -15 at Finger Lake felt like a sauna! -60 on the way back down was just miserable for me. Varan was not nearly as cold as I was, which was nice for him. I guess I will be investing in a few more quality clothes - mine are old and getting thin. Since we were behind on our training and didn't have lots of long runs, I broke the race up into shorter sections. The dogs got plenty of rest, but didn't impress me over much with their speed. We finished in 12th place, middle of the pack. Good training for us, but I didn't quite see the performance I was looking for. Helix did stand out - finished a very tough race as a yearling. I was expecting to send him home when he got tired, but he kept barking to go all the way to the end. IN Varan's team, Harp actually led the final leg of her first race. Very impressive youngsters! Of course, pnce I finished, I was stuck since we had no trailer. But the race officials borrowed one quickly, and we were off home. Varan and team finished up the next day, and we were all glad to be home in front of the fire (I was off to Fairbanks for work the next day, but that is another part of my life that is not nearly as interesting!)
January 26, 2012 We had a very eventful weekend, so I didn't get around to doing an update. Before you read on, I'll just let you know that we survived our adventure in good shape, and everyone is fine. Sunday our friend Rob came up, and we each went out with 13 dogs (every race dog in the kennel). After about 8 miles, and just after one of the road crossings, we were coming around a corner when I saw a moose up ahead. The dogs hit the after burners, and I jumped on the brake with both feet. I managed to get them stopped about 20 feet from the moose. Instead of choosing to move off the trail, or continue down the nice packed pathway, it turned, lowered its head, layed back its ears, and started walking towards us. I knew it was going to go bad quickly. It charged, trampling down the middle of the team with legs flying in all directions, and dogs cowering out of the way. As it reached my sled I ducked behind the handle bars. It jumped in my sled, kicked a few times, then turned around and trampled back up the middle of the team, stomping dogs as it went. It turned around again, then stopped right in the middle of my team, kicking and stomping. And there it stayed, refusing to leave, trapping us in place. The dogs cowered down in the snow, absolutely quiet, and all eyes on me. For some stupid reason I was not carrying a firearm (never again!) Rob and I tried to spook it away, slapping it with sticks and it just wouldn't go. I even walked around on another side trail, got in front of it, and tried to get it to charge me so it would get away from the dogs. Everytime it got nervous it would start kicking again, and my dogs were trapped beneath it. It was terrible to feel so helpless to rescue my dogs. After about 15 minutes of desperately trying to move that moose, I remembered that a) we were near a road and b) I had my phone. I called Varan at home and told him to get to the road crossing ASAP with the glock, but I didn't know if he would be in time to prevent further mayhem. Throughout the standoff, every chance we had we carefully unclipped the dogs we could reach and let them run clear. They all ran right to me, so I was tieing dogs off on the other team, the back of my sled, and everywhere I could secure them. Right about the time we thought we were going to have to kill the moose with an axe, it moved one step to the side, and the last few dogs trapped in front of it had enough room to sprint back to me. We all huddled by the sled, and waited to see if it would charge again. Just then Varan showed up. Between the axe, the gun, and three large humans, the moose finally decided to begrudginly move down the trail. I began looking over the dogs. Miraculously, although I saw those hooves connecting with dogs over and over, no one had any serious injuries. We went straight home in case anyone had problems that did not show up right away, but a day later everyone looked amazingly fit, and a little over-energized because we missed out on a nice long run. All's well that ends well, and we are all set for the Northern Lights 300 this weekend. I never want to a see a pissed off moose dancing on my dogs ever again, so we will both be well armed.
January 19, 2012 We were really excited about the Copper Basin 300. A 300 mile race is much different than 200 mile race, and not just in the amount of time it takes to complete. On a 200 mile race you can get by with minimal rest and dog care, and just recuperate afterwards. But a 300 miles race requires you to be in a different mental place, and to do everything right to finish up with a strong team. The CB300 was going to be Varan's first 300, and it is one of the toughest 300 mile races anywhere. It's known for tough trails, bitter cold, and often overflow (water on the trail where creeks and rivers overflow around ice dams). We were well prepared with lots of food, dog blankets, and extra layers for ourselves. Our friend Amanda Simpson came along as a race handler. She's a musher herself, so she was an incredible help in caring for the dogs and getting them ready. She knows how to drive (and back!) a trailer. Plus, as a local, she knows how to handle herself and a vehicle in the cold. All very important skills. She proved to be amazing as she followed along the race, ready at the checkpoints to take a dropped dog and collect our used equipment. While she wasn't allowed to help us during the race, she was able to track down missing checkers at Paxson and relay important messages as we progressed. It is a long drive from our place all the way to Glennallen, made even longer by needing to travel at 45 miles per hour with our overladen trailer. We headed up on Friday to make it in time for the vet checks, food drop, registration, and musher meeting that night. That gave us a leisurely start on Saturday morning. We were happy to see the forecast predicting lows of on -10 to -20; quite comfortable temperatures for running dogs. We had a noon start, the heat of the day, and it was only -20. This should have told us that the forecast was a little off. I had tried to set Varan up with a calm, competent team. All our dogs are pretty well behaved, but I took the less experienced yearlings, the goofy ones, the squirrely ones. I paid for it. During that first run, every time I stopped to replace a bootie, dogs were spinning in circles and getting all wrapped up. By the time I freed them, another pair of dogs would be completely twisted together. Then when I was finally ready to go, some goofball would rip off a bootie, and I'd have to start all over again. And of course, each time I walked back to the sled, the dogs would decide they had been patient long enough, and rip the snow hooks loose to rocket down the trail while I jumped to catch the sled. It seemed like every stop was an ordeal, and I was sure getting my exercise. After our challenges this year in getting the dogs run (low temps; rain, then icy trails; thigh-deep snow), our dogs were pretty low on long runs. After looking at the distances between checkpoints, I realized that we could break the race into three 40 mile runs, and then three 50 mile runs. This would mean camping before the Paxson checkpoint, and then skipping a checkpoint before our next rest. Given the deep snow in the area, camping was going to be a challenge, as you must get completely off the trail to camp. The race officials and other mushers must have thought we were crazy - until we blew through Paxson and rocketed up to the front of the pack. We ran 5 1/2 hours, and obviously missed the one possible camp area that had been suggested to me. I was starting to get a little antsy about finding a camp site, when I finally spotted a possibility - a snow-machine track leading off down a steep hill. With the deep snow, it was not the easiest place to camp, but it sure was beautiful with a crystal clear sky and billions of stars shining down. Varan pulled up 20 minutes behind me, and we worked together to get the dogs bedded down on straw, in their dog coats, and eating a hot meal. It was chilly enough that the ripstop material of the dog coats was crackly, so I knew it had to be well below zero. I was very proud of the two yearlings I had in the team. They both handled the craziness of the race start with nothing but focus down the trail. Helix had gone camping with us the previous weekend, and settled right down at this stop. Harp, who had been in heat and had never been camping yet, settled right down too. Varan and I each got a short nap on our sled bags, and then, after 3 hours, we were off again.My dogs were still completely amped up and crazy. The power and enthusiasm was fun, but I took a couple of hard spills on sharp corners, simply due to speed, and their unwillingness to stay slow. Once you are into a turn, you have to get off the brake to stay off the inside corner; my dogs used this as an excuse to go into warp-drive. We roared into Paxson after just over 2 hours. The checkpoint was total chaos. There were teams parked everywhere, no checkers in sight, and no way to tell where to go. Amazing Amanda had already alerted the checkers, and then came out to hold my team so I could round up Fly, who twisted around in an ecstasy of excitement and popped his snap loose, and then Cutter, who managed to do the same 30 seconds later. Thank goodness my dogs all cooperate and come when called, but we must have looked like we were completely out of control (when we were only partially out of control!) We blasted out of the checkpoint as soon as we were cleared, and had only 18 miles to go to Meier's Lake. A good, long portion of that run is along the edge of Paxson Lake. It was really starting to feel chilly! I pulled my ruff in a little closer, but decided it was not worth 10 minutes of tangles with my idiot bunch to stop and replace my hat with a warmer, beaver hat. I remember thinking that I really needed better layers for my legs, if I was feelling chilled at these temperatures. Amanda told me later that it was -43 when I went through Paxson, and probably 10 to 15 degrees colder on the lake. So I guess my gear is good enough. It's just my perspective that was a little off! After another 2 hours and 20 minutes or so, we pulled into Meiers Lake, and parked out on the ice, in the wind. I did my best to bury the dogs in little haystacks to break the cold breeze. Varan pulled in just 20 minutes behind me, and after feeding the dogs a good meal, we went in to find some food for ourselves. Although we weren't trying to race, or expecting to be competitive, I had moved up from our starting position of 42 all the way to 17th. I felt like my plan to take short runs and short rests on the way in had left us with fresh, happy teams. And we had passed many teams that were still resting back in Paxson. They would pull out and pass us before we left, but I felt that we had an advantage because so far our dogs hadn't had any tough, long runs. I lay down for a quick nap, intending to pack up to leave after a 5 hour rest. After only 20 minutes, the checker woke me to say that the front runners had encountered trouble, and that no one was allowed to leave until further notice. Of course, after that I couldn't go back to sleep, and we were all up rummaging around and listening to the rumors develop. Most of you know the story by now - there was no trail about 10 miles out of Meiers, they cancelled the race, and we all went home. They never put the trail in before the race, and were hoping to pack and mark the trail just in front of the race leaders. This is a pretty ambitious idea, and in the deep snow was completely impossible. Between 5 tanks of gas, feeding the three of us, hotel rooms, time off from work, and everything else, I figure our 80 mile run cost us about $1,000. We rarely travel to far off races because it is so expensive. It was a huge disappointment not to be able to race in the legendary Copper Basin. And we are still behind in long runs. Still, that first 80 miles went through some spectacular country, and I had a wonderful time out with Varan and all our dogs. Here's hoping we have better luck in the Northern Lights 300, coming up soon!
January 18, 2012 This has been the craziest year ever. We can’t seem to catch a break. The much anticipated Copper Basin went off without a hitch, but then simply fizzled out after 80 miles because the race organization never put a trail in, and somehow thought they could accomplish it just ahead of the racing teams. Which failed in a spectacular way, with dozens of teams stalled out in deep snow and cold temperatures, waiting to see if the trail could be put in, and ultimately having to cancel the entire race. I’ll write more details about the short part of the race we did (which were wonderful) later. Suffice it to say, it cost a LOT of money to travel to the race (gas, hotel, meals before and after the race for us and handler, time off work, etc). All for an 80 mile run. We would have gotten more miles in by staying at home and training. At this point we are WAY down on miles and have very few long runs. Between rain storms, blistering cold weather, and ridiculous amounts of snow, it’s been really hard to get the team out. It was making me nervous, and I was counting on the Copper Basin to set us up with some great conditioning. Instead, we had a short couple of runs, and trail conditions that ripped out or sheared off the hair on the backs of the dogs legs, exposing them to potential frostbite. Now we are hoping to get some leggings made to protect their legs so we can get on with training during this cold snap we are having. Just can’t catch a break this year. But we have happy, experienced dogs, so I think we will be able to overcome our lack of mileage by just being patient. We won't be able to push hard during the Northern Lights, coming up on the 27th, but by the time we are done with that race (assuming it doesn't flame out too!) the dogs will be trail hardened and lots more ready for the challenges of Iditarod.
January 8, 2012 We returned late last night from back-to-back runs with a camp out in the middle. Perfect preparation for our first race next weekend! It gives us a chance to get the sleds packed up and find all the gear, test it out and make sure it is working, remind ourselves of checkpoint routines and process, and teach the young dogs that sometimes we stop out on the trail and just take a break. It was a good couple of runs, and best of all, I have all Sunday to catch up on chores. This is the first whole day I've had off in a long while when I didn't need to do an all-day run with the dogs. So far today I have made breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, done laundry, fixed a pair of snow shoes, fixed my boots (which I stuck a snow hook through last night - tore the outer boot, inner liner, and sock, but not my foot!), took the puppies for a walk, shoveled some snow, cleaned out my sled, and removed the sled bag to dry. Next I'm heading out with a shovel to fix a road crossing problem on our trail. One of the most relaxing days I've had in a while! The road crossing I need to fix is a real pain. The trail parallels the road for a ways (to allow us to look for any oncoming cars), then crosses the road, then parallels the road on the other side. The plow always throws a bunch of deep, choppy snow all over our trail. You can't blame the dogs for knowing that the road makes for much easier running. But it is NOT safe to run in the road. Not only are there cars, but also there is no real way to stop the team on the hard, icy road. Yesterday Varan's team was trying to break out the road crossing trail. They got about half way before they decided to ditch the trail and use the road instead. They were not cooperative about coming back up on the berm. You can stand on your brake and shout "Gee" at them all day. You can go up and pull them on to the correct trail over and over, but if they are really determined they will just keep returning to the path they want to use. I was following right behind when Varan's team took the easy way out. Once another team has gone the wrong way, it's almost a given that the next teams will insist as well. As expected, my leaders, Cutter and Razor, dove off the edge into the road. I stopped and asked them to come back to the correct trail. You can hardly imagine how proud I was when they immediately did so, and finished breaking out the rest of the tough, deep snow to the correct crossing spot. This kind of willingness and responsiveness can be invaluable when you hit a tough spot out on a race. The moose were everywhere during this run. These giant beasts are bigger than horses, unpredictable, cranky, and fairly stupid.They like to use our trails too - much easier than wading through deep snow. Quite inconveniently, they punch deep holes all over the place, very dangerous for dogs who can step in the holes and really hurt themselves. However, they were cooperative by skedaddling out of the way when I shouted at them, instead of deciding to protect their turf and attack the invading dog team. So we will give our local moose a stamp of approval, and hope they stay so accomodating.
January 3, 2012 Just thinking about our last week. It should have read that Skeeter badly broke his leg, and we were heartbroken to say goodbye to him because the surgery to repair it was completely beyond our means. I just couldn't do it that way. I guess when you sign up for Iditarod, financial realities go out the window anyway.
January 2, 2012 Absoultely beautiful run today. The dogs were still crazy and pulling like mad after six solid hours of running. Between rainstorms, deep snow, and temperatures too cold to run in, we are short on really good long runs. I feel a little better after seeing them go today.
January 1, 2012 We live in a log house, and our bedroom is upstairs in the loft. The bed is soft and warm, with fuzzy fleece sheets and blankets - a really comfortable, cozy place to sleep. With all that luxury above, it's surprising how often I end up sleeping on the slate tiles on the main floor. That is because, no matter how tough, how independent, how aloof a dog is, when they don't feel good, they want one of us right there with them. And injured or sick dogs don't do well on the stairs up to the loft. Plus sick dogs often produce various messy liquids that are much easier to clean up down on the main floor than on the hardwood upstairs. And so we stay with them downstairs, comforting them and seeing to their needs. Our backs might protest laying on the hard floors, but when a rock hard athlete whimpers and begs for comfort, there really is no contest. This fall I've spent a night on the floor with Deja through her recovery from hernia surgery, Scotch through her difficult delivery of pups, and now Skeeter, who badly broke his leg while jumping off his house. It was a long, tough night trying to keep him comfortable and support him, as he could not sit or lay down without putting pressure on the break. The next day we went straight to the vet. Keeping him stable on the long 100 mile drive there (and back home) was tough, one of us driving, the other trying to cradle him and help him stand. As it happens, we are good friends with one of the best canine orthopedic surgeons anywhere, and he happened to be in town (he travels to bush Alaska about 2 weeks of every month). Varan and I ended up being surgical assistants during a long and difficult operation to screw and plate Skeeter's leg back together. The good news is, two days later Skeeter is already feeling pretty good, starting to put weight on his damaged leg, and will likely make a full recovery. The bad news is, his racing career is over. We are hoping to find him a wonderful home with someone who needs a good hiking or jogging partner - he has many good strong years left. With his intelligence and wonderful, sweet personality, he will make a very special pet. It is hard to lose such a solid team mate - he has been with me on every race I've ever done. But we only want the best for him, and staying at our kennel when he can no longer be a part of the team will be hard on him.
December 25, 2011 Talk about a white Christmas! We have LOTS of snow. And as the poster at Baldy School used to say "More is not always better". The poster showed a bunch of hippos jumping into a life raft and overloading it, but I bet you could sink a boat with snowflakes too. It started on Tuesday. We headed out for our normal 20 mile after-work run. It was snowing hard enough that I couldn't really see anything past about the middle of the team. In these cases you drive by 'feel'. If there is a problem near the front of the team, you will feel a change in how the sled feels. It was snowing so hard that I had to clear off the lens of my headlamp every couple of minutes to get even a little bit of light. It was snowing so hard that within a few short miles, we went from running on an established, packed trail, to breaking trail through steadily increasing depths of snow. The dogs were ecstatic! I try to limit my weeknight runs to 2 1/2 hours, just so I can get home and get some sleep. The snow was getting deeper and deeper. The dogs didn't mind at all, but it was definitely a lot more slow going than normal. So after running an hour and a half and only making it about 7.5 miles, I turned around early. Not without some difficulty, because we had to put our own turn around loop in the fresh, untracked and DEEP snow. By the time I made it back home, we were breaking trail through about 18 inches of new snow. By the time we had the teams put away, it was over two feet. And by the time we finished wading around through the deep snow to feed everyone, it was so dang deep that it was almost impossible to take a step. It took over an hour to get all the dogs fed, which normally takes about 15-20 minutes. I have never seen it snow that hard for more than a few minutes at a time, and this went on for hours. Of course, the power was out due to the heavy weight accumulating on the lines and bringing them down. I was not worried about getting to bed early at that point, because there was no way it was going to happen. Wednesday morning we woke up to find close to 3 feet of snow. Heavy, sticky, chowdery snow. There was no way were going to get out our driveway on that day, and even if we did, it was pretty unlikely that the side roads would be plowed any time soon. Even the Parks Highway at our end of the world is last on the list for the DOT. So no getting to work for me. Just as well, because we had a LOT of snow to move and pack down. Gates had to be cleared, doorways had to be cleared, and most importantly, the dogs had to be unburied! We spent hours on snowshoes trampling down the snow in each dog's circle, then picking up their dog houses and setting them on top of the snow, instead of mostly under it. We spent hours shoveling. Varan tried to go out on the snow machine to make our trail useable; he got stuck 10 times in about 2 miles, and had to turn back. No running on Wednesday. Thursday our plow guy still had not shown up to clear our driveway. We though the truck could batter its way out to the street, but only made it about 10 feet before it became obvious that I wasn't going to work that day either. At least we had power back on, so I could do some work on-line. The snow had set up a bit and was no longer soft and fluffy. Varan made another attempt at getting us a trail, and couldn't even make it out of the yard. No running on Thursday. But the plow guy did show up with his big tractor (too big a job for a simple pickup truck with a blade). He worked for over two hours to clear us out. At $250 an hour, that is an expensive plow job, but it beats the alternative. What alternative - digging out with a shovel? Snow shoeing to work? Friday I finally made it back in to work and our wonderful friend Virgil showed up with his huge, powerful snow machine and lots of experience putting in trail. He and Varan spent hours on the trail, and made it almost 5 miles! No running on Friday. By then the dogs were frantic and wild for exercise. We were letting dogs run around loose a few at a time and the dog lot looked like a labyrinth, with little trails connecting all the houses, and dogs zigging and zagging around with just the tips of their tails showing above the snow banks. Saturday we loaded dogs and sleds up, and drove them 10 miles down the road to a maintained trail system that sees lots of snow machine traffic. We left the launch spot in a hurry, the dogs eating up the trail. We ran up the Susitna river in the early morning mist, lit by the rising sun. The Alaska Range was bright with sun in front of us, and everything was golden and glowing. It was a beautiful run, capped off by a spectacular vermillion sunset. We even got home early enough to enjoy a relaxing Christmas Eve and some great food. We have two options for today. We can load up the dogs and do the same run once again, or Varan can make another attempt at getting that trail in. The dogs desperately need to run, but every day without a local trail makes it that much harder to get one in. And we just can not get the dogs trained if we have to load up and trailer every day. Decisions, decisions. I Merry Christmas!
December 18, 2011 This is going to be a short post because it is the only thing between me and getting to bed, and I am tired! We had two good solid weekend runs, each around 6 hours. The trails are improving and there was no excitement (last week I predicted that Sunday's run would go easier, but I was wrong!) The dogs look fabulous! We are signed up for two races in January: the Copper Basin 300 (toughest 300 mile race around) and the Northern Lights 300 (a new race that goes from Big Lake up the Iditarod trail to Finger Lake). Varan and I will each run a team in each race. They should be a really great lead up to Iditarod in March. For the next few weeks it will be more of same - more miles on the dogs, getting food and equipment ready.
December 10, 2011 We missed a few runs after our wierd winter rainstorm. We managed to get our 20 mile loop in and ran it on Wednesday and Thursday. On the first run there was a hard crust on top of deep wallowy snow. I had Deja in lead. She is a tiny little thing, and the crust wasn't breaking under her on every step. She could never tell if she would stay on top or crack through into the deep snow, and it was making her struggle and lunge to stay on her feet. As soon as I figured out what was giving her so much trouble, I brought to the back of the team where all the other dogs could break up the trail in front of her. I put big, lumbering Spartan up front, and he plowed forward with very little problem. Spartan to the rescue! (Never thought I would say that - he is a very unpredictable leader, and can be very hardheaded, usually when he wants to go down the wrong trail). Today we went on a nice long run. The trail to the Kashwitna River crossing didn't have any tracks on it, which made me kind of nervous. We weren't positive it was still frozen, and driving a large dog team is not the best way to check. As I dropped down the bank, I asked the dogs to go slowly and cautiously as I looked around. Out in the middle of the river was a suspiciously light colored area - could be thin ice. We slowed even more as I looked intently. But up ahead I could see fresh moose tracks. Anywhere a humongous moose can cross, the dogs and I can go too. So that turned out alright, but not without a little anxiety! We went zooming along for another few miles, turned right at the four way crossroads, and planned to go down what is called the old mail trail, or sometimes the tank trail. Just after we crossed the narrow little 2 foot wide bridge over the creek (which must be a warm creek, since I've never seen it frozen), the trail abruptly ended. There was, quite suddenly, no more trail. Not even a hint of a path. The dogs are good at breaking trail, but you can't get far in deep, bottomless snow like this without wearing yourself out using snowshoes to beat down a path for the dogs. And I wasn't even carrying my snowshoes! So going forward was not an option. Turning around on a tight trail is always tricky. Once you convince the leaders to follow you back into the team (which they know they aren't supposed to do), then suddenly everyone realizes we are changing directions, and they all rush in a group back down the trail. This always leads to tangles. Once you get the team turned, you have to worry about getting a 10 foot long sled turned around. They are designed to go forward, not sideways, not backwards. They do not turn easily, especially when they are loaded down with ballast to help control a large team, as mine was. This kind of maneuver frequently leads to runaway teams, as the snowhooks really only hold against a forward pull. Turning around in place is not a recommended activity! But turn around we must, so I set both snow hooks - one facing forward to keep the team from trying to continue ahead, and one facing backward to keep the team from taking off without me once they got going the other way. Then I tipped the heavy sled over on top of the hooks and hoped they would hold. With a little encouragement I got the leaders to follow me back past about half of the team. About this time they all turned around and scrambled past the sled. As always happens, the mass of dogs and lines managed to trip me up, and I went down - but holding tightly to the line just in case they were able to keep moving. I got up and got the dogs untangled. They were being amazingly cooperative and quiet, letting me get things sorted out. Then I started working to get that sled turned around. I reset one hook carefully and wrestled the sled most of the way around. I needed to scoot the whole set up forward to get out of the high banks of snow. This meant I needed to reset the other hook, the one now holding the team. It didn't go well. As the dogs jerked forward, the sled dragged across the snow hook, knocking it loose. Then the angle of the pull from the dogs tipped the sled back up onto its runners. With almost no friction, and suddenly no snowhook either, the dogs took off joyously. I was left hanging on the other snowhook for dear life as the team rocketed down the trail. One hook was tangled up underneath the sled and useless to me. The other hook was right in my hand, but had snagged into the sleeve of my jacket. I was dragging along, head plowing up snow, and trying to figure out how to get my weight off the hook so I could free it from my sleeve. To make matters worse, I knew that narrow little bridge was just ahead. The sled would go right across the bridge, but I would fall off the edge. Not only would I land in the deep water, but I wasn't going to be able to keep holding on over the banks and bumps. No way was I going to loose my team! I ripped my sleeve loose, slammed the points of the hook down into the snow, and jerked the team to a stop with about 2 feet to spare. So that also turned out alright, but not without a little anxiety! We're planning another long run for Sunday, and I bet it goes much easier now that we know what trails are like. One last note - we finally named the puppies! McCaffrey is the long, lean, outgoing redhead. Elway is the sturdy gray male. Shanahan is the smaller golden pup. They are all outside now, cozy in a nice warm house with mom. I've been packing down trails for them inside the puppy pen, and they love following me all around.
December 3, 2011 Our latest storm brought snow. Lots of it. Twelve inches or so, and it is a lot of work to wade around feeding dogs and doing all our other chores in that much wet, heavy snow. But we were excited because we really needed that snow to get on sleds, and a nice heavy snow makes a good trail base. Varan put in some very long hard hours taking the snow machine down the trail to pack it a bit and to check the creek crossings and clear down trees. In deep, unpacked snow you really have to wrestle that beast to keep it from submarining, so he was really wiped out. But we had a trail! Saturday we got out on the sleds. It was so much fun! It was fairly warm out, and the trails were deep and chowdery. A real workout for the dogs and us too. I have to say that I am a little stiff and sore this morning - nothing that few thousand more miles on the sled won't cure! It snowed hard the entire time, so I was thinking more trail breaking tomorrow - maybe it could stop snowing now??? After we got back from the run, we fed and cleaned up and did other chores. Then I spent an hour or so breaking out the dog houses and moving them over so they are on top of the snow, and the holes where they were standing will fill in. December in Alaska, and I don't think I have ever been quite so hot in my entire life! Sweat was streaming off me as I wallowed around in the deep snow and struggled with the heavy houses. I woke up this morning anticipating lots more snow to struggle with. Instead I heard rain on the roof. Heavy rain. That means two things. One (obviously) - it is raining! In Alaska! In December! And two - it has rained enough that all the deep snow on our roof has slid off and disappeared. That is not a good sound to a dog musher! It is 9:30 in the morning, and the sun is just giving us enough light to see what is happening outside. I am looking at a giant slushy mess. Trails are obliterated. Everything is a sopping wet mess. Can't run in this junk. And when it gets cold it will freeze hard and sharp, like a cheese grater. What a mess! On the plus side, this is probably a good day to go find our Christmas tree - all the snow has washed off the trees!
November 30, 2011 I'm a little late with my update. Don't you just love computers? My password to log on suddenly quit working, and none of the software downloads could resolve the problem. Restoring the entire computer system was not too bad, since I back up my files regularly (except photos - I have been really lazy with that so we probably lost quite a few pix). But re-installing all the programs and getting back to where I can edit this website - that took some time. We are handler-less once again. This means Varan has not been working so that he can feed, clean, cut meat, put in trail, and do all the millions of chores. Not in the plan, but when do we ever stick to a plan? We will just tighten the belt a little bit more - squeeek, squeek! After over 2 weeks of COLD temperatures (25 below on several mornings, and never above zero), it has finally warmed up to a balmy 15 above. That means it is warm enough for pups to move outside! Yay! They are cute, but messy and stinky! They love running around in their cozy barn stall, and it is amazing how quickly their little bodies heat up the dog house and make it toasty for them. I had some pictures but I guess the computer ate them, so I will go take more this weekend when I am home in the daylight! We are still on four-wheelers. This is the time of year when we start itching to get on sleds. With the recent cold temperatures, the river crossings are probably well frozen. But no one else has been out on these trails yet, so safety dictates going out on snow machines to clear the trail (lots of fallen trees, etc). Also, we need to check the ice thickness with an axe. It can be a lot of work, and so far we just haven't had time. All 27 team dogs are up and running, recovered from any injuries or surgeries, and looking strong. This means we are running large-ish teams. Snow conditions are still thin in the open areas (the wind blew all the snow into the trees), which means that a snow hook is not likely to hold well. The snow hook is the one and only thing that stops and holds a team if we need to get off the sled to fix a tangle, sort out a problem, move a dog, etc. So having shaky hook placement increases the riskiness, especially with a larger team. For our first sled run we will get a friend to come help us out and run a third sled so that team size is a little more manageable. Today I worked from home. I am extremely productive when working in pj's and slippers! And it saves me a commute of one hour each way - I'll be able to get my run done early tonight and maybe even get a full 8 hours sleep!
November 20, 2011 Snapshot Steadily clocking off the miles during a dark, moonless run. Suddenly, the dogs all duck as enormous pale wings stretch silently just over their heads. A startled owl, swooping up toward the trees with a hare clutched in her talons. Snapshot Hatchet in single lead, head down and determined, leading the team through deep wind-blown drifts. At every pause to dig the four-wheeler free, he steadfastly holds the line out and keeps the team in order while they frantically demand to go. At three Hatchet has only recently begun doing much leading. In a single spectacular run he graduates from rooky leader to a main leader that I can count on when the going is tough. Snapshot Halo cheerfully digging in the snow to produce – ta da! – a frozen turd. She brings it over, proud to help with the cleaning up process. We call it a mess waiting for spring to happen. She calls it buried treasure. Snapshot Cold, clear night. Sky bottomless in its darkness and stars almost too bright to look at. Trees silvered with frost. All the dogs cozied down in their houses. One begins a quiet song from inside her house, and they all join the chorus, just their noses peeking out of their doors. A soft settling-down for-bedtime howl.
November 11, 2011 Pups have doubled in size. Once we know they could crawl back inside a dog house to stay warm in case they wandered out, then they will go outside with Mom. Until then they have taken over the office. They aren't too interactive yet - they eat, they crawl, and they squeek and grunt constantly. But today the biggest pup showed just a sliver of opening eyes. The team is settling into a running machine. Most of the bad behavior learned over the summer is back under control, and the dogs are focused and pulling together. As the miles go up, their energy level just keeps getting higher. Now that things are less chaotic, the yearlings, Harp, Halo, and Helix, have gotten a chance to run up front. They love it in lead and charge down the trail with a purpose. The other day I noticed Helix, who is goofy, gangly, and still growing, trying to turn the team from way back in the middle - he already knows his gees and haws, and understands that it is his job to make it happen. Harp is the most focused on the trail - she could care less who is behind her or what they might be doing. Her first time in lead this year she took the team 30 miles without hesitation - the longest run of her life so far. Halo has been entertaining our handler by busily digging up frozen poop and presenting it to him while he cleans up. She not only leads, she is a great helper too! Bottom line, dogs are doing great. Now if we can just keep up and keep everything running around here.
November 11, 2011 Anchorage (or any city) - one of my least favorite places to be. Car dealers - one of my least favorite people to deal with. Trying to find a decent, reliable truck in our budget - just about impossible. We just spent all that we had saved up towards a truck on a four-wheeler, but some things just can't wait. Came home stressed out and exhausted, and still without a vehicle. But a thirty mile run with the dogs fixed me right up! Watching their simple joy in running, watching them come together as a team, watching yearling Helix firing down the trail in lead - makes it all worthwhile.
November 6, 2011 OK - now I have time to tell the details. Scotch sure took her time having these pups! We had her inside since it is getting a bit too cold for outside pups. We made her a nice area in the office, where there is a warm slate floor and a little privacy from the rest of the house. Tuesday night she was restless and paced all night, so I figured she was getting ready to drop the pups. But nothing happened that night. I worked from home on Wednesday, and all day Scotch was restless and panting, and I could see the beginnings of contractions. But nothing happened that day. I got up to check on her around 2:30 that night, and she was definitely in labor - hard contractions and lots of licking and squirming around. Normally we just leave the dogs alone and let them have a little privacy when they whelp. But Scotch was a little stressed out and seemed to relax when I was there. So I ended up staying in the office with her, trying to nap on the floor next to her. She sure seemed like a pup was due any minute! But nothing happened that night. She continued with bouts of regular, hard contractions followed by rest periods. Dogs, especially Alaskan huskies, have pups with relative ease and rarely have problems. More than a couple of hours of hard labor with no pup is a definite time to worry, though. By 6:30 a.m. there was still no puppy. Feeling her belly just in front of the pubic bone, I couldn't feel anything that felt like a puppy. I really needed to know what was going on. If a puppy was stuck we needed to get it un-stuck, pronto. So I carefully felt up inside the birth canal - nobody home. And the contraction seemed to have ceased. Time to head for the vet. We got to the vet by 9:00 in the morning. As I was checking in at the front counter Scotch started having a series of very strong contractions. We quickly got her on a blanket in an exam room, and within 5 minutes I could see tiny feet. With a little gentle pull, puppy number one arrived, kicking and wiggling. I was clearing the sac from around his mouth and nose just as the vet walked in. Even though things were suddenly progressing just fine, we knew Scotch had been working at this for awhile and her uterine muscles could be getting tired. We needed to get an x-ray to make sure we knew how many pups were coming. Scoth had other ideas, and wasn't giving us any time for that. By the time she had time to clean her first pup (a little silvery male) and let him nurse a minute or two, there were more strong contractions. Within just a few minutes, puppy number two came sliding into the world, a larger bronze and white female. The vet tech, wearing her lead apron, came in to get Scotch just as she was born. X-rays were going to have to wait a few more minutes... Things seemed to settle down then, so we quickly got a picture. Only one more pup, and the vet said it was way up near her rib cage, probably an hour or two before it would show up. I got us checked out and paid up in just a few mintues, but realized that I couldn't leave yet - puppy number three was coming fast. Scotch was on the edge of her blanket as this pup appeared, and with final push the little pup went shooting across the linoleum floor like a hockey puck! I quickly corralled the slipperly little one, and got her next to her siblings where Scotch could clean her and take care of her. Once Scotch finally got down to business she didn't mess around. That was three pups in less than half an hour. After everyone was clean and nursing strongly, we loaded Scotch up and she spent the rest of the day under my desk at work. Yep, I was late for work, but I didn't miss my important meeting at 11:00. Scotch is a good mama and is taking great care of her little ones. Pups are all strong and healthy, crawling all over. Alls well that ends well!
November 3, 2011 Just got three beautiful pups from Scotch. First was one silvery male, then a bronze female, and finally a pale gold female. Everyone strong and healthy. More later.
October 30, 2011 We are now up to 25 mile runs, and the horrible behavior the dogs came home with is starting to get better. Our normal winter routine is starting to become - well - routine. We run 20 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This means coming strait home directly after work and getting the dogs out and cared for, then straight to bed. Mondays and Fridays are for errands - groceries, feed store, and hey, laundry and dishes anyone? Then on weekends we do our longer runs and take care of all the millions of chores that we just can't get to any other time. As the weekend runs become longer and longer, our time to get anything else done disappears, so we are trying to be productive. This week we are blessed with lots of extra help. Friends from overseas have shown up and have taken over chores, cooking, and everything else. It has been quite relaxing and lots of fun!
October 23, 2011 Just a little bit of snow to tease us. We'll still be training on four-wheelers for quite some time. The creeks and swamps need to freeze and we need a solid base of packed snow before we will shake the dust off the sleds and hit our winter trails.
We really needed a reliable, functional second four-wheeler for training. After months and months of searching Craig's List and other sources for used equipment, we realized that we just weren't going to find what we needed. We ended up having to buy a NEW one - AACK!!! That was NOT in the budget. But there is just no way to get all the dogs trained in the few hours we have after work with just one, so we absoultely had to get another. We spent most of Saturday looking at unsuitable used machines, and then going all the way in to Anchorage to get the new one. We still had to run dogs after we got home, and it was after midnight before we made it inside and had a meal. We spent most of today fitting out the new ride with cleated chains, installing heated hand grips, and making other adjustments so that it will be team-ready for this afternoon's run. Now that we are seeing some evidence that it is for-sure, we can announce that our girl Scotch is going to have pups! She is due the first week of November. We haven't picked a theme for the litter yet, so let us know if you have any great ideas. Remember our rules: all names must have a common theme, must be one or two syllables long and easy to say when you lips are numb, and we try to avoid people names, and any names too similar to ones we already have. Send us your ideas!
October 16, 2011 We are gradually getting the dog's behavior back under control after a summer of acting like savages. We are up to 14 miles and they look strong and happy. When it is forty degrees and raining it is very hard for me to stay warm. The dogs, on the other hand, love the wet, sloppy mud and cool temperatures. The cooler it gets, the harder they pull! Some of them even love to take a mud bath, and roll around tossing mud clumps in the air! They've also been enjoying some lovely moose bones - good for their teeth and they sure do love them.
October 9, 2011 I can't remember when I've been so glad that a week was over. Hopefully our next week will be a little easier. The week had a nice start - Monday we had a nice 7 mile run with the dogs, who were looking fit and happy. And we finally bought another four-wheeler, which we really need for training. But when we got it home and cleaned it up a little bit, it was actually NOT what we were supposedly sold, and too small to do the job of holding a big team back. Ever try to return something that you found on Craig's List? I can be very persuasive when I'm pissed off. Tuesday I was planning to take Deja in to the vet. She's had a small mammary lump for some time (very common in dogs, especially this blood line), but when she came back from summer work it was startlingly bigger. I also needed to get my money back on the bum four-wheeler before that guy disappeared. Plus we were out of dog food. So my task list for Tuesday was jam packed. I loaded up the four-wheeler and Deja into the truck, and headed to Wasilla. Right as I pulled in to work the truck stalled, which it never does. When I went back out half an hour later to take Deja to the vet, I was relieved when it fired right up. But it stalled the moment I put it into gear, and continued to do so no matter what I tried. Aaak! Several calls later, I learned that there was apparently no local mechanic that would work on transmissions and wasn't booked for the next two weeks doing winter tire change over. No quick fix there, I had to get creative. Good thing for friends at work - me and my dog got a quick ride to the vet, and we were only a little bit late. I left Deja there, and returned to tackle the next problem. the four-wheeler seller told me he would only be home for about another 1/2 hour, and I had no way to get there. More good friends at work - they ran home, got a trailer, and hauled me and my machine to the seller just in time, and I managed to convince him that he wanted to refund all my money. Then the vet called to say that when they went in to spay Deja (to hopefully prevent more tumors), the found a hernia, which they had repaired. This would significantly delay her recovery time, and probably prevent her from running much this season. On the other hand, better to have found and repaired it early. The truck wasn't going to solve itself that day, but I still had no way to get the 60 miles home (plus stopping by to pick up Deja at the vets and getting at least a few bags of dog food). Good thing for a handler with a car - he came all the way down to town and we all got home, not even very late. We'd been watching Harp closely - she was not eating, not pooping, but otherwise felt fine. Looked like intestinal blockage. I dosed her with oil a couple of days trying to help things along, but it didn't look like it was working. I called the vet and told them I would be bringing another dog in on Wednesday. Thankfully, Harp finally produced the problem - a small wad of string, so I was able to call that vet trip off. Not without plenty of worry though! By Thursday I had found a mechanic who would take a look at the truck over the weekend, but he was clear on the other side of town. I really didn't want to add towing bills to the list of vet bills and repair bills. Good thing for friends at work (again) - me and my truck got a quick tow over. By Friday things were calming down a little bit, and Saturday was just a good day. But today may have been the most frustrating yet. The dogs are always excited at the start of a run, and they can be a bit unruly as we start out. But today Cutter managed to turn back and attack Trouble. Then Razor and Hatchet joined in, and I had a mess. The fight only lasted maybe 10 seconds, but in that time Cutter got a cut on his face and ripped his toe up, and Trouble got his shoulder gashed open. We managed to clean them both up and see that none of the wounds were too bad. We stapled Trouble's shoulder, so at least no more vet bills as long as that holds. We now have a house full of recovering dogs. That is the last straw when it comes to Cutter. He is possibly the most talented dog I have, and an incredible athlete. I wanted to breed him to get some pups. But he really loves to fight, and nothing I have done has convinced him to stop. Last year I had hoped it was just juvenille energy and that he would grow out of it. He shows no signs of maturing, and I can't have him damaging his team mates. So some time soon, (when I don't have a house full of dogs with cones on their heads) he is going to have to be neutered.Frustrated and disappointed. Phooey. On top of everything, the dogs came back from summer work VERY loud and seem to have forgetten the shut-the-hell-up rule that we regularly enforce around here. Consequently, I have been getting up multiple times a night to remind them of that rule, and I'm feeling a little short on sleep. Think I'll go take a nap now...
October 3, 2011 Training is coming along nicely. We are looking for a second four-wheeler so we can get all the dogs out at once. With our schedules we generally only have the evenings for training. We have one nice Foreman that we are currently training on, and an old beat up Suzuki that is on its last legs. We'd like to replace it before it croaks when we need it. All the dogs are looking fantastic. Our newest additions are Doc, Mars, and Bree. All three fit right in to the team and are working well. On his first run out, I though Mars was going to break his harness he was digging in and pulling so hard.
September 25, 2011 Dogs all got back on Thursday, and are enjoying being back on home ground. We're starting up with short, fun training runs. Fall is gorgeous in Alaska, and the views from my window are incredible!
September 18, 2011 Meet Scotch. Isn't she gorgeous?!! Long, long legs; lean racy body; compact feet; quick mind; happy and friendly; good eater; nice dense hair; great bloodlines. In short, everything we look for in a sled dog.
She comes from Paul Gebhardt's famous Red Dog line, and all her littermates are top racers. An achilles tendon injury as a youngster ended her future as a race dog, but she is happy here with our crew. We hope to raise some truely exceptional pups with her. Here she is, enjoying free time with the other dogs - she really loves to race around and play tag.
Spring loaded!
September 12, 2011 Yes, I realize that I have not posted to the website all summer. Well, this is a sled dog kennel website, and not much happens at a sled dog kennel during the summer. So, now that is out of the way - let's get going! Fall is here, the temperatures are cooling off, and training starts just as soon as the dogs get back from their summer jobs. We pick them up September 22, and it can't come soon enough for me! We've got all the gear and equipment ready and waiting, a new handler all lined up, and big plans for the winter. My fall newsletter is almost done, and I'll be sending that out in the next couple of days - if you're not on my list and want to be, drop me a message. I'm already starting to get fan mail from classrooms and kids all over. Last year I received over 300 different letters and requests. Teachers - if you make sure they include a self-adressed stamped envelope, I will make sure to respond.
Musical dogs?
July 2, 2011 Our website has been out of commission for awhile. And truly not much news to report - just a million summer projects going on. Most of the dogs are working in Skagway for the summer, helping to pay off last year's Iditarod. I did sign up for Iditarod 2012, and I'm working on fund-raising ideas to help get us there once more. Fall training won't begin for a couple of months, but drop me a line if you have a question or just want to say hi! intensekarin@msn.com
2010-2011 News For previous posts from the fall 2010 , click here.
2009-2010 News For previous posts from the 2009-2010 year, click here.
2008-2009 News For previous posts from the 2008-2009 year, click here.
2007-2008 News For previous posts from the 2007-2008 year, click here.
2006-2007 News For previous posts from the 2006-2007 year, click here.
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This is sort of what it looked like in the jumble ice and pressure ridges for the last 8 miles going in to Koyuk. Wrong turn!
This is about how well you can see a trail marker during a white out. Lots of time on foot, searching out where the heck we were supposed to be going.
Hooking up a team.
Razor and Hatchet doing a fine job of lining out - staying out in front of the team, facing down the trail. This is one of the hardest things for leaders to learn. They may excel at finding the trail, following commands, and always wanting to stay out front, but once you stop it is very hard to keep them from coming back to visit the rest of the team. These young leaders are looking really good!
Bree
Doc
Mars
To the West - Sunrise lighting up the trees.
To the South -Our driveway.
To the North - and best of all - Full dog lot!
