Dryland Racing

The first dryland races were held in Pearson, Wi this past weekend. It included cart races,
ATV's (without motors), canicross (dog in harness on skijor belt) and other.
See Sled Dog Central for results , Wisconsin Trailblazers .

http://www.sleddogcentral.com/results07/lower48/midwest/pearson_wi.htm

Photo of 1st Hallowe'en Team

Black dogs, not black cats. Good dogs.

P.S. 57 snaps on the trail cam (only 24 to a film), so will take that in.

Hallowe'en in Harness

Today was a bit hectic, almost as if the dogs knew it was a day to be excited and look for treats.

The first team was really excited to go , but it took a few stops (with the brake on)
to actually get going. They had been leaping and screaming and three of the five were tangled at takeoff. We ran 3.1 miles with the first team. Since it's up and down good hills, these are equivalent to a six mile run, I believe. (Lillen, Sherpa (who was moved to wheel), Zoom, Medio and Kiddo). Their treats were chicken and salami.

The second team (in photo) took off so smoothly I was actually about a mile into it when I realized I was daydreaming. A deer leaped out but the dogs didn't flinch. What a dream team (for today anyway). We ran 2.6 miles because Liller was tiring, although willing to go on. (Liller, Ruthie,Buffy, Rosie and Herman). Their treats were salmon and salami.

Miles are slow to accumulate but the continued hookups are good incentive for the dogs.
There were a few nice free runs for other dogs. Tomorrow we'll get Frita's family harnessed.
Frita has a bad hip, but she's a great leader and loves to run with her 'kids'.

Interesting story on grizzlies in Anchorage and around

http://www.adn.com/outdoors/craig_medred/story/8356365p-8251821c.html

This is an interesting story on not only grizzly bears in Anchorage /city areas, but also on bear behavior in general (and human behavior).

Another good run; moose on the loose

Today we had a fairly uneventful five dog run for 3 miles. There were a few tangles to start but the youngest ones behaved best. Medio was in 'hunt' mode which challenged Buffy. He won't be in lead next time. I would have run more, but the sun came out and the temps went right up.
Buffy was very responsive in lead. She is well trail trained and is learning that I ask her to take different routes from her usual.

This is a link to the local paper showing a cow moose in the neighborhood. That road is about two miles through the woods from the kennel. The only place I've ever seen in moose has been in Alaska. This is an oddity, thankfully. Not sure is they're as aggressive here. http://www.florenceminingnews.com/main.shtml

Racing Registration

I just sent in the registration for the Jackpine 30 , for February 17, 2007.

This is last year's team, Liller, left in photo , and Buffy, right, in lead; Ruthie and Kiddo in swing, and Martin (white) and Quattro in wheel.
And Julia driving the team.

Of these, probably Buffy, Ruthie, Kiddo, Quattro and possibly, Martin ,could be on this year's team.
Only warm temps and age would keep Martin out of it. He was a Quest finisher (champion team) so this was probably a fun run for him (thirty miles).
They're all great dogs!!

Lillen and Sherpa leading, Martin , wheel

Two six dog teams, short runs

Nice runs with two six dog teams. Sherpa (not quite two years) ran in lead with Lillen and did very well. Lillen can be tough with other females but Sherpa followed Lillen's rules, apparently, as they did very well together.

Martin ran in wheel for his first run and he's a super trooper. Skinny ran lead with Buffy and was absolutely done after just two miles, even though I kept them at 7-8 mph.

Zoom ran her first run of the year and was a good little willing dog (Frita/Martin daughter).
Matilda had another flawless run. Ruthie probably got the best ratings for the day, head down, focused, run, run in swing.

Photo is of Skinny, Buffy (lead); Ruthie, Matilda (swing); Herman, Quattro (wheel). Amazing how the look alikes are hard to i.d. even a day after I have hooked them up.

In between weather

We've had some days with just enough snow to make it slippery, in the pens, on the trails.
Today we have just slightly more than a dusting , but hope to run some small teams. The leaves on trails freeze and make downhill trails, with a bit snow cover, slippery.
Usually the snow cover goes by noon, as in this photo.

Carabiner overkill

Was just thinking about the carabiners and bungees. We use two bungees in case one breaks, and three carabiners, to assure that the lines will not come unhooked. All of this is useless when a dog eats the line. I will still use them, especially for big teams, but covered cable line or new
"iron" rope is best for lines.

This is Sherpa, not Buddy.

Always learning; dogs, the teachers

We had two nice runs yesterday. But I was hooking up alone and they were crazy to run.
First team was all young ones, again. First fall runs for some.

On the 2nd run, Buddy in wheel, alone, ate the gangline (not cable, of course), in take off, and was being dragged by the necklines. I had the ATV with a brake, luckily, but in those situations one has to think fast.

I couldn't release him, he was the wheel dog and I couldn't let the dogs ahead of him loose (bird hunters, don't want them running thru the woods, and dogs could have been hurt, all hooked up). Would never do that intentionally. Forgot my extra quick release, as well.

I took the extra tug line (hooked to his harness) and the extra neckline (hooked to his collar) and attached them, making a temporary gangline. You can only do this if it's one dog, running alone in his position, of course. Maybe I knew this at one time, but I re-learned yesterday.

I had this gangline made in three colors specifically for my helpers so one can quickly identify where the tangle is... green, neckline, red , main line, blue tug line. Yesterday it helped me.
My thoughts: "RED! that's the gangline!"

Most dogs learn early not to eat the lines, but Buddy is a rescue and I don't know how he ran the UP200 with his penchant for eating lines. Since I was hooking up alone, I couldn't watch him and take off too. Of course, alone, I wasn't fast enough for him and in his haste, he ate the line. He may only get to run when I have a helper.

Pretty interesting how much Sherpa and Buddy look alike, both from outside the kennel, but they have a common ancestor, wayyyyy back, Tennessee from Joe Redington, Sr., early Iditarod days.

Miles and speed, easing in

Well, so much going on and have to get miles. My first team today is young ones, so they wanted to pick up the pace and go further.

Buffy was a **star** in lead today, Yea, Buffy! Medio, a hunter, pulled her off the trail , twice, heading for birds, and each time I said, "no, gee over", and Buffy, without EVEN a tangle, pulled them back on the trail, good girl! I like running small teams because I can watch everyone.
She also did one great 'haw over', so she can do it! Once Rosie was hooked up, she stopped eating her harness and focused well.

Sherpa, wheel girl, is not quite two and she was, by far!, the easiest hookup today. I usually hookup back to front . Started with Herman in wheel and he was so excited he nipped my face with his teeth. He went back on the line for a bit.

Put Sherpa in wheel and she was A+ , stood still, waited. Next I hooked up Buffy and Medio in lead as Herman was still nuts. Finally had to turn on the motor so they'd line out. When I'm not running the older , savvy, polite leaders (Liller, Lillen, Frita and Skinny (not so polite, but savvy), the hookup is chaos, especially by myself.

But we did it and ran three miles. Herman was still wound, should have run another three miles, but it was a bit sunny and I ran them at 11/12 mph so enough for them. The lineout photo is on the return and they were all doing well. They had their salmon water and went back to think about the next time.

The good life; the dog life

This is definitely the good life! with dogs!

Photo is of Skinny (aging Skinny ) lying down, Buffy (full of steam) in lead; Medio and LilleN, (as not LilleR), in swing, and Kiddo/Quattro (sisters) in wheel. Skinny loves to be the main man and gives it his all. Skinny is Dad to all of these, but Lillen.

Julia will be back soon to train and then we'll have some larger teams running. We need to do some more leader training. Always had good leaders, and now they are aging/aged.

Ruthie team

This is Ruthie and Medio in lead, Frita in swing (bad hip) and Martin's great daughter, Yepa, in wheel. Yepa used to be very shy and reluctant to come out to be hooked up. Now she screams in harness (we hook up back to front and she was first hooked up) and she is STRONG.... a good wheel dog, for sure.

First Snow

Looking good

Finally, today is Sunday, October 15th... our first runs. Of course, we ran short and only ran two teams (ten dogs), but we gave them all hope! All the dogs were cheering as we took off and returned.
The first run leader honors went to Skinny and Buffy. Skinny was happy to be chosen, for sure, as was Buffy. Skinny, one more time, demonstrated how well he listens and leads. Buffy was having fun but wasn't taking commands too well. Skinny, our champ, has aged and will not lead in a race, but hopefully he can help us train.

The second team was led by Medio and Ruthie ( we were going to let Frita lead but she was too
skitzy with Ruthie, so she ran in swing). Frita did take the commands better than either Ruthie or Medio , so in her heart she was leading. However, Frita's bad hip will preclude her being able to lead. Hopefully, she can also train.

Kiddo and Quattro both run left now, so will not be able to pair them anymore (wheel dogs), but even though they ran tightly left together, they had a good time.

Weather

This is a link to photos in The Anchorage Daily News of flooding around the Valdez and Seward areas. Rain has forced closure of highways and the flooding is significant.

http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/8293460p-8190025c.html

We have our first dusting of snow and icy roads. The dogs all have fresh straw and are
energized by this change in weather.

More trails

This is on the wilder back of the 80... some dens back there that we try to not disturb.

Trails

"Two roads diverged in the woods,
And, I,
Chose the one less traveled by,
And it has made all the difference."
Robert Frost

This quotation is from memory, so apologies if it is not 100%, but I think of it as I run/walk trails with dogs. It certainly is 'less traveled' to be out with dogs, and it does make all the difference. It's a great life.

Photos are of a free run last night . Timber is a dog who came as a rescue... he prefers to live alone, but is very compatible on walks (on leash). I've met various wild creatures with him and he's always protective but not uncontrollable. He's an odd mix... heeler, boxer, corgi, husky, I was told. He does not like to run in harness, period, so he is a companion.

Well, now!, snow is forecast for Saturday (next ) so I will get out my mattress spring and drag some trails today, as the deep cover of maple leaves is very slippery when ice/frost/snow covered. Every day that my ten year old Polaris ATV is still working is a 'gift' as it's been a real workhorse. We have the larger Arctic Cat to fall back on, but the little one is my favorite. We save the Cat for training runs, mostly.

Full Harvest Moon

Every October I say I've never seen a bigger, more beautiful moon, and I'm saying the same again this year. It brought temps in the 70's with it, but cooler days are in the forecast. Finally we'll be running! As warm as it was, I almost decided to run a few today, but instead we went on free runs (males on leashes... don't know why it's the males who need the leashes but the females are usually good... however, Sulatna did run off down by the highway to where she once had a dead deer stash, which I had cleaned up (road kill)... she revisits when I have four or five dogs free running and she can run off more easily.)

There were bird hunters about and a few of my Posted signs had been torn down, so I put them back up. A nearly perfect day. A day for caramel apples and pumpkin pie.

Needs a large harness

Couldn't resist posting this photo that was sent to me by a friend. Apparently this was taken near Crystal Falls (ten miles from here) just recently.

It's been a year since I saw the large cat running near my driveway and the dogs were all pointing at it with their noses.

I hope it 's the same one and it has headed North, far far away. These are very beautiful animals but my preference would be to see them far far from here.

Colors and coyote

The colors have reached their peak and are spectacular. The reds are very deep and the yellows striking. This is a tree on Blue Jay Lane, the very! rural road into our river camp.

Can't remember if I posted this photo of the coyote walking up to the cabin. Many have seen a timber wolf around here , but I haven't this year. This 'guy' though, is very confident and roams around. On the day I took this photo I saw him walking up to the cabin, Skinny was tied right outside. I took the photo from the deck and then told him to 'shoo!'. He was unimpressed, but did wander back down onto the other trail and amble along.

On our daily walks we find many piles of berry filled scat, large and small. It's the chokecherries that they're devouring now and soon those will be gone, too. Unfortunately the dogs sometimes roll in the 'good' scents .

This is the first summer in 'forever' that I have not personally seen a bear. Last summer I saw ten (from a vehicle).

Road hunters are out at night, looking for partridge on our road. My land is posted but it doesn't keep them out so we keep watch around dusk as the dogs get very upset with nearby gun shots.
(as do I, so close to the dog pens).

Checking on our river camp

Yesterday I took a trip to the river cabin, our favorite distant destination for dog teams.

The river water was low, even following some good rain. It's been a very dry summer.

Chomping at the bit to get a team out there with the ATV, as we did last year at this time.
We always hope to use the cabin more, but if we're training for sprint, our distances are shorter.
We use that destination for training for the 30 mile race we typically run.

It is a neat little place to go, very peaceful. Enroute we do have to meander through a small village called Pentoga, but it is a fairly short trek through the village. The route is an old railroad grade.