End of Season, Back to Summer Blog

Another day of hauling, pitching straw. We left the ATV perched precariously in a deep snow pile in the lower waste pit. It will have to wait until more melting to get it out.

With the grass greening up, we are moving to our summer blog now. The link is:
http://www.spkjulie.blogspot.com/

Progress is being made each day in the straw 'war'. 7 more loads hauled yesterday.

Balto goes in for surgery on her ear this morning. And thunderstorms are predicted.

Next Year's Notes

Each Spring I have to remind myself that the work actually does get done... it's just a task at a time.

Yesterday's list included:

Feeding dogs, of course. (hauled in multi pounds of food from the truck).
Clean up food dumped by dogs who say they've had enough high fat content. (switch to lower fat mix).
Scooping straw from ice, pitching into containers for hauling. (major part of the day)
Hosing out concrete pens as straw pitched out.
Washing mud off of my face/teeth (several times).
Cleaning all pens, of course.
Connecting/draining the hoses. Cleaning water pails, watering all dogs, twice.
Hauling the waste on the snowy, icy, muddy trail on the ATV.
Getting ATV unstuck.
Putting up tarps in half the pens for shade (70 degrees, sunny). (dogs help by jumping, on me)
Charging battery on 2nd ATV and moving to shed for hauling. (hook positive first!)
Moving several dogs for different reasons. (full moon, dogs coming into heat, again; dog eating gate)
Starting and moving lawn mower.
Fixing broken chains for two dogs that need to be tied. (fence leaper, gate eater)
Cleaning the cat's room, washing the boxes.
Airing the house dogs' beds.
Meds to dogs with allergies enhanced by Spring. (Balto may need surgery on ear)
Hauling rocks from the upper field to fill newly dug holes. Ground very nice for dogs' digging.
Cooling overheated ATV from hauling.
Riding all the trails, to check for downed trees (none over trail, hooray! but numerous downed in woods from heavy snows)
Getting ATV unstuck.
Treats to dogs, late day. Answering their questioning looks about why they can't come out to run. (porcupines, skunks)
Chasing Skinny into the woods when he returned to the house at night.
Setting trail camera to look for predator leaving headless rabbits.

Today, more of the same.

Meltdown and Spring's Surprises

We have gone from 17 inches of new snow to almost bare ground. The straw is soaked and heavy and almost immoveable, but looks like some sun in the forecast. The valley areas still have deep snow. I have put the snowmachines away and am using the ATV with great care.

The bored dogs have taken to eating the walls of their houses (just two). So it's the season for everything needing attention. I found a live lizard in Martin's water bowl, one of the more ugly surprises of Spring. What kind of lizard can live in Wisconsin? And I hear that the ticks are already out. I hope to not see the usual pine snake in the straw, but I'm sure I will see one or two eventually. The dogs do not like them and usually dispose of them quickly.

We hope the trails will dry up soon so we can run some bored dogs.

Dig and Melt

Digging out from this and it is melting, again. Driveway is still impassable, but parts require the ATV while others still require the snowmachine. Dogs are sunbathing!

Photo: Trail to the waste pit after the storm.

The Nearly White Squall

While the storm is still going, it wasn't quite as bad as anticipated. We'll see by tomorrow what we have. We have had thunder, high winds, heavy wet snow, rain, sleet and now the winds are picking up again. Of course we can't? have a white squall on land, but at times it appeared that way.

28 dogs had individual or group free runs, out of the pens, today. We raked out wet straw out of the houses and put in dry . In this stuff it won't stay dry very long.

I haven't attempted the roads as the driveway wasn't plowed and the county crew left some big banks at the end of the drive. It's been a good day to stay home with pups.

And, I didn't get any photos. The deer were in for corn, carrots and apples. I didn't haul waste as the pit might be a bit hard to maneuver today.

The Perfect Storm

We're sitting here waiting for the grandpa of all storms... high winds, a combined snow depth predicted of 7 plus 5 plus 5= 17 inches ?? on top of the last 12 new inches, which have turned to slippery slush.

For some reason the photos aren't posting to the blog, but I imagine tomorrow I'll get a few good ones. Hopefully all the dogs will make it through this blast, safely. Oh and yes, thunder is predicted along with this stuff. This should be a real treat the next two days.

Yesterday

These are the nicely working drains from yesterday.



Today we have another new six or seven inches of wet snow.

Mud, Rain, Ice, Snow, Hot Sun equals Spring

We've run the gamut with weather lately. Last two days it's been up to sixty degrees. We put one snowmachine on the trailer. Luckily I kept one out as tomorrow they predict four more inches of snow. It's raining out right now.

Balto looks like she has a puffed up ear and possibly will need to go in for surgery today. All other dogs seem fine, but restless. Now if I can stay upright on the slippery ice, we'll be OK. The drains we've dug are working well, but new rain backs up, mixed with straw and clogs the drains. The dogs are loving the sunbathing. I've put up one shade tarp already, for Lillen. It's a nice rain shelter this morning.

Photo is from last year, month of March. We were a bit ahead in the cleanup process/drying out with a lower snow year in 2007. No complaints about the good snow this year, though, and the rivers should be great for kayaking.

Fate of the White Pine

We love these white pines and hate to see one fall like this. Luckily it wasn't on the cottage or , more luckily, there were no people around. The weight of last week's heavy snow did this one in. We haven't been able to go up our back trails yet, so hope all is intact there. This one is going to take some work. No doubt that Spring is the most labor intensive season of all. Maybe not quite like Alaskan breakup, but close.

MuDD and Downed Tree

Mud, mud, mud... we can't complain because it is part of pen cleanup, but the driveway is almost impassable.

Late in the day we had some brave young prom goers... they walked the whole long MUDDY driveway to pay a visit in their beautiful clothes. It is slippery out there but they did NOT fall in the mud and went off to their prom still clean.

Then we paid a visit to our lake cabin. A beautiful white pine had fallen from last week's heavy snow , smashing on the roof of the old log shed. That will be some major cleanup, and possibly requiring a new roof.

This is dog digging weather. Skinny has excavated almost the whole side of my house for which I relocated him to a dog house for the day. Until this 'wonderful' mud is dried they will all be digging to their hearts' content.

Koyukuk Spring Race and George Attla

This is the link to the Koyukuk Spring Race where they are honoring George Attla.

Photo forwarded courtesy of Phillip Albert, Fairbanks

FAIRBANKS, Alaska Every spring, the villages of Hughes, Huslia and Allakaket/Alatna get together and hold a party. This year, more than most, there will be something big to celebrate.
It's been 50 years since Huslia's most famous resident, George Attla Jr., won his first Fur Rendezvous World Championship. The victory launched a career that eventually made the unknown musher the most successful sprint racer in history.
So when the Koyukuk River Championship Dog Race is held this year from April 3-6 in Huslia, it will have a dual purpose. Not only will the villages hold their annual celebration, they'll also be honoring one of their own.
"It should be pretty big," said Ginger Attla, who is George's niece and the party coodinator. "We're all getting excited about it."
The 1958 Fur Rondy victory was a huge moment for Attla, who became known as "The Huslia Hustler." He was basically anonymous when he arrived at the Anchorage race, but his win became a validation for the numerous mushers who lived in the villages along the Koyukuk. As many of them had suspected, their dogs were as fast as anybody's.
"I must have enjoyed it," George Attla said, "because it doesn't seem like it was that long ago."
Attla's accomplishment became a Hollywood movie starring Slim Pickens, 1979's "Spirit of the Wind." He went on to win nine more Fur Rondy titles and eight Open North American Championships, capturing the most victories of any sprint racer.
The Anchorage Daily News put him at No. 2 on the list of the top 100 Alaskan athletes of the 20th century, and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner selected him as the greatest musher of all time. He was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
A party at the Huslia Community Hall next Sunday will honor Attla, along with his contemporaries from the village's golden age of mushing.
"I think the younger generation wants to honor their mushers before we all go to the happy hunting grounds," the 74-year-old Attla said with a chuckle.
The party will be wrapped around the four-day Koyukuk River Championship Dog Race festivities. The KRC was launched in 1979, when the three First Chiefs of Hughes, Huslia and Allakaket/Alatna met to discuss the spring carnivals in their respective communities. Each of the Koyukuk River villages held its own spring carnival - with events like dog mushing, showshoe racing and ice picking contests - which made it tough for those who wanted to attend all three.
As a solution, they decided to combine the three carnivals into one event, which would rotate between the villages each year. Twenty-nine years later, the tradition is still going strong.
Ginger Attla said about 600 people usually participate, including several hundred who come from neighboring villages to be part of the action. Huslia, with a population of about 300 people, does it all without facilities like formal hotels or restaurants.
"Everyone stays with relatives and friends," she said. "Huslia's a pretty friendly community, so everyone just opens their doors."
The weekend includes dances, potlucks and contests, along with sled dog races for men, women and old-timers.
The races, particularly the 17-mile main run, should be seriously contested. The region still takes pride in its ability to produce speedy mushers.
"There's a lot of champions that come from here," said Al Yatlin, a Huslia resident who has handled dogs with Attla since the 1960s. "Some of them are still around."
One of the mushers this year could be a familiar face - seven time KRC champion George Attla. Although his 19-year-old son Frank is doing most of the work with his team now, George said he's tempted to give the race a shot. "I still enjoy doing it, but it's a little tough on the bones," he said.
Always the competitor, Attla is interested to see how his dogs stack up.
"I'm kind of curious about it. How much better are these guys?" he said. "I was talking about it with a friend, and the only way I'm going to get my answer is to go out and do it."
And after all these years, Attla said he still knows how to lead a winning team.
"The body may be shot, but I think my mind's pretty good," Attla said with a laugh.
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Out Like a Lion

Photos: Upper, Tsunami, Yeti and Matilda; Lower, Buffy and Rosie.

Wow, the biggest storm of the year and it is still snowing at 5:30 AM. The snow started to fall about 1PM yesterday. We will post some photos later, but it looks to be at least ten inches of new, wet, heavy snow. The dogs will have a field day free running this morning. Trails, what trails?

Back to Nome, All Alaska Sweepstakes

The All Alaska Sweepstakes has started in Nome, enroute to Candle and back to Nome.

There are 17 mushers and the start was under the Iditarod finishing arch. This is the link:

http://www.allalaskasweepstakes.org/

We are in meltdown here, although it freezes up at night and the gates are hard to open.

Lots of chopping and definitely Yaktrax weather. Unless we get significant snow, we will not be running sleds again, but one never knows in N.E. Wisconsin.

Photo: Dog lot in Nome , just downhill from the finishing arch.

Easter Sunday, 2008

It snowed a bit yesterday, but nothing much new stayed on the ground. We are still feeding the deer each morning with our dog friends. The young buck is starting to come in alone these days, but he was with all of the gals yesterday.

We had a great day with our ten month old granddaughter , Fina. Nothing like a baby to lift your spirits.

The temperature is zero right now, still needing straw for dogs. The hot sun has been working at meltdown in the pens though and it's treacherous walking . We're working on the drainage trenches at each gate. The trails have lost just a bit on a few curves in the sun, but the railroad grade trail has ice chunks/tough for dog feet even with booties. Unless we get a really great snow, we'll probably stop running now until trails dry out for the ATV.

Photo: Chena accompanies me to feed the deer.

Old Line Vigor in Pups

Ruby is six years old but she runs like a pup. Her mother was Liller (Iditarod 01) (Butcher ) and father Skinny (Jerry Louden's Quest leader).

The black dogs (siblings) zero in on each other, ignoring their brindle siblings, chasing each other. They are FAST.

Photo: Ruby, age six, was breaking trail on our morning free run to the back forty.

Old Line Vigor, 3

And this is Glory, age twelve. She raced in lead on a 4 dog sprint team with me. Her co leader was Skinny, what a pair! Sulatna and Balto were also on that spirited team. Glory still takes off like a two year old.

Old Line Vigor, 2

This is Martin running his morning route with me, while I hauled waste. Martin ran Iditarod with Aliy Zirkle and was on her championship Quest team in 2000. He's powerful and a real sweetheart. His pen pal, Ruby, ran with him, too. Martin's father was Flood, a great leader for Aliy. Martin runs in wheel mostly.

Old Line Vigor

It's a great day for free running and 17 dogs had their turns. This is Power, twelve years old.

His mother was Scuba, first dog in our kennel. Scuba ran Iditarod with Susan Butcher. Scuba's mother was Susan's leader, Elan.

Power is incredibly tough and fast; great feet, coat, speed, endurance, best eater/drinker. His sister was out running with him, too. Trails are way too punchy for sleds, but Glory and Power are both deep snow dogs, seeking it out. They were a tough three dog team with their brother, King, at one time... tough runners and tough to handle, very exuberant.

Photo: Power, age twelve. March 13, 2008

Herds

Our vet refers to the kennel management as herd management. Our dog group (herd) has been enjoying the sun and warm meltdown temps, but we have three inches of new snow this a.m. which will make it less slippery for their morning free runs. The temps have moderated a lot so hopefully no more twenty below cold spells for them this winter. Soon we'll be raking and hauling out the straw, the biggest task of the year.

We still have fifteen deer coming in twice a day for feedings. They have been fun to watch and we're glad to see the small yearlings wintering over so well. Once the fields are melted we stop the feedings. We have a natural shelter for them in our swamp/valley surrounded by hills.

Back to Earth

With Lance Mackey claiming victory again in the Iditarod, we have been glued to watching the race. Aliy is moving along in 21st position right now, heading into White Mountain.

Back here, we have been in a meltdown for two days, but looks like now we'll get another 3 inches (at minimum) of snow, so back to shoveling gates and cooking soup. Winter is not yet waning in Wisconsin (although there was some false thought of that yesterday at 45 degrees).