The SP Kennel Dog Log

Yukon Quest Excitement

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-09:00

There is Yukon Quest excitement all across Alaska and the Yukon.

Pleasant Valley Store, which sits at 24 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road, is publically showing their support for local mushers! Thanks guys.

Allen and the Black Team will be mushing right by the store's front door on Saturday afternoon.

Here, Wes is checking out the "Menu" for the Yukon Quest Two Rivers Checkpoint. Locals have volunteered their time, food and cooking skills in order to feed the Yukon Quest Mushers and Volunteers at the checkpoint. (I think he was eyeing the moose stew that D. Currier promised to cook.)

Yukon Quest Schedule

2012-01-31T08:15:00.002-09:00

The Yukon Quest week is here!

The Black Team has been waiting all season for their chance to get on the Yukon Quest trail ...

The Schedule

Wednesday, February 1st: Start/Drawing Banquet 5 - 10 PM (Fairbanks, AK)
Thursday, February 2nd: Handlers Meeting 10 - 11:30 AM, Mushers Meeting 1 - 4 PM, "Meet the Mushers" gathering 6:30 - 10 PM (Fairbanks, AK)
Friday, February 3rd: "Prep day" at SP Kennel (Two Rivers, AK)
Saturday, February 4th: Race Start in Downtown Fairbanks 11 AM

You will be able to follow the Yukon Quest:

on this website: www.SPKDogLog.com
the Yukon Quest website: www.YukonQuest.com
or on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/YukonQuest

Don Bowers 300 Video

2012-01-30T14:19:00.001-09:00

Pictures from the Don Bowers Memorial Race 300

2012-01-30T11:53:00.003-09:00

SP Kennel Teams Return Home After Winning Don Bowers Memorial Race 300

2012-01-29T16:46:00.003-09:00

We are so proud of both Aliy and Ryne, and of course, our fabulous dogs! Congratulations on the great race finishes! And Congratulations to our friend and veterinarian Tamara Rose who placed 4th in the Don Bowers Memorial 200 Race.

Both teams are headed home now, to cold and ice foggy Two Rivers, where it is -50 today and warming up to -20 tomorrow (we hope!). The dogs will be petted and pampered as all champion athletes are when they return home from a big win. We'll probably be hearing more about the race itself from the perspective of Aliy and Ryne on the blog spot, as well as getting pictures and video from the race. So continue to watch the blog spot over the next few days to get the "inside" story.

This completes our coverage of the Don Bowers Memorial Race 300. The race is still going on and you can follow it on their website. Thank you for racing along with us! Until next time...

Ryne Crosses The Finish Line in 2nd Place

2012-01-29T13:45:00.003-09:00

Ryne and the R&B team crossed the finish line at about 1:39 PM. They looked good-- though Cutter rode across the line in the sled bag--a bit sore from the run. For the "puppy" team these guys are doing GREAT!!!! They have real potential for their next race! Ryne is very happy with their overall run.

We'll post pictures of the finish from both teams as soon as we can--they are currently out of internet range but hopefully will be in later this afternoon.

ALIY MAKES IT TO THE FINISH LINE!!!

2012-01-29T13:29:00.002-09:00

Aliy just breezed into the Kershner's Cabin Checkpoint, and the Finish line of the Don BowersMemorial 300 Race! She arrived at 1:24 pm, to the cheering crowd! Okay it wasn't a crowd but they were cheering and excited to see her! The dogs are looking happy and a bit tired, but not wiped out, which is great news for the future long distance races.

We are looking for Ryne any time now! No word on where Dallas Seavey is at on the trail, so it could be a close race between Ryne and Dallas.

Waiting....Waiting....

2012-01-29T12:50:00.002-09:00

We are trying to wait patiently for our SP Kennel Teams, but it's really hard!! We expect them to roll into the finish line any time now. Wes says the truck is in position and ready for the dogs, and it's just him and the checker to watch the big moment. I assured him we are all waiting eagerly online to hear and see the finish.

Aliy and Ryne through Morgan's Cabin Checkpoint

2012-01-29T11:10:00.003-09:00

We have news that Aliy went through Morgan's Cabin Checkpoint around 10:30 AM this morning. We assume that Ryne is close behind her, as she has been all through the race-though we haven't heard Ryne's time through the checkpoint. We haven't heard Dallas' time either, so we don't know just how close the race is at this point.

This is the last checkpoint before the finish line at Kershner's Cabin. Previously, this leg took just over 2 hours for both Aliy and Ryne. We hope to see our SP Kennel teams reach Kershner's Cabin/Finish line in the next hour and a half or so.

Aliy and Ryne are through Nowhere checkpoint (3)

2012-01-29T06:36:00.003-09:00

Aliy and Ryne passed through the Nowhere Checkpoint for the final time. They were followed closely by Dallas Seavey. Since this is the last leg of the race, it's hard to say what the run times will be. We expect to see them arrive at Morgan's Cabin checkpoint around 9:30 AM at the earliest.

Aliy and Ryne first mushers into Eagle Quest Lodge

2012-01-28T20:40:00.010-09:00

Aliy caught everyone off guard with an early arrival at Eagle Quest Lodge in first place. She completed the 30 mile run in 2:40 and caused race officials and me to dart out of the lodge without gloves and mitts in -25 degree weather. Her official arrival time is 19:25 so will have an earliest departure time of 1:25am. She said it felt like 40 below out on the river and is looking forward to warming up.

She is delighted with the performance of Pud who has been in lead with Beemer for 197 miles now. Considering he missed all of last season, this is a very special comeback for Aliy. Also standing out in the team is Scooter who has the enthusiasm of Biscuit and Tatfish and is frustrated when they are not moving. This two year old is already fighting to justify a place in the first team.

Between Morgan Cabin and Nowhere Checkpoint Aliy and Ryne took 2hr breaks. Blowing right past them was Justin Savidis, winner of the Don Bowers Memorial 200. Aliy did not realize he was running the 200 and thought he had blown by her too. Her competitive spirit surfaced, and she focused on chasing him down and arrived at the Eagle Quest Lodge checkpoint 4 minutes behind him.

Ryne took a slightly longer break and arrived at the checkpoint at 20:19 with a team that looked like it wasn't ready for a break. She is pleased with her run and looking forward to a strong performance in the last leg of the race. She is out working on the feet and shoulders of her dogs so I don't have much more to tell you right now. She did say that Ranger and Mac are the most enthusiastic members of the team. She will be departing at 02:18 for her final run back to Kershner's checkpoint. Stormy and Ranger are still in lead and we will see if they finish this race in those positions. Ryne has some young dogs on her team like Boris and Mac, and others like Lester and Skittles, which have not had as many miles on them as other dogs. We will see if Ryne leaves with her full team or decides some of the dogs need a break.

Our next update will come to you tomorrow morning once Aliy and Ryne have moved through Nowhere Checkpoint.
Wes

Aliy Arrives in Willow

2012-01-28T19:28:00.002-09:00

Aliy is just rolling into the Eagle Quest Lodge Checkpoint in Willow. She will have a 6 hour rest layover there. More details once she has taken care of the dogs, and had time to catch her breath.

Aliy and Ryne Through Nowhere Checkpoint

2012-01-28T19:03:00.003-09:00

Both Aliy and Ryne passed through the Nowhere Checkpoint early this evening. Aliy breezed through about 4:45pm and Ryne around 5:35pm. They should arrive in Willow around 8:30 pm give or take a few minutes.

We will plan to post a more detailed report on the 200 mile race they have completed so far, when they have rested a bit at the Willow Checkpoint.

On the Trail

2012-01-28T12:26:00.002-09:00

Aliy went through the Morgan Checkpoint on her way South to Willow at 9:46 AM. Ryne went through a few minutes later at 10:02 AM. Both are now on the approximate 7 hour trip to the Nowhere Checkpoint. We don't anticipate hearing any updates until around 4:30 pm this evening from our SP Kennel teams. We may be able to post some photos this afternoon. Stay Tuned!

Aliy and Ryne in 1st and 2nd place after first 100 miles

2012-01-28T08:30:00.004-09:00

Both SP Kennel Teams continue to hold the 1st and 2nd place spots in the race after the first 100 miles.

Aliy arrived at Kersher's Cabin Checkpoint at 1:12 AM and left at 7:15 AM this morning with 12 dogs. She dropped Rambler, Roy,and Sissy. These were planned drops as the dogs needed the miles in their training routine, but were not up in miles to complete a full 300 mile race.

Ryne arrived in Kersher's Cabin at 1:31, and left at 7:31 AM with 11 dogs. Moonpie, Chemo, and Rose were left behind. Moonpie was having a great run until he stepped in a moose hole (we think), and now has a sore foot. The others were planned drops, as they were getting race miles and/or experience.

Both Ryne and Aliy had a good rest at the checkpoint and re-energized with food. Aliy said she was really happy with the trail since it's a new one for her. Both she and Ryne camped out along the trail for about 2.5 hours. The camping was so useful for the dogs they gave an extra thirty minutes between Nowhere and Hal Morgan's Cabin Checkpoints.

Aliy and Ryne are both headed back South to Willow. Wes is taking the dropped dogs back down to Willow where they will enjoy their breakfast and a nice bed of straw.

Race Update: Aliy and Ryne through Hal Morgan's Cabin Checkpoint

2012-01-27T23:05:00.003-09:00

Aliy was the first musher to pass through Hal Morgan's Cabin, a stop/go checkpoint along the trail, at 10:38pm. Ryne wasn't far behind at 10:48pm. We assume they stopped for a short rest somewhere along the trail between Nowhere Checkpoint and Morgan's cabin. Both seem to be doing fine, and are the first mushers to push up the trail to Kershner's cabin. We expect them to arrive at Kershner's around 12:30-1:00 AM, to begin their mandatory 6 hour rest.
We'll update you when they check out of Kershner's and hit the trail again.

Race Update: SP Kennel Teams 1st and 2nd after 1st stage

2012-01-27T18:54:00.005-09:00

Aliy and Ryne raced through the Nowhere checkpoint on their first leg of the race. Aliy and Dallas Seavey were the first to show up at the checkpoint, however looking at the standings board, Aliy and Ryne posted the fastest times on that stage of the race--2:48 and 2:57 respectively! Our SP Kennel teams are 1st and 2nd in this race after the first stage!
We are awaiting the next race report from the HAM radio operators. The mushers should reach "Hal Morgan's Cabin" checkpoint around 7:15 local time--about 15 minutes from now. We'll post the run times for our teams as soon as we know them.

Wes is driving the dog truck to the Kershner’s Cabin Checkpoint, where the mushers have a six hour layover.

And They're Off!

2012-01-27T14:15:00.008-09:00

Aliy with the Red Team and Ryne with the R&B team have departed Willow Lake, the starting point of the 2012 Don Bowers Memorial 300. It was a crisp -30 degrees during hook up but the sun is persistantly warming things up.

Aliy left with a team of 15 dogs with Beemer and Pud in Lead, Tony and Honda in Swing, and Viper and Bonita in Wheel.
Due to the ongoing debate in another post about the starting line up of Ryne's R&B team, here is the full lineout.
Ranger-Stormy;
Kipper -Lester;
Butterscotch - Spicy;
Skittles - Rose;
Moonpie - Tug;
Mac - Chemo
Boris - Cutter
For the first time this season we won't be the first to provide you with race updates. A couple of the checkpoints have no communication other than ham radio operators and they are going to be keeping everyone updated. We will relay information to you as soon as we get it.

We are going to see a slightly different tactic among mushers this race. There are reports of a very large number of moose in the area. Last night a cow and calf wandered right through the dog trucks in the parking area and made themselves at home infront of the Eagle Quest kitchen. Some mushers are informally agreeing to team up and travel in convoy in order to address any encounters as a group. We could see people checking in and out of checkpoints in groups.

Don Bowers starting bibs!

2012-01-26T21:48:00.002-09:00

Aliy goes out # 7!

Ryne goes out # 8!

Sounds like a good trail, good people and great dogs.

SP Kennel Teams arrive for the Don Bowers 300 Race

2012-01-26T16:48:00.003-09:00

Here are a few pictures of Aliy and Ryne on their way to the Race today. Check out the deep snow in Trapper Creek!

Don Bowers 300 Red & Black Team Roster

2012-01-26T04:00:00.003-09:00

Don Bowers 300 Red Team Roster

2012-01-26T04:00:00.001-09:00

Don Bowers Memorial Sled Dog Race

2012-01-24T04:00:00.001-09:00

The Don Bowers 200/300 Sled Dog Race is new to the SP Kennel racing schedule. We are excited to race on some different trails and meet some new sled dog enthusiasts.

The race has a well thought out, simple format:

It starts noon on Friday, January 27 th at the Willow Community Center
There is a 102 mile leg to a private cabin (the Kershner's cabin) where there is 6 hour layover
Then the same reverse 102 mile leg brings the route back into Willow and another 6 hour layover at Eagle Quest Lodge
The final 100 mile leg travel along the old Iditarod Trail, along several local rivers and back to the finish at Eagle Quest Lodge

There are currently 11 mushers signed up for the event - two of which are Aliy and Ryne. It might not be the most popular race in Alaska, but it's going to be FUN!

Allen, Wendy and the 14 Yukon Quest Dogs will stay in Two Rivers to train and keep the kennel operation running. Aliy, Ryne, Wes and the rest of the SP Kennel racing dogs will head to Willow on Thursday.

Wes has an important handler role during the race. He will be able to meet the teams at the 100 and 200 mile mark. At these layovers, we will be dropping dogs from each team. We have several dogs who, due to previous injuries, are behind in training miles. But, this is a perfect method to add them back into the "racing pool" for Iditarod. These dogs are Rose (sore foot from toenail), Rambler (frost nip), Roy (illness), Moonpie (sore bicep) and JJ (sore tricep). The plan is to certainly race this event, but bring all dogs along while doing it. The fact that there is a maximum dog limit of 16 per team will enable us to race almost the entire kennel in either the Don Bowers or the Yukon Quest.

Information about the Don Bowers Race can be found on:

www.SPKDogLog.com

www.DonBowersMemorialRace.org

Facebook

We will post the Don Bowers 300 dog team rosters on Thursday.

Wes and Wendy's Weather 7

2012-01-23T04:00:00.002-09:00

It's a nice and balmy 4 below as I am sitting here writing this. Temperatures dropped to 50 below here while we were away at the Copper Basin 300 and we all came back to frozen pipes. Now, it has warmed up enough that we can take dogs out for training runs in the afternoons. But, at night time, it gets cold all over again. Temperatures are expected to be between 10 - 30 below for the next week or so. Brrrrrr.

Wendy and I had a great time at the Copper Basin 300. I was shadowing Ray Crowe, Allen's handler, trying to watch and learn from him what it takes to be a good handler. Wendy kept the SPK Dog Log and "Facebook" posts as up to date as she could. We certainly hope you guys appreciated it and felt informed throughout the race.

Here are some things I learnt from Ray during this race:

Get to the next checkpoint early and choose a truck parking spot that is
easy to get out of. If someone parks in front of you and you can't get out
you can be late to the next checkpoint and mess up your musher.
First thing is walk the incoming and outgoing trails at the checkpoint.
Identify where the food drops, straw, hot water (if any) are so you can
relay this to your musher.
If you are able to choose a dog parking space and spaces are not pre-assigned, identify which places are away from other dog teams, close to time checkers, close to food drops or water, close to the exit trail. When the musher comes in you can quickly determine their parking preference and lead them to the right spot.
If melting snow for cooking is required, find the best snow
Record the official arrival time and help the musher keep track of mandatory
rest periods. If there is no checker stationed at the checkpoint exit, make
sure you know where they are plenty of time before the musher wishes to
checkout. Musher's usually must check out in person but they don't need to
waste time hunting someone down.
Note changes in trail routes and conditions and make sure the musher is
aware of anything important.
Track run times, rest times, and dog count of key competitors and brief
musher.
Don't forget why you are there and don't let yourself get distracted.

The most technically challenging checkpoint on Copper Basin 300 that we encountered was the Sourdough checkpoint. The food drops were easy to identify however there were no trail markers and we could not identify where the outgoing trail was. The timekeepers checkpoint was far up a hill and nowhere near the food drops and just as far from the musher's sleeping cabin. All these factors were key in determining the best parking spaces for our mushers. Parking the dogs near the food drops would be easy for the mushers since they wouldn't have to carry straw and heavy food bags up the hill. However parking the dogs near the checkers would enable the mushers to make a time efficient exit. In the end, it was not an issue since the trailbreakers and dog teams could not make it through from Meier's Lake.

My big bungle of the race was back at Paxson lodge the previous evening. Knowing that Allen and Aliy would soon be checking out, I went to find the timekeepers so that they would be aware that someone was shortly coming to check out. The checkers had moved down to the other end of the runway since Allen and Aliy first came in and that is where I found the checkpoint officials. I let the checkers know that mushers were soon coming to checkout. I then went and informed Allen and Aliy where to officially "sign out". BUT ... apparently once Allen got there, he was sent somewhere else to checkout. Aliy did the exact same thing 30 minutes later! In a race where mandatory rest is recorded in 30 minute increments, there is no rest credit for wandering around for 10 minutes trying to find a checker. Considering that the 2011 Sheep Mountain 150 was won by only 20 seconds, you can see how important it is not to send your musher to the wrong place to check out. Opps!

All in all, it was a great educational experience and I feel pretty well prepared for our next race this weekend.

Kusko 300

2012-01-22T12:58:00.003-09:00

Congrats Rohn Buser on your win!

When you are named after an Iditarod Checkpoint, perhaps sled dog racing is in your blood??

Packing for the Yukon Quest

2012-01-19T22:32:00.001-09:00

Pictures from the CB300

2012-01-17T11:04:00.005-09:00

Doug harnesses Moxie at the Start

The brothers, Tatfish and Biscuit, wait at Paxson for snacks

Dingle and Beemer wait patiently at the starting line

We have gotten a lot of comments about the red leggings so here is a quick explanation:

The red leggings are protecting the dog's hind wrist area. There is a strange phenomenon that happens at a specific temperature and when there is a great deal of snow on the trail. What happens is snow will start to accumulate on their wrists and if we don't stop to get it off (often) it balls up in an icicle. If it stays there too long it will freeze onto the hairs of their wrists and when the ice finally falls off the hair does as well. Then you have hairless husky wrists. THEN if you run these hairless dogs in the same conditions it could frost bite the area with no hair.

The temperatures at the Sheep Mountain 150 did not favor this condition, thankfully. But, when we trained on the Denali Highway there was a "perfect storm" for these "chicken legs" to begin. We had brought all of our leggings/wristers, so we were prepared, but we still a few dogs lose some hair. Anyhow, when we got home from this training event, we bought almost 4 yards of fabric and Wendy spent 3 days sewing, lacing and tying enough legging for every dog on the CB 300. We dressed almost everybody up just to err on the side of caution and we were very happy that we did so.

They do look stylish, but they are practical as well.

2012 Copper Basin 300 Recap

2012-01-16T00:00:00.001-09:00

I will have to admit we are very bummed that things did not work out at the Copper Basin 300 this season. This is a race that SP Kennel really looks forward to annually.

However, the cancelation of this year's race was the absolute correct decision by the Race Marshal.

The first 75 miles of the race trail were exactly as I expected them - a slow, snow laden race trail. I then left the Meier's Lake Checkpoint and in the first 5 or 6 miles, I noticed many craters in the snow about the size of a snow machine. It was very obvious that the trail crew was struggling in all the deep snow and wind drifts.

I really began to have my doubts about the trail when I came head on with three of the lead trail breaking snow machines headed the wrong direction - one was being towed. After passing them, I came across a sled full of race markers parked along the side of the trail - obviously discarded as too much weight. Then I repeatedly saw areas where machines had struggled for hours in deep snow. I even saw where someone had used snow shoes to break out the trail in front of the machines. (Now, that's what you call "man power".) Then about a dozen miles from Meier's Lake Checkpoint, I came up on dog teams in the trail, stopped.

I knew the answer, before I even asked. "Are you guys moving ahead?" "Nope. All of the teams are stopped in front of us."

So, I parked my team in the line of dog teams and walked ahead. I asked the guys ahead of me what they knew. They knew nothing, except we were stopped. I was a lot more curious than that, so I walked ahead to find out more.

I could not walk on the side of the trail. The trail was only as wide as a snow machine track (about 15 inches). Luckily, my footstep would only sink 6 inches to 8 inches when I walked directly in the center of the trail, but if I stepped off to the side, I would sink up to my hips. So, in order to get in front of all these teams, I had to walk over the backs of resting dogs. Not something I would do normally.

I came up to a team with no musher and recognized John Shandelmeier's outfit. Another musher told me that John was up ahead with the trail breakers helping find the trail. These are John's backyard trails and he knows them better than anyone.

From this vantage, I could now see several people and two snow machines desperately trying to climb a snow ladden hill about 100 yards up the valley. They could not make it, even following a snow shoe trail. The machine would rev up, start the climb and over and over, fail to make it's goal.

I walked over several more dog teams and came upon Biscuit and Tafish with the rest of the Black Team. Allen and Brent Sass were standing there. They immediately asked me how many teams were behind us. I said about 7, but more were coming. They said that they had thought about turning around but it was becoming more of a difficult prospect as teams lined up. Up ahead of them were Gerry Willomitzer and Jake Berkowitz. So, there were at least a dozen dog teams now parked on a tiny trail with no shelter or communication, at 40 degrees below zero, just waiting. And the lead teams had been there almost 4 hours.

From what Brent and Allen knew, there had been a base trail for most of the course. But, on some of the ridges and valleys, there was absolutely no previous sign of it. The machines were bottoming out and had been since they had arrived. We would hear a machine rev up and quickly die ..... over and over and over. It was heart breaking. They said Jake, who was currently the lead musher, had already turned around to head back to Meiers Lake and then turned back around when John thought he might be able to help find the trail.

I stood there for a while, but it was very cold. I have a "survival instinct" that kicks in at these temperatures and so I needed to build a fire. I walked back to my sled sharing the news that the lead teams had been here 4 hours, the snow machines were trying, now with John's help, but from my vantage point, the race was looking grim. I spoke my mind and some mushers listened and to others, it was like talking to a brick wall. These guys were here to race and nothing was going to keep them from it. "Hummm," I thought to myself, "I bet no trail might hinder you a little."

From the outset, I acknowledged the obvious: we were going to have to turn around. The sooner the better. But, it is hard to convince a group of racers to look at the obvious situation. So, a few of us built a fire, I put on my snow shoes and went to get some bigger wood to burn. We might as well be warm! As this unfolded, more teams continued to file in one after another.

At one point I did hear the snow machines accomplish their goal and get over the small ridge. Then I heard no engines for a while - this was either good or bad. Eventually, we learned that it was bad. There was no Copper Basin 300 trail for us. John walked back from the trail breaking attempt to turn his dog team around.

Whether it was the right decision or not, I was going to start turning teams around. That means turning around all 12 dogs and a sled in a trail that is only 15 inches wide. The dogs, of course, can't leave before their musher is ready. But, a musher won't leave before their dogs are ready. Patience is key. Luckily, there were some helpful mushers out there.

I reached the end of the line of teams as the 19th team just pulled in - it was Ryne! I barely let her get off her sled when I told her that we were turning her team around. I asked her to return to Meier's Lake and tell every team that she encountered that they had to turn around as well. (I only thought about this huge responsibility later and I'm glad she knows when to take me seriously. Because as she ran into every musher head on, she relayed this news. None of them wanted to turn around just on her word, but they all did.)

After I turned Ryne around, we started in reverse order... team after team after team. I helped turn around 8 teams before it was my turn. After that, I had to go to.

The nine remaining teams were not too far behind us.

The Race organization somehow got word to our handlers to get our trucks ready. Every Copper Basin team was checked in and then loaded into its respective dog truck or camping spot. We then all amassed inside the lodge to wait of the news from the Race. Then, apparently after a long deliberation, the Copper Basin 300 was canceled.

I do want to say what a shame it is that so much effort went into a trail that Mother Nature demolished quite easily. Allen had run into Bruno, the head trail boss, in December and he was already laying in a base trail. We really would like to thank both Bruno and Darrin who we know did the absolute best that they could, as well, as the National Guard snow machiners. We also know that there were other snow machiners out whose names we do not know but helped all the same. It is sad to see your efforts vanish with the wind. And lastly, thanks to John, who put in a last ditch effort.

Now, I have heard some silly rumors that some folks believe that I should have "toughed it out" and put on my snow shoes for 30 miles at 40 below and put in my own race trail. But, you are simply wrong. I certainly have the ability to do that - and have done so on many camping trips, North Slope adventures or training events but this was a race. In saying that, please remember that I am mentally prepared for a race, my sled is packed for racing conditions, as is my personal gear. I was not carrying the extra 75 pounds of dog food, fuel, camping gear and personal equipment that I would want if I knew that I would be out breaking trail for 30 miles.

So, anyone who cares to take a hard core attempt at trail breaking or thinks that the Copper Basin Trailbreakers are "sissies", I welcome you to try your luck.

Here are some simple directions:

Come to Alaska.
Drive to Meier's Lake Lodge on the Richardson Highway
Take the trail from the lodge off to the Southwest
Follow this trail for 12 miles until you come to it's end
Start snow shoeing
Call us when you are done and we'll have a race!

2012 Copper Basin 300 Cancelled

2012-01-15T09:03:00.003-09:00

A mushers meeting has been held at Meiers Lake Lodge and we were informed by the race marshall that they can see no practical and safe way of resuming this race. All mushers, handlers, dogs and trucks are now headed home. Our team is planning to sleep four hours before driving back home.

Thanks for following the SP Kennel teams in this race and we look forward to bringing you coverage of our next race.

Allen Back in Meier's Lake Checkpoint

2012-01-15T08:02:00.003-09:00

Allen and his team arrived back in Meier's Lake checkpoint. The trail started getting bad about 12 miles out from the checkpoint. Allen says even the snow machines were getting stuck. More updates from the mushers after they have rested a bit.

Aliy back in Meier's Lake

2012-01-15T07:49:00.002-09:00

Aliy has arrived back at the checkpoint and the dogs are napping in their nice straw boxes.

R&B Start

2012-01-15T07:39:00.000-09:00

Copper Basin 300 Start Musher interviews

2012-01-15T07:31:00.000-09:00

Update from the Trail!

2012-01-15T07:21:00.002-09:00

Just talked to the crew at Sourdough. Ryne met up with Aliy and Allen on the trail. There is a large group of mushers camped out just as the trail becomes impassable. They are feeding and resting the dogs before heading back. Everyone is SAFE!!!!

The race officials are meeting about how to handle the situation right now. Most likely they will send out snow mobiles to talk to the mushers. These snow conditions are very difficult for snow machines though so it may take a bit to get out to the teams. Dogs and sleds tend to deal with the deep snow better than the heavier machines.

We will keep you updated, but know that everyone is SAFE!

Videos from Start

2012-01-15T07:19:00.001-09:00

Earlier videos were not coming up. Wendy is working hard to upload them again. The first one is up. More to come.

Enjoy.

Update

2012-01-15T07:14:00.001-09:00

We have a handler waiting at Sourdough in case Aliy or Allen push through the deep snow. Ray is waiting and has a Sat Phone. Will keep you updated.

Copper Basin 300 Intro and handlers.m4v

2012-01-15T07:08:00.000-09:00

Ryne Back at Meier Lake

2012-01-15T06:42:00.001-09:00

Ryne has arrived back at Meier Lake and is fine. Her dogs are being fed and loaded into their straw boxes for a rest.

Copper Basin300 Temporarily suspended

2012-01-15T06:23:00.002-09:00

It's never boring in the dog sled racing world! The Copper Basin 300 race marshall has temporarily suspended the race between the Meier Lake and Sourdough checkpoints. The trail between these two points has apparently been blown over with about 5 feet of snow. Though it has been clear for the past few days, and no fresh snow, it is soft snow and the wind just blows it like down fluff. The reports are of course changing by the minute and depending on who you talk to.

The SP Kennel team had all passed the Meier Lake Checkpoint at various times during the early morning hours of Sunday. Allen left Meier Lake around 1:20 AM Aliy around 1:50 AM, and Ryne passed without resting-checking in and moving through.

The trail breakers met the mushers as they entered the hills and advised them to turn around back to Meier Lake. The mushers are on their way back to Meier Lake where the dogs will be fed and put back into the trucks for a rest. There is not enough room at the checkpoint to keep all the dog teams out in the yard. It is unclear how the race will proceed from this point forward.

Ray has headed to Sourdough with a dog food supply just in case any of the SP Kennel teams makes it through to Sourdough checkpoint.

We'll keep you updated as we know it.

Ryne Resting in Paxson Checkpoint

2012-01-15T00:58:00.002-09:00

Ryne continues to rest in Paxson Checkpoint. Her dogs and she are resting well after eating snacks. Ryne, of course, enjoyed a hamburger and fries and not frozen salmon.

Aliy Arrives in Meier's Lake Checkpoint

2012-01-15T00:29:00.003-09:00

Aliy arrived shortly behind Allen into the Meier's Lake Checkpoint at 23:28 pm. She and the dogs are resting now. The dogs are looking frisky--Moxie and Fang are playing with their straw-- before they settle down to sleep.

CB300 Allen and Aliy Interviews

2012-01-15T00:18:00.003-09:00

Listen to Allen and Aliy as they discuss their race preparations before the start, and their hopes for

this race.

CB300 2012 Ryne Starting out from Chistochina

2012-01-14T23:59:00.003-09:00

Ryne headed out of the starting line and on to the trail at Chistochina. (video quality is low to speed up uploading and downloading)

CB300 Start--Handler Introduction

2012-01-14T23:27:00.003-09:00

Here are some video clips of the Copper Basin 300 Start from earlier today. Enjoy!

Allen Arrives in Meier's Lake

2012-01-14T23:18:00.002-09:00

Allen arrived at Meier's Lake Checkpoint at 22:48 pm tonight. Dogs are running well and had a quick run over the lake. They are enjoying their snacks at the moment. They are resting up for the next section of trail which has several steep climbs and sharp descents.

We expect Aliy to be into the checkpoint any time now.

Aliy and Allen leave paxson

2012-01-14T21:34:00.002-09:00

Allen and Aliy left paxson to continue their journey to Meier lake.

Allen left at 9:00pm with Quito and scout in lead.

Aliy left at 9:22pm with Beemer and dingle in lead. Ryne is resting her team and will head out later.

Paxson Checkpoint updates

2012-01-14T19:15:00.006-09:00

Both the Red and the Black teams are in to the Paxson checkpoint. Allen came in second only a minute or two behind the first musher. Aliy was the 4th musher into the checkpoint. She came in 22 minutes behind Allen. The dogs are running strong and tails were wagging as they came into the checkpoint. Allen says "The run was beautiful, probably one of the most pretty runs I've ever had", though it was a slower run then last year

Aliy's Red team is running well. Though on the river crossing it was nearly -40 she reckons. She said the trail breakers had done a really good job and the trail was clear. The sunset was a fantastic pink over the sky, and it was a great run. Beemer is doing fantastic. Tony and Nutmeg are setting the example for the other dogs to follow. Pud is back to his prime! She's happy with her race so far, and the dogs are currently devouring all their snacks.

Ryne's Red and Black team came in about 1 hour after the other SP Kennel teams. She's happy with her steady pace. They are still barking and ready to go!

CB300 UPDATE --- ALLEN'S IN!!!!!

2012-01-14T18:34:00.002-09:00

Allen just rolled into Paxson at 6:29 pm Alaska time. He's the first of the mushers into the Paxson checkpoint. We are eagerly awaiting Aliy who can't be far behind!!

We'll post pictures and musher updates about the trail when they all get in and resting at the lodge.

Copper Basin 300 2012 Start photos

2012-01-14T14:58:00.004-09:00

Here are some of the first photos of the race start this afternoon. We are working on some video clips as well, to post throughout the day. We'll try to get these up from Paxson lodge (Fingers crossed!) We'll continue with race coverage throughout the next few days as well. Stay Tuned!

AND THEY ARE OFF!

2012-01-14T13:10:00.000-09:00

All of the SP Kennel teams are on the trail. Aliy left in the 5th slot, Allen went out in the 6th slot and Ryne headed out in the 22nd position. The start was very smooth for all of our teams. The SP dogs are sporting long leggings to protect their legs in the deep snow. The announcers are commenting on them, calling them "socks".

Now the teams will be heading over the mountains to Paxson. The trail will take them up, winding through the trees, across a few rivers and streams, to the top of the world along the Alaska Pipeline and finally down into Paxson. It is typical to have a bit of open water and overflow on this difficult section of trail.

Wendy hopes to get some good pictures up soon.

Listen to CB300 Start

2012-01-14T07:16:00.000-09:00

Not going to be able to get to Chistochina, Alaska for the start of the 2012 Copper Basin 300? Listen to a live stream on KCAM 720 AM of the start beginning at 11:30 am AST.

http://208.43.60.66:9070/listen.pls

Or go to www.kcam.org and click on STREAM button in left hand corner.

Copper Basin 300 Red & Black Team Roster

2012-01-13T07:47:00.001-09:00

Copper Basin 300 Black Team Roster

2012-01-13T07:47:00.000-09:00

Copper Basin 300 Red Team Roster

2012-01-13T07:46:00.000-09:00

Copper Basin 300 Handlers

2012-01-12T13:00:00.000-09:00

The Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race requires a hardy bunch of dog handlers. The dog race begins at noon on Saturday and from there the dog teams race the 300-mile course over mountains and across frozen rivers. The more competitive teams will rest their dog teams (and themselves) a total of 18 hours during the event. These rest stops are split up among the 6 checkpoints.

The handler crew will be waiting at each checkpoint for their team to either stop and rest or pass through. Hopefully the handlers will know beforehand what the team's proposed "race schedule" is, but of course, anything can happen in a dog race. The crew is critical in parking the team (very important in a race with almost 60 teams - there are no designated spots!) They will also let the musher know details about the checkpoint and the race route (where water is, no trail ahead, trail re-routed, etc.) They will watch the team as the musher sleeps and then lead the team back out onto the trail when they are ready to go. At that point, they need to clean up all of the dog's straw bedding and left over dog food. They will also take any dropped dogs from the team. Of course, then, they have to jump in the truck and make it to the next checkpoint BEFORE the musher arrives!

Ray at Bob wait for their team several years ago at Copper Basin 300

One problem is that there is no way to know the exact travel time along the race trail, so the handlers will estimate and "guessimate", to try and be ready when their team swerves around the corner and into the checkpoint. This means that a nearly constant sentinel will be standing at the entrance to the checkpoint at all times (day and night) waiting for their team. This will happen whether it is warm, cold, dark or light. The weather for the Copper basin area doesn't look too bad right now:

Luckily, we have a rugged bunch of Copper Basin Handlers!

The Black Team will be Ray handling for Allen. Wes will be Ray's back up as a rookie CB300 handler.
The Red Team will be Doug and Bob handling for Aliy. Doug, who is flying in directly from Florida might take the "warm shifts", while Bob who has been acclimated to Two Rivers all winter.
The R & B Team will be Derek handling for Ryne. Derek helped on the Sheep Mountain 150 and has become a valuable SP Kennel team member.
Wendy will be updating the website as best as possible. Phone and internet are sporadic (as is electricity) in this part of Alaska. She will try to be in communication with all of the handlers and keep an update rolling.
The "cheering section" will be Jacob and Timber - as well as Jennifer and Bridgett. Bridgett has threatened to get on the sled runners at the last minute, but we are holding her off until next season.

If this sounds like a heck of a SP Kennel Crew.... it is! But, remember, we also have 36 fantastic dogs to add to the mix.

Copper Basin 300 Overview 2012

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000-09:00

The Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog race begins on Saturday January 14th in Chistochina, Alaska. The CB300 is known for it's mountainous terrain, rugged trail conditions and, often times, large amounts of snowfall. From year to year, the race route and the conditions vary - which generally makes the CB300 a challenge. The general route is the same (map below), but the direction and start/finish change yearly.

SP Kennel considers CB300 a "true test" of our season of training, the dogs' fitness and a musher's savvy. This will be the 10th year we will be competing in the event. Some years we have had great finishes and other years Lady Luck has not played in our favor.

With a nearly full field of 55 teams, the 2012 Copper Basin 300 will be a heck of a race. The winner of this season's GinGin 200, Brent Sass, is entered, as is the 2012 winner of the Knik 200, Jake Berkowitz. There are many more teams of note that will be at the starting line.

You will be able to follow the race at :

On this website or

www.CB300.com or

the CB300 Facebook Page

SP Kennel will have three teams in the event: Allen, Aliy & Ryne with their respective 12 dog teams. The exact team rosters will be posted on Friday morning. Last minute decisions are still in the works, as well as one more pre-race training run.

Allen will have predominantly the same team as was the Red Team at Sheep Mountain 150 this past December. Aliy's and Ryne's teams consist of many dogs that have not yet raced this season. We are conscientiously trying to give every SP Kennel dog a chance to race.

So.... look out! We are off to the races!

Winding through the Trees

2012-01-10T15:02:00.003-09:00

Our training runs are always exciting.

Some of the trails that we travel on are fit predominately for dog teams (and a few hardy cross country skiers.) As you will see in this video, the narrow winding trail would be difficult for a snow machine or any other motorized vehicle to maneuver.

You will notice, with a team of 14 sled dogs, it is challenging to see the entire string. But, with Beemer and Scruggs up front, and Dingle and Pud in swing, the team was confident we would get where we needed to go. As we wind through the forest, you can see the leaders already turning around the next bend!

I watched this footage in regular speed, then fast and then slow. I thought it was pretty neat at all speeds..... so, enjoy!

And Mystery Dog Number 6?

2012-01-10T09:14:00.003-09:00

Li'l Debbie!

Guess That SPK Dog Week 6!

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-09:00

Since each dog at the kennel has their own personality and history, we thought it'd be fun to see how well the SPK followers know the athletes. Every other Monday, we'll post "Guess that SPK Dog" at 1:00 PM EST, and the first correct answer posted in the website comment box wins a SP Kennel t-shirt! Limited one shirt per person.

Game #6 Dog Clues

1. I'm a natural on the treadmill.

2. I'll eat anything and everything in sight, making my name appropriate.

3. Some say I run like a priss, but I'll do it all the way to Nome!

Who am I?

SP Kennel Howler -- CB300 & Yukon Quest Edition

2012-01-06T01:05:00.000-09:00

It's here! The 2012 CB300 & Yukon Quest Edition of "Howler" -- the SP Kennel newsletter! Click the image below to open the PDF file in your web browser, then read it online and/or print it for later reference!

A Rookie's View on Winter Gear

2012-01-04T18:47:00.000-09:00

With my first 1,000-mile race fast approaching, I’m rethinking all my previous winter gear. Three pairs of work gloves might last me a 300-mile race, but what if I have 700 more miles to go after that? Or what will I do if my clothes are soaked from kicking and poling, and I have another campout before my next checkpoint? How many booties will the dog team need for 1,000 miles? I’ve always had the mindset of two days in the arctic wilderness....not two weeks.

One of the biggest changes to my winter wardrobe is the switch to Northern Outfitters gear. Previously, I used Mountain Hardware Compressor Pants and one of Aliy’s old parkas. The compressor pants are incredibly warm and a favorite for around the dog yard; unfortunately, once soaked, they lose all heat retention. The problem is after one section of overflow or a couple good hills, you're soaked to the base layer and hoping for a warm checkpoint. Solution? Northern Outfitters.

Northern Outfitters have the unique capability of keeping you warm, yet also wicking away any moisture. Essentially you're wearing a big sponge that soaks all moisture from your body and transports it to the outside of the shell, keeping you nice and toasty. While it does feel a bit as if you're wearing one big puffy diaper, Allen can attest to the usefulness of the material when he found himself in knee-deep overflow. Rather then having to change his pants and boots, he simply took them off, wrung them out, then continued down the trail as warm as before. Few types of gear are as effective when wet.

So with the human gear now covered, how is 1,000 miles different for dog gear?
The first shock was the number of dog boots needed to run over 1,000 miles. Sixteen dogs times four feet per dog times 21ish runs....that's fourteen hundred booties! Ok, booties check.
Most of the other gear like harnesses or dog jackets I'll just carry in my sled and will last the entire race. However, dog tosses (fleece blankets that are laid over a pair of dogs while they're resting) are sent out to each checkpoint. Thanks to Barbara Boucher's class, I now have enough tosses, complete with race reminders and motivational comments written on each one! Thank you!!

Slowly but surely, I'm accumulating the gear needed for a 1,000-mile race (or at least what I think I'll need). Luckily, Aliy and Allen's experience provide a good idea of what might be useful and how the gear differs depending on the length and type of race. I just have to remember that even with all their advice, the term 'rookie mistakes' was coined for a reason!

Wes and Wendy's Weather Six

2012-01-02T20:11:00.013-09:00

Happy New Year!!! (This is our foster SP Kennel dog Hank in his New Year's Hat)
The New Year has arrived with a cold snap. It's been down to 45 Below and we could see temperatures remain like this for the next few days. The long term forecast does indicate that the cold snap will ease but won't get above 0 any time soon. The dogs are curled up in their houses and are resting from last week's training session along the Denali Highway. It's time to resume their training and if it doesn't warm up here a bit then we will look for an alternative training area.
Last week I (Wes) participated in my first multi-leg training run with SP Kennel. We loaded 45 dogs into the trucks and drove to Paxson Lodge. There we unloaded, hooked up and headed 42 miles up the Denali Highway to theMaclaren River Lodge. Mushers, including Aliy and Allen, experience great hospitality at the Lodge for humans and canines making it a favorite training area. It was a comfortable 10 degrees but wind gusts, poor visibility, and snow drifts warned that it would not be a straight forward run. It ended up being the toughest run of my short mushing career.

The first 20 miles involved steep climbs and wind gusts. I was expecting this and it went alright. However, knowing that Allen and Aliy are professionals, I knew that their run would be determined by how well I kept up. I put everything into kicking and poling to ensure I didn't slow them down. We started to hit snowdrifts around mile 20, and it was exhausting. Keeping up suddenly became a lot more work. Often, I would jump off and run alongside the sled for the duration of the drifts. At one point, I jumped off the sled to run beside it and immediately sank up to my waist in snow. Unable to keep up, I grabbed the handle bar tightly and dragged behind the sled. I tried to pull my knees up onto the runners but it didn't work. I finally managed to tip the sled which brought the team to a halt and I climbed back on. There was actually no way I could help the dogs; I couldn't kick or run because the snow was so soft and deep. Ranger was in lead for Ryne, and right behind me. He was continually sniffing my heels, barking and encouraging me. Roughly translated his barks were "Git on up there now!" and "Let's go!" These are brave dogs and although I had the young ones; they quickly got the idea that running is not always hard, flat trails and they responded fantastically.

After a 6 hour run, we arrived at the Maclaren River Lodge and I was as tired as I have ever been. We immediately snacked the dogs and started soaking kibble for a feeding. We put straw down for the dogs so they could nap and then went up to our cabin to rest. Being exhausted, I removed my boots, my outer clothing, unfolded my sleeping bag, and climbed into my bag. After 25 seconds of rest, Aliy got up and announced "Time to go feed the dogs". I got out of my bag, dressed and went out to help feed the dogs. The next morning Aliy gave me the day off. They re-shuffled the teams and she, Allen and Ryne took larger teams on an extended run. Our return went much quicker but did bring its own set of challenges with it. The trail we had broken had hardened and was more firm on our return. However, due to a misunderstanding with the schedule and route of the Gin Gin 200 race, we found ourselves passing head-on with the racers. Most of these mushers I had only seen on You Tube clips. It was great to finally see them in real life. Though my momentary encounter with professional musher Hugh Neff didn’t go so well. I was persistently kicking and poling uphill while he flew down from the other direction. As he passed, he leaned out for a fist pump and yelled in encouragement, "You Go Girl!" It’s time for me to stop shaving!

Though a difficult trip, it is the highlight of my mushing experience to date. I am hungry for more and am rapidly getting addicted to this way of life.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:16:00.004-09:00

May this coming year be safe and fruitful and

may your fluffy tail always keep your nose warm during a snow storm!

Denali Highway and Maclaren Lodge

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-09:00

Training the SP Kennel dogs involves much more than simply running them mile after mile. The veteran dogs know the basic routine, but just like us mushers .... practice makes perfect. The young dogs need to learn. A lot. Therefore, we train in different trail conditions, weather conditions and terrain. At times, this means leaving our comfy home in Two Rivers with our well traveled trails.

This past week, we packed up the entire SP Kennel crew (minus Wendy, the puppies and a few retired dogs) and headed south to the Denali Highway. This highway is not plowed in the winter, so Alaska Route 8, is actually a snow machine and dog team "highway" from November until April. It is 134 miles in length and connects Paxson to Cantwell (two booming Alaska bush communities with populations, 22 and 200, respectively.) We drove to the Paxson side since one of our favorite spots on the highway is only 42 miles from there - Maclaren River Lodge. Susie and Alan always have a camping spot for our dogs, a warm cabin, hot coffee and homemade meals. It's almost like we didn't leave home!

The dog training went well. We ran the first 42 mile leg in the dark and dealt with small snow drifts and 30 mph wind gusts. The dogs acted like pros and pulled us through every obstacle. Even the youngsters who hadn't seen much wind or white out conditions acted professionally.

The next leg was a challenge. Allen and Aliy took two 14 dog teams and broke trail for 28 miles. At times we traveled no more than 4 mph in deep, wind blown snow. These two teams would rotate lead every 30 minutes in order to keep the trail breaking enthusiasm going. It worked great! After a short break, we turned back and "cruised" back over our freshly broken trail. We were pretty happy to be the ones to benefit from this trail breaking endeavor! The same day, Ryne, took the younger dogs down this freshly broken trail. She and the dogs enjoyed the sunshine and gorgeous mountains scenery. Watch this video and you will see the love and joy that these SP Kennel dogs have for their mushers!

The final leg was the 42 mile run back to Paxson. We knew that the Gin Gin 200 Race had started just south of Paxson, but we were told that the route would bypass the highway for the first 8 miles. We were surprised when we passed every race team in the event the last 8 miles of our training run. We knew that the trail conditions were not favorable for a fast race, so we wished all the teams "Good Luck" as we passed.

The Denali Highway, winter or summer, is a magnificent Alaskan place!

Sammy the Musher

2011-12-29T11:00:00.001-09:00

And Mystery Dog Number 5?

2011-12-29T09:08:00.002-09:00

DINGLE!

Guess That SPK Dog Week 5!

2011-12-26T09:00:00.003-09:00

(The answer and winners will be posted on Thursday instead of tomorrow. I apologize for the delay, but we're escaping the cold interior for the warmer Denali Highway. The next couple nights, we'll be away training and staying at Maclaren River Lodge!)

Game #5 Dog Clues

1. I've been Allen's main 1000-mile lead dog since I was two.

2. Bridgett wanted to name me Silver.

3. All my siblings are leaders.

Who am I?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:19:00.004-09:00

From our house to yours.......

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Enjoy the friends, family and loved ones who make life so special.

All our best,

Aliy & Allen

Wes and Wendy's Weather Five

2011-12-22T21:30:00.000-09:00

It's great weather for the mushers right now, but the current 20 degrees might be a bit warm for the dogs. Fortunately for them, there's a lot of fresh snow available for dipping. We have a chance of snow every day for the next 7 days and this should ensure that the trails are great for the next month of training. But, temperatures will start to fall this weekend and could get as low as -40 again; a sharp reminder that we are officially into winter.

We are back in Two Rivers after an exciting weekend at the Sheep Mountain 150, which turned out to be a real glove biter. We are straight back into dog training with the Sheep Mountain dogs getting a gentle stretch out, and the ones that stayed behind picking up their regular training schedules.

Allen and Wes keep the Red Team lined out in Eureka

Sheep Mountain was Wendy and my first ever dog race. It gave us the chance to observe the logistics of race preparation, transporting two teams across the state, and what handlers can do to ensure a smoother race for the mushers. We watched and learned from Allen and got a good idea of what we need to do to support our three teams in the upcoming Copper Basin 300.

One of the key things that we learned was how tiring and sleepless it was to do absolutely nothing. The rules of the Sheep Mountain 150 permitted handlers to do nothing but pass on useful information to the musher and keep an eye on the dogs while the musher rested. Keeping an eye on dogs involved ensuring that dogs didn't chew any lines, get pregnant, or get involved in altercations.

With this race, it was the threat of dog altercations that ended up being the biggest risk. Aliy's team's designated resting spot was very close to the Eureka checkpoint entrance. Aliy was the first racer in from leg two, and therefore immediately fed and bedded her dogs. They soon tried to sleep. But, since the dogs were so close to the checkpoint entrance, incoming dog teams would run in and turn a corner while the musher slammed on their brake to converse with the checker. These dogs, having been stopped and hearing no instruction from their musher, sometimes assumed that they had taken the wrong trail and would start moving, trying to find the right trail. On more than one occasion, dogs meandered over Aliy's sleeping team. Fortunately none of these encounters ended badly. However, with 45 teams coming in, it didn't take Wendy or I long to figure out that whenever we saw a headlamp coming in, one of us needed to stand near the sleeping dogs to make sure that the incoming dog teams did not wander into our team.

When there were no SP Kennel teams at a checkpoint, we were busy trying to update the Dog Log and Facebook page. Many of you may have noticed this didn't always go as planned. However, we hope that you felt relatively up to date.

Sitting back in Sheep Mountain Lodge waiting for the winner to cross the finish line was nerve-wracking. We knew that Aliy had started with a 15 minute lead but there was a blizzard going on and finding the trail might be a challenge for her. We also knew that Jeff King was the only musher from the back of the pack to post a 5hr run time on a deteriorated trail and this indicated a very strong team. His support team indicated that he was also racing with a broken runner. Two mushers coming into view at the same time provided a lot of excitement at the finish line. In the end, it was Jeff King balancing on a single runner that crossed the line first and barely had time to exit before Aliy crossed.

Emotions were high for Wendy and I as we followed the various stages of the race. At the end of leg one, both SP Kennel teams had the fastest run times. We arrived in Alaska knowing nearly nothing about mushing or dog care yet Allen, Aliy and Ryne took the time to train us and had enough confidence in our progress to include us in all dog training activities. This included many fantastic hours on a sled and countless much less fantastic hours on a 4-wheeler freezing our toes off. It was very satisfying and nearly overwhelming to see a dog team that we had spent so much time working with engaged in such a brave push for a first place finish. We are so proud of these dogs and every one of them is special; we even get to take one home at the end of each day to warm our frozen toes.

SP Kennel Handlers at Sheep Mountain 150

We can't wait for the Copper Basin 300, on January 14. It feels like so far away. Yet, there is a lot to be done before the race. The dogs will have their training schedules adjusted for this race and there are a lot more miles to run. Drop bags will have to be prepared and race equipment fine tuned. The time is really going to fly and it will be here before we know it.

Sheep Mountain Video

2011-12-21T11:21:00.001-09:00

Sheep Mountain 150 Aliy Comments

2011-12-19T17:31:00.007-09:00

We had a successful weekend at the Sheep Mountain 150.

However, the newspaper and website reports were not exactly correct. But, that is understandable. Any sled dog race held in rural Alaska has its communication limitations: often times there is no cell phone service and very limited internet access. But, the end result - that I took second place to Jeff King, is correct.

The SP Kennel Red team "rolled" from the start of the race. They were GREAT! Quito in lead, partnering with either Scout or Butterscotch, created super energy for the entire race.

The first two 50 mile legs were not completely flawless - I did have to turn the team around once - but all in all, we had a great first 100 miles.

During the last 50 mile leg the team was again nearly flawless despite the blizzard conditions that came in Saturday morning. The wind and snow created awesome drifts and blowing snow. I had to keep a keen eye on the sled's main tow line and every dog's harness because we were breaking through snow drifts as deep as Boondocks and in these type of conditions, it is easy to get a line or harness tangle. We were completely focused and driven this last 50 mile leg. I was pretty happy with the run .... until I saw a broken down snow machine and the driver walking down the trail about 9 miles from the finish.

It was the Race trail breaker. I stopped to ask if he was okay. He was. I couldn't offer him a ride because at this point, the trail that had been so consistent, stopped where his machine had stopped. He told me that there was one other Race trail breaker snow machine a few miles ahead of us. He said that he was doing his best to find the trail, but the blizzard had pretty much erased all of the existing Race trail.

So, from here it became obvious that my dog team was now the trail breaker. All I can say is: I sincerely appreciate what snow machines do to establish our dog trails. We could not have a race with out them.

My dog team then began to wallow in neck deep snow. We followed the scout trail breaker's freshly laid trail which often had no bottom as it got lost in willow bushes and through ravines. At times I could see a faint outline of the old hard packed trail, but I couldn't get Quito to switch trails. I don't blame her, it wasn't an obvious trail! So, we got tangled in bushes, flipped the sled in ravines and crept along. I had to get to the front of the team to untangle a dog from a bush and literally crawled through snow that was over my hips. I will tell you, the dogs and I did our best.

I looked back periodically (as I did the entire race) and knew that someone would be catching me. And soon, I saw Jeff's team at a distance behind me. At one point, I thought that I should just stop my team and have him pass me so that he could break trail. But, that's not in my nature, so we plugged away until he caught up. He legitimately passed us.

I think it surprised him at first that there was no trail. His team struggled just as mine had in the bottomless snow, but they are a nice group of dogs and trudged along. To his advantage, the trail soon went down hill and connected to the old highway where the trail got better for the most part. We were still several miles from the finish.

We both raced hard to the finish. Jeff is a true competitor. At one point I almost caught him, but my team simply could not over take his squad in the end. Our teams traveled exactly the same speed. We crossed the finish line 20 seconds apart.

We spoke later and Jeff said "I would have let you pass me if you got close enough." All I could say was, "I knew that.... and trust me, I tried my hardest."

So, thanks Zack and Anjanette for a thrilling SM150. I look forward to seeing Jeff on another race this season.

Teams Heading Home

2011-12-19T12:20:00.000-09:00

This is Aliy's Mom, Mickey, checking in from South Florida.

I received a phone call from Aliy today at about 10 AM Alaska Standard Time. She and the SP crew were driving north towards Two Rivers. They had spent the night at the Sheep Mountain Lodge after the Sheep Mountain 150 Race and post race festivities. She reported that all humans and dogs are healthy and eager to get home.

Most of you have checked the final Sheep Mountain 150 standings and know that Aliy finished second with all 12 dogs. Ryne finished 11th with 11 dogs. They will update you on the last half of the race when they get home and get the dogs and equipment unloaded.

There is an article in yesterday's Anchorage Daily News about the race finish. You can access it at www.adn.com/2011/12/18/2224293/zirkle-breaks-trail-to-finish.html

Eureka Lodge Layover Two

2011-12-18T06:31:00.011-09:00

4:00AM is an exciting time around Eureka Lodge Checkpoint---at least for the SP Kennel team! Aliy was expected any time between 4:30-5:00 AM, and the SP Kennel team was ready and waiting. To our delight, she pulled in at 4:26AM with a run time of 5.01. She is 21 minutes ahead of the now second place, Jeff King who pulled in at 4:47AM. Her out time is 9:26AM. She was happy with the run, the trail improved with less overflow in this stretch. However, a stiff wind came up, and running over the hills with blowing snow was a bit more challenging. The dogs look good, and Quito and Butterscotch led the team to first place on the second leg.

Aliy's Red Team after Leg 2 of the Sheep Mt Lodge 150 Quito and Butterscotch in lead.

Ryne arrived at 5:34AM, with a run time of 6.02 on this second leg with Pud and Beemer in lead. She had already overtaken Bruce Linton to move into second place when she took a wrong turn on the trail. However, she righted herself and is currently 11th in the overall standings of the race. She is really happy with the way the team is running, and says she feels "quite spry" after the run. She is looking to make up for lost time on the third leg of the race and break into the top ten again. Her out time is at 10:34AM.

Ryne's R&B Team after the second leg of Sheep Mt. Lodge 150. Beemer and Pud in lead

As mentioned, the weather is a bit uncooperative at the moment, with a wind kicking up, and really blowing over the hills. There is snowfall overnight, and with the wind drifting has occured. Aliy and Ryne are both resting up for the final leg of the race, and both teams are quietly sleeping in their straw despite the wind.

Pictures from Sheep Mt Start

2011-12-17T16:46:00.018-09:00

Here are a few pictures from the start of the race today

Aliy's Red Team starting out

Ryne ready to race the Red & Black Team

Eureka Lodge Layover One

2011-12-17T16:27:00.009-09:00

EXCITING NEWS!!!! OUR SP KENNEL LADIES ARE IN THE TOP THREE fastest running times for this leg of the race!
Aliy came first into the checkpoint, with a run time of 4.51, only beaten by Linton with 4.47. Ryne is holding her own closely with a run time of 4.58. Of 27 teams to check in so far, only these 3 mushers have run in less than 5hrs. Aliy says her team is running strong, and is enthusiastic on the trail. Ryne commented that she is pleased with her run so far, and both are resting for the next leg.

There are some big names that pulled hook in the second half of the start so we will see who else joins them under 5hrs. Observers will note with interest that Jeff King's run time in the first leg of this race in his first race on his return from retirement is 5:00 The trail is very soft in places with reports of some overflow so mushers at the back of the pack might find it difficult to make up time on the leaders.
Aliy will pull anchor for leg 2 at 11:25pm and Ryne at 11:32.

/;;/

The first race of the season has begun

2011-12-17T15:00:00.006-09:00

Aliy and Ryne have just left the start of the Sheep Mountain 150! With 48 mushers in the race, Aliy and the Red Team were one of the first on the trail leaving in 5th position. Ryne and the R&B team were not far behind leaving in 10th. To start the race Quito and Scout led the charge for the Red team while just 10 minutes later Skittles and Beemer led the chase for the R&B Team.

The Weather is perfect, sunny and around 10 degrees with the suggestion of light snow later this evening. Wes and I are about to head to the first checkpoint in Eureka where Aliy and Ryne are expected shortly. This checkpoint is 50 miles by dog trail but only 13 miles by road.

Here are some observations from Allen Moore:

The area has had a lot of snow and the trail at the start of Sheep Mountain Lodge
is very soft and deteriorating quickly

Due to trail conditions, mushers will want to be at the front of the pack rather
than the back

If dogs step off the groomed trail, they can quickly sink up to their shoulders in snow; this means that snow can get into their booties and cause feet problems

Its much more fun to run a race than to have to watch from the sidelines

More photos soon. Wendy

Sheep Mountain Red Team Roster

2011-12-16T08:00:00.001-09:00

Aliy will be starting in Position Number 5.

Sheep Mountain Red and Black Team Roster

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-09:00

Ryne will be starting in Position Number 10.

Sheep Mountain 150

2011-12-14T08:51:00.000-09:00

It's finally here:

the 2011-2012 RACE SEASON!

To start off the season, the SPK Red Team and the SPK Red and Black Team will be competing in the Sheep Mountain 150 in a competitive field totaling 51 mushers.

Sheep Mountain Lodge is located on the Glenn Highway between Palmer and Glennallen in the middle of, as the name suggests, MOUNTAINS. I capitalized the word to emphasize the immense size and ruggedness of the peaks surrounding the lodge. And unlike many races that follow rivers or the lowlands, the Sheep Mountain 150 traverses the steep terrain, crosses sections of glaciation, and crests the summits.

The race consists of three 50-mile legs with five hour rests at Eureka Lodge between each leg. The first leg goes from Sheep Mountain Lodge to Eureka Lodge; the second is a large loop that returns to Eureka Lodge; and the third leg returns back to Sheep Mountain Lodge. Zack Steer, owner of Sheep Mountain Lodge and race director, has been putting in the trail the past couple of weekends. Here is a trail update for the first 50-mile leg:

We took 3 snowmachines and a 4 foot groomer over the first loop again yesterday (sat 12/10). The trail was in better shape than last week with only a few sections worth noting: There are 2 sections of glaciation that will need to be negotiated: The first is right at the intersection of Martin Road and Squaw Creek (mile 15/135). There is snow on the low side which is easy to navigate at this time. Looks worse than it is. The other section of glaciation is a short valley about halfway between Squaw creek and Alfred Creek (mile 30/120

). We built a bypass trail around it, but the glacier is growing and I suspect that by next weekend it will be ice again. It is less than 50 feet, you just don't see it till the last minute. There are 6-8 ice bridges across Alfred creek as you work your way through the mining district. They are all "moving" and about half had collapsed since last week. We built new ones, but I suspect that some of those will also fall, and new routes will need to be made. It is not dangerous, as the ice shelfs are low, and the water is always less than 6 inches. Just expect to get your dogs feet wet at some point. There was a small avalanch across the very top of the Belanger Pass trail. There is a temporary route down the middle of the valley (good base, just a little steeper). I'll try to get out this week and put the original trail back in on the road.
We saw 50+ moose along the trail, most in a 20 mile section - lots of small herds of 10-15 animals. Pay attention, especially down the Squaw Creek trail and the return up Alfred creek. There is not so much snow that they won;t give up the trail, but I wouldn't want to surprise them comming around a corner. Somehow, the hunters missed two nice 55 and 65 inch bulls...
All-in all I would say the trail is really good. Last weeks wind and snow storm on Sunday night helped fill in the snow gaps. Now if I could just get the darn moose to stop knocking over my trail markers.
I'll be out today re-marking the middle loop.

-Zack

Whatever the condition of the trail, it promises to be an exciting race!

As I'm sure many folks noticed, Allen Moore is not on the list of mushers. Unfortunately, Allen will not be competing in this year's Sheep Mountain. Earlier this season, Allen strained his lower calf muscle while working out. The past few weeks, he's been busy rehabbing and will be back and competing in no time.

And Mystery Dog Number 4?

2011-12-13T11:00:00.006-09:00

MALIBU!

Guess That SPK Dog Week 4!

2011-12-12T09:00:00.001-09:00

Game #4 Dog Clues

1. I finished every race last year

2. According to Allen, I resemble a dolphin

3. My favorite show is Two and a Half Men

Who am I?

Hill Training

2011-12-10T12:17:00.004-09:00

In preparation for our first race, the Sheep Mountain 150, we've been training in the hills around the kennel to get the dogs fit for climbing. Lucky for us, the steep hills get the mushers in shape too!

I apologize for the darkness of the video, but with the winter solstice fast approaching, we're getting used to mushing in the dark!

Rising and setting times for the Sun

			Length of day		Solar noon
Date	Sunrise	Sunset	This day	Difference	Time	Altitude	Distance
Date	Sunrise	Sunset	This day	Difference	Time	Altitude	(10⁶ km)
Dec 10, 2011	10:43 AM	2:45 PM	4h 02m 04s	− 3m 35s	12:44 PM	2.5°	147.315
Dec 11, 2011	10:45 AM	2:43 PM	3h 58m 43s	− 3m 20s	12:44 PM	2.4°	147.298
Dec 12, 2011	10:47 AM	2:42 PM	3h 55m 38s	− 3m 05s	12:45 PM	2.3°	147.281
Dec 13, 2011	10:49 AM	2:41 PM	3h 52m 50s	− 2m 47s	12:45 PM	2.3°	147.266
Dec 14, 2011	10:50 AM	2:41 PM	3h 50m 19s	− 2m 31s	12:46 PM	2.2°	147.251
Dec 15, 2011	10:52 AM	2:40 PM	3h 48m 05s	− 2m 13s	12:46 PM	2.2°	147.237
Dec 16, 2011	10:53 AM	2:40 PM	3h 46m 10s	− 1m 55s	12:47 PM	2.1°	147.224

Iditarod Rookie Meeting

2011-12-08T14:15:00.002-09:00

This past weekend, I travelled down to Anchorage for one of my first events as an Iditarod rookie, the mandatory rookie meeting. Every December, the Iditarod gathers all the rookies (this year there are seventeen of us) in Anchorage to review important race information from dog care and vaccines to drop bag logistics and trail descriptions.

We also had the privilege of listening to some of the top mushers in the sport like John Baker, DeeDee Jonrowe, Martin Buser, and of course Aliy Zirkle. Together they have a combined total of over eighty Iditarods! Nicolas Petit, last year’s Rookie of the Year, also spoke, giving tips and advice that he found helpful on his rookie run, such as the importance of a good alarm clock. Luckily, I get to learn from Allen and Aliy's experience, so potentially stressful details like where to park the dogs in Anchorage, when to schedule EKG and blood work, or how to fly the dogs back from Nome are already worked out.

In addition to mushers, we heard from other Iditarod staff including chief veterinarian Dr. Nelson, Jan Bullock with the pre-race EKG and Blood Work Program, the Iditarod Air Force, Communications Coordinator Andi Malard, and Iditarod Trail Sweep Will Peterson. Without all their help, much of it volunteered, the Iditarod would not be the race it is today. It’s incredible the amount of man hours required to put on a 1,000-mile sled dog race!

A Bit of Winter Weather

2011-12-06T08:33:00.001-09:00

After a weekend of warm temperatures, Monday finally brought some traditional Alaskan weather.

Let's hope the snow keeps coming!

Wes and Wendy's Weather Four

2011-12-05T04:00:00.005-09:00

As I sit and pen edition 4 of Wes and Wendy's Weather, I am filled with anxious trepidation; last night the thermometer hit 35 degrees and this morning, 45. Above zero!

The snow slid off our roof in avalanches last night forming a moat of slush around the cabin. Patches of brown are appearing all over the yard where the snow is melting! Weather forecasts predict mixed rain and snow over the next few days. Our meticulously groomed trails with their packed bases, face the threat of being good for nobody but Canadian curlers. For mushers, slick, icy trails bring training to a virtual standstill. Both dogs and mushers struggle for traction on icy trails and the snow hook is useless. In addition, the risk of injury to everyone increases. To add insult to injury, areas just west of Fairbanks have a foot of snow predicted. The National Weather Service has promised us some snow over the next few days but we are not holding our breath.

What does this mean for SP Kennel? It means that during the next week, trail conditions will be monitored closely and if it is considered unsafe for the dogs then we will start working the phones. "Has anyone checked out the trails in the White Mountains? What about in the Denali area?" If the right conditions do not come to mushers, then competitive mushers go looking for the right training conditions.

Since releasing the last edition of Wes and Wendy's Weather, my personal mushing skills have developed considerably. I am constantly being challenged with different aspects of team management. (If anybody is unfamiliar with my initial struggles managing a sled, you can read Edition Three HERE.) I am happy to say that I have found my sled feet, and am relaxed during runs. I now am able to harness, booty, and jacket all the dogs on my team; as well as hook up my sled with all the right cables and hooks. My confidence wavers however, when I look up from a narrow part of the trail and see another dog team barreling towards us. More than once panic has set in when I have realized that the person on the other sled is the legendary Rick Swenson. Thankfully the SP Kennel dogs are highly experienced and well trained. They "On By" with minimal encouragement and don’t lunge or bark at passing teams.

The smoothness of current team passing is a vast improvement from my first trail encounter. It was nearly a month ago now, Allen hooked up a large team and attached a second "whip" sled for me. After a disastrous start that saw me trail grooming more than sledding, my confidence in sled management was as low as it could possibly go. This was worsened by the fact that, due to prevailing trail conditions, snow and ice was being sprayed up from Allen's drag right into my eyes. I was mushing virtually blind. It seemed that with no warning another team was practically on top of us. Remembering what Allen had instructed, I jumped on the right runner with both feet expecting that the sled would slide to the far right of the trail. It did not and merely angled the nose of the sled straight into the middle of the oncoming team. "I'm going to kill that dog!" was my first horrified thought. I jumped off the runner and, holding on as tightly as I could, ran behind the sled pulling it away from the other team. Meanwhile, our dog team was delighted to be unleashed from the 4-wheeler for the first time in the season and were happily speeding along.

It was not so easy for me, who rarely ran 12 mph even in my prime. Struggling to keep up and desperately hanging on, I realized there was a second team further down the trail. I had no choice but to put my head down and keep sprinting until we passed the second team. By the time we passed them, my elbows were hooked over the handle bar and my feet dragged behind, as I managed an unconvincing "Hi" to the stunned musher.

The moral of the story is…If anybody out there is contemplating becoming a musher, please consult your physician first.

Anchorage Visit

2011-12-03T09:43:00.008-09:00

It is that time of year when the SP Kennel Crew checks in with all of our connections in the Anchorage area.

The Iditarod Rookie Meeting is Saturday and Sunday, December 3rd - 4th. As the Iditarod Trail Committee musher representative board member, Aliy, was asked to give a few "Welcome Words" to the 2012 Rookie Class. There were a few last minute sign ups, which has brought the rookie musher number to 17.

Horizon Lines Alaska is based at the Port of Anchorage. They are a key sponsor for SP Kennel, as well as "Lead Dog Partners" with the Iditarod. Preparations are underway for another Horizons Lines "Hot Dog Pit Stop" half way along the Iditarod Anchorage ceremonial start route. Get the mustard ready!

Allen and Aliy will also be doing their annual talk with the kids at the Covenant House in Anchorage. Homeless and runaway youth find unconditional support here. The shelter is just a block from the Iditarod start on 4th Avenue and it was spectacular to have some of the youth assist as SP Kennel handlers during the race last year.

Clarion Suites Downtown Anchorage is an important base of operations during the Iditarod, as well as for business trips such as this one. SP Kennel crew has a comfy home at Clarion Suites!

The Three Watkins Return Home

2011-12-01T08:33:00.005-09:00

Home to Nome!

Bridgett, Scotty and new baby boy, Timber, fly back to Nome this morning.

Before Timber's birthday, Bridgett had been on pregnancy bed rest at the kennel for nearly two months. Since Scotty works full-time at Wells Fargo Bank in Nome, he commuted back and forth, nearly every weekend.

The family was together for the four-day Thanksgiving weekend but truly celebrated on Sunday afternoon November 27th - when Timber was born! Sincerely, a day to be thankful for!

Needless to say, they are relieved to be going home to begin a new chapter in their life.

Bridgett says that she and Timber will be at the Copper Basin 300 - so, he's officially a Red Team member (see the hat?!)

And Mystery Dog Number 3?

2011-11-28T23:33:00.004-09:00

MOONPIE!

Sponsored by the Cameron and Frederick Family

Congratulations to Lynne D for being the first correct guess! Send us an email at SPKDogLog@gmail.com with your t-shirt size, color preference (Red or Black), and address, and you'll be sporting SPK gear in no time!

A bit about Moonpie:
Moonpie has in fact finished the Iditarod; however, he was also born right here at SP Kennel. Moonpie desserts are originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. And for fans who have not watched the famous Manny/Moonpie duet---this video is for you.

Check back in on Monday, December 12th for the next Mystery Dog!

Guess that SPK Dog Week 3!

2011-11-28T09:00:00.002-09:00

Game #3 Dog Clues

1. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee

2. Iditarod Finisher

3. The Soprano half of "Doggie Duets"

Who am I?

Arctic Moments

2011-11-26T09:18:00.009-09:00

The end of November finds SP Kennel dogs and mushers busy indoors and out.

This time of year the daylight (or lack there of) is a huge factor in Two Rivers. The sun rises today at 10:03 AM and sets at 3:13 PM. Therefore, we will have total possible daylight of 5 hours and 36 minutes. I can promise you .... we will use every minute of it!

Running a Dog Team at Sunrise

The beauty of the arctic is no way minimized by this lack of daylight. The early morning glow lights up the entire southern horizon. At sunrise, the horizon burns with the waking of the sun. The afternoon has a constant glow. Then after several hours, the sun dips down below that same horizon from where it came.

The main kennel house/office/coffee drinking spot sits on a small hill overlooking the dog yard. The huge five foot windows face due south and offer an entire view of the dog yard. So, every morning after the dogs are fed we sit up there drinking coffee overlooking the SP Kennel crew.

Stormy, Aliy and Tig drink coffee and look at the dog yard

Who is snuggled back into their straw? Skittles!
Who is chasing a raven? Tony!
Who is chewing on Scout's tail? Boondocks!
Who is running around at 30 below ready to run? Tatfish!

Mornings at SP Kennel are delightful.

Ryne Olson Trains for her Rookie Iditarod

2011-11-23T08:08:00.006-09:00

This season, Allen has decided to tackle the Copper Basin 300 and Yukon Quest with complete focus. So, after six consecutive years, the Black Team, will not be racing the Iditarod. This decision leaves a spot open for a Red and Black Iditarod Team. Pretty exciting!!

Check out the Dog Log's updated right hand side bar that lists the SP Kennel's Red and Black Team mushers: Bridgett Watkins and Ryne Olson.

Bridgett has a full "non-mushing" winter ahead of her. So, the decision is that Ryne will be racing the Red and Black Team to Nome in 2012.

Since it has been many years since SP Kennel has fielded a Rookie Iditarod Team we thought that it would be interesting for everyone to follow Ryne's Rookie preparation. The first big event for her is the Mandatory Iditarod Rookie Meeting in Anchorage December 3rd and 4th. After that, of course, it is a lot of preparation, scheduling and logistics.

But.... don't forget about the mushing!!

Wes and Wendy's Weather Three

2011-11-21T04:00:00.008-09:00

Hi, Wes here; I will be writing edition 3 of Wes and Wendy's Weather. For a week it was all snow, snow, snow. Everything not yet undercover is lost until spring. Innocently bumping a tree results in a deluge of snow down your neck. This last week was cold, cold, cold! Regional weather records have been broken and it feels like it's going to be a long winter. It has been as low as -45, and last week's temperature was rarely above -30.

So let me tell you about me. I am having a mid-life crisis early at the age of 34. I quit my Washington DC desk job of four years, sold everything in the house, bought a truck and camper, and drove with Wendy to Alaska. I have been planning my mid-life crisis for several years now and have carefully scheduled it from September 2011 until September 2012. My goals are simple:
· spend as much time outdoors as possible
· try something extreme that most people would never consider
· learn outdoor survival skills
· lose 30lbs and get the six pack I never had
· become one of Australia's most experienced mushers (not hard to do)

Anyone who has spent time working at a kennel knows that you do not just become a Musher; you start with the tedious dog yard chores and take on more advanced activities as you progress. The second step on my way to becoming an accomplished musher was becoming an accomplished trail groomer. Less environmentally conscious mushers groom their trails using a snowmobile dragging a large tire that they stole off some poor farmer's tractor. However, SP Kennel has gone green. My role as a trail groomer involves barreling down the road behind a team of dogs hanging on for dear life to an old sled dragging on its side. This results in nicely packed trails around Two Rivers. An added bonus is that the snow ends up inside my parka, boots, and gloves, ensuring a cool refreshing trip. Full credit must also go to my sled which I have nicknamed Snow Shovel. This form of trail maintenance provides the added bonus of being able to study all the feces from my team and others at close range and obtain invaluable insight into their current state of health.

When I am not grooming trails eco-style, I am making snow angels. This is done by waiting until I approach a tight bend in the trail which the dogs feel the inexplicable need to speed up for, and then at the tightest partof the turn, launching myself into the closest snow bank. Two Rivers mushers are becoming familiar with my handiwork which marks various points in the trails. I am considering carrying a can of spray paint to autograph my handiwork.

Wendy has taken a much less engaging approach to mushing; she has not felt the need to leave her sled once yet without using the snow hook. Her sled hasn't even left its upright position! That said, her dogs seem to have more respect for her than mine have for me.

Since starting this post, my skills have progressed and I have been able to manage longer runs, in colder weather, in more complicated trail conditions. The cold weather snap has emphasized the need for dressing appropriately. This, itself, has been a learning experience. I now know why so many mushers wear bibs. I have gone on dog runs with polyfill pants that feel the need to make their way down to my knees whenever I start kicking or running up a hill. All too frequently, I find myself running with one hand on the sled and the other hand holding my pants up. If it does not already exist, I would like to take credit for coining the term Frost Crack, which combines inappropriate clothing with extreme weather conditions.

Our forecast for the next ten days is temperatures between 0 and -30 and we have snow. These are perfect training conditions and we are expecting to put on a lot of miles. We are even hoping for a camping trip or two. Our training focus is beginning to shift from base miles to our first key racing appearance at the Sheep Mountain 150 in December.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Outlaws Go for a Walk

2011-11-18T21:12:00.005-09:00

The Outlaw Litter - Bonnie, Clyde and Outlaw - turn seven weeks old this week. They are still living with their mom, ChaCha, throughout this mid-November cold snap. ChaCha hasn't weaned them, so they are happy to snuggle together on the cool nights.

Alaskan Huskys are truly an amazing breed.

Cold Snap in Interior Alaska

2011-11-16T20:20:00.004-09:00

There was no dog training today. The mercury did rise above the 44 below shown above, but not by much.

Well.... one thing is for sure: It's Winter!

The cold temperature did give all of us a chance to catch up on office work, clean the basement and work on broken sleds. So, all in all, there is an upside to the chill in the air.

And Mystery Dog Number Two?

2011-11-14T20:01:00.003-09:00

BEEMER!!

Guess that SPK Dog Week 2!

2011-11-14T09:00:00.004-09:00

Another Monday, another Guess that SPK Dog!

(Picture is not of the mystery dog)

Game #2 Dog Clues

1. I was a superstar yearling in the 2009 Iditarod.

2. I hate to lope.

3. My best friend is my brother Willie.

Who am I?

Aliy on Alaska Public Radio

2011-11-11T23:01:00.003-09:00

Aliy was asked to speak on AK public radio this week during a segment about Alaskan villages. She had a short spot about the Two Rivers community and of course, talked about dogs!

Here is the link:

www.alaskapublic.org

Wes and Wendy's Weather Two

2011-11-07T09:28:00.003-09:00

Wow, it’s COLD! NOW we know what everyone is talking about when they say it’s cold in Alaska. We’ve experienced our first -20 degrees (F) weather, though the sun was shining brightly and it looked deceptively warm outside. Wes put on his cold weather gear and with Ryne, braved the elements and took the dogs on their 25 mile runs. He survived, and is looking forward to more cold weather dog runs.

We have had just enough snow to make us think about getting the sleds out of storage for a tune-up. Neither of us knows how to use a sled and we are eager to learn how they work. We are not too concerned; Santa makes it look easy. He has never gotten tangled or had his team leave him behind; he does not even need a snow hook.

In the meantime, we are keeping busy in the dog yard. Another round of bedding straw has gone out for the dogs, 3 tons of salmon arrived, the Latino litter had their first romp in the snow behind the ATV 4-wheeler, and the Outlaw litter has ventured out from their dog house to explore their world. We’ve enjoyed watching the Outlaw and Latino litters “talking” through the fence at each other. Izzy is quite bossy, and has decided to inform all the puppies just how things should be in their world. Nelson has decided to ignore her lectures and entertain himself on the exercise wheel. The Outlaw puppies are curious and confused by the whole thing. Especially when they were carried out to the field to play in the snow in a stock pot. All in all, it’s an adventure growing up, and they seem to be doing it very well.

Wes and I are learning how to cook salmon for the dogs. They were a good deal--left over research fish from the season. Once we learned how to cut off their extra head and third eye, the rest was easy. Our recipe includes delicately seasoning it with kibble. The dogs LOVE their new dish! The next dish we’ll learn is cubed beef snacks—can’t wait!

To top off our week, we enjoyed a great neighborhood potluck and bonfire. We were finally able to put names and faces to the parkas and 4-wheelers we see every day on training runs. It’ll be awhile before we recognize a musher by their dog teams though. We’re still working to learn the SP Kennel dogs. Who knew that Boondocks and Kipper looked so much alike; or that Scruggs, Honda, and Olivia are identical…aren’t they? Uh well, we’ll keep working on it, and hope to get it right soon!

Training Dogs along the Chena River

2011-11-05T07:58:00.003-08:00

We took a video during one of the last training runs along the Chena River before "freeze up".

As you will here in the background, the ATV 4 wheeler is still purring along functioning as our "make believe" dog sled. The dogs don't seem to care what they are pulling down the trail. The mushers, however, start daydreaming of that elusive November blizzard as the miles pass under the machine's tires.

Spring 2012 Mushing Trips - Returning to ANWR

2011-11-02T23:12:00.009-08:00

SP Kennel is proud to announce its 2012 Natural Extremes Adventures. We are returning to the North Slope of Alaska and the highly debated ANWR - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We will be running two trips: March 25 - April 1, 2012 and March 31 - April 7, 2012.

The Refuge, always a hot topic in Washington D.C., is a "No Snow Mobile Area", including breaking trail in support of mushing trips. This means NO noise except the pattering of dog feet. This also means that this trip will be a true adventure. Therefore, each of these trips are limited to 3 adventurers.

Few places in the world are as untouched as the areas we will visit during these mushing trips! Wildlife such as moose, caribou, sheep, wolves and ptarmigan are the residents of this area.

For more information, please visit http://www.naturalextremes.com/ or email us at aliyz@naturalextremes.com.