Running the hills

frost and training

2010-09-13T08:17:00.002-06:00

well itis 0 when I woke up this morning. the leaves are already starting to change and the dogs are start to howl more than ever they are ready to get out and run. this is a hard time of year for us as the hunters start to come out and play and I have to change the route of our training. I try and take them along the highway now to avoid any conflict with hunters. the trails are thick with underbrush this year and there are too many chances we could run into problems so off along the highway we go.

I will take the team out to my aunts house she is only 18km there and back but it seems the dogs use up more energy when we run the highway, they are focused more on what is going on around them more than getting into the grove and running. but we will run them today if my handler comes over.

it is a exciting time of year here for us and I am excited to get the miles on the dogs.

well I am off to feed and get things ready. so I will try and update tonight after chores but I think we will have a nice well balanced solid team this year.

Sibes

we are under water

2010-08-30T09:25:00.002-06:00

well the rain just keeps coming. the dog yard is filling up quick and the mud is outrageous. I am going down to see if the local store has any wood chips yet and if they do I may sprinkle some down on the ground to soak up some of the mud.

well after the weather update LOL we got most of the dog houses up on the pallets for winter to allow them goo access to the door when the snow starts falling just a few more to go and we will have most of the yard done.I have yet to finish the puppy pen in the dog yard I am in no panic as they are not quite old enough to put out with the big boys and girls yet. I had my handler out here and she did amazing we took out a team and had some issues with commands etc and a few tangles but over all it was a good run we only went about 12km. if the weather keeps up we can get some good miles on the dogs this year. I hope to have them by xmas at about 70km non stop full run and pull.

so far tash my handler is hanging in there and not too scared of the chaos of the hook up we took out 12

so far the team I am looking at for the main string
is
dylan Sid
kazna bugsy
denali sarah
shilo zelan
belle halo
rouge polar

and the rest still have to be evaluated after the summer break so we will take a small team out and see how they do Whitey had a injury this summer and if he is healed enough I am excited to put him as a lead on my handlers team. I wish they never had to get old and we could keep them forever on the main string it is hard to let them go and replace them on the line..guilt sets in and I miss them being there with me. we grow to depend on them all so much.

anyhow that is it from me I am off to town to find shavings for the yard

sick cold and raining

2010-08-28T12:50:00.003-06:00

well today I am still battling a cold with no end in site. I crawled out of bed this morning and rayed to have my head stop pound nose running and throat hurting ....but it was not until mid morning did I even think I could go training.

but with a bit of encouragement from my husband I put on winter gear and dressed as warm as I could and headed outside. the dogs were full of spunk today. I had to run some new dogs to the line to see how they would make out. turns out I will not run cuddles again she is at her retirement I think she still has the desire to run but not far and not at any great speed.

shawnee crashed today on her first run. not totally but she was just o out of shape she could not make the short distance we were running. I will not rule her out yet as she did well on the runs last year so I will give her a few tries again this year. but so far I only have 2 spots to fill for my 12 dog team and 5 to choose from so slim pickings here for extras.

but I am sure we can get our miles up quick this year I am pushing them harder than I have before and most seem to respond very well to it. so I hope to be running to the cabin and back by the end of this month which will be 70 odd kms that would be nice to have those miles on them before the snow hits and we move to the sled

it has been raining none stop and the trails are filled with mud and water it was the first time for some of the pups to have to run right through the puddles vrs around them ...that was funny to watch finally they all caved and just ran through it. I hope the next obstacle will as easy.

that is all for now I am going to bed to nurse my head and dream of the trail and things to come

the new pup on the team

2010-08-22T09:00:00.002-06:00

well it was a bit warm to run but I headed out last night with a small team to run a pup and get a few back in stride.

I was thrilled that shilo the 1 year old has taken to sledding so much tail up and pulling his little heart out he did so well.

this was his second time in harness and the first time he showed signs of stress and I was not sure how he would respond to running this time. I put him next to a experienced dog and that seemed to make the difference for him he relaxed and just enjoyed the trip. so he has shown me his abilities to run now we just need to see if he can make distances as well.

our new Alaskan pups are growing like weeds and are full of beans they do not walk anywhere they run. I no longer could keep up to them walking so now I am taking them out by the quad. they are running their little hearts out at about 15km/hr already they are fast little girls and one in particular shows signs of extreme determination for running. so we will have to see how she does online. one little one likes to hang out with me all the time I am not sure if she just wants my company or she is not fast enough to keep up with the others, again we will watch and see what they are all up to.

I took out a young girl with me that works for me at the grooming shop and I am not sure if she is interested anymore in sledding perhaps more of a phase LOL...the noise gets a bit crazy for some people and either you love it or you hate it. I do think she is looking for ward to the sled and snow before she makes a comment.

so it was a quick run last night but it was fun. next time I want to take out some girls as well and get some weight off of them they blossomed over the summer :-(

well that is it for now I will chat later

rain and more rain

2010-08-15T19:55:00.002-06:00

Well it seems for the whole summer it has been doing nothing more than rain.
some of the dogs have been moved so many times to try and keep them out of the puddles.

I must admit that if they did not dig trenches in amusement than there would be little water to contend with.

the kennel was alive today and has been for a week or so. they are starting to feel the change from the summer air to the gentle fall to autumn. I am concerned that with all this rain in summer we will not have much of a snowfall this year. which makes for easier training with the quad as we can run bigger teams but the fact we are trying to run a race this year in athabasca it concerns me a bit.

we have most of the trail set out now for the mid distance stage race and the sprinting race will be held on the river front. again another concern.....what if we do not have a good freeze and we can not run the river than the plans change dramatically and it will not be as effective of a race.

I guess time will tell and the worry I have now is a bit premature and I should spend more time thinking about things happening now.

I just wish the rain would let up so we could have a dry dog yard :-(

August 9th where did the time go?

2010-08-09T21:12:00.005-06:00

Well I can not believe it has been almost a year since I have been able to get on here and jot down my thoughts.

We have been busy at work and I am trying very hard to multi task both kids work and dogs and horses and husband. I never really was much of a multi tasker so this is learning experience for me.

since my last post so many things have been going on our business in town seems to be steady now and I have been through a few employees trying to match a perfect one up for me. so far I have a new girl and she seems to be on the same energy level as I am and is a go getter so I hope this will turn out to be a good combination.

the dogs are looking great I have kept their weight to a nice consistency all summer which in years past I have allowed them to get heavy and spent the first months training just getting them back into shape.

we have downsized the kennel a bit and rehomed the dogs that were not able to do the miles I wanted. the worst part about doing that is that we end up parting ways with some good friends and K-9 bonds. as hard as it is I have final decided to listen to the elders of mushing a do what I need to to maintain a good healthy kennel and working relationship with the dogs.

we are trying a few different things this year as far as feeding and nutrition and I hope that we will see a nice improvement in there overall endurance. as far as racing goes this year well I am only going to attend one race and it is the one in Athabasca. it will be a stage race and approx 110km to the checkpoint and back again but this will give me a really good idea of whether or not I really want to race mid and long distance and weather my current line of dogs can do it with any success.

it should be a interesting year this year for our kennel so much going on here I am not sure where to even begin at times. I will do a small blog on the race we are planning here in this small community. it has been my dream since I started to run dogs to make a race that the mushers could not refuse to run.I am thrilled dto think we will be planning in the near future a Iditord and Yukon quest qua lifer here if we can make it through this years small attempt.

Oct 30th 2009...The great snow fall

2009-10-30T22:09:00.002-06:00

The snow is heavy tonight as I walked in the darkness to the kennels. It is incredibly warm this year teetering on the freezing mark. I stumbled along the path from memory to the small cabin I have here.

The spot where I have to go to plug in the yard lights. the dogs heard me coming and rosco (my yearling) is always the first to bark youth puts him in the front running of annoying barking for no apparent reasons. then as I get closer to the boys the true alert is let out ...Sid has started his alert that I am there and the once quiet kennel of fallen leaves rustling and pails clanking now become a orchestra of screams howls and barks.

I make my way through the trees listening to the ever growing talking of the dogs and plug on the lights.I am so glad my husband put these up for me they are huge industrial lights that shine out around the whole kennel and light it up with a soft light. This is my favorite part of feeding when the lights flicker showing just short bursts of light as they warm to the surrounding air and then like a grand entrance they burst on showing all that we could only imagine as we walk in the darkness.

wow the soft thick heavy wet snow flakes falling to the ground and clinging to anything that will hold them. The branches of the pine trees grow heavy with the weight of the ever growing snow flakes. I always like to sit for a minute and enjoy the untouched wightness of the new snow. breathing in the dampness of the air and feeling a sense of new and change. I am not sure I can describe the feeling that takes over me when we get the first snow.

after the moment of silence the dogs allow me they start to become restless again urging me on to the chores. I make my way over to the 3 plastic bins I have of dog food 3 kinds of food for the different categories the dogs fall into.

we have
senior- for the oldies here that can not enjoy the higher proteins and fat diets anymore

Adult- for the yearlings that are not working and for the dogs that are on diets

performance- for the main string of working dogs that need the extra fat and protein.

I loaded up the buckets I use for feeding and make my way through the maze of kennels. I have them set up so that they are with dogs that fit with each other and live well in harmony not for who is on what team . Which I would admit would make life so much easier for hook up time if I could place a whole team together:-)

I get the boys fed with no ,major issues and the kennel noise seems to be get less I make my way along the yearling boys searching for the feeding bowls in the snow that they use for play time after feeding, they always seem to take the longest to feed as they hide their bowls well LOL.

I get to the girls who thank god are starting to come out of heat and we have made it through yet another cycle with no problems. down to the last 10 girls the talking howling and barking seem tos be almost bearable now. when I reach the last bowl they chaos has ended all quietly eating the only sound I hear is that of the puppies at the house howling...they are so cute they are not sure what they are making noise for as they have full bowls but they are joining in learning to be big boys and girls :-)

so a fairly uneventful few days they weather is not allowing us to get out on the trails it is a soppy mess and the temps are above freezing and I am getting concerned that I may not get in the miles I need to compete a race.................

frustration is starting to linger on the edge here now, I am contemplating the time miles and ability of the reality of me being able to race. It will just break my spirit if I can not make it this year after years of trying to do this personal challenge I am beginning to think the road blocks along the way seem to be getting bigger and more of a concern.

but I guess I have rambled enough for this post LOL so Happy Halloween I hope you all have a safe weekend and look forward to the next post.

october 21st 2009

2009-10-21T21:47:00.002-06:00

Well this is going to be a quick update. I have so many other things that I have yet to do LOL.

we have the whole kennel in heat right now and it is got to be the nastiest time here for me . I moved all the girls into the heat pen and put them on tie outs. we have our begian running around here free and he is intact and I will not have any opps litters here. we are comfy where are with our numbers.

so the boys are on edge a bit with the kennel being just one big floating hormone LOL. but we are calming down now some are coming out of heat.

tommorrow we hope to get a team out late in the evening the tempatures have not been co operative with us lately we are verging on being a bit too warm.

as I suspected we are going to drop a couple of girls off the team halo is just not making the distances we want on a ongoing basis. she is great for a good distance stretch but her come back time is just there.

I am going to keep to the miles we are at right now as we have not been able to get out as much as I would like..so maybe as the tempatures drop we can get out more. the business I started is booming and leaves me with such little time for much more but I will continue to struggle with getting the time to spend running the trails with the dogs.

even with the long times for hook up once on the trail the quiet moments of just watching the team run along wooded trails and the smell of the fall air just seems to push me on.

I do not think I could find a better love than that of my team and trail.

Oct 2oth 2009

2009-10-20T19:32:00.002-06:00

Well I guess I have not had the time to come and write down what has been happening. Life has taken us along a huge turn, with a new business started here I find myself overwhelmed with work and lack of time for anything.

the training time has to be scehduled in between school events bookings at work and daily chores at home.

so far I have been able to put the kids on the bus in the morning and get the dogs hooked up and out on training runs before back for chores and then to work.

we have been very impressed this year with the dogs and all the hard work they are putting into running we managed to get a nice 14 dog team put together a few dogs are possibly going to be dropped from the line and younger ones put on but at this stage I have a nice combination of young and older dogs.

I am trying to add a new leader to the team this year in years past we have had issues with the drive to keep going when they hit a wall and this year I have my alaskan in front who is not the brightest dog in the world LOL but is driven dedicated and willing and I am adding to the team a young yearling that I hope to make a big difference to m y team for speed and pacing.

so far we are training at about 30km a day I am trying to up that this week to maybe 40km if we can do that distance with the pace I need I will be at a stage where I can positivily say we can move forward and have the potential to be ready to race for feb.

but for now small runs in between work and family.

Aug 21st 2009- the fall air calls

2009-08-21T19:57:00.002-06:00

Well last year due to family restrictions and other factors I was unable to run a race.

this year I have taken some time off our tour program to make more time for training. I have a new list of dogs to take with me yearlings that have yet to be on harness. but With the loss of my main leader and friend and another of my main team I took the summer to mourn the loss of their passing.

so now we have said our goodbyes and started to move on to the future we grasp a fresh breath of air and wind here at the kennel. It is a exciting time for us here as we will have a chance to run our pups now a year and a half we sat patiently waiting for them to get big enough to run.

so with a starting work team of 22 we will start to train when the weather starts to cool. the list is made and the team is getting ready and we hope to get training in the next few weeks.

new to us here is the addition of a amazing training trail. so far the equipment is not yet complete but we can travel from our home along our trails about 10 km and meet up with the transcanada trail in our part of the town.

from their it looks like they have bout 10km finished and they are expanding it even further and they hope to be done by the end of summer, the first stage anyhow.

so a nice 35 km to my families cabin and 35km we are looking at a great trail to run on. no just a trail it has massive hills the dogs will have to over come and train on and I feel if they can make that run 35km there and back we will be ready to take on any race with confidence.

so I guess we are starting in a couple of weeks I hope to update as soon as I can..

....get ready it is almost time :-).........

-22 and kids

2008-12-08T08:20:00.004-07:00

well the skies have opened up finally and gave us some snow. we have about 10 inches over the last few days and I can say I am so relieved, with tours season on us we really were getting worried that the tours we had booked would have to be moved to a time that we did get snow.

well all my complain may have paid off, the temperature is -22 right now there is no wind and I plan on getting out to train some puppies today. I have 2 childrend still sleeping and have decided to wait until they wake up before doing anything I have my teams all worked out now and so I have time to sit and write here.

It is too cold to ask the kids to come along with me training so I will send them off to their grandparents today for a couple of hours while I take out the puppies. trying to juggle both family life and training has been a bit of a challenge but I seem to be managing. in years past I had not had a goal and I was able to focus on the tours as a easy paced event, Now the pace seems almost urgent.

At this temp I am not sure if the quad is going to start which will put a damper on things if I can not get it started. that means I will have to run the sled and the trails have not been packed yet. not that it is a big deal just makes training so much easier. If I have to take out the sled I will ask for the neighbour to ride along with me so that with a big puppy team I have no issues with them as there is really not allot of snow to hook down and help in situations.

I will have to tremain off the trails with the quads now because the weight of the quad pushes the tires into the snow deep and ruins the flat surface for our sledding. I was enjoying the fact that I could still run big teams but now I am not sure if I will be able to run them along the highway now as the snow has come in strong.

I plan to go and have a look when the kids wake up and perhaps even pack some trails today instead of running..LOL I know I am not sure of what the day will bring. I need to see what I can run them with now so a scout of the trails are in order today.

I talked with my mushing buddy last night and he is running alaskans and he is up to our miles with just a bit of training and sounds like he has someone running his team for him. at this point I am not sure if he is just pushing the dogs hard or they have been able to get up to the miles quicker due to genetics. I am not sure but I am a bit concerned about the fact I may not be able to run with him on this race.

perhaps the 350 mile was a bit of a race to bite off for me being a rookie with small kids, there is a option to run a shorter distance of 150 miles with 8 dogs and I am really considering doing this one. I talked with my mentor who also is a vet that runs a amazing team of dogs and he thought for my own sake maybe the 8 dog would suit me better for the first race. His theory and I have to say I agree is to run the race knowing I can finish the whole thing and in the end be proud of my achievement of finishing rather than make it 150 miles and find we are just not experienced enough to do it. I have been struggling with this idea as I would have to take the team from 12 dogs to 8 which the dogs at this point are smaller faster dogs that may not have the strenght to got the distance. this par tof it concerns me. with 12 dogs at least I can drop a few and still fin sh with a strong team.

this is something I am going to have to talk about and see how things go. So I guess I have the training plan written out and the schedule in place so today I will do what the kids and weather allows me to do.

so until next time I guess I am off to turn on the fire place in the shack in the dog yard and I am off and running for the day.

Sibes

a interesting run

2008-11-20T09:33:00.005-07:00

.. so we decided to hook up 17 dogs yesterday. it was a grueling task trying to get all the dogs hooked up and have them stay calm enough to wait to run. I took a bit of a breather after I hooked them all up. and realized this was a very long team and I was running a couple of pups in there which I was a bit concerned if they would get lost and forgot along the trail while I delt with the others. it was a good run I was concerned I changed dog food a week ago and todays run was a bit sluggish we were slow running at aout 14km/hr and we had to cut the run short due to the lower speed. I do thing alot of it had to do with the the fact we had a few leader problems it was a :offday: as I call it when the whole run seems to go wrong. but we kept going and ventured along. I did how ever need to drop y older leader she just had some porblems today so I dropped her to the back and ran a single rookie leader and he did great.

so we finally had a cold day and it was not a great run. I think I will try and run 2 smaller teams each day and try and keep up the miles that way the bigger teams we tend to have more issues and our time and speed is compermised

well below are some pics enjoy the videos and pics and I will be back to update soon
sibes

39km

2008-11-17T18:28:00.002-07:00

well we have made it to 38km today. not what we need to be at. This point of training I have had hoped to be at 45-50km but due to the weather I am limited to what miles I can do. I am trying to get out at about 4:00am to catch the cool weather. My dogs have thick coats and I do not want to push them too hard in the warm weather if I do I run the risk of them overheating. but with that said if I do not get my miles up I am not sure I am able to run the race.

we have a good selection of 16 dogs right now that I am running the 38km runs they are all doing it with easy and I hope to be able to choose 12 from the bunch for the race. I am really missin my leader this year and not only asking my dogs to run more miles faster but asking them to follow and trust a new leader. we have a couple of 10 year old dogs on the team and I am not sure at what point I ask them to stop but so far at this point they are running strong and doing the miles with ease so if I see any signs of them having enough I will drop them to the tour teams.

I am running a brand new leader this year and so far she shows amazing ability. She does however show signs of missing the bush trails and showing signs of being bored. every approach we come to along the highway she wants to turn down to hit the trails. But with a older staedy leader with her we have been able to curver her determination to get out tot the bush. I hope to run her this year in lead on the race but if we can not get over this desire to run bush we may end up having a problem.

so far so good though all are maintianing weight except on kerra is going to be ahrd girl to maintain and now has added extra fat to her diet to try and keep her weight up. not sure this will be good if she can not maintain a good weight if she can not I will not risk her heath in racing which is a shame because she is a amazing runner and have amazing lines she is young yet and perhaps a run next year will be better for her. but so far we are maintaining a good healthy weight.

so we have been having great runs and we are enjoying all of it and hope by dec to be able to run to the cabin in the bush it is 38km there and 38km back so we hope to run there in the morning stay over and be gone back on the trail by 5:00am and then rest a day and do it again like that for a week or so and then up the miles to running up there rest for a hour and then back home.

well enough bannter from me :-) I will try and update at another time
until then happy mushing

Sibes

28 km

2008-11-08T19:56:00.003-07:00

well another day another mile my daughter and I got the dogs out on the trail again today and found we shaved off 45 mins from our time from last run. we also addded 5 more km to the run. most have do so well and are looking in good shape.

I had a new leader up front and ran belle and was amazed at her first run in lead for the whole 28km she ran with sam and they worked very well together. I am not sure if sam will end up on the team just due to his coat thick ness that may end up hindering us if we run into hot temps race time.

we have a nice 28km track now a spot where we can rest and get water for the dogs a good turn around point. I am hopeing to keep with this trail until we are runnign with no breaks and no stopping I hope to up the KM next week and then stay at that distance for the next week then run the same distance every day. then after that every second day add some more km.

so trainign has been going well and all are doing good. I will have to try and get the handler up and running to make sure the dogs left off the race team get just as much time spent with them and enough trainging time that they are in good shape for the tourist.

I am am really getting so excited now with each 5 km addition to the miles and as long As I can get them to 60km each day I will be happy to enter in the race.I have to train right now along the highway due to it being hunting season but this has some advantages I can push the dogs a bit harder know it is only a phone call to get the truck and dog box here to pick up a dog that is tired.

I can not be more proud of the dogs they are trying so hard and running as a team and I am soooo proud of them.

well that is all for tonnight Chat later

Sibes

Canadian Challenge Dogsled Race

2008-11-06T08:43:00.004-07:00

the race we plan to attend is the Candian Challenge race details below

2009 Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race Trail

The Canadian Challenge goes from Prince Albert to La Ronge. A 500+Km (approx. 320 miles) race that brings musher and dog to what they call "the gates to the north".

The Canadian Challenge Trail has a wide variety of trails. Mushers and their teams must be prepared to run long stretches of lake travel, narrow bush trails etc. Highway travel and crossings are kept to a minimum. The trails will be marked and groomed by the Canadian Challenge Trail committee.

Please note that 2009 Canadian Challenge Race Trail details may change due to weather conditions. A map will be available soon!

Offical Rules

CANADIAN CHALLENGE
2009 OFFICIAL RULES – 8 DOG RACE

It should be noted that in all situations, the race officials would attempt to follow the spirit of the rule, rather than the "letter of the law", it being understood that the race will be awarded on merit and not on technicality.

RACE START AT PRINCE ALBERT February 18th 2009 AT NOON

Section I – Entry

A. ENTRY FEES

1.The entry fees for the 2009 Canadian Challenge are set at:
Entries received by January 1st, 2009 - $150.00
Entries received by January 31st 2009 - $175.00
Entries received after January 31st 2009 - $200.00
** All entries after January 31st 2009 must be in cash, money order or certified check.

2.No entries will be accepted after 9 AM on February 12 2009. The musher must be named before 1 PM on February 12, 2009.

3.Receipt of the entry fee will constitute the musher's intent to enter the race and further acknowledge that the musher agrees to comply with each and every rule as stated.

4.Only 15 entries will be accepted. (A waiting list will be taken to replace canceled entries)

B. QUALIFICATIONS

1.All entrants in the Canadian Challenge must submit a picture, the biography sheet (completely filled out), along with the registration and entry fee.

2.Canadian Challenge Race Committee reserves the right to reject any entry.

C. MUSHERS
1.The musher starting at the beginning of the race shall drive the team throughout the race.

2.A musher under the age of 18 must submit a written letter outlining qualifications to race and a signed consent form from a parent or legal guardian.

3.It is mandatory for all mushers to attend all race functions listed.

4.All mushers must register in person at the Race Headquarters in Prince Albert. Mushers can register between 9 AM February 11th 2009. and before 9:00 AM February 17th , 2009.

5.The race committee up until the start of the race may allow substitution of a musher.
D. MUSHER'S MEETINGS

1.It is mandatory for all entering mushers and their handlers to attend the rules meeting, at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, February 17th 2009 (Location to be announced later) This is where the mushers pick their positions. A sign will be given to you at this time to indicate the name of the musher and handler and bib number. This sign must be visible on the dash of your truck at all times and at all checkpoints. Failure to meet first roll call will result in a fine of $100.00, missing the second roll call will result in disqualification. It is mandatory to attend the Musher's Banquet Tuesday evening.

2.Only mushers and handlers will participate in the public rules discussion.

E. DOGS

Each team must start with a maximum of 8 dogs (minimum of 6) and finish with a minimum of 4 dogs These minimum number of dogs must be standing in the team at all times.

1.All dogs must undergo a veterinary check as scheduled by the race committee when you register. All dogs are expected to meet general standards of good health and the race committee may publish any other specific criteria in advance. After all dogs qualifying for the race will be marked. Any other dogs on your truck must be marked out. It is the musher's responsibility to see that the mark on the qualified dogs and the mark on the marked out dogs remains intact. If for some reason the mark disappears, the musher or handler must report it to the Race Marshal immediately.

2.All dogs entered in the race will have current vaccinations for parvovirus, distemper and current rabies certificates; the musher will be required to present these certificates at the health check.
a)Proof of valid rabies vaccination signed and dated at least two weeks prior to the race. Certificates with Imrab 3 vaccinated dogs will be accepted for up to 3 years from date of vaccination.

b)Proof of purchase of parvovirus and distemper must be submitted for inspection (must be vaccinated prior to coming to the race, can not be done at the Health check).

3.Any dogs not qualifying for a certificate of good health may not run in the race.

4.Any dog dropped before or during the race will be marked out and cannot be re-entered or substituted.

5.Administration of any drugs other than those mentioned above shall be done only with prior knowledge and consent of the Race Health Checker and Race Marshal.

6.Sweats will be allowed without prohibited substances.

F. EQUIPMENT

1.All harnesses shall be padded around the neck and chest areas. Each harness shall have 2 inches of reflector tape an each side of the neck and on each side farther back, so as to reflect snowmobile lights from the front and side.

2.All dogs shall be harnessed in single or double formation.

3.Some type of sled shall be drawn, that is equipped with a working brake bolted to the sled, brush bow and a snow hook. No part of the braking system or any ropes, etc. shall extend beyond the end of the runners, except for the traditional northern toboggan, which can have a brake at the back.

4.Mushers may exchange sleds at any of the official checkpoints.

5.A sled bag capable of safely restraining a struggling dog, and if necessary covering a severely injured or expired dog is required.

6.Each musher shall provide a chain or cable tether for any dogs left at a checkpoint and not in the care of his or her handler.

7.All gang lines must be made of cable or have a cable core n the center line, unless using double trace hook-up.

8.We strongly recommend that the mushers have adequate blankets or jackets for the dogs in case of extreme cold.

G. DRUGS

1.No injectable substances of any kind and no oral or topical drugs, which suppress the signs of illness or injury to the dogs, may be in the possession of the musher or used during the race.

2.The Health Checker shall have the authority to collect blood or urine samples at random at any point during the race, commencing with the Health Check, at any time after the official start of the race and up to 1 hour after the finish of each team at the end of the race.

3.It will be the musher's responsibility to assist the official in collection of these samples at the Health Check, during the race, or immediately following the teams’ finish.

4.The use or possession of the following drugs are prohibited:

Analgesics (pain relievers), prescription or non-prescription
Anti-inflammatory drugs including corticosteroids, anti-prostaglandins, and salicylates. (The exception to this rule will be the use of topical corticosteroids for use only in topical foot ointments approved by the veterinarian.
Nervous system stimulants
Cough suppressants
Diuretics
Muscle relaxants
Antihistamines
Diet pills
Aspirin

5.It is the intent of this rule that no drugs or other artificial means be used to drive a dog beyond its natural ability. A musher must have his/her team free of any of these prohibited drugs at the time of the Health Check and during the race. If, in the view of the Race Marshal or Official Health Checker it is necessary to use one of these drugs for the dog's well being, that dog will be pulled from the race, including intravenous.

H. MANDATORY GEAR REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES

Headlamp (working) we recommend carrying two for insurance
Knife
Sleeping bag (winter or arctic weight)
Axe (minimum of 2 1/4 lb. head and 22 inches in length)
Cable cutter which is readily accessible and capable of cutting your gangline if necessary
Waterproof matches or a lighter
Promotional material:
Musher's bib, sponsor's banner
All must be turned in at the end of the race or when musher scratches from the race.
One day’s emergency ration for the musher
First aid kit (to consist at least of triangle bandage, pressure dressing and tape, to be used in case of major bleeding)

If musher arrives at any checkpoint or finish missing any of the above items, one hour will be added to their total time for each missing item.

I. EXPENDABLE ITEMS

Must be on sled when leaving start and any other checkpoint.
One pound of dog food for each dog on the team
2 sets of booties (8) for each dog (one set can be on the dogs)

Section II—Race Officials, Race Jury, Protests & Hearings

A. RACE OFFICIALS

The Canadian Challenge Race Committee (“Race Committee”) shall appoint Race Officials to oversee the race. Race Officials shall include a Race Marshal, Assistant Race Marshal, Head Veterinarian, Veterinarian Assistants, Start Chief, Timing Chief, Trail Chief and Checkpoint Chief.

Race Officials shall have authority to make decisions respecting their specific areas of responsibility and, in the absence of a more qualified official, authority to make decisions intended to advance the fairness and safety of the race.

Where reasonably possible, Race Officials shall consult with the Race Marshal before making any decision that might affect the finish order of the race. Where the Race Marshal is consulted, he/she shall, subject to the outcome of any official protest, have the final word regarding the decision being made.

The Race Marshal shall have control of the race from the commencement of the pre-race mushers’ meeting until the race is over. He/she has the authority to interpret rules at the pre-race mushers’ meeting and during the race; make decisions respecting race matters not covered by the rules; suspend the running of the race for a period of time to deal with extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances; re-route the race to avoid poor trail conditions or other hazards; re-locate or close checkpoints; order drug testing of dogs; assess fines or other penalties for rule infractions; order the withdrawal or disqualification of individual dogs from the race for just cause; and determine the final finish order of teams.

Any Race Official can be replaced during the race for gross incompetence by a majority vote of the Race Committee.

B. RACE JURY

The Race Committee shall also appoint a Race Jury of three (3) persons to decide matters referred to it by the Race Marshal and to decide official protests.

If the Race Marshal is of the view that the length of the race route or the time allowed to run the race route should be altered for any or all of the teams entered, he/she shall refer the matter to the Race Jury with his/her recommendation. The Race Jury shall, after considering any evidence it chooses, decide the matter by majority vote on such terms as it deems appropriate and have its decision communicated to mushers as soon as practicable.

If the Race Marshal is of the view that a musher and his/her team should be withdrawn or disqualified from the race, he/she shall refer the matter to the Race Jury with his/her recommendation. The Race Jury shall, after giving the musher an opportunity to be heard, then decide the matter by majority vote and have its decision communicated to the team’s musher as soon as practicable. The Race Jury’s decision regarding the withdrawal or disqualification of a musher is final and not subject to protest or appeal.

The Race Marshal may, in his/her discretion, refer any matter to the Race Jury for decision. The Race Jury may, after giving any musher having a significant interest in the matter an opportunity to be heard, decide any such matter by a majority vote. The decision of the Race Jury in such case shall be final.

C. PROTESTS AND HEARINGS

A musher wishing to protest the decision or action of a Race Official or the failure of a Race Official to make a decision or take action regarding an event likely to affect the outcome of the race may do so by filing his or her protest in writing along with a cash deposit of $25 with a Race Official.

A musher’s protest shall be filed as soon as is practicable in all of the circumstances and, in any event, no later than six (6) hour after the musher’s finish.

A Race Official receiving a written protest and $25 cash deposit shall forthwith bring the protest to the attention of the Race Marshal or Assistant Race Marshal who shall bring it to the attention of the Race Jury for a decision.

Neither a musher nor his or her handler shall discuss a protest with spectators, the media or the general public prior to a decision being made by the Race Jury.

A protest shall be dealt with at a hearing convened by the Race Jury at a time deemed appropriate by the jury. Before making a decision, the Race Jury shall hear from the musher filing the protest, the Race Marshal and/or Assistant Race Marshal, any Race Official involved in the matter being protested, any musher likely to have his or her final placing affected should the protest succeed, and any other person the Race Jury chooses to hear from. The Race Jury will decide a protest by majority vote.

The Race Jury’s decision respecting a protest is final and shall be respected by all parties affected by it.

The Race Jury shall return the $25 cash deposit accompanying a protest if the protest was successful. It may also, in its sole discretion, return the deposit where a protest was unsuccessful or only partly successful.

A musher wishing to complain about the overall organization of the race shall put the complaint in writing and forward it to the Race Committee. The Race Committee will endeavour to address the complaint in a timely fashion.

Section III—Conduct & Penalties

A. CONDUCT

A musher shall be responsible for the good conduct of himself/herself and his/her handler throughout the race.

A musher shall also be responsible for the good behaviour of his or her team throughout the race.

MUSHERS AND HANDLERS SHALL SHOW RESPECT, POLITENESS AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IN ALL THEIR DEALINGS WITH OTHER MUSHERS, HANDLERS, RACE PERSONNEL AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

B. PENALTIES

Failure to adhere to the published rules may result in a warning or a penalty to be determined by the Race Marshal or disqualification imposed by the Race Jury.

A penalty imposed by the Race Marshal may be by way of time penalty or by way of monetary fine.

A time penalty imposed by the Race Marshal may, at the discretion of the Race Marshal, be imposed by adding time to a musher’s mandatory layover time or by adding time to a musher’s final finish time.

Any monetary fine imposed that is not paid by a musher before the purse payout shall be deducted from the musher’s winnings. If a musher leaves any fine outstanding, he or she will not be allowed to enter any future Canadian Challenge race until the arrears are paid in full to the Race Committee.

If the Race Marshal determines that the behaviour of a musher, his/her handler or his/her team is detrimental to the race or the sport of dog mushing, whether or not that behaviour is in breach of the published rules, he or she may recommend to the Race Jury that the musher be disqualified. The Race Jury shall then deal with the matter as set out in Rule II–B3

Section IV – Officiating

A. RACE OFFICIALS

1.The Race Marshal has the final word over all safety considerations for both dogs and mushers. He/she has the authority to interpret rules at the musher's meeting, alter a participant's official running time, disqualify dogs, teams, and mushers, refer rules questions to the race committee, order drug testing, and determine winners and subsequent placing. Prior to closing or changing a checkpoint, the Race Marshal will advise the Trail Committee of the problem at hand and allow them one hour to correct it.

2.The Official Health Checker or The Race Marshal is the consulting specialist to the race. In addition to the pre-race Health Check one of the above officials will be available throughout the race for consultation, first aid, and major medical situations. The Official's decision to disallow an entry or remove a dog or team from the race can go to the Race Marshal for appeal. The decision stands until such time as the Race Marshal overrules it.

3.The Race Officials, Timers, Checkpoint Judges and Official Health Checker each have immediate authority in their specific areas of responsibility and will act as consultants to the Race Marshal who has the ultimate responsibility to make the final decision.

4.Any race official can be replaced during the race for gross incompetence with a majority vote by the Race Committee.

B. CONDUCT AND DISQUALIFICATION

1.Mushers shall be responsible for the conduct of their dogs, their designated handler and themselves whenever in the race area or on the trail in dealing with race personnel, officials and the public.

2.COMMON SENSE AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP SHALL PREVAIL. IF THE RACE MARSHAL DETERMINES THAT A MUSHER, HANDLER OR TEAM AT ANY TIME IN THE RACE AREA OR ON THE TRAIL IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE SPORT/RACE, THAT TEAM WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

3.Failure to adhere to the published rules will result in penalty or disqualification. This will be the responsibility of the Race Marshal. A disqualified musher will forfeit all entry fees, placements, or monetary values.

4.Furthermore, the Race Committee or the Race Marshal may assess penalties other than disqualification. These penalties will take the form of time penalties or fines and can affect the final place of a team. In the event fines are imposed, they must be paid before purse payout or will be deducted from musher's winnings. Any future entries will not be accepted until the Gateway North Sled Dog Race Assoc receives full payment.

C. PROTESTS AND HEARINGS

1.Any musher wishing to register verbal protest must do so at the next closest checkpoint. A $25.00 cash deposit must accompany any verbal protest.

2.Protest must be made directly to a race official who will then inform the Race Marshal and shall in no manner be discussed with the spectators, media representatives, or the general public prior to a decision being handed down.

3.All protests must be put into writing and submitted to a race official no later than one hour following the protester's finish.

4.Protest fee refunds may be obtained at the race headquarters in Prince Albert upon presentation of receipt, providing the written protest has been upheld.

5.The Race Marshal following a hearing, attended by all parties involved, will make an official decision.

6.Any complaints about the overall organization of the race must be written and given to the Race Committee.

7.Any conduct not beneficial to the event can result in disqualification from future races.

Section V - The Race

The race starts in Prince Albert, Wednesday February 18th, 2009 at noon after the 12 dog teams.

A. START/FINISH
1.START POSITIONS
The starting positions for the race shall be picked by the mushers in order of the receipt of their entries. First entry received will have first choice, second gets second choice, etc.). The musher of each team shall pick his/her own starting position prior to the race at the Musher meeting on February 17th 2009.

2.START
Race starts 12 noon February 18th 2009 All mushers, handlers and team trucks must be in the official parking area and available to the public before 10:30 am, there will be a penalty for being late Each team will be required to carry a passenger arranged by the race committee for approximately 2 ½ miles to the Little Red River Bridge on highway 55.

All teams must be ready to move up to starting line when notified of their turn. If your team is not ready to move up to the starting line in order drawn you will start after the musher who drew last place has left and a one-hour penalty will be added to your time. Any team that cannot leave the starting line within 10 minutes of the last team's departure may be disqualified.

3.FINISH
All race money-winners must finish the complete race. The nose of the lead dog crossing the finish line will constitute a team's official finish. In the event that the musher is not with the team when it finishes, the finish time will be officially recorded when the musher crosses the line after the team.

4.“NO-MAN’S LAND”
There will be no calling of trail in the section called "no-man's land". This section of trail will be announced at the musher's meeting.

B. OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE

1.Mushers and teams will not receive any outside assistance with the following exceptions:
Mushers may assist each other in appropriate ways in an emergency
Replacement of broken or lost equipment between checkpoints must be arranged through and directed by the Race Marshal. (The musher must send word to the Race Marshal, who will then direct an official to contact a handler to transport a replacement to the stranded musher.)
The designated handler and only the designated handler (wearing the handler bib) may assist musher at the start, at all the assisted checkpoints and at the finish, but only after the musher has officially signed in and until he has signed out. Only one handler is allowed for each team. NO assistance from the truck driver (if traveling with a handler and truck driver) will be allowed.
Race officials may give or allow assistance where required at the Race Official's discretion.

2.Mushers may not arrange for any person or persons to instruct them between checkpoints. Request for direction along the way is acceptable.

3.Pacing of any kind is strictly prohibited.

4.Two-way radios, GPS or cell and SAT phones will not be permitted.

5.Participant's dog trucks must travel directly from one checkpoint to the next at reasonable highway speed. Any contact between musher and handler between checkpoints unless directed by the Race Marshal will result in disqualification.

C. MANAGEMENT/HANDLING OF DOGS

1.Cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs by anyone is strictly prohibited and will be penalized by disqualification.

2.No whips will be allowed.

3.Boxing of dogs
You will be allowed to box your dogs at all official checkpoints.
Dropped dogs will not be boxed until they are checked and marked by a race official.

4.Expired dogs
Any dog that expires on the trail for any reason must be taken to the next checkpoint or the checkpoint you just left if the musher deems it to his/her advantage time wise.
Expired dogs must be completely covered when being carried on the sled.
A post mortem will be performed on all expired dogs by a licensed Vet agreeable to both musher and Race Marshal.
The incident will not be discussed with the public or media until the Race Marshal gives an official release to the media.

5.Hauling Dogs
A musher may not allow any of his/her dogs to be hauled by another team.
A musher's dogs must be hauled in a humane manner in his own sled.

6.All dogs including team dropped and extra dogs on truck must be in complete control of the handler and musher at all times and it is their responsibility to catch any loose dogs.

D. CHECKPOINTS/MANDATORY LAYOVER

1.There will be a mandatory nine hours of rest. Four hours at any checkpoint and five hours at the unassisted LT’s LODGE checkpoint. The starting times will be adjusted at the 4 hour mandatory checkpoint. It is the musher's responsibility to make sure that the required mandatory rest is taken. If on arrival at the finish, the officials find that you are short on your mandatory rest, you will be penalized half an hour plus the time missed.

2.Checking in
a)Each musher must personally sign in and out of each checkpoint. It is the musher's responsibility to see that this is carried out. If no time is to be spent at the checkpoint, both can be done upon checking in, but no handler assistance will be allowed after signing out.
b)All mushers must sign in and have his/her gear and equipment available to be checked at each checkpoint.
c)A musher may return to a checkpoint with his/her team to return a dog or dogs without penalty.
d)At the five hour mandatory layover there will be a mandatory Health check. It is the musher's responsibility to make sure this is done.
e)Each musher will be responsible for the reporting to the checker of any dogs in the bag.

3.Checkpoint accommodations
a)Space for bedding down dogs and parking space are on a first come, first served basis. Checkpoint officials will show you the designated space for parking teams.
b)Boisterous behavior on the part of any musher or handler around other resting teams or any other interference is strictly prohibited.

4.Layover at checkpoints
Musher or handler must remain at checkpoints with their dogs. The period of time is counted from the sign in (arrival time) at the checkpoint until you sign out, whether or not you leave.

5.Food and Water
The musher is responsible for supplying all his/her own food and water for himself/herself and his/her dogs for the entire race (some checkpoints may have food and water).

6.The handler must clean up his parking area at all checkpoints. After it is clean he/she will get an official to approve his site before leaving the site. A thirty (30) minute penalty will be assessed against any team leaving a checkpoint without official approval for the handler to leave.

E. RUNNING THE COURSE

1.The Canadian Challenge is being run on provincially owned land, on snow mobile trails, so please conduct yourselves in an appropriate manner and do not demand "rights" to the trail.

2.Please do not dispose of booties or other refuse along or on the trail. Carry them to the checkpoint and properly dispose of them there. Littering will result in a 30-minute penalty.

3.Cut-off Times
In order to insure the safe conduct of the race and to limit the responsibility of checkers and other volunteers, a cut-off time has been set. The race officially ends at 6 AM, February 21st 2009. Any team still on the trail as of that time will be disqualified. The Race Marshal may at his discretion extend the cut-off time for just cause or disqualify a team that will not make this finish time.

4.Passing
a)When overtaking another team the musher shall call "trail"; the over-taken team must relinquish the trail and assist the passing team when necessary. The overtaken team shall not attempt to pass for 15 minutes, unless the other team is stopped.
b)When neither of two or more teams is able to pull away from the other, the mushers shall mutually decide on the appropriate team to lead out. In no way is the passing rule designed to assist a team in "manipulating" its way into a desirable trail position.
c)If the passing team has a tangle during the pass, the team being passed must wait for the passing team to get straight and moving again.
d)If ski poles are being used, they must be put away with 100 yards of another team in front or behind you.

5.Lost Team
a)In the case of a lost team, the team will not be disqualified if the musher regains control of the team, provided that the team and musher complete the entire race trail and comply with the rules, including checkpoint requirements.
b)Mushers may receive assistance from another contestant in recovering their team. It is the intent of this rule that all teams follow the trail as marked.
c)Teams inadvertently leaving the course must regain the course at the point at which it was left, and then continue on.
d)If a musher accepts a ride from a motorized vehicle to recover a lost team, he or she shall report the matter to the Race Marshal at their earliest opportunity. Failure to report may result in disqualification. Upon receiving a report concerning a musher accepting a ride from a motorized vehicle, the Race Marshal shall decide if any penalty should be imposed.

6.Safety
It is the musher's responsibility to check for traffic at road crossings. An attempt will be made to secure these crossings. However, towards the end of the race, when teams may be spread over a several hour stretch it will be likely that some crossings are unattended. Always use your headlamp to signal snow machines during night travel. Nighttime travel will be more challenging, so be cautious.

F. WEATHER AND TRAIL CONDITIONS

1.The race will continue under all but the most severe trail and weather conditions. Mushers must come prepared to run in cold, wind, storm, and over sections of bare ground, if necessary.

2.In the event of questionable trail conditions, the Race Committee will make the decision:
a)To reroute parts of the trail.
b)To postpone no less than 10 days prior to the race.

Section VI - Awards Presentation

All mushers finishing the race must be present at the Awards Presentation ceremony. (Penalty - Forfeiture of winnings)

Section VII Refunds

Full refunds of entry fees may be granted until January 31st, 2009. No refunds after January 31st,, 2009, unless medical or personal emergency and then only with approval of the Race Committee.

Section VIII– Bibs

Each musher and handler is required to wear his/her assigned bib at the start, finish and when entering, while in the checkpoints and when leaving all checkpoints. Bibs must be VISIBLE outside of all clothing. The designated handler must wear the bib in all checkpoints as well.

All race bibs must be returned to the race official at the finish line. A bib deposit of $40.00 will be paid at Registration, to be returned at the Awards Banquet. Both bibs must be returned in order to claim the refund of the deposit.

Section IX – Claims

Each musher agrees not to hold the Canadian Challenge Race Organization, its members, race sponsors, landowners (both private and government) or the race committee, employees, volunteers, individually or jointly, for injury or damage to himself/herself, his/her handler, dogs or equipment.

Each musher agrees to give the race organizers and sponsors permission to photograph himself/herself and his/her team and to use as they see fit any photographs taken before, during or after the race.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL

getting ready

2008-11-06T08:18:00.008-07:00

well we have been waiting for weeks trying to get the training started here. it has not been cool enough to get out with some of the dogs. we do have some heavier coatd dogs and we always get behind on there miles simply due to their coats.

but we got a chance to get out again last night and ran 23 km. we had yearlings on their so we did not want to push them too far. the pace was steady but as the first offical run of the season they did o.k.

I was really impressed with our old girl smokey ran soo well I never thought she would do as well she lead the team the whole way. I have a stopping spot for the dogs about 12km down the road which is nice that way I have a water fill up and a chance to continue further.

I have had to run the dogs along the highway due to it being hunting season when the hunting month is done we will be able to get out on the trails again and move our way up inthe miles to train to the cabin.the miles to the cabin is about 46km from our house so I hope to be able to get the dogs up to 50 km running easy 2 days in a row so that we can go up to the cabin stay over and run back the next day. of course we plan to up that to running to the cabin and back after a hort break.

we took out our young handler with us training and she is doing very well, she is able to keep up with the chaos at times and handles the dogs well when we have issues.The dogs really trust her and enjoy having her around as do I she is a hard worker and is very dedicated to animals and her future goal will be become a vet which I know she can do because she is a houner student and picks up thing easy.

so all and all she very well with the runs and we hope to have her maybe enter a few race this year with her own team. so I guess with the weather the way it is we will have to try and run mostly at night when it is at its coolest. so a few pictures to end this post and then we hope to post the info on the race coming up.

Sibes

today and nothing more

2008-10-22T19:56:00.004-06:00

well this week has been a very busy week for me I have been busy trying to finish making the puppy dog houses. I can say I am done all the repairs and are ready for the straw. I know there will be minor repairs along the way but all is ready for the snow.

I am a bit behind on the dog box I have to make a larger dog box to carry all the dogs and I have the frame complete and tommorow I will start making the dividers in the middle I am hoping to get all that done in a couple of days. I have not been out too much recently but have been out walking the dogs doing leader training. lots that we have been doing and I hope to get pictures uploaded tonight my computer crashed and I have very little access to my pictures and information.

we have 2 solid teams put together now and are going to take some video of them next run. my handler will be out next time with me so we may hook up 16-20 dogs if we can get them all hooked up.

that will be exciting so I am going to be busy trying to get the ganglines and harnesses complete.

anyhow not much of a update but I will try and get back soon and finish

Sibes

another day another team

2008-10-15T08:32:00.006-06:00

well we have started easing our way into traing this year but I am training 4 10 dogteams this year to get ready for tours so even though I am giving each team a break every third day I am out everyday training. I have been trying to keep motivated but I am a bit tired as of late and it is just a Little harder to train as I have to pack up my children that are not in school put on their winter gear hats mitts and snowpants tand ask them to come out in freezing temps to come with me on the quad and then enjoy it :-)

I ran the boys the other day and because I am training some new leader gee haw I wanted to take my old man with me cache is the most amazing leader he has slowed down in his old years and become a bit of a trouble maker when he wants I have founds now he will question me in my calls and purposely turn the opposite way. but this I can not complain with her has lead the pack here for 8 years we got him from a race team when he was 4. I want him to feel like he is still important in our lives and to be able to take out a large team even though slow runwith absolutely no issues.

I have retired cahche this year and he will be helping with the mushing 101 courses he does so well with teaching new people how to sled but he is the best at showing them how to be a leaning pole so they can cuddle him.

it would be nice to have all of it, what do I mean I want the calm thinking nature of the older leaders mixed in with the speed endurance and stenght of a young dog. LOL ya I know I want everything LOL I will be missing on the race team my many dogs that I have learnt to trust onthe trail they run perfect I never have to question them and now turn and learn to trust our younger dogs the same.

but I was surprised at the boys when I took them out I put cahce and keeni up front in lead I want keeni to learn from cache and then I also hooked them up int he dark cahce has done many runs with me at midnight and enjoys runnign inthe dark and has no issues leading ...

now itwas keenis turn I wanted to see if he could stay focused enough to keep on the trail and not react to the darkness and what could be in the bush. we did well at first due to keeni following every movement of cache but then as the miles went on I could see keeni taking the control and that although a great sign was a bit unpredictable as he is just learning the commands and little things that make a great leader.

cache let him take control for quite a while and let kenni feel the control and feel the power of commanding 8 other dogs. but then after a bit took over again. it was a good start and I think he liked it I just have to work on focuswith him but that will come in time with a few years on him we hada few newbies on line and when I say newbies I mean dogs that have not run more than 2 times with our family or at all. so a few tangles from them until we got our groove. but I did find the girl team I ran before was much more focused they were faster and ran further.

they all did very well and it was much more obvious onthe boy team who was going to make the race team and who was going to stick to tours. I am having a hard time with the girls and I think it will come down to who can do the major miles. I plan on taking out my handler today with the quad and get her experienced in running a team with a ATV so I will hook up the girls and we can run a short 8 mile run and let her learn how to watch the dogs control the ATV and keep the gangline tight she will have to learn when to see when to break the dogs and when to push them on and that will take time for her to be able to know each dog and their individual signs But over all I am happy witht he first few runs I am sad though I cannot run my babies they went out and had a great run and did it with easy I just do not want to push them and sour them to sledding so I have to really keep myself from grabbing them a hanress and hooking them up. next year I am really going to enjoy getting them out on tours and maybe racing.

but for now each day I print off the list of teams and write down my comments beside each dog to help me determine who is race potential. this is hard cause I want to runthem all LOL

oh well that is it for me now I have to go and do chores feed water and get ready for the handler and the run

happy mushing
sibes

we have started training

2008-10-10T09:12:00.002-06:00

so yesterday was our first day of training.

due to the girls all being in heat I hooked up a girl team and took them out first. we have more males inthe kennel than females so I had the chance to make room on the line for puppies. We have 2 that are just 10 months old and 2 that are just over a year old. we decided that we would use this run as a nice teaching run for the puppies and to get used to our new routine.

so after I took the kids to school I cam back and I startedt he quad the temp was just zero and the quad sputtered as I started it. the dogs were all excited with me being in the kennel and putting the quad in the place it sits when we go for a run. I wanted to wate rthem all before I went but the hose was frozen and so I had carry some buckets by hand. I had to let the quad warm up so I left it running while I went in to the cabin to start a fire and some coffeeI wanted to be able to come back and enjoy some warm coffee and sit and go over the run miles.

so after I got all organized inthe cabin I whad to go and look over the dogs and decide who was all going.normally I would take them one by one out of the kennel and put them on the long drop chain in the yard but now that I have enclosed the kennel I can just let them out of their pens to run in the community area until I am ready to harness. this is a new system and I was hoping htat is would save me a bit of energy when I am hooking up teams for touring.

so off I went and started letting out dogs. they burst through the doors and ran wildly along the kennel excited and full of energy this was a good sign. after I had out all the girls I let them run around and enjoy exploring while I got the harnesses and gangline ready. some of the girls are so small I had a hard time finding harnesses that would fit them, searching I found some old ones that I had put away and yep they fit. so I called the girls over one by one and put on their harness and then let them go run again. not sure if this was going to work letting them go after I was worried I may have some dogs chewing them. but they all did very well smokey my old girl stuck by my side and keep me safe.

so the gangline was ready the quad was warm enough to go so I hooked them all up and opened the gate. the dogs screaming now wanting to go jumping and tugging at the line I ran back tot he quad put it in gear and took off.

because we had babies on the team I wanted to keep them at a specific speed so they could keep up and enjoy their first run with thebig girls, I was watching both the speed and the team in front and we cruise d at 15/km hour they wanted to go more but I held them back. we took the first corner with out any problems and then had a few issueswith command along the way I think it was about the 2 mile mark I switched leader and this worked great. The puppies were doing better than I had thought they would at first they were awkward and clumsy but now they have started to get in the groove of things no longer running in zigzag movement they have figured out the groove of the dog next to them.

the sun was now in full view and we are running along the highway. My dogs are only ever used to running along trails in the bush I have to train them to run along the highway now. The race I am going to runs along the highway for many miles, so this will be good experience for them to run with the roaring sound of vehicles beside them.

they handled it like pros only my leaders were not used to going over approaches and onbying so they kept wanting to turn into the trail or road we got that all figured out and they have learnt something new. the last stretch of the run is back along bush you could see them easy mentally and all get back in the groove, we stopped along the way to have some water I had to try and convince the babies to drink they have to learn to keep hydrated along the trail even if they do not want to.

so I could have pushed them another 4-5 miles but I choose to bring them home and make it a nice first run, so back tothe kennel we went and after I brought them in I closed the gate unhooked and took off harnesses and let them go free again I gave the leaders treats for a job well done and then after I treated the others.

they all still Had heaps of energy running around playing now in the kennel I went to the cabin and grabbed a coffee and made notes on the team sheet so That I can remember how everyone did. I like to make notes and compare them as we train that way it is easier to choose the dogs for the race team and the dogs for tours.

so after I watered the dogs now that it had warmed up enough for the water to flow through the hose. I put away all the dogs and went in to do paper work. It was a good run and look forward to getting out the boys today.

that is all for now
happy mushing
Sibes

night of craziness

2008-10-02T05:48:00.004-06:00

well were to start :-(

I had a feeling it was going to be a long night when the neighbours dogs kept coming over and barking and getting the dogs howling.

every hour or so the dogs would start to howl and I would turn on the dog yard lights and go and check on everyone. I have a couple of litters of pups now at the age to explore and try and test their boundaries. so I guess at about 3:00am after being out every 1/2 hour or hour I was getting frustrated no one had escaped but the yard was acting up and they were all upset.

I had decided that I was indeed not going to get back to sleep so I let out my yard dog to go to the bathroom and the yorkies and started a coffee. not 15 mins later I hear the uproar int he kennel again this time the yorkies are barking and very upset and my yard dog was coming to get me. I knew we had a problem. I stumbled around the house trying to get on my shoes as quickly as possible as my yard dog was growing frantic barking running back and forth to me and then to the kennel. this behavior I knew we had a dog that had got out. this was never a good thing if they had escaped out the back of the kennel that meant they were running free in the yard and the possibilities were scary they had access to the trails and the bush. and that Idea quickened my movements I had to get out and see who is out.

so stumbling inthe dark to get to the kennel I see the shadow of 2 dogs and then soon I see them running towards me only getting close enough to say hi. after about 1/2 I caught them and they were the pups one being about 8 months old the other is about 4 months both in the same kennel they had found the one area I did not put down a dig guard. so getting them back in the dog yard and putting them back in the pen I turn and look where they had got out .yup I see the hole not big but they both had squeezed out.

so as a temp fix until morning whenI can fix it I moved a dog house over to cover the hole. well I guess while they were busy digging the puppies next to them were watching and learning the ways to be bad. so I get in and pour a coffee sit down turn onthe t.v and start to enjoy the morning well darkness yet :-( and then it starts all over the dogs are screaming and howlingand I know it is happening again. so again I put on the gear and run out the door , I am thinking what in the earth is wrong with these dog tonight. I go to see who it is well now I have 2 dogs out again this time a little puppy from the kennel and the same older puppy. so off I go to gather the troops and again I move a dog house to cover the area of trouble and back they go. so I am positive this is the last of my adventurous night

no!!

so back in the house I go and sit down and start to make some food and then the yorkies start barking again. so no I am getting mad this is crazy I have not had this much problems in some time. and I go and see yep it is the same older puppy seems he has figured out that if he stands on the dog house that I moved next to the fence to hide the hole he can simply jump over. so I get him back inthis time I leave him in the community pen for the night due to the fact I am not interested in going and chasing his yet again.

so at 6:00am I am now sitting here venting about the night I have had and tomorrow I will go and fix the pensso this does not happen again.

so that is all for this morning I may write more a bit later

Sibes

been walkabout

2008-09-25T20:24:00.002-06:00

well I guess I have not written for a bit. things around here have been turned upside down between deaths in the family and the passing of a dear K-( friend we have been overwhelmed with upset.

I have been working very hard to finish the warming shack and I can finally say I am almost done. I must admit I have not been working steady on it I have taken time off to clean up the fallen trees in the yard and try and get our outhouse up.

I am almost ready now to start training I have been doing leash training with the dogs and general obedience recalls etc and that has been a nice change to the time schedule.

the girls here are in heat and I have been watching them like a hawk we have them seperate to the other dogs but I still want to be safe and watch. I have decided today to split up the pens onceagain and divide the big one into 2 smaller ones just to make feeding time less crazy and I have added another kennel beside the ones by the house I want to move over my old girls for winter and make sure they are safe from all the elements as their ages starts to show.

My handler is back in full force and is getting back into the swing of things and she is starting to train this year with the dogs. I will have to go out with her this time and show her again the way I would like them trained to refresh her memory. she is helping me with the puppies teaching them good manners and a social postives.

I went out for a small run the other day and was happy with all that is happening I do have to make sure I am seprating the dogs now as we have weight contorl going on now some of the dogs keep their weght well and are a bit over weight the others are a good weight and I do not want them over eati8ng and becoming to large to run in a healthy way.

I am looking forward to my vet coming out here in a couple of weeks I will have him do a once over on the kennel and look at all the dogs and kennel and tell me if I need to change any diets or add anything to help them even more.

so it has been a busy week and I know I have been promising pictures and they are coming I am just not wantting to take them just yet I would like for the warming shack and the wood to be finished and all the painting. so maybe next week I will upload some and you can have a look. but I guess it is time for bed for me a long day tommorow I have to rake out all the old shavings in the kennsl and replace them with new stuff so a long day.

until then happy mushing
Sibes

productive day

2008-09-08T21:25:00.003-06:00

well a long hard working day here at the kennel.We have the insulation in and the plastic barrier in not it is simply adding the top walls. I did not get any wood today as I had hoed I was so busy working in side the cabin.I need to have alot of this done as my handler starts back this wednesday and I have a big list for her to do and learn this winter. after a year of picking poo here at the kennel we have bumped it up a bit for her. I am so proud of her she is so egar to learn I hope to teach her how to make ganelines harnesses and repair her equipment I will also take her throught he fundimentals of winter travel and all that is involved.

she will have lots to do her at the kennel when she gets back we have been lonely without her giggling and playing with the dogs. I have moved the kennel around since she was here and the dogs are in different kennels.

ao lots to do here inthe next day or too and I hope to have a update soon and a full post so I am beat and ready for bed it has been a very long day I hope to have more tommorow :-)

sibes

the weekend plans

2008-09-07T09:58:00.002-06:00

I regret to say that I have somehow wrecked my camera cord and until I can get to town to buy a new one I have no way of upolading pictures to post. frustrating I have 200 or so waiting.

well the weekend has gone well I have managed to get the wiring for the cabin don and now it is a matter of just getting it wired into the main power source. now that that is complete I can start to insulated the areas I need to and get that all done. I hope that this project can be done in the next few weeks as soon as it is dry for a few days I hope to get the out side painted time is running short on warm days. so this year it will get painted and next year we hope to have the log sideing ready to put up.small steps to making it a nice little warming cabin.

well I started getting ready for the tours yesterday. I am trying a new system this year in where I hook them up. instead of running chain along the side of each team as a drop chain I am putting a metal tie out post in the ground and hooking up a longer chain to it. that way I am able to sled rigth over top of it with out harming the sleds and still be able to hook up 4 6 dog teams and 2 12 dog teams.

My theroy is that we can eliminate all the chain and extra cost of trying to hook them up the other way and I can then alos hook up many teams at once and be able to walk away and not be concerned about then pulling the sled out.

I also have this year fence all around the staging area with gates that will allow mea bit od freedom to walk around with no worry that is a team gets loose I am not worring that I have to chase them 40 miles to get them back. this way if they do get loose the can only run in the fenced area.'

I have called about my straw and hay and the farmer is not around yet so I will try again tommorrow and see if I can get out and get it this week. my tarp shed where I want to keep them is done and so it will just be a matter of going and getting it. I have decided to get some hay as well this year in the square bales for easy lifting to the horses pen. so cros fingers I can get out there and get all of that and then I can get some more straw in the dog houses.

yesterday I went out and went along the feild and colected some trees that had fallen and got them back to the cabin to chop today. most of it will be used outside for the fire pit and I will wait until my husband is off work again to go and fall some of the dry trees we have scouted and I hoping that I will be able to get enough out of these 40 trees to last me the winter and spring.

but we got a few traile rloads and now I am going to go cut them today if I can find in which shed I put it away :-( I can loose tools in seconds LOL it frustrates my husband bad , and I can understand :-)so once I find the chain saw I will sharpen the axe and start chopping up the wood we have sitting here.

so not much happeing with the train yet I still have to find the time to get out. but I am hoping next week we will start I have a good solid 14 dog team picked out for the race and a good solid 3 teams for tours so I am really looking forward to that.

so that is it for now I will try and pots as soon as I can

sibes

making the cabin

2008-09-03T11:23:00.002-06:00

well this is going to be a quick entry as I am busy building the cabin. we have now completed the outside faming and sheathing. we now are woring on putting inthe wood stove and will be working on the inside walls. after we can complete that I will try and get some furniture int here so that the kids can relax by the fire on the cold days as I paint and set up the interior.

I have taken some pistures of it and I will upload them tonight after our work. I plan on getting out and running in the next week after I get the list up on the wall of the cabin I am almost done snading and varnishing the sleds and now have to go and get the material to sew new bags. the old ones are still in really good shape I just want some new designs for them I think their could be a better system for them.

the dogs are really restless today they have beenhowling on and off all morning. the wind is blowing and it is a very cold cutting wind. it would be a good day to run and who knows after the chores and working ont he cabin I may get out with a small 10 dog team to go for a run.

I just cannot wait to get the cabin done so I can move all my equipment and gear back to one spot once I get it all organised I will feel better at running and training. right now I have all my stuff sotred in many places as I took down the old tarp shed and all the gear I had stored is now everywhere in amnay sheds. so yes finishing the cabin is a must .

but I am off to help build and I will post again when we are done or I have more to share.

Sibes

nothing eventful

2008-08-31T20:01:00.005-06:00

well I guess nothing too eventful has been happening here in the last couple of days. Iknow I am needing to get a bit more sleep and I am trying so very hard to get things done before wthe freeze comes. last night it forze and I was not really expecting it to get that low. I have to go and get my supply of straw yet. speaking of straw it is soo hard to find anyone that bales the square style straw anymore but one farmer still does it and he has made us dog sledders very happy. it is almost impossible to use the round straw bales in and out of the kennel. I have finished off fixing the dog house and I missed getting them painted this year which was on the list of things to do. but at this time I think finishing off the cabin and getting the horse shelter done is much more important. it is started and we are hoping to get this finshed in th enext couple days so I can get the hay out away.

so in the next couple of days I will head off and get the hay and straw for the winter. the dogs seems in good spirits they have had a nice break from the first run we did and in the next couple of days I start the fall training I always like to give a first run and then wait a bit for the next run. I have most of my training treats done now and are ready to go. so now I am ready for the full force of training. this year I will try and match and shadow another musher we plan to race together and his dogs have done it before and he is running faster dog than I am, so this will be a challeng for me to make sure that I am ablle to keep up with the speeds and distance with out pushing them too much. after running the pups that last time I am cursing how well tey did :-) it makes for a large pool of racing dogs to choose from. they all ran wonderful they enjoyed the run and I can see they left the line wanting more. they have progressed so nicely they are happy outgoing and have such good work ethic as well. I will try not to push them too hard this year if they are not mature enough to make the racing team I am sure they are going to do wonderful things working with the groups that have booked in this year for tours.

I have a couple of dogs that are new to the kennel here this year, they have had the summer to try and settle in and get used to what we do here. it has gone very well it now seems like the kennel have settled and all is happy with the new guys. I have brought in 4 dogs from another kennel a couple have run the race already andI hoep that they will show a bit of potential on race time. this year I am going to ask my handler to help me train a few more dogs for lead. I do not want to be out on the trail and find myself needing another trail leader. so if we can do this I hope to have at least 4-5 trail leaders on the team. so until I can get the kids off to school I am going to keep training low and slow once my schedule slows down I will pick up the pace and get the mile on the dogs.

last night I went outside and sat on the deck and enjoyed listening the the sound of the forest settle for thenight. the bird quiet and the animals settle for the evening. the air was cool and the smell of fall overtook my nose I love the smell of fall it is the one thing I missed when I lived overseas. My most favorite time is to have the cool ar smother me and then I look up and the black sky is lite up with the amazing site of the stars.they seem to lite the balck emptyness in the sky and fill it with life.

it as at moments like that I can not be thankful enough that I live where I do that I have the chance to experience all that nature has made. it brings life back down a bit and allow the mind to clear and breath again. I would have stayed out longer but I knew there was a vook with my name on it in side :-)I will try and get some fall pictures from aorunf the kennel as the trees start to turn their amazing colors.

so I guess that is life around here for the last couple of days I hope to have more to add in the next couple of days.

Sibes

Running the puppies

2008-08-27T23:57:00.003-06:00

Well to day was the day I got to run the "b" team that is the first run of "b" team that would be older dogs and puppies first time.

I only took out a small 10 dog team and ran only a couple of miles. the reason is I want the puppies to end the run in a positive end while they still want more.

I was so happy to run my Mainleader now retired this year he was taking out the puppies and I was completely at ease with him in lead I have to get used to others runing my teams but for now I will take any moment I can with my big boy.

the run started well I took quigley out for the first time and he was not so excited he had no idea what was going on and he was very scared. but I put him next to my older main dog and he did very well the whole run he cuddled the dog next to him and Kona the girl with him let him cuddle. the older gals and guys seem to do very well with the newbies they train them well give the babies a good base of confidence and comfort for their first run.

so I hooked the younger dogs up and put on their harness for the first time and hooked them to the line they looked very confused and all but one stood still and waited for what I asked them to do.

on girl I have been having problems with since hse was born she is not a dog I enjoy she is nothing but trouble I have a hard time liking her. she is a nice girl and runs well. but she digs escapes climbs screams howls bites is over all a pain and I am so tired of going to the kennel to deal with her. so I am going to train her and maybe find her a home that can appreciate her for all her wonderful quailites.

So I have watched the team running on the video I took and I have made a "a" team cut and now I have 16 dogs that are on team "a" and I still have dogs to run. I know some will come off the first team due to the miles I need them to go but at the moment I am happy they all are making the first cut.

so the run went well we came back everyone was happy and we had a great cuddle after and qugliy was very excited about the run I can say he was smiling he was wanting to keep going silly puppy :-) make for a happy owner when they want more.

so as of tonight I am happy with the teams. now In between all of that I am sanding down the sleds and I have to go and get some varnish to revarnish the sleds. I want to go and look for material for the dog sled bags as well if I have time I would like to sew some new ones for the sleds so we all match Love it when all the sled bags match.

so lots to do tommorow so I am going to head off and try and get into town early and I will try and upload the videos and pictures from the last coupsle of runs :-)

the first run of the season

2008-08-23T00:52:00.005-06:00

well it was cool enough to get out and do the first run of the season and I hooked up 16 dogs and plotted our adventure

goal 7 miles speed to keep a even steady 15 km/hr no more no less I do not want to stress anyone out atthis point and I want the dogs to work steady at one pace later onIwill up the speed and endurance just right now I want to get out and see what everyone is running at this year. that way I can make up 3 groups
team A- the main team of runners the dogs that will be part of the race team .

Team B -is the team that is almost there but are good steady dogs that make great touring dogs and will still need the miles to do the tours this year and then

team c this group is the old gals and guys and the youngsters they are the ones that have earned the right to retire and the young ones learning from the wiser of the group :-)

this year I seem to have alot og younger ones I have a litter of 3 here that are about 1 1/2 now and ready to tour I think I produced a great tour team there which I started off to do with them they are sweet gentle hard pulling calm dogs that will take you through Fire if you ask them. but not really sure they would have the speed to to race .....but you never know.

the second litter I have they are almost a year now and they are bloody wild....I bred them for pure racing and yes they are that and more LOL. they seem to keep up to the speed to the first run of the season with out a problem I now will have to watch and make sure they are doing o.k over the endurance part of the training, they may be a bit young to race this year but as 2 year olds I expect major things from them.

ahh and then leaves my spoiled little brats we I planned this breeding for both racing and tours I have done a repeat breeding and a new breeding to produce some nice puppies and from experience with these lines I eiterh get fast hard working determined dogs or I get steady hard working determined dogs so I was hoping a few would make the race team and then a few would be able to do tours here with me.

it is supposed to stay a bit warm for the next few days but I am getting excited to get out team b to train I know I will have to take out my old guys too they are hating me right now they have not yet understood that they are not running this year. I want them to be there I want them to be my leaders I just can not let them I let them choose, last year and in the end their hearts and minds thought they could do more than they could.

so with a very heavy heart I retire cashe and elmo and maybe sally and smokey.
and yes maybe a few more but I have not quite given in to the fact they are completely done :-) I will try and train a ol timers team and keep them active and make them feel as special and as important as they really are to me.

so with that said I am struggling to find my self a leader to replace cashe. it is so hard I find myself comparing all the dogs to him and what he was able to do. and that is just wrong in so many ways. So I have a few hopefuls and I will try and start some gee haw traing in ina few weeks.
one of my kennel hands will not be here this season only on the weekends and I will see if the other girl is still coming if she is I will move her up to training some leaders for me too she has proved her worht by spending a season picking poo now she gets to move on to the good stuff.

and with her help I hope to have a few really well trained teams to choose from for the race.but with school soon aproaching I will have to wait for my hand to be here..........but I guess I should get to bed and make plans for tommorow.

nite sleep well and until tommorow

building a addition

2008-08-20T00:30:00.002-06:00

well that last few days I havebeen very busy I am trying to get my cabin finished. because I have limited room to put a addition I have to keep the size as 10 foot in depth. so with the addition to the exsisting 10 x 10 we are putting on another 10x14 addition this will allow me to put in a good sized table and couch and a few other things so this will be nice that we will have a area that we can escape from the cold this winter.

I have been trying to get into the groove of things here but I seem to be struggling to get active. I have decided to try and stop smoking so I am tryign to fight all the issues I have with that. so I am staying away from the kennel as much as I can right now just for a couple of days until I can start to feel better. so the grooming and extras are on hold. I am hoping to get the rest of the harnesses done next week I am going to add more padding and reflector tape to all the harnesses I have now just incase I have to use them in the race.

I am asking santa to bring me some things for the race LOL the nice thing is I can use all of the things that I need for the race in our daily life. I have spoken to my uncle and he has agreed to help and get my axel welding onto my trailer now I have to get the extra axel and getting it all down to him in the next few weeks may be a bit a of a challenge but I will try my best between all the stuff I am trying to do right now I am not sure I am going to have time.

at lease now it is starting to cool down it was soo hot here for so many days one day it topped about 36-37 degrees this was horrible we spent the whole weekend just trying to keep the dogs cool. the dogs and I are ready for fall to come. I enjoy the summer but I hate the extreme heat it drives me a little crazy :-)

so I guess I will be away from the blog for a few days as I will try very hard to get this shell for the shed done. that way I can get the insulation and wood stove in and set up and ready for fall

the weekend of pure heat

2008-08-15T10:47:00.005-06:00

well I am not looking forward to this weekend it is supposed to be extremely hot.I always stay around with heat like this others go to the lake or other fun things but for me I am staying here I do not want to risk one of the dogs getting sun stroke and me not being here to help them.

although they are sitting in the trees in shade there is always that possibility so here I will sit :-) that is good in a way it will give me a chance to groom out some of the dogs they are almost done there summer blow out and a few still have some patches of old fur to come off. so I guess the plan today will be to groomout the dogs spend some time with them and get away from sewing for a bit. I do not mind the sewing so much it is just somehow I managed to pull a muscle in my back and now it is painful to sit too ling in one position, so sewing is not on my top list.

I have to get to the fire pit this weekend as well as I have put it off for a while to be quite hinets I am not looking forward to mixing the mortarI know if it is not mixed right I can end up with a pit that will be falling apart. that would not be so good.

so as I check emails I hear a motor outside and the dogs start to bark and howl it was the electrical company coming to read the meter only it is not the usual guy this was a service person he laughed and said the normal reader will not com out here because he is afraid of dogs and is concerned about being here. we just laughed and said all the dogs are in pens and not to worry so the service guy was not worried and said he would come he likes the dogs. I can understand the fear if someone coming here with a huge wave of dogs barking and howling. if he only realized they were all very friendly.

I can see the fire weeds are starting to bloom and that would put winteronly a month away I can tell from the dogs inthe kennel that I expect the leaves to start changing here in about 2-3 weeks the bush is starting to smell a bit different. I usually can feel the change inthe air and see the dogs reactions to when fall is approaching they get restless and little things start to bother them. yesterday whisper go nasty with the dog inthe kennel next to him which is odd and not his normal behavior so I will take him out today for awalk and get out some of his fall excitement.

I am going to start to change around the kennel soon and put the working dogs together in kennels close to the drop chains and move the older none working dogs to the pen beside the house. it is large and out of the way of all the excitement and noise. in summer i change the dogs around quite a bit so they all get a chance to bond with another dog.and then in fall and winter I change them again I like to put them with the dog they will be running with that way there is less socializing on the line for training and more focus onthe job ahead.

I will later to day put out my first draft of my training miles and proposed runs to give you a idea of how I plan to get the miles onthe dogs for training.

so now I am off to have a coffee sit on the deck enjoy a bit of sun before I get into the chores.

sewing and sewing and sewing

2008-08-14T09:51:00.002-06:00

so I guess I am at the point where I am trying to get all my harnesses made and the booties done. I have started onthe booties and have made about 10 so far. I need 96 manditory for the race but I am making double that because I have to get the dogs used to waering them. I have tried in the past but not really inforced the rule not to eat them :-) so now I have to try and get them all to leave tem alone and run with them.

so I will make extras knwoing I will loose some along the way only the training ones will not have velcro I will just use tape that way if I do loose them I will not be out too much money. the harness material I wanted to use I have run out of I tried to find some online for a decent price but in the silver color I am having some issues. so I have switched to black. boring coloor I know but I know I can always get it in that color.

so I now have 5 harnesses made I am repairing the 10 harnesses that the dogs chewed last year and still using them to train in they do not look great but still work.but I am all about the color scheme and they do not match LOL. oh well a harness is a harness and as long as it works that is the main thing,

I have smoe more reflector tape ordered and she said about 3 weeks to get it in. so they will have to be without for a bit. I am goignt o add extra padding and reflector tape to my other harnesses as well just in case I need to use them and it will add safety to my team in training.

I have some how misplaced my cable crimpers somewhere and so I am lookign for them I think I may have put them in storage. but I will need some more lines done for fall training. I want to use my main line only a couple of times to make sure all is good and then put them away for the season. sight now I have a line of 24 dogs. I want to make up more sections so I can hook up 2 teams of 20 dogs so I can train the whole 2 teams at once.

my daughter is old enough now to train with me or at least drive the quad behind me. I will try and get her a team of the tour dogs that way she does not have too many issues trying to keep them under control.

so I still have a huge list of things I have to do
-fix my trailer to add another axel to it
-build a additional 8 dog box
-sand down and repaint the old one
-make 18 gangline section
-finsh harenesses
-finsh booties
-make a sled bag
-make my training treats
-find some fur over mitts I can borrow

and the list goes on LOL

so I am not going to book in many tours this year as I have done in the past I am focusing on training for the race an will use the tours as a means to try and make some money to cover all of the cost with racing.

it is getting close to raining and I am rushing cause i am a bit behind but if I keep up the pace I am going I should have all of it done in time.

so I guess that is it for me today I have to take the girls to the dentist and run aorund getting a few things so I will try and blog tonight or tommorrow

till then I guess :-)

Pictures of my harnesses

2008-08-11T22:08:00.004-06:00

so I finsihed 2 I made the first one and kinda was feeling my way with it after making it I decided I need more reflector tape and changed that.

aslo I tried the large harness on the smaller girl so I will try and see if I can get the big boys in it and see how it looks and fits. but until then enjoy they turned out way better than I thought LOL

so I go as the wind blows

2008-08-11T00:28:00.000-06:00

well tonight I have decided I will continue to make my harnesses I will try and make arrangements with my uncle to have me use his industrial sewing machine. I do not want to risk having the stitching pull out along the trail and have loose dogs.

I am very happy withmy design and I basically copied it off of the harnesses I have now. I have decided to make 16 harnesses special padding and reflective tape. this gives me 4 extra harnesses for the trail just in case something happens.

so tomorrow I am off to town to get a few more supplies to have the material handy to sew. with the way things are going I find myself still up at 3:00am trying to make lists and plans for the next day or sewing as the kids are asleep and not needing me to help them withthings or demand my every moment for attention.

today was a good day though I got the one dog moved to his new kennel and his de worming pill was a success. well him taking it anyhow, I try and trick them into thinking it is a treat and they already have it chewed and swallowed before they realise it is not a treat but a yucky pill :-)

I have a list of all the dogs here in the kennel that will start off training as we go along some will shine more than others and far more with all the training and the list will shorten on who will make the team. but it really works well for all as then I have enough miles on the dogs that do not make the team to do tours.

Yes tours somewhere in all of this I have to get ready for guests to our kennel to take their adventures. this is something I have to do that is a bit extra than most mushers racing. othermushers have the advantage of only having to train one team for the season. I onthe other hand have to have 4-7 teams up and ready and trained just as well or better than the racing teams as they need to have some more manners than what racingteams need to have.

do not get me wrong I am not complaining at all. I love doing this job I love working with my dogs I love all that is involved with it. as thi really defines me as a person who I am and my dogs reflect me as a owner and trainer and person. Sometimes when I say all the things I do here out loud I tend to ask myself what in the hell was I thinking LOL and then I just shrug my shoulders and move on.

it seems I will be searching for that arctic Jacket I will need for cold temps as well as the fur mitts that have been recommended to me. I will go on ebay tommorow night if I get the chance. but for right now I have to try and stay focused on what I have planned. and that is get all the materials for the harneses and all the materials for the booties. when I finsh that task I can move on tot making the cable ganglines. and then after that the Custom sled bag I will need for the sled for racing.

but I forgot about most of that today as the kids and I went walkabout. we got in the truck and went for a drive to get some air and visit with friends and family I have not seen in some time. so another day that I did not get much done but baby stepped it along.I did not start the fireplace like I had wanted to but I am hoping to get out and do alot of this when My husband is on days off he maybe can help with that nasty tree int he dog yard and help me finish fencing the outer rim of the dog yard.

so my list tomorrow is shopping I hope I will be able to find the material for the booties as it should not take much time at all to cut them out and get them sewn up. that would be nice to have all 98 done tomorrow. crap almost forgot I have to get more dog food tommorow and start adding in the new dog food for fall weather is coming and training if I had to guess by the dogs is about 2-3 weeks away they are starting to get moving now in the kennel not so happy to sleep away the summer sun.

so I guess it is off to bed for me and to try and get up early and get these things done. so cross fingers all goes well but I just go as the wind takes me these days :-)

Making my harnesses

2008-08-11T00:24:00.000-06:00

I will add pictures of all the booties and harness I have made later to show my pontential skill or lack there of LOL

here is the desgin I will follow with my hareness only I will add extra padding and reflective tape

Recreational Sledding Harness

Materials needed:

1" nylon webbing (about 4 yards)
Polyester fleece (1/2 to 1 yard)
polyester thread, dental floss or woven fishing line
needle
1/4" solid braid nylon rope, 12-18"
For best results, pin all joints at first to allow for adjustments as you move around the dog. A dog who stands still or a helper to hold him while you work is great.

Start by folding the web right in the middle of the length at the angle shown above. You should sew this with just enough room for your nylon rope to fit through. This goes right at the base of the dog's tail. Lay each side of the web along the dogs flanks and rib cage as shown in the illustration. Cross them under the front legs for 3-4", pinning them with safety pins. The neck needs to be snug, but remember to leave room for padding. The shoulder straps should lie just above the shoulder blades and cross again at the base of the neck. Let them continue to the pieces of web on the dog's ribs. They should join right about at the bottom of the rib cage.

The backstrap can be a piece of web that is there simply to keep the harness from pulling down over the dog's rump. You can to an 'X' variation, as seen in most commercial harnesses these days.

Padding the harness- measure from the joint at the base of the neck, under the legs and to the arm pits. Add at least 6". This is how much fleece you need to cut, about 10" wide. Fold it in a flat spiral about 2" wide and 4-5 layers thick (this depends on the thickness of the fleece you have, make sure it's padded thickly to prevent the straps from digging into his shoulders). Sew this tube down the center to hold it in place when you attatch it to the harness. Follow the straps as you attatch to the harness, sewing each edge of the web to the padding. You might want to cut a pice out where the straps overlap at the breastbone, but it's up to you.

Notes:

The breast strap should start at the breastbone and extend back to behind the elbow.
Pull on the shoulder straps (top and bottom) must be even.
Make sure the sides of the harness don't pull up under the arms. The rubbing will make it so the dog won't want to pull.
Run the nylon cord through the space you left at the tail of the harness. Tie it in a strong knot (I use a fisherman's eye) You need this loop for the gangline to attach to the harness.
Congratulations! You just made a racing harness!

Making my own dog booties

2008-08-11T00:18:00.000-06:00

so to save my self some money on the race I am making my own dog booties. these are manditory onthe reace and I will have to make many extras because my dogs never wear botties.So with that said I can expect them to eat them pull them off and loose them on the trail so here is a simple design on what I am going to make.

Make Your Own Dog Booties!

Uses for booties:
-Icy trail conditions.
-Protect feet from road chemicals and salt.

-Protect feet from rocky trails and surfaces.

-Protect against formation of ice balls in between toes.

-Keep dressings on wounded feet.

You can color code the booties if you like, so each size is a different color, or have a separate color for each dog. There's no 'industry standard' on this, just pick what works for you. This can help on the trail so you can tell at a glance which bootie goes on which dog. A permanent marker can also write out the size or dog's name on the velcro band.

If you secure the booties too tightly you can cut off circulation in the foot. Be careful.

If your dog begins to limp while wearing booties, stop and inspect his feet. A bootie that has worn through may cause more problems than no bootie at all. If there are holes worn in the bootie, discard it and replace if the foot still needs covering.

Proper foot conditioning- toughening the pads- can prevent most needs for booties.

When sizing the bootie make sure the foot is bearing weight fully. Too small can limit the foot's expansion inside the boot leading to circulation problems.

Make sure the material you use is strong enough for the job you want. Fleece is too light for rough surfaces and cordura too much for snow.

Cordura (a kind of heavy duty nylon packcloth) is strong but abrasive on the foot, fleece soaks up water in warm situations. Polypropelene stretches, doesn't absorb as much water as fleece, isn't as abrasive as Cordura. Often the best choice for booties.

In snow, fleece is the best material. On rough pavement, rocky trails and so on heavy cordura will work, but watch the pads for some wear. There is some mid weight cordura (330 denier) that is a good balance for a normal trail outing.

Where the pavement is really hot... cordura and fleece are essentially plastic and can melt. For this case- and anywhere heat is more a factor than water absorbtion- regular denim is a good choice. I've used it on my own dogs when we had to do road work on tar roads in August. (as a plus, you get rid of torn up jeans and don't feel so bad pitching dead booties).

Use Velcro sewn directly into the booties or VetWrap wrapped around the top of the boot for fastening. In a real pinch use electrician's tape or the ever-present duct tape. Just be sure to not tape directly to the fur.

(thanks to TikkiGod for cleaning up the pattern for me.)

Get the pattern here.

Materials:
selected fabric
3/4" or 1" Velcro

I appologize for my inability to draw. You may need to adjust the pattern to your individual dog's foot. This is the pattern for a medium-sized bootie, enlarge the pattern to print at 6" tall and 4" wide. This should be close enough to get you started. Allow 1/2" on each side of the dog's foot. This gives room for seam allowance and foot expansion (the line drawn is seam allowance, but not expansion).
Measure the circumference of your dog's ankle. Add 1 1/2". This will be the length of Velcro needed.

Instructions:

Place the specified edge of the pattern on the fold of your fabric. Cut, making sure you don't cut the fold.
Sew Velcro in specified location (the rectangle). There should be about 1 1/2" of hook side. This side is up. The rest of the distance, about 3" should be loop side down. Overlap the ends of Velcro about 1/4" and sew in place.

Sew bootie together with a 1/4" seam allowance, Velcro on the 'inside'.

Turn right-side out.

Congratulations! You've just made your own dog bootie!

I have learn;t I can save money

2008-08-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

Well it is so hot I cannot even try and think the kids and I suffered terrible in the heat. we all are not sleep great becue the house is so warm at night. I was thinking it woul dbe great to just camp out side in the cool air. but we got home late ad not enough time to get the coming gear out and then get the kids to bed.

so what did we do today..... well I slept in a bit and then had to run around a bit to try and catch up on the daily chores and things around here. I have to cut down some trees in the dog Yard they have fallen down with the wind and look terrible and are in the way of the garden hose every time I go to water the dogs the hose gets tangled up in the branches and I spend time trying to get it undone cursing every time. the tree has been down for a bout a week now but I have been working around it hoping it will magical move its self, I do not think this is going to happen LOL. So the list adds another Job cut down the tree stump and cut up the tree to fire wood, hope I can get that done before training.

I did not get to all my tasks today I had my cousin come over and help me train her colt we have here. I have to say I am learning so much from her when it comes to him. you may not know but the colt kicked me hard the other week and I now have a bit of fear with him. I know I should not but the trust in him is gone and my personality does not allow it to come back that easy once bitten and all that jazz. so she worked with me and my daughter for a couple of hours and when we finished learning about how to deal with him we took time to go and visit the dogs. of course they saw some new people and what was a quiet sleeping kennel was now bursting with howling and barking in anticipation of the visitors.

my cousins first time to a sledding kennel and someone that loves to train animals she was listen very careful to every word I said as I described each dog and their job and what they were like she asked some great questions on how the teams work and the training involved and I was happy to answer her as it was not the normal questions I get from tourists it was more about the in depth training and ongoings of the dogs and sledding. we spent a few hours playing withthe dogs and the puppies, and it was a nice visit.

after they left I had to get back to chores being so hot I had to re water all the dogs and I decided to hose down each pen to wet the sand to make it a bit cooler for them. all the time the race played over in my head and all the things I still had to do.

I have decide that I am not going to be able to afford the growing amount of money need to do the race so in order to try and do it I will save myself some money and make a few things myself. so out came the harness material and the sewing machine and I began to make the team harnesses. because I have to have extra padding and reflective strips along each part of the harness it will be cheaper for me to make them. so I have one harness done and sewed with the reflective tape. Only I am not sure if the stitches I have done will hold so after I add the padding to the harness I think I will do a test run with a dog. it is way to hot to run them but I think I will put it on uno my big boy and attach him tot he quad and go for a bit of a run. he is not a steady puller and jerks and jumps alot so I should get a uead of whether I will be able to use my harnesses. I really hope so because it will save me a few hundred dollars. I am a bit sad though as the material I have left is silver. and I wanted black and purple to match my sled bag.

I think though if I ad some silver intot he design of the sled some how I can get it to work. speaking of sled bag I have decided I will make my own as well as all of my cable gang line. cable is mandatory in this race and to buy a 2 dog section and I will need 13 sections it will cost about $80.00 per section but if I make them I can save about $60.00 per section. means a lot more work for me but I f I can make a harness and a gangline section a day I will be well prepared for training.

Tommorow I have to get my rock firt pit finished I have put down the cement base and now that it is cured I have the mortar and I will try and get that done. I am not sure what I will do tommorw I will pick from the long list of things to do before winter. I do however really need to get into the kennel and do some grooming . the dogs are finally shedding out bigtime and we look like a bit of a chicken coop here. I saw kazma needs some attention.

and I have a dog that I will have to move tommorow to another pen he was a import from another kennel and he is loosing a bit of weight and I am not sure if he is just not getting enough food and the other dogs are stealing it or if he needs to be wormed. so tommorrow he get a worming pill and moved into the pen next to them I will put them in with the pup I have who also looks like he could use 2-3 pounds on him. so rouge and polar now get the special kennel the one that gets extra food and special attention. I think with just doing all of that the weight should increase. but they are so hyper and active it is very hard to maintian a nice even weight.

but soon I will be switching to the performance food to add a bit of weight to all the dogs to prepare them for training. I usally keep them lean in the summer months by feeding a normal adult food and then in late summer early fall I switch them to a high protein and high fat diet. add a few pounds 3-4 and then start training. this will make sure that as they burn their calories in training they are still able to maintain their body mass. I will later on start making the winter treats for the trail. On long runs and traing sessions I make up forzen treats to help the keep hydrated and add some more portien to them as we go I will get into that all another day though:-)

so now it is so late and I am still planning LOL never ending I guess the rookie musher never sleeps until after the race :-( but I am excited and I hope after all of this I will not be disappointed and not be able to do it. That would judt break my heart. so I will plug along and keep getting things organized and keep planning until the day of the race or until I now if I can do it.

so I guess that is my say for tonight I am off now getting ready for bed and to sleep and dream of winter snow and keep on dreaming

All about me

2008-08-08T03:20:00.000-06:00

hhahahaha yes it is always about me LOL well that is what I feel anyhow.

so who is this lady who is trying so hard to achive this personal feat. Just me some know me as needtosled some as sibes some as mom and friend.bust mostly I am me.

I was born in a small community in northern Canada and was welcomed by a mother a father and a big brother. loving home loving family and goals and dreams that if took hold could change the world.

I have always loved animals I found their quiet strength so appealing they calmed the internal beast as I call it. growing up I had always felt a urge to do more to challenge myself and always wanting more and needing more. as the world seem so vast and exciting but I did not want to fly to Paris or Rome....I wanted to have adventures and see the small parts of the world that I had to work to find. if it was just set in front of me sure I was grateful but.........I wanted more.

I started my life young I had my best child hood friend a lab shep cross from the spca and we became instant friends and I made a harness and hooked him up and started the path to were I am now.. I never thought that silly ol dog would inspire me to do what I do now.

so in a nut shell I am a mother of wonderful children and a wife to a caring man and the friend to 53 wonderful Siberian huskies each I love for there individual ways thoughts and being.the first time I felt the rush of the dogs pulling the sled beneath my feet it was it was the feeling I longed for. I could see the bond between the dogs and I and the power they held and the strength we were as a team. and that was it that was who I was, that is what I was going to be, and who until that moment I searched for.

I am a musher

so yep this is all about me LOL I can not be certain I will ever reach all the goals and dreams I aspire to but I will sure enjoy life trying.

Getting ready to shop for the race

2008-08-08T02:02:00.000-06:00

not as fun as I thought

so here I sit glued to my computer, trying to search for the best winter boot I can so that I do not injure my feet while out onthetrail. I know many mushers swear by soreal and baffin but after talking to a friend that ran long distance I am convinced they are just not what I need. I heard too many time of toes being frost bitten and to tell you the truth I am a bit scared to attempt wearing them so I have been goodling up a storm trying to figure out what I am going to do. and then I came across these boots I am sure they have been used on the rod and quest races and with some great success. I have posted a link to what they look like and a bit of info on them.

Although the soreals which I own now are great in cold weather I still get the toes cold in very cold temp atures. I want to have 2 pairs of boots ones that may not take the extreme colds as well but ones that I can move around in as I like to run with the dogs as much as I can. google extreme weather micky mouse boots

I am convinced it is the up most importance to stay warm and not to stress the body anymore than I have to on this race. I will be taking along most survival gear I have been told it is not really necessary....as it just weighs down the sled but I am going to take it anyways. my dogs are going to be training with lots of weight anyhow as I plan to use the dogs for sledding tours as well as racing I just do not have enough dogs to leave a 12 dog team out. I ma starting to panic a bit trying to get all the things I need for this race here the cost is adding up so quick and I am not sure if I am going to be able to afford this. but I am not going to let this run me down as I still have a few months to some how earn the extra money for the trip Items required
Headlamp (working) recommend 2 2x50.00 100.00
Knife 1 25.00
Sleeping bag (winter or arctic weight 1 300.00
Axe (minimum of 2 1/4 lb. head and 22 inches in length) 1 15.00
Cable cutter 1 22.00
Waterproof matches or a lighter 4x12.00 48.00
snowshoes 1 159.00
First aid kit 1 24.00
2 sets of booties (8) for each dog 96x.80 76.80
Harnesses (special made) 24x22.00 548.00
Cable tether for check points 12 section 50.00
Cable filled gangline 15 section 28.00
Dog bag for sled 1 200.00
Sled upgrade 200.00
Specialty arctic boots 180.00
Specialty mitts and thermal underware 140.00
Gas for trip 300.00
Entry fee 350.00
Specialty winter cooker 120.00
Ropes cables and tie downs 100.00
Clasps quick links and misc hardware 50.00
Total cost 3035.80

So I have the winter jacket it is big an bulky and I do not like it at all I know that it will keep me warm though when the winds whip up and take away my breath. I have organized to borrow my fathers $700.00 sleeping bag it is special design for arctic weather.I have a pair of snow shoes I refuse to buy the new styles and the new fashion I have opted to go with the old style wooden ones because it really does not matter the version of them just that they will work.

if I have to use them I think they are fantastic I will sit and dust them and imagine in the years past the many trappers and mail runners attacking the winds and blizzards and fighting nature to survive. ya I know a bit too much fantasy LOL, but this whole experience for me is not just a race it is a personal challenge.........it is my way of proving to those ol guys that I have what it takes to have been what they were true northern runners.

I have decided to use my aluminum sled for the race I have to get my husband to make a few adjustments to the sled before I go as I know it is hard to steer with 8 dogs and I did run it once with 12 and because I had my heavies on there we went at crazy speeds and a bit hard to control. not cruise control on that sled LOL. I could take the other sled but it is so much more bulky yes it drives itself but it turns the corners terrible and I am not going to fight every Corner in the race and handle the 12 dogs.

the list is growing of things I need to get done before fall training and I hope I can get some help I have to make sure I get to the dog box before fall I have to sand it down and repaint it and because I have to haul more dogs I have to make a addition on the back to add another 8 dogs. I was also informed to toady by my husband I have to put another Axel on their before I am able to drive out of this yard. So off online again to try and find axles I might as well replace the other while I am at it. The cost is growing fast and I hope I can talk with my uncle and he can help me by lending me his staff welder to do the job.

I may try and build the dog box myself but I am not sure I have the skill to do that. I will have to talk more with my husband on that as I do not want to burden him with doing any of this it was all I could do to to convince him to let me go. ahhhh I feel like my head is spinning trying to make sure I have all the gear that is mandatory and still doing everything else I have to. the reason I find this such a battle is not only do I have to train my own team I have the whole kennel to train and I have yearlings that need to go on line this year and IHAVE to do that right I do not want issues arising because I did not have the time to make adjustments.

so now I am swimming in the thoughts of the race and my stomach is getting a bit tipsy :-) here I am a woman a mother and a dog sledder but now I have to be more than that I am racing beside some of the most amazing mushers and I have to prove my worth as just not a commercial musher having fun on the trails I have to prove my worth as a musher and handler. and Even though I know I am able to that the doubts creep in every now and then and make we wonder if I can really do this.
well I guess no point is worrying now I will try and close my eyes and think about the tours and finishing all the stuff I need too. whew thanks for listening :-)I should go to bed becaue I haveto get up with the kids bright and early my husband is off to work and I have so many things to do

http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=27aad1562ab1bb6&type=video%2Fmp4

Not really sleeping well

2008-08-04T01:34:00.000-06:00

to much gong through my head before next week

well it is 1:30 am and I am having a hard time sleeping. I went out tonight to runt he trails. the weather is getting cooler and the drive for me to get things done is becoming urgent. I can feel the change in the air and the dogs are starting to get the sparkle in their eye and they talking becoming stronger.

I know in the next few weeks The kennel will com alive again with the chaos of winter fever. So now we start the process of getting ready for the sledding season. I started tonight the kids and I started the quads and began to run the trails again to get a idea of how the trails are and whether we need to do any clearing for the first run of the seaon. I always like to do a trial run to check speeds and the miles of each trail. well it looks like the trail for the first few runs will work just fine and are ready to run. we did a small trail about 8 km or 6 miles there abouts. that will be a nice small run for the new dogs on line and the trail is nice and dry and we can travel easy.

it is exciting to think we are so close to starting our training. and unlike in years past the training will be hard on me more time structure for me. I am getting the plans redy for the race this year which means not only do the dogs have to get in shape but I myself have to prepare for a battle of physical and mental chellenge.

but I guess I will get intot hat more as the time draws closer. so for right now I start getting ready for training I wills witch the dogs back to the the performnace food that they will need to get them through the race/ after they have been on the new food for a week or so we will start working them alot harder and getting their bodies conditioned for the miles and then we will start to work on the muscle bulding.

so I have to be ready for this race by febuary 28th 2009

dogs I have chosen to race with me

2008-07-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

these are some of the dogs that I have chossen to try out for the race team I have to choose 14 and can only on the day run 12 but have to take 14

1.Smokie
Main leader Alaskan Husky
Smokie is 8 years old and is my main gee haw command leader. She is smart bold and is fast.
2.Bugs
Leader in training, bugs is the speed of this team and he is learning well from smoky and will keep the endurance up for the team
Siberian Husky
3.Chewy
Chewy is the new guy in the kennel and has runthis race before he is a bit crazy but has the energy needed to do the miles
Siberian Husky
4.Kazma
He is a young boy with no race experience but he is dedicated and has the lines and drive to finish the race
Siberian husky
5.Uno
This boy has pure drive and strength he runs anywhere but I can see him in lead on the last stretch of the race he runs strong until the end
Alaskan Husky
6.Belle
From a racing kennel belle is a great leader or swing she has proven to be able to have the ability for the miles and I can see great things from her she is still very young
Siberian Husky
7.Kerra
This girl is a amazing speed demon this will be her first trip for distance but I am sure she is going to do great
Siberian Husky
8.Sally
Sally is older but has racing experience and lots of spunk she is out going and determined and very stable and steady very much a must on the team
Alaskan Husky
9.Cuddles
This girl is a very sensible outgoing girl she will be new to the miles but I have faith in her
Siberian Husky
10.Whisper
The silent wonder this is a strong boy you never have to talk to he is fast and will be new to the miles of this race
Alaskan Husky
11.Zeland
This is a steady boy that can do the miles he may not enjoy the pace but I am sure he will pick it up trained in lead but will go anywhere
Siberian Husky
12.Cookie
She is spunky and can runlead as long we are not along trails with squirells ro game as she is a hunter. Fast and can do the miles
13.Kona
she is tiny and has done the miles but not sure if her heart will be into it but we will give her the chance she is fast and outgoing
Siberian husky
14.sid is going to train with us this year and see if he has what it takes to do the miles
Alaskan Husky
15.Nick
nick is another big tough guy that can make the miles not sure if he has the endurance to make it to the finish but he will train with us
Alaskan Husky
17.Rouge
rouge is new to the kennel but so far even though he is very loud he can do the hours and ran the race before and did well so we have no worries for him

Just today

2008-07-25T01:52:00.000-06:00

well I have had a kennel for close to 10 years now. and over these years I have had so many wonderful experiences. I have seen puppies born and grow. babies turn to adults and adults turn to friends.

I have always wanted to share with my dogs this amazing experience of sledding and all that comes with it. I am living my dream with so many wonderful dogs here at our home I have all I have ever wanted. but it drains on my heart sometimes and drains on my body. today I struggled to get outside I was so busy taking time for myself on the computer and catting with friends I was dreading heading out.

but once outside the dogs called to me and I happily came to them I had to clean the kennel feed and water today my daughter was helping she had been in the kennel before me watering them like normal she started at the one side of the kennel and worked her way back. she is such a good girl she tries so hard and sometimes I wish I would tell her more how much she does and how wonderful I think she is. so as she watered and pulled around the 300 ft hose her sister helped her move it around the trees.

I wanted to move around some dogs today as things were feeling a bit tense in the kennel it was like things may be coming I do not want wait too long and have problems. right now the puppies are just on edge the 2 boys are fighting to be alpha and neither one is going to win as they are even in everything. so as my daughter watered I sat down on a old wood stump and scanned the kennel trying to figure out how I would solve this with out having to move everyone. each time I move a dog the kennel is in a uproar trying to get used to the new changes.

so finally I decide that if I made one kennel smaller and used those chain link panels into the puppy pen I could separate the boys from the girls and then add in a bigger older puppy to settle the battle.

so knowing I would be hurting after moving all f this I get up and start undoing the clasps that hold the panels together I have over the years figured out a way to move all the panels myself. so I finishes moving dog house and getting ready to put up the new panels in the puppy pen. this is not hard but awkward. while trying to lift these panels over into the pen I have to deal with puppies all over me tryin to get some love. I finaally get the panels down with 8 puppies fighting over who gets to lick my toes :-)

so I got the panels up and clasped to each other and now have to go and get some more fence to lay down as a dig guard they now are separated for the first time and they are not liking it at all.
I hate laying the dig guards I always walk out after like I ran through a line of barbwire in war time. it would have just be so much easier to just put the dogs in a big open area but I wanted them to have the shade of the trees, and this makes everything I do 10 times harder as I am working around LOTS of trees.

so now Iam all done and ready to place in the sawdust I like to put sawdust bedding the puppy pens as they do not go poo in one spot yet and it makes for easier clean up and I find it easy to bleach the kennel. it is so hot today and I feel completely drained. my daughter is done watering everyone now and is trying to help me move in the huge garbage bags full of sawdust. I love this part they get so excited when I dump the sawdust they run around jumping and diving into the piles and sniffing all the new smells. a birthday gift almost. I had to move around some of the house and got all the puppies separated which proved to be harder than I thought as they have gotten so big and can run so fast now LOL. they love the new game keep away but in the end can not resist a yummy treat.

I was holding off putting inthe big puppy I knew it would mean fights and other issues but I have no choice at this time, they are not listening to me when I tell them to stop and then the only other option I have is to separate or let another dog show them what they can and can not do.

so off I go and I get the big boy I put him in the kennel and then the race begins. around and around they go chasing and tumbling and playing I am so glad the first moment was good. as I am aware that at feeding time I will have issues that is when the boys fight. I had to finish the other chores before I fed we filled the sled with all the poo we had picked I decided to count today to see how many buckets went int the sled24 5 gallon buckets of poo and stick clean out of the kennels every day we do the same amount.

after a short break it was feeding time. the kennel was quiet until they saw me reach for the red bucket, they all know that is the feeding bucket and then kennel once quiet now screamed with excitement they ran around jumping and barking and screaming in the anticipation of feeding.
I filled 3 5 gallon buckets with food and started with the puppies , and to my amazement all went smooth, the little boys tried to steal from the other bowl but the older puppy soon put them in their place. and it all went smooth I think I choose the right boy to put in with them.
so now I am 3 hours into chores and feeding and we are done in the dog yard. now it is time for the horses.

still bloody hot at about 30c it was getting hotter. my back is hurting now I think I may have lifted those panels wrong, oh well on to the next chores. the horses have been battling the flies so bad this year and have rub marks on there fave and neck we have to every morning and every night put on special cream to keep the flies away and this is proving very hard as the one horse is hard to catch to put on the medicine. after a bit of a chase and a few choice words we had max in a halter and put on the cream his wounds are healing really well I am so happy I was dreading the vet bill if I had to try and load him in the trailer and take him to town. so I put together some old straw (wet) and some hay and wood and put it all in the barrel I have out in the corral.started it on fire put on the lid and the smoke barreled out. the horse ran to the smoke and enjoyed the fly free area.

crap now I have emails to attend to and booking to book and supper and now the kids are begging to get into the pool. my day is not yet done and my body is so tired.

How did I get here

2008-07-25T00:49:00.000-06:00

well as I am fairly new to this sharing my life :-) this may take some time for me to find my groove. I remember when I was just a young girl I saw this movie about the yukon and the trappers and all the struggles they had to over come. this show was dedicated to man whos name I now have forgottn but a face I can still see. his eyes were full, they had seen so many things his gace was weathered from time and the earths elements he stood in his picture with his line of animal pelts he was not a handsome man but he stood so proud of all he acheived throughout the winter.

behind him was a old cabin it was made of logs that not even in one spot. and were filled in between each log with something I did not know a organic material I think. and in behind that was the most wonderful place I had ever seen the trees were massive the were so full they seem to tower the ground and earth itself. the sky looked so different to the one I look up and see now. even though I know it is the same.

from that old black and white photo and his story made me feel like I was there and I could almost smell the spring air.
that was the moment I knew that that was the only place I would ever truly feel at peace at home with myself and my life.

so that is where it all begun from one picture one story and one little girl seeing the wilderness calling her.

I do not think I will be bale to write here daily but I would like to share the moments big or small that I have the great privlage to expereince. this is my life my life I have chossen for me my family and my world.