Fall training is settling in
Our thermometer showed minus 22°C this morning (I think that is about minus 5°F) so fall is definitely making way for winter right now. The ground is covered lightly, the first snow that has stayed for more than a day. With that fall training is under way, which now can be done any time of the day. Till the beginning of October, we had to get up quite early to catch the cooler temperatures and also had mud city for a few days after some heavy rainfalls.
The dogs are doing very well. Many of the Tour dogs came back
at the End of September from their running in Skagway with Alaska
Excursions. We are very happy about how well muscled up the dogs
were after a summers work. A big thank you to Alaska Excursions
for taking well care of them.
Those dogs could enjoy some time off and just started training again for the tours. The „Race Teams" have been on a very steady training schedule. We are training 3 different teams, Sebastien2 is training 14, Jocelyne 16 and me a team of 18 dogs, to give this whole training a bit more immediate goal we signed up 3 teams for the new Sheep Mountain 150, organized by Zack Steer on the 18th and 19th of December a race run in 3 heats of 50 miles separated by 5 hr breaks.
We all run a bit different schedules from 3 days on with 2 days
off to 2 days on and one day off and me sticking to a
schedule I have not done before to this extend, running fairly
long runs early in the season, thankfully there is snow in Braeburn
to make it easier on the dogs feet. As I train away, I already
realize that I most likely will end up with many of the same dogs
of last years Quest Team. I went to Braeburn for a week just me
and the 18 dogs to train, but also to have fun with no other
distractions. I really liked to only have the one team around,
I could keep them all loose, even overnight, they all found their
spots to sleep, sometimes in the cabin, yes all of them, but most
of the time outside. It is funny to watch who gets along, and some
dogs even sharing doghouses as Wondar and Piano and amazing enough
Herring wants to be close to Hank, who in return though does not
want to have much to do with him. On my way home I had all 18 dogs
in the big enclosed trailer, not in the boxes, all loose and nobody
would even think about picking a fight and happily all sleeping
together. That is definitely making for a very harmonic team of
dogs, something I find as important as a well trained team of dogs.
We did some, especially for this early in the season, very long
training runs on the ATV with 30 and even 40 miles, partly for
me not being able to train for a good part of November
with having to go to Germany, but also with me being a believer
in long training miles which make for a slow, but steady team.
2 Weeks ago we all went to the Mushing Symposium in Fairbanks,
a family road trip, of course with my usual truck trouble, I think
there have not been many trips to Fairbanks where I did not stop
at some Napa Auto store. It was great to be in Fairbanks and talk
to other mushers as well as listen to the very inspirational presentations
and get tuned in for winter. We came home with quite a bit of new
gear. With that a new, used, sled from Ken Anderson a Prairie built
sled. It is quite a bit bigger than my Gatt Sled, which I liked
a lot, so it remains to be seen which one I will use, as with the
added room I am afraid I will be too much of packrat on the trail.
I also visited with Gisela and Dieter Dolif, who volunteered to
handle for me on the Alaskan Side of the Quest again. That is great
news, as they were fantastic handlers last year and than I do not
have to worry about my truck making the trip around to Fairbanks
in time.
We have a new human face added to the Blue Kennels Gang,
Dieter a Canadian born musher of German family, which
is great as he brings a lot of experience to the team, but also
with him speaking German, I do not feel as lonely with all
the French spoken around the house. Craig and Keri will also soon
be on their way, Craig drive all the way up again and Keri fly
this time, we look very forward to have both of them back.
Tangs, Flames and Gayas puppies are all growing up great, there are a lot of little „monsters", as I like to call them, around. Also in the note of dogs, many thanks to the Dog Sponsors, especially big Otto was a favourite with people.
