Snow, sleds, sun and DOGS!

Snow has arrived in our little part of the world. Since then it's been all sledding all the time. 

When the snow first started to fall, Darrin and I had originally planned on running the kennel with the truck, again, out the Nabesna Road. When we woke in the morning, there was a foot of snow and more was coming down! To the sleds! 

Instead of taking two teams out, we decided to tag sled with 12 dogs. This would eliminate the "chase team" craziness and would allow us to have total control of the team when we needed to stop. 

We loaded up the freight sled with the Arctic Oven and straw. My sled had the wood stove. dog food and drop chains. Why would we need all of this stuff? It was time to set up our tent camp. The tent camp is a place we use to teach the dogs how to rest, sleep and for the youngsters, a place for them to learn straw respect. The tent camp is a lovely spot that is well off the main trail.

Yuki and Glacier in lead on the way home.

The team.

The dogs love straw and the youngsters learn quickly it's a good thing.

Once we arrived at the tent camp spot, we made quick work of getting the drop chains set up and dogs moved over. We always take the harnesses off the yearlings. We want to set them up for success. The means making sure that they never form bad habits, like chewing. If they don't know they can do it, they won't. The purpose of the drop chains is to set up a place where dogs can rest and yearlings can learn how to rest, but there is no stress on us, the musher, that they might chew the lines or some other yearling silliness. Yearlings were placed between olders. The olders serve as role models to the yearlings and also they keep those young guys in line. A little growl here and a snap here lets the yearlings know what's ok and what is not.

Drop chains in place, dogs moved over, time to give them a snack. After the snack we gave them all some straw. Dogs love straw. They love straw almost as much as they love food. After a short time. it was time to eat a nice, big, gooey, fatty meal. 

Hopper (seasoned vet) takes a moment to watch the bonfire get going.

Saturday we set up camp. Sunday we remembered to bring the stove pipe so we could have a fire in the tent, instead of out. It was fun to bring the yearlings out and camp with them. We had done lots of camping with Norbert last winter, but this was the first time the Giants (Jumbo, Herc, Mega, Mammoth and Titan) had been camping.

They played with sticks some, and played with their neighbors some as well. But quickly they figured out what it was they were supposed to do. They weren't tired, but it is important that they learn to eat and sleep no matter what. We give them all an A+. They did great.

Mega (yearling), not tired at all, makes a nice nest on her straw while resting next to Red (seasoned vet).

Not only were the yearlings good campers, they were also quite the hams as witnessed in the pictures I snapped.

Titan (yearling) strikes a pose while resting next to Hopper.

Herc (yearling), Titan's brother, was quite a ham when the camera come out.

Herc (left), Norway (seasoned vet in the middle) and Jumbo (yearling) rest after getting a "gut bomb" meal.

We set up the drop chains very close to the Arctic Oven. We can be warm and can still see the dogs, keeping a close eye on them. A nice warn fire in the little wood stove, clothes drying out, a cot to sleep on. Heavenly!

Jumbo is rooting around for more food. Norway (to the right) wants Jumbo to lay back down so he can sleep. As you can see from this picture, Jumbo is indeed "JUMBO."

After getting fed, often dogs will root around. The yearlings would root then want to play with their neighbors. We would hear some growling and yips going on. Nothing mean, just the olders telling the yealings, "enough already!"

Zane and Trek kick it on their bed of straw, soaking up the rest of the sunlight.

Norway (left) gives Jumbo some kisses. His way of letting this young gun know that he is being a good boy.

A shot of the tent camp.

The biggest problem with the tent camp is we love it so much it's hard to leave! It becomes our home away from home in the winter. We are able to do various lengths of runs in and out of the tent camp. We also have a spike camp, close to Excelsior Creek Valley, that we will break out here soon enough.

From inside the Arctic Oven we have a nice view of the dogs and can talk to them with ease from the warmth of the tent.

There is nothing more enjoyable than traveling with a dog team through this amazing country. Sights...smells...sounds...there are no words or photograph that can capture it. We love to travel with dogs. Dogs love to travel too. 

To quote Runyan, "I hate circle, and I think dogs hate it more. After burning off a little adrenaline, the old run around in a circle back to home training run is about as much fun as working out on a treadmill. Everybody in nature asks the same question, "Hey, boss, are we going anywhere today, or just running in circles?"

Mile 25 on the Chisto Trail. AKA Posty's. Yes, there is a mailbox and a newspaper box up here.

When we got snow, we ran 50 miles. The dogs were animals and loved every step they took. The next trip was to do a 70. Dogs were jazzed. No circles for them! Traveling, camping, bonding with their team...what more does a person need?

Mt Sanford is the distance as we charge home with the team.

The same weekend we received our first big snow, was also the first weekend of a local caribou hunt. We encountered many hunters on various types of "rigs." There were side-by-sides, 4-wheelers, 6-wheelers, snowmachines and more. The dogs did great passing vehicles, hunters, families and children. Oh, and caribou carcasses. Yup, carcasses. On our way back we came across about 5 caribou bodies scattered along the trail. We are always looking for training opportunities. Many times we have to create them, but this is not something we could ever make up. It is good training. Dead critters is not uncommon on the trail. We live amongst the wolves here. Wolf kills are common.

Caribou parts litter the trail from hunters who caught in this location.

Later in the week, Darrin took a team up to do a long run. It was a lovely sunrise and the team was looking good. As he entered the south end of the field where the caribou carcasses were a bunch of ravens flew up into the air. Looking ahead he saw a large brown critter chasing the ravens off the caribou scraps. A bear. Darrin stopped the team, watched for a second and then gave Sicsu the command, very quietly, "haw" and turned the team around and headed back home.

A couple days later, Darrin was cruising down the trail when a pack of wolves popped up in front of the team. Well, if that isn't exciting! The team took off like a shot. Dogs and their cousin the wolf, charging down the trail.

A sunshiny day!

Running dogs is not a hobby. It is a way of life. A lifestyle that is not suited for everyone. It is one that our family thrives on. I cannot imagine doing anything else. 

Here are a bunch of pictures from a run we did up to Sinona Lake and back. Of course, there was a pit stop at the tent camp. Who could pass that up!? 

As you look through these pictures of the team, keep in mind that you can be part of the team too. We would love to have you on board. Check out our website at www.kmakennel.com. You can also make a donation through a booster page that is set up for a limited time.

You can also "like" and follow us on our Facebook page.

Enjoy the pics!

Yearlings Mammoth and Titan all smiles on our 70 mile run up to Sinona Lake.

Norbert, the yearling goon, is jazzed about running up to Sinona.

Fozzie, a seasoned vet, is super patient with Norbert as he throws himself on the grow and rolls around and yips.

Red, another seasoned vet, loves to run. His smile is infectious.

18 dogs up at Sinona Lake on a beautiful sunny day.

The view was extreme and the weather wouldn't have been better.

Mt Sanford off in the distance as we make our way home from Sinona. Later on in the winter, all of the willows will be deep under snow as will some of the spruce trees.

It's good to know where you have been, to guide you to where you are going.