Brrrr

Still trying to wait out the severe cold here in Two Rivers. The mercury dipped to -50 degrees F again this morning, with many folks seeing -56F or worse in low lying areas. But, the temp has since moved up to -40F now. The weatherman promises warmer (well, -25F anyway) by Monday, and long range shows single digits ABOVE zero by next weekend. I sure do hope that's true. The dogs really need to get out on the trails...not only for training, but to get rid of the boredom of long, cold nights followed by short, cold days. No fun for any of us! Literally, the cold has 'frozen' most outdoor activities. If it would just warm up a bit more, I could get the team out for at least a short run to stretch their legs a bit. Stay tuned and think "Snow and warmer temps" (but not too warm!). ;o)

-Tamz 'n team

Deep Freeze

Just when you think it can't get any worse, the temperature drops even lower! Predicted lows for the next few days are between -40 degrees F and -50 degrees F and I know that when I left the house this morning, it was -50F. Dangerous cold, if you aren't prepared for it. And though I know my team needs to be out training, I just can't take them out like this. It would do more harm than good, so the bad outweighs the good. Hopefully some good will come out of this, by freezing all of the rivers. They've been open, which means the trail to Angel Creek hasn't been put in. However, a lot of the time, the cold creates overflow, so it could end up creating more problems. Good news is that temps are supposed to come up next week. Keep your fingers crossed and hope that we get more snow, as this cold is really brutal on water wells, pipes, etc. not to mention dog paws. Make sure your pooches have housefulls of straw, or bring them in if you have to. Don't leave bare skin exposed to the cold and be careful touching metal in this cold!! My son took his glove off to open the door, and nipped his finger. All it takes is a second to begin the freezing process. He's ok, but if he had held on longer, he could have really hurt himself.

Take care and stay warm!
-Tammi

Frigid Temps

The weather is wreaking havoc on many people with their training regimens as Interior Alaska seems to be locked in a deep freeze. Temperatures are hovering between -30F to -45F making the very act of running sled dogs become one requiring extreme fortitude, not to mention so many layers of gear that one can hardly move! The cold temperatures actually make being out in them a dangerous occupation, leaving no room for 'mistakes'. Something as simple as forgetting to secure all your clothing layers (missing that zipper that isn't closed all the way, or that leaves skin exposed) can mean severe frostbite. It goes without saying that the dogs can get frostbite as well...especially on those tender parts that may not have as much fur as other areas! Additionally, breathing in that type of cold is not good on the lungs; so, imagine running in these temps! Needless to say, this type of cold can be dangerous. Then, add a brisk breeze and the temps plummet even more due to windchill. Of course, if you are running a race such as the Quest, this doesn't stop you from making your way down the trail, but it sure as heck makes it rough. As if a thousand mile trail through the arctic wilderness wasn't tough enough, right?!

This winter is really making it challenging to run sled dogs. First, the lack of snow has made it difficult (or at the least, scary) to run more than 8-10 dog teams...now the severe cold is inhibiting regular training on longer runs, which are what the dogs need now just weeks from the Quest 300. It is at times like these that one asks themselves "Why do I do this?" But then, all you need to do is walk out into the dog yard, and you have your answer in the adoring eyes of your furkids. What could be better than a team of your closest friends, working together with you, to see what's beyond the next bend, or over the next hill?

Keep you and your dogs warm, stay safe, and remember...this too, shall pass. ;o)

-Tammi & the Fur Chilluns'

Angus contemplating the -30F Temps

ADMA Races 1/22/06

Achilles chillin’ on straw, -20F

Today found us down at the Musher’s Hall track, preparing to run the Open Class sprint race. Why a sprint race for a mid-distance team, you may ask? Well, simply put, I really wanted to get my dogs out around other teams and introduce them to whatever crud might be floating about. Our dogs have recently gotten over a bug, but it’s better to introduce them to as many different situations as possible. This may seem odd to some, but if you think about it, it’s a smart practice. Because, it is better for the dogs to get whatever bug that might be circulating the race circuit early. That way, they get it, they get over it, and it doesn’t affect them during whatever main race or races they’ll be running.

We took 10 dogs out, and I had the 1^st place position, as I was the only one to pre-register before race day. However, we did get 2 other teams signed up. Manny rode the sled up to the line, as is our tradition…but left me huffing behind as I jogged to catch up. If you’ve ever tried to run when you’re all geared up for -15F or colder, you’ll know what it’s like. Aw well, I was nice and warm at the start then. ;o) We took off nicely and the dogs were loping along well. I kept my drag down for the first 1/3^rd of the race to keep them from going too fast and getting injured. With the fresh snow we were getting, the drag mat really piled the snow up…so I didn’t even need to touch it. We were making good time, but then Ricky Taylor finally caught us at Creamer’s field. I stopped my team to allow his to pass, as he had young dogs, then we gave chase. The dogs did great, until we started on the turn back to the hall. On the turn, Riley and Feather took the first Gee (not much choice with a snow fence blocking the only other way), but then as we were heading into the second Gee that would take us on the inbound trail, Riley suddenly leaped left following the wrong trail! With the fresh snow and icy trail underneath, it took me a few seconds to get them stopped. By then, we were heading towards the 30 mile loop, instead of the race trail. I got the hook to hold and turned the team, but then Riley decided to play around and tangled the team. What a mess! Just when I was about to get them all untangled, Riley jumped back again and lit into Herod, my wheel dog. Now, this was crazy, as my dogs don’t usually fight…so I broke them up, only to find another ‘dog ball’. Well, halfway through that untangle, the next team (Carol) caught us. Her team also took the wrong turn, but then gee’d past my team, taking Carol’s sled through the brush and over some stumps. Crazy! She got by and I finished untangling my guys, and we took off. The team was really flying for about 2-3 more miles, then it was like someone flipped a switch and they just bogged down. I don’t know what was going on…but we did the rest of the run in a trot. All in all, it was a loopey run, but hey, we took 3^rd place (out of 3 teams..Tee hee hee!) and won a nice, new harness from Howling Dog. Perfect, as we needed to replace the Manmat harness that Skuuga ate.

Now, the temp has dropped to -30F and will be cold again for the next few days. We’ll be focusing on 30-50 mile runs, setting the dogs up for the 300. Just 3 weeks away, Oh my! Lots to do, so we’ll be busy going through gear, getting drops ready so we’ll know what we need to get or replace, and laying out our game plan for the race. The hubby and I have been talking run/rest schedules and what strategy I’ll be using with the dogs. I’ll be testing these out on the dogs over the next few weekends to see what schedule/strategy will fit them for this particular race. Check back often, as I’ll endeavor to keep everyone updated on our progress.

-Tammi and the pooches

"Big Will"

Willy saying, "Check it out! I can see my breath!"

Let it snow!

Well, due to the cold temps and dismal trails, the dogs have been off for a while. I'd rather skip a few days of training, than try to run dogs and risk wrist and shoulder injuries. The -30F to -40F temps are real harsh on dog feet, which means they need to be bootied. Yet, booty them, and they have no purchase on the icy trails. So, it's a no-win situation. Still, hope is on the horizon as it's been spitting snow today and the weatherman has predicted a Low pressure system coming in and bringing some of that white 'gold' we so desperately need. With the Quest and Quest 300 coming up in just 3 weeks, I'll take whatever we can get! Right now, if the trails remain the way they've been, I'll only be taking 10 dogs on the race. It's better to take fewer dogs to keep speed down and keep things safer, than to take 12 dogs and end up with all kinds of injuries by Angel Creek.

Tomorrow, we'll be heading over to the ADMA track to run in the Open Class. I have no delusions of being competitive...I'm doing it to simply get the team exposed to other teams and a race environment. They've been to only 1 race this season, and that was the Two Rivers Tune up. Therefore, it's very important that we expose the dogs to everything we can before we head out on the Quest trail. Good news is that we were able to get a couple of longer runs in and the dogs did great. Now, I need to get some more long runs and do some checkpoint practice/camping with the dogs. If the season had been going as planned, the dogs would have already had 2 100 mile races on them. Unfortunately, the lack of snow has caused several races to be canceled and botched us on training miles early on. Still, we've managed to salvage the season and look forward to competing in the upcoming Quest 300 and the Two Rivers 200 in March. Check back for updates as we progress through training. We're glad to have you along!

If you'd like to help us on our way to the Yukon Quest in the next few years, please contact us at runswift@alaska.net. We would truly appreciate any and all support that might come our way.