Running Swift Kennel

New Blog Site

2007-10-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, since I'm slowly changing our kennel name and things back, that means that I've also had to start a new blog! So, here's the link to that one. I'll begin posting there, as I build the new site. Bear with me during the "construction" please!! Thanks!

http://RogueSummitKennel.blogspot.com/

Training report

2007-10-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Training goes forward, with the A team about ready to jump up in miles. We like to do a couple of hard runs, with the dogs pulling the wheeler the whole way without help. When they come in looking good, then we up the mileage by a few miles. We alternate between hard, pulling runs and interval runs, where they speed up, then slow down, then pull hard, then run along. All of these are important for conditioning and muscling the dogs. Too much heavy work, and the dogs bulk up, slowing them down. Too much speed work, and the dogs don't build the muscles/endurance they need for the hill work or hard pulling they will see on races. It's imperative that the musher try to present every possible scenario that the team will see on a race; that way, the dogs (and musher!) are prepared for what's to come.

Manny has been rotating leaders in and out on each run. Yesterday, Dusk and Just took a turn in lead, working well and pulling hard together. Today, the B team goes out and I think he's planning on running Dutchess with Munchkin, or Riley, or Torus, or ? ? ? I'll find out later. ;o) Next run for the A team (if there's time today), he wants to put Sunshine in lead to see how he'll do. He was super slow last year, compared to our other leaders...so we'll see. Sunshine handles any speed in the team but tends to slow down in lead. Weird, but true. Temps are about 37F today...pretty warm. So, I imagine that the B team will be S-L-O-W. However, our trails have been groomed by our local sprint musher (Thanks, Mike!), so the dogs will now be running on hard, fast trail. Good training all around.

We've been discussing our kennel name and have decided to revert back to our original name, "Rogue Summit Kennel". We changed it upon moving to Alaska/Two Rivers...as there weren't any "summits" close-by. Our name derived from one of our first huskies, a beautiful red & white siberian named Rogue. He was a fantastic dog, a good friend and a good sled dog. Sadly, he passed away on the operating table, after a routine surgery. It broke our hearts, as Rogue was like one of our children. So, due to the combination of losing our guy and moving from the Bitteroot Mountains to Two Rivers, Alaska; we changed to Running Swift Kennel. However, now we've started seeing are a LOT of kennels with the "Running" theme. Also, we'd like to remember our good buddy, Rogue and at times, we feel like "rogues" ourselves. ;o) So, I'll slowly be switching our kennel name back to the original "Rogue Summit". Bear with me though...there are a lot of places where I'll need to change it!

-Tammi

Fox Hats and Beaver Hats

2007-10-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Devlyn wanted to model my new Red Fox hat. Nice, eh? I was being a total girl when I got it!

Here's Conor wearing his brother's beaver hat. He wanted to try on a fur hat, too!

Winter Time

2007-10-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

There is just something to the great Northland. Man is it pretty out there! When I walked outside in the early morning hours, the luminous moon shed its silvery light across the newly fallen snow. The hush in the air excited me...like the Earth was holding her breath in anticipation of a new day, like that first present on Christmas morn. I started the car to warm it before my trek to town and headed back to the porch. As I gazed up, I was thrilled to see the starburst pattern of a few buds of the aurora, opening up into ribbons that spread across the sky. No matter how long I'll live, I'll never get over the wonder and beauty of watching the Northern Lights as they perform their ballet across that indigo stage. Breathtaking! Aww...it's a good day to be alive and living in the North.

Training is going well. The dogs are getting conditioned for the upcoming season, hard pulling; but, great for them. The trails have about 9 inches of mushy snow, like porridge and the warm temps make it hot for the furrier huskies in the team. Flashbacks to the Cantwell Classic!! Ha ha ha! However, it's great to get some trail breaking in and get the dogs used to soft, punchy trails. Then, we'll just need to alternate between those and the hard, fast trails to prevent injuries this year. All in all, things are looking good. Zen & Feather led the team for today's run, even though both girls have been giving Manny fits. Guess they figured out that their girly antics weren't going to work....that Manny was going to make them lead regardless of a heat cycle or not. Both girls led wonderfully, not giving Manny a single problem today. In fact, even with the soft trails, Manny said that the dogs really picked up on the run, doing even the rough section of trail faster than normal. Right on!! :o) These veteran dogs never cease to amaze me.

ADMA Symposium 2007

2007-10-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

The Symposium was a LOT of fun this year! I was pretty much camped out there, though a few club members were great and took a turn or two at the TRDMA table. We had several memberships, a few folks got race packets for either the Solstice, the Two Rivers 200 or both and we sold several t-shirts. All in all, a good weekend. Oh, and we sold the Arctic Oven tent within the first hour! Too cool.

I had a great time at the Quest Birthday party, as well as the ADMA auction on Saturday night. Got to catch up with lots of friends all weekend. I had to give Gerry my usual ration of "Scheiße" (hope I spelled that right, Gerry). ;o) Just kidding! It's always fun to joke around and talk with Gerry. It was great to see Laura & Tamra, as well as Sebastian, Hans and many others. It was also fun to catch up with local friends, such as Aliy & Allan, Lance, Benedikt, Jessica & Tom, Judy & Devan, most of whom I only see on the trails in passing, or on races. It's funny, because a lot of us live within a 10 mile radius of each other. Such as Jessica and Tom...we live just 2 miles from them and we all run the same trails...yet we usually only talk at length at Symposium or at local races. I guess we're all just too busy working/running dogs.

Oooo...I have to share a great deal I got this weekend! Ever since my beaver hat got washed (don't ask!), I've needed a new fur hat. But, I just got by with a rabbit fur hat. That worked fine, until I was on the Quest trail and it got soaking wet with condensation. So, there I was, just 2 tables down from Julie Collins's table, with all of her beautiful furs, hats, mitts, etc. I couldn't take it anymore, and decided that it was past time for me to have a new hat. I looked through them all, and I loved the wolf and marten. But talking with Julie, I wanted something durable, yet warm. I've always had beaver hats, so of course I looked at that. Quite beautiful, but a tad big on me. I could've lived with that though, and just put my hair in a ponytail. But then, I tried on the red fox. It was so SOFT and luxurious! Truly beautiful. I couldn't decide at all, so I asked Julie. She suggested the fox...and even gave me a bit of a break on it...so how could I say no? I LOVE it! I have to admit that I was being a "Girl"...because it's really pretty, looks good on me (a plus) and even matches my parka and sled bag! Ha ha ha! Then, I had to show it off. I was like a little kid, giddy with excitement. But, I rarely splurge on myself...it's always for the boys or my hubby. This was just for me, and I felt a bit sinful getting the hat. But, I really did need a new fur hat. ;o) I'll post pics up later...I'm off to bed. The weekend was fun to visit, but I'm beat! Laters.....
-Tammi

Crossing Eagle

2007-10-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

There's Dusk there on the right, leading over Eagle Summit for Eric Butcher in 2006. Immediately behind Dusk is Torus, and Rocket is back there by the sled, the dark dog with his tail up. I'll be glad to have these three veterans with me, when we run the 08 Quest 300 this season! It's coming!

Truckin' Along with Chevy

2007-10-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Chevy is doing so well with us! We originally bought Chevy from Gerry to be a wheel dog with our A team. We really need a wheel dog to match Inu, who works hard and really does well "steering" the sled. But, Zen, one of our main leaders has come into heat. She wasn't taking commands and wouldn't take the turns Manny wanted her to take (he went longer with the team, requiring them to take a different trail). So, he took her out of lead and put Chevy in lead with Dusk. He said those boys took every single command without question! How exciting!!! He said that he really thinks Chevy could be a very nice leader. Right on!

Now, we're working on expanding the horse paddock, well...Manny, Jimmy & Devlyn are right at this moment. ;o) A really nice Percheron/Quarterhorse gelding named Sampson, needs a new home. He's a well trained horse, who has been ridden and packed all over Alaska. He's also a dynamite kid's horse! He's big...bigger than Bismark, but a very nice gentleman. Therefore, we really had to make the pen MUCH bigger to accomodate this guy. We hope to be done by tomorrow, so that we can bring Sampson home. Lots of things happening. It always seems like there's more and more work to do. Ho hum. And Manny is STILL working! We are ready for him to be done for the winter, as the dogs are running nicely and we need to concentrate on them full time at this point. We have several races that we want to do this year, so it's definitely time to 'get cracking'. Here's the run-down for this season: Solstice 100 (Manny), Cantwell Classic 200 (Tammi), Don Bowers 300 (Manny), Yukon Quest 300 (Tammi), and the Chatanika 200 (Manny). As you can see, we have a full schedule! Good thing we have 28 dogs in training right now! And, I'm comfortable saying we have about 22-24 dogs capable of racing. Excellent!

Well, I'm off to help haul logs and put up rails. Have a great day everyone!
-Tammi

Upping mileage and Jury Duty

2007-10-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well, the race dogs have bumped up in mileage and they STILL came in barking. Man, that's nice to see!!! I planned on taking the B team out today, but I had jury duty and was selected for a jury. So, I had to run back to my classroom in order to prep for a sub. Of course, it's never that smooth...turns out that I'm going to miss some meetings, so I had to fill out forms to cover my absence, straighten my desk, get supplies ready to do projects, etc. Needless to say, no running today. That's ok though. I do have to say it was NICE to come home to fed dogs! Jimmy was in the yard when we pulled up, finishing up on the watering. Now, THAT is cool!! He's also going to help run dogs. Yea, buddy!

Other news, Chevy ran in lead for the first time. He came in looking nice, wagging his tail. I think he was just waiting for us to run him in lead. He's been shy since we got him from Gerry....now he's doing better. Feather was acting up in lead, not taking commands, tangling the team...so Manny switched her out. I think she does it to him because she knows he'll get tired of it and take her out of lead. He said as much after a run...so little Miss "Ice Princess" will be in for it on the next run. Hee hee hee! I think I'll be taking 12 dog teams from now on, as the snow has made the turns slicker than normal. These dogs are really looking nice!! :o)

I'm off to bed...jury duty comes early. Laters!
-Tammi

Running yearlings

2007-09-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

I took the B team out and ran the 3 yearlings for the first time. Odin and Zeus took to it like they were old pros. At hook up, they stood there, waiting to go. No twisting and jumping. Way cool! Peiper, though, decided to snap at Plato. I was a bit worried, because I was afraid Plato would just lay into the pup...but, to my surprise, Plato just tried to get over away from Peiper. Before take off though, Herod, old dog that he is, decided to mix it up with Riley back in wheel. Herod ended up with a strip of skin missing off of the top of his nose. Man did it bleed! I wasn't going to take him...but Manny got a paper towel, cleaned it and I saw that it was missing a bit of skin. Well, maybe that would teach Herod to leave Ri-ri alone. It must have...Herod didn't pull any more shenanigans for the rest of hookup or the run. Odin and Zeus pulled fantastically! From the start, they were laying into their harnesses and pulled great. Peiper necklined a bit for the first 1/8-1/4 mile...but soon figured it out and started running nicely as well. I kept the dogs down to about 7-8 miles an hour, not letting them go over 10 mph during the run. They worked hard and came in looking good. It's harder for us at this point, as Manny is still working...so we're having to run after work. He doesn't get home til about 7:30pm, which is just about the kids' bed time. A good thing though, is that my brother, Jimmy is moving up here on Friday, so he'll be around to help run dogs. What a relief until Manny is off of work for the season and back to running dogs full time.

Laters all! I did get some pictures...though Devlyn took them with the regular film camera and not the digital. So, you'll have to wait for pics! Ok, off to get dinner. Phew!

Running in the mud

2007-09-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Manny took the dogs out today, well, at least 14 of them. Of course, since I'd just sewed up the 4 harnesses that had been chomped; Sunshine decided to chomp another one while we hooked up the rest of the team. Danged dog!!! And while all of the other dogs, though very rambunctious, didn't do any damage to gear or themselves...Sunshine decided to also chomp on Jericho. I guess we moved too slow for him, so in his frustration, he kept laying into Jericho, his partner. Luckily, there was no blood letting. The dogs did well, though I guess Just decided that he didn't want to pass by another team, so ended up balling the whole team up. I guess he's back to his old bull-headed stuff again this season. By the end of last season, he was taking commands nicely and running great lead. This fall, he's back to going where HE wants to go. "Oh, you said Gee? I don't think so! Whose the lead dog around here, huh?" I can just see him saying that, if he could talk. What a booger! Speaking of Booger....he and Ahab went out of here as white dogs...they came back brown. Manny said that the rain yesterday (or day before?) left big old mud puddles along the trail. That's ok...good to keep the dogs cool. But, so much for my white dogs!!! Ha ha ha! We'll see how Spike, Banjo and Odin look tomorrow. I'll try to remember to grab the camera and snap some photos.

Rabies clinic in the morning. Manny didn't want to put the dog boxes on the truck just yet, as we still have to haul hay in a week or so. Jodi was going to loan us her box to just put on top of the truck bed...but it wasn't wide enough. So, we're going to be using kennels. Yay! So much for looking professional, eh? Ha ha ha! Oh well! At least they'll get their rabies vaccines, no matter how we get 'em there. ;o)

Jake is BACK!!

2007-09-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

Jakers is back! He has been missing from Leonora's dogyard since June. Jake retired from racing this year and as promised, went back to Leonora, his original owner. But, just about a week or so after arriving, Jake went missing. It looked as if someone had let him off of his chain, but we'll probably never know. Jake wasn't one to wander. He got loose at our house once and stayed right in the dogyard. However, he disappeared back in June and though many of us looked high and low, he wasn't found. Until today. Actually, it was on August 21st that Animal Control picked him up, in the same area that he dissapeared from. He was well fed and looked cared for. A mix up with his paperwork (he'd been listed as female on the paperwork) and a miss in the shelter database (they revamped their missing dog reports in July, which meant that since Jake had been reported in June, he was not entered in the new report) which all resulted in them not realizing that Jake was our missing dog. I happened by the shelter today and as soon as I saw Jake, with his little black scar across the top of his nose, I knew we'd found him. Ironically, my son Devlyn had just mentioned Jake this morning, and I said that I doubted we'd ever know what happened, since he'd been missing for so long. Then, lo and behold, there he is on house G in the shelter dog yard. I immediately looked closer to verify that this dog was our missing Jakers....then, went to the front desk to tell them that this was our missing dog. I asked if they found a Quest microchip and my #3 Quest tag on his collar. They said they sure did. Righteous! We'd found Jake. They allowed me to spring Jake from the shelter so that I could take him back home to Leonora's (a promise is a promise).

At first, I was very worried, as Jake wasn't very responsive and even looked sick (though he's really FAT). I got him to the car, and the boys and I just kept talking to him. Within 5 minutes, he started resting his nose on my shoulder (he was sitting in the back seat, just behind me). Then, he was responding to his name, kept nudging me and Devlyn to pet him and by the time we'd got him to Leonora's, he was jumping on me again, giving me hugs. What a happy dog he was to be home!! We are so very thankful that this old guy is safe and sound now. He's been missing for 3 months! We'd all but lost hope of finding him. Then, there he was. I wanted to bring him home with us....but, he's a retired Quest dog and he was promised to go back to Leonora, his original owner once he retired. So, he's now back and happy.

Moral of the story? Never give up. Something told me to go check the shelter, even though I hadn't been there in a few weeks. I'm glad I listened to that voice, because it was already late afternoon and I had thought that perhaps we should just head home. But, I listened to my instincts and found our boy. I guess I should have never doubted him...Jake's a tough, Quest dog. I'm so happy he's home!! Right on!!

Wes Rau Clinic

2007-09-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Just finished the 2 day clinic that TRDMA organized with Wes Rau. Originally, there was to be a 2 day Basic class and a 2 day Advanced class...but, we didn't have enough folks for both classes. So, we trimmed it down to a 2 day intense course. I have to say that for all those who missed it...you really missed out on an incredible opportunity. With 10 of us there, Wes was able to do a lot more hands-on and one-on-one training with all of us. That really made a big difference and we were able to learn a LOT about our dogs, how to diagnose problems, and then how to FIX them! If I'd known half of what I learned this weekend when I ran the Quest 300 last February, we would have been able to finish...and probably with most of my dogs, too. We learned how to diagnose shoulder issues, neck/back issues, wrist issues, and hip issues. Then, Wes walked us through how to help/fix each one. I gained so much, that I feel truly confident that I can now help avoid and/or alleviate joint issues...or at least figure out what is going on with my dogs if I see one of them start to limp, or pull funny, etc.

I took Radar the first day, as I thought he'd be a bit calmer and such. Turned out the opposite and he became Spazzoid dog! Plus, while working on shoulders, we found out that pointers tend to have straighter and even thicker bones/joints. I had a real hard time trying to get a scapula lift on him (though my partner, Jillian got it right away). So, knowing that we'd work on wrists today, I took Feather with me. I found out quickly that she truly hated to be put down on her side...which meant that we ended up with a squirming ball of fury most of the time. My partner had to leave right after lunch, so I was on my own working with the Ice Princess. Turned out to be the best thing that could've happened. I not only got Feather to lay down...but was able to do the techniques that we learned today. Then, because I didn't have a partner that needed to do the techniques, I was able to practice all of the things that we learned yesterday as well! This resulted in a dog that became relaxed and at ease. I could actually see and feel her relax/get more flexible as I worked on her. It was great! I am so glad that I went ahead and did the clinic. I feel more confident that I'll be able to care for my dogs 10 times better than I have in the past. Right ON!!! And, handling Feather on my own was great practice, because it'll be just me out on the trail...so it is good to know that I managed to work with Feather by myself. :o)

Here's the litte "Ice Princess" looking very satisfied after a well earned treat.

Well, I'm off because the clinic was intense and I'm beat. Happy Labor's Day to All! Cheers!

Hunting Season Starts Tomorrow

2007-08-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

Well, the guys are off at their moose camp, hoping to score for the season. Keeping the fingers crossed here at home. I'm hoping the weather starts to cool off soon. The mornings are cool enough, but when you have to be at work early in the morning, it's just not possible to train dogs at that point. So, evenings it is. The weatherman is saying the first frost could hit tonight in the low lying areas. We're more up on a hill, but still...it's great to hear that the colder temps ARE coming. Lots of plans this winter...we now need Mother Nature to cooperate.

My Intern is GREAT and it seems to be a good fit. I hope that I help her on her road to being a good teacher. It's rather odd to think about me having an intern, particularly since I can remember being in her position not too many years ago. It is pretty cool! And, the coolest thing is that she will take over my classes right when I'm racing this season. That definitely works!

Well, I'm off. It's been a long week and I have to be up early in the am for the Wes Rau clinic at Mushers Hall. As soon as we start training, I'll try to post more frequent updates on here. Not too much happening at this point...just waiting for the coolness to arrive.

Later!

First day back at work

2007-08-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

Today was my first work day back at school. I'm looking forward to a great school year. I have a wonderful intern who will be observing my classroom, lessons and other teachers in the building, while she's learning "the ropes". This program is good in that it gets teachers-in-training in the class so that they learn in a hands on environment. I was very glad to have been able to be with a great mentor teacher, as I learned a lot more than I ever could have from books and lectures. Right on!

The weather is getting cooler....I'll be glad when it freezes, as the little gnats are driving us crazy! And it'll be nice to get out with the dogs...though that will be a little tricky while Manny's still working so much. We're hoping they'll back off a little on the hours so that we won't be out there at 9pm running the dogs...but if that's what we have to do, so be it. We hear our neighbors back behind us hooking up, already starting their fall training. I'm anxious to get out there...but have to get that darned atv stuff done. Grrrr.

I'm off. Have a good one and get out there with those doggies!
-Tam

Future cowboy

2007-08-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

Ride em, Conor! This is Conor up on Bismark. Yes, that's Manny behind Bizzy's head...that shows you how big Bismark has gotten. Manny is 6'1".

Quest signups, the fair and other happenings

2007-08-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

Opening day for sign up at the Yukon Quest Cache!!

This has been a whirl wind week, as it usually is right before school starts up again. Devlyn and I have been helping out at the fair, which started last Friday. Then, Saturday was CRAZY! We had Quest signups at 9am, then a soccer game at 10am, then the Pet show at the fair at 1pm. We were running from here to there, getting things done.

Here I am with Devlyn and Kim, being the first to sign up for the 2008 Yukon Quest 300. It's official! I'm hoping that this third time on the trail will be a success (I tried to run the race back in 2003, but we had so many problems that I never made it to the startline and had to withdraw). In 2006, the blizzard took us out on Rosebud Summit. In 2007, the trail was an icy highway after we had been training through powder, breaking trail all season, which put us out at McCabe Creek, just 90 miles from the finish. The dogs just had too many injuries, and though I was managing them, the vet said it just wasn't good. On a positive note, I've gained tons of experience and feel sooo ready to hit the trail for a successful season. :)

Devlyn's soccer team won their tournament...I mean they won EVERY game! It was great to see those boys working together out on the field. They really came together as a team this season...right on!! Devlyn is so proud of the medals that they all got. Very cool!

Now, I'm hoping to just enjoy my last week of summer, before I start work next Monday. It's hard to believe that the summer is about over, at least for me. But, that means that it's time to start running dogs again!!! :) Yahoo! We could have done so today, as it's a nasty, raining, chilly day. Unfortunately, the whole household is in various stages of illness...I have achy joints and sinuses; Manny has a sore throat, achy body and headaches; Devlyn is getting over strep throat; and Conor has a case of snail trails (really snotty nose...but don't you love the visual you get from snail trails?? Tee hee hee!!). It figures!! Still, the lows are supposed to be in the mid to upper 40s this week. So, it's time to do the maintenance on the ATV, get the ganglines and harnesses out to go over, and scout the trails. ;o)

Ciao!!

Golden Days Parade

2007-07-23T22:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a great picture that Tania Simpson (new Quest Director) sent of our "float" in this year's Golden Days Parade. Julie was in lead with Sammy and then in swing is my little leader Feather and myself. Devlyn is sitting in the front seat of the cart (blue shirt) holding one of Ken & Gwen's pups (that's Ken in wheel to the right). Tania is at the helm of this "dog team". She did finally get the commands down! :o)

It is really fun to do this event each year. As a musher, I usually can't volunteer much in the winters, as I'm out on the trails, running in the races. However, summers will find me helping out wherever I can. It's important for us to remember that we have to give back to these great organizations (Yukon Quest, Two Rivers Dog Mushers, etc.), or we won't have the wonderful races to run each year. I usually have a great time volunteering at booths, for events, etc., because it allows me to talk to people about something I truly love...running dogs. It doesn't get much better than that. If you can't run the dogs, then the next best thing is talking about running the dogs. ;o)

-Tammi

My Arabian buddy...

2007-07-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

This is my gorgeous Arabian gelding, Druid. He sure is a beauty, isn't he? His dapples get better and better each year. Dru is 7 years old now...we've had him since he was a yearling. He's my boy!

It's been a very nice summer so far. Hot and sunny, though we've been getting plenty of rain (mainly in the late afternoons/evenings). We got the yardwork done today, so now I can see the dogs again! Ha ha ha! It looks soooo much better. We actually have a yard instead of a jungle! Next is to fence off the area (behind Druid in the picture) for the horses. Manny is working so much that we just haven't been able to get the permanent fencing up...so, we figured we'll do the wide, electric tape fencing for now, then get the permanent wood fence up later.

The parade was a blast! Ken Anderson brought his big cart, along with harnesses and we all "harnessed up" and hooked into the gangline to "mush" our way downtown. Devlyn helped hold the pups that Gwen brought, while he rode in the cart. We had Feather with us, so we put a harness on her as well; so, Feather and I were the "swing" dogs during the parade. It was hot; but, Donna really pulled through for us and was our "water girl" throughout, making sure Feather, Sammy (Julie's pooch) and all of us "sled dogs" were well hydrated. It was a lot of fun! Hopefully I'll get some pictures to follow soon. Until then, enjoy your summer and don't forget to hug your kids (both the 2 legged & 4 legged variety)! :o)

Summertime, summertime...

2007-07-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Bismark, our Percheron getting tacked up for his very first ride down the road. He did GREAT! He's turned into a beautiful, BIG boy.

Sorry for the long delay on updating the blog. I was off in New Orleans at a Education Conference, learning LOTS to bring back to school. Hard to believe that summer is on it's way out...boo hoo! I'm really enjoying summer this year...no classes, no work, nada! Just me, the boys, the dogs, the horses and the sunshine. You GOTTA love that! ;o) I have to confess that I've been rather lazy, not getting much done. But you know what? Life's too short to worry about it. Building great memories with the boys are more important than getting projects done. The work will be there tomorrow, or the next day. The kids are only kids once.

The puppies are growing and are more rambunctious everyday. We've named them: Hale (the male pup), Storm (his twin sister) and Rain (the dark colored female). We've started taking them out for walks around the yard and all three are little lovers and very outgoing pups. I think that this is a fantastic breeding! I'm bummed that we didn't get to do the breeding between Zen and Zorro...but that's ok. We can always do it next spring. In the meantime, we have Hiltey and Chevy, two VERY nice males who we hope are excellent additions to the kennel.

I have to get pictures developed and get more photos on the digital so you can all keep up with us here in Two Rivers. We've been having 80F, beautiful summer days. While I was gone, the grass grew like crazy...so we're doing yard work again this weekend. The veggies that I planted are really flourishing! We've already eaten some lettuce and broccoli...next are tomatoes as there are a couple starting to ripen...and green peppers on the plants, along with cucumbers! Wahoo! I'm not very good at gardening...so this is pretty cool. ;o)

Well, more to come...but I'm going to sign off for now. Devlyn & I are going to be in the Golden Days Parade tomorrow morning, supporting the Yukon Quest. So, look for us along the route...our "float" is like number 55 or something. You won't be able to miss it. :o)

-Tammi

Chevy has arrived!

2007-06-29T23:02:00.000-08:00

Today, Devlyn, Conor and I took a trip down to Tok to meet Gerry Willomitzer, who was on his way to Anchorage for a BBQ at Martin Buser's...and Iditarod signups and BBQ tomorrow. We bought Chevy from Gerry a few months ago, but had to figure a way to get him up here. This worked out nicely, as it was a beautiful day...the boys and I had a fun drive (we counted 5 moose and a possible bear out on one of the rivers), had lunch in Tok at Fast Eddy's, Gerry dropped Chevy off with us and then we headed back (after a refreshing ice cream cone...Chevy didn't like it much). Chevy is a beautiful black and white husky...about 50 lbs with 4 white feet and a white stripe down his nose (as you can see from his photo). He was a bit shy and wasn't sure about us and riding in the car, but he took it in stride and soon settled down on the floor (he was riding shotgun, but decided he liked to lay under the dash on the passenger side better). This actually worked out, because it was really hot and though I had the vents going and windows down, poor Chevy was HOT. I put the air on the floor and it came out nice and cool. Chevy finally stopped panting and dozed.

I didn't get the camera out for some new pictures yet, as it was threatening to thunderstorm, so I rushed to get the chores done outside, then get dinner made by the time Manny got home from work. But, I'll try to get some tomorrow night. Chevy is out of Gerry's main leader/stud Black Jack (Gatt) and Blue (Gatt). I'll post Chevy's lines on my Noatak site as soon as Gerry gets back home and emails them.

Dutchess is doing fine and seems to have recovered from her bout of bloat the other night. I'm still being very careful with her and staying right with her as she eats, to make sure that she doesn't spill her food. I'm going to get her a spill proof bowl tomorrow. The puppies look great! I got them to drink some water tonight. I'm going to start them on soaked kibble tomorrow, since they are showing interest in food and water now. I had to put a ramp on the pup house, because 2 of them crawled out and were toddling around on the ground. They truly are outgoing pups!

Well, I'm off to bed. All that driving really wipes a person out. Check back for pics and updates! Ciao!

-Tammi

Puppy pictures!!

2007-06-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

Dutchess and Dusk really produced some beautiful pups together. And boy are they big! What little honkers they are! They are toddling around and are ready to start eating some mushy kibble. I like to also put dried milk, or milk replacer in with the kibble. They will also be getting wormed, along with Dutchess. I want to wait a little bit before I do that though, because of Dutchess being on antibiotics...I don't want to add any more stress on her or the pups' systems.

Hello, World! Here's Dutchess and her babies. This is one of the girls (the bigger one of the 2 girls), making her way towards me when she heard my voice. They are so cute!!

Here's Dutchess's only boy with our resident Puppy Manager. Devlyn is so great with puppies and he's doing a wonderful job socializing them. Conor likes to help, too when we bring the pups in the house for "social hour".

And last but not least, Dutchess's other little girl pup. She was the smallest of the 3 pups, but now she's the most outgoing of the bunch. She decided to climb out of the pup house today. She's the first to head toward us and is just a little lover.

We haven't decided on names yet. We'll figure their names out as their personalities emerge. They sure are some nice looking puppies and we are so happy to have them. It'll be great to watch them grow and develop. I know that they'll turn out to be great sled dogs, just like their parents. :o) Cheers!

Bloat Emergency!

2007-06-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

Dutchess really scared the crap out of me last night! I went out to check on her and the pups before bed (around 11pm). I noticed that her belly was a little swollen...I listened to her stomach and heard normal gut sounds. Plus, when she walked, I could hear water sloshing. She acted alright, but I didn't feel right. I searched through the First Aid info for information on bloat. Within 30 minutes, I heard Dutchess start to whine and she tried retching, but only foam came out. I knew she was bloating and according to all of the literature on bloat, it says that you have to get the dog to the vet within minutes, or relieve the pressure. Tubing was recommended, but that was out, as I didn't have the equipment. The other steps were to administer simethicone (vet recommends 1mg per pound of body weight), and relieve some of the pressure with a syringe. So, that's what I did, though I didn't use a large gauge needle, as I was worried about perforating the stomach wall, allowing fluid to leak out, causing more problems. I did get some liquid and then air out, which seemed to help Dutchess a little and bought some time. At that point, I was on the phone to the After Hours Vet and we were in the car.

Upon arrival, Dutchess's stomach had bloated so big, that it looked like someone had inflated a ballon in her abdomen. It was really hard and sounded like a drum when you tapped it. The vet went over the possible outcomes, from a simple bloating/air to torsion and dead tissue/damaged organs. Luckily, there is a blood test that indicates if there is dead tissue, or if a tube might relieve the pressure. Her blood work looked good, which meant that she probably didn't have a twisted gut. The vet and vet techs were AWESOME! I was able to assist and stay with Dutchess the entire time. We tubed her, and she immediately belched. They flushed her stomach a couple of times and discovered some gravel. Dr. Lane figures that Dutchess spilled her food on the ground and inadvertently ate some gravel with the food, which irritated her stomach, causing her to drink a LOT of water. She's not a rock eater and never had a problem before this. Dutchess recovered nicely and is doing fine now. She had her oatmeal with her kibble this morning, her antibiotic and a dose of simethicone. I’ll be keeping a close eye on her. Dr. Lane suggested feeding her oatmeal for the next 2 days with her kibble to help clear out any remaining gravel, put her on Amoxicillin for a week, and simethicone at least for today, if not tomorrow, too.

That was very scary! I hadn’t ever had a dog bloat before…I’m just glad I checked on her before bed and recognized the symptoms. Dutchess has been such an amazing leader for us and gave us 3 beautiful pups; it would have been heart wrenching to lose this girl (not that it's ever easy to lose any of them). Make sure you know the signs and symptoms of bloat and what to do if it happens to one of your fur kids. Hug your fur kids (and all your loved ones), as you never know what could happen.

-Tammi

Happy Solstice!

2007-06-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Peiper and Odin (in the back) coaxing me to come play!

Today is the longest day of the year, which doesn't say too much in the Land of the Midnight Sun! :o) I volunteered at the Yukon Quest Booth during the Solstice celebration in downtown Fairbanks and had a great time. Those who know me know that I love to talk and it's always a fun time talking with folks about the Quest and dog racing in general. Plus, since I'm home with the boys most days and Manny is working a LOT, it's really nice to have other ADULTS to talk with! Ha ha ha!

The pups are looking great and their eyes should open any time now. It's really hot out, so I put a tarp over the top of the puppy pen to provide even more shade. As I went through the dogyard yesterday, the sun was just beating down at almost 90F. And though the dogyard does get shade at various times of the day, I felt really bad for the dogs. So, as I made my way through the yard with the hose, I sprayed down each of the dogs. It was hilarious....as a few of the dogs just stood there, enjoying the cool water (I swear they were saying "Ahhh!"). Others acted like the water was a dog eating monster, so I just sprayed it up in the air like rain on them. No matter what, I could tell that they felt better afterward. I know I did, as I got soaking wet! Ha ha ha!

I'm off. Take care, have a great day and we'll catch you on the flip side!

-Tammi

Chillin'

2007-06-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Have you played with your dog today?

Here's Feather, playing with me. She is such a goof ball! She normally acts like she's the Queen of the dogyard, but here, you can see that she still has some 'puppy' in there.

Most of our fur kids here love to play. I take the time to go through the yard and play with each one of them, as I go through giving pets and hugs. Soon though, I need to go through the yard and give everyone baths! I try to do baths for everyone in the summer, as it's important for them. Besides, I know I feel so much better after a bath; so, I imagine the dogs do, too.

Dutchess and pups are doing great. We've moved them out to the puppy pen, which is much more comfortable for Dutchess. The pups are already growing and looking great. Also, I had to correct the last post; I goofed on listing the pups. We have 2 Girls and 1 Boy. They are really nice looking and beautifully marked. Eventually, I'll get the camera out there.

Well, it's a gray, rainy day so we're just hanging out. Devlyn had his 2nd soccer game last night and his team won again, 2-0. Way to go Wolverines! I was going to practice passing with Devlyn & Conor today, but it's one of those days to hang out with a good book, cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie, or play in the house. So, I'm off. Have a great day all!

Fur kids

2007-06-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

Jaeger at 7 months old. Man, he's getting big; but, he's SO handsome!

"No, we're not spoiled, Mom!" That's Fergus the cat, Otto (check out him using the pillow) and Lady girl.

This is Hiltey. He came to us from Mackey's Come-back Kennels

Happy Birthday Dutchess pups!

2007-06-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Now, we rarely have litters here at RSK, because there are good dogs out there who need homes all the time. However, with most of our kennel getting older (the first pointer litter turned 7 years old this year!), we decided that we were ready for pups. With Dutchess getting older (she has been the main leader and core of our team), we knew if we wanted pups from her, this would be our last chance. So, we decided to breed Dutchess with Dusk. This year, Dusk developed into a solid Gee/Haw leader, leading every race that we ran, for the entire race. Dusk is a nice boy, who really shines in our yard. We felt that Dusk would be a great sire for pups with Dutchess.

Dutchess had her pups last night. We are happy to report that we have 3 beautiful puppies: 2 girls and 1 boy! They have gorgeous markings and look like they'll have nice coats, though we'll have to wait until they get older to see how thick. I'll get pictures up of them in a few days. All three will be staying here at RSK, as we don't breed sled dog pups to sell. Devlyn, our "Puppy Manager" is very happy that we have pups, as he takes his job seriously and loves to help with pups.

Well done Dutchess! Mom and pups are in the house, all doing great. :o)

-Tammi

SNIP clinic a sucess!

2007-06-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, thanks to the wonderful efforts and assistance from Lynn Orbison, 8 of our brood FINALLY got spayed/neutered. Dr. Jeanne Olson volunteered to perform the surgeries at her clinic, Raven Vet. Lynn came over to the house with her dog truck, we loaded up the pooches and headed out, all in the rain. It proceeded to rain all throughout the clinic, making for some wet dogs and a wet musher! Still, it was great to have the dogs taken care of so nicely. Dr. O really makes sure that the dogs are as comfortable as possible, giving each their own "bed", fuzzy blankets and ice packs to help at the incision site to keep swelling down. We had dogs all over the clinic in various stages of recovery. I forgot my camera, or I would post a picture of it. The list of "tutored" dogs (as Lynn likes to put it, cuz she says they get smarter afterward) are: Jaeger, Bane, Spike, Inu, Ahab, Odin, Peiper and Zeus...7 neuters and 1 spay. Jaeger decided to pee everywhere as he was coming out of the anesthesia (I swear, that dog pee'd a gallon!), but the mop and bucket easily took care of that.

A HUGE thank you goes out to Lynn and Dr. O for taking care of my brood, and to Donna for the SNIP stuff. You Ladies are awesome! All of the dogs are home safe and sound, doing fine.

Kids and dogs

2007-05-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here's Jaeger...growing, growing, growing!

Future mushers reading the comics...hey, is that a Tundra cartoon?

Summer time!!

2007-05-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a while since I last blogged...sorry bout that. The last month of school is always just Cuh-Raaaazy! Still, I've survived yet another year of teaching high school. I thought for a while there, that I wouldn't continue, as I had a pretty rough year. But, then I watched the movie "Freedom Writers" and it reminded me "Why" I became a teacher. So, I'll be there again in the fall, this time taking on a student teacher as well. :o) If you haven't had the opportunity to watch "Freedom Writers", I highly recommend it.

In other news, Otto has come back to the kennel. For those of you who don't know him, Otto is a long-haired, red dachsund who we gave to Manny's brother, Michael when we had Kaiser. Kaiser (our 1st Great Dane) used to pounce on Otto, almost crushing him. We were afraid that Kaiser would hurt Otto. Sadly, Kaiser ended up having heart problems and was put to sleep not long after. Otto stayed with Michael, but we really missed him. So, Michael gave Otto back to us today. We are all happy...we have the cuteness back and Otto is LOVING being back in the house on our laps. I have to get him in to Lynn at Petco soon...he is in SERIOUS need of a good grooming and it's more than I want to take on!

In the interim, we have had a new dog come to the kennel from Lance Mackey. Hilty is a 2 1/2 yr old black male husky. I'll add him to our Noatak site once I've gotten his bloodlines from Lance. Hilty is a sweet guy who was a contender for Lance's Iditarod team. So, we are really looking forward to seeing this guy in action this winter! Another addition coming to the kennel soon is Chevy. Chevy is a 3 yr old male husky from Gerry Willomitzer. Chevy's sire is Gerry's main stud/leader, BlackJack, who we wanted to breed to. However, now that we were able to get Chevy (who is a great gee/haw leader), we will have the bloodlines that we want in our kennel. Too awesome!

Jenny will be heading to Kantishna on Friday. We have adopted Jenny through SCL; however, we really feel that a summer doing tours down in Kantishna will do wonders for her shyness. I don't expect her to ever get over it, but I think that she will benefit from the daily influx of tourists. Then, she'll come back to the kennel in the fall, just in time to start training. I plan on racing Jenny this upcoming season. She is a very nice running dog and I feel she'll be a good race dog.

I am off for the summer, so I plan on getting lots of work done around the house and kennel. I will try to get more pictures up as the summer goes by, as well. Devlyn is officially a 3rd grader now...man, they grow so fast, eh?! Conor is a 2 year old and is definitely living up to the monicker "The Terrible Twos"....though in reality, it could be worse. ;o) Conor is really looking forward to this winter, as he keeps telling his Daddy and I that it's his turn "to run doggies!" Devlyn has been helping around the house, doing chores to earn his allowance. He's really proud that he's big enough to help out now. What a great kid he is!

Well, that's enough for now. I'm the secretary for TRDMA again, so it's time to get to work on the monthly newsletter. Check back for pictures later.

-Tammi

Freezing

2007-04-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

Freezing

Living in this cold world
breathing is hard to do
when you're drowning in
all the uncaring.
The Cold stings and burns
as you take it down into
your lungs, into your soul,
freezing.
What's happened
to the love, the emotion,
the burning need to be
with someone?
The Darkness comes
enfolding all in her
forgiving arms,
forgetting.

Pups

2007-04-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Thor and Polar are 2 brothers who are looking for new homes. We took the whole litter from another musher, though we'd only planned to take 3 (the other 3 boys are in the dogyard). Polar and Thor needed to gain a bit more weight, we wormed them and gave them their vaccines. Now, at 6 months, they are ready to go out in the yard, start training in harness and start bonding with a new owner. Interested?? Let us know! Their bloodlines are from Kotzebue (Baker lines) x Buser/Jonrowe.

Here's Thor playing around.

Polar looking for his brother...

Spring cleaning and such

2007-04-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Spring has certainly sprung at Running Swift Kennel! While we've been lucky in only dealing with about a week or so of mud in the dogyard, there are some remnants of ice/snow hidden under scattered straw, though not much. The main chores in the dogyard will commence this weekend, when I go through each house, clean out all the old straw, and replace it with fresh, dry shavings. Then, I'll need to rake up the loose straw to dispose of. I've already gone through the yard giving everyone a new can for water, as the warmer days allow for fresh water 24 hours/day. The dogs have been switched to their summer diet (the same kibble, just no meat added in) and will be getting brushings/baths as the summer commences. It's great to look out the window and see my babies basking in the sun, enjoying the warm days. Once the trails harden, we'll be able to get out with the dogs, giving them exercise and just frolicking around, having fun.

Summer chores seem endless! With our new house comes a long to-do list: painting, re-staining the logs, redo the deck, build/paint/fix dog houses, build or refurbish the dogboxes for the truck, build new puppy pens, fence off the horse paddocks, etc., etc., etc. Luckily, I plan to take the summer off to spend with the boys, ride the horses and work with the dogs. This will be the first summer off that I've had! I usually either get a job, take classes (almost finished with that Masters degree!) or something. It'll be nice not to have to rush around at all, though I'll have plenty to keep me busy. :o)

Other news: We're getting a new dog from Gerry Willomitzer. Chevy is a NICE dog from Gerry's Black Jack. We've wanted these bloodlines for a while, so we're very excited to have the chance to acquire Chevy. We're planning on doing a breeding this summer, if Zen comes into heat soon enough. I'm working on lining up the stud, though haven't managed that just yet. We were going to breed to Black Jack, but now that we are getting a good, solid son of his, we want to get some of those Mackey lines in the yard. You just can't beat back-to-back wins in the Quest and Iditarod in the same year, with virtually the same dogs!! Folks would be CRAZY not to want to get some of those "iron dog" bloodlines in their kennel.

On the Bear Dog front, we took in a new male Karelian. His name was Bear, but we've changed it to Bane, since we already have a Bear. Bane is a beautiful boy who had an unfortunate accident with a cat when he was a puppy, leaving him partially blind in one eye. That doesn't stop this guy though! He is a sweety, though he hasn't had much training. He is also the grandson of our Alpine and Kiley. We are working with him on basic obedience commands, and may start field work this summer, unless we find a home for him in the meantime. If interested in adopting Bane, contact us at runswift@alaska.net and we'll give you more information.

Happy Spring all!

-Tammi

Valley Funale 2007

2007-04-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

The Valley Funale was an astounding success this year. Lots of teams showed up to race, along with a few skijorers....there were 16 teams for the 20 mile race (more like 26-27 miles) with 23 teams in the Adult 6 dog, 1 team in the Junior 6 dog and 3 skijorers. Additionally, there was an Easter Egg hunt, 1 and 2 dog classes for the little ones (34 racers!) and the Hungry Dog Contest. Lots of food and fun was had by all. I ran the 10 dog class, taking a few new dogs that I hadn't run yet. I had a crazy start...the snow hook was stuck and as I tried to get it out at my countdown, I had to step off the brake. As soon as I got the hook loose, the dogs lunged and I got pulled right off my feet! I jumped and managed to get a foot on the left runner, which caused the sled to tip onto it's side. So, there I was, at the start of my race, dragging on my face. Lucky for me, Scott Chesney was at the road. He dove onto the front of my sled and held the team, while Manny came up behind and helped me get righted. After that, I took off, having had one of the most embarrassing starts that I've EVER had. No wonder I hate race starts!!! The trail was really fast, with sharp turns all over. I did just fine, until I relaxed a bit, took a sharp, sloped turn and ended in the soft snow. The sled tipped, I landed into deep snow, which kept me in one spot while the dogs ripped the sled from my grip. Lucky for me, the dogs stopped just ahead, with the sled tipped in the deep snow. I must say, it was VERY scary! The rest of the run was pretty uneventful. We caught up with a few teams, but Dusk (in lead) was REALLY hot with the sun baking down. He just didn't have the 'umph' we needed to sustain a lope. I put Just in lead with him, relegating Zen to wheel. Just tried his hardest, but Dusk just wasn't into passing those other teams. Still, we managed a 9th place finish out of 16...really not too bad considering the heat, my goof ups with the team, etc.

Devlyn ran the 2 dog class with Munchkin and Herod. Sunshine just plain didn't have it in him to do the 2 dog...I almost had to load him due to the heat during the 10 dog class. So, Devlyn used his 2 faithful dogs. Devlyn took off and the dogs were hauling! He hit the bump in the trail, which caused him to fall to his knees. But, that boy just jumped right up, back onto the runners to finish the trail! He ended up tying for 2nd place, even with his bobble!! He earned a medal and a nice ice cream from Pleasant Valley store.

Next was the Hungry Dog Contest. I'd thought about entering Just, since he's such a chow hound...but changed my mind and took Inu. Boy, can that dog eat! He scarfs every meal down like it's his last, even during races. And he sure didn't let me down this time, either. Good ole Inu won the Hungry dog!!! Way to go, Good Boy! He won some biscuits and snacks.

We all had a good time, even Conor was out, running around in the snow. It turned out to be such a gorgeous day! The next event is MUSH for Kids Day, at Pioneer Park this Saturday, from 11-3pm. Lots of fun, food and information can be had. There's a Mushers' Olympics, puppies for petting, sled dog rides, demonstrations, etc. So, try to come on out! We'll be there, giving sled dog rides to all the kiddies.

Think Spring and Happy Easter!!

-Tammi

Congratulations Manny!!!!

2007-03-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

First off, I'm sorry that it has taken so long to do an update. Between work, kids, dogs and dealing with this illness that has really taken me down these past few weeks, I haven't been online much. So, many apologies!!!

A HUGE Congratulations goes out to my wonderful husband, Manny. He took 2nd place in the Chatanika Challenge 100; his first mid-distance race. Way to Go, HONEY!!! He said that the dogs were just running so nicely and he had a great time. When he got into the finish, he said that he wished he had signed up for the 200. Looks like we'll be flipping a coin to see which one of us gets the race dogs next season! Ha ha ha! Lucky for us that we have enough nice dogs to field 2 teams. :o)

The Chatanika is a GREAT race. The first leg, which runs through a lot of hills, starts at Chatanika Lodge, runs for 43 miles (though Ilana and I think it's a bit more than that...more like 47-48 miles) to the 18 mile road crossing over Chena Hot Springs road. The wind was just howling up there, literally blowing dogs and sleds around like they were nothing. The dogs had to break a lot of trail, as the wind kept drifting the trails over. Manny said that after he crossed through Fort Knox Gold mine, that the winds weren't as bad; but, then that meant that the sun was beating down on the teams, making it hot and the trails punchy. Manny ended up doing that first leg slower than he had planned, but so did a few other teams. The winds and breaking trails took a lot out of some of the teams. Our guys have dealt with this stuff all season. It was the heat/punchy trails that slowed the team down a bit. But, once they dropped down Iowa dome (which Manny said kept him awake...there were lots of moguls from snow machines, throwing the sleds around), the dogs started picking back up.

After the road crossing, the dogs were back on the winter trail, which they just LOVE. Manny said they started to really haul at that point. He had been prepared to camp, but the plan was to do a straight 100. The dogs were running nicely, so with stops for snack breaks and to check/replace booties, that's what they did. Manny passed a few mushers on the way to Pleasant Valley Store, giving him a 2nd place finish with an overall time of 12 hours, 11 minutes. He said that he would have been in even quicker, but had some troubles with Dusk in lead. China, one of our swing dogs, came into full-blown heat, which distracted Dusk. This was odd, because I had no problems with Dusk on the Quest 300, even though Feather had been in heat. Regardless, Manny eventually took Dusk out of lead, putting Torus up front with Zen. This slowed the team, because while Torus is a great dog, he is 8 years old and s-l-o-w up front. Therefore, Manny figures that he would have been well under 12 hours, had he not had to deal with Dusk stopping, taking wrong turns and just plain turning around to say Hi to China...then losing speed with the Old Man up front. Aw well...we're still very thrilled with Manny's finish. Not bad for his first race! The dogs all ate/drank very well at the truck after the race, and were even wagging their tails at the finish line. What a great team!! We did have a couple of Jodi's dogs, as we weren't sure of a couple of our guys making a straight 100 miler after the Quest 300. So, it was great to see all of these guys work so well together. Thanks again, Jodi!

At this point, we have one more fun race that we'll do, which is the Valley Funale. It is a fun time, held the last Saturday of March at Pleasant Valley store. Sign ups start at 10am. There are 2 classes for adults, the 10 dog, 20 mile class; and the 6 dog, 10 mile class. There is also a junior class of 6 dog, 10 miles, as well. As usual, there are plenty of other great activities designed for the whole family, with an Easter Egg hunt for the kids, a Hungry Dog contest, plus 1 and 2 dog classes for the children, and a yummy potluck/barbeque. So, plan to come on out, bring your favorite dish to share, bring a few dogs, or just bring yourselves. It is always a fun time for the whole family.

Manny plans to run the 10 dog class, while I'll do the 6 dog class. Devlyn will run in the 2 dog, while Conor may be making his 1 dog debut. We have to try him out on the little sled with a slow, older dog first. I can't help it...I'm always a bit nervous when my guys do their first races. But, Conor has been begging us all season, telling us that it's "His turn to run doggies" or that he's wants to "Run doggies, too." So, we'll see if he's big enough to hold on first here at the house, then if he is, we'll let him do the 1 dog class.

Now that spring is almost here, and the season is coming to a close for us, we'll concentrate on those younger dogs, new dogs and the pups that we were given earlier this year. Spring is my favorite time, as I'm the one who gets to work with the puppies their first time in teams and such. I usually take Devlyn with me, as I run small, 6 dog teams to break the pups in gently. It's a great learning experience for the puppies and for Devlyn, as he loves to go with me, riding the runners just in front of me. I let him work the brake and basically run the team, while I'm there to help stop them, etc. We have lots of fun. :o)

Well, since I'm battling a bad bout of pneumonia, I think I'll sign off. I want to again take this opportunity to thank everyone who assisted us this season, from folks who sponsored my Quest 300 race, to the friendly people in the Yukon (thanks again for the support, Stacie!!), and those along the race trails...all those volunteers without whom, we could not run races. You folks make it possible for us to do what we do. Thank you!!!!

Have a great Spring Break, Everyone!

-Tammi

Thank you, my Handlers!

2007-02-17T21:50:00.000-09:00

Photo by Scott Chesney

Carmacks. The checker was checking for the mandatory equipment: Vet book, axe, snowshoes and sleeping bag. They checked for booties when we'd sign out of the checkpoint. That's Alyssa Quaile, Tammi's handler and fellow musher, standing on the sled. Alyssa raced in the 06 Quest 300 and spent 2 nights on the top of Rosebud Summit, as she was just above me when we all got pinned down by a blizzard that dumped over 2 feet of snow with 90 mph winds, which obliterated the trail and wiped out trail markers. Alyssa, her friend Laura, and a German visitor, Inge were my "entourage" while on the 07 Quest 300. They truly gave me and the dogs the "royal treatment" and spoiled us all rotten. A HUGE thank you goes out to them. I couldn't have done it without them. Handlers are truly the most overlooked, but most important part of running any race. They are the ones supporting the musher, who is generally the one in the limelight. The handlers take care of the dogs, scoop the poop, pick up the straw, sort the left over drop bags, etc. They are the unsung heroes of the Quest.

THANK YOU, Our wonderful, loyal Handlers!!!!

Quest 300

2007-02-17T20:35:00.000-09:00

The race started out well. I drew position #3, which put me out at 5:09pm. I made the run to the Takhini River Bridge in just 1 hour, even though I was on the drag the whole way and had Torus, our 8 yr old leader in lead with Dusk, to try and keep the speed down. The trails were hard and FAST. We quickly caught and passed Sean, team #1 and had Paul Geoffrion in our sights for quite a ways. We almost caught him, but then Torus had to stop and poop. We held on to the 2nd position in the race for a good 2-3 hours, then when I stopped the dogs to snack, Thomas Tetz caught me followed closely by Roland and Micheal. We kept up with them all the way to the overland trail, but that's when Torus really slowed (he hates hills). I was passed by 3 more teams before I pulled Torus out of lead and put Just up front. Then we started moving. I began looking for a camping spot at the 5 hour mark, but the spots were all taken. I finally found a spot up on a ridge, which was PERFECT! There was straw already there from a Quest team, no wind and it was warm. The dogs rested nicely for about 3 hours, but then teams started to pass by and the dogs were barking. So, I pulled out after 4 hours. The run into Braeburn was uneventful, until I made the drop down to Braeburn lake on my face (no fun) and dumped the sled in the twisty, narrow trees just before the checkpoint.

We rested 8 hours, instead of 6 1/2, because I didn't get a wake up and then I ended up needing to drop Just and Anya due to sore wrists. I was really scared of the next section...as I knew that the Braeburn to Carmacks run is one of the roughest on the race. But, I was down to 10 dogs, which I had been training with all season and we took off. The Lakes were rather boring, but the overland sections sure were hairy. The downhills were steep, twisty and the trail was filled with rocks, dirt and roots. It was all we could do just to keep the sleds off the wheel dogs. At one point, a tree caught my shoulder on a tight turn and the sled ripped out of my hands...but the dogs responded to my "Whoa!" and stopped. I jumped up and grabbed the sled. By this time, I was running with Martin Jahr, as I was nervous about my sled handling skills. We stopped to camp with Leonard and Simi, who had just set up camp about 10 minutes or so before Martin and I arrived. By this time, my bibs had ripped out from knee to knee, the temp was -40C, my gloves were soaked and though I had dry gloves, I somehow forgot the liners. Martin tossed me a pair, then started a fire, as I was having trouble keeping warm (a first for me!). I was really down at this point, but Martin and Leonard talked to me and got my spirits back up.

The run after that was GREAT! Pinball Alley (the part I was afraid of) was my favorite part of the entire trail. It was so beautiful and then I got to see the sun come as we crested a ridge over the Yukon River. Amazing country! About 10 miles from Carmacks, the trail got real rough again, with climbs and drops, twists and turns, logs sticking out in the trail, jumble ice on the river, cracks in the ice, etc. Booger dropped on me out of the blue and scared the bejesus out of me (turns out he was just tired). I loaded him in the sled and we finished the run into Carmacks.

Carmacks was great, but I was worried about my team. Dusk hadn't wanted to eat at the camp, but then he ate snacks before we left. Then, Feather didn't want snacks on the run in, and she was acting off. I dropped Booger, then had to drop Hopper who had a sore shoulder. The vet was worried about Feather and China (she had a bit of blood in her stool...but it turned out to be fine)...but they both ate very well and Feather's temp went down so the vet ok'd both of them. I left Carmacks in very high spirits, with sewed up bibs, another sweatshirt, dried gloves, a full belly and a decent team of 8 good dogs (though 4 had slight wrist injuries). I kept the team slow, but after a while, Ahab started to limp. I stopped and massaged him, but it kept up. After a while, he stopped limping so I thought it was just a sore muscle. The run to McCabe is mostly on nice trails, though there was one heck of a climb up to this ridge...it was sidehilling in a few places, pretty dangerous since the downhill went straight down the mountain. Afterwards, we ran through some CRAZY jumble ice on the Yukon...it looked like we were on the moon! We ran up what looked like a waterfall of ice, bouncing and bumping....in a huge pinball machine. At one point, we came around a sharp turn, the sled tipped and Inu stepped in a crack. He started to fall forward and I thought his leg would snap, but he pulled it free at the last second. I righted the sled and we ran in to McCabe. The whole time, I had been following behind Martin, purposely staying there to keep the team slow.

McCabe Creek Dog Drop is AWESOME! I parked the dogs in Frank Turner's spot, just in front of the shop so the dogs had nice straw. I got HOT water for the dogs, had them fed, watered, massaged and wrapped all within 30 minutes. It was really nice to get back in the rhythm that I'm used to at rest stops. I almost froze my nose though! I had been so warm on the sled, that when I arrived at McCabe, I took off my parka and pulled my neckwarmer down off of my face. I soon realized how cold it was!! Yikes!

After a nice 3 hour (WOW!) nap for me, I got up and went out to get the dogs ready to go. I watered, but only 4 dogs showed interest. So, I tried some snacks...but, 2 dogs wanted nothing (Ahab and Inu). I got the vet to look at them, and the prognosis wasn't good. She found 5 dogs with tight shoulders, almost all had wrist injuries and she said that I'd have to drop Ahab, Inu and Rocket. That left me with only 5 dogs....not enough to continue. I could have gone on, as she said I might be able to baby Rocket through. I asked the vet to be straight with me...she said if I had 6 healthy dogs, then by all means...go for it. But, I didn't. I had no choice but to scratch from the race, just 90 miles from the finish. It was heartbreaking. I had a real hard time, facing the fact that I'd made it so far, through some of the worst parts of the trail (it was a breeze from there to the finish!), had an intact sled...mostly intact musher...yet, somehow, I had not managed the team well enough to avoid injuries. It was a very hard pill to swallow. But, something we all have to remember is that these dogs are living, breathing, feeling beings...they are NOT machines. If I had pushed the team further, I would have lost their trust and I might have possibly crippled a dog. NOTHING is worth that...absolutely nothing. There will be more races next year...that's all there is to it.

I don't feel like a failure or a quitter....I managed to handle some things that I never thought I could do...90 degree turns, trees tight on most corners, severe twisting downhills, etc. I trained the dogs for the Quest trail...overflow, water, ice, soft trails, breaking trail, etc. Who would have thought that it would have been a hard-packed highway!?! Live and learn, eh?

Looks like Frank Turner has now scratched...same reason as me. Too many injuries. Seems to be the theme for this year's race...injuries and dogs not eating. Yuka Honda has also scratched..I'm sorry to see that after all she went through. Greg Parvin was overdue, but then found safe and sound, though it looks like he'll be pulled from the race. Lance Mackey is burning up the trail, but Hans is close on his heels and has cut the lead down to just 4 hours...and they haven't gotten into Circle yet. Manny and I will be volunteering at the Hot Springs...looks like it'll be rough getting the teams in and out across the icy bridge that leads into the Hot springs, but we'll see.

Well, now we're focusing on getting the dogs healthy and happy again. So far, they are all looking SO much better now. Manny is planning out his race, as he's running the Chatanika Challenge 200 in March. What's nice about this race is that it's all home trails, with good hills at the beginning and hills at the end. As a matter of fact, the hills at the end are the Fireline trail....the trail that our dogs have been running on all season. How cool is that?!? I'm looking forward to seeing how the dogs do with Manny at the helm.

Stayed tuned as we make preparations for Manny's race. :o) And please keep the Quest Mushers who are still out on the trail in your thoughts and hearts as they begin some very rough trail. The overflow is really bad, so hopefully all of the mushers and dogs will make it through safe and sound.

-Tammi

Just 90 miles from the finish line...

2007-02-15T09:39:00.000-09:00

Wow. Just that one word holds so much in describing the Quest 300 this year.

I finally made it home very late last night (ok, this morning) and who was waiting up for me but my loving, wonderful, handsome husband, Manny. Man, it sure was good to see him after being gone for a week! He helped unload the truck, we got the dogs bedded down and headed inside. Phew, it is good to be home! But, it also feels weird. After spending 3-4 days (I lost count) out on the trail with the dogs, it feels weird to be sitting here at home. I keep feeling like I need to get back on the trail. I took a sick day, as I'm still exhausted (and a bit sore, to say the least!) and figured I need a day to recoup. Seems I may have bruised a rib in a collision with a tree (more later, when I give my race report), so it hurts a bit to breath but the vets (yeah, no human doctors for us mushers!) assured me it would be good with some rest (maybe a good Algyval rub?). Manny just fed and watered the dogs (it was hard for me not to be out there!) and the dogs ate and drank, except Feather. But, she is in full blown heat, which the vets feel really contributed to her not wanting to eat/drink well on the trail.

We made it all the way to McCabe Creek, which (depending on who you talked to) was only approx. 90 miles from the finish. Just 3 runs, and we would have been there. Unfortunately, every one of my dogs sustained either wrist or shoulder injuries from the hard packed (concrete!) trails, cracks in the river ice, downhills which were fast, twisty and steep and just plain missteps along the way. Leaving Carmacks, I was down to 8 dogs, and 4 had slight wrist injuries that I was managing with massages, wristwraps and Algyval. When I went out to prepare to leave from McCabe, most of the dogs just didn't look happy. When the vet started going through the team, that's when we started discovering more injuries. She recommended that I drop 3 dogs (Ahab, Inu and Rocket), which left me with only 5, all of which had some type of injury, though managable. I asked her to be straight with me, because I refused to cripple my dogs or ask them to do more than they could or should. She suggested that I not continue on, and I agreed with her. It was hard for me, as I was so close to finishing and really felt that I would. It never crossed my mind that I wouldn't finish once I got into Carmacks. But, stuff happens and you just have to roll with it.

Looking back and speaking with the vets, I did everything right. I slowed the team way down (took us 7 hours to make the run to McCabe!), kept the dogs slow on downhills, massaged and algyvaled, etc. The only thing that I could have done more of was massage/algyval ALL the dogs at every camp spot, even before any injuries popped up. I started doing that at Carmacks, but should have been doing it the whole time. Our biggest problem is that most of the training the dogs have done weren't on hard, fast trails...but softer, slower trails. Additionally, I practiced overflow, breaking trail, etc. While there was a bit of overflow, there really wasn't a whole lot and no breaking trails at all. Well, you live and learn. The next race, I will massage every dog, at every stop; get the dogs out on hard, fast trails more; take a more varied selection of meats/snacks for the dogs. As for sled handling, my confidence has soared in that area, as while I did have some falls, had one run in with a tree (me, not the sled) and went down to Breaburn Lake on my face; I did ok! I didn't crash/bust the sled up and have become pretty good at sharp 90 degree turns and steep, twisty downhills. :o)

Well, I will write out a race summary later, to lay out how each run went. Overall, the trail was GREAT! However, one must remember that it IS the Quest trail...not meant to be easy. To me, there were some great, fun sections in between some rough, crazy sections. All in all, I did enjoy myself, once I got over my fear of crashing the sled.

A HUGE thank you goes out to all race officials, volunteers and fellow racers, particularly Martin Jahr (he was a great help to me..Thanks for the fire!!), Leonard McGlynn (who decided that I'd had enough sleep at Carmacks) and Simi Morrison for having such a great outlook. Also, Jeremy Keller was truly an inspiration...this guy was trailing all of us, taking it super easy with his team, and he always came in smiling and just full of energy. His dogs also came in looking happy and healthy. He said that this is his Iditarod qualifier, and that he just wanted to ensure that his dogs had a happy, healthy experience. :o) That is really cool! Here I was, whining/complaining about crashing, etc. and Jeremy comes in all smiles and grins. Gave me a new perspective, that's for sure.

More to come later....
-Tammi

News from Whitehorse!

2007-02-09T20:39:00.000-09:00

Alyssa, Laura, Inge and I, along with 12 of my wonderful dogs, made it into Whitehorse very early this morning (5am!). It took us 14 hours to drive from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, because once we crossed the Canadian Border, the roads deteriorated drastically and we found that in many places we were only able to drive 30-40mph! Plus, we did have to stop to drop/feed the dogs as we traveled. However, we all survived, though very tired...and made it to a hotel to sleep (not the original one that we had reservations for, that's another story of its own). Just a few hours later, we found ourselves at the Westmark Hotel in our Quest 300 driver/handler meeting. We got a nice trail report (not that I'll remember most of it...something about a Haw, Gee, DUCK under the McCabe bridge, then Haw again), went over rules, answered questions then did our bib draw. Laura said, "Wouldn't it be funny if you drew number 3, Tammi? This is your third try at this race, 3's a charm, and 3 is your lucky number." Guess what I drew?? Yep! Number 3. :o) Everything else has been uneventful, though Alyssa, Laura and Inge are truly wonderful handlers and are spoiling me rotten! Plus, they are having tons of fun with the video camera. (Yikes!)

The dogs are all looking frisky tonight, they were out playing and barking like puppies! We are looking forward to a full night of sleep (awww...Heaven!), then we're going to take care of the dogs again, go get breakfast and watch the start of the YQ1000 mile race at 11am Whitehorse time. After that, we are to be at our parking spot by 3pm, for the race start at 5pm. I leave at 5:06pm, as the 3rd musher out of a field of 17 in the YQ300.

For those wishing to follow along, please visit Stacie's blog at www.chaoskennel13.blogspot.com or www.yukonquest300.com for updates on the YQ300. They are having trouble with the Quest 300 site, so Stacie will place updates on both her blog and the YQ300 website (when it's working) as she gets them.

Wish us luck! The trail is fast and hard; so, I'm looking forward to a very fun race. Take care and I'll see you all on the other side!!! :)

-Tammi & (the Quest 300 team): Feather, China, Just, Dusk, Hopper, Anya, Ahab, Torus, Jake, Booger, Inu & Rocket.

And we're Off!!

2007-02-08T12:01:00.000-09:00

Well, this will be the last blog that you get from me until I return to Fairbanks next week. Thanks to the great support of the staff here at Hutchison, I will be hitting the road with my "crew" (Alyssa, Laura, Inge and the dogs) at 1pm today, from the Hutchison High School Parking Lot. We hope to be in Whitehorse by late tonight, so that we can get some sleep before the Musher/Handler meeting at 10am on Friday. My vet check is scheduled for 4:15pm, after the Musher meeting.

Right now, I'm very anxious to get on the road. I'm trying to envision peaceful things...but my stomach is just doing flip-flops. It's the drive down. Tok is like the Bermuda Triangle for me and the last time I had signed up for the Quest 300 in Whitehorse, I didn't make it to the starting line (see my journal on my webpage www.geocities.com/runningswiftkennel/). So, if we can make it to Whitehorse safely and in good time, I will feel SO much better.

After that, it'll all be focusing on the trail. Not the whole trail...but each section/leg at a time. I plan to do a run/rest schedule that will allow my dogs to run at their peak speeds, then rest before they would start getting overtired. This is a conservative strategy, but one that will help keep the dogs healthy and happy. I will gauge off of the dogs, reading them to see how they are performing and make decisions based on those observations. Yes, I'd like to be competitive...but the main goal is to finish, period.

I'll be back with updates and stories...stay tuned! In the meantime, you can follow the race at www.yukonquest300.com for updates along the trail.

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped us get to this point. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do this race. Cheers!

-Tammi and the pooches

Way to go, Devlyn!

2007-02-05T13:33:00.000-09:00

Devlyn raced at the Junior races on Saturday in the 2 dog class. The day was bright, sunny and WARM! Seems to be a theme for the past few weeks. He took off from the starting line with Herod and Munchkin, an SCL adopted pooch and they practically FLEW down the hill! Devlyn was really going fast. We were worried that Munchkin would tried to poop on the run, like she did last weekend; but she didn't. Devlyn said that the turn was very slick and he slid around the corner, almost tipping; but, managed to keep the sled upright throughout. The dogs were loping hard all the way to the finish line. Devlyn came in smiling and waving. He had a good, clean run finishing with a time of 3:45....giving him a 3rd place finish!! That was out of 10 racers. Way to go, Devlyn!!! :o) We don't know if he'll be able to get a faster time, as Herod is an 8 year old dog. However, it's been so warm, that with cooler temps, their time may improve even more. Regardless, Devlyn is having a great time and is doing very well running his 2 dogs.

Manny took the main race team out yesterday, as I had quite a few papers to grade and lots to do. He did a 3 1/2 hour run up and down the Firebreak. I guess the dogs ran so well, that he ended up getting all the way to the switchbacks on the Firebreak, just before it connects into the Winter trail on the way to Angel Creek!! He said the hills were major and the snow had thawed, then froze again into an icy glaze on the trail. Still, he managed to keep their speed down coming back down the steep hills. Also, he said someone decided to plow the logging road, creating big holes in the trail. Some people have no idea that stuff like that can cripple dogs!! Sheesh!!

We're finishing up last minute preparations for my race this weekend. We'll be heading for Whitehorse at 1pm on Thursday. Only 5 more days until race start! :o)

Cool runnings? I wish!

2007-02-01T14:51:00.000-09:00

Conor is "helping" his Dad make some adjustments to the sled.

This next week will be a very busy, hectic time for us. I leave on Thursday for Whitehorse, as the YQ300 mushers have a mandatory driver/handler meeting, followed by our vet check. It's a long drive, so Alyssa, Laura, Inge and I will be pretty tired as we make it to the capital of the Yukon Territory. But, with the meetings set for the afternoon, we should be able to get a few hours of shut eye. Manny is running the team right now, as I type. He just called me from the top of the fireline. He says the dogs are running good, even though it's hot with punchy trails. He's stopping every so often to let the dogs munch snow and roll around in the cool stuff to keep them from overheating. Who would have thought that overheating the dogs would be a worry the 1st day of February in Two Rivers, Alaska?!?! CRAZY, Baaaby!

Until next time.....

Hot, hot, hot!!

2007-01-30T09:18:00.000-09:00

The temps are soaring here in Fairbanks. I was awakaned at 5am this morning to snow falling off of the roof in a loud "Whumpff!" and the dogs started barking at it. When I got up, I saw the temperature gauge read 36F!! The radio was saying up to 40F in the hills (that's where we live). I spoke with Manny and he confirmed that the temp was already 40F at our house this morning. Yuck! I hope it cools off soon, or the trails are going to get nasty! Keep checking back for updates, or check out www.yukonquest.com for media information on the Quest.

The vet is coming out later this afternoon to check the dogs and do some spays/neuters, etc. So, lots to do!

Warm temps are hitting

2007-01-29T09:01:00.000-09:00

To start, Devlyn had his 2 dog race this weekend. It was 26F and the sun was shining down. Devlyn did great! He didn't have any problems with the sled this weekend, made the turns like a pro and cut another 7 seconds off of his time. Unfortunately, Munchkin decided to poop on the race, so he lost some time. Plus, a bug has been running through the yard, so Munchkin wasn't a 100%. Still, they did a great job...Devlyn took 7th out of 11 racers with a time of 4:07. He's hoping to do even better next weekend. Hopefully, Munchkin will do her business BEFORE the race. Ha ha ha!

Boy, is it WARM out there! I woke up to 30F yesterday morning. But, I had a team to train, so off we went. The dogs ran very nicely, even in the warm temps. The snow was a bit powdery, but the run was nice. This is the line up: Dusk/Just in lead; Hopper/Anya in swing; Feather/China in team; Torus/Ahab in front of wheel; Inu/Jake in wheel. I wanted to give Feather a break from running lead and let her relax in the middle of the team...besides that, she's in heat, and I didn't want any "problems". At least she's in heat now, instead of starting it on the race, like she did last year (that was NO fun!). Anyhoo, the dogs started off real strong and since it was warm, the trail out was real icy, which made it hard to slow the dogs. So, it felt a little "out of control" at first, though really it wasn't. The start of any run is always crazy for me, as the dogs are rarin' to go and really strong. And of course, that's when things will go wrong. So, to get out in one piece with no problems is always something I'm thankful for. You see, it's a bit tricky leaving the yard, with a sharp 90 degree turn just 100 feet from the start, on a road, which is icy. Top that off with a mound of dirt on the inside of the turn, which the dogs always cut into, resulting in me launching off of the mound into mid-air, then slamming down onto the hard packed road. Still, I did it with style. :o) No, not on my face. Ha ha ha!

Things were going well, until we dropped onto the river. Just hates to turn left, so he decided that we were going to go to Fairbanks instead of North Pole. I got them stopped, but the hooks weren't holding in the soft snow. I waved Jodi by me (her dogs are used to the trail and made the left effortlessly), then turned my team, jumping back on the sled as the hooks popped. One of my hooks (I always carry 2) went under the runners and hooked on the other side. I had to get the team stopped, sink the other hook so that I could tip the sled and unwrap my 2nd hook. It actually went exactly as planned...surprise, surprise! Ha ha ha! We got going again, but I think this was Just's first time leading on a river and he was all over the place. Finally, I "Hawed" Dusk over and he dutifully yanked Just back onto the packed trail (though I use the term packed loosely, as it was warm and the snow was powdery). Then, Just stopped to poop and balled up the whole team. "Just, dang it!" I hollered. I had to untangle dogs, but then we got going and Jodi was stopped waiting. I told her what happened and she laughed saying she had heard me holler and knew that Just was up to his old, hard-headed tricks again. I went on ahead of Jodi and we didn't see her again until I stopped to check feet and booty dogs. She wanted me to go ahead of her, but I hadn't been on this trail for over a year and the only other times were always at night. So, I missed the turn off the river, because it looked like it wasn't the turn...picture a wall over 5 feet high of frozen rock/ dirt that the dogs would literally have to claw their way up. I said, "No way, that can't be it" and went by. Jodi yelled that I'd missed the turn. I know I looked at her like she was crazy. She just laughed, parked her team and helped me turn mine, because again the hooks weren't holding in the soft snow. After that, the run was great. We goofed around, taking pictures and such. I wasn't paying attention as we dropped down off of the second dike and when I jabbed for my track, I missed and plowed into the soft snow. Jodi stopped up ahead and asked what happened. I just laughed and said "I was tired, so thought I'd lie down." Jodi said, "No, you were hot and wanted to roll in the snow!" Regardless, we really had a good time. The dogs ran slower than normal due to it being so stinking hot (I started unzipping the jacket and all), but the run was FUN!!! Now, THAT'S why I run dogs. The dogs were happy, tongues lolling, tails wagging; Jodi and I were laughing and having a great time...it was fantastic!!

-Tammi

Food Drops all done

2007-01-27T21:12:00.000-09:00

Manny and I were only up until 1am last night, to finish up my Quest 300 food drops. Not bad! We thought we might be up most of the night. :o) Guess I'm getting better at packing...at least that's the theory. I'm truly hoping that I didn't forget anything. I was feeling rather tired last night; so, I had Manny go over my lists to make sure it all looked right. I surely don't know what I'd do without my wonderful husband and partner. He had all of my meat and fish snacks cut up and bagged, as well as my feedings all cut thin and sorted. What a guy! He also tied up my food drop bags, putting a "handle" on each, to make it easier for folks to handle them. He is truly a thoughtful man. The Quest Volunteers at the food drops liked the handles too. :o)

It just doesn't seem right...I gave up 7 bags full of food, snacks, supplies, booties, etc. and I was given a small, yellow slip of paper in return. Too funny! Good news is that Mike McCowan was on hand to give a few of us a trail report. Good snow to go around, though some nasty jumble ice just outside of Pelly. The trail is being re-routed a bit, according to Mike, "Up a hill, then down onto Pelly Farm Rd for about 5 miles." Then, back to the trail to Stepping Stone. He said that was the nastiest sections of jumble ice...hopefully that'll be the worst of it. I'm looking forward to getting out there. Only 2 weeks from today. :o)

I'm off. I'm taking the team for a nice run around the river loop tomorrow with Jodi, then off to a barbeque, of all things! It's certainly warm enough for it. It's still 25F outside right now...positively roasting. Adios!

Sent it in!

2007-01-24T15:46:00.000-09:00

I sent in my bio info along with photo to the Quest office today. I will be dropping my entry off tomorrow after work. I'm halfway to my goal now, but have a few folks who have said they also wish to sponsor me. So, while I'm not quite there to the total amount I need, there are still a few days left to fundraise. I have total faith that we'll make our goal, though it means we'll be up all night on Friday packing the drop bags! Ha ha ha!

On training news, Manny took the team out for a nice run yesterday up the Fireline trail. They did very well, though I guess Just decided to be bull-headed about taking a Haw (that's left in mushing talk), which meant Manny had to go up to pull Just to the Left turn he wanted to make. I had to laugh, as Just has been doing this to me; but, had yet to do it to Manny. They finally went the way Manny wanted them to...but I guess it took 4 or 5 tries to get it through Just's head. The run went well, with the team doing over 20 miles. He said the dogs came in looking real good. Tomorrow, he'll be going out on a 40 miler in the hills. Our dogs are already capable of longer runs, so to keep from burning them out, yet keep them in shape, we alternate short runs with longer runs. This weekend, I plan to do an 80 mile run, then back to 20s-40s until race time.

I could still use more support in the way of funds, so if you wish to contribute, please contact me via email, or you can even donate right online through Paypal! Just click on the donation button. Every little bit helps, from $5 up to $100 and we truly appreciate all the help thrown our way. Cheers, All!

Thank YOU, my friends!!

2007-01-23T16:06:00.000-09:00

Well, thanks to all of the caring folks here at Hutchison, the wonderful school I'm lucky enough to teach at, it looks like the Yukon Quest 300 is a definite! Good thing too, since not only myself, but other teachers plan to use the race, race footage/pictures, etc. in their lessons. What more could a girl ask for, but to bring her passion for sled dogs in to her other passion of teaching?!? This is GREAT!!!! Slowly but surely, support from my fantastic co-workers is adding up to give me the funds needed to enter and race the Quest 300. Look out, Trail! We have some unfinished business, you and I!!

I'm still a ways from my goal, but with all of the support I'm getting from friends, parents and co-workers, I KNOW we'll make it. Manny went over the sled and discovered that we need to replace some plastic, the bits on the brake, etc. to make it safer/sturdier for the race. Plus, a few harnesses need repairs, as a few dogs got "chew happy". If we can raise enough money, then I'll replace those things. If not, then we'll make due. At this point, with so many people counting on me to run this race, I just HAVE to go!

Manny is off training the main team, I'm off to pick up hay for the hay burners (Dang that Druid! He's eating his shelter, the rotund pig with fur!), then pick the boys up from school. Keep checking back, as I add new names to the sponsor list and get that much closer to running the Quest 300!!! :o)

Flu bugs, kid's races and fundraising...

2007-01-22T14:16:00.000-09:00

The dogs have had a week off and are back into training again. It was a good thing I gave them time off...there is a flu bug in the kennel. It started with Dusk, throwing up a little bit for a few days, though he ate and drank well, with no diarrhea. But now, the rest of the kennel DOES have diarrhea. That's ok...I'd rather they get it now and get through it than get sick on the race trail. There's nothing worse than getting part way into a race and finding that your dogs are sick and you have to pack it in and go home. It's no fun to be sick, I know I'm a big baby when I'm sick sometimes...so just imagine how the dogs would feel out on a 300 mile race! No THANKS! Still, Dusk was only feeling under the weather for a few days, so I'm thinking that's the time frame for this flu bug.

Manny took 2 teams of 8 out yesterday for a short, fun run to get the dogs out, stretch their legs and take a sled out of our dogyard. It was fun for the dogs, though Manny took a hard bump on the elbow. That Gatt sled steers like a dream....when loaded. Manny wasn't running with any weight in the basket, so the sled was a bit squirrely. Still, he managed to run both 8 dog teams and the dogs came in loping and barking....that's a nice sign! :o) Here's the layout for the 2 teams:

Team 1: Feather/Just in lead, China/Willy in swing, Riley/Plato in team, and Rocket/Inu in wheel.

Team 2: Dutchess/Torus in lead, Booger/Ahab in swing, Dusk/Banjo in team, and Ody/Jake in wheel.

Manny said that he had to hold the team back a bit with Dutchess in lead, as the ole girl has slowed down, but that was ok. She had fun and that's what counted. Manny plans to do 30-40 milers with the main team on Tuesday and Thursday, to keep the dogs in shape and hone the team for the 300. Tricky is still laid off for another week, as he dinged up his wrist pretty bad on the Cantwell race, and though he's not limping now, I'd rather be safe by erring on the side of more rest than take a chance of losing him for my race team. He's a powerhouse and another leader I can use if need be (the boy has some speed!), so I want to be sure to have him healthy and solid for the Quest 300.

On another note, Devlyn had his first race of the season on Saturday. He ran the 2 dog class with Herod and Munchkin (SCL) as his team. He did quite well!! He had to use Dad's sprint sled, as we discovered that with Devlyn's growth spurt over the summer/fall, he is too tall for his kid sled. So, Devlyn used the red sled and started off well. The dogs were hauling down the track. I watched for him to head back up and thought he'd be a few minutes, but lo and behold, there he came flying up the hill. Herod and Munchkin were loping well, all the way to the finish line. Devlyn was covered in snow and it turns out that with him not quite being used to Manny's sled, he dumped it in the corner at the bottom of the field. But, Devlyn was very proud that he hung on, righted his sled, jumped back on then reached down and picked up the snow hook to continue on the trail. He finished in 4th place with a time of 4:14, just 45 seconds from 1st place! Devlyn was very excited and he's determined to practice more with the sled so that he can improve his time next weekend. Go Devlyn!

Well, I'm off. Fundraising is slowly getting there, so it looks like I'll have what I need to sign up for the Quest 300 and get my drop bags packed. I have to thank my wonderful co-workers at Hutchison High School, as they've taken it upon themselves to help me in my efforts. I'm just taken aback at the support and caring being sent my way...it's wonderful.

Stay tuned for more adventures in the weeks to come!
-Tammi

Quest 300 update

2007-01-18T13:55:00.000-09:00

Hi all,

My leave from work was approved yesterday, so it's looking like I'll be able to be at the starting line in Whitehorse!! Now, I'm just $600 away from having what I need to complete the race. I'm working on raising funds and I'm blessed with the support of a fantastic bunch of co-workers, parents and students who are backing me. I'm truly warmed by so many people caring enough to help me succeed. It's FANTASTIC!!!

That being said, I'm focusing on keeping the dogs in shape (they've proven that they are ready) and keeping them in good spirits going on short, fun runs. I'll do a few longer runs, but mostly I want to make sure that the team stays healthy and happy. Happy dogs lead to a happy musher and a good time.

News from Whitehorse is that the trail is good, but there are reports of jumble ice on the Yukon around Carmacks and Pelly. How bad, you ask? Me, too! Seriously though, they don't know down at the Quest office as of yet. Still, makes me a little nervous. That jumble ice has been notorious for wreaking havoc on teams and sleds...not to mention the mushers! Not looking forward to that, my friends. (squeek!)

More news to come as I get it.
-Tammi

Heavy snow and high winds

2007-01-17T10:08:00.000-09:00

The Cantwell Classic 200 turned out to be a pretty challenging trail. Originally, I entered the race as a fun race to put more experience on the dogs and myself. It turned out to give us more learning experiences than I could have imagined. We started off well, I drew # 25 and Jodi drew #26. With dual starts and Jodi and I being the last two mushers to start, I let Jodi go ahead and go first, then I casually hooked up dogs and took off in my own time. I really liked that!! NO PRESSURE! Since the first leg of the race wasn't timed, I wasn't worried about it. We took off and were flying!!! Andi came up from behind on his snowmachine and hollered at me to slow down. I was already on the drag, and the dogs were having a great time; but, then he yelled, "You're doing 20mph!!!" I said Holy cow and really laid onto the drag. I had to do that for the first 5 miles before the dogs settled into their pace. The trail was nice, but the wind was blowing. Still, with 30 degree F temps, it wasn't bad. Then, we hit the snow.

It snowed over 2 feet the night before the race, then we got another 6 inches during the first day/night. The trail was just powder and all of the dogs had to pretty much swim in it. It was also pretty warm. So, about 2 hours in, I stopped the dogs for a snack and just rested for about an hour. The dogs were peppy, so I petted and played with them, scratched bellies and just acted laid back. We took off again and when we'd hit harder sections of trail, the dogs flew! But, that would last for like 100-200 yards, then we'd plow right back into powder. I was determined to keep my team happy, so I stopped every hour for 5 minutes, making sure to pat the dogs and tell them how well they were doing. By doing this, it took us 8 hours to get to Big Su, 52 miles from the start. But, I wasn't alone. Even the top teams took at least 6-7 hours to make the run...and they did it straight through. By taking my time, resting and all that, I had a nice looking team up arrival, while what I saw around me wasn't so happy. Dogs were shutting down on the trail (passed a musher on the way in who was stuck, team refused to budge), injuries were just crazy! Lots of wrist and shoulder problems, due to the soft, deep snow. There were even a couple of dogs who overheated or worked too hard. The trail was just mentally brutal for the dogs and from what I saw, mushers alike.

I got the dogs fed, watered, and bedded down. They rested pretty well and all was going as planned until folks started talking about the time factor and how long it was taking to get from checkpoint to checkpoint. The dogs really had to get equal rest, because the deep snow and gusting winds were taking a lot out of the teams. It was brutal! Folks were talking about scratching all around me. I didn't like to even think it, but then, when race people said that race support would be pulled after a certain time and that Maclaren lodge was going to charge mushers for the night if they didn't leave that checkpoint by a certain time, I started to realize that I might not finish this race. I knew I had to be back at work on Monday, so when I started to do the math, I realized that I was going to have to cut my losses. However, all was not lost. I realized that even though we were going to have to scratch, I felt good, the dogs looked good (they went crazy when a team left the checkpoint...that team later scratched at Maclaren...and I had a hard time getting them to rest some more) and we were using this race as a training run anyway....so things weren't a total washout. So, the 6 teams that scratched at Big Su rested a full 12 hours, then we headed back to Cantwell.

On the way, wind blew so hard that it picked up my little leader, aptly named Feather, and she slammed into my big, hulking old guy, Torus. Then, the wind took me and the sled all the way to the edge of the highway, where I jumped on the left runner and pulled with all my might to keep the sled from going over the side (there was a gully there...yikes!). Later, I saw caribou playing, then even got to run with them! They ran up onto the highway and ran with me and the team for about a half mile before heading off into the tundra. It was an AMAZING experience that I will carry with me all my life. Where else but here in Alaska can you experience these kinds of wonders???

My team ran well, I had 2 sets of snacks for the run back to Cantwell (which we used), I rested the dogs for an hour on the trail, as Just and Tricky developed wrist sprains...but they were ok to finish the leg after a good rubdown with algyval and wrist wraps...plus, I kept the team slow. We ran all the way to the finish, 57 miles, and came in under the banner and lights to cheers and shouts of congratulations. When I told the checker that I had scratched, he said, "We know...but you still ran the trail all the way back...that was great!" I was so warmed by this support from people who didn't even know me!! I got the dogs to the truck, had a few looked over by a vet (a couple of dogs were a little dehydrated), got warm food and water into them, massaged them all and got them resting in their straw filled compartments. Jodi came in up at the start of the race, but caught a ride for her and her team back to the finish.

Upon reflection, I realized that I didn't have to scratch and could have kept going. I can't say that I don't regret the decision...I do. Looking back, I know that the dogs and I could've finished. So what, if it would have taken us until Sunday afternoon. Still, I had to think about plans for the rest of the season and I really didn't want to jeopardize my Quest 300 run or Manny's 200 milers in March. We have a small kennel and only 1 main race team. So, all in all, the decision was probably a good one....but it has left me with a new found determination and fire in my belly that I've never had before. Looking at the times, my team's speed was about 1/2 hour off of Lance Mackey's speed (the winner) and 20 minutes off of team Seavey's speeds (Mitch and Danny). I really can't complain about that. I also had several people tell me what a good team I have, how good the dogs looked, etc. A girl's gotta like that!!!

The Cantwell wasn't the only race to suffer from the weather (11 scratches with almost as many withdrawals...only 14 mushers finished)...the Copper Basin 300 took heavy hits with a LOT of scratches and very few mushers crossing the finish line (11 finishers out of 26). These two race trails were absolutely brutal on dogs and mushers alike.

Ok, I've gotta grab some food (still hungry, yikes! that race took a LOT outta me...and I was a bad sled dog..I didn't eat or drink well). Keep posted for updates on my preps for the Quest 300. The adventure never stops here at Running Swift Kennel!!! Keep on smiling!

-Tammi

Cantwell, here we come!

2007-01-11T12:05:00.000-09:00

Spent the evening last night readying the sled, packing the drop bag and just getting last minute details in order. Jodi and I are off today around 5pm to make the drive to Cantwell, with a stop at a great guy's place, Andi Huetten. He will also be our illustrious handler for the start. The clock is ticking...and I'm getting excited!! I'm like a little girl in a candy shop right now...barely able to contain myself. At least I have an outlet...it makes for very interesting and entertaining classes with my high school students. Tee hee hee!

You can follow the race by checking out www.cantwellclassic.com. There is quite a competitive field, so it should prove to be a very exciting race. Add to that the weather report that a friend sent to me just this morning, and this race could just be a challenging one as well!

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AST
TONIGHT.
SNOW WILL INTENSIFY THROUGH THIS MORNING AS MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW
OVERRUNS COLDER AIR NEAR THE SURFACE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO
16 INCHES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON NORTH OF TALKEETNA.
AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THIS EVENING BEFORE
TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT.

As if life wasn't interesting enough...this morning, the neighbor down the street had a state trooper car parked in front of their house...then 2 hours later, there were more troopers. Jodi tried to go to my house and they stopped her. At that point, there were even more police/troopers there and a big, black van of some type. They let her go by, after finally getting a hold of Manny to allow her to go through. Isn't life funny?

Well, I'm off! Wish us luck and we'll catch ya on the flip side!!

-Tammi and the hounds

Overflow and such

2007-01-07T21:57:00.000-09:00

Here's me running the team on the Winter Trail (part of the Quest trail)

Check out the overflow we had to go through...CRAZY!! It looks like we were running up a stream (no, that really IS the trail folks!).
But, Feather and Just took it all in stride.

A well deserved break! From front, Left to right: China, Tricky, Booger (white dog), Inu (Looking left), Rocket, Taurus and Jake in wheel.

The pics aren't great, but it was getting dark and they do show some of the overflow/ice we have been encountering on our runs. This is GREAT training for the dogs, as they learn to deal with these types of obstacles and trail conditions. I have no worries with this team...they are really developing into a solid unit. They tackle hills with no problem (you should see "Oh-My-God" Hill that they train on), go through open water, over ice, through fresh snow, etc. I'm getting very excited for the Cantwell on Friday!!! Wish us luck!

Planning

2007-01-06T23:02:00.000-09:00

We'll be finishing up our drop bag tomorrow, and if the temps are a bit warmer, I'm going to take out a couple of small teams to keep the dogs limber. Just is actually doing much better, with no signs of a limp whatsoever. If he maintains this, I may be able to take him to Cantwell. The trail should be easy going, with little to no ice for him to slip on. We'll see. It's still really iffy.

The Quest 300 is not a definite, yet. We did gain a sponsor though!!! Cuppachena, the coffee shop on the corner of Chena Hot Springs Rd and Nordale Rd that I frequent before work most days (ok, just about every day...but, the mochas are soooo GOOD!!) is going to sponsor Running Swift Kennel! I'm VERY excited about this development, but know that I'm still a bit far from what we need to get to Whitehorse. While I REALLY want to run (and I'm GOING to finish!!!) the Quest 300, especially after last year's storm withdrawal; I did tell Manny that I would try to get sponsorship to run it (things are a bit tight this winter). Therefore, here is a breakdown of expenses/needs:

$300 entry fee

$200 for supplies, meat, musher food, etc.

$250 for diesel to get us there

A race handler for Jodi and I during the race

A place to stay in/near Whitehorse

Really, that's not too substantial and it is doable. But, I won't be able to do it alone. Therefore, I could use any little bit of assistance that folks would be able to provide. Do you know of someone who would wish to sponsor a musher?? I'm seriously determined to run this race. The first year, we had so many problems just trying to get to Whitehorse, that I never made it to the starting line (See Quest 250 on my old Training Log). The 2nd time, well, that was last year and I got hurt and ended up stuck in a blizzard on the top of a mountain for 14 hours, with 90 mph winds...and though the race marshal withdrew us, the team and I managed to make the run back out...the only team to do this under our own steam. So, 3rd time will be the charm, right?!? Who knows, maybe we could even WIN this thing!!! Anything is possible.

Well, I guess I'll see if my Guardian Angel(s) are looking out for me. I'll keep you all posted on if the race becomes a reality or not. :o) Stay warm and be happy!

-Tammi and the Fur kids

Snack break

2007-01-06T22:50:00.000-09:00

Here's Feather, looking over Dusk's shoulder. I was moving Just (he's in front of me) out of lead, to give him a break and give Dusk a turn at lead, while China was looking for more snacks (she's there in swing). This was taken by Jodi on one of our 50 mile runs. We stopped briefly to snack the dogs, check feet and take a short break. We were hooked to trees, though the snow was ok in spots for snowhooks.

Coldddd...

2007-01-05T12:56:00.000-09:00

Well, the boys are at the daycare and Manny and I planned to take teams out today. When we got up, the temperature was -25F. Then, while at Daisy Acres, near Pleasant Valley Store, the temp was -42F and Lynn's dogtruck wouldn't start. We live up on a hill, so it's usually warmer here than in the lower areas and town. That means if we took teams out, we'd be running in -30F temps or colder in most areas that we'd run through. Can you say Brrrrr!?!? The forecast is calling for -40F temps tonight and through the weekend. That's just plain NO FUN! It also makes running the dogs counterproductive, as they burn so many calories just to keep warm, let alone running. Plus, the increased chance of injuries, etc. just isn't worth it. I hope it warms up a bit more, because then we could at least go out for some short runs to keep the dogs limber. I'd planned on running a back-to-back run tomorrow; but, that doesn't look like it will happen. We'll see. At least we got some 50 mile runs on the dogs already, so that's good.

In the meantime, Manny & I are going to do some work on the sleds, start packing my drop bag for the Cantwell race, and just take it easy. I go back to work on Monday. It's been very nice having these past 2 weeks off, as I've been able to run the dogs and spend time with the hubby & kids. It's been great! Too bad it's almost over.

Well, the temp has gone up to -20F, so we're going to go cut meat and such. Ciao!

Ready, set....

2007-01-03T23:33:00.000-09:00

Preparations are underway for the Cantwell Classic...just 10 days away. Hard to believe that it's almost here. We've picked up the fish, replaced the blade in the saw, picked up more meat, we're going over the sleds, etc. I'll start packing my drop bag (we're only allowed 1 bag) in a few days. We'll get a few more runs on the dogs through the weekend, doing at least one more 50 mile run and double runs. I'll be repairing harnesses (we have a few dogs who've developed a taste for them!), going over gangline, replacing necklines, etc. We ordered a new parka, got more handwarmers, purchased new headlamp bulbs (found that danged spare bulb that I needed the other night!), and another little LED light. Still, lots to do!

On another note, I've decided to run the 2007 Quest 300 this year. However, before this becomes a reality, there are some details that need to be worked out. I'll be working on some fundraising, to hopefully relieve some of the financial burden that going to Whitehorse will entail. I hope to secure a sponsor or two, as I'll need the funds for the entry fee, as well as money for fuel, food, etc. I believe that if things are meant to be, it'll happen. Dreams can and do come true...you just have to want it bad enough. Still, everyone needs a little help once in a while...

In the meantime, I'll be focusing on the Cantwell Classic. I've planned out my race strategy (plan A and a plan B) and have pretty much narrowed down the race team to the 12 dogs I'll be taking. Check back for updates as we get closer to the start line. Thanks for visiting!!! :o)

Crazy runs

2007-01-02T12:35:00.000-09:00

Took the dogs and did another 50 mile run yesterday. While loading the dogs, Manny said that I should take the same team that I ran the other day, as it would be good for them. So, off we went. I switched the line-up a bit: Feather & Dusk (lead), Just & China (swing), Booger & Tricky (team), Jake & Taurus (team), and Rocket & Inu (wheel). Jodi took off first, with me following close behind. The run was going well, Jodi led until the hay fields, then I called my team up and we did a running pass by Jodi on Baseline. We led down Pleasant Valley Road, but then Feather refused to take the turn into the field to go to PV store. I told Jodi to go ahead and then had to hook down to pull Feather and Dusk over. They popped the hooks, but I grabbed the sled, then got going again. Jodi led until we crossed the road, then I called the team up and we went on by. A bit later, I stopped to check feet and found that a few dogs had ice balls in their feet; so, I bootied up a few dogs (including Just) and we went off. However, Just didn't like the booties and when he tried to dip with them on, he slipped and fell. I stopped the team and he got up, shook off the snow and I asked him, "What was that, Just??" He looked at me, then lined out with his tug tight. I called, "Alright" and off we went again. We went about 100 yards, then Just did another face plant. I couldn't believe it! I thought, ok, he doesn't like the booties. I took them off and we tried again. At this point, Just started to limp...oh no! It was his left wrist. I loaded him in the sled (he didn't like that!) and took off again. I told Jodi to go ahead of me and followed behind her, trying to keep Just in the sled. But, that dog was determined and while I was navigating through Colorado Creek, he made a break for it and dove out of the sled. I had a neckline on him, so when he jumped out, it tipped the sled. I almost lost the team; but, managed to hang on to the sled and Just. I got the team hooked down and looked at Just. He was straining towards the team, trying to get up to them. He was putting weight on his wrist, so I said, "Ok Just, I'll let you run...but we'll have to take it slow." I put him farther back in the team, pulled Booger up into swing and we went again; but, slower. He was doing fine; but, there was no way I was going to take him up to Stiles Cabin because the downhill would do more damage. I told Jodi to go ahead up to the cabin, and I continued up to the rifle range, which was only another 2-3 miles.

I kept going and it was getting dark; so, I turned on my headlight. Only a few minutes later, my light went off...the bulb blew. I stopped and looked for the spare bulb, but it wasn't there! That's when I remembered where my spare headlamp was...sitting on the shelf in the shop, where I had put it when I was cleaning out the sled. It figured. The one time I didn't have a backup light, I needed it. Micah came up behind me at that point, but he didn't have a spare bulb either. He told me to go ahead in front of him, as the range was just ahead and he'd pass me there. I snacked the dogs at the rifle range and was going to rest them a bit. I massaged Just's wrist, but the team was barking and pulling to go. We took off and ran about 10 miles in the dark...I planned to get a new bulb at PV store. I knew the trail well and could see the dogs in the dark. Just seemed to be doing better and the team was moving well. Two mushers did a head on pass with me, but since I didn't have a light, they didn't see me right away. I told the second musher sorry, and that my light had blown. It turned out to be Kelly. She tossed me a spare light and took off. Boy, was I thankful for that, as it was still snowing and getting harder to see. We ran a few miles more, when I noticed Just was starting to have a hard time. I stopped and told him, "Buddy, you have to ride in the sled." I put him in and zipped up the bag. Just crawled to the front of the sled, then laid down and rode quietly. How about that?

We finished the 50 mile run strong. The other 9 dogs ran well until we passed PV store, then they slowed down. I stopped on the trail, cleaned feet (this was the 4th time), and we took off, running well again. We got past Jenny M creek, and they slowed again! Phew, I knew it was a bit rough slogging through fresh snow with an extra 50 lbs in the sled (Just is heavy!) and one less dog pulling; but this was crazy! I checked feet again, then decided to give them another snack. That did the trick! After a few minutes, the dogs picked up and we loped the rest of the way to Jodi's (about 5 miles). As soon as I got home and unloaded the dogs, Just got an Algyval rubdown and a Rimadyl. I fed and watered, then just watched the dogs move. Inu was limping...same wrist as Just. I flexed the wrist, the leg, the shoulder...nothing...but sure enough, he'd limp. I massaged his wrist (no swelling...that's good) with Algyval and gave him a Rimadyl as well. I've decided to give the dogs a few days off, then we'll do some short runs to keep them limber. Just is off until race time. At that point, I'll have to re-evaluate him; but, I think he'll be staying home. Stubborn guy that he is, I hope he'll prove me wrong. But, I'd rather leave him home to ensure that his wrist is 100% than risk injurying him for the season.

Well, I'm off to toss the dogs their meat for the day. Have a good one!

-Tammi

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T00:05:00.000-09:00

The moon is bright, spreading her lovely light over the freshly fallen snow. The dogs are all nestled in warm, fluffy beds of straw. The horses are munch, munch, munching away on some lovely hay on this crisp, winter's night. The boys are snuggled under the covers, looking so innocent and sweet in their slumber. Worn out from the evening's adventures of food, fireworks, music and fun. Onyx and Radar are dreaming doggie dreams, curled up on the dog beds I made for them, while Lady and Jaeger are curled up on the furniture (Lady on the couch with me, Jaeger in the chair with Manny). The cats are also curled up on the furniture, purring away in their slumber, comfortable and cozy. Though some may feel that our lives are boring, we feel that our lives are full and wonderful. We are happy to sit together here in our own home, having hot tea and watching a movie. We can hear the neighbors celebrating the turning of the Year with loud pops and bangs, as they set off private fireworks. Happy New Year to All! Here's hoping 2007 is all you hope it will be!

Manny, my wonderful husband, fixed my sled for me; so, it's off on another 50 miler tomorrow with a 10 dog team. I have things ready, just have to figure out which 10 dogs to take. While I'd love to take the same team I ran on Friday, I have 3 other dogs to run from the A team and still haven't decided which 12 dogs I'll be taking with me to Cantwell. Here are the candidates:
Feather (L), Just (L), Dusk (L), Taurus (L), Riley (L), China (will Lead), Tricky (L), Willy, Jake (will Lead), Booger, Rocket, Inu, and Ody. Decisions, decisions.

It is really nice to look at these guys and see so many leaders in the mix. Makes me lean towards taking all of the leaders, then filling in...but Riley has been off and on this season; so I'm not sure if he'll go or not. I'll run him tomorrow and see. I'll have my team picked by the end of next weekend (I hope!).

Happy 2007!!!

First sled run of the season!

2006-12-29T21:55:00.000-09:00

I took 10 of the A team dogs out on our first sled run of the season today. I loaded up the team and sled and went over to Jodi's, just across the road. We both took our main race team out for a 50 mile run. Everything seemed to go well at first. I had Just & Feather in lead, Dusk & China in swing, Booger & Tricky in team, Inu & Rocket just in front of the wheel dogs, and Jake & Taurus in wheel. I was carrying 2 bags of dog food for some weight, to help keep the speed down. We made it out of the driveway in one-piece and the run started off nicely. Then, about 5 miles into the run, I looked down and see the cross bar at the front of my sled that holds the bed up had broken...the plastic snapped in half. That left the front of the bed hanging down. Not cool! I hooked down to a tree and proceeded to tie the bed up. After a good 20-30 minutes, we were back on our way. Due to the broken cross bar, I dropped a bag of kibble off at Bill's house, to lighten the load in my sled a bit. This seemed to help, as I was able to do a full 50 mile run with the sled.

We were going to run up to Stiles Creek cabin, but didn't want to take any chances with my sled; so, we went out to the rifle range instead. The dogs ran nicely, no problems crossing the three sections of overflow (it's wet and flowing...water was above my ankles), though Colorado Creek was surprisingly nice, and then we made the turn around the range to head back. We stopped the dogs to give them a snack break. I checked/cleaned feet and we just took a break. I was trying to convince Inu that he was supposed to rest, but he just kept barking away. Dusk was also barking, so I put him up in lead to give Just a well-deserved break. We took off and I told Jodi to go ahead. Her dogs were already running 40s, while ours have done 20s on the atv for months. The dogs ran slowly for the first 30 minutes...stopping to poop and pee every so often. I was thinking that we'd never get back! Then, it was like someone threw a switch and they just took off! I was just floored; but, very happy! We caught Jodi at the road crossing where she was waiting for us (only 11 minutes...not bad!) and we headed off again. I stopped the dogs just after Jenny M creek to give the dogs a well deserved pat and checked feet. There were a few ice balls here and there. I noticed that Booger had a scrap on his front foot, and Tricky had a tiny scratch and a raspberry up inside his foot (that's where some ice gets up in there and rubs). So, I bootied those gentlemen right up and off we went. The dogs finished the run slow, but all came in looking good.

I'm very proud of these guys! To do a 50 mile run like that, and do it well, is great! We had some good overflow/ice/water to get through, the road crossing to navigate, as well as a nasty drop onto Jenny M creek (not cool with a broken sled!), several head on passes with other teams and they managed to do it all with no trouble. If we can get my sled fixed in time, we're planning another run, but this time we want to go out to Stiles Creek cabin...another good 50 mile run. I think I'll take 2 different dogs and leave 2 home, to continue with a 10 dog team. It's iffy to run them on a sled, but there are plenty of trees to hook to, and hooks are holding in certain places. Still, it's so much better to be on SLEDS!!! Wahoo!

I'll post some pictures of the run up as soon as we get them downloaded. Later all!

What can go wrong...

2006-12-27T23:22:00.000-09:00

Took the B team out today for a longer run down around the lake loop trail. Devlyn decided that he wanted to go with, so we bundled him up and went out to harness dogs. Things went well at first, the dogs were all running well except for Wrangler. She was by herself just behind the swing dogs and appeared really unsure of herself on this run. She'd run well with Banjo on the last run, so I was surprised to see her tail flagging at me and her looking back. We stopped and I put Plato up with her, thinking that might help her confidence; but, this just didn't seem to do it. So, I pulled her back farther in the team and paired her with good ole' Achilles, a very hard working hound who is out of our first hound breeding that we did. Wrangler did a bit better after that, but was still off today. About halfway through the run, Horus popped a neckline...then Banjo did too! How crazy! And these are cable necklines...that should tell you how bad our guys chew at hookup. So, I stopped and replaced necklines...then as we got going again, Munchkin popped the leader neckline off her collar. Ok, no worries. We got that sorted out and Banjo's neckline came unsnapped from the gangline. Devlyn tried to go up and snap it back in, but Banjo was so skittish that he couldn't do it, so I took care of it and off we went. Until we hit the lake. Dutchess wanted to go to the right, even though there was a trail straight across. I went up and pulled Dutchess and Munchkin over to the straight trail, and they jumped back to the right. Up I went again, pulled them over, and off they went to the right. After about 5 times of doing this, I was very frustrated. I pulled Dutchess's harness over, plopped her back on the straight trail (a few choice words in there) and tried to go. Guess what?!? Back to the right she dove. So, I had Devlyn go up to the leaders, pull them over as I got them going. I picked Dev up on the way by and we headed off. Another musher dropped down on the lake at that point running 8 dogs and a toboggan sled. We waved and went on up off the lake. The dogs took a misturn, but this time, Dutchess listened and we got going the right way.

We headed up a ways and I decided that it had been such a screwy run, why not push it? (ha ha ha) So, I put Deez up front with Dutchess. He actually did ok, but he didn't have enough umph to get 9 yr old Dutchess moving faster...which meant that Banjo and Munchkin, the swing dogs, were running up on the leaders. I had to keep the team lined out at a slower pace. Things went ok until we passed the fenced Siberians and Deez all but climbed under the swing dogs. At this time, I just had to laugh. I patiently went up and lined him out, untangling the mess he'd made and off we went home. Then, when Manny tried to secure the front of the team upon our arrival in the dogyard, Deez did an about face, circled around BEHIND the swing dogs, ran out the other side and practically flipped out when Manny caught hold of the leader necklines. Crazy! That entire run was just a mess...but like Andi told me, that's what makes mushers better. It isn't those "perfect" runs, where everything goes smooth and the run is a breeze. It's those runs where good Ole' Murphy rears his ugly head (by the way, I'm convinced Murphey just doesn't like me!) and anything that can go wrong, will. Those crazy runs teach us to handle the unexpected, teach us to be patient, even when it's really hard, and teach us that even sled dogs can have off days.

Good news is that through all of this madness, Jenny actually let me pet her 2 times out there! After the trouble on the lake, I made it a point to walk up the line and pet each and every dog. Jenny usually shies away, but this time, she stood there and let me pet her head! I was so happy, that I gave her extra scritches. Then, a little later when I stopped again, I went up the line and she accepted her pets with the others. At home, she didn't shy away when it was time to unharness and she let me give her scritches again. Talk about progress!!! :o) So, that made the run not quite so bad.

Heading up to the Whites on Friday to run a sled. Should be interesting. Ha ha ha! Ciao!

New snow & new trails

2006-12-26T22:24:00.000-09:00

I took the A team out for a run today. I'd planned to just do a shorter run, then head back and run the B team, but that was not to be. The plan was to run up "Oh-My-God" Hill, go up around the Fireline turn, then head back down via "Times Square" and the lake loop trail. Well, Just, who has been running wonderful lead, decided to completely mutiny today when I called a Haw. He KNEW we were supposed to go straight, and even though i walked up and pulled Just and Feather over to the left trail 4 or 5 times...each time I went back to the atv, Just had yanked Feather back over to the straight trail. Unfortunately, each time they would do this, the team yanked the atv farther and farther down the trail (I'm telling you, these guys are scary strong!), brakes locked, in low gear and all. So, eventually, we got to the point that I couldn't get the team turned, as we'd gone too far past the turn off. Grrrr! So, I decided that we'd just go ahead and see the lake trail and then go on through Times Square (tussock central....ugh!) on the way out. Not a bad idea, since I hadn't gone that way before, so it was good to do it in the daylight. Off we went. The dogs were doing a good 14mph down the trail...I was bumping around on the atv and when I called Feather on-by the normal turn, she took it smoothly and off we went across the lake. We hit the other side and I swear, we were in the spin cycle of the biggest washing machine, ever! Those tussocks are horrible!!!! But, we made it through and I even managed NOT to get thrown off the wheeler!

The run up the ridge was actually pretty nice. It's a bit narrow and twisty, with some side hills and trees...but all in all, it's a nice trail. I knew we were going to take some different turns, and since Just decided to mutiny, I took him out of lead and put ole' Taurus up there. He's not the speediest of pups, but he is a good command leader. With that, we went up to the fireline and took the haw to go back towards the barriers when low and behold (no Abbie...it wasn't the Big Guy with bells, tee hee hee)...there was a team of 14 dogs on a Sled! The other musher was just snacking his team, getting ready to go. We exchanged pleasantries...I grilled him on how hooks were holding (his 2 hooks were solid). He said he'd done an 8 hour run just yesterday out along the Winter trail and that hooks are holding alright. Both his team and my team were screaming and slamming harness, so the other musher took off and I gave him a bit of a head start. The dogs were running well, albeit a bit slow. After all, we were plowing through some fresh powder, which made for hard pulling and good ole' Taurus was manning the helm. We missed a turn coming back (musher error, totally), so ended up on another rough section of trail, before heading home. It was only 20 miles, but man, that was some rough, hard pulling and when we got in, the dogs looked great. Inu almost knocked me off my feet when I unhooked him! Jake did the same thing. I decided to let Just go and he headed to his own house. I did the same for several other dogs, because my back was already aching...I didn't need to fall on my butt to add to my misery.

I'm going to get the sled out and break the B team down into 2 smaller teams. It's kinda of hairy getting out of our yard with a sled, so I'm hoping we make it out in one piece. Would be nice, anyway! Stay tuned for up and coming adventures! (Gulp!!)

Merry Christmas and a Ho ho ho!

2006-12-25T13:44:00.000-09:00

Merry Christmas!!!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Things have been wonderful here at Running Swift Kennel and we are truly blessed. The boys got their Christmas wishes in the gifts they received from "Santa." I got a new watch that the hubby said can be used out on the trail (a really nice Indiglo Marathon watch) along with several other wonderful gifts (jewelry, comfy slippers, canisters, etc.). The hubby got his Newcastle United Jersey that I had to send away to England for (my, that was a time getting that!), along with some other Newcastle United items, nice polar fleece pants for mushing, a new heavy flannel hoody, etc. We really made out well this year! We must have been pretty good for Santa to be so kind to us.

We got another Christmas present as we were opening gifts this morning. My biggest wish was for snow...and guess what! It's still coming down, though they are light flakes.

Yesterday, I took the main team out for a nice run and boy did they run strong! They were maintaining between 13-15mph throughout the run, though on hills (we have some doozies!), they did slow to 8-10mph. Can't say I blame them, since the atv is 650lbs, plus me...that's a hefty load for them. But, they did very nicely and came in looking good. Now that we are getting more snow, I think we'll be ok taking small teams out with the sled. I'm really looking forward to it after all of the time on the atv, that's for sure!!! I'll be busy running the dogs now that I have a few weeks off from school, so bear with me on updates and such.

Enjoy the holidays and spending time with loved ones! We hope your holidays are as joyous and blessed as ours.

From: Tammi, Manny, Devlyn, Conor and all the pooches (horses and kitties, too) here at Running Swift Kennel!

Nice running

2006-12-18T12:55:00.000-09:00

I took the dogs out yesterday and ran 2 teams of 14 dogs (wow, our dog yard sure has grown!). The A team ran very strong, with Just and Feather leading. Taurus and Plato also joined the A team and are actually managing just fine. I'm not sure how they'll do as we do our longer runs (we do varying runs to keep things interesting, especially since we're STILL on the ATV). I'm not too worried about Taurus, he's a veteran who ran both the Quest and Iditarod; so, he'll have no trouble. Plato is a young guy who hasn't really been out on any type of distance, so I'll probably drop him down to the B team and move someone from the B team up to take Plato's spot. We don't like to push our yearlings very much and usually wait until our dogs, particularly our hounds, are 2 years old before we start taking them on long runs.

The B team only ran 4 miles today. I had Dutchess and Munchkin in lead, but then about half way, I put Spike up front. That wasn't such a great idea. She didn't have a problem being there, but when we slowed down, like on a hill, she'd start messing with Dutchess. So, I pulled her out and put Munchkin back up there. She's really turned into a nice leader. I'm hoping to get her past that 20 mile wall that she kept hitting last year. She works so hard, that she just burns herself out in 20 miles. She has learned to trot this year though, so I think she'll handle the distance just fine. I had Wrangler and Banjo in the rear of the team, just in front of wheel. Banjo, while shy, is a hard charger! She laid into her harness the entire way, had no trouble with speed (I stretched them out at 16mph on a flat stretch) and did the 4 miles without a problem. Wrangler worked well too, seemed to handle the speed, but appeared a bit unsure at times. I think that with more runs/miles, she'll improve. She does have a nice gait. We'll see if she can do the distance as the year goes on.

We picked up a new guy from Andi Huetten over the weekend. Deez is a SMALL little guy, with a big heart. He is about Feather's size (she's the smallest dog in the yard!), looks just like Skuuga (all black, white front legs with little black spots on them) and is a ball of dynamite. I ran him with the B team and he seemed to be driven, except when passing other dogs. Then, he'd become unfocused and nervous. I'm sure time and training will help him with that. Remus is down in Nenana trying out life as a sprinter. He's a GREAT dog and I'll really miss his drive on the A team, but his short coat just isn't good for distance racing. Last year, he ended up with a bit of "nip" in a very sensitive area during our cold snap, so he'll be prone to getting frostbite on those masculine parts again. Ouch!!!

I'm all signed up for the Cantwell Classic, so we're gearing up for that. Think SNOW!! I really, really want to get on sleds before the races! Sheesh!

2006-12-14T10:43:00.000-09:00

Here's Taurus. He's a Gee/Haw leader who is hanging out and racing with us this winter. He's off to New Mexico in the spring, and retirement.

Here's the dog yard. Notice how little snow there is on the rooftops of the houses.

Here's Just! He's turned into a GREAT leader! He's such a sweet guy, too.

Is it true? Are those snowflakes?

2006-12-14T10:38:00.000-09:00

I'm fairly excited, though trying to keep from getting my hopes up before I actually see it...but it's snowing. :o) True, they are just flurries, but still, it's something. This winter has been truly disappointing thus far. I really hope we can get enough snow for sleds. I'm tempted to load the dogs and head over to the Musher's Hall just to get on a sled, even though conditions are marginal there, at best. Ho hum. Well, at least the dogs are looking good, no injuries (knock on wood!!!) and they have great energy. That's a nice gift in itself.

The Sheep Mountain 150 starts this weekend. I checked out the site and hadn't entered, because I thought that it was full. Looks like there are still a few slots open. Too bad I found out this late...there's just no time to prep for a race now. That's ok. I'm looking forward to the Cantwell Classic, which should be a blast!!

Take care and have fun all! Keep doing those snow dances!!! :o)
-Tammi

2006-12-13T10:49:00.000-09:00

This is Wrangler. She is a recent addition and is originally from Dan Kaduce & Jodi Bailey.

Meet Banjo! She just arrived in the yard, and though shy, she's a very nice girl.

Back in training!

2006-12-13T10:35:00.000-09:00

It's been a while, but the dogs are back in training and pulling well. All of the dogs are looking much better and the Pursuit/Momentum mix has worked wonders on those few dogs who were thin. It's nice to see these guys with so much energy! They look great, they are running well and they are in high spirits. That's what we strive for.

The Solstice is cancelled (no surprise) due to lack of snow. However, there is a new race on the horizon...the Cantwell Classic that will run from Jan. 12-14, 2007. This race has an excellent venue for the new musher, as well as veteran racers. It is a 200 mile race that runs from Cantwell to Maclaren River Lodge and back to Cantwell, all on the Denali Highway. The race will start at Noon on Jan. 12th, with a restart at Maclaren at 10am on Jan. 13th. This race should be a great learning experience for all, with some nice, smooth trails along the way. I am entering this race with the A team and hope to do well. There is a limit of 30 teams, so if you are thinking of giving this race a try, you'd better get those entries in fast!

Well, I'm off. The dogs will be running 30-40 milers within the next week. It would just be nice to be able to do it on sleds instead of the ATV. Bleh!

Lazy days

2006-12-07T15:19:00.000-09:00

Well, almost. I've been home sick with pneumonia for the past 3 days, ugh! To me, there's nothing worse than being regulated to the couch, because you're too weak to do much. Well, I'm determined to return to work tomorrow, and training dogs on Saturday. That's all there is to it.

So, there's really not much to report. All of us are getting over illness, but the dogs have been being fed really well! I swear, these guys eat better than we do! Three meals a day, baited water (especially for the princess of the yard, Feather!), nice thick straw beds inside their houses...now, to just get them out running again. Dutchess was letting us know today in no uncertain terms that she should be running. She barks and jumps on her hind legs, front legs off the ground, at the end of her chain. She always does this when we hook up...but, today she was doing it all by herself. Guess she's saying that the vacation is over!

Manny checked out the alternate trail to the logging roads, and it is so filled with tussocks, that he said he got stuck with the atv. Though, someone is running sleds out there. We've only had about 7 inches of snow, total. By this time, we usually have about 2 1/2 feet! There isn't any snow in the forecast either. So much for the Solstice! Well, there's still hope. Some folks have said that hooks will hold smaller teams (6 dogs), so that's something.

Well, I should sign off, as I'm getting pretty tired. Check back after the weekend, to see how training goes.

-Tammi

Kennel chores

2006-12-04T08:45:00.000-09:00

With the atv in the shop, we've been taking care of general kennel chores. I planned to trim nails and such, but couldn't find the clippers! Sad, since we have about 3 pairs floating around somewhere. Of course, we'll find them after I go buy a new pair...that's par for the course. Worming took place, we're scheduling the vet to come out, vaccinations are due, redid straw (again!), change out snaps/hooks, etc. There are many chores that need to be completed around the kennel regularly; so, we try to make the best of our situation...ie. little/no snow coupled with no atv, then we'll do those other "little" things that need doing from time to time.

Good news is that I woke to some more of that white stuff falling from the sky and about an inch on the porch. Yay!! Even though it's not much, I'll take what I can get. Doing the snow dance!! Paxson saw several inches dumped on them over the weekend, so there is ALWAYS hope.

We added 3 new dogs to the kennel this weekend. Plato comes to us from Cassia Condon, while Wrangler and Banjo come to us from Marya Lewanski. Marya took on Limo and is trying Rondy out in her sprint team. Both dogs should do well for Marya and I look forward to hearing how they run with her. I'll get pictures of our new additions up over the next few days. In the meantime, check back often and keep those doggies rollin'!

ATV troubles

2006-12-03T00:15:00.000-09:00

The ATV is still in the shop, getting the front ball joints replaced. We were supposed to have it back to train today, but then we were told that we wouldn't get it until Monday. It really stinks that we have the dogs training really well and now we have to put training on hold. So, the dogs have had a week off now. Not that it will matter much if we don't get some snow soon. The Tune up was cancelled and now we're facing the Solstice being cancelled for the 2nd year in a row, if we don't get a fair amount of snow in the next 2 weeks. We had a teaser yesterday, but now there is no snow in the forecast, at least for the next week. Ho hum.

We have a few new additions in the yard, completely filling every available spot. Plato came to us from Cassia Condon, so he's going to give distance running a try. Tomorrow, we're going to pick up two different dogs, as Limo and Rondy are going to go a' sprinting. We have a couple of very good race dogs available, as we really want to be around 25 dogs. Check out our kennel site at www.noatak.com under the Kennel directory if you are interested in some quality dogs. Also, don't forget that the Second Chance League has many quality sled dogs just waiting to be adopted.

Wishes DO come true...

2006-12-01T11:15:00.000-09:00

Well, it's not much, but it sure is a start! I was so thrilled to wake up to those beautiful flakes falling from the sky, creating a wonderous landscape of freshly fallen powder. The hush as I opened the door came over me, only to be broken up by the "crunch, crunch" of my footfalls as I walked to the garage.

I LOVE it when it's snowing! Thank you, Mother Nature! Now, we need a foot or so more, and I can check that off our Kennel Wishlist. :o)

2006-11-29T15:25:00.000-09:00

Snuggles surveying the yard.

Can I mush too? Look, I got my boots on & a dog just my size....

Santa will be coming soon...

2006-11-29T15:05:00.000-09:00

With all this talk of the holidays, christmas lights and decorations being hung from every available nook and cranny just about everywhere you look, I started thinking about our christmas wish list for this year. The holidays is a particularly hectic time for racing kennels, as not only are we faced with the long list of chores for Christmas and New Year; but, we are usually also having to prep for the start of the race season. The same is true for us here at Running Swift Kennel. So, before things get too swamped, I thought I'd share what we're "wishing" for this Christmas season:

1) LOTS of snow! Where is it? We do live in Alaska...in the Interior...so what gives?!?
2) For our troops to come home!!! It's time to let Iraq deal with Iraq and let our soldiers be with their families.
3) A new fuel line for our truck. The line is leaking and despite Manny's best efforts, he can't figure out where/why it's leaking.
4) New fur hats! Manny wore my beaver hat and stretched it out. Then, it got washed and though I air-dried it, it wasn't tanned well and is super stiff! So now we both need a new one.
5) Booties, booties, and more booties for the dogs. I truly despise sewing and these trail conditions are wreaking havoc on unprotected paws.
6) A new parka/anorak with a fur ruff. These frigid temps have made us realize JUST how important those outer layers are.
7) Algyval. At $30 a bottle, this stuff is like liquid gold, but OH so important for the dogs' muscles.
8) Lithium batteries. We usually use D batteries, but they wear out quickly and don't provide as strong of a beam of light as Lithium's do.
9) New socks! I never realized how important good, thick socks are until I was stuck in that blizzard on the mountain last winter.
and last but certainly not least....
10) SNOW!!!!!

Right now, the wish list isn't too long, and hopefully a few of those things will happen with a bit of help from Mother Nature and the Government (well, one can dream!). But, if anyone out there would like to donate to our cause in the spirit of adventure, courage and the nature of the season, we would be ever so grateful! :o)

Anyone interested in a kennel newsletter? Contact us at runswift@alaska.net and let us know so we can put you on our mailing list!

Cheers, All!

Look at them doggies go!

2006-11-27T08:50:00.000-09:00

Here's Horus playing around. He loves to bow down at you, and then bounce away.

Here's Herod. He's such a great dog! He works hard all the time. He's getting older now and I really don't know how the races will be without my buddy.

11/25/06

I went out on a run with Manny today so that he could show me the trails/turns. What a rough trail it is!! I feel like I've been put through a rodeo riding the bucking broncs! We went up "Oh-My-God Hill" (now I know why Abbie calls it that...Gulp!) and out onto the Firebreak trail. The dogs were pulling great, the weather was clear and cold. We passed several teams, both on atvs and sleds, as many folks were out training on the hills. The view was absolutely gorgeous!! And talk about hills! It was all ups and downs...your basic roller coaster ride. I see now why our dogs are getting so powerful. They do so many hills that I'm actually worried about them running on flat trails, since the different types of running require different muscle groups.

Well, I'm off. More to come later.

-Tammi

Atvs, cold, no snow. Oh my!!

2006-11-21T15:49:00.000-09:00

Jenny in the dogyard.

Well, the cold temps seem here to stay for a while. This is really bad news for training dogs, not to mention water pipes! There doesn't appear to be any snow in the forcast, at least not for the next week. I think Juneau got it all (3 1/2 feet of snow!). We've decided to scrap the Gin Gin 120, as I just don't want to push the dogs. Without snow, training on the atv is really rough...and while the dogs will be ready for the distance, I don't want to try it. At this point, it looks like the Tune up that was rescheduled for next Saturday is going to be a no-go, unless we get some snow by then...and the Solstice isn't looking very promising either. If that is cancelled, we're talking of heading down for the Knik 200 (thanks for the idea, Heather!). It will be a pretty easy race for the dogs...not a bad way to break in the season. Though, we'd MUCH prefer to get snow before then! We are debating on trying the Copper Basin this year. May not be such a good idea to try it with so little snow. We'll see. We're tossing around ideas, trying to be flexible and see what happens.

The dogs ran great on Saturday. Manny took them out on the Firebreak trail and he said they pulled real well on all of those hills. We sure won't have to worry about hill training anymore, now that we're running on the north side of CHSR! Lots of hills. The dogs are really powering up and getting scary strong! I took the B team out for a run on Sunday, meaning to do just a 5 mile run, since they aren't running too far (sprinters, young dogs, old dogs). Well, the cold seemed to have zapped the brakes on the atv, so when I tried to stop them to get them to take a loop turn, they pulled right through, so I didn't have much choice but to do the 7.5 mile loop. They came in looking good! I was a bit worried, but they were obviously ready for the increase and handled it like old pros. Jenny was in this team and since she hadn't been out running with us much (we just got her back about a week or so ago), I was a bit worried about her. She showed me that there was no need. Each time I tried to stop and rest the dogs, they all slammed harness, barking and raring to go. I was so impressed with them.

The cold is just not good. We went to feeding kibble in the morning and evening, with their ration of meat/fish in the afternoon. Most of the dogs are fairing the cold quite well, but we do have a few of our harder keepers looking thin. That's normal for those dogs and is why we went to the 3 feedings a day to split up the calories, allowing us to get more in them with less waste. I'm thinking of putting flaps on their houses though, as a friend said he did that with his and it has really helped.

Stay tuned and follow the further adventures of Running Swift Kennel!!

Check it!

2006-11-21T15:37:00.000-09:00

Here's Jenny! She's back in the yard and doing very well. In fact, she went on a run on Sunday and ran like she'd never left. She sure is a pretty girl. I'm very happy to have her back with us, and she seems happy too. Especially when she's playing with her buddies!

Just an idea of how cold it's been! Here's Manny, after feeding the dogs.

Meet Jaeger! He flew in on Saturday. Boy, was he tired!

Best Buds already. Are these two cute or what?!? Devlyn and Jaeger have already become good buddies. Devlyn is very proud that he helps train our puppies. We were so sad when we lost Brennan. But, now we have Jaeger to brighten our hearts and share our lives.

Great runs and Racing costs

2006-11-13T21:28:00.000-09:00

Training is still progressing and the dogs are doing well. In fact, we took them out on a longer run, and they came in barking! Manny plans on keeping them at the same distance for another run or two, then up them again, as they are looking strong. We can't figure it out...last week, they came in looking wiped out (rough trail and all); this week, they are acting like they are still rarin' to go after a run, even though we upped their milage by 5 miles. It's very interesting and the only thing we can contribute it to is the dog food. We made the switch to Momentum a few weeks ago and the dogs are appearing to be running stronger and faster. That's the only change we've made.

Just is doing great in lead, and has been good about making sure Dusk learns the ropes of lead. If Dusk tries to stop to pee or goof off, Just simply yanks him back on the trail as if to say, "Hey buddy, it's work time!" It is really nice to see. Additionally, we are able to rotate through different leaders, which is allowing us to not only give Riley and Feather breaks now and then, but it's also allowing us to see just how many leaders we have. We went into the season thinking we really needed to get a good leader; now, we're discovering that we have them in the yard after all. Now, if we can just stay on our training schedule, we'll be fit and ready for our first race a month from now.

The B team is behind, but that's to be expected, as they are the youngsters, the oldsters and the sprint dogs who are working on making the transition to mid distance. Munchkin is doing great in lead with Dutchess, though I really need to swap other dogs out now and then to see what other leaders we have. However, the B team is just CRAZY during hookups! They are literally bonkers. I'm hoping that as we increase the miles, that they'll calm down a bit. It is actually a pain to hook them all up, as they go ballistic, leaping and bouncing around. Plus, it doesn't help that we are down a couple of harnesses due to chewing. Grrr!!

We're currently working on gaining sponsors to assist with race expenses for Manny's qualifiers this year and his Quest bid next year. If you or anyone you know can help out, please contact us.

Here's just a quick rundown of some expenses for races:
300-500 booties per race = $300-$450 (about $1 per booty, discounts for quantity)
2 bags of Momentum= $66
50# block of meat= $25
Snacks for the dogs= $20-$80 (depending on type; fish is less, lamb snacks for when it's cold
are more)
Dogcoats (if it's real cold)= $35 each
Harnesses (for spares and to replace chewed ones) = $22 each
Headlamp batteries = $20 for 2 lithium D cells; $11 for regular D batteries
Headlamp = $75-$125
Spare runner plastic = $30 a set

Those are just the basics. Of course, then you have to take other expenses into account, such as medical supplies, gas for the dogtruck, straw for the dogs, blankets for the dogs, trail dishes, Algyval (about $30 a bottle!) for sore muscles/tendons, foot ointment, and the list goes on, especially gear for the musher. So, any little bit of assistance will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals. Sponsors will receive regular kennel updates, pictures, their name/logo will be added to our dogtruck and patches added to sled bags/parkas. Additionally, if you can make it to the kennel, we'll take you on a tour of our kennel and go out for a sledding demonstration. Plus, you'd know that you are helping a mushing family towards their goals and dreams of participating in the Yukon Quest!

Interested in sponsoring a dog, the kennel, or in helping with one of the items listed above? Please contact us at runswift@alaska.net, call at 907-488-4679 or send us some snail mail at PO Box 10436, Fairbanks, AK 99710. We'd love to hear from you today!

-Tammi

Pupperoonis!!

2006-11-08T13:40:00.000-09:00

Isn't he just adorable? After the horrible situation with Brennan, we ended up talking with some nice folks in Soldotna who just so happened to have had a suprise litter of Dane pups. Above is the pup we are getting from that litter. Life moves in mysterious ways and we never know what it will bring next!

BTW, we're looking for a ride for our new family member from Anchorage on November 18th or Nov. 23rd, if anyone will be heading up this way. Or, if anyone will be in Soldotna heading to Fairbanks in the next 2 weeks, please contact us!! runswift@alaska.net

Back on track

2006-11-08T13:21:00.000-09:00

The dogs went out on a training run yesterday up onto the logging roads and things went real well. The dogs pulled strong and fast. We are discovering strengths and weaknesses in leaders...finding out who does best paired with who; which ones are strongest in different situations/conditions, who has the speed, who has the hard-headedness, determination, etc.

TRDMA had the monthly meeting last night and it was decided that the Tune up would be postponed until Dec. 2nd. This seems to be a yearly theme, as we just aren't getting the normal amount of snowfall that we used to have by mid-November. For most of us, the first time on sleds (unless you're lucky enough to have Mountain access or are able to travel) is the first race of the season. Not generally a great way to begin the race season; but, we have to work with what Mother Nature gives us.

Still planning on the Gin Gin (I hope) and the Solstice 100. Don't know yet about the CB300, as we just may not be able to get the logistics worked out (child care, house sitting, animals needing care at home, etc.) to be gone that long at this point. Don't know yet. We'll have to see how things work out and take it one step at a time. We're working on gaining sponsors for next year's Quest bid, so any and all suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated. It's hard to field a Quest team/race on just a teacher's salary. :o(

Thanks for all of the support from everyone who stops in to check out our adventures. Drop us a line and let us know what you'd like to hear about, and I'll work on it. Cheers all!

-Tammi

Rough runs

2006-11-07T14:10:00.000-09:00

Hey all,

Well, the cold temps have been great to freeze the bogs, allowing us to use our other trail access...or so we thought. The trail was so rough with stumps, roots, sink holes, ruts, etc. that the dogs came back just wiped!! Poor Feather dinged up both of her wrists and came in looking like the losing end of a horror film. Yikes! Manny said it was so rough that he felt like he was in the spin cycle of a washing machine! He said we'll need about a foot of snow before it's safe enough to take the sleds on without busting them up. Yuck!

I took the dogs on an easy run on Sunday, to give them a break and just have a "fun" run. Then, I ran the second team...holy crapola, Batman!! They were NUTS!! It's always a zoo hooking up the second team, because these are our young dogs, our "sprint" dogs who we are training for mid distance, and the remaining race dogs. We took off like a shot, they loped the whole way (except for the steeper hill) and didn't need to stop once. They came in barking! I guess that would've been a great sprint run. ;o)

We're hoping for more snow soon, to get the sleds out. At this rate, the Tune up will be postponed if we don't get about a foot in the next 2 weeks. My first sled run may just be the Gin Gin...IF I feel the dogs are ready for it. We'll see. I still have a month left to decide.

The TRDMA meeting is tonight, at 7:30pm at the Two Rivers Lodge. Come on out, as we'll be gearing up for the races to come. :o)

We'll miss you, Brennan...

2006-11-02T09:32:00.001-09:00

On Monday, in a fluke accident, our 7 month old Dane puppy Brennan, broke his left hind leg above the stifle joint. He was coming out of his vari-kennel and somehow cracked his leg on the inside lip, causing a spiral fracture. It was a clean break with no bone fragments, just above the growth plate, so no worries there. We took him straight to the Mt Mckinley’s office (unfortunately we couldn't get hold of our first 3 choices of vets) to get xrays. They took 2 xrays, and gave him some morphine for pain and iv fluids. After looking at the xrays, the Dr. wanted to do surgery to put a rod in the leg. Now, this is a growing Great Dane...so if they were to pin/rod him, it would interfere with the growth of the leg. After saying this to the doc, she agreed and said that no matter what, the leg wouldn't be "normal". We've had BAD experiences with pins in growth plates, ending up with crooked legs/short legs before. So, we said absolutely no rods or pins. We discussed casting or splinting. She said casts aren't a good idea but a splint would be a viable option, as we could keep him quiet and we've had experience with this before. Shoot, when I was young, we had a doberman who broke his rear leg in the same place and had a cast on all the way up to his hip. Anyway, the vet said they'd keep him overnight and then talk with their Ortho vet in the morning to do the splint.

Manny had to call the next morning to find out when we could pick our pup up. They said they wanted to pin his leg and that it would be $2300. At this point, our bill for 2 xrays, pain meds/iv fluid and 1 overnight stay was over $600. Now, we've been going to Mt. Mckinley Animal hospital for 7 years when we can’t get in to see Dr. Jayne, have given them thousands of dollars, yet they wouldn't work with us. When Manny asked the vet to splint the leg so we could bring him home and that we would handle it (I was in the process of trying to contact Cort Zackle), the vet refused and said that he'd release him to another vet, but that the other vet (Aurora) would "tell us the same thing". Then, he went on to state that the soft bandage on Brennan's leg wasn't stable enough to move him. So, again, Manny asked him to splint/stabilize the leg so we could move him and was told no. Basically, we were told either pay this money and have them do a procedure we did NOT want done, or put our dog to sleep (of course, not in so many words). Manny said he really didn't feel he had a choice, authorized the euth and by the time I tried to call McKinley within 5 minutes of the decision to euth, they had already put our pup to sleep. Now, I have a bill over $700 for what I feel was basically doing NOTHING for my dog other than the 2 x-rays, iv fluids, some pain meds and of course, Killing him. We feel that they completely violated our rights as pet owners. The thing that hurts the most is that I feel the vet clinic gave us no choice and would not listen to our wishes, though we had been assured the night before that they would do exactly that. I'm just floored right now, in shock that we've lost our beautiful pup over a simple fracture. I was also expected to go to McKinley to "take care of my bill". I'm just livid, yet hurting.

I did get a hold of another vet and was told that not only was this illegal to not release our dog to us and do what we asked, but it was also immoral and unethical. We were told that we were being strong-armed into something that not only would mess up our pup's leg, but also to pay an outrageous sum for the procedure. We feel that we were pretty much forced to put our dog to sleep or pay them all this money for a procedure that we didn't want done in the first place.

Needless to say, we are not letting this go. Not only will I NOT pay this bill, but we will be contacting an attorney and contacting the Board of Veterinary Medicine, as we've been advised to do. I ask that if anyone else has a similar situation with Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital, please email me at tamirego@alaska.net or runswift@alaska.net and share your experience. I am compiling these issues to present to the board. Now, we are questioning the euthanization of our first Dane, Kaiser. We also dealt with this same vet and he told us that the dog couldn't be helped other than possibly giving him meds to extend his life "maybe" a couple of months, but that it wouldn't be good months for him. I'm finding that others dealt with the same condition with their danes/wolfhounds and their dogs went on to live YEARS longer on medication. So, this vet has cost the lives of BOTH of our Great Danes.

Feel free to contact me concerning this issue and think twice before going to Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital.

Snowing again...

2006-10-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

The snow keeps accumulating a little each day. If this keeps up, we'll be on sleds REAL soon. :o) Manny took the team out for a longer run the other day and the dogs got their first experience with what Abbie West called "Oh-My-God Hill"...a hill that is VERY steep. But, the dogs took it in stride and had no troubles. I must say that it has been awesome having my hubby at home, being able to train the dogs full time. What a pleasure!!

I'll have to get the camera out and get some pictures of the new house, dog yard, etc. Well, I'm off. The ADMA Symposium is this weekend, so come on out and mingle with mushers and vendors alike. It's a great time and a wonderful way to gain valuable information about dogs and mushing. See you there!

-Tammi

Chowder

2006-10-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

Chowder just came to us from Ivana Nolke. She is a CRAZY sprint dog, but what a fantastic runner! I'm hoping her enthusiasm will flow over into mid distance for us.

Yes!!! Snow!

2006-10-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Wahoo!! We sure do like to see that white stuff coming down. It's been a while, but it's nice to see the couple of inches that we got over the weekend. The team is coming along well. We're a bit behind in mileage, but honestly, these dogs aren't acting like it. They are coming in from our new, hilly runs energetic and ready to go! The farther out we've gone, we've discovered that the trails seem to deteriorate, but will be passable by sled. Lots of sink holes and stumps EVERYWHERE! Yikes! Well, that's ok. Manny is now home and training dogs full time, so we're seeing the benefits of that already.

The new house is going well for us, though we're still feeling out trail "issues" (yeah, in Two Rivers, Alaska, people!). The kids are doing great, Devlyn is in 2nd grade and loving his new room; Conor had some minor surgery, but is doing better and is talking like a mad man. What a magpie! We really have to mind our p's and q's around that little guy. ;o)

School is keeping me seriously busy with all of the grading and such. Still, I'm hanging in there. We're reading "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and it has been GREAT having these class discussions with my students about whether Chris McCandless really was a kook or not. It's nice to relate their knowledge of Alaska with what others see or think.

Still hoping to do our races, though we've decided that we can only manage one team in the Copper Basin...Manny. He's the one working on qualifiers, so he'll be racing this year. That's ok, I'll get a few in as well, with the Gin Gin and other local races. We're cycling leaders in and out, and discovering some nice lead potential in a few of our newer dogs. Just has been running lead a few times out now and other than trying to bully the neighbor's loose dog (On by Just!), he's doing well. Dusk is another leader for us. Skuuga ate another harness this season (dang dog!), though she's no worse for wear. Munchkin is doing FANTASTIC in lead! I'm amazed at this girl! She has commands down and she's beating old Dutchess to the punch. Amazing. We just got Chowder from Ivana Nolke: dang crazy hound! She loves to jump and well, snout and musher's lip equals a fat lip for the musher. Grrr! Still, I'm hoping that as we get distance on her, she'll calm a bit. Will be trying her in lead soon.

Well, that's it for now. Time for After School Study Hall, so I'm off. Manny's home running dogs in the fresh, white stuff (I'm SOOO jealous!!!). Later everyone!

Training -- The Mud Flies!!

2006-08-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

Took the A-team out yesterday on a 3.7 miler...boy did they come back muddy! Poor Booger...left a white dog, came back a brown dog! I wish I would have had the camera out, as the whole team came back just covered in mud. Manny said the dogs ran well, even through the mud and water. Skuuga didn't know what to think, as she's always been a sprint dog...hopefully she and Just will learn to trot as the season progresses. Devlyn rode along with Dad to help train. Temp was about 55F, which was a little warmer, but no troubles with the dogs. Luckily, there are plenty of mud puddles to go through...lots and lots of water with all of the rain. I'll be taking the B-team out tonight, so I'll try to remember some pictures. Luckily, I got to witness the mud soaked men yesterday; so, I'll be wearing coveralls tonight. Tee hee hee!

-Tammi

Meet Rondy, Bruno and Baxter

2006-08-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

Rondy is a beautiful young girl with lots of speed! She is a Second Chance League Rescue. Watch for Rondy to make the team this season.

This is Bruno. He loves to "point" flying insects.

This is Baxter, king of the butterfly hunters!

Goodbye, Old Friend

2006-08-15T23:28:00.000-08:00

Beano, 1994-2006

I received some sad news that my old leader, Beano, has crossed over. He was a rescue from AC 7 years ago. Beaner was so shy, that they didn't feel he could be placed. He had been a trapline leader all of his life until age 5, which is when we took him home. He led us on a merry chase, as we learned quickly that he could slip out of regular collars. We eventually lured him in the house with meat, and then we gave him a limited slip collar. However, soon we didn't need to worry. After the very first run with Beano, he became a different dog. It did take him a long time to really trust, and we had to teach him how to just be a dog and have fun...but he did learn that pets, hugs and kisses were great. We never did get him over the house tipping (fireworks or gunshots would set him off), but hey, that was Beaner-Boy. As he got older, he had a difficult time even keeping up with the pup team. So, when a friend needed a leader to fill in, Beano came to the rescue. He did come back after that winter, but because he just couldn't run with our speedsters, and that friend asked it, Beano went off to live at Lead Dog Spock Kennel, where he lived until his death. Beano, you were a wonderful dog and I feel privileged to have been part of your life. Now, you can run free of pain and keep up with those 'youngsters again. Love and miss you, Beaner-Boy!

-Tammi

Rain, rain, go away...

2006-08-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

It has been pouring all night and all day. The dog yard is a muddy mess. It usually dries fairly fast, as it's pretty sandy...but it hasn't stopped raining long enough for the ground to soak up the water. Bleck! It has made Manny talk about building platforms for all of the dogs. Good news is that we got our new house!! :o) So we'll start putting in the new dog yard next weekend (hopefully) and then put up the new horse corral the following weekend. We want to get it all set up for the animals before we move in. Needless to say, we've added even more to our plate this fall...but that's ok...bring it!

I'm getting very excited about the race season. I never thought that I'd be running the CB300...so that's interesting for me. The GG120 will be my first race for the season (besides the Tune up) and will allow me to set the team up for Manny's Solstic 100 the following week. I'm hoping to get down and run on the Denali Hwy before these races, to get some quality hill training on the dogs. But, we'll have to wait and see how things go. Later all!

-Tammi

New recruits

2006-08-08T02:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some new additions to RSK, who came to us last spring:

Just came to us from Daisy Acres, Lynn Orbison's kennel. Just is a powerhouse! I can't wait to see how he does in the main team this year.

Rocket is a 4 yr old team/wheel dog who came from Eric Butcher. Rocket ran on Eric's Quest team this year and did great! He's a real sweetheart and a hard worker.

Dusk is a beautiful 3 yr old up & coming leader from Eric Butcher. He is out of Solaris, a dog out of Susan Butcher's kennel.

Just and his buddies

2006-08-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

Is it time to run, yet? Summertime at RSK.

Season Plans

2006-08-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

Summer is beginning to wind down and now things will get hectic around our place. The fair is here, and I'm volunteering at the Quest booth a few times. It was pretty exciting on Saturday, the 1st day of signups! Twelve mushers signed up and today, there were at least 8 or so more. I'll be back at the booth, so I'll have a chance to look at the list of names. I was so excited after my first shift, that I rushed home to watch "6 On, 6 Off" and it just got me revved up and ready to start training. We're waiting until the temps start to cool a bit more before we begin training; but, we plan to start within the next 2 weeks. The dogs are more than ready, as are we. However, we really don't like to run when it's warm as we don't want to chance overheating the pooches. With the work schedule until Freezeup, we have to train in the evenings. This means that we have to wait until the temps get down around 50 degrees F to run. Last year, we weren't able to start until September...but we're keeping our fingers crossed this year.

Manny & I are discussing race plans for the season. We've been discussing the Quest 300; though now we're leaning towards the Copper Basin 300, as it's here in Alaska and only half the distance from home. This combined with it being during Winter Break for me at school really makes the CB more logical for us logistically and financially. The plan is to field 2 teams in it this year, which I'm all kinds of happy with that. :o) I originally thought the only race I'd get in would be the Gin Gin 120; so, I'm voting for 2 teams in the CB. Of course, I'd really LOVE another crack at the Quest 300...I truly want to do it from this side in order to overcome my shortcomings from the past attempt. Not saying that the other end isn't tough and challenging; but, after being out there and knowing that Eagle summit was still ahead, this end seems to be the more challenging of the two legs. Anyway, enough blabbering. For now, here's the line-up for the 06-07 season:
- Two Rivers Tune-up........November....Manny & Tammi racing
- Gin Gin 120.......................December......Tammi racing
- Solstice 100.......................December.....Manny racing
- Copper Basin 300.............January........Manny & Tammi racing (qualifier)
- Chatanika 200..................March............Manny racing (qualifier)

*Possibly the Percy for Manny, if time/finances/weather permit

We'll also do some smaller races in between, if we can. I love this time of year, the excitement, the exhilaration!! It gets even more exciting when you start seeing ice rinds in water bowls, mud puddles, frost on the ground. Tee hee hee! I'm like a little kid at times. Keep checking back. School starts for me in a week, and for the kids in 2 weeks; so, life is going to get very busy. However, I'll try to put updates up here from time to time. Thanks for taking the time to check in with us here at RSK. See ya soon!

-Tammi

Summertime

2006-06-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

Lazy days for the dogs, though I've been super busy! Between those pesky grad classes for that Masters degree, family visiting from out of town, etc., I'm still waiting for vacation to start! Ha ha ha! Good news is that the rain we've been getting has to have helped the fires burning around the state. It's almost cool enough to run dogs...though with temps ranging around 55F for lows are still a bit warm for the dogs to run unless they are going through lots of water. Aw well, August will be here before we know it and fall training will get into gear.

The boys are doing well, growing and learning so much each and every day. Sometimes I wish I could just freeze little moments in time, keep that special smile, that little kiss, etc. Those moments will always be in my heart...but these guys are growing so fast. Devlyn starts the 2nd grade and Conor is already 15 months old, toddling everywhere, fearlessly climbing stairs (just about giving his mom a heartattack!) and already showing a love of dogs. Of course, his name is Irish for 'lover of hounds,' so it's quite fitting.

After losing Kaiser, a friend reached out to us in our grief and presented us with a young, vibrant, new little guy to help with the sorrow. Thus, Brennan has come to live with us and has fast declared Devlyn as his Human. This little black dynamo has us wrapped around his paw.

Pictures will follow in a bit. Gotta go get some homework done while Conor naps. Cheers all!

-Tammi

Have you hugged your dog today?

Checking in

2006-06-09T00:47:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I know it's been a while...always a busy time of year for us, as school ends, then it's time for summer stuff. This year, I'm working on that pesky Masters degree by taking a couple of classes. These are keeping me SUPER busy, as they are 3 week sessions that meet all week for several hours a day...basically a whole semester squeezed into just 3 short weeks. Can you say, "Torture"? Good news is that kids and hubby are doing great and we are happily anticipating a visit from the Grandparents in a week.

We did have some sad events hit so far this summer. First, Dutchess did have a pup, but it was stillborn...so, no puppies. Then, we lost our beloved Great Dane, Kaiser. He had cardial myopathy, and his poor heart gave out. This has hit us very hard, as Kaiser was a very special guy who was a true "gentle giant" with our boys and a complete sweetheart. Unfortunately, Kaiser, at just 19 months, was a giant even among Great Danes and it was just too much for his heart. It is true when they say that these guys are "Heartbreakers". But, the best thing (we've been told by many) is to find a new one to love. It's hard to think like that with the hole in our lives right now. We'll have to see.

Give those you care about (including the furry ones) hugs and tell them what they mean to you. Time moves on swift feet and you never know when it will be gone.

-Tammi

2006-04-12T00:32:00.000-08:00

Remus, Achilles, Ody, Curry & Willy during 2006 Quest 300

2006-04-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

Booger and Feather resting at Angel Creek in the 2006 Quest 300. Feather was in heat, which earned her the spot at the back of the sled, away from the two intact boys, Riley and Willy.

Go Jenny!

2006-04-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Photo by Robert Drozda

Kantishna tryouts

2006-04-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

I took Jenny to Musher's Hall yesterday to put her in with a team of SCL dogs being evaluated for tours in Kantishna. Our shy girl did really well, as did all of the dogs; so, they will all head to Kantishna in June. Jenny has come a long way in the year that we've had her, as she walked on a leash and only became scared if she thought someone was going to touch her. The whole team will be going down in June to run tours for the tourists all summer. We're hoping that the experience will aid Jenny even more in working through her shyness. She's a good sled dog and would be a great benefit to any team, as long as the person is willing to work with her. The tours may be just what she needs to help her realize that we aren't dog-eating monsters!

As for the weather, it's getting warmer, the sun is out for about 13 hours each day, and the snow is melting. Summer is on the way! After the long winters that we have up here, I'm always ready for a bit of sunshine and warmth. Of course, by the end of June, I'll be wishing for winter again. ;o) We're currently working with the yearlings and our 2 pups, putting them in harness and using the atv to work slow. The trails are disintergrating rapidly, so it's getting a bit too sloppy for sleds. The road is real icy, so we're taking a break for a bit while we wait for the roads to clear. Enjoy the sun and warmer temps all!

Valley Funale 2006

2006-03-27T09:03:00.000-09:00

The Valley Funale was again, a fun time with good food and lots of fun. Manny ran our team in the 10 dog class, finishing the 27 mile loop in 2:11, which was good for a 4th place finish. He said that the dogs were running strong at the start, but he quickly caught his first team within the first 2-3 miles. That team had a 2 minute start on Manny, so he knew that the team was running a tad fast for the beginning of a race; he started riding the drag after a nice pass. He said he held them back until they hit the river, which was soft, slow going...at this point, he just let the dogs run and set their own pace. He quickly caught more teams and attempted a pass, but when the dogs went off trail to go around, they soon floundered in deep, soft snow. Manny attempted to walk the dogs through, but he too fell in the snow. Later, he'd leap frog with another team, passed a few more teams, ended up with a tangle after a bad pass with another team (the driver had no snowhook to hook down that team, so couldn't get off the runners to help untangle that team from our team), etc. Our dogs usually pass alright, so Manny was a little frustrated with the tangles, but all in all, he said it wasn't a big deal. I guess Manny was out there helping a few other teams when they needed it. That's my hubby though...always one of the first to offer assistance if it's needed. :o)

Even with some of the bobbles, Manny said the team ran well and looked strong. It's nice to have a decent finish at the end of what has been a rough season for our kennel. Manny will be taking this team and racing them in his qualifiers next season. They are a nice group of dogs and we're looking forward to our first season of full bore training (thanks to a new job for Manny which allows him winters off...YEAH!!).

Devlyn raced in the 2 dog and had a rough run. His dogs were fresh and STRONG! He ran Herod and Munchkin, and they were almost too much for him. The soft trail did Devlyn in, as he tried to kick and ended up on his knees because his boot punched down in the trail and he lost his footing. He held on, until the dogs hit the turn which flipped the sled. But, Devlyn got up, and ran to catch his team. He finished the run on his knees yet again, as he tried to run and help his dogs up a small hill. Those same 2 dogs went on the run for 2 other juniors, giving one girl the 1st place ribbon and the other girl a 4th or 5th place ribbon. Devlyn ended up with the 7th place ribbon...still, not bad for his rough run.

I'll post pictures as we get them developed. Now, I'm just letting my back heal, and we'll be working with our yearlings and pups until the snow is all gone. Manny plans to take the team out for a 20 miler today, to enjoy the sunshine and this great team. It's a shame that I got hurt and they got sick on our last race, as they are a nice, strong running team. That's alright...we're now focusing on next season. We are very excited to take the things we learned this year and apply them to our training regimen next season. Stay tuned for updates throughout the spring/summer/fall. :o)

Rough time

2006-03-20T14:51:00.000-09:00

Well, the CC 200 didn't go as well as we'd hoped. While the dogs ran great in the Quest 300, the Chatanika 200 turned out to be quite different. The first section of trail proved to be challenging with winds drifting the trail over, causing the dogs to slog through drifts both while climbing and dropping down hills. There was a VERY STEEP downhill that lasted for about 1/2 mile that started well. I kept the dogs down to an easy pace (I don't let them lope downhills, which keeps them from getting injured) until about halfway down, at which point the trail was really dug up and trenched. The sled tipped to the left, which caused me to put counter pressure on my right runner. This meant I had to take one foot off the brake. The dogs sped up, which had me stabbing for the brake more, resulting in the sled tipping. NOT COOL! I was drug for a bit, but the dogs responded to my Whoas! and stopped. Unfortunately, the dragging did some damage to my back, though it didn't hurt too much at the time. We did the first 41 miles slowly, coming across the road 5 1/2 hours after the start. The dogs then picked up once they realized we were on home trails and we started passing teams that were resting. I had planned on running straight through to Pleasant Valley, only taking short breaks to re booty and to snack. But several dogs had diarrhea, and then one of my key dogs started necklining. So, I stopped and rested for 3 hours on the Chena River, about 40 miles from PV store. Only 3 teams caught me, but we didn't get in to PV until 3:48am...putting us in next to last place. I ended up having 2 dogs stop on me, though a quick snack soon had them going ok. Unfortunately, I also had a couple of dogs throw up while stopped. They'd obviously picked up a bug, which resulted in their slowing down and not being able to run straight through.

I got them all taken care of then saw to my own needs. I slept for a bit, but when I got up, my back was hurting badly and I was having a hard time moving around. The more I tried to do, the worse my back was getting. It was obvious that I was going to have some severe difficulities with the next section of trail to Angel Creek, as there were advancing glaciers and several areas of overflow/slush/ice. The dogs were not doing so well, though most did eat and drink. However, after conferring with Manny and several race folks at PV store, along with a trail report from Rick Townsend, who scratched upon reaching Angel Creek in 1st place, I made the decision to call it done and wait to try another day. Manny ran the team home, since we live just a mile from PV store. He said there were 4 dogs off their tugs and once in the dog yard, most of the team had diarrhea. Also, I have a pinched nerve and a possible herniated disc in my mid back, though we won't know for sure until my MRI next month. Needless to say, my racing season is over. Manny will be taking a 10 dog team to the Valley Funale next weekend, while Devlyn will be running the 2 dog class. I'll be content to hang out with the baby and help get my 2 racers off on their races.

Next season, Manny will be working on his qualifiers for the 2008 Quest, which he hopes to participate in. In the meantime, we're going to keep working with our team and continue with some light training through the summer months, as temps allow. We did a breeding between Dutchess and Riley, our 2 main dogs in the yard. So, we'll be welcoming a litter in 2 months. Devlyn is excited, as he's our resident "puppy manager" and loves working with pups. Needless to say, this season has been rough all the way around and just didn't pan out the way we would have liked. Still, you live and learn. There's always another race, another time. ;o)

-Tam

Chatanika 200 Preps

2006-03-14T13:22:00.000-09:00

We're into full race prep this week...Thank GOODNESS for Spring Break! Tee hee hee! It's not just for the kiddies, ladies and gents. ;o) Manny and I took teams out yesterday to run towards Angel Creek. Definitely going to be an "interesting" trail again this year (can you say, repeat of the Quest trail 2006?). Large areas of overflow in the regular areas are not fun...to say the least. Manny hit the first patch not long after the road crossing. This area almost always has it and it's looking a lot like it did in the 2004 race (TR 200). The sleds slide to the bottom (right side of the trail) of the overflow, so be prepared. There is some slushy stuff on the other side...of course this will probably get worse by race day due to the warm temps we're now getting. Colorado Creek was frozen over, but it's pretty slick. There's one spot that the dogs have to cross that could be tricky if you don't have good leaders. They have to cross a frozen "stream" that looks inviting for the dogs to just follow. Once you get across that, it's easier to follow the right side of the trail, as there is some powdery snow that offers purchase to the dogs/sled. So far, only the first half of Colorado creek is ice/overflow. (Keep your fingers crossed that it stays that way boys and girls...just 2 weekends ago, it was waist deep, open water there!)

The next nasty section of ice/overflow comes just before the rifle range. It is WIDE open and Manny started through it on foot (hooked the team to a tree to scout the overflow) and only went partially in. It was already halfway up his calf...so, we turned the teams, as we were only going to the rifle range anyway (was just up ahead). Anyway, that section looks real bad, with a ice ledge on the bottom that I can see will dump sleds. It looks a lot like the stuff we faced on the Quest 300...and yes, it's running water. It's only going to get worse, so make sure your bring your snorkels and wet suits, folks. ;o) Yeah! Extreme Mushing Ladies and Gents! You Gotta Love this stuff! (or not?!?)

There's a trail map up on the TRDMA website (www.trdma.org) and a list of the current mushers signed up for the race. Come on out and watch the start at Chatanika Lodge, or help out at the checkpoints at Pleasant Valley Store or Angel Creek. Should be an interesting race this year! I'm off to finish my drops and then take a team out when it cools (30 degrees F right now...Sheesh!). Have a good one and I'll see ya all on the trail.

-Tammi n the kidz