Travel

If there were one word to describe this week it would be TRAVEL. All within a week, we will arrive at Nature’s Kennel and then drive five days to Alaska!
Yesterday, Vanessa, Katy (mom), Mike (dad), Alaska and I drove from Durango to Albuquerque for our return to Nature’s Kennel. Alaska slept some of the way, as one picture shows. And of course, safety first! (The other picture shows Alaska with her seat belt on). Alaska absolutely loves road trips, but I don’t think she quite realized all that would go into air travel. Once we arrived in Albuquerque, she hopped right into her crate for the flight to Chicago, then on to Marquette, Michigan. She seemed relaxed enough on the motionless conveyer belt, but as the belt began to rotate, she was less than pleased. I must admit, like a worried parent, I was slightly anxious as Alaska disappeared into the dark luggage hole. But upon arriving in Chicago, my worry was put to rest as I saw the attendant playing with Alaska through the crate while unloading her from the plane. In Marquette, we were greeted by the ever-smiling Maliko. We were all happy to be back on the ground, but I think Alaska was the most pleased as she playfully sprinted around the parking lot.
Last night, instead of driving the two hours back to the kennel, Nate and Lindsay were so generous and invited us to stay at their house outside of Marquette. Not only did they provide us with a delicious dinner and homemade bread, but also Lindsay made fruit pancakes for us this morning. Alaska thoroughly enjoyed her stay as well since she got to play with their two Beagles, Mya and Amber. Thank you Nate and Lindsay!
For the next few days, we will be busy packing and preparing the 60 dogs for the long drive north to Alaska! The word of the week couldn’t be travel without this five-day continuous drive to Skagway and Juneau for the summer season. I’ll keep you posted on the epic drive!

Dog-Crazed

As I have mentioned, I grew up in quaint little Durango, Colorado amongst the Rocky Mountains (although by McMillan standards, Durango is a bustling metropolis). And like most small towns, everyone knows everyone. On a short trip to the grocery store, I’m sure to see at least five people I know, meaning that any “short” trip is never short. But this is one aspect that makes the town so wonderful. That, and Durango by definition is dog-crazed. Everyone has a dog, or two, or three, and they bring their dogs everywhere. The dog park is not just a place of exercise, but it’s a social scene. Like a bar, the dog park has regulars depending on what time you visit. Ruby the German Shepard frequents the dog park around 6 after work, whereas Chacha the lab visits on her lunch break. You can expect to see a dog in many cars, most yards, and a good number of the retail stores. Knowing Durango’s obsession with dogs, it is no wonder that our little Alaska, sprawled out and posing for the camera, wound up on the front page of the Durango Herald. John Peel, a columnist for the paper, wrote a wonderful article about our recent school presentations and my dog sledding dream job. I’m so glad that I was able to go to my local schools and share the wonderful experiences I’ve had at Nature’s Kennel. Thank you John Peel and 9-R teachers!
Ms. Hillmer’s 6th grade class from Team Ocelot wrote some fantastic thank you letters with a few follow-up questions. I’ll do my best now to answer those questions!
1. Austin asked, “Have you ever seen a shopping cart sled?” and “What percentage of people actually make it to the finish?”
a. Austin, I must say that I have not yet seen a shopping cart sled, but that just leaves room for you to create one! Find an old cart, attach a couple runners, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It might not steer the best, but that will only make it more fun! This year, 71 people started the Iditarod and 55 finished. Now, my math is a little rough (even though I’m currently a math major), but that means 77% of mushers finished. You’ll have to check my work.
2. Darby asked, “Could the race be deadly dangerous?”
a. Luckily, Darby, no mushers have died on the Iditarod. The qualifications are becoming more and more strict to help keep the slate clean!
3. Molly asked, “How long does it take until the pups are ready for a race?”
a. This is a tough question, Molly, because it depends on the puppy and it depends on the race. This year, we had an incredible litter called the Steeler puppies that ran in the Taquahmenon Race at 7-8 months old! In the Iditarod, the youngest dogs are around 1 ½ years old.
I hope I answered your questions and thanks for the opportunity to visit your class!

Home for Vacation

Over the past two weeks, Vanessa, Alaska, and I have been touring schools in the 9-R school district in Durango, CO (my home town) and giving hour-long presentations on dog sled racing and the Iditarod. What a thrill it has been! During the presentations, the students have the opportunity to bootie and harness Alaska; model a Cabela’s suit, big mitts, and Trans-Alaskan boots; and explore the ins and outs of a real racing sled. Thank you Greg and Gretchin Dubbit for lending us your sled!
I’ve been very impressed with the depth and thoughtfulness of the questions. During my presentation for Ms. Colyar’s second grade class, I explained how the dogs pull four-wheelers in the Fall to build muscle, just like human athletes lift weights. One student raised her hand and asked if the quads were on and in gear during training. And she was in second grade! I was quite impressed that she understood and recognized the difference. After her question, I made sure to mention that the four-wheelers are in gear during Fall training. Other questions were more common, like “Where do you sleep?” or “What happens if you loose your dog team?” Judging by the number of times I was asked, “How can I train my own dogs to pull and lead?” there will soon be lots of new mushers in the dog sledding community!
Of course, the real reason that the presentations have been such a success is Alaska. She plays her role perfectly, slowing melting onto her back and getting belly rubs from swarms of kids. When I call her up to the front of the room for a demonstration, she jumps to hear feet, then gracefully trots amongst the rows of students, stopping periodically for a pat on the head here, a scratch on the back there. I think Alaska believes she is a budding movie star. When a photographer came from the paper, Alaska must have thought that it was her big break into show biz. She slowly rolled over, placed her paw on the photographer’s knee, and then cocked her head.
Don’t worry though, we’ve kept Alaska’s ego in check. We are frequent visitors to the Durango Dog Park, along with Maybel the hound dog and Luka the lab. All the dogs remind Alaska that sprinting across fields, swimming in the river, and rolling in “sweet” smelly things are way better than posing for cameras. When it’s not too hot, Alaska also pulls me on my longboard, which turns out to be a great way to work on gee/haw commands.