Exploring Denali - A Dog Sledding Adventure

I suppose everyone differs on what they believe to be an agreeable temperature, or perhaps even an agreeable season. That being said, it is incredible how quickly the human body can adapt. Perhaps we might be a little strange, but we are quickly becoming devotees to frozen lands of the world. After spending four days dog sledding through Denali National Park, our devotion is quickly growing stronger.

There is nothing better than being in nature - far away from everything. It is so refreshing not to see power lines and trash scattered everywhere. No cell phones, no email, no unwanted distractions. Just vast and untamed beauty.

Watching the dogs run is an experience in itself. The look on the face of each dog is that of sheer happiness, despite their frozen whiskers. When they run, it is sheer power and true joy. If they did not want to run, they would not run. They love it, they crave it, and they are happy to harness up.  There is a statute of Balto* that stands in Central Park in New York City. It reads "Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed anti toxin 600 miles over treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925 – Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence”. The words describing the dogs could not be more accurate.

Even more so, there is something tranquil about dog sledding - just you and your team. You must trust them, and they must trust you. There are times when you must rely on their animal instincts, despite your better judgment. There are moments where the human soul seems to transcend all bounds and combine with the strong, indomitable spirit of the sled dog.  What does that moment feel like? It cannot be explained (although I will try), only experienced.  It is an overwhelming sense of peace and strength mixed with the feeling that anything (and I do mean anything) is possible. After all, sled dogs can withstand and accomplish far more than most humans can ever dream.  Why not harness that spirit and apply it to our own lives?

*If you are not familiar with Balto's story, Balto was a sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the serum run to Nome in 1925, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage to Nenana by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of diphtheria. The serum run is commemorated by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. 

Check out a video of our trip here!

 Headed out with our teams

 With our incredibly knowledgeable guide, Mike.

 Manook and Sky with Gabby and friend in wheel

Joy and Jade

 Nick and Sham

 Beautiful Jade on the river

Christmas is almost here!

As Christmas approaches, the weather is starting to feel quite appropriate. We had a bit of sleet and snow this week, although it was not enough for the sled. Nevertheless, the pups had a wonderful time running and chasing each other through the yard in the muddy slush.

Calypso is making leaps and bounds in her training. She is running farther and faster, and she is truly enjoying each run. We are very pleased with her, and love that she is eager to head out the door for each training session. Ruger and Denali have been great teachers for her, and she especially loves running with them.

We hope you enjoy this week leading up to Christmas. Although the season can be hectic, we wish you peace, tranquility, and happiness.

Ruger loves the Christmas tree and will switch his gaze between the television and the tree. In the meantime, he attempts to steal a cup of hot chocolate. 

Training Video

Here is a video from a training run today.

Frosty Paws 5k

Congrats to Denali and Nick who brought home a championship today! It was a wonderful morning for a race. 

Nick and Denali before the race.

This morning we attended the Frosty Paws 5k in Springfield, MO benefiting the Boxer Schnauzer Rescue of the Ozarks (BSRO).

Nick had not had a chance to race with Denali before today, so this was special for both of them. Denali is Nick's snuggle buddy and today she had a chance to race with him as well.

The course is an out and back, and Denali tends to do better on loop courses. However, she did well today and listened to her commands. She met quite a few new friends including a very pretty newfie.

We are so proud of the dogs and their accomplishments this year. They have all made strides in their training, and we are so grateful for them.

Joy, Nick, and Denali after the race. 

Happy Birthday, Calypso!

We were fortunate enough to have Calypso (Caligy is her nickname) join our family in June. Although we are not sure of her real birthday, today is a good estimate based on what we know about her. So, we have chosen to celebrate her special day today. She is currently celebrating by finishing up a treat and settling in for a nap on this cold day.

Over the past few weeks, she has made tremendous progress with her running. She is getting stronger, faster, and is building endurance. Over the holiday, she pulled the rig with Ruger and Denali for the first time. We kept the pace slow and made sure not to go too far, but she did an incredible job. We are so proud to see the progress she is making, and we love seeing the smile on her face when she runs.

Nick and Calypso

Snow!

It is November 16 and we have our first snow of the season. It has been snowing most of the day, and while there is not a large amount of accumulation, it is still quite pretty. We do not usually have snow in November, and many of the trees still have their colorful fall leaves.

There is not quite enough snow to get the sled out, but we are getting excited as we gear up for winter. Perhaps Calypso will get a chance to try pulling the sled this winter! She is doing much better on her runs, and she is gaining endurance and strength. We are pleased with her progress, and we are very happy to have her in our family.

Rig Rendezvous - Canicross Time!

This weekend was one of the best weekends we have had in a long time. We had the chance to travel to Woodstock, Illinois to compete in our first true canicross event at the Bill Leonard Memorial Rig Rendezvous (Rig Rondy) presented by Adopt a Husky. Living in southwest Missouri, we are the "oddballs" with sled dogs. People think we are a little strange when we head out on the trail with the rig or sled. It was refreshing for us to hear people using mushing terms and to be surrounded by other Alaskan Malamutes, Huskies, Samoyeds, and mushers. As we were sitting in the mushers meeting, we smiled at each other when we heard the race director saying things like gee, haw, and neckline - no one uses these terms at home.

Nick competed in the 1 dog canicross event with Ruger, and Joy competed in the 1 dog canicross event with Denali. Both Ruger and Denali came away from the race as canicross champions! The course was about 1.2 miles and was held at the Red Barn Farm Market. The trail was well kept and absolutely beautiful.

Calypso traveled with us to the event, but did not participate. We are still working on building her endurance, but wanted her to have a chance to be around the other dogs and experience the energy of the race.

We are in the process of looking for more canicross, dryland, and sled races. We cannot wait to attend Rig Rondy again next year. If you are looking for a great first time event, we highly recommend this event. They have options for scooter, rig, bikejor, and canicross. They also have a fun relay event!

This was a wonderful experience for us and for the dogs and we are looking forward to many more.

Check out the results of the race here.
Check out a few photos of the race here.

 Prior to the race

Prior to the race

After the race with their awards

Ruger and Denali's canicross awards

Joy and Denali

Nick and Ruger