Aliy and Team to UNK

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This is a photo taken by Sebastian Schnuelle of Aliy and team on the way to Unalakleet. What makes this picture so awesome? Not only is Aliy having an incredible race, but check out who has been leading with Quito---WAYLON! Waylon couldn't look less like a sled dog. With a short coat and wiry body, he looks like a whippet. His bark sounds like a mixture between a frog and an old man coughing. Waylon and I were both rookies in the 2012 Iditarod. Who would have thought this little guy would be a leader on a top Iditarod team. So cool.

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Start of the Chatanika 100

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Derek and team took off from Chatanika Lodge today around 12:50 this afternoon. He was the second to last team to leave the lot. When he reached the starting line, the timekeeper said, "You're the calmest musher yet." Sounds like Derek.

Here are some pictures from the morning, and I'll post a video soon. Next stop, Two Rivers Lodge 50 miles down the trail.

Leader Training

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Unfortunately this year, I was not able to go down to Anchorage for the Iditarod start. I felt like one of the dogs left in the yard, howling and crying, when everyone else heads out on an adventure. After watching all the Iditarod Insider videos, reading all the articles, and cheering on our favorite teams - SP Kennel - I hit the trails to work out some of the anxious energy. I decided today would be a leader training day. Each yearling had their turn at leading the team, and one yearling in particular really surprised me: Sally.

This entire winter, I have yet to see little Sally tired. At 33 lbs, she is always happy and full of energy. However, she also was a bit immature. On long training runs, she would get bored and try to play with her neighbor or pick up booties left on the trial. Yet the past couple weeks, there's been a change. Sally has been incredibly focused and driven, but even so, I've kept her to the back of the team. Today, in lead, she wasn't just leading, she was driving. Passing other teams and the occasional moose, she was all focus and kept trying to go faster. Needless to say, I'm excited about the future of this little dog. 

Ducks

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Remember these little guys? Well, they're not so little anymore. At 5 1/2 months, the Ducks are growing fast. From left to right, Drake is the biggest. He is very affectionate and cries in excitement whenever he gets attention. Eider reminds me of Stormy, who is his half aunt. They both have narrow little heads and love attention. On free runs, both he and Stormy heel. 

Left to right- Brant, Coot, Cayenne (SP), Drake, Champ (SP)

Left to right- Brant, Coot, Cayenne (SP), Drake, Champ (SP)

Coot is competitive. He wins every game of tug-of-war, even when he's playing against bigger dogs like Jezzy. He also loves back rubs. Brant is crazy. He's incredibly independent and will just take off running in a random direction during puppy walks. Luckily, he listens and comes running back. Left to right- Drake, Eider, Coot, and Brant. 

Northern Lights

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This evening, the team and I went on a nice stretch out run, during which I noticed two things:

1. I didn't need my headlamp until almost 6:15!

2. Incredible Northern Lights were out in full force by 6:45! Amazing! I love it when the northern lights are out before my bedtime.