Oh Happy Day!
/Nothing makes a gal happier than a brand "new" band saw! So much joy in a sharp blade, strong motor, and precision sliced fish.
White Mountain Campout
/Last weekend, Maliko, Spencer, and I took all the adult athletes for a training run in the White Mountains Recreation Area. The beautiful scenery in the White Mountains never gets old with all the frost tipped black spruce and wide rolling hills. Even the areas previously torched by wildfires have their own beauty. It's as if we're visiting a desolate planet inhabited only by our silently moving dog teams. The feeling is amplified at night when your entire world is made up of the tunnel of the headlamp and twinkling stars in every direction. No Northern Lights on this trip, but it was stunning nonetheless.
WINTER Video
/Blue skies, snow, puppies, and sleds- it's winter at its finest!
Meet Maliko
/We're very excited to have Maliko join the Ryno Kennel Crew this year. She has years of dog experience in both mushing and training, plus she lived at the kennel during the summer of 2013 when the Outlaws and Ducks were born! Maliko and I worked together at my very first handling job, and I'm so excited she'll be bringing her wealth of knowledge to Ryno Kennel for the season!
"You are you. Now isn't that pleasant?" - Dr. Seuss
/Fish and Yuker with Blitz in the background.
Ham's View of the World
/We just received a new GroPro and the canine mount. Ever wonder what Ham sees when he's getting ready to go for a run? Check out this video! Warning- not for people prone to motion sickness.
The Man Behind the Scenes
/The man, the myth, the legend. One day fixing the brakes, rotors, and shocks on the dog truck, and the next day sewing sled bags and wing covers. Building dog boxes, sleds, cabins- here's to the man behind the scenes- Derek! Thanks Babe!
A Relaxing Sunday
/That time I thought a Sunday morning with puppies would be relaxing. Lesson learned.
First Campout of the Season
/With fresh snow on the ground, Maliko and I took the dogs on their first campout of the season! Bluebird skies, fresh snow, and spunky dogs- what more could you want? The dogs have been doing exceptionally well in training, tackling hills, overflow, ice, or any other obstacle in the trail.
While some of these photos show the dogs resting, I have to be honest: they camped terribly. After about 30 minutes (during which CJ destroyed all nearby trees), the team unanimously voted that it was time to leave. All the athletes stood and began barking and slamming their harnesses. Maliko and I tried to fight the surge and calm everyone, but we soon realized it was a lost cause. Next time, we'll be sure to run farther before giving everyone a break.
At the very least, it was a beautiful day for a campout. Enjoy the pictures!
New Leaders
/As I've mentioned in prior posts, several of the dogs have matured immensely over the summer and are stepping into leadership roles. I've been thrilled to see all the new "leaders in training" including Lefty, Niagra, Fez, Derby, Perm, Coot, Eider, Boone, Sally, Amy, Rucu, and a new surprise- Belle! Watch the video to see this little spitfire dominate. In the video, Rucu is also shining in his first leader run of the season. For all the fans of the trail-hardened leaders, not to worry, the regulars like Fire, Ham, Cartel, and Katy are getting plenty of time up front too.
The 2015-2016 Race Schedule
/We have officially signed up for all our races for the 2015-2016 race season!
Why is this a big deal?
Signing up for mid-distance races has become extremely competitive. Races like the Copper Basin 300 and Knik 200 filled up within minutes with an extensive waitlist, creating a "mushing cyber-race." How quickly can you type in your information and click a submit button? Luckily, we have access to high-speed internet (by Alaska standards), and my accounting experience has given me ample time to practice my speed typing. Joking aside, overcrowded races is a great problem to have since it means the sport of mushing is as strong as ever!
To alleviate the stress of signing up, some races have revamped the sign up process. For the 2016 Copper Basin, top ten finishers from the 2015 Copper Basin had the opportunity to sign up early. The remaining slots were filled on a first come, first serve basis starting at 10 AM. I was allowed to sign up early, but we got an adrenaline rush signing up the Ryno Kennel Team #2 run by Maliko. The huge surge of mushers attempting to click the Submit button overwhelmed the server, causing the CB website to crash. A few emails and phone calls later, and Maliko made the list! Thanks to all the CB volunteers who worked hard to fix the problem and document sign ups.
The Tustumena 200 tried a different technique, allowing the top 15 Iditarod finishers from 2015 to sign up first, then everyone else signed up between 8 AM and 5 PM last Friday. A drawing was held on Saturday night for the starting order. Spoiler alert- Ryno Kennel will be starting #28! I've never raced the Tustumena before due to its proximity to the Yukon Quest (it starts the weekend before), and the race has been cancelled the last two years due to lack of snow on the Kenai Peninsula. Fingers crossed it will run this year!
So what is the 2015-2016 Race Schedule?
December 5th- Alpine Creek Excursion Race (55 miles): Ryne and Maliko
January 9th- Copper Basin 300: Ryne and Maliko
January 23rd- Two Rivers 100: Maliko
January 30th- Tustumena 200: Ryne
February 6th- Quest 300: Ryne and Maliko
March 5th- Iditarod Sled Dog Race: Ryne
**The race schedule is subject to change based on weather, trail, and above all, the well-being of the athletes.
