Yukon Quest Drop Bags and Vet Checks

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It's been a whirlwind at the kennel recently! Immediately following Copper Basin, we've been busy packing drop bags and getting our ducks in a row for the YUKON QUEST!!

Yesterday we loaded up a truck's worth of gear for the 1000-miles and dropped it off at Summit Logistics to be shipped out to the various checkpoints by all the incredible Yukon Quest volunteers. Each bag weighed around 40 lbs, and I sent out 38 bags, so that's 1,520 pounds of dog food, dog snacks, booties, runner plastic, gloves, neck gaitors, human food, vet kits, and anything else I might need on the race! Whew!

Today was the Yukon Quest vet checks. Eighteen dogs were thoroughly examined, and the final 14 will be selected prior to the race. The eighteen dogs taken to vet checks were Belle, Cartel, CJ, Coot, Drake, Drummer, Fenton, Fire, Ham, Jana, Katy, Kindi, Lefty, Niagra, Perm, Rucu, Supai, and Goblin. They all received an A+! Here are some photos from the vet checks taken by the incredible photographer Julien Schroder. He'll be following the Quest this year and posting pictures on the Yukon Quest Facebook page.

Fire and Gunhild

Ryne unloading Perm

Jezzy saying vet checks are boring.

Coot loving the attention of the three vets!

Amanda Finishes the Two Rivers 100!

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Amanda and team finished the Two Rivers 100 early this morning with smiles and wagging tails. Way to go!! After a nap, Amanda wrote up the following recap:

At 5:14 this morning after two approximately six hour long runs with a four hour rest in the middle the team and I crossed the finish line of the Two Rivers 100 in 6th place. At the finish line the dogs were still full of energy and excitement. They were barking, wagging their tails, jumping in the air and straining in their harnesses to go forward just like they'd done 16 hours earlier at the race start. During that 16 hours the dogs and I climbed Cleary summit, numerous large hills, crossed and traveled along rivers, creeks and miles and miles of scenic trail. We encountered soft and sometimes challenging trail conditions, long steep climbs and descents, other dog teams and numerous other challenges along the way. I couldn't be more be more pleased with this young teams performance. They traveled along steadily taking everything in stride and had a blast in the process. They climbed steep hills with out hesitation and seemingly tirelessly, and were very patient with me on my numerous stops to check and replace booties that had fallen off or worn out, and adjust coats and leggings. Some of the yearlings took turns in lead and the one who really stood out up front was Ewok. She charged down the trail with confidence and enthusiasm. And while still learning her commands she's well on her way to becoming an excellent lead dog. Ewok and CJ led the team for most of the second run.

The race trail took a little different route than the last time I ran the TR200(longer version of the 100 run at the same time) in 2014 so I got to see some new trail on both runs which is always fun and exciting as well as travel some familiar and enjoyable sections of trail.

The race was a complete success. We met all of our goals for this race which were to give the young dogs a fun, educational and positive first race and have a blast while doing it.
Here is one picture of the team during the first part of the race. I will upload more pictures sometime soon.

Thank you to Maliko for being a great handler and all of her help. Thank you to Ryne for the opportunity and dogs of course. And thank you to all of the race volunteers, fans and sponsors. With out you there would be no race.

Two Rivers 100

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It's race time again!

Amanda with her frosty makeup on

Starting at noon, our good friend Amanda Gecas will be running a team of Ryno athletes in the Two Rivers 100. Who is on her team?

Frosty and Belle

CJ and Fenton

Drake and Coot

Wingman and Ewok

Chagga and Blitz

Wombat and Kindi

The race will begin at Chatanika Lodge then travel 43 miles over Cleary Summit to Two Rivers Lodge. Once there, Amanda and team will take a four hour break then run 50 miles around Two Rivers and the Chena River to finish at Pleasant Valley Store. For Wingman, Ewok, Chagga, Blitz, and Wombat, this will be their first ever race! A big thank you to Amanda for coming out to run the team, and to Maliko for handling for her! The youngsters couldn't have two more experienced coaches on their first race.

Amanda's Training Run Photo

Amanda's Training Run Photo

Copper Basin Wrap Up

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Gorgeous views on the drive home.

It's hard to believe that the 2017 Copper Basin weekend has come to an end. Wow. These dogs. I just keep saying wow. The dogs were INCREDIBLE. I'll be honest, going into the CB, I had planned on taking the minimum rest of 18 hours but otherwise, I had intended to keep them slow and steady to prepare everyone for the Yukon Quest in just 2.5 weeks. We weren't going to race at 10-11 mph, and I had anticipated a solid, middle of the pack finish. Mother Nature played in our favor and dumped snow, slowing the trail and turning a 7.5 mph pace into a competitive, winning speed. If we hit 9 mph (which is a normal cruising speed for most dog teams), you were FLYING during this year's Copper Basin. Glancing at GPS's, most mushers recorded speeds between 5 mph and 8 mph, which is why a 32 mile run took us 4 hours and 30 minutes, and that was a fast time!! Looking back at our run times, we ran a 73 miles in 8:05 then rested 5 hours; ran 32 miles in 4:30 then rested 4 hours; ran 68 miles in 8:06 then rested 6 hours plus our differential of 16 minutes; ran 50 miles in 7:16 then rested 3 hours; and finally ran 60 miles in 9:45 to the finish. In other words, the dogs slogged through the challenging conditions with wagging tails and unbelievable energy!

Cartel- Little Cartel ran in lead the entire 305 miles. She was fast, focused, and defied many assumptions that a little dog isn't the best at breaking trail. She's not loud and flashy (and loves her nap time), but when the time comes to pull the hook, Cartel is ready with ears perked and a fire in her eye.

Ham in the zone before the race.

Ham- Ham co-led with Cartel for the majority of the race until just outside of Mendeltna on the final run into the finish line. Passing teams, breaking trail, slamming his harness to rally the team- Ham is a true leader. His only fault is that he takes on too much responsibility. Leaving Mendeltna, I could tell he'd given 110% for the last 240 miles and had little left in his energy reservoir. Ham moved back into the team and still worked more than his fair share all the way to the finish.

Katy- Katy ran the majority of the race in swing, and continually pressed the pace urging the team to go faster. Like Cartel, she's a tiny little spitfire and proved that trail breaking isn't just for the big dogs. Loping almost the whole race, Katy just wanted to go faster! Whenever we arrived at a checkpoint, Katy loved to lick my face as I took off booties and massaged the dogs around her.

Julien Schroder's amazing photography!

Perm- Perm once again proved why she's the mom of our most recent two litters. Perm never gets tired! Whenever it was time to leave a checkpoint or we stopped for a quick snack break on the trail, Perm would start her high pitched BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK. There's no stealth mode when Perm is in the team.

Niagra- Niagra was beyond rock solid. Like her brother Ham, she was always harness banging and ready to run. Leaving Mendeltna, she was leaping into the air and putting on quite the show! Last year she ran the entire Copper Basin in lead for Maliko, so it was comforting to have her in the team and know that she could step up into a leadership role if need be.

Jana- Jana and Drummer are my little porky sisters that seem to gain weight even when burning 10,000 calories a day racing. She was strong, healthy, and led the final 30 miles into the finish line. Jana prefers to lead on hard-packed fast trails, but she ramped it up for the CB. Jana's shyness did cause a slight issue when she balked at the finish line. She thought it'd be crazy to run into the mass of screaming people with flashing lights in her face. Can you blame her?

Snow snow snow!

Boone- Boone was a last minute add to the CB team because she's one that likes to watch her figure (aka a picky eater). Boy was I glad she was on the team! She was an enthusiastic hard driver who really stepped up on the final run when Ham needed a break. I was already day dreaming of her crossing the finish line in lead, when she took a misstep on the trail and fell through an air pocket in the snow. When she hopped back up, her wrist was sore, so she finished the race in the sled bag (much to her displeasure). Not to worry- she should be 100% soon!

Rucu- As always, Rucu was a powerhouse. He was paired with Lefty the entire race since they're about the same size and watching them work together was mesmerizing. They seemed to gracefully float across the snow. He ate everything, pulled everything, and made sure to throw in his Rucu torpedo face bump every time I walked by.

Lefty- Lefty was the youngest on the team, but with a Copper Basin, Quest 300, and Iditarod finish already on his resume, you couldn't tell that he was any less seasoned. Of all the dogs in the yard, Lefty has one of the fastest recovery rates. After just a couple minutes of shut eye, Lefty was always up a ready to go. He's not much of a cheerleader and rarely barks at hookup, but with his tail held high and bold posture, it's obvious Lefty is excited and ready to go.

Supai- Like his brother Rucu, Supai has always been on the team. He's a bit goofy and trots with his tail straight in the air like a red flag waving around, but his enthusiasm and jovial attitude always gave the team an energy boost. Every time we'd stop, Perm and Supai would join forces and bark, bark, bark. He's another one that I'm pretty sure gained weight on this race. 

Pretty Drummer ready to go!

Drummer- Drummer ran in wheel the whole race and was the perfect sled dog. She ran, pulled, and ate then ate, pulled, and ran some more. She rarely makes noise and is rather shy, but she loves her job and is always ready. Like Supai, Drummer gained weight on this race.

Fez- Fez ran in wheel with Drummer until I dropped her in Tolsona. I was so disappointed to leave her behind (and Fez wasn't happy either), but unfortunately, I think there are still residual effects from her porcupine encounter a couple summers ago. The same wrist quilled by the porcupine started to be a little stiff, and her opposite shoulder developed a tightness to compensate from the discomfort of her wrist. Her energizer bunny attitude and hard driving little trot were sorely missed.

A big thank you to my wonderful handlers Gunhild and Derek (who were runner up for the Golden Rake Award, which goes to the best handler on the race). Also, thank you to Maliko and Shaynee for helping to care for the dogs left behind. Thank you to my mother for updating the blog!

In addition to winning first place, I was overwhelmed with emotion to learn that I was also awarded the Vet's Choice Award and Sportsmanship Award. I don't think weekends can go much better than this last one! Thank you to all the friends, family, sponsors, and dog lovers that make this possible!!

Ladies Sweep it for First, Second, and Third!

I'll try and post more pictures and video over the next couple days. Amanda Gecas will be running a team in the Two Rivers 100 starting on Friday. Saturday the Yukon Quest food drops are due. Sunday is the Yukon Quest vet checks. Time to rock and roll!

 

First team into Mendeltna!

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Ryno Kennel was the first team into Mendeltna, the last check point! She got in at 6:11 this morning. Ryne felt that she was going a lot faster than she did, but there has been some intense snow fall the last couple of hours, so everyone has been going pretty slow. The dogs did really well and everyone was pulling hard! 

Ryne will have to take a 3 hour rest in Mendeltna. The team completed their mandatory 6 hours rest + differential at the Tolsona checkpoint. Other teams have completed more of their mandatory rest, so Ryne probably will not be the first team out of Mendeltna. We are still hopeful the super pups of Ryno Kennel can make up some time out on the trail! 60 miles to the finish!!

Ryne is traveling with 11 strong. Fez was feeling a bit stiff and sore after pulling hard in the deep snow, so she's all cuddled up in the dog truck with the handlers!

Please enjoy the following pictures from Copper Basin's Facebook page. The first three are from Mendeltna, and the last three from Tolsona.

Arriving in Tolsona

First to Tolsona!

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Ryno Kennel Race team is the first team into Tolsona Lake Checkpoint, followed close behind by Nicolas Petit. We are not able to tell you what this really means since all the racers have not taken their mandatory rests times plus start differential, including Ryne's team. We do anticipate Ryne will stay for the mandatroy six hours plus start differential at Tolsona. 

But what we would like to share is a fantastic video recorded live on Facebook by Dwayne Edward Beals. If you do not have a facebook account, after clicking the following link, and it states "To see more from Dwayne Edward Beals on Facebook, log in or create an account." just click "not now". Then join at the 2 minute 40 second mark. Fun seeing a little of what goes on at the check points!

https://www.facebook.com/dwayne.beals/videos/10212350000363958/

Ryne and super handler Derek! (Meiers Lake Check point)

Ryno Kennel Happy and Running Fast

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Ryne and her incredible teammates from Ryno Kennel passed lot of teams on the first leg yesterday, from Glennallen to Sourdough. They came into the check point as number 5, starting out as bib number 30! The dogs got a good rest and are currently on their way to the next check point, Meiers Lake - 34 miles away. All 12 dogs are doing great!

Are you awake and want to see the fun on the live tracker?! Here's the link: http://www.cb300.com/racecentral.aspx

2017 Copper Basin Team Roster

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Meet the 2017 Copper Basin Team!

Cartel and Ham are starting in lead, Perm and Katy in swing, Niagra and Boone, Rucu and Lefty, Supai and Jana, and Fez and Drummer in wheel.

It was a VERY hard decision to pick the final 12 since there are 20 solid adults in training! While we're racing the Copper Basin, Maliko will be staying back at the kennel and running the remaining dogs to ensure that they keep their miles up.

Throughout the race, my wonderful mother Katy will be updating the blog. We hope to have updates on our Facebook page as well. Fans can also follow on the Copper Basin webpage (www.cb300.com) or the Copper Basin Facebook page. Two days and counting!!