Ryno Athletes Arrive in Dawson City

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12 amazing Ryno Kennel athletes arriving in Dawson City. Kindi and Belle were left in Scroggie Creek due to shoulder soreness. Neither were happy being left behind and were very vocal as the team pulled out. Ryne will miss her two biggest cheerleaders. (Kindi and Belle caught a ride into Dawson and now travel back to Fairbanks in the handler's truck.)

After arriving at the check-in in downtown Dawson City, the team still had a few mile run to the campground. In the past, the Yukon River was frozen all the way across at the check-in, but with an open river, teams were having to travel upstream to find an ice bridge that spanned all the way across, and finally the dogs are across and almost to their resting spot.

First each pup needs a vet check

Katy first

Jana & Lefty patiently wait their turn

Supai doesn't think he needs a vet check.

Niagra's turn while Rucu and Finton wait for their turns.

"My turn! My turn, please!"

Drummer says "Oh Shaynee, that feels so good!"

CJ is so patient!

Veterinarians and Vet techs travel from near and far volunteering their time -- Thank you ALL!

Massage time!

After vet checks, feeding, massaging, and bedding down the pups, Gunhild and Shaynee will settle into the handler's tent close by.

And Ryne will now get fed, showered, and settle in for her nap!!

Way to go Ryno Kennel -- we are so proud of these amazing young athletes.

What Handlers do in Dawson City by Smokin' Ace Sled Dog Kennel

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Ryno Kennel's soon to be neighbor back home in Fairbanks, Smokin' Ace Sled Dog Kennel, has just posted a wonderful write up explaining how the handler's prepare for their musher's and team in Dawson City and what goes on during the 36 hour layover. Ryne's handler extraordinaires are currently preparing her team's camping spot, so pictures will follow later. But in the meantime, please enjoy Smokin' Ace Sled Dog Kennels write-up from their Facebook page:

From Matt Hall's Smokin' Ace Sled Dog Kennel -- Handler’s Role in Dawson:

Handler’s Role in Dawson:
So we know what the handler’s role is while following the musher down the trail from checkpoint to checkpoint, but what do we do during the 36-hr layover here in Dawson? Well, there is plenty of nightlife here to entertain us if we were on vacation (anyone hear of the Soured Toe Cocktail? http://dawsoncity.ca/attraction/sourtoe-cocktail-club/) 
But that’s not on our priority list for this trip up North, we are d-o-g oriented!
Handler’s usually arrive 12 plus hours ahead of their musher to Dawson City, as it’s only 155 miles by truck and 210 by dog team. First we check in with Quest HQ and pick up our Musher’s packet full of vouchers and rules, then load up the truck with straw bails and Matt’s drop bags. We head across the river via the Ice Road, traversing the river over the Ice Bridge and pull down into the campground to find our assigned campsite. The site provides nothing but trees to string up a tarp.
After we determine which location in the site would be best suited for the tent, based on trees, we get to shoveling out the deep snow, packing a base, hammering together our framed in dog picket and string the tarp over 3 lines creating a peak and two lower sides. We pack the trap ends with snow and stack a short wall of straw bails on the end. The rules state the tent has to be open ended enough for ventilation and not fully enclosed. A heat source is also not permitted. We layer the floor of the tent with straw (we brought 2 bails and the Quest provides 4), with ample to spare to cover the dogs when bedding down (frosting on the cake!).
From there we set up our totes of treats, snacks, kibble, cooker, dog jackets, shoulder warmers, wrist wraps, massage oil and liniments in an orderly fashion—We’ll be needing these shortly!
Now onto our camping arrangements. This year we brought a wall tent provided by @Bush Alaska Expeditions—Thank you for providing us with our shelter! We hook up the barrel stove, stove pipe and the Quest provides us with firewood for our wood heat. There’s no floor to the wall tent so we shoveled it out to the ground and use bags of emptied drop bags as padding. The wood stove keeps the place nice and toasty even though it’s a frigid 30 below!
All said and done, it takes close to 4 hours to construct.
Next, we WAIT…. religiously watching the trackers and hitting refresh.
Once our team finally arrives, the real job starts. We essentially become full time doggy masseuses and glorified dog walkers. From Time 0 when Matt checks in, our clock start counting down from 36 hrs. First things’ first, FOOD! The dogs get a nice big meal, with lots of water and hearty chunks of meat & kibble. We toss out homemade treats filled with all the essential vitamins and supplements. We get them undressed from their racing gear (harness, jackets, booties etc) and check in with Matt to see if any dog has special areas of concern. By this time the Race Veterinarians are usually here to go through their mandatory half-way mark vet check. We need to stress how wonderful it is to have this crew on board to look over each dog with a professional eye and assess each dog’s individual health. Next we give them each a full body massage (They LOVE this part) and inspect their muscles and joints looking for knots and sore paws, wrists and shoulders. If we find any of the above we address it with our sports medicine experience acquired from years of running dogs and handling. On hour 6, we wake the dogs and bring them each for a nice walk to stretch out their muscles & let them use the bathroom. We’re heavily scrutinizing their gaits, pee color and stool consistency for any abnormalities. Are they dehydrated? Are they showing signs of hyponutremia (Being over hydrated is no better than being dehydrated and occurs when your sodium levels are too low, opposed to being too high.) Does their skin tent when pulled or is it elastic and quickly return to its previous state when pulled? What color are their stools—Brown: Good; Black: Bad. Consistency: Solid, runny, in between? Do they have a stomach bug? Do they need more fiber? Probiotics? Less water? What color are their gums: healthy pink or pale? Are they limping? Or are they just a little a stiff from waking up (if you were to watch Matt wake up from a nap, you’d think he was 90 years old by the way he hobbles around). All these things we log in our notes and address the issues.
And…Repeat. Every 6 or so hours until hr 32-ish when we wake up our musher from his cozy hotel room (previously stocked with juices, sports drinks, pizza and snacks) and return him to his team with a thawed out sled, dry parka, bibs and gear and a rejuvenated dog team rearing to go.
By the time he says “Let’s Go!”, us handlers are dog tired (pun intended)! We get a couple hours to nap, then it’s a 1,000- mile drive to get back over to the American side of the international race and to the next checkpoint.
And that folks, is why we're here! And we love it.

Dawson City -- taken by Smoken' Ace Sled Dog Kennel

Braeburn through Carmacks to Pelly on the Yukon Quest

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What a run Ryno Kennel is having! After a 5 hour rest in Braeburn, Ryne and the pups left Braeburn at 7:08 AM Sunday morning with a plan to camp on the trail before Carmacks. With all going as scheduled, Ryne ran through Carmacks with a short 15 minute stop to resupply from her drop bags. All the dogs were straining at their harnesses during that stop, wanting to get back on the trail, and that was a wonderful sight. With the weather dropping into the -30s on the trail at night, the pups were having fun -- remember 2 years ago on this trail it was in the -40s and -50s, so this feels warmer! Pulling into Pelly Crossing at 10:59 this morning, all pups looked great. After a thorough Vet check, lunch, and massages, all bedded down for a long nap. That is all the dogs got a long nap! From the time they pulled in, after feeding each dog, giving each a massage, eating herself, Ryne caught a two hour nap. Ryne was then back up, working on her sled, waking pups to feed and stretch legs, bootying all 14!, and getting ready for the trail. And boy did they look good leaving the yard, Kindi, Drake, and Coot barking the loudest.

Please enjoy pictures from the checkpoints.

Thanks again to all the wonderful Volunteers. Here are the "check in" volunteers at Braeburn (the line of people in the distance are anxiously awaiting the teams at the Carmacks recreation center)

Arriving at 9:15 PM into Carmacks, Kindi wanted to know why they were stopping. 

But by 9:30 PM, Ryne had the team headed down the trail.

Next stop, Pelly Crossing where the local kids had decorated for the coming mushers!

The chefs at Pelly Crossing were busy preparing warm meals for mushers, and also selling them to the rest for a small donation to the local community childrens' programs.

A quiet, dark space is saved in the back of this room for handlers and volunteers to catch a nap while waiting for mushers (thanks Pelly Crossing!)

Here comes our favorite team into Pelly Crossing on Monday at 10:59 AM!

Lunch time!

Vet checks

Massages for all the incredible athletes!

Another great meal from the volunteers before a short nap for our favorite musher.

While the dogs rest:

Under the watchful eye of onlookers who are not allowed to step into the dog yard:

The mushers resupply their bags and fix their sleds.

6 1/2 hours later, at 5:30 PM our favorite team is out of Pelly Crossing and back on the trail.

Go Ryno Kennel Go!!

First 24 hours on Yukon Quest

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Ryno Kennel left the start of the 2017 Yukon Quest at 11:42 AM yesterday. With internet spotty on the trail, this is our first chance to post some pictures of the first amazing day on the trail. Please enjoy!

First off, a picture of some amazing Yukon Quest volunteers at the start of the race: hundreds of volunteers are needed: from Veterinarians, Vet techs, race officials, logistic staff, timing staff and handlers. Thank you, thank you for making this amazing race possible.

Picture by Julien Schroder.

Ryne with Cheryl, her "Quest Guest" -- thanks for the photo Chance McLaren

Following are more wonderful pictures below by Julien Schroder

Following is a picture shared by Murray Lundberg; taken 4 hours down the trail on the Takhini River.

Gunhild, Ryno Kennel Handler, enjoying a delicacy at the Braeburn checkpoint!

Ryne enjoying a breakfast for champions, 3:45 AM this morning. Soon after Ryne left with 14 excited pups ready to get back on the trail.

The Yukon Quest Team!

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The group on a walk in Whitehorse.

I'm excited to announce this year's 2017 Yukon Quest Roster!

Katy- 4-year-old Yukon Quest veteran. Katy has been a leader in training and mid-distance racing, so I'm hoping she'll step it up to be a main leader in this year's Quest team. Her namesake, Katy Human (my mother) is rooting for her from the sidelines!

Lefty

Lefty- 3-year-old Quest rookie. This will be Lefty's first Quest; however, he finished everything (including Iditarod) last year. He has been leading a lot in training, so like Katy, I'm hoping he'll be one of the go-to leaders. He's a bit of a weirdo, but he's lovable and has limitless energy.

Fenton- 3-year-old Quest rookie. Like his brother Lefty, Fenton finished everything last year. He's not a leader, but he seems to have an exceptionally short recovery time and is always ready to go when it's time to pull the hook. Fenton doesn't make much noise or bang his harness, but he stands tall and alert to let you know it's game time.

Belle- 3-year-old Quest rookie. Belle has been looking great in training, but I'll be honest, she was dog #18 on the Quest roster. With the minor injuries to other dogs, Belle is getting her chance to shine! She's a little more lackadaisical than her siblings, and while she does pull, she likes to leave a little in the tank, which is great for a 1000-mile race.

CJ- 3-year-old Quest rookie. CJ probably has the BEST recovery time of any dog I've ever seen, but that being said, she also is easily bored. If CJ can stay focused throughout the whole race, I'd bet she'll be one of the best dogs in the team. If CJ decides that the Quest trail isn't as interesting as advertised, then well, she might choose to end her race early. I'm hoping she'll stay focused the whole race!

Niagra- 5-year-old Quest veteran. Niagra has been incredible in all the mid-distance races, but she has yet to finish either the Yukon Quest or Iditarod (although she was in both teams) Both times, she was a cheerleader and strong team dog, but small issues would prevent her from finishing. My goal for Niagra- to finish!

Coot- 3-year-old Quest rookie. Coot is starting to hit his prime and is looking stronger than ever. He loves to eat, loves to pull, and especially loves to pop my snowhook (meaning he gets the team moving even when I want them to remain stopped). He finished the Iditarod last year, so he's ready!

Drake- 3-year-old Quest rookie. Drake will most likely be running a lot with his brother Coot. They both have similar gaits and work well together, plus there's not a more lovable pair to snuggle when camping. Drake is a monster in the hills, so watch out Eagle Summit!

Jana

Jana- 5-year-old Quest veteran. Jana really stepped it up in last year's Iditarod and ran the last 750 miles in lead, so she's my secret weapon. The responsibility of leading can occasionally be a big burden for Jana, so she'll remain comfortably in team until it's time for her speed! This little girl has finished everything and never had a slack tug- she can do anything!

Drummer- 5-year-old Quest rookie. Drummer has really come out of her shell this year. Even though she's been with the kennel for three years now, she's made me work hard for her affection! Recently, I feel like I've finally gotten in her good graces. Drummer has finished ever race that she's ever started, loves to eat, and does best when running with her sister Jana.

Rucu- 4-year-old Quest veteran. This. Dog. He's my rock. He'll be running with Fenton since they're about the same height. Even though he's not a leader, Rucu takes it upon himself to make sure that the sled never stops moving.

Supai- 4-year-old Quest veteran. Like his brother Rucu, Supai is just rock solid. I'll probably run him with his sister Kindi because I love to run siblings together. They also both inhale their food on the trail, so this way they won't be stealing food from neighbors.

Kindi- 4-year-old Quest veteran. Kindi is looking stronger than ever. She's built like her mom, Scooter, and can sometimes get a sore tricep if we're training too fast. Because of this, Kindi stayed home during Copper Basin and is 150%- she's ready to dominate the Quest.

Goblin- 4-year-old Quest rookie.  For those of you who followed our Iditarod last year, you'll probably recognize this name. Goblin officially joined Ryno Kennel a couple weeks ago from Sebastian Schnuelle. Since running in the 2016 Iditarod and falling in love with his shy but affectionate personality, I've been pestering Sebastian about Goblin. I can't wait to run another 1000-miles with him.

And there you have it! The final 14!

You might notice that some big names are missing from the roster this year. Truthfully, I was pretty devastated when I made the call for them to sit out this race because they're some of my main leaders and core teammates. I have so much trust and faith in them that it's hard to imagine traveling 1000-miles without them, but dogs ALWAYS come first. We might have to run a slower pace, and we might not be as competitive, but the entire reason we run is to share this adventure with the dogs. They come first!

Fire's sore shoulder came back. I babied her in training, hoping that I could keep her healthy to run the Quest, but I'm afraid her shoulder issue is becoming more common as she ages. Fire will forever be one of the best leaders that I've ever had the honor of following. Fingers crossed that next year, she'll be healthy. If not, she'll be the BEST puppy trainer around!

Ham believes that he should be on the team, but the vets and I say no. During the Copper Basin, Ham developed a bump about the size of a dime just above the middle toe on his back paw. It never seemed to cause him discomfort, but I wanted to get it checked out before embarking on a 1000-mile race. Sure enough, the bump formed due to an agitated toe tendon (the vets have a much more complicated phrase, but that's my dumbed down understanding). Even if they aren't causing pain, tendons take several months to heal. Ham is unhappily resting the remainder of the season, but he'll be glad when he's 100% next year!

Cartel's tricep has been a little tight the past couple of weeks. Typically, long massages and heat packs are enough to loosen up triceps, but her's has been very persistent. Cartel has started every race with me, so it was a very hard decision to leave her behind.

Perm has a tight pectoral muscle. Like a tricep, you can often work out the knots. Most people would never know that anything was bothering Perm; however, after the last long run before Quest, If I rubbed her pectoral in just the right way, I could see that she was a little uncomfortable. She was another one that was yelling "Put me in coach!" but she unfortunately has to sit this one out.

Boone, ahh Boone. If a human, Boone would be an athletic supermodel. The reason I say supermodel is because she occasionally likes to watch her weight and skips meals. The Copper Basin was a trial run to see if she could maintain her weight. While she did eat pretty well during the Copper Basin, she skipped a few meals at the kennel after the race and doesn't have enough reserves to start a 1000-mile race where she'll be burning 10,000-12,000 calories a day. I'm working on finding out exactly what kinds of food Boone craves at different times so that she'll be ready for a 1000-miler in the future. 

So while I'm disappointed that these amazing athletes won't be in the team, I'm very very excited to give some of the less proven dogs an opportunity to shine! We can't wait to hit the trail tomorrow!

 

Coot and Katy enjoying snacks on their last training run.

CJ giving herself a snow bath, and Belle eating a snack.

Rucu and Niagra getting some extra attention.

Jana, Jezzy, and Supai.

Drummer, Drake, and Niagra

Katy and Shaynee

Drummer, Fenton, and Niagra

Jezzy the truck dog.

Yukon Quest Preparations and Meetings

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One more day until the start of the Yukon Quest 1000 mile race!

Getting ready at home:

After a 600 mile drive to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, an evening to "Meet the Mushers":

Thursday night was number draw at the starters banquet in Whitehorse. Ryno Kennel drew lucky number 15:

Today, Friday, will be a "quiet" day, with last minute errands, a short run to let the dogs stretch their legs, and lots of naps!

Stay tuned for the starting lineup to be posted soon!

The start is tomorrow, Saturday, February 4th. Ryno Kennel will pull out at 11:42 AM Yukon time (2:42 EST)

Race Photos from Copper Basin and Two Rivers 100

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Even though the races are over, here are some fun pictures from my Copper Basin 300 and Amanda's Two Rivers 100. You can never have too many doggie action shots!

Ham and Cartel leading the way.

Ham and Cartel

Finished!

Champs!

Below are photos taken by Amanda during the Two Rivers 100.

Maliko handling for Amanda

Amanda ready to rock!

Sometimes there's a miscommunication and the trail gets dozed!

The team reaching Cleary Summit.

The team waiting for the start.

Fenton resting in the fresh snowfall.

Night mushing.

The team running through an old burn.

Blitz says I'm ready!

Ewok camping.

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!