We're Officially On Sleds!

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One of my favorite sections of trail. Windy, narrow- a hidden hideaway.

We've had a fantastic start to winter this year with lots of snow! Last year we were still training on ATVs for another month! I remember thinking, there's a reason we call them sled dogs and not quad dogs. Well this year, we've been fortunate enough to have lots of snow early, and we already have the ability to run larger teams on a sled. It doesn't get much better!

This morning for the first time, we have some colder temperatures in the -15F to -20F range. A few more days of these temps, and the rivers will freeze. Then we'll be in business!

When not training dogs, we're working on the cabins. On the handler cabin, the rafters are up, so the next step is the tin. We're hoping to finish up the handler cabin in the next week!

Final logs going up.

Running in the Chena State Recreation Area.

Breaking trail.

First Campouts of the Season

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Two teams hooked up and ready to run!

The past couple of days have been busy at the kennel! Trapping season started on November 1st, so Derek headed to his line. While Derek was gone, Liz and I loaded up the 26 adult athletes and headed to the hills to train with Riley Dyche (he handled for Ryno Kennel 3 years ago and now owns Darkhorse Racing Kennel). Even though we have a nice base of snow, it's not enough to train a full team with a sled; therefore, we're putting some more miles on the ATVs.

On our first campout of the year, we were joined by musher friends, Mandy, Laura, and Jenna. Six dog teams, beautiful views, and great company- doesn't get much better!

Today, we resumed work on the handler cabin. While Liz and Derek kept building the walls, I ran the yearling team over to the new property and camped them while I assisted with the cabin. As you can see from the last photo, they weren't the best campers. Most of the team spent the campout playing and gnawing on branches. I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough!

More snow is in the forecast, so hopefully we'll be on sleds in the near future!

The end of the campout (hence the fire being out).

Gorgeous sunset

Yearlings, not really camping.

Handler Cabin Construction

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High fives all around- the well is complete! After four days of pounding, chiseling, and flushing, we now have a 40 foot well with access to delicious drinking water. Over those four days, Derek manned the well pounder while the rest of us alternated between assisting Derek and running dogs. I think we all have a new appreciation for water fresh from a tap.

Now that the well is complete (more or less), we've begun construction of the handler cabin. The handler cabin will be a simple trapline style cabin. Even though it will essentially be a log box, we plan to make it quite cozy and constructed as sort of  "duplex." The 16ft x 16ft cabin will be split into two separate living quarters. Each area will have it's own drip oil stove for heating. There won't be running water, but there will be a comfortable outhouse a short walk away. Who wants to come visit?

If you recall from earlier posts, we drug in logs from the surrounding land this spring by dog team and snowmachine. Ok, truthfully, most of the logs were drug in by snowmachine, but the few that we did drag in by dog team were waaay more fun. Over the summer and this fall, we peeled all 45 logs. Now we've begun the process of actual construction!

The chainsaw mill with a milled log.

Now that the logs are all peeled, we mill each log on three sides and then place them on the 16ft x16ft deck we constructed. For the milling process, we're using a chainsaw mill. It's a pretty slick design. We just set the logs up on the metal supports, adjust the height of either side so that the chainsaw blade shaves just the top of the log, run the chainsaw down the rail, and voila! One side is milled. I have a short video clip of Derek milling a log to demonstrate.

After each log is milled, we place it on the cabin deck. Rather than layering the logs "Lincoln Log style," we milled a single corner post and then butt up each three-sided log against the corner post. Each log has varying widths from one end to the other, so we alternate placing the logs to try and keep each side of the wall relatively even.

 

Logs butting up to the corner post.

To secure the logs to one another, we drill in log screws as well as set spikes in the corner posts.

Derek modelling how to drill.

You'll notice in the below photo that there are big gaps in the walls. Those will be for windows and doors. Rather than lifting massive 16 ft logs and cutting out chunks later, we opted to put up smaller logs and strategically place the gaps for the windows. Even still, we have to be careful where we place the cabin screws so that we don't wreck a chainsaw later on trying to hack through one.

We'll be sure to keep you posted as cabin construction continues! In the meantime, check out our latest puppy portraits if you haven't had a chance. They're on the athletes page!

The logs are going up!

Pounding the Well

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Yesterday was the first day of pounding the well at our future home! This video makes it look easy, but like any do-it-yourself project, there were a few hiccups along the way. Hopefully after another day or two we'll have our well completed! Thanks to Gus for helping Derek and me get the pounder rocking and rolling and the Meierottos for letting us borrow it!

Steps for Pounding Your Own Well

1- Have some great neighbors with a well pounder who let you borrow it. Figure out a way to get the massive contraption onto a trailer and take it to your future home site.

2- Dig a massive starter hole (approximately 15 ft deep) with the help of another neighbor and their heavy equipment. 

This is actually the septic, but it's a similar concept, so you get the idea!

3- Place a 20 ft casing in the starter hole, then fill it back in. Try to pick the rainiest, windiest, muddiest day possible and shovel it back in by hand.

Flushing out the crushed rock

4- Wait for the ground to freeze a bit and then start pounding! Pound for several minutes. Once the casing stops moving, send the driver down to the bottom of the pipe and let it crush apart the rocks.

5- Put a powerful air compressor hose down the pipe and flush out the crushed rock. We had already hit water by this point, but if you haven't yet hit water, dump water into the casing to help flush the rock.

6- Once the casing is sunk to the ground, weld another five foot section of casing and repeat steps 4 and 5.

7- Keep at it until you reach your desired depth.

We hope to have the well completed in the next day or two!

Sled Dogs and Retirement

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You might have noticed a few missing portraits this year, so I'd like to take this post to talk about our "retired" athletes. I'll introduce you to the retirees who live at Ryno Kennel as well as talk about where our athletes go when they retire. Ultimately, it's always my responsibility to make sure I can give each dog the most rewarding and fulfilling life for them as an individual, whether that's here at Ryno Kennel or in a different home.

We all know Alaskan Huskies are exceptional athletes. With exercise and good nutrition, they can live a long and happy life, sometimes as long as 16 or 17 years! However, just like people, their goals and desires change throughout their long lives. Every Alaskan Husky is born with a desire to run and pull, the question is how far? Do they want to pull and explore for 10 miles? 100 miles? 300 miles? 1,000 miles? Until they're 2 years old? 7 years old? 16 years old?

It's always hard when I realize that I might not be the best home for a dog, but ultimately it's about them. Because of that, if a dog isn't fitting in at their new home, their new family knows they can always bring them back to Ryno Kennel. Every time a new puppy is born at Ryno Kennel, I'm making a commitment for life, wherever their best life may be.

To quote Aliy's philosophy, we always strive to have “the right home for the right dog at the right time." It's all about the dogs!

Retirees at Ryno Kennel

Crazy

12-year-old Crazy

 

Some athletes, like Crazy, can't imagine a day when they're not pulling in some capacity. Even though she's 12-years-old, Crazy still runs short distances, trains puppies, and competed in the canicross event last weekend. Although Crazy has never raced with Ryno Kennel, she competed with several other successful teams and absolutely deserves a comfortable retirement. Plus, she's a fantastic nanny and enjoys caring for the singleton pups like Amelia then Cooke and currently Terrell.

Frosty

Frosty

Frosty joined Ryno Kennel from Smokin' Ace Kennels (Matt Hall and Amanda Brooks) a couple years ago. He no longer had the desire to race, but he wanted to go back to his roots running a trapline and breaking trail. Don't ask Frosty to run much more than 15 miles, but if it's shorter distances through remote terrain, he's in heaven! Frosty helps train the yearlings when he's not out on the trapline with Derek.

Stormy

Well, we all know Stormy! After running a few Iditarods with SP Kennel (including my rookie Iditarod in 2012), Stormy retired to a couch at 7-years-old. She has ZERO desire to pull anymore and prefers to sleep under the fire place or next to the toyo stove. Even though she doesn't like to pull, Stormy still loves to go on puppy walks and is an exceptional puppy wrangler.

Retired to New Homes

This past spring, we had three dogs join new homes: Fez, Brant, and Chagga.

Fez

Fez joined Sally and Eider with the Bagamary family just outside of Fairbanks. Fez still has the desire to run (and she wishes she could run 1000-miles), but after her porcupine encounter a couple summers ago, her wrist prevents her from running 1000-mile races. Since Fez wasn't ready for retirement, she still gets to run and compete with the Bagamarys. They compete in 50-300 mile races as well as kids races! As you can see from the photos, Sally and Eider are enjoying their new life with the Bagamarys as well.

Fez and Sally playing fetch in the pond.

Eider lounging on the couch.

Eider

Sally

Chagga, Brant and Teflon

Chagga, Brant, and Teflon all joined the Sehmels to enjoy a life of active retirement. Chagga has always preferred more quiet settings, so a close knit atmosphere with only a few other dogs is a perfect fit for her. Even though Brant has completed both the Quest 300 and Copper Basin 300, he was ready to enjoy more leisurely runs. Like Chagga, Teflon has really flourished in a smaller, quieter setting. The Sehmels now have a four dog team allowing Chagga, Brant, and Teflon to still get to mush!

Teflon rocking the Funjor Canicross 5K

The Sehmel's team finding the only spot of snow on a summer hike.

Brant

Chagga with her teammate Chupa.

Earl- a previous retiree

Earl, oh Earl... he could have been a powerhouse! Earl never was much of a sled dog, but he is now one fantastic companion. Maliko, Earl, and Lahja now have lots of adventures, and Earl even professionally models bow ties!

Amy- a previous retiree

Amy knew the sled dog life was never for her, so she retired young and has been enjoying her life of luxury with the Millers in Phoenix, Arizona. When she's not at work with Joan, she's basking on the couch without a care in the world.

Derby- a previous retiree

Derby leading the way.

Derby retired a couple years ago with our neighbors across the street. Though Derby wanted to continue racing, her build effected her ability to run long distances. Now she gets to go on adventurous trips across Alaska including the Brooks Range and White Mountains!

Weekend Fun

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This past weekend, Ryno Kennel ran in a fun community event organized by Abbie West and the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association- The Funjor 5K Canicross! Derek ran the race with Jezzy (she pulled the whole time!), and I attached myself to our old dog, Crazy. I haven't spoken of Crazy much on the website because she joined Ryno Kennel late in life as a ten-year-old and had one litter of pups: Elmer and Bugs. Bugs lives with Riley Dyche. Elmer is the handsome red yearling that you all probably know! Prior to joining Ryno Kennel, Crazy lived with first Mitch Seavey and then Dallas Seavey, and she finished on Dallas's winning 2012 Iditarod Team. So even though Crazy has been in retirement for the past couple years, she made a showing at the Canicross event on Sunday and brought home two more gold medals! Not only did she help me to a first place finish, but she ran with my college friend Andrew in the 1K relay and helped earn another first place! This old gal still has it!

On Saturday and Sunday, I was also taking a class called Integrated Medicine for the Racing and Retired Sled Dog taught by Dr Kim Henneman DVM, DACVSMR. She discussed diet and nutrition, acupressure techniques, homeopathic remedies, and other topics relevant to caring for an extreme canine athlete. A big thank you to Jodi Bailey and Michelle Phillips for organizing this event!

Dr. Henneman demoing with MaiTai

Another Awesome Drone Video!

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Peter made another drone video from our training run a couple days ago when there wasn't a cloud in the sky! Some of the footage was taken while running by the fields near the kennel including a peonies field owned by our friends, The Russells. Paul and Amanda Russell watched Jezzy and Cartel this summer!

I love how drones provide a unique view of the dog team that you don't get to see very often!

Drone Training Run

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Most mornings, Ryno teams hit the trail in preparation for the upcoming races. My college friend and licensed drone pilot, Peter Bittner, joined us on our training run the other day and made this awesome drone video! Thanks Peter! He's visiting for one more week, so we hope to make another video or two before he leaves.

This season, Liz and I will be training the adults (athletes two-years-old and older), and Tyler will be focusing on the yearlings. Liz is signed up to run a second team in the Copper Basin, and Tyler is on the waitlist for the Quest 300. It's going to be an exciting season!

Progress

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This last week, we've had an army to help crank out the dog yard platforms, and we're making great progress! Rick Patton, Derek's dad, has been visiting for the past week and put countless hours in at the property. Liz Schell, who will be helping at the kennel this winter, also arrived last week and received a crash course in fall training and platform construction. So with the help of Rick, Liz, and Tyler, the platforms are close to completion! Derek and I are pumped!

What is next? We still have to finish the third platform (should take half a day once the lumber arrives), then paint two of the platforms (assuming the weather will allow it), then pound 48 posts. It's so close!

After the completion of the platforms, we'll get rolling on the septic, well, and decking for the cabins. Oh, and the dogs are looking fantastic on their training runs!

Rick and Liz staining the platform.

First on the List

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Jezzy modeling our first platform

At the top of our building to-do list are all the projects that require completion before the ground freezes: dog yard (pounding posts), well and septic, and outhouse hole. We've been busy building the platforms for the dog yard, and we just completed the first of three platforms! Yes, it's HUGE!! The platform is 24ft by 96ft and will hold 16 dogs. An isle will separate each platform, and that's where the teams will be hooked up for our training runs.

So why are we going through the trouble of building such monstrosities? Because they'll be wonderful! No more eating rocks (Blitz, Ham, Fire, Outlaw litter), no more digging holes to China (Perm, Katy, Vanessa, Lefty, Wombat, Niagra... and the list goes on), and no more mud! For the past several years, I've dreamed of building the dog yard on platforms, and now that it's becoming reality, I'm ecstatic! Given the size of the platforms, our 16x24 cabin might be mistaken for the feed shed.

Transporting the well pounder.

We've also started prepping for the well. Our neighbors have a well pounder and were generous enough to let us borrow it. Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure how we go about pounding a well, but I'm excited to learn. Even though we'll be living in a small cabin, we will have running water!

A big thanks to Tyler for helping run dogs at 6 AM then turn around and build all day! And we have more help on the way: Liz, who will be assisting us all winter, will be arriving tonight. Rick, Derek's dad, is flying in this afternoon for his Fall vacation. Somehow his "vacations" always turn into work when he comes to visit. A big thank you to all of them! We're about to make some progress!

Tyler cranking out the square.

Derek and Jezzy, working partners.

Terrell helping build.

Crunch is turning into a rock star leader.

A view from the air. Check out that platform!