Building, Building, Building!

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We've crossed a couple BIG projects off the list these past couple of weeks: Last Frontier Mushing Co-op Storefront Yurt and moving our old handler cabin.

1- Last Frontier Mushing Co-op Storefront

Last season, Matt and Amanda of Smokin' Ace Kennels were kind enough to allow us to run tours out of their yurt, but this year, we're expanding. Over the summer, we've prepped a new storefront location directly between our two kennels. With the help of a few friends, we erected our Mongolian Yurt in just a few days! The video below provides a visual of a few of the steps. In the video you'll see Matt, Amanda, Kelsey, Tyler, and myself running around. As they say- it takes a village! Basic steps for the yurt assembly are:

1- Build the deck (thanks Matt and Tom!)

2- Set up the door and arrange the lattice around the door.

3- Put the center ring on pillars and place it in the center of the deck.

4- Place one spoke per "x" in the lattice and secure it to the center ring.

5- Pull a white sheet around the frame.

6- Place felt insulation around the yurt. We used two layers given our cold winters. 

7- Wrap the house in the waterproof outer layer and tie everything up with the three long ropes made of horse hair.

8- Wrap the house in the blue "skirt" and give everyone high fives!

Our other big project (or I should say, one of the other big projects) was moving the handler cabin. A few years ago, we built a small 12x14 cabin. This was the first cabin I helped build, so I'm rather attached to it. We considered leaving it at our old house, but we decided- when there's a will, there's a way- let's bring it with us!

The cabin itself is about 12x14, but when you add in the roof overhang, it's a hefty load. We rented a double axle trailer from a place in town and went to work with bottle jacks to hoist it up and on the trailer.

Once on the trailer, we drove the cabin to our new kennel and positioned it back in the woods. A big thank you to Tyler and Tom for all your hard work! We weren't sure it was going to be possible, but I'm so thrilled it all worked out.

The cabin is almost ready for the trailer to slide underneath.

Bottle jack supporting the front corner.

Securing it to the trailer.

Off we go!

The video below is of building the cabin from a few years ago. It describes how we harvested the logs, peeled the logs, stacked the logs, and scribed between them to make the cabin.

So what's next on the construction list? Sanding the inside walls of our new home, wiring the upstairs, and insulating and sheet rock of the upstairs. And of course RUNNING DOGS!!!! We'll officially start Fall Training on September first. We've run the dogs occasionally the past week just to stretch out and keep them happy, but our real season will start in about one week. This upcoming Saturday, Scott Chesney will be taking class portraits, so keep an eye out. It's about time for MUSHING SEASON!!!!

Puppies!

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You might have noticed over the summer that we didn't have the normal "summer pup-dates." Because we had such a large puppy class last summer, we opted not to have any litters ourselves this year. However, we also like to have youth coming up through the ranks to join our team when experienced veterans retire. So....a couple youngsters recently joined Ryno Kennel! These two gals were born May 25th. They were part of a litter of eight puppies. Their mother is Atigun (Ewok's sister), and their father is Kurtis, one of Nic Petite's athletes. Ewok has been a rockstar these past couple of years, so I was excited by the pup's relation to Ewok. Plus, Nic's team had a pretty outstanding season last winter. Of course, most people probably don't really care about all the genetics and who's related to who. You just care about the puppies! So here are a few photos of the girls! They don't have names yet- any suggestions out there?

August 1st! And a Co-op Surprise!

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We're getting pretty excited here at Ryno Kennel- it's August first!!! Normally around this time, the weather starts to cool, and we begin to feel as if winter is just around the corner. It's not that I don't like summer, but winter is just so much better!

As the temps start to drop, the dogs' energy exponentially grows. They get sooo excited for the coming cold and bark and twirl whenever we pull out the ATV as if to say- it's time to run! I try to give the dogs as much exercise as possible. On rainy days, I've taken the pups out for short 2 mile runs down to the Chena River. We haven't been doing as many free runs and loose walks the past few weeks, because unfortunately we've been plagued by foxtails and grass seeds. Pointy seeds can work their way under a dog's skin and cause some issues, so most of our exercise has been in harness.

Overall, the dogs have been enjoying their summer vacation, and I've had the chance to enjoy a vacation or two myself! Jezzy, Sasha, and I enjoyed a short backpack trip in the Alaska Range with friends and fellow mushers, Kristin and Paige. Tom (brother who has being helping so much this summer!) and I took dirt bikes down the Denali Highway for a weekend. And the Zirkle/Moore clan and Barbara let me tag along on a halibut fishing trip in Seldovia. While I do love fishing, the best part of the entire trip was being up close to a large pod of Orcas. With these few trips and all the work on the cabin, I can say this has been one incredible summer!

Yoshi and Faff

Perm and Bowser

Jana and Elmer leading the team.

Metta sent us some delicious treats!

Tom and I and our motorized team.

Hiking with the girls.

Orcas

Chicken Halibut

So what is this Co-op surprise? Well, if you recall, last winter we began a business with our friends, Matt Hall and Amanda Brooks, called the Last Frontier Mushing Co-op. This winter, we're going to include a new aspect of "Alaskan fun"----- REINDEER! Two cows will be joining the neighborhood in a month or two, so we've been prepping for their arrival. Our reindeer will primarily be for viewing during our tours, but we've got a couple other reindeer game ideas up our sleeve. Reindeer have been known for pulling sleds...wink wink.

Construction Continues

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All windows and doors are complete!

The past couple of weeks, Rick (Derek's dad) came to visit and helped us make significant progress on the cabin! During his visit we framed in the walls, built stairs, and insulated the roof (among other smaller projects).

First up was the framing of the walls. Tom and Rick tackled this project, framing in a small bathroom, laundry nook, and dog food prep room.

Next was the stair construction. Rick nailed up a couple sheets of dry wall along the stairwell beforehand, then we started the task of slowing building each stair. While our stairway is comfortable to ascend and descend, it's slightly steeper than standard codes would permit. Also, not everything is perfectly square, so we had to get a bit creative at times. That's a log cabin for you!

Our final big project during Rick's visit was insulating the roof. Since temperatures can get rather cold here in the winter, we wanted to make sure our roof was heavily insulated. We used R-38 batt insulation and then covered that with 1 1/2 inch foam board. There's no way the heat will escape through there! The cracks between the logs are a different story... but chinking will be a project for another day.

Most days have been gloriously beautiful with a short shower in the afternoon to keep the dust down. We've been going on regular walks with 5-10 dogs to keep them active and happy. We humans play every once and awhile as well- check out the photo of our redneck slippin' slide! Extra logs, visquine, and staples is all you need!

Insulating the roof.

Framing the walls.

Stairs for the back door of the handler cabin.

Indoor stairs at the main cabin.

Sasha and Jezzy

Goblin, Perm, Lefty, and Katy- all fantastic leaders!

Construction of Redneck Slippin' Slide

In action!

Playing, Running, and Rainbows

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Chena River walking

Summertime = relaxation time for the sled dogs. For some, like Cartel, Jana, CJ, and Frosty, they're soaking it up! They probably nap 23 1/2 hours out of the day and would nap the full 24 except that I wake them up for meal times. For others, like Yuker, Amelia, and the African Litter, they're like that one family member on vacation who can never sit still. Every time the weather permits, we try to hook up a team and take a lap around the property. The Mario Carts and Sharks have been improving every run. Thresher in particular, loves to scream and howl as he's running!

Dr. Jeanne Olson also came out to visit the kennel and do a spay and neuter day. We're SO APPRECIATIVE of vets who are willing to travel. The dogs are always more comfortable staying at home for a vet visit. While each musher is different, we tend to spay and neuter when the dogs are older than one year and aren't top choices for future breedings. Spaying and neutering helps prevent "oops puppies." Spaying and neutering doesn't alter the athlete's drive at all, and if anything, improves it. They're less worried about looking attractive or checking out the ladies and are more focused on traveling with the team. Plus, fixed athletes oftentimes hold weight better. Not to mention, walking large groups of dogs is always more simple when they're not flirting the whole time!

We can't believe it's already middle of June, and not to wish the summer away, but we're SO PUMPED FOR NEXT SEASON! I can't wait to hit the trails and explore the north with these amazing dogs.

Occasional Mush

Nile

Free running

Rehab room after Dr. Olson's visit.

Mario

Kindi

My pot of gold.

Raise the Roof, It's Wombat's Birthday!

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Marty on the roof with a Griff guarding the door.

For Wombat's Birthday, we raised the roof! Ok, maybe we didn't raise the roof only for Wombat's birthday, but both are true! On Saturday, Derek and I placed joists across the rafters, and then Sunday, we laid the tin. Since our driveway is still impassable for cars and trucks, our friend Marty flew his Super Cub in to help.

I have really loved learning how build. While I'm sure professional carpenters would laugh at some of our decisions, it's been so rewarding to build our own home.  We're also fortunate to live around so many friends and neighbors who have carpentry experience and are willing to share their time or knowledge. Up next- windows, doors, and interior!

Derek adjusting the edges.

Dark Green tin.

Marty landing on our airstrip.

Since the driveway is still impassable for vehicles, our ATVs have become particularly useful. They haul groceries, lumber, laundry, dog fish, dog food... everything! However, not even the ATVs are immune to mud traps, and I have learned alot this spring about the most efficient ways to yank things out of the mud. A useful skill!

Found the mud pit.

So as I mentioned, it's Wombat's BIRTHDAY! She turned three years old today. Her biggest fan, Louise, sent her bones to celebrate and included enough for the whole class! The dogs enjoyed gnawing on their treats this morning.

Tom and his morning coffee.

My little brother Tom (who will be starting his final year of college in the fall!) is spending the ENTIRE summer with us at Ryno Kennel. We're SOOO EXCITED! He'll be working in town and helping with the pups on his off-time. 

And just for fun, I'll leave you with this meme. It gave me a chuckle.

Time Flies!

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I normally pride myself on keeping up with the blog, but the month of April was too fast. I truly value everyone's commitment and support, so I'll try to keep everyone better informed!

Our last expedition ended on the 5th of April. For the final night of the expedition, we stayed in our Mongolian Yurt on Trapline Mountain. The winds were HOWLING. Since this is our first year with a structure on Trapline Mountain, we don't have barriers to keep the dogs out of the wind. While the dogs are more than capable of surviving a night in 30F and 20-40mph winds, it's the end of season. Even the dogs like to enjoy some relaxation and fun mushing. Camping for 16 hours in 40 mph wind is not necessarily the most fun. Our options were to mush back down into the Chena Valley or bring every single dog in the yurt. Well, can you guess which option won? Haha- yep! All the dogs came into the yurt. It was so much fun to bond and cuddle with them all; however, the only issue is that the yurt is truly an authentic Mongolian yurt. The felt surrounding the framework is made from animal fur, and horse hide binds the lattice together. I was woken up regularly during the night to the sound of one dog or another chewing on the yurt. Of course I couldn't blame them. It's basically a big stick/rawhide chew toy. But alas, eating our yurt is not allowed.

Immediately after the expedition, we began the move from our old house over to the new homestead. Tyler and Liz had routinely dug out the dog houses throughout the winter to make sure that they were relatively easy to get out of the snow. With all the dogs now over at the new homestead, Derek and I moved into the handler cabin, which is adjacent to the dog yard. The handler cabin is equipped with a wood stove for heat, propane stove for cooking, and an outhouse. For electricity, we have a generator (which we rarely run-it's so noisy) and a deep cycle battery that allows us to charge our beloved technology, like my computer! The photo below of the handler cabin is a bit dated, and the cabin has since been spruced up with shelves and hangers. For water, we're pulling delicious drinkable water right from the well that we pounded last fall. Derek placed a pump into the well, and we fire it up with the generator about once a day for dog and human water.

Shortly after we had all moved over to the new homestead, Liz left for her journey towards her PhD and Tyler headed to Eagle, Alaska for a short visit. I also left on a two-week-long vacation to the Lower 48 to visit my family. Derek watched the whole kennel while I was gone! He's the best!

On my travels, I visited family in Birmingham, New Orleans, and New Haven. When you make a trek from Alaska, it becomes common practice to just do all your visiting in one fell swoop. I visited my Grandmother in Birmingham, attended an incredible wedding in New Orleans, and visited my older brother and sister-in-law in New Haven. I was hoping to time my visit to span Alaska's infamous "break up season," but unfortunately, I came home just in time. I loved seeing all my family, but I was ready to return to my canine family as well.

Ducks waiting for the ice to thaw in the morning.

Break up is (in my opinion) the worst time of year. Yes it's getting warmer and there's lots of sunlight, but the snow is melting (sad) and all the water just collects on the surface. Since the ground is still solidly frozen, the snowmelt has nowhere to go. If you live on a hill or slope, the water can drain downhill. You won't be left with puddles, but the ground will still be soggy and muddy. If you live in a flat area (like us), then the water creates massive puddles. Or bird sanctuaries, as I've decided to call them. So on a positive note, several different species of ducks, geese, and a swan now call Ryno Kennel a temporary home. At least until Jezzy and Sasha run them off.

With the ground being so mucky, you might wonder, what does the dog yard look like? Drum roll..... platforms! This is the first spring with the new platforms, and we all love them. At the muddiest times, we basically all hang out on them. Jezzy, Sasha, Stormy, Derek, me, sled dogs- the whole family.

Dogs nice and dry on their platforms.

Even though I'm whining about the mud. It doesn't slow the dogs down on our walks! All the dogs charge through the massive puddles or romp in the muck. Spring time at its finest!

Me and Mako

In the meantime, we're still chipping away at the main cabin. We're cutting out and framing the windows, finishing up the rafters, and getting everything prepped for the tin. At the moment, our driveway is impassable by cars, so everything is being brought in by ATV. Groceries, supplies, dog food, clothes- everything by the ATV. Hauling a roof's worth of tin by ATV would be pushing our patience, so we're waiting for the ground to thaw, water to seep into the ground, and the road to become passable for our truck once again.

The view from the front, upstairs window.

The upstairs.

The view from the bedroom window.

Cutting out the downstairs window.

Derek climbing the rafters.

Expeditions and Cabins and End of Season

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Spring has been an absolute blast. We've begun the move to the new property, soaked up the sun on our longer days, and met lots of new folks on our tours and expeditions.

Over the course of the next 10 days, we'll move all the dogs over to the new property. Derek and I will live in the handler cabin while we finish construction on the main house. Liz will be moving on to start her Graduate Program with the University of Miami. She'll be studying ducks in Alaska, and over the course of five years, she'll earn her doctorate. Tyler will be returning to the Denver Glacier in Skagway, Alaska accompanied by 35 dogs from Wayne and Scarlett Hall from Bush Alaska Expeditions. He'll be giving tours up on the glacier, so if you have a trip planned for Alaska, be sure to swing up there and say hi! We've had such an incredible crew this year, so a big thank you to Tyler and Liz!!

Olga and Irna being good sports.

A night in the Mongolian Yurt

Starting the move!

Handler Cabin

Handler Cabin

Sun bathing- AK style

Denali Highway

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The crew at the ice cave.

To help distract ourselves from clicking the refresh button on the Iditarod tracker (ok, ok this trip was actually planned for more than that), Derek, the pups, and I took a couple folks on a wonderful Denali Highway trip! The weather was perfect. We had everything- picturesque clear days, occasional low hanging clouds, fresh snow. It was fantastic. On these longer trips, I like to bring the youngsters so that they get extra camping experience. The canine crew consisted of Cooke, Lefty, Flash, Crunch, CJ, Jana, Cartel, Coot, Fish, Vanessa, King Louie, Goblin, Perm, Katy, Boone, Elmer, and Badger.

We mushed 15 miles in and stayed in an arctic oven tent. Then we mushed another 25 miles to Maclaren River Lodge. We stayed there for two nights, spending one day mushing up to the Maclaren Glacier Ice Cave. We had such a blast with our guests, Kibba and Peter, and love using these trips as a way to top off a season!

Camp site on the Denali Highway

Jana and Cartel leading the charge.

Teams patiently waiting as we explore the ice cave.

Cooke and Crunch leading my team.

Expeditions

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With the Iditarod about to begin, the Ryno athletes have been keeping busy exploring Interior Alaska. The snow is falling non-stop, making for some incredible scenery and memorable trail breaking. Tomorrow, we hit the trails for the Denali Highway and guess what- it's snowing! Luckily, we have just the mode of transportation for such conditions.

Colorado Creek Trail on the one sunny day.

Frosty Trees

Climbing mountains and breaking trail.

We made it to the top of Trapline Mountain!

This will be our third spring leading expeditions, and I feel so fortunate to be able to explore Alaska and visit incredible places with incredible people! Of course, rarely do trips go as planned (for instance on the last one, we were breaking trail all three days! We covered 5 miles in 2 1/2 hours!). From being blown off the Denali Highway to breaking trail to being stuck on a frozen lake deep in the Alaska Range, it's always an adventure. Here's a video from two years ago when Maliko and I were trying to put in trails for our incoming guests. I got the snowmachine stuck in overflow and decided a 24 dog team was the only way to get it out. If you haven't read the whole story, here is the link: http://rynokennel.com/blog/2016/4/24/the-time-we-drove-a-24-dog-team

 

These incredible trips are made possible by Derek (my number one support and logistics manager), Liz (caring for all the pups and dogs staying at home as well as helping pack and prepare), the Last Frontier Mushing Co-op, and the fun folks who want to experience a different type of vacation.