Cold Snap

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And there it is! Our first cold snap of the 2018-2019 winter.

Interior Alaska is known for its substantial temperature inversions in the winter, meaning that down in the riverbeds (aka Ryno Kennel) it can be -40F to -50F while on the hilltops it might only be -5F to -10F. This difference results in a fierce social media dialogue where lowlanders post photos of their thermometers, telling themselves the cold makes them tougher, while highlanders comment that they’re at a balmy -10F and question lowlanders sanity for living in the valleys. And while no one in their right mind actually enjoys these sorts of temperatures (except Derek, because then he gets the trails to himself), there are many great benefits of these cold snaps.

Running in the Hills

Direct sunlight

  1. Rivers finally freeze opening up new trails.

  2. The roads are no longer slippery, and you have traction on ice.

  3. You get to test your cold weather gear to prepare yourself for a race.

  4. You can talk to your metric friends about -40 degrees and actually understand what each other is talking about.

  5. You have fresh social media fodder!

  6. Extreme cold normally accompanies clear, beautiful skies.

And most importantly:

7. -20F now feels warm!

With Copper Basin now just four days away, yesterday’s run was our last “longer” run before the race. We’re so excited to be headed back down to Glennallen for our 5th running of the Copper Basin 300! More info on the race, drop bag packing, and the athletes soon to be posted!

Solstice 50 Yearling Recaps

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It’s never too late for a dog update! Here are recaps for all the yearlings after their first race, the Solstice 50.

From Saeward’s Team:

Dusky really rocked it at the Solstice 50! She provided steady power throughout the entire run, which is a wonderful accomplishment for a yearling in the excitement of their first race. She never got tangled and was very professional when passing other teams. Her only weakness during the run showed on uphills – at first, she tended to back off when we came to an uphill climb, perhaps with the expectation that the other dogs would take us up the hill and she could pull harder again after we reached the top. However, when she realized that the relatively small team needed her help to keep up the pace, she started pitching in more and pulling her share on the ascents. Given Dusky’s steady pace, she has a lot of potential as a long-distance racing dog!

Bull was definitely a strong team member for the Solstice 50, although he seemed distracted by the excitement of his first race. At the start, Bull was the yearling who seemed the most excited and nervous about all the onlookers and photographers lining the chute. When we were passed by a few teams in the beginning, Bull occasionally got tangled because he was gawking rather than paying attention to the line. However, Bull pulled strongly the entire time. Once his initial excitement and nervousness passed, he was very steady and professional. I think his first race was an awesome learning opportunity for Bull, and hope he’s going to love future events!

Bowser totally aced his first racing experience! At the starting line, he seemed completely calm and focused. He ran straight and smooth for the entire event, even when other dog teams were passing. Throughout the race, he simply pulled hard and never got tangled. He didn’t show any sign of getting tired throughout the run, and at the end when we unhooked the team, he was bouncing around as if he’d rested all day! Bowser’s steady power was really a cornerstone of the team, and it’ll be fun to see what he can accomplish at future races.

From Tyler’s Team:

“During the Solstice 50 our goal was to go slow and get some passing experience (being overtaken and overtaking teams). Over the first 10 miles we were over taken by 6 racing teams; the team did a great job of getting out of the way and not interfering with the oncoming dogs. Even with one of the passing teams stopping directly next to our team, standing shoulder to shoulder with our dogs, Yoshi, Toad and Mako all were great in keeping to themselves. Yoshi was the best performing yearling out of the three. Yoshi has constantly improved run after run and during the solstice 50, it showed. She was always pulling, working hard, and was rarely distracted. Toad and Mako on the other hand had some issues after being overtaken by those 6 teams. Once they got used to the rhythm of slowing down and stopping to let teams pass, they figured anytime we were slowing down we were about to let a team pass. It took about 30 to 45min after our last pass for Mako and Toad to figure out that slowing down didn't equal teams passing. After that time, they were back at it working hard. Around 25 miles in, we gave a wet snack on the side of the trail. Yoshi devoured her food, eating is something she has gotten much better at since the start of the season. Toad and Mako ate their kibble but at a slower pace than usual. All in all, the dogs did fairly well handling all the new experiences but Yoshi was the strongest and handled things much better than Mako and Toad did. I'm sure with a little more practice and experience the yearlings will take all these new skills in stride!

From my team:

Faff was a rock star. She had the least number of training miles of all the yearlings, but you would never have known. She pulled hard and was very excited. Even at the finish, Faff was barking and howling to keep on running! Given that the 40-mile race was the farthest the yearlings had been in their lifetime, I was thrilled with her enthusiasm. Her only hiccup was the passing. Because the race trail went out and back, we had at least two dozen head on passes. The first few went just fine, but unfortunately by the end, Mario and Faff were intimidated by upcoming sleds. Ironically, it wasn’t the dogs of the oncoming team that frightened them, but the sled and musher as they whooshed by. We’ll have to work on building back up her confidence for passing in tight areas.

Mario had an excellent race, but he was probably the weakest of the three yearlings on my team. And really, his only weakness is his lack of confidence. Mario moves like a ballerina, pulls hard, and loves running, but he’s easily anxious about passing teams or anything out of the ordinary. Every time we had a head-on pass, Mario would bail for the trees. Teaching young dogs how to pass is one of the main goals when training yearlings, so we have a lot to work on with him. Truthfully, it’s easier to correct an over-confident dog who jumps into oncoming teams than a timid dog who lacks confidence. Practice, practice, practice! We’ll have to start with wide trails where Mario feels comfortable and then just slowly work our way up to narrow trails. Luckily, there are lots of mushers in Two Rivers, so there’s no shortage of practice.

Thresher ran one up from wheel, and I could hardly tell that he was a yearling. Focused, driven, and unfazed by all the passes, he did wonderfully. I have high hopes for this guy. Truthfully, I’m struggling to come up with anything else. Thresher was flawless. He had a smooth trot, didn’t get distracted, and did wonderfully. Enough said. Perhaps his only area of improvement was snacking. He eats well in the yard, but he did not eat his snack on the race. There was just too much exciting stuff going on!

Not related to the yearlings, but we’ve had some incredible shows! Reindeer and Northern Lights!

Happy New Year!

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Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all our wonderful friends and family who follow and support Ryno Kennel! The holiday season has passed in a whirlwind full of training runs and tours. With the Copper Basin less than two weeks away and the Yukon Quest only one month away, we’re busy prepping drop bags and conditioning the team! In the meantime, here’s a blast from the past- this video is from exactly six years ago when the first Ryno Kennel litter of pups (Supai, Kindi, and Rucu) ran in harness for the first time. It’s where it all began. You might also recognize some SP Kennel oldies, Chacha, Bullet, and Tony. And of course our beloved Stormy and Cartel. We couldn’t have had better mentors to get us started. It’s amazing to think how many miles we’ve traveled since that first Ryno sled run on January 1, 2013! To many more adventures with friends and family both human and canine, Happy New Year!!

And the first race- SUCCESS!

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Ryne and Team

Yesterday all three teams finished the Solstice 50 with happy dogs and big smiles! Packing straw and food, we had intended to camp halfway for the yearlings since the farthest they had run this season was 35 miles; however, when we learned the course was a bit shorter this year due to the low snow conditions (only 40 miles), we decided to go for it! We all carried straw just in case the yearlings wanted a short break, but they charged ahead, unfazed by running the whole distance! As for the adults, well 40 miles is shorter than their standard training run, so they thought it was a fun romp around the neighborhood. The one challenging aspect of the race was the number of passes. With 34 teams competing, the trails were packed full with dog teams. Plus, part of the route was common trail, meaning that racers went out and back on the same section. During that section, we had at least 20 head-on passes! The yearlings were certainly intimidated by so many head-on passes, but they seemed to gain confidence with having the adults in front. I’ll be posting each dog’s performance review here shortly, but overall, they ROCKED IT! A big thank you to Tyler for doing such a great job training the yearlings so far this season!

Photo Credit- Emily Rosenblatt

Thanks for the wonderful photos Emily!

Tyler and Team

Tyler and Team

Saeward and Team

Saeward and Team

Ryne and Team

Solstice 50

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What better way to celebrate the Solstice than by running the Solstice 50?!

The Solstice 50 is organized by the local Two Rivers Dog Mushers and will travel our home trails. We’ll have three teams in the race mushed by Tyler, Saeward, and myself. For this race, we’ll be focusing on introducing the yearlings to their first ever competition! Tyler has done a fantastic job training the yearlings so far this season, so they’re ready for their first event. Since the yearlings have yet to run such a far distance, we plan on stopping halfway for a couple hours to camp. They’ll be led by expert adults to make sure all the passes go smoothly and that the race is a good, positive experience for the youngsters. The teams will be comprised of:

Lefty Goblin

Rucu Supai

Thresher Flash

Mario Faff

Ryne

Ham Niagra

Jana

Toad CJ

Mako Yoshi

Tyler

Katy Cartel

Perm

Bull Boone

Bowser Dusky

Saeward

The Pit Crew for all three teams will be Derek, Jezzy, and Sasha! Good luck to all the teams!

Denali Highway

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Not a bad campsite

This week, all the 2-3 year olds and I ran along the Denali Highway for a run/rest practice series. While we were gone, Kalyn and the trail-hardened older rockstars stayed in Two Rivers and ran the trails around here. This meant that go-to leaders, Goblin, Lefty, Cartel, Katy, Jana, Boone (basically all the adults who have been training the young up-and-coming leaders), stayed at home. I was so proud of Cooke, Wingman, Ewok, and King Louie for stepping up to lead the team! While most of our runs were in darkness, we did get to enjoy one SPECTACULAR camp and a few hours of daylight mushing. It’s views like these that rejuvenate the soul.

A few hours of daylight mushing.

Flash and Faff on a run around Two Rivers

Post run cabin time.

Campouts and More!

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Photo Credit- Kalyn

Last week, we headed out to the White Mountains for a camping trip. Due to the low snow levels, we still can’t run larger teams with a sled; however, we can comfortably run 8-9 dogs per team. Kalyn and I recruited Cartel’s sponsor, Tracy, to come join us on our camp out. Tracy and her husband Bryan have a small kennel comprised of a few Ryno Kennel retirees- Brant, Chagga, and Teflon. And luckily for us, Tracy loves Type II fun, so she was a great addition to the training series.

While the two-year-olds ran the Two Rivers 100 last year, our camp out was only their second run/rest series. The experienced adults know the drill and immediately lay down once the straw hits the snow. They eat their meals and seem to intuitively know our training plan, meaning they’re not stressed by camping multiple times. For the youngsters, it’s a new experience. Most of the time in training, we go for a run and then they sleep at home in their own beds after a big meal. On a race schedule, they need to learn to sleep in new places, eat at all hours, and trust in the pattern of run/rest/run. Needless to say, the two-year-olds rocked it. Elmer and Cooke led the entire camping trip (except when we had a short stretch of going off the trail, and putting in a turnaround- that was reserved for Gee/Haw leader extraordinaire, Lefty). Wingman and Boone led for Kalyn, and Cartel and Katy led for Tracie. Everyone ate well, had a fantastic attitude, and worked hard. I wish I had more photos and videos from the trip, but it was pretty much dark the entire time!

Photo Credit- Tracy

And not only did the dogs eat well, but we did too! Saeward put together a delicious to-go box of human treats. As many of my friends and family know, I’m pretty terrible about packing food for myself. In fact, on my first Yukon Quest, I was about to leave the truck at the starting line when my mom asked if I’d packed any food for the first 100 miles to the checkpoint of Braeburn. Oops… Luckily, she was able to scrape together some granola bars and snacks for my first leg. While my own food should be more of a priority, it just never is. Kalyn has a similar mentality, so knowing that we’d be eating gas station food during our camp out, Saeward graciously made us a tasty to-go box! I haven’t introduced her yet on the blog, but we have another Ryno Team Member living at the kennel. Saeward, Kalyn’s partner, isn’t officially handling (she works from home as a writer), but when she has a free moment, she volunteers her time to help out. From walking puppies to helping with chores to running a team to helping to rehab athletes, Saeward has been a huge help! Thank you Saeward!

Fireball sky


As the winter solstice approaches, the sun hasn’t been rising too far about the horizon. This photo was from yesterday at 2:15 PM.

Living Room Coming Together!

On the home front, we’ve been chipping away at building projects. Our cabinets are scheduled to arrive on December 31st. We recently picked up a propane fridge, propane oven, and couches! Only trouble is that one of the couches is an electric recliner. I guess we’ll have to fire up the generator to recline the couch! Ha! Ok, we won’t do that. Eventually we plan to have a battery bank and solar/generator power, so I guess we’ll wait to recline the couch until that system is set up.

Training

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Organized chaos at hook up on a run in the White Mountains

We’re hitting the stage in training where a 50 mile run is a standard distance, and the dogs are muscled up and beautifully fit. Just walking around the yard, their muscles ripple under their shiny coats.

Just out of curiosity, I did a quick Google search of canine V02 max. The internet was quick to come up with an answer. I’m not claiming this is fact, but one website said Lance Armstrong has a V02 Max of 85 ml/kg/min, a race horse has 180 ml/kg/min, and a sled dog has a value of 240 ml/kg/min! After watching this ultra athletes work, it doesn’t surprise me.

We’re also hitting that time of the year when the sun barely crests the horizon. Our current length of day is four hours and eight minutes; however, with dusk and dawn, it’s light for an hour or two on either end. By the Winter Solstice on December 21st, we’ll lose almost 25 more minutes of daylight.

With the long nights, we spend a lot of time doing chores and mushing by headlamp. Unlike normal though, it has been WARM. We’ve had very few days below zero with several even reaching 25 or 30F above! It’s hard to imagine that at some point, we’ll be mushing in temperatures 70 degrees colder than it currently is! For now, we’re enjoying the warm weather and prepping for real winter.


Retirement

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Retirement. What does that even mean? For me, as a 29-year-old, retirement seems like a distant time and place that will magically appear once I get older. That’s how it works right? You hit a certain age when your body is tired and your mind is ready for a change and you magically have money in your bank account to relax, explore, and pay for health care? Ok, ok, maybe that’s not how it works. And since dog mushing doesn’t really come with a human retirement plan, I prefer to live by the mantra that if you like your work, you never work a day in your life. So we’ll just keep working!

While I may be nonchalant with my own retirement planning, I’m much more dedicated to the retirement of the athletes. Every time we welcome a new puppy to Ryno Kennel, it comes with the knowledge that we are responsible for every aspect of their life, including retirement. For some athletes, that means living out their days here at Ryno Kennel (like Crazy). For others, it means enjoying a couch in another home as the center of attention. Some athletes retire around eight or nine years old (this is common). Others retire earlier. And when they’re ready, it’s obvious. They might be more subdued at hook up or start to get stiff after long runs or run for the couch instead of the gang line when hooking up. If you listen, dogs are good communicators and let you know exactly what retirement means to them.

We’ve had a few retirees from the 2017-2018 race team, and I realized I have failed to announce their retirements!

Ham and Niagra have retired to train the yearlings. They still run regularly; however, the miles are shorter and there’s much more rest. They might run in a shorter race, but no more 1000-mile races for these two rockstars. Most nights they sleep inside with Tyler, our yearling trainer.

Coot’s Halloween Costume

Kindi is still at Ryno Kennel, but she will be retiring to live with my little brother, Tom, next spring. In the meantime, she’s training the yearlings, getting extra attention during tours, and sleeping inside with Tyler or Kalyn.

Belle, like Kindi, has retired but is at the Kennel until the spring. She’ll be moving in with our friend, Kelsey, as a hiking buddy and companion down in Anchorage. In the meantime, she’s training yearlings, rocking tours, and sleeping inside with Tyler.

Coot has retired to Seattle, WA and lives with our friends Phil and Emily. While Coot is still young, healthy, and strong, he preferred couch time to long races. Now he’s sleeping on Phil and Emily’s couch and hiking around the Seattle area.

Drake and his couch.

Drake has retired to our friend Joe’s recreation team. Drake still loves running and wasn’t quite ready for retirement, but an Achilles injury last winter means that long distance racing is no longer in his best interest. He’s running shorter distances and camping with Joe’s team.

Blitz moved down the road to Jeff and Jeri Reid’s kennel, Frozen Trident. Blitz will be helping Jeff qualify for Iditarod this season!

While it’s always hard to retire an athlete, I try to be the right home for each dog at the right time. These athletes love adventure and running, but like everyone, there comes a time when they’re ready to settle down and lounge on the couch. Whether it’s my couch or another couch, I make a promise to every athlete that I’m planning for their retirement.

And what are the current athletes doing? Well running of course! Here is a short video in front of The Two Rivers Outpost during a night run. So festive!

The adults had an easy day with some free running and relaxation after a couple longer runs.

Cuddle time with Boone on a stretch out walk. Crunch running by.

Yuker, always the bull in a china shop. Fish and Crunch.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays.

1- There’s tons of food. Mushers are always hungry.

2- It’s right around the time we transition from ATVs to sleds, which is the most wonderful transition in the world (especially for my back and my right thumb, aka the throttle finger).

3- We get to spend it with friends and family, both human and canine!

We have so much to be thankful for at Ryno Kennel- from the crew who help with everyday tasks to the sponsors and fans who eagerly follow the kennel to the race volunteers- THANK YOU for making this lifestyle possible. And of course, these incredible canine athletes who every day allow us to be part of their wonderful world full of energy, optimism, and adventure. I’m eternally grateful for them.

Our Run from yesterday-

Some mushing days, the dogs are the only color we see!

Ryno Crew

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Training, racing, and caring for a kennel of 45 sled dogs is no small feat, and we couldn’t do it without an amazing, devoted crew of mushers who give their time and energy to this team! We’ve had lots of incredible help in the past, and this winter, we’re lucky to have another top-notch crew!

Kalyn

This season, Kalyn will be assisting with training the adult race team. She has several years of experience training and racing sled dogs, primarily at Manitou Crossing Kennels owned by Jennifer and Blake Freking. For the past three years, Kalyn has handled for the Frekings down in northern Minnesota where she competed in the UP200, Gunflint Mail Run, and Mid-distance Beargrease. With all her experience, we’re so pumped that Kalyn will be helping to train the race team this year! She’s currently entered in the Copper Basin 300. When not mushing, Kalyn’s favorite pastime is paddling in the Boundary Waters or on the coast of Alaska. Kalyn is also a wonderful photographer, so get ready for some great photos this season!

Tyler

We’re thrilled that Tyler has decided to come back for another season of yearling training! This will be Tyler’s third year helping out Ryno Kennel, and his yearling training skills are proven by all the upcoming rockstars. Other than sled dogs, Tyler’s biggest passion is Green Bay football. While training the yearlings, Tyler is also taking an EMT course and doing tours for Last Frontier Mushing Co-op. Thanks for all your help Tyler!