Ryne's Team Recap

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Even though we’ve changed gears to the Yukon Quest (and drop bags and logistics and vet checks and trail conditions…), I can’t forget to give a report on the all-star canines on my Copper Basin team!

Goblin left, and Cooke right. Photo credit- Emily Rosenblatt

As you recall, our game plan was to run slower and stick to 8.5 to 9 mph and that’s exactly what we did. Phew, that was TOUGH. The trail was perfect. Hard, fast, smooth. The weather was an ideal -20 to 0 degrees. If I took my foot off the break, the dogs wanted to fly. The first leg of the race, I kept thinking we were going slow, only to glance at my GPS and see we were averaging 9.8mph! And the dogs weren’t the only ones who wanted to cruise; I was right there with them. I was ready to ski pole like a maniac and run up all the hills and get after it. But we kept our steady 8.5 to 9 mph pace, and it seems to be paying off. Eleven dogs finished in my team and eleven in Kalyn’s, so there are lots of strong contenders for the Yukon Quest team!

Cooke- WOW. I’m pumped about this youngster. He led 4 of the 5 legs in CB, including the last two. Even though he’s a high burner, he ate well and maintained his weight. He had a stellar attitude. I was tempted to put him in single lead at the end just to highlight his leadership prowess but figured I probably shouldn’t overdo it, especially given it was his first 300 mile race.

Ewok. Photo Credit- Emily Rosenblatt

Ewok- Ewok had a fantastic race. She led from Chisto to Meiers Lake, including over the infamous Hump. She also led the last several miles into the finish. She needs a strong partner when leading because she can lose confidence passing other teams in close quarters, but otherwise she was exceptionally motivated. She ate all her snacks and meals, worked hard, and was a rockstar.

Jana- Jana ran the entire race in swing except for a brief stint in lead from Meiers Lake to Sourdough. Like Ewok, she’d prefer not to lead a pass in close proximity to another team, so most of the race she ran in swing. She devoured all her meals and was always ready to lope out of a checkpoint. As I’d mentioned before the race, her biggest issue is that she works too hard. I was Jana’s personal masseuse and kept her limber and spry.

Goblin- Goblin led the majority of the race with only a couple exceptions. He’s only issue is that he loves the ladies, so having Perm nearby was a bit of a distraction whenever we stopped. Good thing Cooke holds the line out so well! Also, Goblin isn’t big on meat snacks, so I pack an extra kibble baggy for him to eat on the trail. Everyone else devours a chunk of BLT (beef, liver, tripe) but Goblin prefers his dry kibble!

Perm- Perm was flawless. She worked hard, ate everything, and barked to go. Just as importantly, she takes camping very seriously. She’ll lay in the straw until the last second, then jump up and start her high pitch barking. A good camping team was very important, especially for the first checkpoint of Chisto only 30 miles into the race!

Cartel- Cartel did great but was dropped 100 miles in at Meiers Lake. She’d developed a sore shoulder. Given that she has led all four of our Copper Basins up to this point, I was pretty heartbroken to leave her behind. She didn’t seem to mind though. Now she’s back to her sassy, flirty self and was upset when I left her behind on a training run today!

Rucu- Rucu finished the CB looking strong! The slower pace was great for him. He ran with Fenton, and those two combined were a force to reckon with. Rucu loves his food. And his neighbor’s if they’ll let him eat it. I think he might have gained weight on the race.

Fenton- Even though Fenton had the least miles of anyone, he ran a fantastic race. He was probably the slowest on the team, but since we weren’t trying to run fast, he wasn’t really holding us back. Fenton is tough as nails and exceptionally driven. Not that he needed to prove anything, but Fenton is always up for the challenge and showed his enthusiasm on the Copper Basin.

Supai. Photo Credit- Emily Rosenblatt

Supai- Supai was his normal self- perky, feisty, and fiery. He was quick to bark whenever we stopped and definitely tried to pop my hook if he felt I was taking too long. His wrist from earlier in the year is looking good, so I’m hopefully that a slow, steady Copper Basin was exactly what he needed.

Lefty- Lefty was the ace in the hole who I could put in lead if need be, but otherwise I kept him closer to the back. He had a flawless race. If you had met Lefty the morning of the race, and then again shortly after finishing, you’d have no idea he just ran 300 miles on 18 hours of rest.

Yuker- Yuker crushed it. Other than sitting up awake during the first checkpoint (which given the excitement, I couldn’t blame him), Yuker was perfect. He worked hard, didn’t pester anyone, and had a fired-up attitude. He’s such a good boy!

Fish- Fish was the cheerleader. When she felt it was time to go, she’d start screaming and throwing her body into her harness. I was concerned about her maintaining her weight, but she ate ravenously during the race. Assuming all goes well over the next week, Fish has earned herself a spot on the Quest team.

Kalyn's Team Recap

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The team at the start

Crunch – Crunch started the race in lead with Katy. At the starting chute, just as I was about to call “ready!”, Crunch dove into a gaggle of children and I could tell was having a wonderful time. Derek ran up to straighten Crunch out so the children wouldn't be taken out by his enthusiasm when asked to go. I can always count on Crunch to be a goofy, happy cheerleader. He was very driven and did a fantastic job overtaking teams. At the first checkpoint – Red Eagle Lodge – Crunch felt we hadn't run far enough yet and spent his rest time barking at other teams. At all of the following checkpoints Crunch ate and rested very well. Leaving Sourdough, I decided to give Crunch a break from leading and moved him into swing with King Louie. He continued to drive forward from this position. Starting on the last leg, he began to try to bed down if we stopped on the trail but would jump up and lean into his harness when asked “ready?” He finished the race with a wagging tail and smiles all around.

Katy – Katy started the race in lead and remained there the entire race. She passed teams beautifully with enthusiasm and sometimes a little sass – if another team was getting rowdy during a pass, she had no problem barking back at them. Katy ate well and is a pro at resting in checkpoints. She maximized her sleep and was always ready continue down the trail when asked. At one point, we accidentally turned the wrong way down a trail until I saw that the “X” that marks a wrong way had been knocked down. The team had turned down the trail but my sled was still partially in the intersection. I asked Katy to “gee”. She would have to pass the entire team to turn us around. She was hesitant – a little unsure of what I was asking. I called “gee” again. When she turned back and looked down the correct trail I called “good, good! Yes! Gee!”, Katy plunged forward with enthusiasm and brought our team around in the correct direction. We had no tangles, and I didn't even have to get off my sled to turn us. Good girl, Katy!

Boone – Boone spent half of the race in swing with King Louie. She can always be counted on to be a hard and enthusiastic driver. At Sourdough, I switch her into lead with Katy. She stayed in this position until the finish. Due to her constant hard work and enthusiasm, Boone makes a great leader for a team that might be getting a little sleepy. She's not the greatest at lining out, however. On the last leg of the race, if we stopped to snack or fix something in the team, I often found Boone wandering back to me and asking for cuddles. I would have to line her out and then sprint back to my sled yelling “ready!” to keep her up front. Throughout the race, Boone ate exceptionally well and was, unsurprisingly, a fantastic sleeper at checkpoints.

King Louie – Louie spent the entire race in swing. As an up-and-coming leader, I wanted to help boost his confidence being in front of the team without having the mental drain of leading, as this was his first longer race. Louie did a wonderful job in swing, driving consistently and smooth throughout the race. Toward the end of the race, I put a pair of leggings on him to help prevent snow buildup on this legs. This was the first time wearing leggings for Louie and he spent some time trying to shake them off before settling in. Louie acted like an old pro in checkpoints and bedded down to rest very quickly.

Wombat

Wingman – Oh Wingman. Wingman was the class clown of the team. If something silly is happening, you can generally expect Wingman to be involved. He's a great cheerleader and his enthusiasm for running seems never ending. Even when he's tired, he's quick to rouse and get the team going, which is a great help later on in the race. He ate wonderfully and was a little slower to settle down at checkpoints but would eventually rest. I decided to drop Wingman at Point Lodge, the last checkpoint due to a wrong step onto ice that caused one of his wrists to become inflamed. He is a ridiculously hard driver so I figured it was best to let him heal up because that boy doesn't know how to take it easy.

Vanessa – This was Vanessa's first longer race. Vanessa was a strong and consistent puller throughout the first half of the race. Toward the end, her tug started going slack occasionally but she would pick back up and dig in. She ate moderately well at checkpoints – eating most meals – and ate the majority of her trail snacks. A few notes about Vanessa – She hates wearing clothing. While running, she could get over her displeasure. At checkpoints however, she would not move once I put a jacket on her. Once the leggings were put on, she stood stock still with her little legs stuck in different directions. It was as though she had short-circuited a bit. I also have to give Vanessa the best pooper award – She can poop mid-run and not even miss a step. She finished the race pulling hard and with a wagging tail.

Uno – Sometimes when a dog is doing super well; pulling hard but not overworking themselves, not getting distracted, not getting tangled, eating well – they blend into the team. You know they're there, but they're not at the forefront of your mind. You're not worried about them. This was Uno for the entire race. She was exceptional and I was so happy to have her on the team.

Nile – This was Nile's first longer race. He did an amazing job. His tug was always tight, he drove forward hard and ate very well. On the last leg of the race, when some of the dogs were starting to get a little goofy from being a little mentally tired and having new leggings on, Nile remained serious and driven. About 15 miles from the finish, I noticed that his gait changed a bit. I checked him over. He was starting to develop a slight rub from his harness. Moving him to the other side of the gangline relieved the pressure and he resumed his easy trot. Great job, Nile.

CJ – CJ is an old pro. She pulled consistently for much of the race, taking breaks as she felt she needed to. During the second leg of the race, my sled became lodged on a tree that had broken from a previous musher. She was running with Amelia at this time. Amelia's harness broke and CJ somehow managed to clip her tug onto the line, which unclipped her harness. CJ is a playful goofball, often with an air of mischievousness. As I replaced Amelia's harness, I looked around for CJ. She was nowhere in sight and my sled wasn't in the greatest spot. We would definitely be crashed into by another team coming around the icy corner. I hooked Amelia back up and moved the team forward down the trail to a safer spot calling for CJ. I finally saw a white smear racing through the woods. She popped out in front of the team with a look of wild pleasure. It took me a few minutes to convince her to be hooked back into the team. She manged to unclip herself at one of the checkpoints as well. I'm not sure how she does it. Her antics often make me laugh and shake my head. During the last run, CJ took many breaks. She reserved her energy and pulled hard only during the steepest ascents.

Amelia with Nile and Wingman in the background.

Amelia – This was Amelia's first longer race. Amelia is one of those dogs who drives so hard she will overwork herself if I don't make her take a break I never once saw Amelia's tug go slack – uphill, downhill, beginning, middle, or end, she was one of the hardest working members of the team. Nothing seems to phase her, she's so incredible driven and focused. Coming into a checkpoint, she would eat her meal then curl up under a blanket and sleep. Amelia looked awesome coming into the finish.

Wombat – Wombat was similar to Uno during this race – I didn't have to worry about her at all. She was always pulling, always happy, she ate well and was just overall consistently fantastic throughout the race. Great job, Wombat.

Badger – You have to be on your toes with Badger. I call him Boopin' Badger because his enthusiasm often has his muzzle trying to collide with my face as I bootie, harness, unhook, or do anything with him. This was Badger's first longer race. He was a hard working boy for the majority of the race. During the last leg, I noticed that he started to get a little goofy. He was trying to play with his partner, bouncing along the trail boopin' them with his muzzle. I checked to make sure he didn't have any rubs or obvious soreness that was causing him to act silly. I found nothing and gave him a encouraging “good job” pats and we continued down the trail. If he started to act silly again, all I had to do was say his name and he would start focusing again. Badger finished the race strong and happy.

The entire team looked fantastic and happy coming into the finish line. I couldn't be more proud of these dogs. Good job, buddies.

Videos from the Trail

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Race Map for reference

Start to Red Eagle Lodge (Chistochina)- 32 miles

These first three videos are right after the start in Gakona. Normally the Copper Basin starts in Glennallen; however, when the decision was made to set the final race route, there was open water between Glennallen and Gulkana, so the race began in Gulkana, which cut the first leg of the race to 32 miles. In the past, the first section of the race is a flurry of passes and speedy teams, but since our game plan was to travel slower (and we started near the back of the pack), we didn’t have too many passes.

Red Eagle Lodge to Meiers Lake- 68 miles

This section of the trail I ran at night, so I have no videos. In fact, I’ve unfortunately never run this section of trail in the daylight. Chistochina ot Meiers Lake is a 68 mile section of trail where teams cross over the infamous “Hump.” The Hump is a big, bald mountain high above treeline. Even in the dark, you can sense the vastness of the terrain. I can only imagine the grandeur of the landscape on a clear day! Since I always love a good climb, this is probably my second favorite section of trail.

Meiers Lake to Sourdough- 32 miles

This is my favorite section of trail! The trail is narrow with lots of quick twists and turns in thick black spruce. At only 32 miles in length, it's a short fast run and is a refreshing change of pace after the hill workout into Meiers. Since we ran this section in the daylight, I once again have some videos from the trail!

Sourdough to the Point Lodge- 55 miles

This was the first year that Point Lodge was a checkpoint in the Copper Basin; however, for the most part, the route traveled the same trail as in the past. I ran this entire trail in the dark, so once again no videos. The trail was firm, fast and perfect! At the end of the section, we travel across Lake Louise. In a snow storm or at night, it can be very easy to get disoriented on Lake Louise since it’s just one flat, open expanse. Luckily, there were plenty of trail markers- thank you trail crew!

Point Lodge to Finish- 73 miles

Even though we traveled in daylight for the last few hours of this run, I didn’t capture any videos. We had one thing on our mind- to finish! The first part of this section was very similar to the previous section (crossing Lake Louise and on firm, established trails). We then traveled next to the highway for a short while, then turned left onto what I like to call, the Seismic Lines of Death (SLOD). Ok, that’s probably a bit dramatic, but the trail follows exceptionally straight lines for a few hours, which at the end of the race, can feel like you just entered the doldrums. Some mushers swear it’s uphill the whole way. I did check my GPS to see if there was any elevation gain, and it was only probably about 100 feet, but I know the feeling! After mushing through the SLODs, you pop out onto the highway and parallel it all the way to Glennallen. I’ll do individual dog updates, but I have to give a shoutout now to MVD, Cooke! This last run can be mentally taxing for young dogs, especially after taking minimum rest. I wanted to test Cooke by having him run this final leg in lead, and he didn’t just rise to the occasion, he DOMINATED! Ewok, too, led the last 15 miles along the highway, and she was also unfazed. I’m very proud of these young leaders!

A big thank you to Jamie and the Copper Basin trail breakers! It was a brilliant, fun trail this year and super fast! Even the SLODs weren’t too awful :) It’s very unique for mid-distance races to not use sections of trails twice, so thank you to the CB for making it 300 different miles of trail! As always, it’s one of my favorites.

Ryne and Team- 13th, Kalyn and Team- 21st!

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At 12:12, Ryne and crew crossed the Copper Basin finish line in 13th place! The team was led by Cooke and Ewok, followed by Jana and Goblin, Rucu single, Fenton and Perm, Supai and Lefty, Yuker and Fish. They gobbled up fish snacks and a beef/kibble meal then curled up in their boxes to relax for the remainder of the afternoon.

Just a while later, Kalyn and team crossed at 4:30 with cheerful, spunky attitudes. Katy and Boone led the charge followed by Louie and Crunch, Uno and Badger, Nile, CJ and Amelia, Wombat and Vanessa. As you can see from the video, they’re in high spirits!

A big thank you to Saeward for updating the website and social media pages. Thanks to Derek, Bill, and Saeward for your handling duties! Handlers get as little (if not less) sleep than the mushers, but not near as much dog time! We couldn’t run these races without our handling crew! And of course, thank you to the CB volunteers and organizers!

Tomorrow we’ll remain in Glennallen until the finishers banquet tomorrow night. In the meantime, the dogs and humans will relax with some fun time romping around and stretching muscles. I have more video from different legs of the race (daylight permitting) and will write up the individual athlete reports! Thanks to everyone for following. Another Copper Basin in the books!

Crossing a frozen lake between meiers lake and sourdough

Copper Basin Update from the Finish Line

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Ryne has almost reached the finish line! We’re in Glenallen at the finish, waiting for the two Ryno Kennel teams to arrive. Ryne’s team is a few hours ahead of Kalyn’s team, and both are maintaining a steady pace on this final run of over 70 miles.

A few notes from the trail (for those of you also on Facebook, these are the same notes posted there):
- At Sourdough checkpoint, Ryne said that Ewok had done a fantastic job leading the team through some very challenging terrain on the previous run. Ewok was tired from her efforts, so Goblin and Cooke were switched back into lead. Those boys have done a great job as well.
- For many of the younger dogs, this is their first long distance race. They've been doing very well, working hard on the trail, and eating well at checkpoints. We're definitely very happy with their performance so far, and are rooting for them as they finish the race with this last long run. 
- Crunch and Katy led Kalyn's team for the entire first half of the race. Crunch is a young dog as well, and he's done a great job of keeping his team excited. At Sourdough checkpoint, Kalyn gave Crunch a break by moving him back into swing and putting Boone into lead with Katy. 
- I've uploaded an assortment of photos from Meier's Lake and Sourdough checkpoints. We didn't get any at Point Lodge, the final checkpoint, because the teams were there exclusively in the dark. 

- Ryne should be finishing soon, so keep an eye on the tracker!

Ryne thanks Ewok for doing a great job as leader during a tricky section of trail.

Goblin and Cooke led Ryne’s team for a good portion of the race.

Jana and Cooke waking up at the Sourdough Checkpoint.

Snack time!

Copper Basin Update from Meier's Lake

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Hello everyone! The Ryno Kennel handlers have all arrived at the second checkpoint. Ryne and Kalyn are out on the trail right now, speeding through the 68 miles from Chistochina (first checkpoint) to Meier’s Lake (second checkpoint). We’re expecting Ryne in a few hours, but hoping to catch a little sleep yet.

The dogs look great so far. The first run from the start to Chisto was shorter than usual this year due to weather conditions, but the dogs did a good job of resting at the first checkpoint despite not being tired. That having been said, they blasted out of the checkpoint with extreme enthusiasm when they could! This second run will be a lot longer, so they should all be properly ready to rest by the time they arrive here in Meier’s Lake.

I’ve included some photos from the first run and the first checkpoint. Enjoy!

Kalyn arriving in the first checkpoint.

Ryne taking care of her dogs just after arriving at the first checkpoint.

Ryne’s team on the first leg of the race.

Bib Draw

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Hello everyone! This is Saeward posting for Ryno Kennel. We’re settling in for bed in Glenallen, trying to get some sleep before the race start tomorrow. At bib draw tonight, Ryne drew #29 and Kalyn drew #35 (which is the last bib number). You can follow the race trackers on the Copper Basin website. The dogs are totally stoked and we’re looking forward to having some fun times over the next few days!

Goals

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Tomorrow morning, we’re loading up and heading down to Glennallen for the Copper Basin 300!! Between the hospitality, community involvement, and spectacular trail, this race is one of our favorites! The race will be slightly different than in previous years. Instead of Mendeltna being the last checkpoint, The Point Lodge will be the final stop before the finish line in Glennallen. Also, the race will begin in Gakona instead of Glennallen. We’ll have two teams in the race (myself and Kalyn) with a rockstar handling crew of Derek, Jezzy, and Sasha for my team and Saeward, Bill, and Blue for Kalyn’s team.

To follow along, Saeward will be updating the Ryno Kennel website (when internet service permits) as well as the Ryno Kennel Facebook Page. Copper Basin 300 also has an active Facebook page. The local KCAM Radio site has streamed the start and the finish in the past (http://www.kcam.org/). And while they’re our fierce competitors, SP Kennel (http://spkennel.com/blog/) and Moira, as well as Smokin’ Ace Kennels Facebook Page do a stellar job updating throughout the race as well!

So the title of this blog post is Goals because I’d like to provide some insight into our race planning. While it’s probably not the smartest to lay out our game plan on the internet, I doubt my competitors take the time to read this blog two days before the race, and truthfully, even if they did, sled dog races are more of a personal endeavor. I mean sure, we want to win and have full bragging rights at the musher get-togethers, but at the end of the day, it’s the dogs and my own inner dialogue who I have to live with every day. Meaning— we’re not going to “race” the Copper Basin. We’re proud of our track record (3rd, 2nd, 1st, 4th), and we’ve come to think of the CB as “our race,” but I’d really like to have a personal best in the Yukon Quest this year. Now there are plenty of teams who have proven to be competitive in both, but we’re not one of them…yet. When I say we’re not going to race the Copper Basin, I’m not implying that we’re headed out there for a camping trip, but we won’t be traveling at 11 mph. This season we’ve been training slower than in the past, and the big, older guys have thrived. So goals for the CB- take the minimum rest of 18 hours, maintain a steady pace, and strengthen the dogs already solid foundation. Oh yeah, and have FUN!

I normally wait to post the final race roster, but our goals go along with who is in each team, so the teams will be:

My Team:

Goblin- He’s a main leader and instrumental in our races. He’ll most likely start in lead with Cooke, who is an up-and-coming rockstar leader.

Cooke- Cooke is the only 2-year-old on my team. Pros: he’s driven, leads, and has the maturity of a veteran. Cons: he’s a high burner and doesn’t have the strongest appetite to begin with. I’ll be treating this race as a test to see how his appetite reacts over the 300-miles.

Ewok- She’s the whole package. Eats, loves to go fast, leads. When we stop, she’s the first to curl up and lie down; however, when it’s time to move again, Ewok is up, alert, and zeroed in on the trail ahead.

Jana- Jana’s racing career is one of the longest in the kennel. Now that she’s seven, her hard-driving nature might be considered a disadvantage. Sometimes I wish she’d stop loping and just settle into a nice easy trot. She wears a t-shirt with handwarmers and gets lots of shoulder massages to help make sure she stays limber and spry in her slightly older age.

Perm- She’s her normal self. Loud, flirty, sassy, firey. Oh yeah, and she’s in heat. Should be a fun race :) But sarcasm aside, Perm is an important member of the A Team on all races.

Cartel- At 7-years-old, Cartel’s performance has been on a sliding scale this season. Some days she’s on her A game and does her power trot. Other days she jogs next to her neighbor with a less than tight tug. But I love her. And she’s cute. And she thrives in competition. We’ll see how this Copper Basin goes as to whether she still loves racing or if she’s putting in a transfer to the couch at the end of the season.

Rucu- After a rocky season last year, Rucu is looking great. He’s like Jana in that he works harder than he should. I wish he’d tone it down a notch occasionally. He’s one of the athletes who has benefited from our slower pace this season. I’m hoping to keep him happy and healthy so that he’ll be in contention for the Quest team.

Fenton- Fenton had a super goofy gait at the beginning of the season, and I struggled to pinpoint the cause. After x-rays, vet visits, and chiropractic work, he’s back at it and has a nice, smooth trot. He has less miles than the rest of the crew, but it seems to suit him. The CB will be a good test to see if the Quest is in his future. I sure hope so because this guy is a beast.

Lefty- Lefty is great. He’s big and slower and loves the training program this season. He’s pretty key to our 1000-mile team since he’ll literally lead ANYWHERE. Through that open field off trail? Check. Across that open creek? Check. Over Eagle Summit in a white out blizzard? Check.

Supai- Supai had a slightly sore right wrist for a bit in training, mostly because he insists on only running on the left side and driving off that wrist. We’ve been retraining him to run on the right side occasionally and give his right wrist a bit of a break. He looks good. Eats everything. And is the first dog in the team to start screaming to run.

Yuker- Yuker is a monster. Literally. In a good way. He’s a high burner, but eats well and works hard. This will be the first time I’ve raced with Yuker, and I’m pumped to watch him dominate. He’s certainly in contention for the Quest team. He runs in a traditional harness, whereas everyone else runs in a half-harness, which causes a few tangles occasionally. But that’s ok, because it’s Yuker and we love him.

Fish- Fish has had a super solid season. She’s always excited to run and works hard. Her trouble is her eating habits. It’s not uncommon for her to skip a meal here or there, meaning keeping a good weight might be a challenge on a 1000-mile race. That being said, after long runs, she does normally eat ravenously, so the CB will be a test to see if her appetite picks up on the races, like I suspect it might. In which case, this little goofball just might make the Quest team.

Kalyn’s Team

Crunch- Crunch has had a fantastic season. He has a few obnoxious habits while running (he loves to dip waaaaaay off the trail for a bite of snow and yanks his partner with him when he goes), but his silly antics in every day life make him irresistible. He’ll be a main leader for Kalyn, which is an exciting promotion!

Katy- Bombproof. She’ll be Kalyn’s go-to leader.

Boone- She’ll be another leader for Kalyn. She doesn’t always overtake teams well, so that’s why she’s starting in swing. Boone occasionally balks if she’s in lead, the trail is narrow, and she has to pass another team. Kalyn will be watching her eating habits closely to see if she has a strong enough appetite for the Quest team.

K. Louie- Louie has had a great year. He has good weight, a good attitude, and beautiful trot. He’s a little more sensitive than his siblings, so I’ll probably give him another year before pushing him with a 1000-miler. That being said, you never know!!

Wingman- Wingman is perfect. He hasn’t been leading as much as he did in early season training, but he has good weight, eats ravenously, and is pumped about life. He’ll most likely be on the Quest team.

Uno- Silly Uno has a 5-minute recovery time and has never been tired a day in her life. She’ll be a good cheerleader for Kalyn’s team. She’s also holding weight better this year than in prior years.

CJ-CJ will decide what she wants to do for the remainder of this season. If she’s pumped about racing this CB, then odds are she’ll run the Quest, but some days I think she’d rather take it easy. We’ll see! I love her playful attitude that she brings to the team, so I hope she decides that she wants to race!

Nile- He’s a superstar. He has a fluid trot is so focused. Nile is a good eater, but since he’s 65 pounds and only two-years-old, he’s a string bean. Nile also shows leadership qualities. This will be a great first 300-mile race for him.

Vanessa- Vanessa is a no-nonsense, hard worker. She has Perm’s sass but isn’t quite as confident yet. Vanessa runs near the back of the team because she will get distracted by other teams behind her. Even though she’s not as confident, she’s tough as nails.

Amelia- Amelia is really strong. She eats, has good weight, and motors down the trail. She’ll be a main team dog in the future.

Wombat- Wombat is enthusiastic, energetic, and pulls more than her fair share. Wombat is in contention for the Quest team.

Badger- Like his bros, Badger is a rockstar. He likes to sleep in (I sometimes have to call him out of his house for breakfast), but bring the harness around and he’s fired up. He’s going to be an amazing 1000-mile dog.

Of course, the teams are always subject to last minute changes! You’ll notice two adults won’t be running CB: Elmer and Flash. Elmer is probably one of the strongest two-year-olds and is maturing into a wonderful leader, but he’s been battling a sore wrist from these hard trails. He’ll be sitting this one out. Flash is enthusiastic and a cheerleader (although not the hardest puller in the yard). She too had a sore wrist earlier. It hasn’t bothered her in a few weeks, but we decided to err on the side of caution. Both will be very upset to be left behind, but it’s with their best interest in mind!

Thanks to everyone for following along. I’m going to stop typing on the computer and go out and finish up packing and drop bags! HERE WE COME COPPER BASIN!!


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!!