Last week, I took 16 athletes down to the Denali Highway for some race simulation training. Since we’re not competing in any mid-distance races this year, some of the youngsters needed to experience run/rest/run/rest/run/rest/run (you get the idea) so that they would be better prepared for the Iditarod should they make the team!

I loaded up Louie, Etta, Goblin, Dolly, Dracula, Cooke, Wingman, Faff, Yoshi, Maple, Uno, Mario, Scarpa, Bowser, Bert, and Thresher and headed to the Denali Highway!

The first day was full of clear, blue skies and a bone chilling north breeze straight into our faces. I bundled up the dogs and myself and thoroughly enjoyed my new ruff made by my good friend, Amanda Gecas of Boundary Fur Sewing.

Even though we’re deep in the Alaska Range, the area is a popular training ground for nearby Eielson Air Force Base. Jets rocketed around us, sometimes skimming so low that it looked like they were just a couple hundred feet above the ground! Sonic booms shook mountains, causing both me and the dogs to jump and look around for avalanches. On one hand, I was annoyed because the sonic booms would startle the dogs. On the other hand, I was wishing they’d find a place to land, pick me up, and let me zoom around the mountains with them! It must be exhilarating to be a jet pilot rocketing through the Alaska Range!

For a couple of the runs, Paige showed us a loop that circles back behind their lodge and deep into the mountains. Down along the Denali Highway itself, there is such much life- moose, wolves, fox, caribou. Willows and spruce trees provide shelter and food for many animals. But this trail traversed deeper into the mountains where vegetation was sparse and there were hardly any animal tracks. Wind constantly blows the snow around, obscuring the trail, so Paige and Cody are regularly having to put it back in. I’m so glad we had the chance to mush it!

As we returned home, I was exceptionally proud of the dogs.

Louie and Etta led the entire way. They were a great pair with Etta bringing the energy, and Louie being the solid anchor, holding the line out and taking his job very seriously. Goblin and Dolly ran in swing. Goblin enjoyed having a break from his normal lead position. Dolly was a loud cheerleader, throwing her little 35 pound body into the air in excitement every time we stopped. She preferred running on the hard-packed trails and was a bit slack when the conditions were softer. Dracula and Cooke were next. Dracula would bark and pound her front two feet onto the ground, stamping in excitement. She’d eat all her food and her neighbor’s if I wasn’t watching closely. Cooke was happy to be back in the race pool. I had him sit out one of the runs just as a precaution since he doesn’t have as many miles as the rest of the crew. If you recall, his brother Smoky pulled Cooke’s tail earlier in the season, and it has taken awhile to heal. It finally seems like Cooke is feeling like his normal self! Wingman and Faff were next. Wingman is the biggest cheerleader in the team and was rock solid as always. Faff also had a great training run, eating well and pulling hard. Her tricep was slightly stiff when we returned to the truck, but 12 hours later, it’s hardly bothering her. I’m hopeful it was just a little tight and not a bigger issue. Yoshi and Maple were paired next. Yoshi doesn’t make much noise, but she shows her happiness by jumping up off the straw, pulling hard, and quietly wagging her tail at breaks. She’s looking great! Maple is new this year and brings so much to the team. She whines enthusiastically if she spots a team ahead of us, and she eats everything in sight! Good girl! Uno and Mario were quite the pair. They played together at the first break (as if they’ve never camped in their lives- ha!). After that, they were all business and motored down the trail. Scarpa and Thresher ran together. This was Scarpa’s first “mock” race. She did excellent! Her tricep was a little sore on the last run, so she caught a ride in the trailer on the final run to the truck, but she’s looking great now. Thresher was his normal driven, focused self. I’d like to start working with him in lead more; however, he so loves being farther back where he can chase his teammates. Bowser and Bert. For Bert, this was the farthest he’s ever traveled! Bert has been slow to mature as a sled dog, but he did smashingly during this trip! I was so proud of him. He worked hard, ate his food, and seemed to love traveling in new country. This was also a test for Bowser. When he was younger, Bowser would dip snow incessantly, causing him to vomit on the trail. We determined this was due to anxious nerves, so as a 2-year-old, he was held back to train with the yearlings. This year he has been doing much better! He was still a little anxious on the first run, but then he seemed to settle in. Go Bowser!