Fire

The first photo of Fire is seared into my mind. It was my first Yukon Quest in 2015. I had many young dogs and Fire. I made a silly decision to camp 37 miles outside of Dawson (after taking my long rest, meaning rather than stopping at Earl and Sandy’s, I thought four, 37 mile runs would make more sense ). We camped directly on the frozen Yukon River. I imagine Fire thinking- well, if you insist on stopping after we JUST stopped for hours in Dawson, I guess I’ll just enjoy the scenery. It was like she knew I was a newbie and took it upon herself to coach me through it. I’ve met few leaders with the drive that Fire possessed. She never tired of running in lead. The responsibility didn’t affect her. Fire coached me through our first competitive Copper Basin runs and showed me how good leaders don’t need trails. She set a high bar for future Ryno Kennel leaders. Her great grandkids- Spitfire, Foxfire, and Firefly- are starting to follow in her footsteps. The last couple of years, Fire lived with my good friend Kalyn. In her old age, Fire became goofy and playful. A once sometimes shy dog would meet guests in the Chena OC yurt with a weird head cock and snapping,short woofs! She lived a life full of adventure and taught me so much. You will be missed Fire.