Here we are, September 1st, and so begins the official mushing season! Though today is officially the start, we have been running fairly regularly over the last two weeks because the rainy conditions have allowed it. In fact it’s rained almost every day since middle of August. While it’s great for dog training, I’m looking forward to some drier days.

Yesterday, Kendra and her husky Flight joined the Ryno Team for the upcoming season. We’ll do a more formal introduction later on, but we’re super excited to have them both here.

Sam and Tucker purchased a cabin on the other side of Fairbanks. Dwight will be joining them as soon as Tucker finishes his first season on the Midnight Sun Hotshot Fire Crew. We’re hopeful Tucker, Dwight, and Charlotte will be regular visitors throughout the winter. Sam is down at Dallas Seavey’s Kennel, gearing up to compete in the Iditarod in the future! The current plan is for Sam to help Dallas train his team this winter, and then Dallas will have a team for Sam to race in the 2025 Iditarod, so be sure to follow along!

Other exciting news- Kalyn is starting their own dog team! Kalyn’s crew went from Boone and Ripley (the Jack Russell Terror) to Boone, Ripley, Maple, Dolly, Otis, Mario, Mose, and Havarti! Since we train and work directly with Kalyn, it’s like they’re still at Ryno Kennel, except someone else is scooping their poop. Such a perfect situation. Kalyn also added two Alaskan Husky pups to the team- Mr. Sandman from Squid Acres Kennel and Dex from ATAO Kennel. It’s a slippery slope, this dog mushing obsession.

One new pup joined the kennel- Dune! Dune joined us from our friend Laura Allaway. After not having pups for three years, it’s been fun having a little youngster ripping around the kennel again.

So that brings us to this winter and our plans. Honestly, I’m not sure! We will for sure be doing reindeer and sled dog tours at Chena Outdoor Collective. AND we will for sure be having adventures, but what those adventures are…I’m still working that out. I do think I’ve lost the racing bug. Last year allowed me to take a year off racing while having the two-year-olds get valuable racing experience with Sam and Tucker. The idea being, if I missed racing, I’d have a great group of experienced dogs with whom to jump back in the racing scene this winter. Turns out though, I didn’t really miss racing. I’ve enjoyed having more flexibility to try other activities and go for fun runs that aren’t hindered by the structure of formal race training. However, I do know that I love having big adventures and trips, so currently, I’m still trying to figure out what that trip will be for this season. Another coastal skijor trip? Perhaps an expedition down the Yukon River? Perhaps more winter flying practice? I have too many exciting ideas, and I’m working on settling on one. It’s a tough life, this one.

Since I’m the Queen of Wishy-Washy right now, and we probably won’t be doing races, I do not plan on opening the dog sponsorship program this season. That being said, I hope you all continue to follow along. I’ll be trying to post regularly on the blog. If you enjoy reading the blog, I will have the donation option open on the website if you’d like to help support that. A big thank you to all the dog sponsors who have supported us for years and years. Do not worry, I am not getting out of dogs. These canines are exceptional, and I’m rather attached. But we are pivoting and probably just keeping this group of dogs for awhile.

If you do love the racing side of mushing, I encourage you to support another racing kennel’s dog sponsorship program. The economics of owning a racing dog team have become even more skewed over the last few years. Dog food has rocketed from about $2400 a ton to $3150 a ton in just the last five years or so. Straw prices have gone from $7-8/bale to $15/bale. Veterinary costs have similarly increased. I always knew that racing sled dogs never made financial sense, but it makes even less sense these days. I encourage you to redirect your sponsorship to a racing kennel and help keep the racing world alive. Or support the races themselves. The Copper Basin, the Yukon Quest, the Iditarod- these three races in particular have so many incredible volunteers struggling with similar increases in expenses. The 13 years of racing will forever be some of my most treasured memories, and I’d love for others to have the opportunity to make their own.

Thank you all for following Ryno Kennel, and I can’t wait for the adventures that the 2023-2024 season will bring!