Copper Basin Here We Come!
/We are so excited to be starting two teams in the Copper Basin 300 this weekend. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we'll be setting off with four humans and twenty four canine athletes to Glennallen. This year, we've got an all star team of not only dogs, but also people! Joining us as handlers for the 2016 Copper Basin, we have Derek Patton handling for Ryne and Tessa Butterfield handling for Maliko. Both Derek and Tessa handled at last year's Copper Basin for Ryno Sled Dog Kennel, and we're thrilled to have them both back (though, to be fair, Derek probably wouldn't have let anyone else handle for Ryne anyway).
Due to our strangely warm winter, the trail has been changed a little bit from previous years. Rather than starting in Glennallen, we'll be starting in Gakona, about twenty miles up the road. This changes our strategy a little bit as the first run into Red Eagle Lodge will only be about thirty miles. That's a breeze for our super stars!
Follow our teams on the Copper Basin (CB300.com) website, and stay tuned to Facebook and the Ryno Sled Dog Kennel webpage for pictures and updates from along the trail!
Iditarod Insider
/Iditarod Insider has been highlighting two Iditarod mushers each week in a short video clip. This week, the Iditarod Insider featured Ryno Kennel! Check it out!
http://iditarod.com/insider-features-ryne-olson-and-ryan-redington/
If you haven't subscribed to the Iditarod Insider yet, now would be a great time! The Insider allows you to track all the mushers during the Iditarod as well as watch short clips of various teams and interviews of the mushers.
Trapline Pups
/While Maliko, the race dogs, and I have been busy training for Copper Basin, the trapline crew of Derek, Chagga, Earl, and Frosty have been enjoying the beautiful views of the trapline. Frosty grew up with Matt Hall outside of the small community of Eagle, Alaska, so for Frosty, life on the trapline is heaven. He spends his free-time exploring the forest around the cabin then leads the yearlings when it's time to "work." For Earl and Chagga, it's a great learning experience and gets them in touch with their roots. They get to explore untouched wilderness, breaking trail, moving slow and pulling heavier loads with lots of stopping to set and check traps. In addition to learning patience, they receive lots of one-on-one interaction and quickly learn that if they don't pull hard, the sled doesn't move. When not running the line, Earl and Chagga get to romp and play around the cabin. Oh, and I forgot to mention the final member of the trapline crew- Jezzy! Jezzy gets to run in front and scout the trail. She even caught a marten! Good dog!
Occasionally Derek finds remnants of the trappers of old. Here are a couple videos of rundown trapper cabins that Derek stumbled upon. Interestingly, the majority of their gear and belongings are still left in the cabins. The video on the right is particularly unique because the cabin is located underground!
Here's a video of Derek, Frosty, Earl, Chagga, and Jezzy in action!
Copper Basin Race Prep
/With the Copper Basin 300 just a short 11 days away, we've been going out on our final big training runs and campouts before crunch time. Known for big climbs, open water, and rugged trail conditions, the Copper Basin will be a major test. We've been preparing by training in similar conditions. Here is a photo and video from a couple days ago of the main team breaking trail up to the top of one of the highest points in Two Rivers. We were racing the sun in an effort to reach the top during daylight, and boy, was the view worth it.
This is an exciting year for me in particular because for the first time ever, there are options for the main team. Ryno Kennel is still relatively new (3 years old), and my team has always been comprised of the 12 available dogs. Occasionally, 12 Ryno Kennel adults were not ready to race, so I borrowed dogs from fellow mushers and kennels to help fill out the team. This year, we're training 26 athletes (5 returning from Amanda Gecas at Boundary Kennel), of which all are 2-years-old or older. Picking the final 12 for my Copper Basin team will be a challenge, but one for which I'm thrilled! Depth is important for any sports team, and we're finally getting to a point in our growth that Ryno Kennel has enough athletes to choose the best 12 for each race and situation. Bring on the Copper Basin!
2nd and 15th!
/I couldn't be more proud of the athletes as they rocked their second race of the season- the Solstice 50. Ham, Cartel, and Katy alternated running lead for me and kept a fast pace all the way through the hilly course. Niagra and Fire led the way for Maliko and did a fantastic job navigating the 2-year-olds through frozen overflow, tight trails, steep inclines, and lots of team passing!
A big thank you to all the volunteers and the trail boss Abbie for putting in an INCREDIBLE trail. Loads of fun all around. Here are some photos taken by Sebastian Schnuelle during the race.
To see all of the results, check out the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Facebook page. Also, if you haven't like Ryno Sled Dog Kennel on Facebook yet- you're missing out on lots of fun updates!
Solstice 50
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Today Ryno Kennel partakes in our second race of the season- the Solstice 50! This is a race organized by our local Two Rivers Club that begins in “downtown” Two Rivers at Pleasant Valley Store. From there, it heads north where we’ll spend about 2/3 of the race traversing the steep hills of the firebreak (time to see how fit the musher is). The remaining 1/3 of the race will be winding through the spiderweb of trails in the Chena Valley until we return to finish at Pleasant Valley Store. Time to celebrate the 3 hours and 42 minutes of sunlight- it’s Solstice!
Ryne’s Team
1. Boone
2. Cartel
3. Drummer
4. Fez
5. Ham
6. Jana
7. Katy
8. Lefty
9. Perm
10. Pirate
11. Rucu
12. Supai
Maliko’s Team
1. Belle
2. Brant
3. CJ
4. Charley
5. Coot
6. Drake
7. Eider
8. Fenton
9. Fire
10. Kindi
11. Niagra
12. Sally
Drake the Bird Dog
/Recently, two teams of Ryno Kennel athletes headed to the White Mountain Recreation Area for a camping trip. The majority of the trip was in darkness, which makes for spectacular Aurora Borealis viewing but not so great for pictures. We managed to snap a shot of the truck on our way to the White Mountains with the sun setting. It was around 3:00-3:15 in the afternoon.
Most of the time running dogs, I let my mind wander, gazing at the northern lights and mesmerizing motion of the dogs effortlessly gliding down the trail. However last night, just as I was getting lulled into the rhythm of dog mushing, I was jolted awake by a sudden burst of speed from the dogs. They could all smell or see something that I could not. Looking around, I noticed deep moose tracks, so my first thought was that a moose was in close proximity to the team. Moose can be extremely dangerous for a dog team, so I was on high alert, searching for any sign of movement. Just then, a burst of motion came flying from the left. I jumped, reaching for my ax thinking a moose was about to trample the team. You can imagine my surprise when Drake (running in the wheel position directly in front of the sled) catapulted into the air and snatched a thrashing grouse right from mid-flight. I had a front row seat to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. SO COOL. And as you can see from the picture, Drake was quite proud of himself too. Grouse is on the menu for dinner tonight!
Puppy Poster
/Just in time for the holidays- we have puppy posters for sale! Check out the Gear page and get your very own Ryno Kennel Puppy Poster!
The Beauty of the Alaska Range
/As promised, here's a video of the incredible scenery of the Alaska Range. Five moose, beautiful views, rugged peaks, rejuvenating sunshine- doesn't get much better!
6th and 18th Place!
/We had a blast at the Alpine Creek Excursion Race this weekend cruising down the pristine Denali Highway through the incredible Alaska Range. Ryne and Team covered the 51-mile race in 4:57 placing 6th and averaging 10.2 miles per hour! Maliko and Team weren't far behind, placing 18th with a time of 5:32. It was a fun, successful weekend with lots of great training. Thanks to Alpine Creek Lodge for organizing the race! Video of the incredible views and a herd of moose coming soon!
