Iditarod Drop Bags and Playing With Puppies

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After hours and hours of cutting meat, bagging kibble, planning runs, packaging food and booties, we finally got to send off the Iditarod drop bags! What a GREAT feeling. The next time I'll see those bags, I'll be taking a vacation on the Iditarod Trail.

Stormy and Wingman in lead.

To celebrate the mailing of the Iditarod drop bags, we thought it'd be a good day to run some puppies. These guys are only about seven months old, but they're all doing exceptionally well. Just for fun, we tried Wingman and Ewok (a puppy who joined Ryno Kennel last fall) in lead and they both rocked it. I'm so excited for this puppy class.

Yuker- This is one handsome dude. He's super affectionate and acts cocky, but he actually can be very sensitive.

Blitz- Blitz is still pretty gangly and a tad awkward, but he shows tons of promise. He's one of the most focused puppies in team. 

Fish- Since Fish is a flying squirrel, she was held back a couple weeks behind the other puppies. Recently she's hopped back into training and looks AWESOME. So much energy.

Uno- Uno is a mini-verson of her mom, Perm, except blonde in color. She likes to talk back and yell at everyone.

Yuker and Biltz

Crunch- Crunch is one cuddly boy who has been rocking it in the team. He's very focused and is finally growing a bit in size to match his big attitude.

Wingman- As I mentioned before, Wingman has already run in lead. He's crazy, loud, loves to eat, and might be missing a few brain cells, but that's ok. He's a rock star.

Ewok- Ewok (Brazil x Bailey) joined Ryno Kennel a few months ago from our neighbor Ketil. She is incredible. Very sweet but the most focused pup right now.

Wombat- Wombat (Flo x Wizard) also joined Ryno Kennel a few months prior from Pete Kaiser. Wombat is two months older than the other pups and is CRAZY. She has nonstop energy. She's already run in lead, and I have yet to see this girl tired.

Wingman and Crunch

Earl and Uno

Maliko's Recap

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Whew! Like Ryne, there were a lot of ups and downs.  We started off with a bang, just behind Ryne and cruising at an incredible pace.  However, after a difficult run into Mile 101 which included breaking my bar brake on top of Rosebud, descending almost 3,000 feet screaming like a banshee while trying to keep my sled on its side and taking some wrong turns, we were all feeling a little mentally maxed out.  On top of that, Pirate and Derby both came up with sore shoulders and had to be dropped.  While this was a set back, after a nice 6 hour rest, the team looked great, and we were ready to run up and over Eagle Summit.  The dogs were super jazzed for this run and sped to Central in under 4 hours!  

Leaving Central, I planned to camp along the way, but a couple hours into the run, the dogs were cruising, and I started to consider going all the way to Circle, 73 miles away.  About 6 hours later, the dogs were still going strong, and we made it into Circle in just 8.5 hours.  With this being only their second 300 mile race, I was beyond impressed with them.

In Circle we took 8 hours of rest, and headed back to Central for the finish line, completing the 2016 Yukon Quest 300’s last leg with the second fastest time after Ryne. I couldn’t be more proud of my team.  The Yukon Quest 300 is a challenging race, both physically and mentally, and to see the team run faster and pull harder for the last 73 miles of a tough 300 mile race kept me grinning all the way into Central.

Belle, Eider, CJ, and Brant

Derby

Niagra – My wonderful leader, little Niagra is not the best at passing, but kept Goblin from taking wrong turns, so they were kind of a yin and yang duo up there.  Along with Goblin, Niagra was one of the most vocal dogs on the team and would get annoyed with me when I’d have to stop the sled going up Rosebud or Eagle to catch my breath. She’s also the best snuggler!

Fenton – This boy ran in swing for a whole 300 miles and barely batted an eye.  I was a little worried about running him in swing the whole race, but he was very comfortable up there and seemed to enjoy being so far up in the team.

Coot – Coot was an invisible dog, and if you know anything about sled dogs, that’s one of the best kinds of dogs you can have.  He always pulled, always ate, and never had any problems.  

Eider – Ryne asked me to take Eider along to see what he could do, and I was a little skeptical, because he hasn’t been all that impressive this season, but Eider proved me wrong and worked hard for half the race.  Since Eider hasn’t been on as stringent a training schedule as everybody else, he finally got tired after going over Eagle Summit and I decided to drop him in Central, but he put in an impressive 150 miles.

Derby – I was so, so bummed when I had to drop Derby at Mile 101.  It was one of the (several) times I almost cried during this race.  Derby is one of my favorite dogs, she’s goofy and weird, and works her butt off all the time, and I definitely feel the space when she’s gone from the team.

Sally – Oh little Sally.  I think Sally may be getting ready for retirement at the ripe age of 3.  She did well, but you could tell that she was daydreaming about lying on the couch, next to a roaring fire.  One thing that always impresses me about Sally, though, is her drive over hills.  Any hill we hit, she gave it 150%!

CJ – My sweet, sassy, trouble making Calamity Jane.  Earlier in the season we’d had some doubts about CJ…ok, even later into the season (she can be a little distractible on the trail), but she really shined on this race.  She has a steady, smooth, effortless pace that I love watching mile after mile.

Belle – Belle is one of my absolute favorites and I was devastated when she came up with a sore shoulder as we ran into Circle.  I rubbed her down, and since I didn’t have a heat pack t-shirt, I had to MacGuyver a solution.  I put some hand warmers in a glove and vet wrapped it to her shoulder.  She looked funny, but ultimately it worked and she finished happy and strong, jumping all over Ryne and Tessa when we came into the finish line.

Brant – Brant is one of those dogs that makes a strong connection with his musher and trusts what you say is possible even if he’s skeptical.  There were a few times on this race where Brant was definitely skeptical, but he trusted my judgment and hit that finish line like a ton of bricks.

Pirate – I love Pirate (from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel).  She’s a big female who works her butt off and doesn’t take sass from any of the boys!  Along with being a hard working dog and a great eater, I know I can rely on her to get us from point A to point B, even if some of the less experienced dogs are having a tough time of it.  Unfortunately I had to drop her due to a sore shoulder at Mile 101.

Charley – I freakin’ adore Charley (from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel).  I call him my little (quite the misnomer as he’s one of the largest dogs we are currently running) Eeyore dog.  While Charley isn’t always the fastest dog, he was a speed demon on this race!  He pulled hard and fast over any terrain this race threw at him.

Goblin – We borrowed Goblin from Sebastian Schnuelle’s Blue Kennels, and he ran 300 miles in lead!  He didn’t always want to take the correct trail, but he was a freight train passing other teams, barked anytime I stopped, and was always spunky leaving checkpoints.

 

4th Place and the Vet's Choice Award

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Time to recap another successful race weekend for the Ryno Kennel athletes! We crossed the finish line at 7:15 PM on Monday night in 4th place with a super jazzed and tail-wagging dog team. At the truck, they gobbled up their snacks and a big meal, flirting and playing with each other, trying to crawl around under the truck- you could hardly tell the team had just run 300 miles. Other than the strength and positive attitude of the dog team, the highlight of the race was winning the Vet’s Choice Award. The whole reason I race is to experience adventure and travel the Alaska Wild with some of my best friends on the planet. While winning is a major goal, being recognized for the health and happiness of the incredible athletes that make this whole crazy sport happen is incredibly rewarding. In other words- a big thank you to my dog team for making me look good.

When I reflect on the race itself, I have mixed feelings. The dogs absolutely excelled and exhibited the confidence of champions. As the musher and coach...well... I learned a lot. In my mind, I believe we were the team to beat, but due to a few mid-race decisions, I did not run a strategy that best fit the dogs. I’m specifically referring to my decision to run through Mile 101 straight to Central. The team posted one of the fastest run times from Two Rivers to Mile 101 and then again from Mile 101 to Central; however, an 8 1/2 hour run for our second leg in a 300 mile race over two mountain summits was a gamble. I knew this at the time, but the length of the run was nothing new to this team, so we made a bold move. The team took it in stride, but what advantage we gained in cutting rest we lost in speed. To make back the speed, we had to camp on the run from Central to Circle and give up any advantage we had gained. Basically, we made a big move, and it proved to be the wrong decision. But as Derek and I always say to each other whenever we make a mistake- Fail Fast, Be Better. Don’t dwell on the failure, embrace the lesson. So with that in mind, we camped between Central and Circle, then posted the fastest run time on the final leg to the finish in Central. Did I mention these dogs are incredible?

Perm- Perm was the MVD of this race. This dog gets happier and stronger the farther we go down the trail. When Fire was in the sled bag to rest a minor tricep and no one else felt like leading the charge, Perm proudly took the responsibility and barked her way down the trail in single lead. Sass. This girl just has tons of sass.

Katy- Katy led for the middle section of the race. Normally Katy’s achilles heal is her weight watching (she likes to keep a slim figure), but this year, she has become a much better eater and looked great the entire race. Katy and Lefty led together for one leg of the race, which was hilarious because even though they’re half siblings (both Nacho pups), they have ZERO resemblance. A 38 pound, shorter coated, red/brown social butterfly running next to a 57 pound, hairy white awkward science nerd.

Fire- Fire led the first half of the race then developed a minor tricep cramp. To make sure it completely healed, Fire rode in the sled bag from Central to Circle with a heat pack strapped to her shoulder and lots of Algyval massages. After our rest in Circle, she looked great and led the team back to the finish line in Central. I think she’s good to go for the rest of the season.

Lefty- Being only two-years-old, Lefty really stepped it up this race. He did exceptionally well and even led occasionally. I expect Lefty to be one of the main leaders in future years. Even though he’s a bit of a weirdo, Lefty is intelligent and driven and loves being a sled dog.

Jana- Jana and her sister Drummer (from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel) had another flawless race. She pulls, she eats, she’s no nonsense- the perfect sled dog. While she’s not necessarily very animated, Jana was always ready to go when it was time to pull the hook. Plus, she’s quite the cuddler when it’s time to take a nap in the straw, which is another trait I personally like. :)

Drummer- Drummer (from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel), started the race in wheel with Drake but worked her way up to run in swing with her sister Jana. Jana and Drummer have such a strong resemblance that many people struggle to tell them apart. They’re twins that have some invisible bond and do exceptionally well when paired together. And I have to mention Drummer was a total pig. She ate everything and anything.

Kindi and Supai

Rucu- Rucu is my rock. He always pulls, always eats, and has finished every race with me since he was born. He ran in the middle of the team for most of the race but prefers to be in wheel. When I put him in wheel near of the end of the race, you could just tell his mind was at ease. He loves to have that direct connection with the sled and really be able to yank it around.

Kindi- Spunky Kindi is part of the core of the team like her brothers Rucu and Supai. 60 miles into a run, she’d get a whiff of moose or some other critter and start driving and loping like crazy. Her tail wags harder than any other dog on the team. I wish every dog could have Kindi’s positive personality.

Supai- Like his brother Rucu, Supai has finished every race with me. The handsome little devil did exceptional as always. I love this dog. He works, he eats, he’s happy, he’s perfect. Enough said. Supai is the best.

Kindi

Ham- Ham got a shoulder within the first 30 miles of the race on the Chena River after stepping in a crack on the ice. Huge huge bummer. Unfortunately, it appears to be a major muscle pull. He’ll have to sit out for a couple weeks and get some serious rehab but hopefully he’ll be back for Iditarod. Fingers and toes are crossed. It wouldn’t hurt if everyone reading this crosses their fingers and toes too.

Cartel- Cartel ran in lead from the start to Central over both mountain summits. I dropped her in Central for a very minor wrist. It was a conservative drop to make sure that she’ll be 100% for the rest of the season. Like Katy, Cartel used to be a picky eater, but recently, she’s been stealing food from her neighbors and eating everything in sight!

Drake- Drake did really well this race, especially in the mountains. Climbing Rosebud and Eagle Summit were probably his two favorite parts of the entire trail. I put Drake in the bag for the part of the final run to the finish line because he is not as fast as the other dogs, but Drake would have none of that business. He busted through the back of my sled bag like the Hulk and angrily insisted he stay in the team. Because I now had a huge hole in my sled bag, Drake got his wish. Even though he didn’t pull super hard on the last run, he kept up the pace and finished happy.


A video of the dogs relaxing after the race as we wait for the banquet.

Here is a short clip from our last run down Birch Creek back to Central. Running Birch Creek at night can be painfully monotonous, and I'll admit, I had difficultly staying awake on this section the night before (granted it was 2-6 AM). Running Birch Creek in the light is a much more enjoyable experience because you can actually see the changing terrain and frost tipped trees rimming the creek banks.

Ryno Kennel into Circle!

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Ryno Kennel has just pulled into Circle. Still no communication from the team, but from the Yukon Quest website looks like 10 pups are cruising right along. Have not heard who was dropped, though from the Yukon website looks like Ryne left Two Rivers with 11 dogs and Central with 10. 

From the Yukon's facebook posts:  looks like Jesse Holmes is in the lead and headed out of Circle back to Central. Aliy Zirkle pulled into Circle about an hour ago and Joanna Jagow arrived soon after. 

Maliko, also running with 10 dogs having dropped 2 at Mile 101 , looks to be running strong, too. Last check Maliko's team was at mile 171, about 37 miles out of Central. 

What a race! Go Ryno Kennel go!

Appears Ryno Kennel first into Central

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Tough not having any reception with any one out on the course, but as we hope you are, we are following the Yukon Quest 300 tracker, and Ryno Kennel appears to be first into Central! Way to early to know how this will all play out -- but oh so exciting!!

Live tracker can be found here: 

http://www.yukonquest.com/race-central/yq300-live-tracker

Central is the only mandatory stop, 6 hours, where start time differentials and penalties will be processed. Plus the pups will all have a thorough vet check followed by rub downs, meals, rest, and lots of love from the musher.

Maliko's team is cruising right along, having made it over Eagle summit! Down hill into Central and a nice rest for some strong pups.

Today Begins the Quest 300!

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Ryne is #8 and Maliko is #13

At 3:21 today Ryne and Team will leave #8 (wearing bib #58) for the Quest 300 Sled Dog Race! Maliko and Team will be the 13th team leaving at 3:36 wearing bib #63. The team lineups are as follows-

Ryne's Team- Fire and Cartel, Ham and Katy, Lefty and Perm, Kindi and Supai, Rucu and Jana, Drummer and Drake

Maliko's Team- Goblin and Niagra, Derby and Pirate, Belle and Fenton, Sally and Charley, Brant and CJ, Eider and Coot

You'll notice a few changes to the team lineups from Copper Basin with Lefty and Drake (both two years old) bumping up to the "A" squad. Both youngsters have been doing fantastically well in training and earned a chance to strut their stuff with the big dogs.

Fenton at Vet Checks

We have a few Ryno Recruits joining the ranks for the Quest 300. You'll probably recognize the four athletes from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel (good friend Amanda Gecas) who have been with us for two seasons now. Jana, Charley, Drummer, and Pirate have been rock solid these past two seasons. In addition, Goblin will be joining Maliko's team from Sebastian Schnuelle's Blue Kennels. Goblin is a rockstar leader that will provide leadership and direction for Maliko's young team. Thank you to Sebastian for allowing Goblin to join us for the Quest 300!

There are only three adults not racing the Quest 300 from Ryno Kennel: Fez, Boone, and Amy. Fez's "bad" wrist from this summer's encounter with the porcupine flared up slightly after a long run a few days ago. She's sitting out the Quest 300 as a precaution so that hopefully she'll be 110% for the Iditarod. This will be the first Ryno Kennel race that Fez will not be with me (and finished). She will be DEARLY missed. Boone has appeared healthy ever since Copper Basin with the exception of a small bump on the top of her wrist. Though it caused her discomfort only one day, a veterinarian diagnosed the problem as a torn tendon, which takes months to heal. Torn tendons aren't necessarily painful, but given the amount of time it takes to heal properly and the fact that these dogs are extreme athletes, Boone is most likely out for the rest of the season. She'll rest up and be back stronger than ever next year! Amy...oh Amy. She's adorable, playful, super sweet, leads, and is one of my favorite dogs due to her cuddly personality, but after three years, I've finally accepted that Amy just isn't competitive. She's healthy and happy right now, but long miles just don't sound fun to her. Every dog has their own personality, and Adorable Amy would prefer not to race 300 miles.

 

 

Prepping for Races

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One of the last runs before Q300

I apologize for the radio silence this last week, but life has been busy at Ryno Kennel! The most immediate event is the Quest 300 beginning Saturday at 3:00 PM. The Quest 300 runs in conjunction with the 1000-mile Yukon Quest, which starts at 11:00 AM on Saturday. For the Quest 300, we'll follow the 1000-milers for the first 200 miles from Fairbanks to Two Rivers to Mile 101 to Central and to Circle, then we'll turn around and head back to finish in Central.  Cell service and internet connection are pretty much nonexistent after the Two Rivers checkpoint, so our updates will be few; however, my incredible mom will be doing her best to update everyone following the blog. Tessa will also be posting on our Facebook page- Ryno Sled Dog Kennel- as often as possible with pictures and short video.  On the Yukon Quest, Quest 300 page (http://www.yukonquest.com/race-central/yq300-live-tracker) , you can follow our trackers.  We're super excited to be participating in our hometown Fairbanks race! Check back on Saturday for the final lineups for the two Ryno Kennel Teams!

In addition to preparing for the Quest 300, Iditarod Drop Bags are due February 15th, so the Ryno Crew has been busy cutting meat, making meals, bagging kibble, bundling booties, labeling drop bags, and the multitudes of other tasks it takes to prepare for a 1000-mile race. A HUGE thank you to Tessa Butterfield (chef, bootier, bagger and labler extraordinaire), Maliko Ubl (precision meat butcher, dog coach, bagger expert) and Amanda Gecas (distinguished chef and dog trainer). You ladies have made a normally tedious, overwhelming task into a not only doable, but dare I say....fun?.... production. THANK YOU!!

Highlight on Wingman and Fish

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Continuing our posts on the 2015 puppy class, let's highlight Wingman and Fish!

Wingman has very similar mannerisms to his mom Neptune (Fire's daughter and sister of Niagra and Ham). In other words, he makes weird noises, stands in awkward positions, and is just all-around adorably goofy. He's grown tall and leggy like his dad Koyuk from Matt Hall's Smokin' Ace Kennel and has an insatiable appetite.

Fish is the epitome of a "flying squirrel." Occasionally she likes to be cuddled, but more often that not she'd prefer to sprint around and get into everything. She's very smart and has unfortunately learned that she doesn't always have to come when she's called- playing loose in the yard is way more fun than getting a treat at her house. Due to her limitless energy, she's given puppy walkers the run around a couple of times. Of all the Card Game Pups, she is the least like Perm. Instead, Fish seems to take after dad Reef in appearance.

Wingman as a pup

Wingman at 6 months

Wingman at 6 months

Fish as a pup

Fish at 6 months

Maliko's Recap

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What a fun race!  We had such a great time running the Two Rivers 100.  This time, Ryne sat out and worked as a check point volunteer at the Two Rivers Lodge while I ran most of the A team along with a couple of our two year olds, Lefty and Belle.  This was a great experience for them to be in the midst of experienced dogs and learn to deal with a bit more demanding race schedule. 

It was both incredible and nerve wracking to run Ryne’s race team, on the one hand, its amazing to see a mature team in race mode, on the other hand, I felt like I should be handling them with kid gloves at all times!  Our 50 mile run into the finish line was one of the most gorgeous night runs I’ve done in a long time.  The moon was so bright I ran without a headlamp for half of it, and the aurora came out to dance across the sky.  One of the most beautiful scenes for me as a dog musher is watching your dog team and its moonlit shadow race across the wilderness under the northern lights.  And let’s not forget what a great team Ryne has here at Ryno Kennel.  

Fire and Katy

Fire and Katy led us the whole 100 miles, and they are a dream in front.  Literally power steering fifty feet in front of you.  

Jana and Drummer (of Boundary Sled Dog Kennel owned by our friend Amanda Gecas) were two hard driving swing dogs that absolutely loved it when we passed other teams. 

Supai and Kindi ran just behind Jana and Drummer and were solid team dogs.  We like to call Jana and Drummer and Supai and Kindi the two sets of twins, if you dodn’t know them well, you’d have trouble telling them apart!

Pirate and Charley (also from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel) were another set of great team dogs.  They’re both big and powerful and even though Charley doesn’t always like to go very fast, he stepped it up for 100 miles.  

Niagra and Belle were next in the team.  Belle, I think, had a little bit of a hard time mentally keeping up with our shorter rest and faster pace, but she didn’t slack off, and Niagra enjoyed being in team for once, rather than leading the B team.

And last but definitely not least, Rucu and Lefty in wheel!  These guys were great.  As I’m sure you remember from my last post, Lefty is going to be a super star here at Ryno Kennel.  These two powerhouse boys were amazing in wheel.  They drove hard and ate everything in sight, even Lefty!