Autumn in Two Rivers

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Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Not only do the leaves change color (as shown by the incredible picture of Two Rivers by photographer Scott Chesney), but the temperatures drop each night, freezing the ground and crisping the air- it's time to run dogs!

We've been training lots of new leaders, including Lefty and his sister Belle! These two are probably the cutest siblings leading down the trail.

The puppies, as you can see, now resemble small dogs! That's Elmer front left, followed by Flash, Amelia, King Louie, Badger, Nile, and Nessie. I'm guessing this group will increase the average weight of the kennel by at least 10 lbs! They're huge!

Fall is also official project time. We're building new dog houses (aka giant chew toys), expanding the dog yard for our growing numbers, painting new name plates, stockpiling straw, ordering supplies, and prepping for the upcoming race season. 

And in between running dogs and prepping for winter, we like to get out for a bit of fun with Jezzy, the grouse sniper. Plus, it helps to fill the freezer!

Fall Training Has Officially Begun!

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We've had several freezing mornings in the past week, and the dogs are LOVING it. This season, we're beginning training with 9 yearlings and 22 adults. The yearlings build mileage slower than the experienced adults and only prep for a 200 or 300 mile race. This season, the adults are comprised of 1 two-year-old, 8 three-year-olds, 7 four-year-olds, 5 five-year-olds, and 1 seven-year-old. Most have completed the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, or both, so we're ready to rock and roll!

In this video, Lefty and Boone are leading the charge, Niagra is in single swing, Cartel and Kindi, Fish and Crunch, Wombat and Chagga, and Blitz and Wingman are in wheel.

Athlete Portraits

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Scott Chesney with Tailspin Media has been visiting the kennel to update the athlete portraits for the upcoming season. Here are a few teasers until they have all been finalized. It's particularly fun to see how much the puppies have changed! Enjoy!

Blitz- Yearling

Yuker- Yearling

Wingman- Yearling

Uno- Yearling

Fish- Yearling

Crunch- Yearling

Blitz- Puppy

Yuker- Puppy

Wingman- Puppy

Uno- Puppy

Fish- Puppy

Crunch- Puppy

Yukon Quest Sign Ups!

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Photo credit- Scott Chesney

Remember this cold race a couple years ago? The one that hovered around -35F to -55F for the first several days? Well, we've signed up to do it again!

Today was sign ups for the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race! That's right, we're having another go at this incredible 1000-mile race. Starting on February 4, 2017 the race will begin in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and finish in Fairbanks, Alaska.

WE CAN'T WAIT!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

Chase and Steph from Tukaway Kennel. Chase will be racing in the Quest 300.

Busy Summer

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Cartel and Crunch in harness.

And just like that, it's July 31st. Tomorrow begins another August in Alaska where the nights start to have darkness, the air seems a little more breezy, and the cold chill on a rainy morning smells of the coming winter.  I'm getting jittery just thinking about it. Even though the summer has flown by, winter can't come fast enough. The dogs have enjoyed a long relaxing summer and are starting to get antsy (and slightly destructive by digging holes and chewing on their houses).  We're ready.

When the temperatures permit, we've taken teams out on short runs, trying new dogs in lead and teaching manners. Some of the upcoming yearlings are already showing leader potential including Wingman, Crunch, Ewok, Yuker, and Gringa. Gringa was dynamite up in lead, and she's only 10 months old! Several of the newly turned three-year-olds look stronger than ever. I have a feeling it will be a real challenge to pick the "A" Team this year! 

Yuker, Crunch and Cartel playing in the Chena River.

The puppies have been growing so fast, there is a noticeable change every day! "Flash" Flood joined the African Litter from Jeff King's Husky Homestead to make up a total puppy class of six. There are a couple more puppy recruits in the works, so I'll be sure to keep everyone posted.

Nessie- Nessie is very affectionate and confident. She's happy playing with her siblings, resting in your lap, exploring by herself, or doing just about anything. She looks just like Perm except white.

Nile- Nile is a handsome, leggy pup who reminds me of his older brother Yuker. They have a similar coloration and sweet, but cocky, attitude. He devours food faster than his siblings, so it's not uncommon to see him with a potbelly.

Badger- Badger has a very distinct face and coloration, so he's often picked as a favorite by visitors. He instinctively heels on puppy walks and rushes up to any new friendly face. He's quite the social butterfly.

King Louie- Although Louie is one of the biggest, he's the most reserved and occasionally timid. He does love people but prefers that his siblings check out the situation first. Some might call him smart.

Nala- Nala is in-your-face crazy. She's always jumping up for extra attention and is the first to come running whenever I call "pup, pup, pup." She has boundless non-stop energy.

Flash- Flash looks houndy like her mom, Zig. She has one blue eye and one 1/2 blue 1/2 brown eye giving her a very unique look. She loves to play in water and spends the most time in the kiddy pool out of all the puppies. She's playful and sassy.

Nessie relaxing in the woods.

Puppies helping me pick blueberries.

While unrelated to dog mushing and Ryno Kennel, I have to share a picture of my very first King Salmon. Allen has gone down to the Kenai River for the past 25 years to fish for Red and King Salmon, and this year, I got to tag along. I'm told King is not quite as tasty as the smaller Reds, but the 15+ hours we put in to catch this one 40 lb King was totally worth it. Allen's record is a 74 lbs King. Can you imagine?!

First ever King Salmon!

It's Getting Darker!

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And just like that, Solstice came and went, which means....it's getting darker! Granted, it has yet to actually be dark, but since the solstice, we have lost two minutes of day length! This time of year, it never gets dark in Fairbanks, but the sun does drop below the horizon for a couple hours. The length of day on the solstice was 21 hours 51 minutes and 1 second. Today it's only 21 hours 49 minutes and 1 second. We're getting closer to winter!

Of course, we can't just sit around waiting for snow and darkness. We might as well enjoy the glorious Alaskan summers. Here are a few pictures from our outings.

Teamwork!

Nessie

King Louie and Nala

Rainy Day Runs

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Nile, King Louie, Nala, Badger, and Nessa

"I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny." - Dr. Seuss

Most of the summer, the athletes at Ryno Kennel lounge the days away, soaking up the sun and enjoying the occasional free run. However, some days when the rain pours and the temperatures drop to the 40s and 50s (when any normal person curses summers in Alaska), we rejoice! It's time to RUN!! Last weekend, we had incredible weather of heavy rains and brisk morning temperatures, so everyone had a chance to stretch their legs. As you can see from the videos, they were pretty excited about it. The only adults that didn't run were Perm (she has puppies) and Boone (we're just being extra careful about her wrist from this winter- tendons take a looong time to heal). Chagga and Earl are down at summer camp in Juneau with Maliko. They will be back to start training in early September.

Can you spot your favorite dog?

Team 1- Ham and Lefty, Coot and Derby, Niagra, Ewok and Supai, Fish, Wingman and Crunch.

Team 2- Katy and Jana, Brant and Drummer, Blitz and Wombat, Kindi and Uno, Gringa and Yuker, Rucu

Team 3- Fire and Cartel, Teflon, Fez and CJ, Fenton and Belle, Sally and Frosty, Drake

Ready to Run....or Waddle

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While I have been regularly updating the Ryno Kennel Facebook page with puppy pictures, I realize I have withheld these adorable shots from puppy lovers who do not check Facebook! Here is a little video of the puppies as well as a few individual shots.

Solo

Who is the daddy?

SOLO is Kristin and Andy Pace's main leader at Hey Moose! Kennel. In both the 2015 Yukon Quest and 2016 Iditarod, I ran near Kristin and her stellar team, watching as Solo often single-led down the trail. His lineage traces back to older King lines, and interestingly, share many similarities with Fire! As part of our arrangement, one puppy will be joining Hey Moose! Kennel at about eight weeks old, but I'll be sure to keep you posted.

4 Weeks Pupdate- The pups are continually growing, maturing, and changing, but here's a little insight into their current personalities.

Nessie (white female)- She is the bravest female. She's very independent and prefers to romp around on her own than play with others.

Oryx (smaller black female)- Oryx is the smallest pup right now (not that it means anything...they're all huge!). She is sassy. She's always pouncing on her brothers and chewing on toes.

Nala (larger black female)- Nala is mellow and loves to just waddle around checking out her new surroundings. That being said, if her brothers try and show any dominance, she's quick to remind them that she's not one to mess with.

Badger (grey male)- Badger is a WHINER. He's always making noise and is currently the most timid. He's most comfortable cuddled up against you and napping in the grass.

Nile (dark grey male)- Of all the puppies in the litter, Nile is the most fearless. He's the first to come out of the house, chase after babysitters Stormy and Jezzy, or torment his siblings.

King Louie (black male)- King Louie is, at this particular moment, a fat lug. He waddles around and just body bumps his siblings, knocking them off balance. That being said, he's a big cuddle bug.

King Louie looking regal.

Nessie trying her best to wink.

Nile- can you put your foot in your mouth?

Lovely Oryx

Handsome Badger

Meet the African Litter

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Time for introductions! Perm has been an exceptional mother to these six big chunkers: Badger, Nile, King Louie, Vanessa "Nessie," Oryx, and Nala. Each day they are becoming more and more curious and adventurous. Stay tuned for more pictures or checkout our Facebook page!

From left to right- Vanessa "Nessie", Oryx, and Nala

From left to right- Badger, Nile, and King Louie

From left to right- Vanessa "Nessie", Oryx, Badger, Nala, Nile, and King Louie.

Happy Mother's Day

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To My Mother- who instilled within me a need for adventure and has always supported me in any crazy endeavor that comes to mind. Braving record rains, -50F temperatures, snow, dark nights, or mountains of dog poop, Katy Human has thrown herself into the mushing life even when others question my sanity. Happy Mother's Day Mom- I love you!

To Scooter- who was the first Mama at Ryno Kennel and blessed us with the goofy, fun-loving, tail-wagging Ecuadorians (Kindi, Rucu, Supai). She instilled within her pups her "go get 'em" attitude, dopey happiness, and love of food. Happy Mother's Day Scooter!

To Nutmeg- whose offspring are the sassy, friendly, hug-loving Ducks of Brant, Coot, Drake, and Eider as well as Champ and Cayenne at SP Kennel. Nutmeg passed on the "Spice Girl" love and affection traits famous of her sisters (Spicy and Rose) with a touch of her own attitude and determination. Happy Mother's Day Nutmeg!

To Puppet- whose offspring are Fenton and the Outlaws (Fenton, "Belle" Starr, Calamity Jane "CJ", and Lefty). Her pups share her stunning good looks, fast pace, and quirky attitudes that one can't help but love. Happy Mother's Day Puppet!

To Perm- who is now the mother of two litters at Ryno Kennel: the Card Games (Yuker, Blitz, Fish, and Uno) and the African Litter. Her pups share her affectionate personality as well as her high-pitched, sassy bark that can be heard throughout the state of Alaska. She's instilled in each pup a confidence that borders on arrogance. Happy Mother's Day Perm!