Next Winter Plans

Last weekend was the Iditarod Volunteer Picnic and Sign Ups! You might have noticed that Ryno Kennel isn’t on the roster for the 2023 Iditarod. We were excited to see 21 mushers planning to travel the trail to Nome, but we will not be one of them this year.

For the last eight years, we have conditioned and trained for a 1000-mile race every winter. Some of my most cherished mushing memories have been during my races or training trips. However, prepping for a 1000-mile race is all-consuming, and this winter, we’re excited to try something a little different. My foundational drive for having a sled dog team has always been bonding with the dogs and traveling in the magical, remote places of the North. The races provide the opportunity to do just that; however, they also have a pretty rigid framework. All that is to say- we still plan to do an adventure this winter, it just won’t be the Iditarod Trail.

We haven’t nailed down our exact plans just yet, and the final decision will probably depend on conditions and weather, but we’ve had a blast brainstorming ideas! One of my favorite so far is traveling from Circle to Dawson, spending time at all the remote cabins along the way. There is so much history in that part of Alaska, that I’d say this trip is near the top of the list. Or maybe venturing from Derek’s old trapline cabin in Big River and traveling home. Or maybe explore the Upper Salcha. There are SO MANY amazing places in Alaska it might be hard to pick! I’ll be filming the trip so that we can share the experience with everyone. We’ll also carry along a tracker for RK followers to keep track of our progress.

But for you racing fanatics, don’t worry, we’ll still make an appearance in the race circuit! We have 10 two-year-olds who have yet to race, so we hope to get them on their first 200 or 300 mile race. We haven’t decided which race to participate in just yet- any ideas?

Tucker will also be returning for his second season at Ryno Kennel and with a little prodding, we’ll hopefully get to read some of his colorful blog posts again. Mandy and Simon are moving to Switzerland. While we’re sad to see them go, I have a feeling they’ll be back to Alaska some day! Kalyn recently purchased a house just a mile or so from the kennel, so they will continue helping with Chena Outdoor Collective and developing our reindeer tours. The house has a bit of…..let’s call it character. Kalyn is documenting the remodel on their Tiktok account- @crotchetyoptimist The videos are hilarious. Check them out!