November 20, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!

SNOW HAS ARRIVED!! Though conditions are marginal, we have been sledding since last Wednesday. About 8 inches of snow arrived in our area early last week, though it has shrunk considerably with the temps hovering in the 30's. The dogs are eager and running strong, and training is progressing as planned. The heavy, wet snow covering the tree branches has turned our trails into a beautiful winter wonderland! We often take a passenger in these conditions to help control the team and assist if needed. The heavy snow and strong winds during the past couple of weeks have brought down many trees that could present a real challenge when running a strong team with little stopping ability! This also helps make the transition from the heavy ATV to the sleds more gradual.

I enjoyed giving a presentation at the Mid-West Mountaineering Expo last week, and we are looking forward to participating in the Ely Christmas Parade the day after Thanksgiving. Many Beargrease volunteers and handlers are also getting geared up for the early Beargrease this winter... I understand that many of the volunteers from the Sawbill checkpoint are gathering for Thanksgiving!

The puppies arrived the same time as our snow! "Emmie" Alaskan's Emaurade of Anadyr gave birth to three females and three males sired by "Bluie" last Wednesday and Shjegge Manns Bell had 5 females and 1 male last Tuesday sired by our race leader "Naoki." We are very pleased that these two beautiful litters are looking happy and healthy. The yearlings and 7-month-olds are all running really well in harness with our handler Mari's careful guidance.

I hope you've checked out the great holiday gift ideas available from our store!

October 15, 2005

Greetings!

Training is off to a great start this fall and we have finalized our race plans for the season.

We have two excellent handlers right now from Finland (the country), Mari and Elina. Elina will be flying home to head back to school in a couple of weeks,and Mari is staying to prepare one of our teams to race in the Beargrease 150 and assist with the training of the yearlings and puppies.

We are training forty three dogs for the race teams, and the dogs are covering 11 miles of trail every other day right now. A lot of the younger dogs are showing great ability in lead. This is really a super group of dogs with a lot of experience. That fact made us really hopeful to be able to race in the Iditarod this season; however after studying our budget, we realized that goal was out of our reach. We are very hopeful that we will be able to field two Iditarod teams in 2007.

We have big and exciting plans for the 2006 season! On January 29th, Blake and I will both be racing in the Beargrease Marathon and Mari will be racing in the Beargrease 150. So, thirty two of the forty three dogs in training will be racing in the Beargrease! In mid-February, I will be racing in the UP 200 for the first time. In early March, we plan on racing in Fort Kent, Maine where Blake will compete in the Can-Am 250, and I will be in the Can-Am 60-mile event.

The next generation of Jedeye Siberians, the yearlings and 6-month-old puppies, are all running in harness well and looking great.

Be sure to explore the website and enjoy the new photographs taken by Mari and Elina. A Big Thank You to my sister, Cindy, for all her work renovating the website for us!

Yukon Quest 2005

Since crossing the finish line of Yukon Quest with eight very special huskies, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the experience. I must start by thanking everyone who made this season possible, especially the 14 huskies that I traveled with across the rugged Yukon and Alaskan terrain. So many people have helped us accomplish our goals. They know who they are, and we are forever grateful. My team was made up of 6 females, 8 males, 11 Siberians and 3 Alaskans. I am inspired and motivated by anyone who shares their life with Siberian Huskies. It is a noble, passionate, tough, independent breed. My hat goes off to all who are dedicated to working with them, whether it is in the show ring, agility, obedience, or in harness recreationally or racing. They are truly amazing animals.

Our journey north began in mid-January since we needed to be in Whitehorse in time for food drops and vet checks. When we left Minnesota, the weather was bitter cold with lows from -30 to -40 F. During our trip north, we experienced everything from -50 degrees F all the way to 40-50 degrees F above and rain. Fortunately, the weather and snow conditions in the Yukon were exceptional with record snowfalls and great winter weather. The trip was fairly uneventful, and we arrived in Whitehorse on January 19th with 18 dogs and a loaded down truck and trailer. The home we stayed at was just south of Whitehorse on some wonderful trails utilized by many Quest mushers.

Not long after arriving in Whitehorse, the dogs came down with the first of several ugly race viruses. The appetite of the team diminished and so did their fat reserves. I was extremely happy with the team's condition before leaving for Canada, and unfortunately, I was watching this vanish before my eyes. Although we continued training, I had to skip some of the long runs I had planned to do in the month before the race. Despite the challenges, the dogs were in good shape with great feet and few injuries during training. Everyone was beginning to eat and feel better about 6 days before the race, and we worked hard to get some weight back on them before starting the "toughest sleddog race in the world".

The Yukon Quest is an amazing race and can hardly be compared to the Iditarod or any other race I have ever participated in. One of the most obvious differences is the great distances between checkpoints, some over 200 miles. We are able to utilize cabins offered to us by generous folks along the trail. These people open up their homes to give us a place to hang our hats for a few hours, and many times, offered a very welcomed warm meal. These beautiful cabins are usually made of Spruce logs chinked with moss, with sod roofs and a wood stove as warm as the hospitality. Some of these cabins were built during the 1890 Gold Rush, and they absolutely amaze me. I spent far too much time studying the craftsmanship of these structures and in awe of the fact that much of this country has not changed since they were built.

In hindsight there are many changes I would make to our training regimen to accommodate the condition. In preparation for the race I made several calls inquiring to the condition of the trail. I was told it was in great condition and "hard and fast" many times and once even told that they could run the North American Championships on this trail. Although I realized they were exaggerating and expected a rugged wilderness trail, I later found that most of the trail is not actually put in until the race is under way, so "hard and fast" was mostly speculation. A trail broken just ahead of the teams has no base. I planned my training program for a relatively packed trail, but this was not the case. In training, we break open our own trails with the dog teams, but there is almost always a base of packed snow beneath them since we use the same trails repetitively. Running in truly soft, baseless trails changes the strain on the dogs' muscles and joints considerably. If I had the opportunity to speak with a veteran of the race a year ahead of time about the realities of the trail conditions, I probably would have prepared the team entirely differently. This is what I would consider one of my biggest challenges and mistakes as an outsider and a rookie.

The extremely soft trail at the beginning of the race took a toll on my bigger tougher males. Our most common injury was a hyper-extension of the wrist. This is not a terrible injury, just one that takes time to recover, time that we did not have. By the time we arrived in Dawson I had already dropped Bluie, Jodi and Altoid, three excellent males. Punto is our largest male and really a powerhouse in the team, and I was nursing his wrists in hopes that I could get him to Dawson City to fully recover during our 36 hour layover. Despite the challenges, we were holding 7th place of the 21 teams that started the race and were progressing down the trail nicely. I was very happy with the team's rhythm, ability to camp and rest well, and eagerness to leave each campsite. They were very obedient and truly worked as a team.

Our run over King Solomon's Dome and into Dawson was magnificent. It was nearly a full moon and the Aurora was throwing its purple and green spears toward the heavens. During the mandatory 36-hour layover at Dawson, handler assistance is allowed, so I was able to turn over the team to Ryan Brick of Coon Rapids MN, Michael Ralston of Ireland and John Stenke of Dundee MN. This crew would administer regular feedings, massages and allow some much needed rest. Upon leaving our 36-hour layover, I knew that Punto had not entirely recovered and the entire team did not have the spark I had hoped for. They hadn't recuperated during their layover as much as I remembered my 2000 Iditarod team had during their 24-hour layover in McGrath. I realized I was still seeing the effects of the viruses that plagued us from the time we arrived in Canada. Punto was left in Eagle, and I continued on with Naoki, Gonzo, Baldy, Deuce, Fiona, Inga, Kimber, Trouble, Telly, Kenzie and Noor. These dogs were all very sound and in wonderful shape. It eased my mind to not have anyone in need of special attention at this point. The others would get the normal massages, foot rubs, and ointments at every stop, and with fewer dogs, I was able to give them more individual attention.

Between Circle and Central, I began to see the team's enthusiasm dwindle, and I am certain that they were wondering if this series of feeding, sleeping, running would ever end. Although there were several rookie teams in this years Quest, mine was the only one to have never run a 1000 mile race and the inexperience was showing. Just a couple miles after leaving Central we got off the trail and took a detour of many miles before I realized our plight. We found the trail again with no real problems but lost precious time in the process and wasted energy on the way to our big climb. Within an hour of getting back on the trail we caught one of the teams that passed us while we were off the trail. Rather then passing, I gave the team a snack, knowing Eagle Summit was just ahead. I felt our lack of power on the first pitch of the climb and was really missing the big strong boys I had dropped earlier in the race. We spent two hours getting to the top of Eagle Summit. The summit is a beautiful place, far above treeline. Several times I had to stop and take in the panorama around us.

I arrived in Mile 101 just as the team ahead of me was leaving. At this point I knew that if the team behind me scratched, I would be in possession of the red lantern which seriously discouraged me. Soon I learned that nine teams had dropped out of the race, and I was in fact I was in the 12th and final position of the race. I decided from this point on we would race at a leisurely pace and enjoy the trip.

The run through the Black hills into Angel Creek was a breathtaking series of climbs and descents that ended with our final camp and a mandatory 8 hour layover. The final run into Fairbanks was on perfect trails as they are used by many mushers and we had several head-on passes with teams training in the area.

We arrived in Fairbanks in 12th position of the 21 teams that started with a time of 12 days, 5 hours, 3 minutes. Although setting the all-time record for the fastest red lantern was not among my goals, ours is nearly 44 hours faster than the next fastest red lantern time in the history of the race. The Yukon Quest officials expect this record to stand, as it is unheard of for all of the teams competing in a 1000 mile event to finish within about 24-hours of each other. Our team was the only team from outside of the Yukon and Alaska to finish the race. The six AKC registered Siberian Huskies that crossed the finish line did so nearly two days faster than any other registered Siberians in the history of the race. We had run a respectable race. And the great news is that I know we can do better.

We met several of our goals during the 2005 Yukon Quest, and we certainly learned many priceless lessons in the process. None of these canine athletes had finished a 1000 mile race prior to this endeavor. This alone is a huge accomplishment as the next time we embark on a race of this magnitude they will understand that there is an end to our routine of running, eating and resting. When we reached the finish line and the dogs saw the truck, I could see a huge sigh of relief came through the team. I feel this was a huge trust building moment from the perspective of the dogs, and their confidence in me grew at that moment.

In actuality, I finished with 23 dogs in the team as three of my best females, Fiona, Inga, and Noor, were pregnant during the race. I particularly admire the toughness and endurance of these girls. They have been the core of our race teams for several years. They gave birth to 15 wonderful pups by early April, which bring great promise to the future of our kennel. I am extremely proud of the 14 dogs that helped me through this race. Their perseverance inspires me always, and this red lantern will inspire me to be better prepared and train harder in the upcoming seasons.

March 5th, 2005 Jen and her team finished 2nd and is Rookie of the Year!

It is hard to believe the two big events of the winter are already over! The Beargrease team ran beautifully, and we learned a lot together on the trail. It was evident to me on the first few legs of the race that my team was young and uncertain about what we were up to. I had 4 dogs on my team who had never been to a race before and another 3 dogs who were at their second race. I knew I needed to be certain they were confident and comfortable as I guided them down the trail. My patience paid off, and they team became stronger each leg of the race. We stuck to the schedule we made up before the race, and soon found ourselves near the top of the field of teams. This was even more impressive to me considering that of the 39 dogs Blake and I had trained this season, the 18 best dogs were still on the truck in Alaska! I certainly felt this team had the potential to win if they had more experience under their belts. The last day of the race, my team became sick with the "race-bug" which was making its rounds through the teams. The handlers and I took extra care to assure the team remained well hydrated, and I didn't push them as we ran the last two legs to the finish line. They performed amazingly.

If you have never been to an event like the John Beargrease, I highly recommend getting involved. So many wonderful people participated in the event, that I can't possibly say enough about them all. Our handler crew was outstanding! Phil Morrison kept everything organized and assured everything was ready and waiting for the team's arrival at each checkpoint. Blake's parents, Rich and Diane Freking, fed and massaged dogs and always had food and a warm van for me to rest in waiting. Dave Lundberg, Sean Johnson, Walt Brockman and Johannas Roemp rounded out the crew. John Vitek and Darian Wilette had success in the 8-dog 150 mile Beargrease finishing 27th and 24th respectively with all 8 dogs in each their teams finishing. John and a couple other teams had close encounters with a moose, but no one was injured. John met us again at the Finland checkpoint on the way down to help out with the team at the last couple of checkpoints. The hundreds of Beargrease volunteers, checkpoint coordinators, BARC Ham radio opperators, and veterinarians that work together to get the teams down the trail safely and happily were simply amazing. As I traveled throught the checkpoints, I visited with many great friends that help with the Beargrease year after year and made many new friends who have caught the "Mushing Fever" as well.

There is great sportsmanship and comradery among the mushers as well. Many people probably imagine us out there fighting to get ahead of one another, but actually we have a lot of fun together. We often find ourselves running alone with no other dog teams in sight, between the checkpoints, however if we come across anyone in need of a hand we are more than happy to help out. John Vitek spent 10 minutes trying to help a very frightened musher who had just had her sled broken after a moose crashed over it. At the checkpoints, we take a few minutes to share stories and even snack on chocolate chip cookies thanks to Peter McClelland!

My favorite checkpoint was Sawbill. The hospitality of the volunteers truly went above and beyond! After they helped me park my team, they offered a warm breakfast and hot drinks. They were always ready to help the mushers with whatever they needed. The remote checkpoint was so quiet and beautiful. I rested very comfortable in the straw next to my dogs listening to the birds chirping in the trees above us.

The work that goes into preparing for events such as the Quest and Beargrease during the rest of the year is also remarkable. John and Judy Vitek couldn’t be more helpful. John makes the best cable droplines and cable filled ganglines that we have ever used. Judy has mastered her line of special “foot-goo” and makes wonderful fleece blankets and wrist wraps to keep the canine athletes warm and running their best.

Spring is just around the corner and it is time to train puppies and make plans for summer and the next race season. Keep watching the journal for more stories from the trail. Blake in on the road and is expected to arrive back in MN in the next couple of days.

We have souvenir t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, and prints for sale! Please check out our new secure on-line store. The money will help us pay off our debt from the season and support the our goal of having two 2006 Iditarod teams!

Happy Trails!
Jennifer

2-25-05 Blake Has Finished!

He brought in the Red Lantern in record time! The dogs that made the whole trip are: Deuce, Noor, Inga, Trouble, Fiona, Gonzo, Baldy and Kimber. The ones who contributed greatly to the effort but got dropped due to injuries were: Naoki, Punto, Altoid, Jodi, Bluie, and Telly. More stories to come after Blake gets some rest. Jen starts her race tomorrow! Watch for updates on the Beargrease!
Happy Trails!
Webmaster Cindy

Feb. 22, 2005

All of our sources indicate Blake is continuing to run strong and have an excellent second half of the Yukon Quest. He is currently in 8th place with 9 dogs and is due into Circle City this evening. From Circle City, there is 252 miles to the finish line in Fairbanks. He and the team will be passing over 3650 foot Eagle Summit and 2480 foot Rosebud summit during the next 150 miles.

There are links on our Yukon Quest page to two nice articles that have been published about Blake's race in the Alaska Daily News and the Fairbanks News Miner. We are all looking forward to hearing stories from Blake after the race finish!

We are doing our final preparations for the 2005 John Beargrease Marathon starting next Sunday. We have an excellent crew of handlers for the race. The Beargrease is handler assisted, so the handlers must arrive at each checkpoint before the musher and prepare an area for the dogs to rest and have food ready for the dogs upon their arrival. It makes for a rather sleepless few days for the entire crew, but I've really enjoyed all of my experiences as a handler. It is exciting to watch so many people working around the clock to assure the mushers and dogs have a safe, happy journey down the trail.

In case anyone is interested in the ages and lineage of the dogs I'll be racing, I thought I would give a breakdown. My team of dogs consists of primarily 2-3 year olds. I'll be running four 3-yr-olds out of Northomes Maggie and sired by Alaskan's Nicolaos of Anadyr (Alex): Capri, Dozer, Flint, and Trekkie. Their other brother, Baldy, is on Blake's team. I'll also have three 2.5-yr-olds out of Nokita Grommit of Jedeye and Noekken av Vargevass: Ivan, Bodo, and Lena. These dogs go pack primarily to Igloo Pak lineage. Pepper (Alaskan's Splatters of Anadyr/Alaskan's Nicolaos of Anadyr) and 2-yr-old Mac (Alaskan's Dewy of Anadyr/Moonshadow Biko of Jedeye) round out the youngsters of my team. The 3 older dogs include 5-yr-old Jericho (Shjegge Mann's Jordan/Alaskan's Blackjack of Anadyr), and 4-year-olds Orso (Alaskan's Splatters of Anadyr/Alaskan's Balto of Anadyr) and Ed (Alaskan's Soldotna of Anadyr/Alaskan's Balto of Anadyr). Pepper's brother, Altoid, is on Blake's team. Her two sisters unfortunately are resting since Ziggy stepped in a moose hole and Greenie obtained a cut to one of her foot webs a few weeks ago.

Moose holes are my biggest concern with the moose in our area. When a moose take a walk on our dog trails, they generally leave large holes with their feet, similar to a horse walking through the snow. If someone steps into these holes while running, they can cause significant injuries. Our handler, Phil, went for a nice 13 mile run this morning with 8 dogs and met two stuborn moose in the middle of the trail! It was in an area where he couldn't possible turn the dogs around, and the dogs were very anxious to get closer to the moose. After several minutes of facing off, the two moose decided to move on. We have also been seeing several wolves and lynx in the last few weeks. It is amazing to see the animals. They are generally not afraid of us and the dogs and seem rather curious.

Stay tunes for more updates from the trail. Keep wishing Blake and his dogs a smooth and safe journey!
Happy Trails!
Jen

Quest update:

Blake arrived at Dawson, halfway into the race, at 11:46 pm Thursday in 9th place. There, the mushers must take their 36 hour layover, during which time the handlers, Ryan, Micheal, and John are able to care for the team and the dogs and musher get lots of rest and good food! The team is in excellent spirits and were running strong coming into Dawson. Blake's team is maintaining speeds on the trail nearly the same as the front runners, but he is resting his team longer than the leading teams. The weather is predicted to be unseasonably warm over the next few days. This often slows the teams considerably, however, this team of Siberians showed us last year that they can run beautifully in tempertures soaring above the freezing point during their winning Beargrease performance last March. Blake may adjust his rest schedule slightly so that he can be resting the team during the heat of the day.
The three dogs that have been dropped so far were Bluie and Jodi due to sore wrists and Altoid due to mild rear limb lameness. The first 150 miles of the race were reportedly punchy snow condition causing dogs in many teams to have sore wrists, but Ryan has reported that the dogs are the truck are no longer sore and are anxious to run. Once dropped from the team, however, dogs are not allowed to rejoin later in the race. They will have to cheer on their teammates from the truck!
Keep Blake and his 11 dogs in your thoughts and prayers are they prepare to depart on the second half of their journey around noon on Saturday!!

Back in MN, the Beagrease Sled Dog Marathon is fast approaching. I have choosen the 12 AKC Siberian Huskies that will make up my Marathon team. My leaders are Jericho, Trekkie, and Capri. The other nine dogs are Flint, Dozer, Mac, Lena, Pepper, Ed, Ivan, Bodo, and Orso. None of these dogs were in last years Beagrease Marathon, but most of them are siblings or half siblings to the dogs on that team. I'll write more about the Beargrease team next week!
Happy Trails,
Jennifer

They're on the trail!!
Blake left the starting chute in Whitehorse with bib number 17 at 1:32 pm. His team consists of 11 Siberian Huskies; Naoki, Duece, Fiona, Inga, Trouble, Jodi, Noor, Bluie, Punto, Baldy, and Altoid and 3 Alaskan Huskies: Kimber, Telly, and Gonzo.

2/12/05

Less than 16 hours to the Quest start and our checklist is getting shorter. Seems the toughest part of this race is going to be keeping the truck running for the handlers. I know everything is in place; the dogs are in great shape, the sled packed and ready. If anything has been missed or unplanned it will have to be dealt with later, worrying about it at this point will not help. The only thing to do is await the final countdown to launch the team in Whitehorse, stick to the plan, and the rest will be improvised.

It is an amazing feeling to get to this point in the season, knowing we have worked so hard, and had so many friends helping us along the way. John and Judy Vitek have been instrumental in getting us here. The dogs will rest warmly under Judy’s blankets, her wrist wraps and foot ointment will certainly aid in recovery. The ointment has been dubbed “Judy goo” by our crew. John fabricated the cable drop lines for the truck as well as the cables that will be used in Dawson. He also made the cable filled, reflective ganglines and tuglines we will be using, with help from Sean and Gina Johnson. My mother has made sure I will be the best fed musher on the trail by preparing a wonderful variety of dishes, vacuum sealing them, and freezing them. When I am warming water for the dogs I can simply toss them into the hot water and enjoy a warm home cooked meal. Our handlers Ryan, Darian and Phil have been doing a great job and I heard a rumor that Johannes is back in the USA for the Beargrease. Liz Busa has also been a big supporter of the team as well as countless others that are greatly appreciated. I could write volumes on the great people that have helped Jen and I over the years.

Despite the fact that we have fewer miles on the team now than when we started Beargrease last year, they are looking great, and seem much more resilient than I have seen in past years. Credit for this must also be given to the food that fuels them. We are using both the Eagle Power Pack and Ultra products, along with Sea-Pet supplement which we feel gives us the absolute best diet we can offer our canine athletes.

I must be off to rest up for the big event, I will try to call in with a report from Dawson City and updates can be seen at www.yukonquest.org
Thanks again for everyone’s support and Happy Trails!
Blake

Greetings from the crew back at Mantou Crossing Kennels!

Spring-like weather spiked the temperture up to 48 degrees in Northern MN, and the unseasonal weather lasted about a week! Our trails are icy, but training is still going very well. We decided not to race at Bayfield, WI as the weather reportedly reached 50 degrees during the race! It seemed wiser to rest the dogs and train harder as the weather cooled off this week. The dogs did some amazing runs during the weather. It never ceases to amaze me how well they can perform under such conditions. Rather than racing, I loaded 10 of my potential Beargrease dogs who have not done much traveling into the truck and took them for a drive. They are adjusting well to training out of the truck and camping next to it as they will be during the Beargrease.

The Empire Sled Dog Race in Solon Spring, WI was very nice. They always organize a wonderful event with great community support! There was a big snowstorm from Thursday through Saturday of the race, which dumped about 32 inches of snow at the kennel and about 9 inches of soft snow on the race trail in Solon Springs. By Sunday, the trail was much firmer and the temperture had dropped below zero. Due to the conditions, our teams improved their times by about 40 minutes from Saturday to Sunday! My team of Capri, Trekkie, Ed, Orso, Flint, Dozer, Bodo, and Chester finished 8th of 25 teams. Darian and Walt Brockman finished 20th and 19th of 29 6-dog teams. Most of the dogs we were racing had never been to a race before, so our goal was to give them a very positive experience. It was a huge success!

The Beargrease teams are shaping up very well. We have done a series of camping trips with the teams getting them accustomed to our checkpoint routine. We will be having a small Yukon Quest party next Sunday as Blake takes off down the trail on their journey. It is very difficult not to be up there with them!

Stay tuned!
Jennifer

2/05/05

Things are going great here as final preparations are made for race day which is only a week away. We have had a couple viruses make their way through the team which caused them to lose a little weight, but everyone is feeling great now and as strong as ever. I have had a couple great conversations with Gerry Willowmitzer, who has given me tons of info on the trail concerning camping spots, trail conditions and other advice that is totally priceless to a rookie in a race like this. He even assured me that most of it was true and correct.

Training is winding down as we are tapering the last few days before the race to allow the dogs' muscles, joints and minds to totally recover before the big day. I am still training 16 dogs and will not make the final decision on who will make the final 14, for a few more days. Right now it looks like I will be traveling with 12 Siberians and 2 Alaskans. It is a difficult decision to make as every canine athlete is looking great. None seem to be falling behind, even though we have several that have very limited experience in racing and traveling by truck.

We are also doing the final tune-ups on the truck which received a new starter today, we also did a little work on the glow plugs with high hopes that it will actually start when we need it to.

Michael and John will be arriving on Tuesday to make up the rest of our handler crew. Having three handlers will certainly help in Dawson City and make the driving safer for all of them.

I am planning one more journal before race day.
Signing off.
Blake

1/26/05
Greetings from the Yukon!!!

We finally made it. The 2600 mile trip was relatively uneventful. Just as we entered Canada we were in temps around -45F, after another 1000 miles west we were in temps just above freezing and pouring rain. Temps in the Whitehorse area were around -30 when we arrived and have now warmed to around 0.

The trails here are absolutely beautiful. We are currently at around 1200 feet of elevation but the peaks around us are at about 6500 so there is plenty of elevation training on the trails. All this awesome country inspires me to be traveling lots of miles, which is just what the dogs need right now. We see wolves, coyotes and moose on nearly every training run.

Our host is Werner Rhein, a great guy and full of good info on the Yukon area. We are also fortunate in that we are able to run right out of Werner’s yard onto seemingly endless trails, which saves us from having to haul the team to train.

Food drops are off which is always a relief, we had 32 bags of dog food, people food and gear to send out onto the trail. Ryan and I have also been working on a plan for the Dawson Checkpoint. During the quest handlers are allowed to help and we are making plans to make it as efficient as possible and restful for the dogs.

Well, off to take care of dogs and rest up for another day on the trail.

Till next time.

Blake

Manitou Kennels: January 17th, 2005

They're Off!
Blake, Ryan, and 18 Huskies are on the road driving to Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada! It has been quite a hectic week at the kennel as we all prepared for the team's departure. We greatly appreciate all the help from our friends during the past few weeks. A special thanks goes to John and Judy Vitek for their support. John made the cable drop lines and ganglines Blake is using and Judy sewed numerous dog blankets and wrist wraps to keep the athletes warm and comfortable. Their departure was slightly delayed by -40 F degree temperatures causing the water lines to freeze in the bunk house, but their journey north has been smooth and uneventful thus far. The dog truck and enclosed trailer are full with dogs, dog food, and equipment. Once in Whitehorse, Blake will get his drop bags on their way to the checkpoints and continue training in the Whitehorse area.

The dogs 18 dogs who are making the trip to Whitehorse include all 12 of 2004 Beargease Marathon Champion dogs: Naoki, Duece, Fiona, Inga, Trouble, Noor, Bluie, Punto, Kenzi, Ewok, Telly, and Gonzo. In addition, Jodi, Baldy, Trooper, Altoid, Kimber, and Remi have made the team to this point. Of these 18 dogs, 14 will start the race on Feb. 13th. This group includes 14 AKC Siberian Huskies and 4 Alaskan Huskies. There are 10 males, 1 neutered male, and 7 females. There are 7 "gee/haw" command lead dogs including Naoki, Duece, Fiona, Inga, Trouble, Jodi, and Baldy. The dogs have covered over 1000 miles of trail so far this season and will probably run about 1000 more before the start of the race.

Back at the kennel, my Beargrease team is performing very well and Darian and I are planning on running at Solon Springs and Bayfield in the next few weeks. We both are training many dogs who have never been to a race before, so these events will be training events to give the dogs good experiences traveling and racing before the Beargrease.


Happy Trails,
Jennifer

Summertime is for Raising Puppies!

Jennifer PLACED SECOND and won Rookie-Of-The-Year
in the 2005 John Beargrease 400 mile Sleddog Marathon!

Blake's Team Finishes the 2005 Yukon Quest 1000-mile marathon!

Jen's 2005 Team in training.