Puppies and Fish

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WELCOME DRACULA PUPPIES!

That’s right Dracula (a new recruit who joined the team this spring from Sven Haltmann) gave birth to a very large litter of TEN healthy puppies. With six girls and four boys, the Ryno team grew substantially on June 23rd when the pups were born. A handful of these pups will join other teams or homes, so most likely 5-6 puppies will stay here at the kennel. Their father is a dog named Crunch from Riley Dyche’s kennel. Originally, Crunch was born at Turning Heads Kennel owned by Travis Beals and Sarah Stokey. He was trained with Noah Pereira and has raced the Iditarod a couple times (last year with Riley and previously with Noah). Crunch’s entire litter is made up of leaders, so combined with Dracula’s leading skills, we’re hoping for a bunch of future leaders! In the meantime, they look like adorable little hamsters.

Below is a video of Dracula giving birth to one of her puppies. The miracle of life is beautiful but also graphic! Just a fair warning :)

A couple days ago, I took part in a favorite Alaska past time: dipnetting. Many Alaskans harvest a year’s worth of fish during a salmon run by holding a large net in the water and waiting for the fish to swim up river into their net. Sound silly? It kind of is. After growing up in Colorado where the art of fly fishing is highly prized (I even took a high school class called Flyfishing and Literature), dipnetting seems rather raw. That being said, the skill comes in knowing where and when to put your net. Since I’ve only been dipnetting on the Copper River a couple times, I hired the help of a local charter company. They dropped me off on a little rock at the base of a massive cliff, pointed at some boils swirling around in the fast moving Copper River, and said “put your net there.” I did, and 12 hours of dipnetting later I had stringers packed with 19 fish. Many people hope to catch their limit of 25 fish for a head of household and 10 fish per member (so for Derek and I our limit is 35), but I was ecstatic with 19. After filleted, 19 salmon still fill an entire 48 quart cooler!

Copper River

Along with the sockeye, I also caught one king salmon and one jack king. Neither are legal to keep, so I tossed them back into the raging Copper River. Interestingly, the king had a yellow tracker secured to its back- can you spot it?

With such a whirlwind trip (leave at 5:00 PM Tuesday, arrive at 10:30 PM in Chitina, sleep in the truck for a few hours, hop on the charter at 4:45 AM Wednesday, get picked up by the charter at 6:00 PM, fillet fish and drive home at 7:00 PM, hope to be home by 1:00 AM Thursday morning), I knew that odds are, something will disrupt the schedule. And sure enough, the truck had other plans than returning home. About 1.5 hours from home, the truck broke down and Derek had to come to the rescue. He’s in the middle of his firefighting season during which he has one day off every 21 days. So after driving out to pick me up at 5:00 AM, he managed to still make it to work on time that morning. The truck was towed to a shop in town, and I still made it home in time for half of the morning dog chores (thank you to Liz for watching the team while I was away)! Overall, it was a wonderful trip with beautiful weather and fish, fish, fish!

Thank You!

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Thanks to everyone who has purchased a Ryno Kennel t-shirt over the past week. We’ve had 11 shirts purchased, bringing the donation total to $300! There are still some t-shirts remaining, so be sure to hop on the gear page!

Here are some videos and photos from the past week. Dogs. Dogs. Dogs!

Mario and his stormy eyes.

Liz (you may remember Liz- she handled at Ryno Kennel two winters ago) is here for the summer and has generously offered to help with projects! Most of the time, it’s just chores and walking dogs, but yesterday we started the process of pressure washing and re-painting each platform. Just a short nine hours later, we had platform one of three complete!

Pressure washing

Painted!


Time for Change

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I’ve always loved the outdoors. Some of my favorite early memories are playing with my brothers, cousins, and family at Yeilding Lake in Birmingham, Alabama. Launching off the rope swing. Catching bass. Learning to water ski. Skidding around corners on inner tubes pulled behind a jet boat. Catching frogs and turtles, running from snakes. Later on, I remember our backpacking trips in Colorado. My mom playing army with us to keep us moving down the trail. My dad teaching me to fish. Singing “the ants go marching” as we charged through afternoon storms in the mountains. In high school, my brother, two friends and I spent a summer hiking the entire 486-mile Colorado Trail. We were supported by our family and friends who resupplied us every week or so. I was taught to ski at a young age, both downhill and cross-country. Our garage was filled with outdoor gear, and I was encouraged by friends, family, the media, my community- literally everyone- to go outside. Be adventurous. So when people ask me how I got into the sport of mushing and pursued my dreams, I can look back on all those memories and think- how could I have not? I was surrounded by opportunity and support. Even today, generous people have sent donations during this pandemic helping us through this challenging time. And that’s not to say this lifestyle doesn’t require hard work, but there were/are role models, family, and friends along the way to help open doors and make my path easier.

But I realize that’s not the case for everyone. There are many people in this world who don’t have the same level of support. Who don’t see people who look like them in the media doing adventurous activities. Who don’t have the same opportunities. The outdoor community has little to no diversity. And in case you haven’t caught on yet, I’m trying to talk about racism. And truth be told, I’m not very good at it. While there is outwardly confrontational racism, there’s also more subtle ways. Access to opportunities. The subtle ques that society gives to tell you what you can or cannot do, what you can or cannot be. If you google search rock climbers, mountaineers, mushers, outdoor equipment ads, you’ll see a disturbing lack of diversity. We want to help change that. While it might not be much, Ryno Kennel will donate all the proceeds (less shipping) from the sale of our merchandise to the national non-profit: Outdoor Afro. We want to help diversify the face of outdoor adventure.

https://outdoorafro.com/about/

As described on their website, “Outdoor Afro has become the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. We help people take better care of themselves, our communities, and our planet! Outdoor Afro is a national non-profit organization with leadership networks around the country. With nearly 80 leaders in 30 states from around the country, we connect thousands of people to outdoor experiences, who are changing the face of conservation. So come out in nature with us, or be a partner to help us grow our work so that we can help lead the way for inclusion in outdoor recreation, nature, and conservation for all!”

We know it’s a small start, but we hope to be a part of the change. So hop on over to our Gear Page and buy some Ryno Kennel Gear!

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Here We Go!

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And just like that…..we’ve signed up for the 2021 Iditarod Sled Dog Race!

All spring, we’ve been discussing the next race season. What races should we compete in? Iditarod? Yukon Quest? Both? Which mid-distance races? Will races even happen?

There has been so much uncertainty, but the one thing that has remained certain is that we have 43 Alaskans Huskies, with 24 potential racers, and we’re ALL amped for adventure. So here we go!

Our decision to enter the Iditarod was made easier by a few factors:

1- The Iditarod is providing a 50% discount for entries received in the month of June (that’s $2,000 off!).

2- The first 50 mushers to sign up for Iditarod will be awarded the Pike Veterinary Stimulus of $500 to apply towards veterinary expenses.

3- We haven’t been on the Iditarod trail since 2016, so it’s about time we go back for more exploration!

Beyond the Iditarod, we’re not sure of other racing plans, but we’ll be sure to keep you all informed as decisions are made. Kalyn will be returning for another season (YEAH KALYN!!!!), and we also have a new recruit - Mandy. More info soon to come.

In the meantime, here is a video from our 2016 Iditarod to get you all excited! Thank you to everyone for following along and being apart of the Ryno Team! We couldn’t do this without you all!




Daily Activities

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In the evenings, I often look back on the day and wonder- where did the day go? I feel like I’ve been running around and accomplishing tasks all day, but rarely are they the big sort of tasks. They’re often smaller and not something particularly noteworthy. In the winter, you can sum up a day with a simple statement. “We went on a 50-mile run” or “we packed Copper Basin drop bags.” In the summer it’s more rambling. “Well, we did chores and went for a walk with the reindeer, then a walk with the puppies, then a walk with a few adults, then worked on the fence, then answered some emails, then did chores, and now it’s 8:00 PM.” I always imagine finishing up big projects in the summer with all my seasonal free-time, but surprisingly the small tasks in the day quickly add up. Plus, I do try to take time for slower-paced activities like reading or playing games with friends. If this all sounds just dandy, it’s because it is. While I’m enthusiastically looking forward to the upcoming winter, the dogs and I all take advantage of the long days and warm summer weather.

This summer, we were hoping to open Chena Outdoor Collective summer tours, but due to travel restrictions and COVID-19, we’ve delayed opening. Instead, we’re finishing projects (the reindeer pen, dog pen, and making education videos). I’m also hoping to help a neighbor build a house (it’s always useful to learn carpentry skills from a professional). Derek is working long hours with the Alaska Fire Service. This year, Kalyn took a job working as a dispatcher with the Alaska Fire Service. She’ll be traveling to the small community of Galena to work for the summer although hopefully she’ll be able to return occasionally to visit with the dogs (and me). The past few weeks, Liz (she handled in 2017-2018 winter) has been using the kennel as home base while she works on her doctorate project studying ducks. It’s been fun having her back at the kennel to help walk dogs and work on the occasional project.

And now some photos to show the day-to-day activities of the kennel.

Walking Reindeer

Liz and Ryne’s new album cover.

Chisto’s baby we named Peeps.

Kalyn and I have been training the reindeer to perform various tricks. We’ve been using the clicker training method. Basically we first associate the click noise with food, then when the reindeer are performing a movement that we hope to isolate, we click. The timing is key. The click noise allows us to better communicate exactly when the reindeer performed the desired behavior and that a treat is soon to follow. Eventually we add words to the desired movements. We’ve mostly been focusing on foundation movements that can be expanded on to make more elaborate tricks. Currently the reindeer know “touch” (bop my hand with their noise), “kiss” (give me a kiss), “step” (take a step forward), “back” (take a step back), “hoof” (paw in the air), and “up” (rear in the air). Pilot is also learning how to kick the ball. We’re very excited about their progress and have had so much fun working with them!

On rainy days, we try to get the dogs out in harness. We haven’t had many rainy days this spring, but when we do, the dogs are sure pumped about it.

Elmer and Cooke

The puppies are growing so quickly! Last night, Kalyn and I took them on a family walk with Mom and Dad (Loretta and Wingman), Uncle Crunch, Auntie Dolly, and then family friends Boone, Cartel, and Blue (Kalyn’s dog).

2020 Yukon Quest Movie

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Don’t miss out! For the rest of the day, watch the 2020 Yukon Quest Movie Born for This for free on Youtube. Or better yet, help support the Yukon Quest by purchasing the movie on Vimeo

(I’ve been unable to load the video in the website program, so just copy and paste the link in your browser).

https://youtu.be/Q4D2UqndkFo

And of course, during all this time, the puppies keep growing!

Fly

Fly

Fox

Spitfire and Fox

As do the reindeer calves!

https://youtu.be/wVO2HeevBeA

Brooks Range

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There are lots of memes circulating social media, joking about how Alaska has been social distancing since 1959 (when it first became a state). And while in some ways, our day-to-day life hasn’t changed (we still don’t socialize often and continue playing with dogs in the wilderness), we certainly feel the stressors. Oil (one of our biggest industries) is struggling. The $2.00 gas is great for the individual fueling their vehicle but not so great for the state that receives much of its income in oil and gas revenue. Tourism, another major industry in Alaska, has ceased completely. Many dog mushers are hunkering down, speculating about the future of tourism and racing. Will either happen next winter? So rather than sit at home and let my mind get stuck on a loop of uncertainties and questions, we loaded up the dogs and headed north to embrace the social distancing and live in the moment, at least for a short while. As May put it, we “recharged from the Mother Battery.” And wow, did it work. Upon returning home, I’ve been able to approach issues and uncertainties with new resolve and optimism. We’ll make it through these tough times. We will all have to be creative and supportive of one another, but I truly believe the future isn’t as dire as our minds can sometimes believe. We just have to be patient (which those who know me best, know that patience isn’t my strong suit). But now I’m just rambling and digressing from the main point of this blog post- entertainment for you all during this troubling time. Stories from the North.

All spring we’ve been poised to head to the Brooks Range for a final adventure. I kept a close eye on the weather forecast, looking for the perfect week of sun, cooler temps, and little wind. Finally, there was a break in the weather, and we jumped to action. We loaded the truck with dog food, human food, duralogs (there isn’t firewood to burn in the Arctic), Arctic Oven tent, small wood stove, harnesses, ganglines, hunting gear, snacks, warm clothes, and sleds. Since we can’t drive into the kennel, we mushed the dogs by ATV out to the truck. Their excitement level was borderline chaos. After a few trips back and forth between the truck and the kennel, the faithful dog truck was loaded up with Oryx, King Louie, Dolly, Badger, Etta, Cooke, Vanessa, Ernie, Bert, Elmer, Bull, Otis, Smoky, Thresher, Faff, Bowser, Mario, Petzl, Scarpa, Wombat, Avie (May’s dog), May, Kalyn, and myself. And we hit the road.

Following the pipeline

The drive to the Arctic is long and slow. The Dalton Highway is used primarily by truckers commuting back and forth along the pipeline and to Prudhoe Bay. Stretches of the infamous road are potholey pavement. Others are mud. Others are rock. Others are some combination that miraculously passes as a road. While I was eager to speed north, going 50 miles per hour, I’d have to be ready to quickly slam on the brakes and decelerate to 10 mph to gently navigate the truck through a minefield of potholes. I’d proudly exclaim “I threaded the needle!” Then about five minutes later we wouldn’t be so lucky, jostling everyone around and apologizing to the front end of the faithful dog truck. (Good thing Derek doesn’t read my blog posts… don’t tell him). Finally after about 10 hours, we arrived at the pull off.

Leaving from the truck.

Upon arrival, we discovered that we weren’t the only ones headed into the Sagavanirktok Valley. Another truck was parked at the pullout. It was only my second time down the Atigun Gorge to the Sag Valley, and I know it’s a popular access point, but we were still a little disappointed to discover that our 10 hour drive and 7-mile mush would put us camping in the same area as other adventurers. Little did we know, we were soon to be thrilled to have Robin and Chris as our new, backwoods neighbors!

26-Second Time Lapse through the Gorge. Grab your Dramamine!

Originally we planned on camping at the pullout and mushing in the next morning, but the sky was clear and we just couldn’t wait. We loaded up the sleds and hit the trail at about 9 PM at night. As we mushed up the Atigun Gorge, we were pleased to see the trail in perfect condition. Last year, the majority of the Gorge was covered in frozen overflow, sheets of ice, rocks protruding from the surface, and holes of water. This year, it was a glorious snowy ribbon with almost no obstacles, allowing us to look around and take in the grandeur of the steep hillsides forming the Gorge. About an hour later, we’d arrived at our campsite. We set up the Arctic Oven, bedded down the dogs, and settled in for the evening.

Leaving the truck, pipeline in the background.

The next morning we awoke to cloudy, snowy weather. WHAT?! This wasn’t in the forecast! That was my initial response; however, the cloud ceiling was just high enough that we could see the base of the mountains across the valley. We decided we might as well go for a mush and see if we could find any groups of caribou. At the very least, the dogs would enjoy getting out for a leg stretcher. Not ten minutes later, we spotted a small group of caribou on a mountainside. We mushed as close as we dared, secured the teams against the shelter of a bluff, and May and I slowly began creeping our way up the mountainside. Kalyn remained with the dogs to make sure they didn’t get into mischief while we were away. Fast forward a few hours, and May harvested her first caribou. We were ecstatic (and that’s probably an understatement). While I love hunting with Derek, there’s something about hunting with a group of ladies that forces us out of our comfort zone. It was invigorating to be with May as she stalked and harvested her first caribou.

Warbles

Wombat enjoying the best napping spot.

The above photo shows Warbles, or larvae of the Warble Fly. The fly lays eggs on the caribou’s hair, then when the eggs hatch, the larvae go under the caribou’s skin and travel to their back. The larvae grow until early summer, when they exit the skin. You can often see where a larvae is located, even without skinning the animal, by a tuft of fur protruding at a strange angle along the caribou’s back. Warbles do not effect the meat and are in fact edible (although I haven’t been able to do that just yet). Our reindeer can get Warbles as well, so we worm them with Ivermectin to prevent the larvae from surviving. The larvae can grow to about 1 inch long….can you imagine that living under your skin? If you’d like to learn more, check out the Alaska Fish and Game Page : http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=disease.skin5

As we mushed back to camp, we met our wilderness neighbors Chris and Robin. They had a five-dog team of burly, fluffy Alaskan Huskies. They, too, had initially been disappointed to realize they were sharing the valley with another group, until they realized we were also mushers. And just like that, mutual camaraderie. Chris had already harvested one caribou and that day, had been on the hunt for his second (or limit). We briefly chatted, keeping distance between us per quarantine regulations, then May, Kalyn, and I continued back to our camp.

Even though we had copious amounts of food, May wanted to prepare the tongue and show Kalyn and I why it’s considered a delicacy. You can see Kalyn’s reaction in the adjacent video.

Cooking the Tongue

Kalyn glassing the valley.

Can you spot our camp?

The next morning, the weather was once again cloudy and snowing. I was convinced that the weather forecast was completely wrong at this point. We decided to have a leisurely morning, and May would skijor up the Gorge to make sure the trail conditions were still favorable. Overflow can quickly appear and make travel through the Gorge a nightmare, so we wanted to keep tabs on the conditions during our stay in the Sag Valley. As May skijored up the Gorge, the sun finally appeared, and Kalyn and I hiked to the top of a knoll to glass across the Sag Valley looking for caribou. We spotted a group several miles away. We also saw Chris and Robin butchering a caribou down the Valley, meaning they were early morning hunters and had harvested their limit. Knowing that we wouldn’t be interfering with their hunting, we decided to head out that afternoon in search of caribou.

May and Kalyn

That afternoon was SPECTACULAR. We mushed the dogs high up into saddles, down rivers, across the tundra. We saw several small herds of caribou. Many times, May and I attempted to get within range but were unsuccessful. The farther down the Sag River we traveled, the more and more caribou we encountered. When we decided to call it a day, we glassed down the valley and spotted hundreds, if not thousands, of caribou milling about. Even though our hunt was unsuccessful that day, the views made up for it.

On our return to camp, we once again ran into Robin and Chris. Derek often jokes about how when hunting caribou, you’ll travel several miles in pursuit only to find caribou hanging out at your camp upon your return. This time was no exception. As we mushed back, Chris was standing on top of a small rise pointing out across the tundra as a group of 5-10 caribou browsed along. The caribou spooked when they saw the dog teams, and magically appearing in the middle of the herd was Robin, wearing an all white suit. The dogs barked in alarm, startled that a creature had appeared out of nowhere. Chris asked if I’d gotten a caribou, and upon learning that I had not, offered to lend us his white suit. At first I declined, but he insisted, saying that Robin just walked her way up to the herd, undetected. Chris said I could give the suit back to him in Fairbanks some day. Well, it did sound pretty amazing, so I wrapped up the suit, secured it in the sled, and mushed back to camp.

Otis preferred dinner in bed.

That night, we learned a winter camping lesson. Never point your stove pipe into the wind. As we soundly slept, the wind was blowing down the Gorge and directly into our stove pipe, forcing the smoke back into our little Arctic Oven tent. Intermittently, the stove would cough, sending dark, toxic Duralog smoke into our cozy tent. Cocooned in my sleeping bag, I buried my head deeper and continued sleeping until I heard Kalyn shout “Ryne get UP!” I pulled my head out from the sleeping bag and immediately began coughing. Throwing my torso out of the tent, I looked over at Kalyn and May doing the same, and we all began to laugh. Not sure why. Perhaps at the absurdity of us all hanging out of the tent, gasping and coughing, underneath a clear, beautiful Arctic sky. Well, whatever the reason, I was very thankful that Kalyn is a light sleeper. We readjusted the stove pipe and returned to bed.

The next day was stunning. Bluebird skies. No wind. We hiked up to a nearby knoll and glassed the valley. Immediately, we spotted caribou. Two herds were sprinting across the valley floor. As I scanned behind them, I spotted a grey wolf in close pursuit. For the next thirty minutes, we just watched the saga of the wolf and the caribou. The wolf would single out a caribou, chase it across the valley, yet never actually catch one or really even get close. We later thought perhaps the wolf was trying to tire a caribou and chase it into the waiting packmates. During this whole dance, there was a group of caribou remaining relatively stationary next to a bluff. We made a plan- May and I would go hunt, and Kalyn would explore a new drainage.

The white suit.

Selfie

May and I mushed down the Atigun to the Sag, then along the Sag until we reached the base of the bluff that we believed was the approximate area where the caribou were located. May waited with the teams, I donned the white suit, and crept up the bluff. Sure enough, the small herd was browsing not far away. Well.. actually… that’s not true. As I crawled on my hands and knees in the white suit, I’m pretty sure the herd was about 10 miles away. And the white suit worked wonders. I was able to crawl practically in the midst of the herd and pick out a bull.

As I stood up after firing my rifle and turned around to look back toward May and the dogs, I was surprised to see a large herd of caribou rocketing up from the riverbed. I was completely surrounded. The tundra had come alive, and there were caribou swirling everywhere. The amount of life not just surviving, but thriving, in the Arctic is astounding. In the harsh winter environment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we saw more wildlife than I had all winter. Hundreds of caribou, wolf, Dall sheep, fox, ptarmigan, eagles, porcupine… I felt honored and thankful to be there.

May later shared her story from the hunt, saying that as I was stalking, she was watching the grey wolf trot across the tundra, spooking caribou and occasionally gnawing on bones. After the gunshot, she walked up to look at me through her binoculars, only to be startled by caribou rocketing through her vision, much closer. When we returned to camp, Kalyn had her own stories of mushing through hundreds of spiraling ptarmigan and climbing higher and higher into the mountains. It was a magical day for all of us, and we never wanted to leave.

Otis playing Cribbage

We returned the white suit to Chris and Robin, expressing our delight at how stealthy the suit allowed us to be and thanking them. The next morning we mushed out the Gorge to the truck to resupply the dog food. As we mushed through the Gorge, spotting Dall Sheep on either side, we were planning the other places we wanted to explore in the Sag Valley. However, as we got close to the truck, we were met by a wall of overflow. Rolling waves of slush and water were creeping out of Galbraith lake and visibly marching into the Gorge. Remembering our experience from last year when the Gorge was one long stretch of overflow, we knew it was time to call it. And while we wanted to stay forever, we were so appreciative of the few days we did get in that incredible valley. We returned to camp, packed up everything within fifteen minutes, and mushed back to the truck.

Overflow

As we drove home, we were sad that our trip was coming to a close but also had a new outlook on the upcoming months. We are energized and ready to tackle upcoming challenges. And we’re so thankful to have experienced even just a few days in the spectacular Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Breakup

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Ponds

It has arrived. I know I promised to always be positive during my posts this spring, but I have to admit, breakup in Alaska is probably one of my least favorite conditions. As you can see from the photo below, our property transforms into a wetland. Because the terrain is relatively flat, the snow melts into massive ponds that remain until the ground finally thaws and the water is soaked up into the ground. This is the main reason for our platform kennel set up. While it took days to lay out thousands of 2x4s to build three 24ft x 96ft decks, this is the time of year when they’re worth their weight in gold. So while we bust out the muck boots and wade across the property, the dogs frolic on their clean, dry platforms. This is also the time of year when we can no longer drive into the kennel. We haven’t been able to gravel our entire road yet, so the mud makes it impassable to vehicles. We park our vehicles at the end of our road and shuttle all our gear by ATV.

But truth be told, it’s not the water and mud and inability to drive to the kennel that gets me down. It’s just the end of my favorite season. Of mushing. Of adventuring with my friends. Of watching the joy fill the dogs’ eyes as they leap and bark and howl, then shoot down the trail with barely controlled excitement. It’s the freedom you experience by mushing by dog team.

So I pouted for awhile, and then decided, we’re heading north. Even though it seems late to keep mushing, we’ve heard there is snow in the Brooks Range, so north we’ll go. Saeward and Derek will remain at the kennel to play with these cutes (see photo below) and take care of the dogs who stay behind. Kalyn and I will head north in search of caribou, and truthfully, more importantly, adventure with the dogs.

Spitfire

Before heading north, we finalized a couple projects while the temperatures still froze at night. We collected the last loads of firewood and processed a caribou we harvested a few weeks ago. Jezzy is always close at hand to lend a helping paw.

Processing Caribou meat

Jezzy watching Derek closely.

Wombat and Watson helping get firewood.

I love mushing in wide open areas where we can work with leaders to dial in directional commands. In Two Rivers, the trails are clearly defined. Leaders learn “gee” and “haw” when they encounter a fork in the trail, but we need wide open spaces to really master our connection. Here’s a clip from last year’s trip. Lefty is a MASTER.

Babies

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There are lots of babies bopping around the neighborhood right now! Three you already know: Fly, Spitfire, and Fox. Every day, these three surprise me with how quickly they grow. A short walk to the treeline used to be enough to tucker them out. Now, we have to go all the way down the airstrip and up the driveway. Before long, we’ll have to take them on a 1000-mile race to tire them out!

Foxfire

Spitfire

Spit

Fly

And we have a new baby! Chisto gave birth to a beautiful calf a few days ago. Chisto knew exactly what to do, but I’ll admit, we were anxious nannies and regularly messaging our vet, Dr. McCrea, to confirm everything was normal. Within a couple hours, the calf was nursing lying down. Then in about six hours, the calf was standing. In 12 hours, she was running along behind mom. It was amazing! We can’t wait to start working with her and getting her socialized. For now, Chisto is doing a good job of finding the best resting places for her baby and diligently keeping the other reindeer away.

Lazy Afternoon

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Yesterday, each athlete enjoyed a meaty, tasty bone from one of the local butcher shops. Giving out bones serves many purposes:

1) Makes the dogs happy.

2) While chewing on the bone, the dogs give themselves a little teeth cleaning, chipping the plaque off their teeth.

3) For about two hours, the yard is quiet.

4) For the next couple weeks, the dogs can chew on bones (instead of their house) if they ever feel the desire to gnaw on something.

5) It creates excellent fodder for the blog.

Scarpa

Yoshi

Boone

Supai

Uno

Rucu

Lefty

Smoky

Louie

Elmer

Supai

Watson

Otis

And more puppies

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Cooler temperatures and snow have been holding on into April, and we’re PUMPED. Long, bright days. Deep snow. Perfect “human temperatures.” We’ve been regularly taking the dogs out on fun runs, trying new dogs in lead, exploring little side trails, and enjoying being outside.

The yearling class of Rose, Tobin, Watson and Sherlock run every other day for about 5-6 miles. Rose, Tobin, and Sherlock have all had turns running in lead and performed wonderfully. Watson is a little more sensitive and can get anxious with the crazy energy from the other dogs, so we’re taking things slow with him. Sherlock and Tobin are both on the far other side of the spectrum, lunging in harness and snapping in the air to get moving. For those two, we’re working on acceptable behaviors at hook up. Meaning, no, Sherlock, you can’t snap your teeth in your neighbor’s face in impatience. Rose is perfectly in the middle of the enthusiasm spectrum. She’s excited to go and screams her head off, but doesn’t pester anyone or chew the lines. Good girl Rose!

Tobin then Sherlock and Watson in wheel.

Rose, Tobin, Sherlock, Watson.

The Fire pups have (in what feels like overnight) turned for adorable, cuddly little fluffballs to rambunctious, razor-teeth monsters who want to eat your clothes. The following photos taken in the snow are at the cute stage. The ones in the house are when they decided they had a taste for blood. Literally.

Fox

Spitfire

Spitfire

Fox

Fly

Happily giving out treats.

Fox bit my finger and wouldn’t let go.

Ryne cries.

All of these photos were taken by Kalyn, who has spearheaded the task of providing adorable photos to help everyone through this tough time. So a big thanks to Kalyn for photographing and editing so many photos!