Ryno Kennel Human Crew

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We have a stellar human crew this year at the kennel. I often highlight the canine athletes during blogs and social media posts, but WOW do we have some fantastic human coaches.

And here’s the thing. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but handlers are basically working long hours, every single day for free. That’s right. Gratis. I try to make myself feel a little better and say, well, they get room and board. But our room and board isn’t exactly five star accommodations. Unless of course, a little cabin without electricity and running water is your definition of five stars. Then yep! 5 Stars! All I can say is that without the wonderful human help, Ryno Kennel couldn’t do what we do.

Kalyn and Sherlock

Kalyn

Kalyn has returned for her second season at the kennel. She has YEARS of mushing experience prior to joining us where she handled down in Minnesota at Manitou Crossing Kennels. Last year she raced the Copper Basin 300 and Solstice 50, and this year she’ll most likely be racing the same races again. She handled on the Yukon Quest and was the primary dog care person during our 36-hour layover in Dawson. Kalyn is my main training buddy, and we almost always head out on runs together. It takes a really, really good attitude to smile on a 50-mile ATV training run at negative temperatures, and Kalyn does just that. She takes amazing care of the canine athletes, giving each one individual attention. We’re so glad to have her back for another season!

 

Tom and Kindi

Tom

We’re VERY excited to welcome my little brother, Tom, to the handling team! Tom has helped a few other times over the years but never for an entire winter! Tom’s responsibilities include helping with all the kennel chores, running the yearlings, and being a primary guide at the Last Frontier Mushing Co-op. While Kalyn was working earlier in the fall, Tom helped me train the main team. He was very good at it, but we’ve realized long training runs aren’t Tom’s passion, which is just fine. It’s not for everybody! Most important is the care and attention Tom gives to all the dogs and all the manual labor projects he works on around the kennel. Tom has essentially filled Tyler’s role at the kennel. Tyler is now living and working in Anchorage with his girlfriend, Kelsey and Belle!



Saeward

This will be Saeward’s second season helping at the kennel. And while they’re not technically a handler, Saeward spends time with the dogs, walks puppies, and watches the kennel whenever we leave for training runs or races. Saeward was at the kennel all summer as well, which allowed me to leave for a family vacation, a friend’s wedding, and a hunting trip. Leaving three times—-that’s unheard of for a dog musher! I was lucky enough to have Saeward around to care for the canine family.

So a big THANK YOU to the Ryno human crew. We couldn’t do it without you!

The Saga of Water in the Frozen North

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Growing up in Southwest Colorado, I was always aware that water was something precious. I regularly read of battles over water rights and catching rainwater from your gutters was a “no-no.” Even still, I could always flip the lever on the faucet and a beautiful stream of clean water would come pouring out. You could say that I took water for granted.

Upon moving to our new homestead, I can now say that I will NEVER take water for granted. The battle for winter water has been an eye-opening and enlightening experience. I say winter water, because summer water is actually relatively easy to acquire. We don’t live in a desert, and you can hit water just 15 feet below the surface of our land. To get the best water, we went a bit deeper to 40 feet, but still, water is accessible. Now, throw consistent freezing temperatures into the mix and that water is no longer quite as easy.

Many people in our community live without running water in dry cabins. It’s a completely normal way of life, and there are many laundromats with showers throughout Fairbanks for your water needs. And truthfully, without 45 sled dogs, I wouldn’t mind living in a dry cabin. You never feel more alive than when using an outhouse at -40F. But when you have 45 sled dogs to feed and keep watered, hauling water is no longer so simple. And so began our quest for off-grid winter water.

Almost exactly two years ago, we pounded our own well. First we had a neighbor dig a starter hole with their backhoe. Then we put one section of casing into the starter hole and proceeded to fill the hole back in with the help of more friends. It was a beautiful fall day for shoveling gravel.

Then we began the process of pounding the well deeper. (Middle October with snow on the ground is a perfect time for pounding a well…insert sarcasm). I included a short video from the archive that showed our well-pounding process. With the help of an old well-pounder contraption from our neighbor’s backyard, pipe casing from another neighbor’s yard, the assistance of a couple friends, and a rented welder and air compressor- we had a well!

Ok great, so we have a well producing delicious, fresh water onto the frozen earth of an October Alaska. The following year, we built the cabin, dug a trench, and ran a pipe up into our cabin. Everything worked wonderfully as long as the temperatures didn’t drop below freezing. With winter quickly approaching, we had a few different options:

1- Bury the pipe deep into the ground in the hopes it won’t freeze. This sounds great, except that odds are it will freeze. If it does freeze, we won’t be able to access it until the following spring since it’s buried.

2- Leave the trench open and drain the pipe after every use. Hope that the water pump and pipe don’t freeze, but if they do, we have access to them.

3- Bury the pipe with heat tape (which many private-well users have installed), so that the heat tape keeps the pipe warm and prevents freezing. Many private-well users have the heat tape on a timer. Unfortunately, heat tape requires electricity, which we didn’t have until recently.

Last year, we went with Option #2. We left the trench open and drained the pipe after each use. This worked swimmingly until one day we had a slight mix-up and the trench flooded, sending water and debri down the well casing, freezing the water pump, and preventing any work on the well until the spring when everything thawed out. (Ironically this happened the day after I made a social media post about how thankful I was to have water…) And so from February until April of 2019, we hauled water from the Chena River. We’d strap water buckets to a sigglin sled pulled by the snowmachine, then fill the buckets from a hole in the river. We’d heat two buckets at a time on our wood stove for hot water for the dogs. This method worked but was time consuming and definitely not how we wanted to acquire water every winter for the rest of our lives.

This year, since we now have reliable power from our battery bank, solar panels, and generator, we’re going with option #3! Our neighbor, Ed, dug a trench approximately nine feet deep for the pipe that runs between the well and the house. We’d hoped to go slightly deeper, but the ground is comprised of gravel, and the trench continually sloughed in on itself. Derek placed the pipe, attached heat tape, and welded it into the casing. With any luck, we’ll have reliable water all winter long!!

Business Expansion

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As I sit in a coffee shop in Juneau, Alaska, waiting to fly back to Fairbanks after a four day Alaska Travel Industry Association Convention promoting the Last Frontier Mushing Co-op and our new sister company, Chena Outdoor Collective, I think to myself- how on Earth did I get HERE?!

I don’t remember what my five-year-old self wanted to be when she grew up, but I’m pretty sure dog musher wasn’t on her radar. I know for certain reindeer farmer didn’t cross her mind. Alaska? It was a far away place with bears and big fish that I wanted to visit on a cruise ship some day. Yet here I am, walking around Juneau, saying “Hi, my name is Ryne. I’m a dog musher and reindeer herder” as if that’s a completely normal occupation that I’ve planned on my entire life.

And since I’m sitting here, waiting for my flight, I get to let my mind wander and think about how exactly I’ve ended up here. Like everyone’s life paths, there have been lots of twists and turns, but I’m going to simplify it to a Cliffs Note version:

  1. My parents bought me a dog sled ride in Durango for my birthday present when I was in middle school. In stereotypical millennial fashion, I’m blaming my current life position on my parents. It’s your fault. You bought me that dog sled ride.

  2. I dropped out of college. Another classic millennial move. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so I left the University of Puget Sound. My parents said “we’ll be emotionally supportive.” AKA, hope you can find a way to financially support yourself. So I’m blaming my parents again, because this led to the next life step- searching for a job that would feed, lodge, and clothe me.

  3. I “googled” dog sledding jobs. Yep millennial move #3. I relied on Google. I found a job that provided only room and board because millennials care more about experiences and less about money/retirement/etc. Next thing you know, I’m living in a cabin at SP Kennel.

  4. Allen lets me run his team in the Iditarod. I actually vividly remember Bridgett (Allen’s daughter) asking me if I wanted a big kennel one day, to which I replied, absolutely not. Then I ran the Iditarod, and next thing I know, the first Ryno Kennel puppies are being born that summer.

  5. Derek says- Yes Ryne. You can move in with me and have a few dogs. Hahaha…few dogs… if only he knew.

  6. I returned to college to get an accounting degree. Everyone needs an accounting degree. I think it should be a mandatory part of life. Whether you dream of being a CPA or starting your own business or being a dog musher, you need to have an understanding of how money works. I’m not saying the accounting degree has made me a financial advisor, but it allowed me to become friends with lots of amazing people who are far more intelligent than I am to help advise me on business decisions- cough cough Feniks & Company, cough cough Mariah and Melody.

  7. My life was overflowing with supportive people. Like so many. Like so, so, so many. Derek (now husband), amazing handlers (Riley, Maliko, Gunhild, Liz, Tyler, Kalyn, Tom, Saeward) and all the kennel supporters. As a musher, we portray a life of self-sufficiency and isolation. Just you and your dogs. All alone. Braving the odds and charging through blizzards. When in reality, I rely SO MUCH on others, their generosity, and their knowledge. That includes you, reader.

  8. We started Last Frontier Mushing Co-op and Reindeer Outpost. We joined forces and started doing tours. I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been a magic carpet ride, but what start up is? Bottom line, I get to spend more time with my dogs, meet incredible guests, and embark on exciting adventures.

  9. Ok. Here’s the latest. We’ve expanded! The Two Rivers Outpost wants to become a tourism destination, and Amanda Brooks and I were hired to transform it into just that. (THANK YOU TWO RIVERS OUTPOST!)

Reindeer Pavillion


This summer with the help of Brian Earle Building (neighbor) and Warren Howard, we designed and built an amazing tourism hub. Chena Outdoor Collective will offer dog demos, reindeer viewing, gold panning, and a visitor center. We’re highlighting our amazing community and trying to put Two Rivers and the Chena Valley on the map! This will allow us to start doing summer tours with the long term goal that I can free up time to really focus on racing. Because at the end of the day, that’s what we love. The dogs. The competition. The adventure. Exploring Alaska. So while I do put a lot of time and energy into tourism and I love expeditions or other opportunities to share this amazing sport with others, I’m not forgetting that this sport is why we started Ryno Kennel in the first place!

Construction of Mushing Pavillion

Yurt (future Visitor Center) under construction

Derek walking with a couple of his faves- Pilot Bread and Jezzy

Kalyn and I walking with the Reindeer

Wombat and I sporting Louise’s beautiful handmade sweater and Lynne’s warm neck gaitor!