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Doug's Journal |
February 21st 2010
Just got back from the Race to the Sky in Montana. Twelve of our best
dogs
and myself raced 350 miles in 4 days! I made a lot of new friends and
had a
great time out on the trail.
We have also been doing some shorter races this year. Our 12 best got
second
place at West Yellowstone. They got first at Siskiyou with Anna. We
are so
proud of them. The short races are fun but spending multiple days on
the
trail is a lot of fun.
We have still been up to our usual touring. I built some new sleds for
my
friends in the Urban Dog Mushers. And built myself a new sled called
an Easy
Rider.
Martis camp was a fun time as usual. We missed all of are new friends
there.
Mack was a wonderful leader this year. When it comes to breaking trail
he is
the best. We do a lot for trail breaking around here since we are the
only
team that trains close to my home. He is smaller and just seems to
float on
top of the snow. |
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April 10th 2009
I love this time of the year! Touring is done now. What a great
season. The
dogs and I are spending lots of time camping. I took a team of 16 dogs
on a
three day camping trip. We do all the running at night because its way
too
hot during the day. But there is still plenty of snow above 7000 feet.
When
you get down to 6000 it gets quite patchy.
I would guess the sled, all the gear, and myself weighed near 600 lbs.
at
the start of the trip. Sure is nice to have a seasoned vet like Otto
leading the team. His son Mack is right there alongside. With so many
leaders to chose from its hard to get them all upfront. |
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!
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Sleds I built for the Urban Mushers! |
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September 20th 2009
We have been training for a little over a month now. I love fall
training!
Getting the new puppies started is very exciting. I think its
important not
to overdo it with the pups. They have fragile enthusiasm.
I have been busy going through all the gear. Fixing sleds, making new
gang
lines, and servicing our four wheelers are just some of the things I'm
doing
to prep for the winter.
Yesterday I cut down a big dead standing tree that was about a mile
from the
property. I put a long chain around the tree and connected it to the
back of
the gang line. With the weight of the four wheeler no longer needed I
unattached it from the team. The dogs pulled the tree back to the
house with
no problems. Giving all the tourists rides and freighting my camping
gear
into the back country has really taught them how to pull. With the
size of
that tree I would say my firewood should be completely stocked for the
winter.
I have already seen two bears this season. I usually see more in
October
than September but it looks like they are getting a head start on
preparing
for winter too.
The deer hunters are around too. Besides when the Christmas tree
cutters
come in December this is one of the busiest times in the woods. They
are
always surprised to see us out training so early in the morning. They
usually ask if I know were the dear are? "Just down the road, up that
trail
on the left, by the stream is a good spot." Maybe I should offer my
services for guiding to make extra money for dog food. I believe I see
more
wildlife around here than anyone. We kind of have a way of sneaking up
on
them because the dogs are so quite when they run. |
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January 27th 2008.
We are right in the middle of a busy touring season. Meeting new
customers and educating them about our sled dogs is some of the most
rewarding work I
have ever been involved in. Many of our customers are having there
first
experience with sled dogs. And I always enjoy their enthusiasm.
We are establishing a new relationship with the great people at Martis
Camp.
We will be doing two major winter festivals there this season. Giving
short
10-15 minute trips to their new members.
Along with our touring we have been doing a lot of overnight trips
with the
dogs during the week. Our new handler Christian Johnson is really
learning
quickly and being an integral part of the camping trips. It is so
exciting
to see the yearlings learning how to mesh with the rest of the team.
Mack
really stands out as an exceptional yearling. His brothers Dutch and
Pete
are doing very good too.
I want to say a special thanks for all the support from the new
handlers
Christian Johnson and Mark Julius. You two are a great addition to our
team. |
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Mack in Single lead! Good Dog! |
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January 29, 2007
 Click Here
to read Doug's reflections
from the 2007 Siskiyou 135 Race! |
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December 14, 2006 I got on a sled for the first time this
season yesterday. The snow was real wet and it rained the whole
time. It sure is cold when it is 38 F and raining. We had
a real good time. The young dogs are looking good. There
is only one month to the Siskiyou Race, and the Wyoming is not too
long after that.
Thanks to everyone that has been supporting us this year.
Especially my sister Lisa.
We had a new litter of puppies a few weeks ago. Three boys
and two girls. Tudor is the mom and she is doing a great job
taking care of them. Otto is the father. This should be a
great litter of dogs. Tudor and Otto are two of my very best
leaders. I really love watching them grow up.
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November 19, 2006 Last night I was taking the race team for a
16 mile run. Sometimes we train in a state game refuge near our house.
It was about 7:30pm when we left the dog yard to start our run. I
really like training at night because it is cooler up in the mountains
and I can see the headlights from oncoming cars. I hardly ever
see cars, maybe only one in ten runs may I see someone out there at
that time of night. Everything was going smooth. I had one of the
younger dogs, Dolly, in lead with Otto. About 4 miles into the run I
noticed a plane that seemed to be going real slow, but I didn't think
much of it at the time. I began to wonder if that plane could see me
after it had started to circle overhead a few times. It was making
really big circles over top of me, sometimes getting closer and
sometimes far away but always staying in sight. I wasn't sure what to
think of it so I just kept training. I had two thoughts as to what
they were doing. The first was that they could actually see the dogs
in the four wheeler's headlights and they were just getting a better
look. The second thought was that they too were training for some
night flights. About 12 miles into the run I found out what that plane
was doing. Two trucks started rapidly approaching me from behind.
Usually I stop and go stand by my leaders when cars go past. But these
trucks didn't want to pass. When I went back to the first truck to say
hi, I found out they were both state game wardens. The plane had
spotted me from above and thought I was poaching. The three of us had
a little laugh about it. I talked to the two wardens for awhile and
then we said our goodbyes and parted ways.
I couldn't help but smile about it the rest of the way home. The
dogs and I caused those two officers to travel about an hour by truck
because that plane overhead didn't know what we were doing.
Just a little excitement on a usually routine training run! |
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November 18, 2006
This is Bags and Screamer. They are two younger females that I am
borrowing from my friend Bill to fill out my team this year. Both dogs
are doing a great job. They are beautiful looking girls and fast.
Thanks Bill. |
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November 10, 2006
The puppies' second run on a fresh coating of snow. Sticky in lead
with his dad Otto. Sticky is 6 months and 11 days and this is only the
second run hooked up to the line in his life.
When I hook up the dogs for the first time, we take one or two mile
runs. We stop a lot and tell them how good they are. Our goal is to
make the run very very fun. Sticky is a natural leader. Usually dogs
don't try lead out until they are about one year old. I have known
since he was 8 weeks old that he was born to lead. Just like his dad,
he has an unbelievable eagerness to please. We will be careful not to
run him in lead too much or we may overwhelm him at this young age. We
just want to give him a little sample of what it is like.
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Sticky, Otto and Vancouver
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Me telling Sunshine what a good girl she is!
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October 30, 2006
"I just finished fabricating this stainless steel snowhook this
afternoon. I'm currently enrolled in a welding class at Lassen
College. Thanks to John and Brent for all their good advice. The
shovel has the initials HM drilled into it. It was my first stainless
steel project and I am very pleased with the outcome. Other projects
were the outriggers to stake out our dogs on the side of the truck.
And the next project is going to be a new sled brake." |
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Doug instructing students at the 2006 Sierra Nevada Dog Driver's
Annual Fall Clinic
October 7-8
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Husky Mountain |