I'm all excited about the dogsled race in the Yukon that begins today.. 1,600 kms from Whitehorse to    Fairbanks, Alaska.  That is the distance from Vancouver to Revelstoke (600 kms.),  back to  Vancouver (600 kms), then Vancouver to Kamloops (400 kms.)  Each team has maximum of 14 dogs to begin, and may end up with 6 or 8 dogs at the finish line, the others succumbing to exhaustion, sickness or injury.  Vets are posted along the way to ensure the well-being of the teams.  I had a wee taste of dog-sledding last year on Muskrat Ranch, in the East Kootenays, when Margie left me for the month of February to look after her ranch while she went biking in Cuba.

Muskrat Ranch, Ta Ta Creek

 Every morning I hitched the dogs (3) up to the kick sled and we went for a tour.  It was beyond belief exciting.  Tess is the lead dog, 4 years old and smart as a whip.  Rosie is a good puller, and Amy will pull if necessary, but would rather run along beside (she's 10).  I usually went to a neighbor's place and picked up Quiz, a merle coated border collie, and a really good puller.  When you yell 'go', you had better be hanging on tight and with one foot on a runner, because they are going to go from 0 to top speed in no time flat.  I got left behind the first time I tried it. And it took me a while to get the drift of how to negotiate curves in the trail.  I had to slow the dogs down ('Slow!') and then lean into the corner without flipping over.  The dogs love to pull.

Tess (lying down, lead dog, ) Amy (left) and Rose (behind Tess)

Tess on left.. very powerful runner

Rose and Tess with kick sled

I want to get a kick sled and figure out how to train Rose.   But I better not get ahead of myself.  I need to find a sled first - under $250.

Feeding the mules, Emily & Georgia.  It got down to -25 C. 

Handsome Georgia

Sledding on Lake Windermere, Invermere B.C.

John Zehnder trained Caleb to pull his kick sled.