Location: Finland, MN
Time - 8:05pm
Temperature: 18 degrees F
Conditions: Overcast
Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight and tomorrow. Highs in the teens, lows in the single digits
I’m still here! I’ve been meaning to write an update for quite some time now but everytime I had a little time to do so, I did something else instead.
We have snow now. Not as much as we might like but enough to use a sled with a small team. Jen and I took our first sled run about a week ago with a 5-dog team: Alex, Jackie, Joker, Calypso and Doc, one of this year’s puppies. It was fun but the trail was kind of rough with rocks since there wasn’t a good snow base. Still, I was happy to get back on a sled (first time since Northern Sky in Alaska last March).
It has snowed more since then and I took a 3-dog team out with the sled last night (Alex, Joker and Calypso). The trail was much nicer and there was better snow although there is still no base to hook down to, so no stopping to get off the sled.
Alex tested me just out of the yard where I was to take a trail off to the right. I told him “Gee!” but he tried to go straight instead. So I braked hard enough to stop the little team.
“Alex!” I called. “Gee!”
Still he tried to go straight and jerked the sled forward several inches. Calypso and Joker were loudly expressing their displeasure that we weren’t running that instant. And, of course, I couldn’t get off the sled.
“Gee!” I called again. “Alex, Gee!”
This went on for several minutes until Alex finally looked back at me and then at the trail to the right.
“That’s right,” I encouraged. “Yip! Yip!”
Finally realizing that when I said “Gee” I actually meant “Gee”, Alex lead the team down the correct trail. It was pretty rough, that stretch, but when we came to the forest road, where Blake was waiting to make sure we hadn’t wrapped ourselves around a tree on the trail out of the yard, things were much better.
The road was fun, since it is relatively wide and straight so I didn’t have to concentrate on steering the sled much at that point. The dogs were trotting right along, having a great time. We went out on what we call the Puppy Loop and there was pretty good snow there. MUCH less jarring on rocks than last time. I just had to avoid the brush at the side of the trail. It was snowing, as it had been all day and the little flakes were cold against my face.
I stayed warm helping the little team up hills, kicking and running along. I thought back to a year ago, back in snowless Armuchee, Georgia. Would I have believed then that I’d be up here sledding with Calypso now in the Minnesota Northwoods? It felt kind of surreal for a few minutes there.
The sun set during the run and I pulled out my headlamp for the run back down the road to the kennel. The snowflakes streaked past the beam like tiny shooting stars. The moon also rose, lighting everything up a bit even though it was cloudy and snowy.
We pulled into the yard tired but happy. I think the huskies are happiest when they are running along in harness, pulling a sled through the snow and I am happiest riding the runners of that sled (and kicking along, and running up the hills).
The race teams are coming along really well. We are still training them with the ATV and, on occasion, the truck. They are doing REALLY well and we are very excited about how they are progressing. Pretty soon, snow permitting, we will be running them with sleds too. I can’t wait!
It’s been nice and cold the past couple of days. Yesterday morning I hit a new personal low temperature, minus 22 degrees F, the coldest I’ve seen so far. I have a new anorak, which I love. Very warm. Warm clothes are always good when it gets cold and I’ve been layering with lots of warm things.
I will try to post again soon and keep you all updated! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
