SPK Dog Log

Allen and the Black Team will be starting down the trail wearing bib number 8! They will take off from the chute at 11.21am Yukon time.

Bib #8 sponsored by Moose Creek Lodge; Dog ID tags for our athletes

This evening was the sold out Start and Draw Banquet in Whitehorse which started out with a procession of the mushers led in by the Canadian Rangers – the team in charge of putting the Yukon trail in. Everyone was welcomed by Jessie Dawson, Councillor for Kwanlin Dun First Nation. Jessie shared some personal stories about what the Quest means to her and also how appreciative the First Nation were of the Quest Board who wrote to ask permission for the race to mush over their lands. We also heard Betsy Johnson from Ta’an Kwach’an First Nation blessing the mushers and the dogs.

The National Anthems of Canada and America were powerfully delivered by Barbara Chamberlain before we were welcomed by Jeanie Dendys, the Minister of Tourism & Culture, and the Mayor of the City of Whitehorse, Dan Curtis.

We even got treated to some live entertainment – the Yukon Quest Follies. There were songs about the Quest, dogs and mushers with some audience participation: “How much is that doggy in the window?” with “Questified” lyrics and “You’re a pain, I bet you think this burger is for you” about a couple’s favourite dog Brae. A crowd pleaser was a song about a man’s 12 favourite dogs and the views he has of them as a musher. I can’t really repeat many of the lyrics in polite society but it was pretty funny!

Each musher then came up to draw their bib number and say a few words. There is always many people to thank for helping just to get to the start line so there were heartfelt thanks to husbands, wives, partners, handlers, sponsors, volunteers, officials, vets, fans, and, above all, dogs.

We can’t wait to get this race started!

Want to know how to follow along with the Yukon Quest and YQ300? As always, you will find SP Kennel-centric news right here throughout the race.

We may also post directly to our Facebook and Instagram pages when posting from the blog is more challenging.

Remember that the Yukon Quest goes through remote Yukon and Alaskan wilderness so internet may not be fantastic at times. I (Moira) am on the ground in the Yukon side and will post whenever it’s possible but I likely won’t upload any video from the trail as the checkpoint internet needs to be shared with all the other teams also.

Kaz is on hand to keep you updated if I am unable to get you information, and for when the handler crew is on that loooong drive between Dawson City and Fairbanks.

Your best bet for the whole race and other mushers is the Yukon Quest Facebook page and website. There will be trackers on the YQ1000 and YQ300 teams as well as an up-to-date leaderboard.

The “Visual Content Team”: L-R Chance, Whitney, Steve, Julien and in Front: Mark. These talented people will be taking pics and video throughout the race for the Yukon Quest. (Do you know how hard it is to get a photo of photographers?)

Local news organisations, including race sponsors Fairbanks Daily News Miner and CKRW The Rush, will also be covering the events and I will try to link stories as they come up.

We also thank you in advance for your patience if either Allen or Aliy drop or “return” a dog to us. Sometimes we don’t find out who it is right away as it could be in one of the remote checkpoints/stops. We will bring you the information as soon as we are able.

You may wish to bookmark all these links now and start warming up your “refresh finger”. The countdown is on!

It is always tempting to wrap the potential Yukon Quest athletes in cotton wool about two weeks from the race start to ensure nothing happens to them that might rule them out of contention. BUT, of course, that is the last thing you should do with sled dogs… they would go C.R.A.Z.Y!!

During the final week before heading over to Whitehorse, Allen took the team on a few longer runs, from the Two Rivers Checkpoint to the finish line. All the Two Rivers mushers will face a similar issue as they have to run their teams right near their kennels about half way through the last leg of the 1000 mile race. Therefore many of them train the final checkpoint run with yummy treats and a welcoming party at the finish to help try to head off any potential hesitation the dogs might have running through their neighbourhood.

Here’s a quick video of them finishing one of those runs into town where Aliy and Ruth picked them up.

A big crowd turned out this evening to the Mount McIntyre Rec Centre to meet the 2017 Yukon Quest mushers. The line for signatures and photos was long and didn’t abate all evening! Everything from posters to hats to street banners to calendars were signed and there were selfies galore.

It’s a fun event for public and fans to get up close with their favourite mushers and to meet new favourites! I met several people who were there for the first time and who appreciated the time the mushers took to answer their questions and talk about their dogs.

Thanks to the staff and team of volunteers for staging the event; for manning the merchandise tables and replenishing the refreshments table.

A selection of the merchandise available for sale – check online for more info on how to order

The stars of the evening were the two beautiful cakes!

There will also be a post-race Meet the Mushers event in Fairbanks on Thursday, February 16th.

Yukon Quest festivities and formalities start Wednesday evening here in Whitehorse so Allen and I travelled over Tuesday night.

Scenes from along the road from Two Rivers to Whitehorse

Tonight is the Yukon Meet the Mushers event where public and fans get to meet all the starting YQ1000 mushers and get signatures and photos. It’s a fun, social occasion so if you are in or near Whitehorse come along and say “Hi”!

Both dog teams, escorted by Aliy, Mark and Wendy (who is handling for Aliy in the YQ300) travel over on Thursday while Allen is in musher meetings and at a luncheon for the “Quest Guest” auction winners. Moira has a handler meeting during the day also to learn about the checkpoints and the rules that apply to the handler team.

The teams will arrive on Thursday evening in time to get the dogs a hot meal then the humans go into the Starters Banquet and Bib Draw where we will learn when the Black Team will leave the start chute on Saturday.

Friday is a day of final preparation and rest for the 1000 mile racers while Aliy and the YQ300 team have compulsory vet checks and their musher/handler meetings and bib draw. The vet checks were not able to be completed privately prior to the race, and every dog racing with Aliy, regardless if they completed a vet check as a “potential” for Allen, will get a comprehensive top-to-toe check over by the volunteer vet team.

Then, Saturday from 11am the YQ1000 teams will leave from Shipyards Park, Whitehorse followed at 3pm by the YQ300 teams, on their way to the first checkpoint in Braeburn.

For more information about these and other events see the Yukon Quest website.

Chris and Ruth are staying at the kennel for the Yukon side of the race, caring for and continuing to train all those left behind. There’s still more racing after this so it’s important those not doing this race keep in shape.

I started this race with 5 veteran dogs and 8 yearlings. Decaf was supposed to run with me too, but as I was putting on booties before the start of the race, I noticed that his ankle was swollen. Apparently, he was so excited for the race that he hurt himself. I really can’t blame him. He has limitless energy. I really did miss him during the race though. He spent some time bonding with my dad at Matt Failor’s kennel while the rest of us raced.

The veterans were:
Scout: It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with this dog. He is loyal, dedicated, and probably smarter than me. Whenever it was time to go, Scout was up and ready. He set a great example for the yearlings, and has been enjoying his time on the couch ever since he got home.

Waylon: Waylon lost a toe this summer, but it didn’t slow him down a bit. It may sound insignificant, but toes are very important for providing stability when we walk. I was a bit worried that 300 miles would be too much for him, but he proved me wrong. He ran lead and swing through soft, slushy snow, wind drifts, and open water.

Willie: Another dog that I have a huge amount of respect for. Willie is always happy, no matter what. He never causes problems and always works his butt off.

Schmoe: He was vital to this team. The last run was 75 miles, which is a long run even for an experienced dog. Needless to say, the yearlings got pretty tired in the middle. Schmoe ran lead for the last leg, and barked excitedly every time we stopped. No one can be in a bad mood with this dog on the team.

Woody: This was Woody’s first 300-mile finish, so he really isn’t a veteran. He acted like it though. He broke trail through deep wind drifts, and ran about half of the race in lead. Ever since our summer together on the glacier, we have had a very tight bond. I am so proud and excited to see him finish such a difficult race so strong.

Scout tried to tell his brother Rambler all about it…

Yearlings:
Creamer: She was a little behind in miles due to some problems earlier in the season, so I was a bit worried about her before the race. She ended up incredibly strong. When the trail got hard, she dug in even more. Look for her in the coming years. Her future is very bright.

QT: Another very strong girl. QT was on Aliy’s winning Two Rivers 100 team. She is fast, hard working, and relentless. During the fourth run, on the way back to Yentna, she developed a sore wrist. I really wanted her to finish the race with me since she worked so hard for 220 miles, but decided to drop her before the final 75 mile run home.

Bruno: While he sometimes lacks confidence when meeting people, you should have seen him strut back to his house when we returned to the kennel. He sure had a lot to be proud of. The whole race he was strong and dependable. Hopefully, as he gets older he will learn to poop on the run, because right now he will drag the entire team to a stop for a bathroom break.

McCaw: This big guy might take a little bit longer to grow into his body. He is incredibly strong, but still a bit awkward and clumsy. During the first run, he stepped off the trail to dip some snow, but ended up doing a face-plant into the deep snow. When he got up, his shoulder was sore, and I dropped him in Yenta. Once he figures himself out, McCaw will be a force to be reckoned with.

Sanka: This little girl has a huge heart. During training she has been one of the strongest yearlings, and was even my back-up for Copper Basin. I think she was still a bit tired from the Two Rivers 200 the week before, and she had a little trouble in the middle of the race. She didn’t quit though, and ended up finishing strong.

Bean: Small, happy, and always consistent. Bean doesn’t put her heart out like her sisters, but has a nice even trot that always keeps her tug line tight and doesn’t wear her out. I’m very excited to see what she can do in the future.

Barista: This girl puts everything into a run. She can be a bit cocky, and always barks at other teams as they pass by, but she was an asset to this team and a real pleasure to race with.

Perky: Limitless energy. When stopped, he can be wild and hard to contain, but when running he is smooth and strong. After every rest, he was barking to go, and when we returned to the kennel he was immediately running in circles and telling everyone how much fun he had. When he matures, he has the potential to be one of the best dogs around.

This race was more difficult than I expected (and I expected it to be pretty hard!). The day before we left Two Rivers, the temperature was 40 degrees below zero. When we got to Willow, it had jumped to 40 above. The snow was soft and sticky, and the dogs were hot. Although most of the trail was relatively flat, there were some sections with rolling hills, deeps drifted snow, and open water. It can be nerve-wracking when you put dogs you care about into a difficult situation, but they excelled at every obstacle. When the trail got tough, they got tougher. We left the second checkpoint in a howling 30 mile-per-hour headwind, but they put their heads down and didn’t even think about letting up.

My team finished in 17th place, around 4:30AM Monday morning. I ran a very conservative race schedule, and ended up resting for about 9 hours more than the mandatory minimum. This was a bit more than we had planned on taking, but with the difficult trail conditions I wanted to keep the experience as positive as possible for the young dogs. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. We learned, we struggled, and we ran for 300 miles!

Think about that. Our world has become so compressed by technology that distance can sometimes seem insignificant. I can get in my truck and drive 300 miles in a day. In some ways, this is very good. We can connect over vast distances. All of the SP Kennel fans can track races in real time, from wherever they may be in the world. But to see 300 miles, to be a part of a team that can run 300 miles in under 3 days, changes one’s perspective. It is easy in our interconnected world to imagine yourself as bigger than you are, but on the trail, everything is so real, so vast, and so unforgiving. We struggle for every yard we gain. We realize that nature does not yield. It does not care much about our suffering. The only way we move forward is by getting up, moving our feet, meeting the world as it is and not as we want it to be.

Thanks to all the SPK fans and sponsors. We literally couldn’t do this without all of you. Thanks to my dad Steve Parker who handled for me before and after the race, and my mom Bridget, who had to work and take care of their dogs while he was away. Thanks to Matt Failor at 17th Dog Kennel for housing me and my dogs before the race. And thanks to Scout, Waylon, Willie, Woody, Schmoe, Perky, McCaw, Barista, Bean, Sanka, QT, Bruno, and Creamer for carrying me across the finish line. It is an indescribable experience to see puppies that I helped raise become such fine adults. And of course, thanks Aliy and Allen for giving me this opportunity!

Thank you DogLog readers!

Sometime during the “organised-yet-slightly-chaotic” couple of weeks that saw the Copper Basin 300, Two Rivers 200/100, Yukon Quest Food Drops and Northern Lights 300 we achieved a fantastic and noteworthy milestone for the DogLog.

THREE MILLION VIEWS!

We are so excited to hit that milestone and thank you all. We appreciate every view and comment.

We know there are easier ways to share information with you: directly via Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, and occasionally do that, but we love the DogLog. We enjoy being able to bring you slightly more in-depth stories and share pics, videos and interesting links within the posts. The feedback we get is that you enjoy it also and hopefully find it both entertaining AND informative.

Our audience sources are from all around the globe. Here’s our top 10 country views (right).

Below is an all-time graph of views – each peak is January to March with the highest viewing being during the Iditarod. Shall we see if we can break the record this year?

Friday morning we took 21 dogs to kennel sponsor North Pole Veterinary Hospital for their Yukon Quest pre-race examinations. Because Allen is a veteran racer he is able to have vet checks done privately.

Dr Dawn Brown, who herself races sprint dogs, with the help of vet assistant Mara, thoroughly checked out our athletes from top to toe.

Spark gets checked while Commando waits patiently, “What are you writing Moira?”, “I’m totally the best one aren’t I?”

The checks include:

• reading and recording microchips to ensure the right dogs are included on the team and so they can easily be identified by vets who may not necessarily know one dog from the next
• examining dental and gums. They note the colour of the gums which can be an indicator of illness.
• checking that eyes, ears and lymph glands and ‘personal areas’ are normal
• recording weight, temperature, heart rate and respiration rate and checking for any abnormalities
• testing range of motion in front and back legs and wrists to check for any soreness
• examining skin and feet, noting if there are any abrasions or bootie rubs etc to be treated before the race
• fixing an overall body score out of 9 (those of you with pets may have seen this chart on your vet’s noticeboard where 1 is too skinny and 9 is too big).
• ensuring vaccinations for rabies, parvovirus, distemper and bordatella are up-to-date and documented
• they also note for any medications the dog may be on, and how recently, to ensure no banned substances have been ingested. Note: the dogs are drug tested throughout the race also.

For more information you can check out the Yukon Quest website.

A number of our dogs have quite a history with North Pole Vet – the “Five” litter were cared for there when they were a few days old, Ginger later had surgery there, Outlaw and Clyde were born by cesarian section there and Mac had his salivary gland surgery there. Thanks to the North Pole team for being part of our team!