SPK Dog Log

During the Iditarod weekend in Anchorage the entire SP Kennel Crew of dogs and humans will be staying at the Extended Stay Anchorage – Downtown.

Come stay with us and you might get to meet the dogs and the crew! We will let you know the schedule for when we “drop the dogs” (actually: lift them down very carefully) from the truck during Friday, Saturday and Sunday for feeding and walking, so come and visit with us. We would love to see you!

Please email Linda Steiner at: lsteiner@extendedstay.com for bookings, pricing and availability.

We will keep this button in the ‘fan zone’ (left hand side) of the blog that links you to more information and contact details.

NOTE: At this point in time there are no plans for a ‘Meet-and-Greet’ with Aliy and Allen this year.

The Yukon Quest is an important race for SP Kennel, both currently and historically. Aliy and her team won this race back in 2000 and we have Pedro’s Golden Harness hanging on a rack as the first thing you see as you walk in the house.

Aliy and Pedro in 2000

Allen and the Black Team won in 2013 and 2014 and Quito’s golden harnesses hang alongside Pedro’s. We love this race and it’s history.

Allen and Quito at the finish line in 2014

I asked Aliy about why she loves the Quest: “The Yukon Quest… the word “intimate” comes to mind. You are intimately connected with your dog team in a way that other races, training and the “real world” don’t allow. The reason behind this is because for long periods of the race you see no-one. You don’t see the thousands of people standing cheering you on; you don’t see the hoards of volunteers at multiple checkpoints; you’ll be lucky if you can stumble across a cabin that you can find and the bears haven’t ravaged it the summer before. So the Yukon Quest route is definitely travelling back in time and not forward. It’s rare that you can do that these days.

It’s really cool that a person can experience that as a dog musher but at the same time be able to carry a tracker and therefore be able to carry thousands of fans down the trail with them, even when the mushers don’t know who every one of them are.“

Allen says he also enjoys the “going back in time” aspect of the race. “Every time we run the Quest we go back in time to see what it was like when our great-grandfathers were alive. We like challenges and there are always challenges on the Yukon Quest. It reminds us of what our forefathers went through.“

The Yukon Quest website is a great source of interesting information about the history of the race so check it out!

“At the top of the world in the Yukon and Alaska wilderness of northwestern North America, an epic winter sports event takes place every February: the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race. Covering 1,000 miles (1,600 km) between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska during the depths of winter, the Yukon Quest is known for excellence in canine care and fostering the traditions of northern travel by dog sled.“

In less than a week, 23 mushers will leave the starting chute in Fairbanks and head 1000 miles up mountains, over rivers and down the trail towards Whitehorse. A few hours later another 24 mushers leave for the 300 mile event, finishing this year in Circle City.

The route for the 1000 milers has been changed slightly this year from Eagle to Dawson City. You can read in the updated trail report that “Mushers will be re-routed up the Clinton Creek secondary road to the highway and follow that into Dawson. This results in a 2,500-foot climb over the course of about 20 miles up out the Forty Mile River valley to the highway and another 30 miles in high country into Dawson.” When Allen read of the change in route he immediately looked up the history of the area and said he was looking forward to seeing a new part of the country.

We’re excited to get this race underway! There are a few events happening this week leading up to the race start and we’ll let you know about them soon, along with a coverage guide of where you can get the best information (hint: right here)!

Moira takes Aliy on a tour of “The Mansion”!

Champ was the most proud and vocal member of the 2nd place Red Team, so he would like to share his personal Race Recap. Here it is… the Red Team Wrap-up from Champ’s Perspective:

“A fast and hilly 200 hundred mile race might seem like it was a bit tough, but it was honestly a piece of cake… for me at least. The rest of the team did fairly well and Aliy seem to be able to navigate the trails somewhat successfully. She did break her sled on the second leg but I guess she said that a tree just came out of no where?!? I do believe that if I had been in lead, I could have gained a few minutes on that speedy Will Rhodes’ team. But… hey… that wasn’t my call.

“Our leaders were fairly fast and steady. For some reason, Aliy decided that Dutch (he’s my half brother on my Dad’s side) was going to be the main leader. Dutch has never been a main leader and as far as I know, he’s only bumped up into this command position about a month ago. But, I guess she decided he could do it. He ran all 200 miles in lead – passed many teams quite well, but didn’t always know Gee from Haw. (I have to be truthful… those two commands get me confused from time to time as well.)

Izzy was the other leader for the first half of the race. (She’s my first cousin and super cute!) She seemed to really enjoy the speed in the hills and got excited about seeing new trails. Izzy sat out the last race (so did I) so she was excited to be an important part of this race team. She wasn’t quite up to leading at such a fast pace for the second half, so Aliy moved her farther back in the team and bumped Commando up to Izzy’s spot.

Commando… yeah, well. He kinda thinks he’s the bomb. I mean, yeah, I get it. He did run Iditarod last year when all the rest of us youngsters didn’t get to go. But, he’s kinda a pretty boy, if you ask me. (He’s my half brother too and we’ve never really seen eye to eye.) Aliy seems to trust him in lead and he and Dutch share a similar gait. So, I guess he did pretty well, but don’t tell him I said that.

Lydia is seriously a pipsqueak. I don’t think she knows she’s that small. I could probably see over her if she were standing on top of herself. Anyhow, she ran in the swing position and added a great deal of pep and speed to the team. She always screams to go and rallies at the drop of a hat. The trails were very hard packed — like an ice skating rink — so she got a tiny bit of a sore wrist. She tried to convince Aliy to let her finish the race, but Aliy said that there are more important races in the future. So, the Race Veterinarian ~ Dr. Mercedes (cool name, huh?) ~ examined Lydia, scribbled on some papers and then Wendy walked her to the Dog Truck at the Angel Creek Checkpoint. I’m sure glad I didn’t have to go — what a bummer!

Chipper is somewhat annoying, but everyone seems to LOVE her. I don’t get it. I live next to her in the yard and she’s always yelling at me and circling like a crazy dog. I don’t think she knows what tired is. Anyhow, Chipper started the race in wheel and slowly she made her way farther and farther up towards the front. Chipper is actually a lead dog but for some reason Aliy kept saying she wanted to give some of the rookies a chance to lead during this race. So, Chipper finished the race in swing – although I’m pretty sure she whispered a few suggestions to Dutch and Commando towards the end.

Spark (left, getting straw from Aliy) was a steady team dog and also good in swing.

He’s a little dopey and tends to bother a lot of the other dogs. That’s because he likes to play when we are supposed to be sleeping. I even saw Aliy lay him down on his straw bed so that he understood S-L-E-E-P. Like I said… dopey. He’s my half brother too, so I can say that.

Spark has an incredibly fast trot (almost as good as mine!)

Mac was on my team which was wayyyyy cool. I’ve never been on a team with him. He’s really talented and super strong. I’m not sure there’s any other dog as strong as him at the kennel – well… except my Dad. Anyhow Mac seems to get kinda overheated now and then but he dips a lot of snow and cools off after we’ve been running for a while. This was a good race for him because Aliy seemed pretty happy about Mac’s finish.

I was surprised to find Sissy on my team too. She’s always been a super cutey. I was really hoping that I would get to run next to her but Aliy put her and Mac together. I think maybe they are boyfriend and girlfriend. She is a real worker and can run with super speed.

Nomex is a big lug. He’s got all these big muscles and a big head. He sure has a lot of power in the hills and I try my earnest to keep up with him. I guess the hard packed trails made him just a little sore too. After Aliy massaged him, she decided he should finish the race in the dog truck instead of on the team. I have to admit that last 65 mile leg was a doozy, so maybe she was right about that. I saw him playing with Violet in the yard today… so I guess he’s good to go.

Iron and I ran together for the whole 200 miles. He’s a year older than me but we really have about the same experience. I probably have more to be honest. He actually got in trouble at the Race Start when he decided to chew his harness – even I know we aren’t supped to do that! Iron and I worked super hard for all 200 miles and it was exciting to finish strong right next to him.

Sandy (right with Chipper) is a shy, quiet gal. She never really gets the attention that the others seems to. I wonder why that is – she’s super pretty, smooth and works like a champion.

I heard Aliy talking about her at the halfway point and I guess Sandy has really been impressing her this season. Maybe she’ll get the recognition she deserves this season.

We took the team on a stretch-out run after the race and captured some of it on video. Champ added his comments.

Chris sat down with Moira and told her about his team for the Two Rivers 200.

It was fun to race this team of mostly two year olds with some great experience to back them up. We enjoyed running some new trails and racing along side so many other teams.

Lester is brilliant. He did struggle a bit on the trails we run every day for training because we took different routes that he didn’t think we should be taking; but all in all he did an incredible job and I was pleased to have him up front.

Chena did great for her first race as the main leader. She was always loping, always happy and always motivating the team.

Woody was a superstar! He never dropped his tug line the entire race. He did a good job as a back up leader when Lester made the “wrong decision” (the right decision as far as Lester was concerned!).

Daisy (right) is another superstar! She is one of those dogs that you never have to worry about because she is always pulling and never screwing around. She also gets in my face and smothers me with kisses whenever I try to put booties on. (Photo: Helen Campbell)

Violet – is sassy and loves to bark at every team she passes. She is never aggressive, she just makes a lot of noise. She was always ready to eat and always ready to go.

Coal (left) needed a little motivation at the beginning of the third leg but after I had a good talk to him he picked it up and pulled for the rest of the run.

Chemo is level headed and never makes too big a fuss. He always works. It was nice to have his calming presence and experience on the team.

Pepe (right) – the little ball of energy – was key to this race. He ran in wheel for the entire last leg and helped us up the really steep hills at the end. (Photo: Helen Campbell)

Hotshot – this was the longest race Hotshot has been on. He has such a big heart and he works so hard all the time that I’m amazed that he had energy left at the end of the race.

Amber (front) – was barking on the up-hills even at the end of the race. She has so much energy and drive and motivates the entire team, including me.

Cayenne (back) – eats like horse but seemed to use more calories than she takes in and because of this she was low on energy towards the end. But, she still worked her heart out and finished with me.

Wedgy also worked her heart out! She pulled so hard for the first 150 miles that she got a bit tired during the last leg. But, even at the finish she was trying as hard as she could.

My MVD for the race was Daisy because she was always such a hard worker!

MVD Daisy

Thanks to the handler crew of Wendy, Mark and Padee for their hard work over the weekend and to the TRDMA and trail team who put on this such a good race.

Below is some video Wendy captured in Angel Creek Lodge checkpoint. It is just as Chris is getting ready to leave: the dogs have had their meal, are bootied but still have their jackets on are are just starting to move about. It is interesting to see how calm the team is; you can see Lester and Chemo, the experienced ones, getting as much out of their rest time as they can. You can be sure once all jackets are off and they were off the straw the noise and excitement level raised dramatically!

Racing the Two Rivers 100 was the highlight of my time helping out at SP Kennel. I had one of the most recognizable ‘front ends’ in Alaska; it was like being handed the keys to Daddy’s Ferrari! Most recently I have found myself managing the SP Kennel Mentorship Program. This involves taking some of the most talented kennel dogs and having them show the 5 yearlings how it’s done. For this race the mentors were Quito, Olivia, Chica, Boondocks, Nacho, and Biscuit. The five yearlings were Chica and Clyde’s litter of Five, Ernie, Ginger, Rodney, and Scooby who had never raced before let alone been in a dog truck; so many new experiences for them.

The 100 race started an hour after the 200 and I started 8th out of 10. The race temperature was around 0F but the biting wind made it feel colder at the Chatanika lodge. I have camped with the same team several times and know how long it takes to harness, booty, and prepare to leave. What I didn’t know was that when the pups are so excited with other teams leaving the entire process takes longer. I nearly missed my starting time but a concentrated effort from all handlers got me to the starting line on time.

The trail immediately started climbing one of multiple Chatanika hills but the team was so energized that I still used my drag going up-hill in order to pace them and make sure their muscles warmed up properly. It didn’t take long before I was passed by musher #39, Dakota Schlosser. We started what essentially became a private race that lasted until almost the finish line. We passed each other almost a dozen times during the course of the race. Every time someone stopped to fix booties, tangles, or snack, they were passed.

The Chatanika hills were hard work but one of the most serene mushing experiences I have encountered. It was slightly overcast but the wind stopped by the time I was in the hills and large fluffy snowflakes started to fall. It was like mushing in falling cotton candy in a winter version of Charlie’s Chocolate Factory! The amazing views were panoramic all through the hills.

Hard up-hills soon became steep down-hills and required my full attention. Having over 30 teams brake downhill ahead of me resulted in a trail with not much for the brake to work with and some very rapid descents. The trail eventually flattened out in a valley and most of the remainder of the first run was very flat and fast.

One of the concerns I had going into this race was how the yearlings would handle being passed, and passing from behind. We had a shaky start and the first pass by Dakota Schlosser required a bit of untangling. The next pass was our turn to pass a lady and her team. She was about to pull her hook from adjusting something when she saw us so she waited for us to pass her by. Quito and Olivia perfectly led the team quickly by on a left hand pass. The entire team followed suit except Rodney who decided to pass her on the right. His tug line clothesline’d her behind the knees and caught her off guard. I jammed on the brake fearing that both musher and dog were injured. Rodney was fine and the musher assured me she was also and we kept going. Most of the rest of the passing was done by us and the yearlings gained confidence with each pass.

The Two Rivers Lodge checkpoint was great with well organized parking on a frozen pond. On private camps, Scooby and Rodney had eventually learned to settle down and be quiet, however with so many other teams around them it took a bit longer this time. Eventually they got it and lay quietly as other teams left. It wasn’t until the team next to us got ready to leave that they could no longer contain their enthusiasm. Unfortunately I had to leave Nacho behind at Two Rivers Lodge; the fast down-hills caused his right shoulder to get a bit sore and he ended up returning to the kennel early.

The second leg of the race was on familiar turf and we took the trail at a pace that neither pups nor musher had experienced before. It raced along Two Rivers trails before heading out to an even faster river trail and then back into the Two Rivers forest. The river section involved multiple passings with Dakota’s team except when we both had to jam on the brake when two large moose tumbled into the trail right in front of us and proceeded to race each other across the ice. They were either the largest moose I have ever seen or I was just way too close.

As the race went on and on you could see the pups wondering what was going on. They had never run this long and fast before. To their credit, they never stopped pulling and couldn’t wait for each snacking. The older dogs knew the game well and just kept going as fast as I would allow them.

Here is a Team Summary of everyone’s performance:

Quito– It’s amazing to have her on my team. I think her passing skills saved us at least 5 minutes of tangles. She never slowed down and her drive and desire is as strong as ever. It’s time to start running some of the younger dogs in lead with her since she has so much to teach.

Olivia – Is a bundle of energy and her leading abilities can rival Quito. Combined they are a complete Power Steering Unit that can make minor trail adjustments on command.

Olivia, Scooby, Ernie and Rodney

Chica – It’s hard to know what Chica is thinking as she has such a mellow personality. I always suspected she may tire but she never did and was as strong as ever the entire race.

Boondocks – ran in lead for about 30 seconds when her harness became unclipped. She passed Olivia and Quito but turned around once she realized she was alone. Her enthusiasm is as strong as ever and she was circling at every break and getting tangled with Chica up until the very last snack.

Nacho – is the perfect mentor for Five. They are both big dogs and have similar running styles. They never get tangled and just run side by side. Nacho’s knowledge and attitude were impeccable as he demonstrated how to pass teams and lean into the harness in the hills. I hope Nacho and Five get lots more time together.

Biscuit – does set a good example for eating, sleeping, and enthusiasm. However, sometimes his enthusiasm gets the best of him and his line manners show it. Five moved back with Biscuit when I had to drop Nacho and that resulted in teaching Five how to circle and get tangled!

Five – (left) Is a big powerhouse who drops his shoulders and just gets on with the job. You never see his head come up and sometimes you wonder if he is in distress.

As soon you stop the sled to check, his head pops up and he looks at you as though you have just messed up his rhythm. I predict that he will become a key player at the kennel.

Ginger – (right) is solid with a continuous tight line. She does not get too distracted with anything and has learnt to camp very quickly. She is quick to settle on her straw and will keep her eyes closed until it’s time to get bootied.

Rodney – has been learning from Biscuit. Everything gets him excited and he gets impatient if the snack breaks take too long. His passing improved drastically during the course of the race and I predict that once we learn to manage his energy he will become a very dependable dog. He also won’t stop eating; I think he would eat a car tire if I gave him one.

Scooby– Wins the Most Improved award since I started working mostly with the yearlings in December. He and Rodney used to compete for the most chaotic hookups but now he is patient while he gets his booties put on and does not spin while waiting on the line. He looks around a lot while running and absorbs everything that is going on. He is well on his way to becoming a solid team member.

Ernie – Is a sensitive soul who thinks that getting booties put on is a form of being cuddled. He loves attention and craves approval. He is not as strong as some of his siblings but his line did not go slack once during the race and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Wes – worked his tail off going up the hills and arrived at Two Rivers Lodge without one. Fortunately he did not need one on the second leg as the trail was so fast there was nothing he could have done to help the team’s speed. His hat and jacket required wringing out at Two Rivers Lodge. Wes is still available for sponsorship.

This evening the Two Rivers Lodge hosted the finish banquet and prize giving for the Two Rivers 100/200.

Thank you to the committee and volunteers for putting on the race – we know a lot of hard work went into pulling everything together! Thanks also to Abbie West and her trail crew for a fantastic trail. There were so many who remarked how it was well marked and a really good test for the dogs.

Congratulations to all the award winners – please go to the TRDMA Facebook page for a full list.

Aliy won this beautiful wooden plaque and an ax, which, for a musher is an excellent and most useful prize. Thank you!

We have a bunch of photos and some video to sort trough and edit and will get to you asap. We’re working on team wrap ups also and hope to have them to you during the week.

We are so excited that Chris and his R&B200 Team finished strongly in 9th place! Their run time from Angel Creek Lodge was 7 hours 41 minutes for a total elapsed time of 31 hours, 25 minutes. He pulled in with Lester and Chena still in lead and all 12 of his team mates.

The dogs looks happy and waggy and Chris was very pleased with his race – as he should be! We’re really proud of him and his team of Lester, Chena, Chemo, Woody, Wedgy, Coal, Hotshot, Daisy, Pepe, Violet, Amber and Cayenne.

Everyone has gone straight to bed after dinner (dogs had kibble and meat, Chris had chicken stir-fry) so we will get more details in the next couple days.

Thanks for following along with us for these races. It’s been a fun, fast paced and successful weekend for SP Kennel.

Right: Chris with Lester and Chena (Photo credit Padee Mccrery)