SPK Dog Log

This last week has seen an interesting weather combination in Two Rivers.

On Friday we got about 11 inches of fresh snow which was very exciting. It turns out it was fairly localised because as Aliy and Spencer were in the White Mountains they hardly had any but the kennel received a fair dumping! We’re happy with some fresh snow on the trails and it always freshens up the yard with new white coat.

The recent snow on an unused dog house; the temperature in the “heat of the day” today

Then, the bottom dropped out of the thermometer and we’ve had temperatures of 40-50 below for the last few days!

That means: dogs in the dog barn! Even with husky coats, straw beds and big, warm meals the dogs use up a lot of energy keeping warm at this temperature.

Our dog barn can house up to 36 dogs and they have private, roomy, indoor, straw filled areas to sleep in. They can push through a swing door and they have an outside pen where they can do their “business” and stretch their legs.

Some of the dogs are sharing the pens (as they are big enough to house two dogs): Outlaw and Lester’s bromance is blossoming. They live next to each other in the yard and play often so it is very sweet to see them curl up together in the dog barn; co-existing peacefully. Mac and Sissy are sharing also – they live next door to each other in the yard. They shared the “Safety experience” side-by-side during the Iditarod last year so they have developed a happy bond. Queen Quito of Two Rivers, on the other hand, has her own pen!

We asked the dogs what they think of their indoor digs this morning…

As Allen is a veteran racer in the Yukon Quest, he is able to have vet checks completed at the kennel with a Yukon Quest approved veterinarian. Dr Tamara Rose, who is also a kennel sponsor, came to the kennel on Tuesday evening to check out 17 possible Quest 1000 dogs.

The thorough vet check includes weight, temperature, heart and respiration rates as well as musculoskeletal checks, body condition (using the regular body condition scale your own vet uses) and oral, eye and ear checks etc. All 17 passed the check and are fit and healthy to be chosen for the team.

Thanks TRose!

Dr T Rose checks Chica while Olivia and Willie wait their turn. Felix is in the weigh pen.

The Quest 300 vet checks will be done on the Friday before the race in Whitehorse by the Quest vet team and other volunteer helpers.

Further information about vet checks can be found on the Yukon Quest website in the rules document.

There’s been a number of you asking after Spark – the only one of the yearling squad who hasn’t got to race so far this season.

Spark is just fine!! Just before the first race he tripped and hurt his wrist a little so it was decided not to race him.

Up until that point, and now that he is recovered, he is one of the strongest in the yearling class.

Catch up with him in this quick video. Note: Chena and Violet had a LOT to say while Aliy was speaking so you may have some trouble hearing…

Spencer’s team in this video was Spark and Chena in lead, Lydia and Champ in swing, Cayenne and Pepe, Coal and Daisy with Amber and Wedgy in wheel.

Once we completed and tied up all the “drop bags” we took them all into Fairbanks where the hardworking Yukon Quest volunteers helped Spencer unload them, laid them out checkpoint by checkpoint then tied colour coded tags on them to help quickly identify them.

At the same time the team over in Whitehorse were doing exactly the same thing!

Loading; the Quest volunteers sort them into checkpoint piles

They then start the job of transporting the bags to each checkpoint. The logistics involved with this is huge, they must get the right bags to the right checkpoint ready for the mushers to arrive. With 26 mushers in the YQ1000 and 25 in the YQ300, each with anywhere from six bags (for the YQ300) to perhaps 45-50 you can do the math!

Thank you to all the volunteers in Fairbanks and Whitehorse! Thanks also to Tami, Mykena and Madison for helping tie and load them all at the kennel.

Here’s a link to the Fairbanks Newsminer story about the Drop Bags.

Yesterday, Aliy and Spencer took most of the Quest/YQ300 potentials out to the White Mountains for a change of scene. Aliy took the Spot tracker with her and we thought you’d be interested in their route.

The tracker route is showing only their homeward journey; point #13 is from the trail head where they started, then count backwards to #1 and you will see the route they followed. They turned around at #1 and went back the way they came. (Tracks 19-25 show their journey home in the truck.)

The White Mountains Recreational Area is run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and has one-million acres of land. It takes about 1.5 – 2 hours to drive to the trail head from the kennel. Aliy said their run was great! There was no one else about on that trail, and it was peaceful and beautiful. Everyone had a good run, up and down the hills and it was fantastic preparation for the upcoming Quest.

Congratulations to Becky Pacas from California who has won this week’s Fan Club Draw.

Becky is a fan of many of our dogs – on this occasion SISSY wins!

Sissy really came into her own during the 2014 Iditarod and was running next to Mac during the storm at Safety.

She is now a seasoned racer and expected run in the Yukon Quest or YQ300 and the Iditarod this year.

Becky wins a signed “Two Rivers” drop bag of Allen’s along with a few other goodies.

Thanks to all our Dog Fan Club members! The next Dog Fan Club winner will be announced on February 6th and everyone who hasn’t already won and all new members will be in the draw to win. The prize will be Yukon Quest themed as we will all be in Whitehorse ready for the start of the race. Note: those of you who have already won but are fan club members of multiple dogs are still in the draw for the dogs you have not won with.

Click the button below for instructions on how to join:

Click this button below to take you directly to the Dog Fan Page.

Apart from getting the dogs and humans in shape, one of the next most important tasks in preparation for any race is planning and packing the checkpoint drop bags. These are the bags that go ahead of the mushers to the checkpoints with all their resupply stocks.

Preparation can take days, even weeks, as hundreds of pounds of meat must be cut, kibble bagged, dog and human clothing and equipment packed, human food cooked… Planning for the bags hinges on the musher’s race plan; plus contingency for Plan B, C and D. This is also on top of what the musher carries with them in the sled.

The dog equipment we pack includes booties, jackets, fleece blankets, spare harnesses and leggings etc. Their food includes team meal sized bags of Eagle Pack Kibble; and meat such as poultry skins, beef, salmon and other tasty goodies they will eat as snacks or will get added to their meals. Packs of vet supplies (wraps, Algyval, foot salve) are also packed ready if needed (the musher will usually carry this then use what is at the checkpoint to resupply if needed).

Meghan bags poultry skins; some of the equipment that goes into the bags

In terms of human food, Aliy and Allen pack freeze-dried meals, home-made oatmeal/banana bars, bacon (pounds and pounds of bacon!), nuts, protein snacks and other bits and pieces. Their equipment and clothing includes dry gloves and socks, and chemical foot and hand warmers; runner plastics for the sled and tools in case of equipment failure.

Each bag must be labelled and weighed – they must be under 40lb each – and an itemised list created.

Huge thanks to Mykena, Madison and Tami Earle for bagging literally hundreds of bags of Eagle Pack kibble ready to go out on both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod trails!

Today we are working on the Yukon Quest drop bags and then we need to start on the Iditarod bags as they are due while the team is on the Quest trail. It’s certainly “all hands on deck” and thanks to everyone involved!

Hope you enjoy these two videos following the Black and Red Teams through the Copper Basin 300.

Black Team

Red Team