The snow has gone, the season is over but here’s some video from early in the year to remind you that winter isn’t that far away… This is on the “switchbacks” trail in the hills near the kennel in Two Rivers.
The team is Beemer, Quito, Schmoe, Chemo, Kipper, Lester, Scout, Willie, Spoog, Mac, Biscuit and Tatfish.
by Kennel Mom (aka Mickey)
This is the first in a series of summer posts. The topics are all related to SP Kennel in some way and are mostly my impressions of our little corner of Interior Alaska during these warmer months. Hope you enjoy!!
WEATHER
Late spring here is inconsistent at best! Mickey and Doug (Aliy’s parents) arrived from Florida last Sunday when the Fairbanks area was touting sun and 80 degrees. Monday through Thursday the high was 50 degrees and it poured rain. I wore heavy socks and a hooded jacket under rain gear.
Today the National Weather Service forecast for the Middle Tanana Valley (FAI and vicinity) is….. Partly cloudy, scattered rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70’s.
To all you Interior Alaska visitors: Be prepared for dramatic weather fluctuations.
FAMILY
Doug and I live in our little ‘cabin in the woods’ in Two Rivers AK. We have a huge extended family nearby. Aliy, Allen and the SP canine crew are just down the street. Our daughter, Kaz, her husband, Ray, and their son, Sammy, are around the corner.
Allen’s daughters, Jennifer and Bridgett, and their families are here. Jennifer, Kevin and their son, Jacob, live in Fairbanks. Bridgett, Scotty and their son, Timber, live just west of town.
Meghan is still here in two Rivers. Ryne is here too.
We just keep accumulating family! How great is that?
Above left: Sammy, our mini-musher, enjoys the results of the week’s rain. Above right: A Granny Greeting
ADDENDUM
SP Kennel canine matriarch, Chacha, and human matriarch, Mickey were elated to see each other. The two Grannys plan to enjoy fun and family together at SP Kennel this summer.
We feed Eagle Pack Dog Food here at SP Kennel. Eagle Pack has been a top choice for our top dogs for over 15 years.
The Eagle Pack company prides themselves on their employee’s extensive knowledge of pet nutrition. Their staff veterinarian, Dr. Al Townsend, has visited Alaska several times this year to keep the local pet food stores and their employees apprised of any changes to the Eagle Pack recipes or formulas. Eagle Pack is always trying to make the best dog food even better! We are excited that Dr. Townsend has one more Alaskan seminar scheduled this summer in Fairbanks.
As anyone can imagine, we get quite a few visitors here at SP Kennel. One day ago, Dr. Davis and his research team left after a week long project to establish the baselines for the exercise physiology study this summer. Tomorrow, Mickey and Doug are returning to Two Rivers for the “warm months”. Of course, there will be many more folks coming and going during this summer.
We rarely have canine visitors, but…
Sixteen very friendly and happy dogs owned by Carlson Malemute from Galena are now staying with us. The airplane that they were evacuated on yesterday went to Fairbanks instead of the village of Tanana. The dogs all seem to think… “Hey, dry ground is dry ground, no matter where it is!” I’m sure they just hope, as we all do, that their musher is safe and sound.
During the last few days, the village of Galena has been completely flooded by the mighty Yukon River.
The Yukon River was frozen solid through out the Alaska long winter, then Mother Nature turned winter into summer in a heart beat. The river ice broke up due to sudden 70 and 80 degree temperatures. But, the ice did not have a chance to melt into smaller pieces. Huge icebergs drifted down river and caused enormous ice jams all along the river. This effected the villages of Eagle, Circle and now Galena.
Only 20 miles downriver from Galena, at a spot called Bishop Rock there was an enormous ice jam. The water began to rise – quickly – and miles across the interior of Alaska was inundated with river water and icebergs. Most of the villagers had to leave their homes and worldly possessions only hours before the water and ice took over. The devastation is incredible.
But, some men and women did not leave despite the incredible risk to their lives. This picture makes my eyes tear up. We don’t know the whole story, since the flood waters are just receding now. But, we’ve heard that dog teams have been living in boats or on house porches for days.
These pictures are copied from the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer.
You can follow this story on their website:
There are various organizations helping these families including the American Red Cross of Alaska. You can follow the efforts of the Red Cross of Alaska on their Facebook Page.
The oldest dog at the kennel turns 15 years old today.
Pingo leads the team in 2001 with Pedro
Pingo runs in the middle of the Iditarod team in 2005
Pingo’s mother was a dog named Nugget. She was a tiny little gal that I got from Steven Bergman in Allakaket. She had a long successful career as a sprint dog and was sent to me to retire. I bred Nugget to Fats – who I also got from Steven as a pup three years earlier. Pingo was born on May 28th, 1998. He had four siblings: Nippers, Black-eyed Susie, Fattie Juns and Pointy Nose.
Pingo leads the Iditarod team in 2008; Aliy and Pingo bond in 2002
Pingo was a happy productive part of the kennel only 10 months later when he went on the Spring Adventure tours up on the North Slope of Alaska. I remembered we parked the dog teams for a snack break and hiked up a mound of earth-covered ice – a “Pingo”. That young 10 month old pup named Fluff Ball made the climb with us and at the top of the hill he was renamed.
Pingo started his racing career on the Yukon Quest in 2000, but was dropped 100 miles into the race with a broken toe. After that, he raced every year until retiring after the Iditarod in 2008. Pingo raced everything: 20, 50, 100 and 200 mile Two Rivers races, Knik 200, Tustemena 200, Copper Basin 300, Kusko 300, YQ 300, Denali Dash, Yukon Quest, and Iditarod.
Pingo has sired four litters at SP Kennel. His first litter just turned 11 years old (Bullet), the second two litters turn 7 years old this summer (Dingle, Pud, Kipper AND Li’l Deb, Hunter, Moonpie), the final litter turns 6 years old this summer (Tug, Cutter.) His pups are mostly leaders who are happy and tough.
The last few years Pingo has lived inside during the cold winter months. However, during the summer he lives in a house just next to Teddy, his 12 year old niece. Thankfully, he is no longer frightened of thunder or fireworks because he can’t hear and his vision is a little fuzzy, but he enjoys romping around every once in a while with a pup, grand pup, niece, nephew or cousin.
Pingo poses for his birthday shot!
The Nenana Tripod is Interior Alaska’s sign that “break up” is official. “Break up”, of course, means that the ice has broken up in the river and water and is now flowing down stream. This is actually a hugely emotional time in Alaska because it signifies so much more than that.
(left to right: the Tripod is there, the Tripod is gone)
It was not too long ago that we were traveling on these frozen rivers – using them as many Alaskans do: Freeways of the North. The river system in Alaska is somewhat like the interstate highway system in the Lower 48. I asked one man this Spring “How did you travel to get here?” He said “I took the Yukon to the cut off, went by the halfway cabin, and then got on the Koyukuk.” That sounds a lot like driving a car to the grocery store in Houston (okay.. maybe change the Indian names to something more Hispanic.)
(The Red Team sleeping in the middle of the Yukon River – March 2013)
“Break up” is also emotional because it means the end of the mushing season in earnest. The snow is gone, the harnesses are hung up and the dogs are basking in the sunshine. The pace slows somewhat at SP Kennel. We are no longer mushing all day, readying for races, mending gear, fixing sleds, cooking fish, sorting booties, strawing dogs – all of this in a hurry to try and get to the next item and check it off a never ending “to do” list. Inevitably, this means that the 2012 – 2013 SP Kennel Crew is breaking up as well!
(The SP Kennel Team: Meghan, Aliy, Allen, Moira)
Moira has left the continent and is back down under in her home of New Zealand. She has left winter – flown a great distance – and stepped right back into winter. Her passion this season brought SP Kennel’s communication with “Join the Team” members and SP Dog Sponsors to a new level. Moira fit right in to our happy, yet professional, Alaska dog musher lifestyle. Lucky for us, the internet is a global tool and she has agreed to continue to be a distant, yet integral part of the SP Kennel Team. We have not seen the last of Moira because she left part of her heart at the kennel with Rose, Spicy, Nacho, Willie, Chica, Scruggs …
Meghan took a well deserved post season vacation. But, she has Alaska in her blood at this point and plans to stay in the land of the Midnight Sun for the summer. She brought her true love for dogs to SP Kennel this season. No matter what happened during the past six months, you always knew that Meghan put the needs of the dogs before anyone or anything. You can bet that we’ll see Meghan, along with Charlet and Tina Turner, through out the summer months.
Much of the U.S. has had a late arrival of Spring/Summer and Interior Alaska is no exception. Low temperature records and late snow storms seem to be the norm. At the kennel, we had a light dusting of fresh snow last night – compared with 4 to 6 inches in the eastern interior of the state or perhaps feet in the Denali area – we got off easy!
The dogs are still dressed in their winter coats. Often we find them laying curled up on the frozen ground – insulated by their thick husky parkas. In late afternoon, when the sun shines at its peak, a dog might lounge around on the roof of his or her house. Basking in the cool sunshine.
