Danger! Danger! Danger!
Ranger is strong, agile and smart. And loud! If you ever see an SP Kennel team trotting down the trail and hear someone barking, chances are that’s Ranger!
He’s one of our main leaders and he proved to be an important part in Aliy’s Yukon Quest 300 and Meghan’s Sheep Mountain 300 teams. But for right now, he’s just up for a butt scratch.
Ranger! Watch for him, or rather: listen.
Here at the kennel Mother’s Day means so much …
Thanks to all the Mothers (human and canine)! We love you.
ChaCha thinks Jacob is another one of her excellent SP Kennel offspring!
Rambler really impressed us in 2012, he proved his toughness as he dominated the Iditarod and finished as a strong dog. He took that great form into the 2013 season.
His dedication to team work makes him a valuable dog in any position.
Rambler epitomizes the happy nature of the Alaskan Husky and will spend time playing with his neighbours Sissy, Quito and Izzy whenever time allows.
Aliy and ChaCha made a couple of school visits recently to local schools in the Two Rivers and North Pole area and spoke with students from kindergarten to 8th Grade. Aliy spoke about the history of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races and about the clothing and equipment needed to run the race – a lucky volunteer got to dress up in her boots, parka, hat and beaver mitts! She also spoke about the calorific input for sled dogs during the Iditarod (research tells us around 10,000 calories per day!) and compared this to every day “human” foods.
ChaCha demonstrated how she pulls a sled and we had a couple of relay races involving the students putting one piece of mushing gear on then ChaCha pulled them to the next stop where they swapped over. Much fun was had by all.
Aliy, Allen, Dingle and Honda were a huge attraction at the USS Anchorage “Dock at the Block” Party in Anchorage last night.
The Dock at the Block party was a community celebration to welcome the crew and families of the U.S.S. Anchorage to the city. The Navy’s new troop and equipment transport arrived at the Port of Anchorage during the day and will be commissioned in a ceremony on Saturday. The vessel is technically an “amphibious transport dock ship” and has 600 crew.
The fantastic team at Clarion Suites organised a booth for the SP Kennel crew where we had a sled and some equipment on display and gave out specially printed postcards for the event. Hundreds of people passed by the tent and chatted with Aliy and Allen, and Honda and Dingle enjoyed all the pats and smooches!
Let’s meet Little Miss Boondocks!
Boondocks is a spitfire who is a leader all the time in her mind. She will happily tell anyone that will listen what is going on.
She tips the scale at a mere 34 pounds but she does NOT know she is a tiny little dog. Boondocks was an important part of Aliy’s Yukon Quest 300 team and ran well for 800 miles in the Iditarod!
We LOVE this dog!
(This video was filmed earlier in the year, in January)
The Blueberry Hills are nestled in between a frozen lagoon just north of the town of Unalakleet and a slough off to the southeast of the village of Shaktoolik. They lie along the coastline of Norton Sound in the Bering Sea. The ocean is visible when a dog team climbs to the top of one of the numerous steep hills.
The scenery is breathtaking most of the time, but was utterly amazing at sunset on a gorgeous winter evening such as this one:
The wind is a constant companion on the Western Coast of Alaska. As a dog team travels across this land there is a “music” that is created by the wind, the rustling of the sled runners and the rhythm of the dogs.
