The weather in Interior Alaska has been spectacular lately. Aliy took a break from writing her Trail Notes to come outdoors and introduce Quito’s and Biscuit’s new pups, who are now two and a half weeks old. Hope you enjoy the video.
Mickey’s Musings – First Installment
 |
| Mickey and ChaCha, SP Kennel Mothers |
SP Kennel has a steady parade of dedicated volunteers. Those of you who have been following the blog know Ryne, handler extraordinaire and Iditarod finisher, and Wes and Wendy, this past season’s super versatile volunteer couple. Ryne is due back home in Alaska in a few weeks, having travelled afar since May. Wes and Wendy are spending the summer exploring Alaska in warmer temps, a decidedly different experience than their winter here.
Aliy’s dad and mom, Doug and Mickey, have arrived in Two Rivers, from their winter home in Florida. They will both act as part-time kennel volunteers until the end of September. This is Mickey writing this post and I hope to provide you readers with a little flavor of what goes on at SP Kennel during the warmer months. Topics will include: SP puppies, SP retiring canine athletes, kennel improvements, kennel visitors, Aliy and Allen as mushing ambassadors and much, much more.
I plan to update the blog at least weekly through September. Aliy will add her thoughts occasionally, probably from her customary computer work site at her kitchen table around 2 AM. At least there is sunlight here at that time!
I became one of the first volunteers years ago when SP Kennel was in its infancy. I’ve been involved in most aspects of kennel development over the years. Now I look forward to bringing you SP happenings during the summer of 2012.
Thanks for following the ‘continuing adventures’ of SP Kennel!
“These are my puppies!”
Quito is a proud mama. And here she is showing you her pups.
The weather has been unpredictable thus far this summer. Blistering hot (60 to 70 above) in between torrential down pours. Therefore, the Quito puppy pen has been moved inside the garage. It is cooler inside and we can keep the top off of the whelping box all the time. Pups and mama seem pretty content.
Here is CHIPPER’S first glamour shot:
Welcome Puppies!
What has “MVD” Quito been doing the last few days?
Taking care of her brand new babies!!
Three boys and three girls. We love it – Mother Nature was equal!
Two of the boys are black and white. The largest, active fellah is DRIVER (left). He is pushing his siblings around already. The little, mostly white bodied boy, with brown checks is calm and collected. That’s IRON. (right)
White? Quito is sliver and Daddy Biscuit is black with brown and white trim.
Is there a “Milkman” in the neighborhood, you ask??
No. Quito (as well as her caretakers) was very selective during the breeding. Biscuit’s mother, Lillith, and these pups’ Grandmother, had a white and black pup two years before Biscuit was born. So, there are “white” genes in the past. We always tell people that Alaskan Huskies, as well as us dog mushers, are color blind anyhow. We don’t care what color our “Super Dogs” are!
Here is a close up of IRON. (below)
WOODY is the big Brown boy with a racing stripe down his back. (below) He is never far from his Mama.
The twin black girls are SANDY (left) and WEDGY (right). SANDY has a white collar around her entire neck and a small spot on her forehead. Wedgy has a half collar and a larger forehead spot. These two will certainly take on individual traits as they continue to grow, but right now…. don’t blink, you’ll get them confused!
CHIPPER is the small spitfire and the last to be born. She was shy for the camera – so her photo is yet to come.
WELCOME TO SP KENNEL!!
Mushing Magazine Podcast
“Mushing” The magazine of dog-powered adventure has published in their May/June 2012 edition an interview with Aliy and Allen. The interview is also available via podcast at:
The SP Kennel canine athletes were featured as this edition’s “Super Dogs”.
(SP Kennel Dog Sponsors keep an eye out for your own personal copy mailed to you today.)
Springtime at SP Kennel!
Cool nights and warm days are what signifies spring in Two Rivers. The green leaves and grass are yet to appear, but songs from Robins and Sandhill cranes envelope the air. It will not be long until the fields are full of fireweed, grass, and wild roses.
 |
| SP Kennel headquarters |
Aliy and Allen ventured south for a two week period with stops in Anchorage, Arkansas and a quick family visit in Texas. They returned home relieved to be back in Alaska where a “traffic jam” means a moose is grazing beside Chena Hot Springs Road and 2 or 3 pick up trucks must slow down to pass her.
The dogs have started their “vacation” as well. The yard is no longer full of snow (or melting snow). Spring break up was a challenge for Wes and Wendy, as they moved dogs from damp spots to drier ones until the melting stopped. They deserve a huge “thank you” for their dedication to the kennel this season.
Summer will be busy at SP Kennel, but enjoyable. We received many inquiries regarding visiting the kennel in June, July or August. If no one responded to you, we apologize, there was simply too much going on this winter to begin looking at the summer calendar. So, if your plans still include a day or two in the Fairbanks area contact us for a visit. SP Kennel does not have costly daily tours or tour guides, but if your schedule and Aliy and Allen’s line up, then we can plan a visit. We know how much our dogs enjoy visitors, now and then, and we are proud to show off SP Kennel.
Wes and Wendy’s Weather – Final Edition
 |
| Wes and dog team on the Atigun River |
Wendy and I are recently back from a camping trip along the Atigun river in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Aliy and Allen were there a few weeks ago, having braved temperatures of 40 Below. Out trip was just the opposite. We struggled with the heat; with daytime temperatures getting up to 50 degrees. It was really nice for humans but very difficult for the dogs and sleds. In these temperatures, the trail turned into glare ice and gravel. Breaks were required every few hundred yards for the dogs to cool down. The dogs spent most of the time resting in the sun rather than running up and down trails. It was Wendy and my first time above the Artic Circle and was a “once in a lifetime” trip for us. A big Thank You to Judy and Devon Currier who invited us along on their annual Arctic Caribou hunting trip, and making it possible to go! We are so glad that Allen and Aliy had enough confidence in the development of our dog and sled skills to let us take their dogs on this camping trip. It was an experience we’ll never forget!
 |
| Malibu the Watchdog |
One incident of note was the preparation of the canine accommodation. We strung out cables with necklines between two willow scrubs just behind our tent so that we could be close to our dogs and keep an eye on them. This was my first time doing this but it went well and pretty soon all the dogs were lying out on the snow snoozing in the sun. I had heard that you are supposed to dig small holes for the dogs so they can curl up out of the wind. I proceeded to grab a shovel and dig out nice comfortable holes for the dogs. My efforts were met with looks of disgust and disdain. Tony was so appalled by my handiwork that he pulled himself as far away as his neckline would allow and looked as if someone had just tried to take his temperature. Pretty much all of the dogs snubbed my holes and treated them like personal outhouses.
 |
| Hank relaxing on his blanket |
It’s fascinating to see the different personalities of all the dogs. We’ve gotten to know them quite well– drama queen Olivia, shy Kipper, model Honda, huggable Mac, kissy Cutter, groaning Elsa (she literally groans when you rub her ears!), dancing Happy, and of course our personal favorite, Hank. In October, Aliy gave us the task of turning four year old Hank into a “PET” dog. He had a wrist injury from last season that never quite cleared up. Aliy decided it was best for him to retire from sled dog racing and not risk making it worse. Hank has come a long way in the 6 months we have had him. He is fully housebroken, and sleeps on his blanket beside the bed. He would love to sleep on the couch if he was allowed, and enjoys his rare visits to the foot of the bed when he gets invited up. Hank is a quiet dog, and very docile; getting along with all his kennel mates very well. He does love to run free outside, and has some difficulty coming back when he is called. He loves his treats though, and can usually be lured in by the promise of a treat and nap time on the people bed. We have successfully turned him into a house dog, and he is now looking for a “Forever” home with a gentle human who would like a calm canine companion that tends to hog the bed!
 |
| Wendy enjoying the view of Brooks Mt. Range |
Looking back, it seems just a few weeks ago that we started our first edition of Wes and Wendy’s Weather. For those of you who may recall, Wendy and I arrived at SP Kennel from Washington DC last October not knowing the difference between a Tug Line and a Main Line. Our objectives for the year were to:
- learn how to survive an Alaskan winter
- learn how to run a dog team
- help a musher have a successful season
- see as much of Alaska as possible
- make acquaintances that we can call friends for the rest of our lives
I think everyone can agree that we hooked up with the right kennel to make this happen. It makes us so proud that this Kennel has had such a successful year and that the many hours we spent on sleds and in the dog yard helped make this happen.
 |
| Arctic Oven Tents at Campsite on Atigun River |
So what is next for Wendy and Wes? Well, we are planning on spending the summer seeing as much of Alaska as we can in our little truck camper. During the summer, Wendy and I will be looking for jobs that we can start in the fall. We are hoping to head back overseas to resume our International Development work. We don’t know where we will end up but some options are Haiti, Nepal, and Myanmar.
Wherever we end up, we will still take some of our vacations in Alaska and hope to be able to hook back up with SP Kennel and see our amazing human and canine friends again. Thanks to everyone who has followed our posts and next year we will join you in searching our Inbox for the latest SPKennelDogLog updates.
—Wes and Wendy
“Aliy Cam” Wrap up
During Iditarod 2012, Aliy was contending to win. Yet, she still wanted to share the amazing Iditarod Trail with family, friends and fans. Hopefully, the 2012 “Aliy Cam” showed the SP Kennel Red Team as they truly were …
… an incredibly hard working, dedicated union of dogs and human. This bond between dog and human is hard to describe and sometimes hard to understand. Dog is truly man’s best friend, but the dedication and determination that these SP Kennel dogs have towards their musher is “over the top”. We at SP Kennel, appreciate this dedication and hold it close to our hearts. Not just any individual could do what the Red Team did. They are a special breed of athletic, competitive spirits that simply never give up and want to compete.
The Iditarod Trail was a great adventure for our Alaskan Huskys as well as our musher. We hope you enjoyed a glimpse of it with 2012 “Aliy Cam”!