Karolyn has taken some incredible photos while out on the trail. She is quite the musher photographer. The cooperative dogs in front of her are: Kodiak & Chipper, Bruno & Five, Rodney, and Violet & Scooby. The team ahead of her in several photos is: Aliy and Mismo & Commando, Driver & Clyde, Jefe & Spark and Iron & Decaf.
Wolves are here in Alaska. They are certainly not commonplace, but they are around more than people think. My ‘catch phrase’ answer to anyone who asks me how often I see wolves is: “I don’t see them very often, but they see me.”
In 25 years while traveling by dog team, I have not had that many personal interactions:
Last night we were mushing with four small dog teams on a wilderness trail in Interior Alaska. I was the first team and Karolyn was directly behind me. I heard a very loud, very mournful howl just off to my right. I stopped our two teams and we listened for quite sometime. The pack was scattered on both sides of the trail. One wolf was off to the right less than 50 yards. Five or six wolves responded to the lone wolf’s howl – but they were off to the left and ahead of our teams, then another lone wolf chimed in from behind us to our right. We were surrounded.
The dogs listened but never howled in return. I always joke that our Black Lab doesn’t understand the sled dogs’ language when they howl. I felt the same thing last night. The wolves were howling in a different language. Our dogs seem to hear and respect, but not understand.
We continued down the trail towards the wolves on the left. Cayenne and Dutch were in lead and both of them were as wired as I was – looking for wolves. Cayenne (weighing in @ 40 pounds) thought she saw several wolves but they turned out to be dark bushes. Dutch kept his calm. I have to be honest and say that I did think I saw a black one off to the left, but I was also a little ‘jumpy’ like Cayenne.
We mushed nearly an hour in that area and the wolves moved their positions, but stayed nearby. When Allen and Bridgett (who were 10 minutes behind us) mushed by, the lone wolf was now on the left and the majority of the pack was on the right.
Karolyn made a short video while she and I stopped to listen. I was pointing to the different sets of wolves as they howled (you may need to turn up your volume):
Wolves are truly amazing. As a human I feel awe, respect and fear. They are rugged and fierce. They are keen on “protecting their own” but lethal to prey. They do not look on the human race as friends. Wolves live a life that is secretive and elusive to us humans. In our current world of Facebook and Twitter, I’m not sure most humans can not comprehend a life like that.
It sure was amazing to be part of that world… if only for a short time last night.
Congratulations to Erin Brown who is a fan of Scooby! Thanks so very much for your support Erin.
Scooby is always on the go and has boundless energy. We love that come February and March! He achieved ‘A TEAM’ status last season with making the Red Team for the Iditarod and is hoping to carry that form and earn a ‘champion’ title this season. Good boy Scoobs!
Erin, we will send you this fun shopping tote bag featuring a super photo by Julien Schroder from Arctic Mood. In fact, you can see Scooby’s happy little face right at the back of the team! Of course we’ll add some other kennel goodies including a glam shot of your boy.
Find out more about our athletes at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here.
Who is actually at SP Kennel this season?
Aliy and Allen are still here and still have the passion for competitive dog mushing.
Many, many miles have passed under the sled runners for these two. Allen likes to calculate miles in terms of how many times around the globe at the equator (as in… the Earth) they have mushed. After this coming season – Aliy’s 22nd 1,000 mile race and Allen’s 20th – combined, the couple will have traveled nearly two times around the Earth at the equator. That doesn’t include any training miles or races shorter than 1,000 miles. You have to admit… it’s an interesting way to tabulate miles.
Aliy and Allen have been fortunate over the years to involve a wonderful group of people in the SP Kennel family. They have all had one thing in common: they love dogs. The first thing that Aliy says to someone interested in spending any time at SPK is :
We look for people who genuinely like dogs, first and foremost. We can teach you a lot, but we can’t teach you to enjoy hanging out with dogs. Most of our past handlers would say ‘hello’ to the dogs before they would greet Allen or myself. Racing is simply something we do because we are fortunate to have great sled dogs.
For the 2018-2019 mushing season we have welcomed Karolyn back to the kennel. She came to us three years ago as a novice who just simply wanted to learn. And boy has she! After three years of complete dedication to sled dog jobs all around the state of Alaska she agreed to come back and help us here for the season. So… WELCOME back!
Karolyn comes to SPK with three dogs of her own: one Siberian Husky, one Alaskan Husky and a German Shepherd/Siberian cross: Kenobi, Habibi and Rey. Apparently she likes variety.
We also welcome back Moira? (Does she ever really leave?) Our Kiwi comrade will be in Alaska for the 2019 racing season. Moira is SP Kennel’s website expert and sponsor coordinator and dog snuggler. If you want to know anything factual or historical about the kennel, ask her. Aliy asks her all the time! When you notice the website becomes more entertaining, interactive and down right FUN… you know that Moira has arrived!
Also – never really leaving – are Wes and Wendy. Now that they live right down the trail from the kennel in Two Rivers, Wes and Wendy are a permanent part of the family. We even take care of their dog, Mac, when they travel due to work. (I guess that means Mac never really left either!) Sheila is returning for nearly a month to help us at a critical time of the season. She will be ‘January Johnny on the Spot’ for packing food drops and training dogs. Also making time for SP Kennel is Padee – she is always happy to come help with dog chores and sorting booties (two rather critical chores in the thick of the season.)
During the races we have our awesome stand up SP Crew. Mark has driven the Dog Truck for several years now and the dogs seem to LOVE him. Bridgett has been her father’s ‘right hand’ during the Copper Basin and Yukon Quest. Linda is our ‘Southern Pit Crew’ down in Anchorage for Iditarod, the Earle family seems to show up just when we need a few extra hands or a smile and Barb can be counted on for just about anything. There are many, many more people who make SP Kennel special – there is no way we can name you all. For those of you who come see the dogs every so often or stop by for coffee … thanks. For those of you who put your lives on old for a week and help us set up Fire Break Dog Camp … thank you. To all everyone else who we forgot… thank you!
Of course our family is a HUGE part of our lives at SP Kennel. We hope that they all can be an enormous part of this coming season; whether on the sled runners, on the sidelines at the Copper Basin 300, making omelettes Sunday mornings or playing with puppies in the field.
As with many of our handlers in the past that have become part of the Two Rivers community; Jeff – who helped us last season, has started his own sled dog kennel right down the trail from SPK: “Frozen Trident”. Good luck to you! We also still see or hear from handler/friends from years’ past: Chris, Ruth, Spencer, Ryne. Happy mushing – See all of you on the trails!!
The combination of a blinding sunrise and fresh snow was a delight this morning.
I know you are all keen to hear about who has retired from the kennel during the off-season this year! As you may know, each summer we retire a number of dogs to their new homes. This season we have narrowed our focus and that has had an impact on the number of dogs at the kennel. See Aliy’s previous post about that (here).
Why do we retire dogs, why don’t we keep them all at the kennel? Don’t you owe it to the older dogs to let them sleep on your couch?
It is always difficult to retire our friends from the kennel and let them go live with another family but our philosophy of “the right home for the right dog at the right time” is near the forefront of our minds at all times. We do everything we can to ensure “Life Part 2” for our dogs, be-it at the kennel or with someone else, is the best it can be. Take a look at our “About the Dogs” page for some more info about that and read an earlier article Aliy wrote about retirement here.
Willie
Willie was an understated superstar. A Yukon Quest champion, an Iditarod runner-up and all-round great guy. He had a stellar last season and can retire satisfied he contributed more than most to our success. He raced in eight Iditarods, three Yukon Quests and multiple other mid-distance races. Legend!
Here’s what Aliy wrote about Willie in her 2013 Iditarod Trail Notes:
“Willie is a lovable little fur ball. He still looks like the pup he was 4 years ago. Willie was talented and strong for the entire race. He also kept the atmosphere humorous. He never takes anything too seriously… “For Heaven’s sake, it’s only a 1,000 mile sled dog race!” You’re right, Willie.”
Willie is a happy, friendly chap with a goofy slouchy sit and we’ll miss his happy face around the yard.
Willie has gone to live with Mary in Fairbanks. Mary returned to Alaska after a five year hiatus in order to work as a nurse and mush dogs. She has adopted a couple of our dogs in order to start her small kennel. Willie is her main leader and ‘head of her household’. He is an indoor / outdoor dog in retirement. Willie is joyful in everything he does so Mary is in love with him!
Thank you to Bob and Shirley McConnell who sponsored Willie his entire racing career. We appreciate your support for Willie and SPK. Thanks also to everyone who was ever a fan of Willie’s. We know you’ll miss him too.
Bean
Bean was ready to try something new. She’s an incredibly happy and upbeat dog and we thought that sending her to an up and coming musher would enable the musher to start her new kennel on a most positive, smiling note. She gets along with everybody all the time and when you are starting a new kennel with dogs from different places this is probably the most important thing – happy dogs and wagging tails.
Bean has gone with Uncle Willie to live with Mary. Mary fell in love with her right away! This year she hopes to have a small team of friendly huskies and also raise a couple puppies as her own.
Thanks to Sally MacDowell who sponsored Bean from when she was a puppy, and to all her fans.
Schmoe
Quest champion Schmoe-dawg was a powerhouse for SP Kennel. He’s been present for many of SPKs best race results and was always one of the biggest cheerleaders, ready to howl with even just the slightest hint of encouragement.
Allen said this about Schmoe after the 2016 Yukon Quest:
“Schmoe-dawg pulled probably more than most dogs, he was always the tightest on the line. He knew his place in the team and he performed well. He always pulled up the hills and when we were getting ready to leave from a rest stop he was the most vocal. He got the rest of the team inspired to do better – he’s the cheerleader of the team.”
Schmoe has gone to live with Dionne who has a small skijor dog team of old retired boys. She enjoyed the winter by skiing as much as possible in Denali. She and her dogs spend the rest of the year on the Island of Kodiak. Schmoe has a new smaller pack of dogs to howl with and a cozy cabin to spend the winter curled up against the wood stove. We know he will be happy with Dionne!
Alisdair Campbell in Scotland was Schmoe’s sponsor for many years and we thank him and Fiona for their love and support for Schmoe. He also had a lot of fans and we thank you too!
Sandy
Sandy was one of the main team dogs in the mid and long distance races for a few years between ages two and four but her “varsity status” got bumped when some of the younger and more physically well built dogs came to maturity. Despite the fact she was always excited and ready to go she just missed getting picked for the main team a couple years in a row also due to some small niggling injuries. You can only do that do to a dog so many times with out them finding success so we found her a home where she is one of the best-of-the best.
Sandy ran in the Iditarod twice and four times in the Copper Basin 300.
Leslie Goodwin has been an SPK friend for over 20 years. Sandy went to live with Leslie at the Paws for Adventure Kennel and now she will be able to run to her heart’s content with her older brother, Nelson, at her side.
We’ll miss you Dandy Sandy!
Thanks Danielle Carver for sponsoring Sandy from her puppy year. Danielle stuck with Sandy through thick and thin and we thank you, and all Sandy’s fans.
Dancer
Dancer has gone to live with Jeff and Jeri and has become one of the foundation dogs at Frozen Trident Kennel. We will see her sweet, smiling face often on the trails in Two Rivers. She is going to shine brightly there.
As you all know, Jeff worked with SPK dogs all last season and even helped this summer. He has fallen into the dog mushing lifestyle face first. He has adopted a group of experienced sled dogs and hopes to race soon. Dancer is one of the younger dogs at his blossoming kennel.
Jeff says: “Dancer has been doing awesome and never seems to get tired. When we get back from our runs, she runs around her house for another hour.”
Linda Toth and Teresa Hollingsworth sponsored Dancer since she was a few weeks old. They have both been long term supporters of the kennel and we thank you both for your friendship. Thanks to Dancer’s fans for picking her!
M
M had a gentle transition into SP Kennel and in the end we decided we may have been asking too much of her. She’s gone with Dancer to live with Jeff and Jeri. “M” was one of Jeff’s favorites here at SPKand they developed a really good working rapport, so we’ve let her go live with him and continue that relationship. Jeff has also adopted a group of experienced sled dogs, so “M” fits in well and enjoys her new home.
Jeff says: “M is doing great here as well. Her tail is always wagging and she’s always jumping to go.”
M was sponsored by Jenn Bonilla since she came to the kennel in the middle of last year. Thanks Jenn for taking a chance on M. Thanks also to all her fans.
Outlaw
Tall, handsome and talented, Outlaw had a great career here at SPK. Last season’s bio said it all really:
“Outlaw is a bit of a lovable goof. There is no doubt of his desire or abilities in harness – he will always give you 100%. But Outaw’s barking antics are over the top: bark at the bowl, bark at the Kong, bark at the sled, bark at the bone…”
He raced in the Iditarod three times, once along the Quest 1000 trail and ran in five 300-mile races.
Unfortunately, last season Outlaw suffered quite a major leg injury while training for the Quest but came through rehab like a champ. This injury, however, turned out to be race-career ending. He is still the happy-go-lucky, extremely vocal and full-of-beans boy he always has been and he has gone to live with Mary Beth and Elizabeth and CHEMO! The two boys will enjoy running together again.
Mary Beth and Elizabeth have a homestead in upstate New York. They adopted Chemo last year and he added to some husky spunk to their German Shepherd family. Outlaw will have to get used to pulling a scooter, ice fishing and lots of LOVE.
Ken and Kathy Privatsky sponsored Outlaw from early in his race career and stuck by him. They were privy to Outlaw’s leg injury, followed his rehab closely and are thrilled with is new home in the Adirondacks. Thanks also to all Outlaw’s fans!
Ernie
Ernie never quite realised his potential. He had the desire and genetics but we wonder if his difficult start to life hindered him more than it did his siblings? He worked hard and enjoyed his time as an SP Kennel sled dog but it was time to try something different.
Ernie is now living with Chris and Woody and the rest of his team, just down the road in Fairbanks. Such a snuggle-bug, Ernie will enjoy more one-on-one time at a smaller kennel while getting to run the trails which he loves to do.
Chris Parker worked with SPK dogs for two seasons and even helped us this fall. He wanted another dog to fill out his small 4 dog team. Chris has always had a soft spot for Ernie, so they are now BBFs.
Here’s what Chris has to say about Ernie:
“Ernie is such a happy, positive and talented dog! When we start moving, he leaps into the air. It’s like he has so much energy that going forward is not enough. He has to go up as well! He gets along with all my other dogs, encouraging cooperation and teamwork. It’s such an honor to have him on my team.
When I started working with Ernie, I was really impressed. He has an innate talent and a kind heart. This can be a boon or a burden. Kindness is essential for team work, but it requires an incredible amount of mental fortitude to maintain that attitude in such challenging conditions. It is the same with people. It is easy to be tough if you are mean. It is so easy that cruelty is often mistaken for toughness. However, what I have found is that the toughest people and the toughest dogs are the ones who can keep a soft heart in the midst of hardship.
Ernie and I can both struggle with this on occasion. Sometimes the world presses in on us so hard we feel like we will collapse. I have a friend who told me “You don’t always get the dog you want, but you always get the dog you need”. I think Ernie and I have a lot to learn from each other. I think we face some of the same challenges and have the same opportunity to grow.
If all goes well this season, I will be running the Copper Basin 300 in January. If Ernie is up to the challenge, he will be running it with me. If not, he will be an excellent tour dog and an even better companion.”
Charlotte and Neil Frick sponsored Ernie from puppyhood, and were his biggest cheerleaders. They are also long term sponsors and supporters and we thank you for your support over the years. Thanks to Ernie’s many fans.
Creamer
Creamer decided the life of a long-distance sled dog wasn’t for her. She had been a picky eater at times and early this season pretty much told us she wasn’t up for it again this year. It was obvious when her brothers and sisters gobbled down their kibble then looked across the row and eyed Creamer’s dish with envy before she even took the opportunity to smell her bowl. The decision to move her out of a competitive racing career to a new and different, yet fantastic, “racing” home was an easy one!
Creamer has gone to live with Ian who is an avid long distance competitive runner and typically does 20-50 miles a week in order to train him self. He races ultras marathons and he really wanted a canine companion to train with. Who better than an Alaskan husky sled dog? Especially one with Creamer’s leggy build and sweet personality. Creamer and Ian are in love and very happy together.
Thanks Bob and Jane Nelson who sponsored Creamer from about eight weeks old! We appreciate your long term support for SP Kennel, you are special to us! And thank you to all of her fans.
Congratulations to Lisa Locke, who is a fan of Chipper. Thanks for your support Lisa!
We’ve been waiting ages for Chipper’s name to be drawn to win an individual dog fan club draw as we’ve had an extra “Chipper” mug hanging around for a while that we kept just for this occasion. We will post that and some other kennel goodies out to you Lisa.
Chipper is one of a kind – she is very confident and at the top of her game. Despite her small stature she is a hardworking ball of energy and led the Red Team across the finish line in Nome last season. She has many fans, even if they don’t quite believe she really is the lead dog!
Find out more about our athletes at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here.
