We are getting so excited! I just got back from the Iditarod Rookie Meeting in Anchorage.  Its been an interesting weekend full of great information and catching up with and making new mushing friends. Plus the reality is setting in.....

The Cosmic Canines are running the Iditarod!!!

Now that I am in civilization, I can catch you up on our adventures in the bush. I kept a diary and translated them into blog entries. I will post them over the next week so you can get a taste of our fall and early winter activities.  

FROM EARLY OCTOBER:

It is good to be back with the dogs again. During the month of September, we ferried the dogs down the Yukon from Circle to Fort Yukon, six at a time, starting with the females, then the race dogs, then the yearlings, and on down until slowly, the dog yard in Two Rivers emptied into a silent and lifeless void that I almost couldn’t even look at without turning my head. The last trip even Cosmos, my Jack Russell Terrier jumped a ride in the little 14 foot skiff 90 miles down the mighty braided river, off to the bush to wait for my arrival. The chickens and goats were farmed off to the neighbors. I was packed and ready.

Those last couple days I felt amputated and lost. No jingling collars or the ribbed sound of chain drug across a dog house door when I went out to the outhouse early in the morning. I missed the quiet rumble of the dog yard. The bleating demands of the goats. The needy following of the chickens at my feet. All gone. It was like I didn’t exist. The night sky was especially brilliant with thousands of stars and the dusty milky way swirling, seeming even higher, more distant. At this moment I was a tiny point in an infinite expanse, not a Goddess in my own universe, a realization that almost gave my soul vertigo.

I flew over on a little six seater Navajo plane, though I was the only passenger. The plane was so packed with mail I had to wriggle my way through the boxes and bags to just get into my seat. I had been to Fort Yukon at least a dozen times but never travelled by plane, only by boat and dog team. It was a beautiful flight over. The sun glancing off the wings, the clouds gathered around, over the White Mountains, and at the last minute over the wide river plain, in an arch turning over the tiny village and onto the airstrip.

The plan is to put in some quality early season training in the bush for both the dogs and myself. A simple life where I can focus on the dogs. Where I can travel, off into the wilderness, unlimited miles, and have trapper’s cabins every 30 miles to camp at. I plan to stay until race season begins, running first on an ATV then as soon as the rivers and lakes freeze, on a moosehide toboggan.

I settled in quickly. It took me just a couple hours to turn the tiny shack of a cabin where I’m staying into a cozy little haven. The kids, young and old alike to stop by now to see what magical things the miniature stove, originally destined for the dump, can produce. Only one burner works, the oven can barely fit one pie pan, and a stump needs to be propped against the door to make the seal to get up to temp. but still I have been baking biscuits, cakes, bread, and cookies on my off time. Strategically placed scarves and a little bit of wrapping paper give the 12x14 cabin a little décor.  Before it was just a little shelter, now it’s almost homey.

The dogs were already training hard. Now I vary their training alternating between fast runs with the whole outfit hooked up and hard slow runs with smaller teams. There are wood roads and meadows we can loop around, through golden grasses turned silvery with frost and down dirt paths patched with fibrous ice. Into the glowing morning, glistening, everything bright and sugared from the overnight freeze. It rained a couple of evenings then got colder through the night. Now every tip of the diamond willows have a tiny sphere of glass, frozen in anticipation, waiting for the sun to give fall that probably won’t come until spring. So now even the twisted rabbit willow patches border  the swamps and creeks look like regal, magical places. The rosehips are plump and frozen into sweetness and make the perfect syrup for morning pancakes. They trim the edges of the trail, their valentine red standing out amongst the gold and silver.

On wood hauling days, I hook up 8 dogs and head out to the wood yard with the little wagon. The dogs have their camp spot, where I give them water, and they take a nap while I help Jay and a couple local kids cut and load up the truck. They deliver that firewood to elderly, single mothers, and others in need as part of an energy assistance program. The money earned is split and I send my share off to the bank to be put away for the race season. I then cut up the scrap wood and trees labeled too small for sale and load them up into the wagon. We haul it back to be used to fire the dog pot and the barrel stove in the cabin.

We live pretty close to a subsistence lifestyle. The dogs are fed salmon caught in the fish wheel this summer and fall, bear, beaver, moosescraps, cabbage from the garden, rice, and used fryer grease. They have gone through less than 2 bags of commercial dog food in over a month. Still, they are fat, and muscled up, sleek, and eat up trail like mad. They can run hard and fast, or haul heavy loads steady and strong. Their shining fur glistens in the low sunlight, and sheds the cold river fog.

A couple local kids cut wild grass and hauled it over on a wagon with a four wheeler. They earned some extra cash to buy junk food and pop at the AC store, and now all the dogs have a good little bundle of grass lining the bottom of their houses for insulation. The rest was stored under the high cache to replenish the houses throughout the winter.

We too are living off moose, caribou, ducks, goose, grouse, salmon, and rabbit. For breakfast we have bannock or pancakes. And my favorite whitefish eggs. I put up garden vegetables, and berries, jams, ketchups, bought some honey from my neighbor. We also have lots of potatoes and cabbage stored away. The humans eat good around here too!

Many evenings I run a couple of miles, past the graveyard that holds the resting bones of Hudson Stuck,  around the airstrip and out to the Yukon River. I like to time it so that I can watch the sun set behind the islands out in the river. It feels good to stretch the lungs. Stretch the mind.

So far the season is coming along nicely. And so is the team. This whole adventure was a good idea for our bodies and our souls. We are impatiently awaiting what this winter will unfold. But one thing we do know we will be ready for anything. 

By request: A Day in the Life

Recently my mother told me on the phone, "I have no idea what you do in your life. I feel so disconnected. I mean your day to day life." So here it is A Day in the Life, with all the little details for my mother.

3:30 am: Alarm. I hit snooze. I purposely wake up 15 minutes early so I can have the luxury of hitting snooze button.

3:45 am: Alarm, real deal. First thought, “Coffee.” Nothing happens in my life without first coffee. I start the water in a kettle on the stove. Head out to the outhouse. Cosmos, my Jack Russell usually comes out with me. Assess the weather and swing by the dog yard on my way back in. “Good morning! Good morning!”

3:50am: Back inside making coffee. I like organic, shade-grown, free-trade medium roasts from South America, and I like them strong. So I grind them fine and put lots in the filter. I use one of those cone drip-into-your-cup type models. I prefer French presses, but the clean-up without running water is a pain. I also put a pinch of cinnamon and a few drops of pure vanilla on top of the grounds before I pour the water over it. Sometimes I add warm frothed goat’s milk and honey. Mostly I drink it black.

3:52 am: Drink coffee and look at facebook. At this time in the morning it’s mostly posts from my east coast friends, or late night insomniac posts from my Alaska friends.

4:00 am: Head outside to hook up a dog team. About half of them are trained to run and meet me at the line. Right now I am running 14 dogs, the rest of the team is already in Fort Yukon. We run a few miles, lots of stops, slow pace. We are working out kinks and getting our groove on. I give them fresh water on the line when we return.

5:00 am: I unhook the dogs. Most of them are trained to just run back to their house. I feed the pups. And then feed the adult dogs. The meal is kibble and leftover dog pot juice from the night before. I mix a high quality kibble with an economy kibble.

5:15 am: More coffee. Breakfast, usually cereal with goat’s milk. I change up the cereal all the time, but it has got to be organic. I like Cheerios and Muesli types the best.  Sometimes I’ll make a little egg sandwich,  some multi grain bread such as Dave’s Killer Bread, bacon, sprouts I grew, and eggs from the Cosmic Chickens

5:25 am: I head out to milk the goats, feed the chickens, water the garden, and check for eggs. Maybe pick some vegetables for my lunch.

5:45 am: I make my lunch, a smoothie for mid-morning, and a coffee to go. My smoothies are made from homemade goat yogurt, frozen wild berries, acai berries, local honey, flax seed, spirulina, and juice. Thanks to Jodi Bailey for turning me on to the smoothie thing!

6:00 am: I leave for work. It takes me about 45 minutes to get to work.

6:45 am: I start work. I work at Mainscape Landscape Maintainance. I work for my friend Ryan Hughes, you may know him, he helps out on the Quest and was the one passing out those “I will” bracelets last year. We have a contract on the Army Base to maintain their residential lawns. Mostly I just rehab the yards that families have moved out of. I get a list of yards to complete for the day. I mow, trim, and edge each backyard. Shovel soil and reseed them, fill the holes. I pull the weeds and trim the hedges in the front beds. It’s physical work, and I really like it.

3:30 pm: I get off of work. I try to get out of town as soon as I can, but sometimes I have to run a few errands.

4:30 pm: I get home, and check on everybody. Give the dogs water, feed the pups a light meal. Water the garden, let the goats out to free graze (not in my garden!). Clean the dog yard.

5:30 pm: Cook and eat dinner. Most nights I grill meat or fish and vegetables. Start the dog pot. Anything and everything goes in the dog pot. Beaver, horse, fish, people’s freezer clean-outs, scraps, cabbage, and some things I’m not allowed to mention. Don’t worry it’s not like Mr. Woo on Deadwood!

6:30 pm: I hate to admit it but sometimes I take a nap. I notice this usually happens when it’s super warm out during the day. Most days I try to accomplish some project around the yard.

7:30 pm: I go for a run or do yoga.

8:30 pm: I take the pups out for a run. I free run them on my bike. They run about 3 or 4 miles right now at about 8 miles an hour. They are about 2 months old. We will have to bump up to an ATV soon.

9:30 pm: I feed the pups and the dogs from the dog pot mixed with kibble. Water the garden. Milk the goats. Clean up around the house. Work on blog stuff.

10:30 pm: I go to bed. I usually watch a movie on Netflix, I like independent films and action movies. I usually fall asleep before the end. 

Practice

In the morning, early, 

before my rooster crows, 

before there is a stir in the neighborhood. 

Even the midnight sun quietly simmers 

behind the black spruce on the edge of the yard, 

procrastinating shine. 

 That is when the dogs, full of salmon soup, 

and I, full of coffee, 

head out into the morning. 

The air smells of blueberries and moss 

and the little ponds and swamps are just whispering fog into the sky. 

That is when we go and practice our 

becoming one. 

Trying to harmonize our pulse; 

mine, the dogs, that gangline, 

every tugline, every footfall, every breath, every thought. 

As we wind through the tall and dewy grass and low laying mist 

we evolve 

from being a girl 

and a four wheeler 

and 14 dogs, 

into a team. 

This is what we practice, 

for only after this, can we truly begin to train.

In the evening, 

it still hot, 

but cool enough for the mosquitoes to come out and hunt. 

The dogs have finally roused from their sun beat stupor. 

There is a quiet buzz of the neighborhood’s chores, 

human and animal. 

The sun is quietly balancing, tip 

to tip on the short black spruce 

on the otherside of the yard.  

This is when I take the puppies, 

full of salmon, goat milk, and rice, 

And I, full of Kombucha,

out into the world. 

They burst out 

like a chaotic, churning cloud. 

Sniffing, exploring, every which way. 

I get on my bike and give command. They know it now. 

They are discovering meaning. 

To my words, and to their spirits. 

The confusion transforms with that command 

into 8 smiling, bounding little puppies. 

Off we go down the dirt roads and trails; 

we kick up the smell of the mid-day heat, 

and the lingering forest fire smoulder. 

They drive, and jockey, and glance back at me for validation. 

I am teaching them, 

we are not a girl 

and a bike 

and 8 puppies. 

We are a team. 

And now they know, 

we are in search of the becoming one. 

Now is the time to be a part of Team Cosmic!

So... at the end of the week is the first day to sign-up for the 2014 Yukon Quest. Every year we have managed to be at this fun event, last year we were even first to be at the Fairbanks sign-up party! It is a great way to say, "YES! We're ready!", its good promotion for the Quest, and there's always that incentive of winning the drawing to get your entry fee back.

The Cosmic Canines will definitely be entering the 2014 Yukon Quest, however, summer is short (thank God!) and the projects list is long, so I don't know if we will be able to be there. There are a lot of time-sensitive things that need to be done around here, and I need to invest the money we have now in them. As much as I want to just blow them off and jump right in, I also really want things like.... indoor plumbing. You know little things that make life easier 

so I can spend more time with the dogs!

But I was thinking......what a great opportunity for someone to join the Team Cosmic! I can promise everyone that this going to be an exciting and awesome year for us. I began rebuilding the Team 3 years ago and this is the beginning of the culmination of that vision. This is the year to be a part of our adventure, this is when it starts getting good.

An Entry Fee Sponsor would be a Major asset to our Kennel.

So in return we want to offer a special "thank you" for this lucky supporter. It would include a seat at our table at the Yukon Quest Start Banquet, my official sled bib, and a Spring Adventure for you to take with the Cosmic Canines. The adventure would be custom designed for you. 

You could also come on down town on Saturday and be a part of the festivites! 

Let's kick the season off right!

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Fall has been good to the Cosmic Canines. We are enjoying our fall training; building our miles, working out the kinks, and waiting impatiently for snow. Yesterday I was woke to snow falling, and a nice little dusting on the ground. It had melted away by mid-afternoon, but it made for a beautiful morning run. Each blade of golden grass and every willow branch held up a tiny line of powder. It was cool to watch the snow and leaves kick up under the team’s feet and disappear. It was slightly foggy so everything seemed diffused, almost like winter was gently going to arrive soon. However, any seasoned Alaska Interior resident knows that this is deceitful and in fact winter is rarely gentle. So the neighborhood was up in a bustle, cleaning up their yards before it all disappears under not a dusting, but a thick blanket of the white stuff.

Of course it just excites us. I am getting close to being ready. I have wood cut, split, and stacked. And some fuel in the tank. The freezers are getting full of meat for both dogs and humans. Soon I’ll be able to turn them off. Just a few repairs to my barn and repairing the 4 wheel drive in my truck and I should be good to go.

I love to watch the progression of the team this time of year. For a little over a month the dogs have been living off of moose scraps and fish. It’s perfect timing. As the dogs get in shape I am “jacking them up” on high protein, high fat food. They eat wild meat and it brings out the little savage in them. Their coats get shiny, their muscles get bulkier, and frankly, they get cockier too. 

Its starts in late August when everyone realizes that they have no room in their freezers for their anticipated moose they plan to shoot during hunting season. Not to mention, the mystery Ziploc labeled “Steak 2009” will probably never be eaten not only because it is freezer burnt, but also because they have no idea just what kind of steak it is anymore. Well, the Cosmic Canines don’t really care about either, so the back of my truck stays open in the parking lot at work, ready for any drop offs. People come by the Lodge; grab a beer and say, “Hey Abbie cleaned out my freezer today.” “Thanks, throw it in my truck.”

Once hunting season starts, then the moose scraps start coming in. I pick up loads of moose fat and sinew, bones, anything. I cook it in a large wood fired pot. Many mushers have these “dog pots” and they like to poke fun at me at the lodge, saying, “Don’t make her angry, have you ever watched “Deadwood”? Remember Mr. Woo?” I cook up the scraps in boiling water until it falls off the bones. Before I throw the bones in I’ll crack them open with an axe so that the marrow seeps out as they cook.

This is also the time the fish wheels are catching the chum runs. This year was an exceptional year so there was lots of fish around, however it was also an awfully warm fall. That means all the fish needed to be split and dried or it will spoil and get wormy. I like the split fish, but I prefer to feed cribbed fish. It has been just too warm to do so until just recently. Basically I take the fish and stack it carefully so that it actually partially rots. I don’t want to get wormy, but I do want it to get good and stinky. So it has been a little bit of a stress wondering if I was going to miss out on fish all together because I was waiting for the temps. I made a trip down to Nenana and bad luck would have it the day the river rose so high everyone pulled out their wheels. So I came home with no fish and directions to come back later.

Then I was to have a friend go back down to Nenana and pick up some for me, but he called back to report there wasn’t enough. So I thought I had really screwed up. Ironically enough that same day my friend Courtney was headed down to Anchorage for an interview. About 200 miles north of the city she came to a 2 mile section of road covered in fish. Yes, fish all over the road…..only in Alaska. I guess a truck full of fish from Nenana was over loaded and spilled fish all over the place, and lucky me, my friend just happened to run through it. And let me stress how good of friend. Not only did she stop to pick up over a hundred fish for me, but she also put it in the back of her brand new car. I mean not-even-had-it- a-week car. So thanks to good friends and a God with a good sense of humor, I got my fish. Can’t help but quote the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (how appropriate for the Cosmic Canines) right now. “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”

Running free

I have been running some of the trails around Husky Homestead. I still hope to run the Equinox Marathon in September. Here are some of the views along the way. Sometimes I bring the pups along but usually its just me and Cosmos and the big wide world.

The new "kid" on the block.

 

This little guy was born on Tuesday. He is Pallas' first kid.
It is amazing how they are able to walk in just a matter of minutes.
At 3 days old he is already jumping and kicking around.
Any ideas for a name? He also will need a home in about 3 months.

Epiphanies and mountain tops.

And I'm packing my bags for the misty mountains, where the spirits go now, over the hills, where the spirits fly!  Led Zeppelin 

Well its been a while since I last posted....again. I'm not going to promise to be more committed to my online journal, but realise that I have made it a goal to post more frequently.

I will say this....lots of exciting things are happening with the Cosmic Canines! We have an awesome summer ahead of us. For those who don't already know, we have relocated for the summer to Denali Park. I am pretty excited about this because it is not only one of the most beautiful places is in the world, but it is also one of the places in Alaska I haven't had a chance to experience and explore yet.

Shortly after the Yukon Quest I received an email from Jeff King inquiring if I would like to come work for the summer at his Husky Homestead Tour, located near Denali Park. At the time I had no intentions of returning to the sled dog tourism business, but this was not because I didn't enjoy it. The 4 summers I spent working for Dan and Chris Turner in Juneau doing dog sled tours were some of the most fun and memorible summers of my whole life. You really can't beat getting paid to do what you love.....hanging out with dogs! But Juneau is far away from my home in Two Rivers, I wanted to focus a little on some home projects and such. I hadn't even seen my newly purchased home in the summer yet. So after 4 great seasons I decided to move on and stay the summer in Two Rivers.

Denali Park however isn't a 12 hour drive and a 6 hour ferry ride away, it is just a quick 2 1/2 hours away from Two Rivers. Jeff also offered me a conveinent schedule of 10 days on/ 4 days off, totally doable to maintain, shall we say, 2 different lives at once. I have to admit after a long hard winter I was looking for a change. Plus how could I pass up an opportunity to work for the winningest dog musher in the world. Surely I could learn something this summer, get paid to do what I love, and still have time to go home and keep improving my house. Sounded like a winning combination in itself!

Funny how things work out. I have always felt blessed with a well marked trail through life. Perhaps some of trail markers along the way were in a "x" formation (in sled dog racing, when there is a dangerous section ahead on the trail the trail markers are set in an "x" to warn the musher of upcoming obstacles). I have survived those obstacles, with perhaps some minor bruises, but also with knowledge and experiences I feel there was a neccassary reason I was due to learn. There has never been a question of which trail I should take. So many people wander in life in a metaphorical "whiteout" of direction. They are searching for guidance. Searching for a trail marker. I have been lucky enough that just when I thought I lost the trail, I see that next trail marker pops up off in the distance.

Before I started the Yukon Quest this year, I had definately lost the trail. I remember having a conversation with my good friend Jodi Bailey about my situation. I told her, " As silly as this sounds, I want to do well in the Quest, but really I am looking for an epiphany out there."

Well the Quest ended be just that, but it wasn't quite what I expected. Though the scenery, travelling during a full moon, and  night after night of by far the most amazing northern lights display I have ever seen made for a spiritual race. I thought an epiphany would be the mental equivalent of lights and angels bursting out of heaven heralded by trumpets playing epic music. But come to find out it was more of a sigh, or more of an "Oh!"  I don't even know if I could pinpoint the one exact moment that it happened at all. It was as if I looked back after a while and realised that in fact I had had an epiphany. 

And when you get your priorities and your soul straight good things come parading in! Working at Husky Homestead was just one of those opportunites that followed my "epiphany." I think its going to be a great  summer and an even better race season this year. I won't get too anxious for snow yet though. I'm going to enjoy the fun here in Denali for now!

Some pics of the team

The Team at the start of the CB 300, 

picture by Theresa Daily

Big Dude

Lady, the best leader ever!

3.....2......1..........

Well.....HERE WE GO! The Cosmic Canines are in their final week of preparation for the 2012 Yukon Quest. Most of the hard work is done, we are just packing and tying up a few loose ends. We cannot wait for the start this Saturday in downtown Fairbanks!

Let me tell you this has been one of the toughest winters in my whole entire life. If I continue to channel that drive and perseverance that got me through this winter during the Yukon Quest, we will have a great race. 

This has been the coldest and snowiest winter Interior Alaska has  had in years. November was the 3rd coldest in history, and January was the 2nd coldest. We had 52 below a few times in November, and in January the temperature never got above 0 except one day. We hit a new record low at my house two mornings straight, 62 below. What does that mean for us? When temps are that cold it takes twice as much food to keep a dog team healthy, that means our food budget was wiped out way before we anticipated. Also its hard on all the equipment.. When we drove to our Vet Check the temp was 60 below. Now my truck is in the shop getting the broken exhaust fixed. The race dogs have been living in the house for a few weeks now. That's 14 sled dogs in a 12 by 20 cabin!

We have endured being flat out broke, totalling my truck, losing two race dogs that were hit by a car the week before the race, a 2 week bout with bronchitis, running a race that was cancelled a third of the way (I was counting on some of that purse money), and a relationship on the rocks. But that didn't stop us! When you dream, you dream BIG. And you never give up!

I cannot honestly claim to have endured all of this by myself. First of all. I have to thank my dogs. This is by far the best dog team I have ever driven. Every time I felt like throwing in the towel, I would think about losing the opportunity to drive this team in the Yukon Quest and I just couldn't give that up.

Then there is my family. My parents taught my brother and I how to dream and how to work hard. Goals will not be just handed to you. If you try and fail, try again. I cannot tell you how many times I called my parents in tears this winter. Their support of me in the hard times, and their pride in the good, helped get me through it all.

I also have the best friends in the world. From loaning me dogs to donations to them cheering me on, they were always there. Two Rivers is a great community that stands behind their own. There is always someone who will bail you out when you're in trouble. Who will listen when you need an ear. And will definitely give you advice, whether you want it or not!

Even though its been a tough go, I would like to thank Jay Cadzow. This is his bloodline I am driving. I have tapped every ounce of 40 years of knowledge about driving dogs that I could from him. He has the best eye for dogs I have ever seen. He also knows how to keep dogs at their prime health even when you have nothing. I have tried to absorb all of this and learn. I feel I have grown as a musher more in the last 2 years than I have in 15 years of mushing. I have learned "old school" techniques and ideas that few in the world still remember. Though our cultural and ethical differences has made this relationship a battle, I cannot claim honestly that I did not gain anything out of it.

Lastly and certainly not least I would like to thank our sponsors. Economically this has been a hard year for us. I am just a bartender. I make good money but I am supporting 2 people, 30 dogs, 2 goats, and a mule on my own. I could get another job but that would take time away from training dogs. I am not alone. Individuals, businesses, and race organizations are all suffering. Gas is expensive, dog food costs twice as much as it did a few years ago. If it were not for my sponsors, this Quest would have been impossible. They believe in me and decided to join our team. I would like to recognize my awesome list of supporters.

Tom Schulz

Wes Madden Real Estate

Heike Feidler-Phelps

Peter West and Susan Hyman-West

Sarah West

Peterson Technologies

Two Rivers Lodge

Dew Claw Kennels

Iron Pearl Kennels

My anonymous sponsor superlady! You know who you are!

Mushaholics

Lyle and Cindy Kirgan

Irish Jane and Paul Namtvedt

Mariska Wright

The Two Rivers Community

And everyone else that donated.

I will try to post again before the start. On the trail I won't be able to update, and though I have amazing handlers. They were chosen for their dog savvy and proficiency for logistics not their technological and social media skills. So maybe an update in Dawson and hopefully a recap at the end!

Hopefully we see you at the start!

More pictures from the Whites

First sled run in the Whites

We took our first sled trip out to the White Mountains last week, which marks our long overdue change in training. No more running in circles, tough pulling on the four wheeler, which I am proud to say I only turned the engine on twice, both times to slow them down on a couple gnarly down hills. Now our training will switch to alternate longer camping trips, and short heavy-loaded wood hauling runs. This is great because that means soon, we can just GO.

The “new” dog truck (Thank you again Bob Hauer) should be out of the shop soon and then it will be “look out Alaska here comes the Cosmic Canines!”






There is only a little bit more snow in the Whites, as there is here in Two Rivers, so it’s still a little bit rough. I am thankful to those low snow years I spent in Homer learning to mush now. Those are the skills I was tapping into to keep even a small team together.






Most of the trails are good there are just a couple tore up hills with alternating deep ruts and overflow that you have to keep on your toes for in between Lee’s Cabin and Moose Creek. Otherwise we broke trail all the way from Wickersham to the junction of the Haystack Trail. Then we traveled in the track of one solitary trapper on a snow machine. Looked as if he just put out his Marten Traps, and on the way back he already had one in a set.






There is not much of a snow hook hold except running for a random tree with your hook. So we focused on them waiting for me. Much as if they would do if we were setting out those traps on the line. I tell you when to stop; I tell you when to go. All of our survival depends on it.






While we taking a break at Moose Creek Cabin, I noticed all of the dogs ears perk at attention, they were focused on the center of the large meadow where the cabin is located. I noticed something silver trot to the path we had just come in on. Before I could register in my head, “Hey! A wolf!” along came a larger black one, and then another large sliver one. They sniffed around our trail and then checked us out pretty good before continuing on through the meadow.






Some say seeing wolves is “good medicine.” In any case, both the dogs and I thought it was pretty cool. Mushing in general is good medicine as far as we're concerned.






All in all I thought it was an awesome run. The dogs look great, nice and steady and tuning in. Jupiter and Black got their turn in lead and Jupiter really shined. He’s a fine big 65lb boy who has powerful speed and the strength and size to keep the whole team moving with him.






Borealis also stood out in this trip. At 14 months he is the youngest in the race team. He’s another big 65lb boy who handled his first camping trip like a pro. He ate up the trail, taking it all in like it was nothing.

It’s nice to be traveling again. All the hard work and routine of our fall training is finally giving fruit to what it’s all about. Getting out there!



The newest Cosmic Addition

Spring is in full swing here a Cosmic Canines Kennels! The snow is melting quickly, geese and cranes are flying over head, and we are busy cleaning up the winter’s gear. The trails are slushy and muddy so that puts us in limbo. Not enough snow for sledding and too much for free running with a four wheeler or a mountain bike.

 I have been hiking with the pups though. This litter has been nicknamed “the tribe” or “the savages.” They are a crazy little bunch of puppies. They are sorting out who’s the boss, which is a difficult position to step up to when there are 8 of them. They have left a path of destruction behind them; unfortunately they are quicker at finding newly exposed things that pop out of the melting snow than we are. Soon, I have to be the bad guy and put them on chains. However, they’ll still be able to “escape” on hiking trips.

Spring also means getting ready for the garden. I have so many starts in the house they seem to be taking over. It still freezes most nights, and we don’t have a wood stove in the greenhouse yet, so I can’t utilize it so far. I did score some nice grow lights at a garage sale last year though, so it’s a pretty nice setup. Everything is taking off nicely. I think I may have a surplus, but Two Rivers is good at swapping.

The most exciting news is the new addition to the Cosmic Caprines! Last year my friend Sarah gave me 2 Toggenburg/Alpine Goats, Pallas and Vesta*. I bred Pallas to a neighbor’s Toggenburg buck. And Voila! A little baby goat came to us yesterday. I can’t wait to start milking. I have to wait because the mother only produces colostrum the first few days, which is super important for the newborn kid. It is a girl, which is good. I wasn’t going to keep a male and I still want to expand our little herd. It is amazing that they can walk almost instantly, and within a couple hours, little one was kicking and bucking around some goat attitude!

Toggenburgs are the oldest breed of goat in the world. They are known for their heartiness and good milk production. They are perfect for our little arctic farm.

* Pallas and Vesta are large asteroids in the belt that orbits through our solar system. So keeping with the theme I will name the new little one Ceres. Ceres is the largest asteroid, and is spherical so it is actually considered a dwarf planet. Hopefully, though she is the smallest now, she will grow to be the largest. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and motherly love. Sounds perfect for this time of year!

Pallas is named after the Greek Goddess, Pallas Athena. Athena accidently kills her childhood friend Pallas, a nymph, daughter of Triton, while practicing the art of war. Pallas was about to strike Athena and Zeus, Athena’s father, intervenes. Athena takes advantage of Pallas while she is stunned by the blow and kills her. In mourning Athena then adopts her friend’s name.

Vesta is named after the Greek Virgin Goddess for hearth, home, and family. Ironically enough, Vesta the goat was supposed to also be bred last winter but circumstances were it didn’t work out. Vesta is the brightest asteroid in the sky and is the largest non-spherical body in our solar system.

Coming into Fort Yukon: Yukon Flats 300

The Morning Ritual: Coffee and Puppies

It's hard to have a bad day when you start it off like this!

Yukon Flats 300 (Part 3)

FORT YUKON TO BIRCH CREEK

Anthony, a local sprint musher, rode on the runners with me down the road to where the trail drops onto the Yukon. Its quite the drop off, and the dogs can’t see where you mean them to go. So the race helped us make the turn being, it’s so hard to stop on the hard-packed road.

“Abbie! You can catch Josh, your dogs look way better. He’s only one hour ahead of you!”

One hour! Ha! Realistically I knew that was a lot of time to make up in two 36 mile runs. The only way that would happen is if some radical, race shaking event happened. But if something like that was to happen, Lord knows THIS would be the year for that. I thought about this year’s Quest, Fur Rondy, and Junior Iditarod. What have we learned this year? It ain’t over until ‘til the fat lady sings. I wasn’t going to roll over, but in all likelihood Josh was the champion.

Right now I had to get Lady out of Fort Yukon with out a snafu. We dropped onto the river and I called the team up. The jumble ice and the windblown sand bar, mixed with the glow of headlamp made it seem like we were crossing the surface of the moon. The dogs got excited and we cruised across the river quickly.

Well, that was easy. Nobody even seemed to care we just left Fort Yukon. Cool. Actually, they seemed to be moving nicely. The Yukon River is few miles across until you round a sharp corner into Eagle Slough. Just before we slipped out of sight I turned and looked back to see if I could see a headlamp heading across the river. All I could see was the glow of the village. I felt better but not confident. Ken could be not very far behind and I know he knows how to keep a dog team together so he can push at the end. It seems he’s always that guy your not really paying attention to and then there he is, top 5 in the Iditarod. I had a lot of experience chasing me down, so I knew I had to keep pushing.

We climbed up the steep bank off of slough. The trail then makes its way through the Birch Forest. The trail has little turns and hills through the trees and then it opens up into meadows or little lakes. Its actually quite beautiful. We follow the same trail in and out of Birch Creek. I thought how nice it would be to see it in the morning light on the way back.

The team really was coming together. You couldn’t tell they were 2/3 of the way through a 100 mile run. Or maybe you could, this team isn’t about the high end speed. We aren’t going to go down and win the Nenana Ice Classic Race. They are trained to move at the speed they can carry FOREVER. This team knows how to travel. There are moments when they rumble like a freight train, and there are moments that they seem to float across the snow. You might not see it, but you can feel it on the sled.

Every time the trail opened up I would turn back to look for Ken. I like to keep my headlamp off often so other mushers can’t see where we are at, but it was too dark. However when I would turn back I would cover my light with my hand so that if Ken was back there I wouldn’t instigate his team to try and catch me.

I had a few scares because the Northern Lights were so spectacular and bright, I thought at first glance it was the glow of his headlamp coming.

There is always that moment in a race that you think back and remember, that was when it all was perfect. This is the moment I will think about for this race. The dogs traveling like a silk ribbon down the trail, being chased down by Ken Anderson and the Northern Lights. Trail marker reflectors streaking by in the night. Dropping into the low lying river cold of Birch Creek. And pulling into the spinning airport light of the tiny village of Birch Creek.

Josh’s team again was well at rest, so I could tell I hadn’t gained any time worthy of being a threat to him. But I never caught a glimpse of Ken either.

The volunteers were very helpful and brought me hot water for dogs and coffee. I had to maximize this short rest. I personally do not like 2 hour rests. I know they help the dogs recover a little, but I’m still not convinced its not wasted time. Someone once said any rest under 4 hours is a waste. But in this race, and usually in other races, they are necessary to be competitive. I incorporate 2 hour rests in training runs often, I just kept reminding myself of this. Also the team was rolling, but I was still holding them back a little. I didn’t want to stove them up before resting them so short.

The dogs were bedded and fed. So I went inside. There really was no point in trying to sleep. Josh was resting but I could tell, not really getting any sleep. It was just as well because there was a lady named Mackey who entertained me by telling lots of stories about Jay and his mother, and all her Aunties, and all her Cousins. Every story began with, “Oh so and so, she is my mother’s uncle’s sister-in-law’s cousin….” or something of the sort. As she told these stories she threw in phrases like “I dig it” or “it was a trip man. ” It made the time go quickly.

Ken pulled into the checkpoint about 35 minutes after me. That made me nervous. I didn’t want 2nd place taken away in the last few miles like on the Two Rivers 200, but with only 35 minutes separating us, that certainly was a possibility. Ken also mentioned that he had turned down the “New Trail” at the overflow, and realized quickly that it was a bad idea so he turned around to that the “Overflow” route. So that meant he had wasted some time. How much? Is that the only reason I am still in front of him? I had my work cut out for me in the last 36 miles.

Birch Creek to Finish

All too quickly, it was time to go. I went out and got the dogs ready. They weren’t as perky as usual, but I could tell we were going to leave well. Jupiter was a little stiff, hopefully he would warm out of it. We took off into the night. There was just a hint of a sunrise on the horizon. It would be day light by the time we reached Fort Yukon.

I had a head on pass with Tom Lesatz, just outside of Birch Creek. He didn’t seem very positive.

“I had a mutiny Abbie. How far to Birch Creek?”

“Its just right there.”

Then on the other side of the spectrum I met Jodi Bailey about 20 minutes later.

“Whoo hoo! How far?” she called as she whizzed by.

I had to call back to her, “About half an hour!”

After the dogs warmed up completely, Jupiter did run out of his stiffness, I decided we better start moving. Who knows if and when Ken was going to pull up behind us. So every open area I would call the dogs up, then I would let them slow down and rest in the trees again.

They really looked great. It was a beautiful sunrise. It was a great morning! Next I had a head on with Hugh Neff and Jessie Holmes.

Hugh said, “He’s about an hour in front of you.”

“I don’t care about him, I’m worried about Ken behind me!”

It seemed a lot quicker going back then heading out. But then it always does. Sooner than expected we dropped onto Eagle Slough and the dogs really started to drive. We made the sharp turn out onto the Yukon and we cruised by our midnight moon landscape which had lost its eeriness in the morning light. Now I could see the water tanks and shacks on the banks of “the Fort” and no Ken in sight behind. The dogs seemed to skip across the river ice and up the bank. They did it!

There was a small crowd gathered, Jay, and of course Earl. I couldn’t believe he was still out there! Cosmic Canines, the 2 time Yukon Flats 300 2nd place winners. Even though Josh declared at the finish banquet that we could all come back and try to beat him, but it would be tough. Maybe 3rd time will be a charm for us.

The Team:

Lady       Grumpy

Sleepy     Sirius

BossMon  Jupiter

Mud        Big Dude

Dopey     Cloud

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOSH AND ALL THE OTHER MUSHERS!!!!

After the race

I want to thank Fort Yukon for being so hospitable. We stayed for the dances and the Sprint Race. I spent time with Jay’s daughter and granddaughter. It was a nice banquet. And although I didn’t want to leave, I had a wonderful run back to Circle. It was sunny and just the PERFECT spring day. And to top it off Circle served us some of the best Moose Stew, biscuits, and Salmon Salad I have ever had when were done. Thanks to you too!

This race has me anxious for the year to come. The up and coming pups combined with this group are going to be fun to drive. They’re solid, they’re happy, and know how to travel. I can’t wait to show ‘em off next year!