Date archives: March 1, 2006

The only thing against us was that these were huskies, dogs who don’t instinctively appreciate the notion of moving slowly. Still, the animal trainers were confident. The call for “Action” echoed across the snow-swept, barren prairie, above treeline – high above the pretty little town of Smithers, British Columbia. The…

Freight historySome breeds of freight dogs (such as the Siberian Husky, Samoyed, and Inuit sled dog) were developed over centuries. Human and dog depended on each other in the harsh arctic environment. Dogs had to come when called, accept the harness, identify seal blow holes for the hunter, corral polar…

I had been running six dog races in Minnesota and Wisconsin for the past five winters and this was going to be my last year. There is a certain cycle to having a dog team. You start with a few dogs. Like a new relationship, it is fun and exciting….

Reprinted from Mushing Magazine, March/April 2006 issue.The dogs. You’ll hear the dogs first.Then, as you make your way toward 4th Avenue to watch the start of Iditarod 2006, you’ll gradually become immersed in a cacophony of sounds and sights unique to the Iditarod. As you approach, take a moment to…

Featured in the March/April 2006 Issue:In 2001, I received word that Ray Redington, an Iditarod musher, was looking for someone to help in his dog yard. Without knowing what lay ahead, I spent the summer feeding and scooping the dogs in Two Rivers, Alaska. As fall turned cold, Ray pulled…

From the March/April 2006 Issue of Mushing MagazineJulie awoke to the sound of Jesse, one of our wheel dogs, lapping up water, and she kicked me awake. “Get up!” she said. “Camp’s flooding.”We’d parked for an afternoon nap on a glaciered creek, tall spruce sheltering us from both the burning…

Featured in the March/Aril 2006 issue of Mushing Magazine.©2006 Mushing MagazineTo understand pancreatitis, it helps to know a few things about this gland whose proper functioning is so essential to life. The pancreas is one of the largest glands in the body. It lies behind the stomach and the duodenum,…

Reprinted from the March/April 2006 Mushing Magazine.©Mushing Magazine 2006Alpine Outfitters was opened in 1988 by Becky and Joe Loveless of Roy, WA. Becky started making custom harnesses in a spare bedroom with a few rolls of webbing and a very old, 1930’s era, sewing machine bought with proceeds from selling…

Wherever we are in our lives and no matter what our age, we all have beginnings. From the day we were born, walking, talking, or riding a bike for the first time. But can you still remember your first dog sledding experience? Most mushers I’ve met over the years can…

That first race, no not the first race of the season, I mean the first race ever. Everyone has experienced it and most of them lived. My first race was ‘The Empire’ in Solon Springs, WI. Of course we had been training our 6 dogs since early September and since…