Fall Training 2010

Temperatures are getting colder again and there is a small bit of snow on the ground. Dogs are up to running 4 miles a day with the 4-wheeler. They are happy to be out on the trail again. Snow is falling as I type this so hopefully we will soon be out on the sled......no engine noise!

Puppies are now 4 1/2 months old and are doing laps on the ranch (horse/mule) cross country course by chasing the 4-wheeler or snowmachine. They show that running is deeply seeded in the blood of a sled dog.

The Sun Dogs Are On You Tube!!

Leslie visited us in 2007 and just posted these great videos of her 1.5 mile trip with us on her You Tube channel. Check them out at http://www.youtube.com/user/benjamine128 The four clips are titled "my dog sled ride starts", "dog sledding and passing a beaver dam", "dog sledding and spotting a moose" and "dog sledding". Thanks Leslie for these great clips!

Alaska Dog Mushers Challenge Series Race #1

January 25 ,2009 11:45 AM. It was 2 degrees Fahrenheit, great for racing dogs!! The trail had a light layer of new snow to give just the right amount of grip. We ran a team in the six dog class. They finished in fifth place in a time of 23 minutes 31 seconds - thats just under 4 minute miles. Leo and Kate ran lead and it was the first time these guys ran solo without my other main leaders there for them to "fall back on". Tinker Bell and rookie racer Ruby Sue ran swing. Making sure the sled steered well was my wheel dog sensations Jiminy Cricket and Baloo.

Answer To Question - How Fast Do Sled Dogs Race?

How fast do sled dogs go? This is a question I hear often. The speed at which a sled dog races depends on the distance it is being asked to complete, trail conditions, terrain and the load in the sled. Touring dogs, distance race dogs, middle distance race dogs and sprint race dogs "run" speed is very different.

Tour dogs tend to be the slowest because they are being asked to pull the heaviest loads (i.e. people or cargo). These dogs are usually bigger in weight because they are being asked to pull hard. They are like the "draft horses" of the sled dog world. Their speed is well under 10 miles per hour, usually. They don't go for any real long distances.

Distance race sled dogs are your Iditarod and Yukon Quest types - the ultra marathoners. They can be asked to run up to and beyond 100 miles in a 24 hour period. They can eat well over 10,000 calories in a day (I'm not kidding - they are the epitome of the word "chow hound"). Usually these guys aren't hauling an excessive amount of weight in the sled - hopefully under 200 pounds. They are hauling sled and musher over some of the roughest terrain in the world so their speed is not always consistent. They average between 5-15 miles per hour over the course of the entire 1000 mile race. The speed is averaged with rest breaks included.

Middle distance racing sled dogs are the marathoners. They go distances, 100 to 300 miles, over the course of a long weekend. They have considerably less weight to carry in the sled, because they aren't going as far. The musher can use a lighter weight sled and the speeds are consistently faster than the long distance sled dogs. They are averaging about 8-15 miles per hour over the course of the race. Many middle distance dogs are just in training to be long distance dogs, anyway, so many are just kept to a long distance pace.

Sprint dogs are the fastest of the entire bunch. These guys are the "sports cars" and run at high bursts of speed for not more than 30 miles in a day. They can average 15-20 miles per hour for up to 30 miles in a day. The sleds are lightweight and EMPTY.

Don't Forget To Dress Warm - Yes, This Is A Repeat!

Alaska cold can, at times, be unforgiving. Wear layers of loose fitting clothing instead of one heavy layer to better regulate the amount of insulation. If you get warm shed a layer or add a layer if you get cold. A steady flow of warm blood is essential to keep all parts of your body heated.Wear breathable fabrics and avoid cotton. Damp clothing and skin can cause your body to cool quickly leading to frostbite or hypothermia. Your footwear is subject to more exposure and moisture. Athletic shoes and nylon hiking boots do not provide enough insulation. You should wear either mukluks or rubberized insulated boots.At least two pair of warm socks are recommended. Pull trouser legs over top of boots to keep out the snow.Mittens are warmer than gloves, they allow fingers to be in direct contact with one another. Warm gloves are a must however for our mushing school students because the fingers need protection while working with the snaps of the dog lines.Most of your body heat escapes through your head. Wear a hat and bring a scarf, neoprene face mask or neck gator to cover your face from wind.

Off and running :)

Another season has begun here at the Sun Dog Express Kennels. We have enough snow on the ground to do very short tours. The long trails are too treacherous to attempt with more than an empty sled. Lot's of big holes to "bridge" and overflow on the trail. Once we get more snow the trails should smooth out and open for all tours. We are busily planning our racing calendar for the upcoming season. We'll keep you posted. Don't forget to check out the first post on how to dress for a dog sled ride - very important to stay warm!!! Happy Trails. Head back to our website http://www.mosquitonet.com/~sleddog/

Fall Training Time

The first snow has arrived. With those initial white flakes of winter comes the anticipation of a whole new dog mushing season. The first wild runs of the fall have taken place in front of the 4-wheeler and the dogs are settling in to their "base" training time. Still a little hot to ask too much of these furry athletes but they are happy to get out for a run.

2008 Race Season Update - GEAR CHANGE!!!

We've had a few hick-ups with our race season this year. Not with dogs, or equipment or training but with the actual races themselves. The two races we had planned on doing BOTH got cancelled. The Interior Stage Race a three day event of 25 miles, 45 miles and 35 miles was cancelled due to .....we don't know what. Our second choice the Chatanika 100 (100 mile race) was cancelled due to lack of volunteers.

Three weeks ago we were looking at the prospect of not doing any races at all this season. We took a look at what was available in the Fairbanks area and decided that this years races would have to be sprint races or nothing at all. Sprint it is then!!!

For distance dogs to change gears and go from a long distance trot to a short distance lope can be a difficult, but the Sun Dog Express crew seems to be up for the challenge. We will only be doing the six dog class in the Alaska Dog Mushing Associations Challenge and Limited races. Some of our tour dogs are too big to be asked to run that fast and it frustrates them to do so. We have a few rescue dogs that have some sprint dog blood in them. We are going to see what they are made of.

So far the dogs really seem to be enjoying the high energy of sprint racing. In Challenge Race #4 we finished 4th and finished "in the money". Not bad for a bunch of distance/tour dogs out of their element. As always our main focus is to have fun because that is what we do best.

The Descision To Race Does Not Come Easy

As the title states the decision to race does not come easy. Racing sled dogs has always been an unattainable dream for me. Before I had my two kids I dabbled in a little sprint racing - meaning very short, fast races. My career as a sprint musher was never at a fast speed because I have always had "hand-me-down" dogs and we always finished last. There was a reason these dogs didn't make the race teams in their kennels of origin and it usually meant they liked to stop and smell the roses or yellow snow as the case may be.

When my two children where born my priorities took a swift change. My love for running sled dogs was still very very strong yet my loyalty to family was stronger. I couldn't spend the hours required to train up a team to race. I regret to say that some years dog sled training was maybe once or twice a week. My children were babies and toddlers and they required hours and hours of care. Along with children comes more expenses thus the need to work a full time job. Full time jobs and intensive training of sled dogs have an impossible ability to co-exist.

As financial concerns and time constraints began to tighten around my family I would often discuss with my husband giving all my dogs away and getting out of sled dogs all together. But as the old dog mushers will tell you once sled dogs are in your blood - they are there to stay. I would always pull out my sled, go for a run and once again become invigorated to "hang on" for a while longer. I always rationalized being able to buy my next 50 pound bag of dog food. That would last me another week or so (I had a four dog team at this time). When the endless work got to me, dog mushing became my time for peace and tranquility - if that can be obtained when dealing with wiggly, screaming to go, busting at the tug line sled dogs. I squashed my dreams of being an Iditarod or Yukon Quest champion. My priorities were with my husband and children. Dog mushing became a luxury.

As my children grew, money became tighter and tighter. I didn't want to be forced to give my sled dogs up. Thus Sun Dog Express Dog Sled Tours was born. It was a shot in the dark but I had to figure out something to keep my sled dogs fed and with me. I wasn't sure how my "racing dogs" would take to hauling heavy loads in a sled and dealing with lots of people. I was truly amazed and humbled by my "guys". Work is work to a sled dog and comes in many forms. Hauling people around and being friendly is work and sled dogs are working dogs. They had a definite sense of happiness and accomplishment on their faces after every tour. They felt needed and wanted. They know each person that walks into the dog yard is there to see them and they love it!!! Not only did I discover through doing the tour business that I could support my motley crew of sled dogs but that I could also meet interesting people from all over the world and share my love for some of the best animals that God put on this snow covered earth.

My children are now teenagers. The intense demand on my time is still there but I can now rationalize with the two youngsters I have in my home. They help me as much as they can. I made the decision two years ago to follow my dream to return to racing. This time it will be middle distance racing. Middle distance is defined as anything longer than a sprint race yet shorter than the Iditarod or Yukon Quest. Middle distance still has many of the benefits (seeing lots of pretty country) of long distance racing but without the money and training time demands. I couldn't hold a full time job and train for long distance without taking a lengthy leave of absence - that wouldn't go over well with my boss.

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin!!! Four Wheeler Training

What do you do with your sled dogs in the summer or when there is no snow? I get this question on a weekly basis from visitors to my dog yard. For me summer training doesn't exist. This is the time my athletes get a little down time and the opportunity to catch a sun tan. We had an excercise pen set up (five foot high fencing stretched around the abundance of towering birch on our ranch) but we live on such a treacherous hill side that it can sometimes be a death defying act to wrestle a really excited sled dog down a steep hill and convince them to go through the narrow gate into a pen that they just run circles - sled dogs don't really care to run circles - it's very boring.

After five years of working at this form of summer and fall excercise I finally gave up. My back has had the best summer ever! I took the fencing down to remove dead trees from the yard and decided to not put it back up, but give it to my husband for the start of his miniature cow operation.

Usually letting the dogs run in the pen all fall I would then go to sled training. This worked very well for me until recently. We did all our serious training on a sled because snow was always on the ground in good quantity by mid October. But each year our snow fall seems to be getting later and later. In 2003 my first trip on the sled was October 12, in 2004 October 20 and in 2005 it was November 20. I have no idea what it will be this year, but as of this writing we might have an inch or two of snow on the ground. Not near enough to run a sled over.

We've owned a four wheeler for a few years. We use it to plow our road and driveways, haul a trailer around to clean out the horse and mule pen or haul wood. I've seen other dog mushers use four wheelers to run huge strings of sled dogs and I wasn't sure I wanted to attempt this. But with my fence being gone and snow getting later and later each year arriving, I knew this year would be the year I would have to start training with the four wheeler if I want the dogs to be in some sort of physical shape by race season.

Sled dogs always amaze me with what they are willing to put up with so they can run. Once again our hill is too steep to run a huge string of dogs out in front of the "wheeler". I put a four dog hook up on the front and left it in gear - so I could help them out at all times. Since we live in a pretty built up area there are no trails around the ranch, just dirt roads. I hooked up four of my leaders, two in lead and two in wheel. They were excited, as usual. I started up the engine and while it gave them a moment of pause they resumed their barking and jerking at the lines forthwith.

Since I have never run my dogs from the ranch, but only out of the winter dog yard several miles away, they had absolutely no idea where they were going. This was the perfect opportunity to work with them on their "Gee - Haw" directional skills. I had scouted out a 1 1/2 mile loop down country roads to a little circle turn around between two roads. There are many forks in the road and intersections along the way were the dogs have many choices of where to go. They followed my verbal commands almost perfectly. Pretty good for having a whole summer off! Rollin, rollin, rollin, keep them doggies rollin!

Dressing For A Winter Dog Sled Ride

Alaska cold can, at times, be unforgiving. Wear layers of loose fitting clothing instead of one heavy layer to better regulate the amount of insulation. If you get warm shed a layer or add a layer if you get cold. A steady flow of warm blood is essential to keep all parts of your body heated.

Wear breathable fabrics and avoid cotton. Damp clothing and skin can cause your body to cool quickly leading to frostbite or hypothermia. Your footwear is subject to more exposure and moisture. Athletic shoes and nylon hiking boots do not provide enough insulation. You should wear either mukluks or rubberized insulated boots.

At least two pair of warm socks are recommended. Pull trouser legs over top of boots to keep out the snow.

Mittens are warmer than gloves, they allow fingers to be in direct contact with one another. Warm gloves are a must however for our mushing school students because the fingers need protection while working with the snaps of the dog lines.

Most of your body heat escapes through your head. Wear a hat and bring a scarf, neoprene face mask or neck gator to cover your face from wind.

Running Dogs At -40F

Inevitably, if you live in Fairbanks, Alaska and like to run sled dogs you will have the opportunity to do so when the mercury plummets. Those of us who are crazy enough, will don every bit of outdoor gear we own and faithfully hook up our howling sled dogs for a run.

The cold only makes the sled dogs more happy to run because they don't overheat. Actually they are crazy to run at ANY temperature, they can just run farther and faster when it's really cold.

It is entertaining to me when, completly unprovocated on my behalf, many of my relatives in the mid-west states take great pains in telling me how their state gets just as cold as Alaska. "You really don't have it that tough", they like to say. It's national news if the temperatures fall below zero for muliple days in their area of the country. The temperatures return to normal quickly and their cold spell is over with out too much inconvience - normal being "right at freezing". Tropical by Alaska winter standards. January in interior Alaska can be brutal and deadly. This type of cold sits, not for just a day or two but for weeks at a time. Rendering everything brittle and breakable. Flesh freezes in a matter of moments when exposed to the air. Ice fog (pollution) hangs over populated areas making it hard to breath.

When the sky is clear and sunny it means cold, cold, cold. When the clouds come it means relief and a little warmth. The days are short and the darkness almost absolute making the illusion of warmth that much more difficult to grasp.

Running the dogs at -40F can be a real challenge from the human perpective. You must cover every exposed part of your skin. My eyes are the only thing that can be "touched" by the outside air. I can't seem to use ski goggles with out them fogging badly. My eye lids freeze together as we rush down the trail. Mushing with eyes frozen shut is not a good thing. I remove my naked fingers from a warm glove to press them to my eye to thaw the eye lash temporarily releasing one eyelid from the other. I must blink my eyes quickly to let the eyelashes freeze apart. I can hear them making a "tink, tink, tink" noise as I blink the newly frozen eyelashed together - but at least I can see.

Alaskans talk of the snow being "slow". This refers to the cold making the snow more abrasive thus creating drag on the runners of the dog sled. The dogs have to work a little harder to pull the sled but the cold makes them happy to do so.

Sun Dog Express Dog Sled Tours First Film

I created Sun Dog Express Dog Sled Tours in the summer of 1998. Disallusioned with working as an advertising manager for Beaver Sports Inc. of Fairbanks, Alaska. I decided to see if I could get paid to work at my passion - dog sledding. I sold my shares in Beaver Sports to make myself a cushy little nest egg, quit my job and began to put flyers around town and brochures at local hotels.

I was able to secure a small area in a large warehouse at the back of Beaver Sports to establish my office. Just so happens that Beaver Sports is located off some of the best dog mushing trails in Fairbanks. My sled dogs spend a few months of the year at this "winter" dog yard and the rest of the year is spent at my ranch - getting a sun tan.

One of my very first customers was a film crew from the BBC. They were doing a documentary on global warming called "Arctic Warning" and wanted the film to have a broader appeal. I was the only person included in the film that didn't have a docterate degree. It was interesting to be wired with a microphone that they could pick up voice on for 1/2 a mile.

The reporter, Julien O'Hallaron, asked me to run my very excited dog team around a one mile loop many times so they could get just the right shot. My dogs were happy to obligue. We went to Creamers Field Wildlife refuge to film. As I recall the snow was still pretty low for that time of year so the trail was bumpy. Fences on the trail, usually open during winter months, weren't open yet so it was interesting getting a six dog team through little openings between the pilings meant for a person to squeeze through. The sled just barely fit and it was a task to keep the team slowed down enough to get through the tight space without taking the sled apart.

We were successful and the film premiered three months later in Great Britian and on the Discovery Channel.

You'll learn all you need to know from an old lead dog

My dog sledding story begins in 1985, I was living in downtown Anchorage attending the University of Alaska, Anchorage. I was bored one Saturday morning in March and decided to walk a few blocks over from my little house to the corner of 15th and Cordova. I watched as large teams of up to twenty dogs roared down the street at top speed starting out on their 1049 mile journey to Nome.
I watched as Susan Butcher went by, yelling things to her handler that stood on the sled she towed behind her. They were working to control many dogs on grainy snow. I didn't know then what I know now - that her snow hook didn't stand a chance of holding in the unpacked snow atop asphalt streets. She was basically out of control and hanging on with as much dignity as she could muster.
Libby Riddles went by, her brake making the snow arch up as she descended the steep Cordova hill into Mulcahey Park. She wore fur and looked ready to spend a few weeks out on a trap line in the remote wilderness. Her dogs ran smooth and strong but the thousands of people lining the street made them nervous.
I didn't know it at the time but I was watching two women that would turn the male dominated sport of mushing on its ear. I caught their spirit that year as they passed me standing on that street corner. I thought to myself, I've been born and raised in Alaska and if they can do it, so can I. Thus began my passion for dogs and what we mushers affectionately call "the sickness".
The next year found me back in my home-town of Fairbanks attending the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I lived in a remote cabin on the outskirts of town with no running water and an outhouse. Out my back door was hundreds of acres of undeveloped state land with miles upon miles of trail. I acquired three young pups. A husky-malamute mix named Miler, a Chesapeake-lab-husky mix named Hunie and a pure bred Siberian Husky named Royal Hawaiian Kahuna.
I hooked this group of young energetic dogs together on a home made sled of two by fours and plywood. I figured with age comes wisdom, so naturally I decided that my leader would be the oldest dog, Hunie, who was a little over one year of age. Miler would run lead with Hunie because he was the second oldest and Kahuna would run wheel because he was the youngest of the bunch at seven months.
After several attempts to put the harnesses on my young team of wiggling, enthusiastic dogs I got them hooked together for their first run. Climbing on the back of the sled I took tight hold of the drive bar, in anticipation of the jolt the dogs would give me as they left the dog yard at top speed, and yelled, "Mush!"
My loud command startled Miler, he turned around to stare at me, tail tucked and ears back as if I was mad at him. Hunie wasn't as affected, he found an interesting pile of yellow snow within reach to sniff. Kahuna had the best idea of them all, as would be characteristic of him throughout his life, he stood still insulted and bored, if he had been human he would have been rolling his eyes and sighing at how stupid I was.
Frustrated that my team wouldn't leave the dog yard I huffed back inside my cabin. I read the newspaper to try to calm myself. My eyes went straight to the mushing column in the want ads.
Old Sled Dog
Runs Lead
$50.00
I looked out my window at the three young dogs chained in front of their dog houses. "We definitely could use some help!" I decided.
I made a call and that afternoon went to meet the lead dog with no name. He was mostly black with some brown markings. A black wolf looking sort of dog. "He's somewhere around twelve years old and he used to run in Denali Park for a Yukon Quest musher." Was all the rotund lady could tell me. "He has a little bit of arthritis, nothing that an aspirin, now and then, won't cure. He don't got a name but we've been calling him D.O.G. (Deoge). Get it? Dog?" I nodded politely, gave her fifty dollars and loaded him up in my "dog truck" which was my Honda civic.
Doege seemed happy to move from a dog yard filled with fifty plus dogs to a dog yard of four. He was a quite and thoughtful dog. When I would play hide and seek with all four dogs, the three young pups would run around wildly looking for any sign of me while Deoge wouldn't break a walk as he calmly and methodically followed my scent to my hiding place.
I put him in front of my young team the next time I attempted to leave the dog yard by way of my make shift sled. I told him to go and he went, pulling the bewildered puppies with him. I asked a lot of the old dog that first mushing season and he came through without a complaint. He had those puppies pulling hard after only two lessons. But I have to say it took me much longer to learn the tricks of the trade. I have an old lead dog to thank for everything I know about dog mushing….. that is everything of real importance.
Many of the older dogs in the Sun Dog Express dog yard have learned from Miler, Hunie and Kahuna, who all ran lead for me in their older years. These older dogs in turn are in the process of training the younger generation in a never-ending cycle. Sadly Doege, Hunie, Miler and Kahuna are no longer with me but their legacy lives on in the Sun Dog Express dog yard.

Welcome!!

Hello,
My name is Elise. I have been raising and training sled dogs for twenty plus years. I was born and raised in Alaska and still call this great state my home. I have created this blog to share my love of sled dogs. They are animals with spirit, an honest work ethic and a fantastic sense of adventure. I would be honored to share their great spirit with you.