Wolves, ice and running dogs

Life is getting wilder around here every day! This morning, while taking our son to the bus for school, Manny discovered a neighbor's dog had been attacked and partially eaten in the ditch at the end of our road (15 mile CHSR). Turns out that the neighbor had let the dog out with her last night, but the dog disappeared. Manny said that it was obvious from the blood splatters around the scene and the fact that the dog had been torn up and half eaten that the wolves had been there. Another neighbor confirmed that their dogyard had gone off around 11:30pm-Midnight last night...who lives just across the road from us, along the trail. Our dogs were acting very weird late last night and early this morning as well. A lady called me to tell me she'd heard from a parent that they'd actually hit a dog along CHSR....but I'm thinking it's not the same dog. Or, if it is, the dog was injured making it easy prey for the wolves. Regardless...it's pretty clear that the wolf pack is getting a bit bolder. So, keep your pets inside and don't let your kidlings wander around after dark (just to be on the safe side).

The trails are officially ice! Manny took the team out for a good run yesterday, going on different trails. He was heading to the ponds trail, but saw that there was so much ice and overflow, that he decided NOT to chance it (didn't want to fall through rotten ice). So, he took a trail that a neighbor/musher told us about to skirt the ice...he ended up doing a solid run with the dogs up and over the ridge trail and back around the home trail. I guess the dogs were feeling frisky...he said it was so slick that they were hauling the atv, brakes on and all! He said that those dogs were running around 19mph (with the atv in gear!)....then on hills they were doing between 12-14mph. He finally got them down to about 12mph towards the end of the run by making them pull the atv by putting it in gear. Going that fast on icy trails is just asking for injuries. He said they all looked pretty good coming in, except Booger. I guess Booger decided to twist around, jump over his partner, and got himself tangled up for a spell. He was a bit tired. Just and Dusk were in lead and decided they didn't want to turn here, or take that trail there...what a bunch of goofballs! All in all, they must have been feeling good though. Those dogs have gotten so strong that they broke 2 (count them, not one, but TWO) quickreleases at the start of the run! Manny uses 2 of them, just in case one fails, the other quick release tie-off will hold the team/ATV until he's ready to go. He said the dogs were lunging so hard that he heard a loud POP like a gun going off. He didn't worry too much, cause he knew he had the back up. Then, while he was getting his coat on before heading out, he heard another loud POP then suddenly, there goes the team with the ATV! Those dogs were dragging that thing, brakes and all. Scary strong!! He quickly caught the ATV and jumped on...but whew, what a crazy run!

Back out again today with the main team. I'm going to try and head home so that I can get a run in with the B team...but it's not looking likely (staff meetings...ugh!). The dogs are coming along and we'll be upping the miles again shortly. The Tune-up has been officially cancelled, no surprise there with current trail conditions. Still, it would have been nice to have a full racing season! Sheesh! Do your snow dances and hope that the Solstice makes it this year.
=Rogue

No training today

Dusk wants to know, what's up with this weather??

It's just CRAZY! The season started off with some nice snowfall, making us all hopeful for a good season...then a chinook blows in, melting most of the snow and turning everything into an ice rink. We opted to give the dogs a couple days off, in hopes that we'll get at least a light snowfall to help the trails. We felt it would be counterproductive to run the dogs on ice....definitely don't need any injuries. We'll go back in training tomorrow, trying to keep the speed down. Here in about a week or two, we'll start doing a back-to-back at least once a week. Not a lot of miles, but enough to get the dogs back into the idea of resting/running. We like to keep things (as Conor would say) Spon-TAN-nU-us. ;o) Those of you who've seen "Happy Feet" will understand. We're about ready to do 20s with the A team. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that we get some more snow soon. If not, it's going to be another rough year. Do those snow dances everyone!

=Rogue

Inu

This here is Inu. Inu came to us from Nenana....he had been a tour dog, but a divorce resulted in Inu desperately needing a new home. Therefore, we went down and brought back Inu along with 2 other dogs: Spike and Scooby (siblings). Scooby is off running sprints with Lynn Orbision, Spike is busy running in the B team; but, Inu has really surprised us in that he is the best wheel dog we've ever had! I really noticed this running the 07 YQ 300...the Yukon had a lot of sidehilling, and this dog was the star! Inu kept the sled up and made my job easier on the sled. Talk about working together! What a dream!! Inu lost a lot of weight on that one race though, bringing to light that he has a mild thyroid problem. We're going to work with Dr. Olsen to see what happens with it. We're trying to avoid meds...but may have to go that route. We neutered Inu and while he isn't chunky, he is holding decent weight now. Inu is a hard working member of the team. He and I have a solid relationship...and that dog knows how much I love him. Too awesome! Ok, I gotta run out and give him a hug...

=Rogue

Training and Chinooks

Hi All! Training goes forward here at Rogue Summit Kennel. The A team is getting quite a workout with hard, grinding runs followed by fast, fun runs...sometimes forced due to the warm (read HOT) temps we've been having. Lack of more snow still has us on the atvs and with temps in the 40s at our place, we can't take the dogs across ponds, in case of rotten ice. We are taking it slow and easy in our mileage increments...though I have to admit it does have me chomping at the bit. We're usually doing 25s and 30s by now...but this year, we're doing things just a bit different, so we're not up there yet. I have to keep reminding myself to "stick to it" just like you do on races. It's easy to get sucked into someone else's "plan" and forget your own when it comes to building miles. So...I just keep reminding myself that we're doing fine and the dogs are on schedule. I checked out the Cantwell Classic 200 website and the list of racers is up! Holy crow...I can't believe the names listed on there. Looks like we'll have a full field too...though I already figured that would happen. I'm sincerely looking forward to this race even more, as I'll be racing with some of the best out there! :o) I got to do the same last year...though it was rather short-lived.

Well, I'm off. I'm soooo looking forward to this 4 day weekend to get out and RUN! Yahoo!! I've been lacking in the training department, as I've been working so much (too much!). Therefore, I can't wait to get out and train the dogs. Ahhh...my stress reliever! Ciao! -Tammi

Rockin' Rocket

Meet Rocket. Rocket is a VERY nice dog. He mostly runs in wheel, but if asked, Rocket will run anywhere in the team. We haven't had him in lead, as he used to lead and said that he didn't want to do that anymore. However, with a few years off from leading, we're going to try him up front to see if he'd like to take a turn or two in that position. :o) Rocket is always being goofy and loves to jump up and give me big hugs. Here, he's tossing his head around, telling me to come pet him. I love this dog and he sure knows it! ;o)

Meet the pups at 5 months old

Here's Storm. She sure is pretty isn't she?!?

Hail is a lover. He's a real sweetheart.

Here's my Rain girl! She looks so much like her mom, Dutchess. I expect great things from this little girl.

Just "Just"

This is "Just". He came to us over a year ago from Lynn Orbison over at Daisy Acres. He wasn't quite fast enough to do sprinting, so Lynn thought he'd like to try mid-distance with us. He definitely has speed! We put Just in lead and woo! Off he went! Just ran in the 07 Cantwell Classic 200 and the 07 Quest 300. He is VERY stubborn though. If he feels that we should Gee, then no amount of Haw will turn him unless the other leader jerks him over. I can't imagine what other mushers think when I'm calling "Just Gee!", "Just Gee!" Ha ha ha! They probably think I'm exasperated and begging my leaders to just gee already! ;o) He's also a CHOW hound and if he thinks food is around, it takes a LOT of convincing to get him going until he's had a "bite to eat." All joking aside, this dog has become a solid leader who runs through anything. And, he's gotten much better about taking the commands that we'd like him to, as well. :o) He's a character, that one. And a solid asset to the team.

Cantwell is a Go!

So here is me with the team at the start of the Cantwell Classic 07 last season. That's Torus on the left, Feather on the right and then you can see Ahab (light dog on the left) leaping next to Dusk (on the right behind Feather). Last year, I got caught up in a defeatist type attitude at the first stop and ended up making a BIG rookie mistake. The dogs had looked great, were ready to keep going....but instead of listening to the dogs, I listened to folks around me and we scratched. I should have just slept on it, or put on my mp3 player and ignored things around me and my team. Well, I entered the race to learn and I surely did that. I'm very happy to report that I'm signed up for the 08 Cantwell Classic 200 and I can't WAIT to get back out on that trail. The dogs are already training for the hills and looking strong. The Cantwell website (http://www.cantwellclassic.com/) doesn't have the list of mushers up yet, but I did hear that there are about 27 mushers signed up. The limit is 35 mushers, which I think will happen. This event is a quality race and is a qualifier for both the Quest and Iditarod. The folks in Cantwell work hard to make this a good race, which is saying a lot since they don't have a big pool of volunteers to pick from.

I'm also all signed up for the Quest 300, though they are having difficulties with the website (http://www.yukonquest300.com/) and haven't been able to update it yet. Keep checking back if you are interested in following the race. Manny is planning on racing as well. His first race will be the Solstice 100, which will be a nice 50 miles out to Angel Creek, a 4 hour layover, then 50 miles back to Pleasant Valley Store. This will be a GREAT training race for both Manny and the team. Then, Manny will be racing the Two Rivers 200 in March. He ran the Two Rivers 100 last season and took 2nd place. So, he's already completed the first part of the race. This will help him when he races the 200 miler, as he'll already be familiar with the conditions.

Follow along with us as we move through the 07/08 season. If you'd like to assist us on our journey, please let us know! We could certainly use the help and would appreciate the support.

Ciao!
-Tammi

Dusk

Meet Dusk! Dusk is a 4 year old male leader. He is energetic and solid in lead. Dusk led for almost the entire run of every race last year, with just a few breaks here and there. He has developed into a great gee/haw leader who will go through anything!

Dusk has been on the Quest trail, leading Eric Butcher's 06 team over Eagle Summit. I will be counting on this guy to get us up

and over the mountains this season. Dusk is the father

of our newest kennel members:

Rain, Storm & Hail (you can see them on our kennel listing).

Dusk is one of our main stars here at

Rogue Summit Kennel!

Alright!

Those dogs are just doing fantastic! Manny went up Oh-My-God hill with the team on a longer run and they are just pulling nicely. I'm very happy with their progress and thrilled with the leaders that we are able to rotate through. We do have a dog or two available for adoption. Not because they don't run well, but because they either have shorter coats or would fit better in a team not doing the distances we are. Though I think most of them are spoken for.

Dutchess is running with Swanny and his freighters this winter. He needed a good leader and she needed a retirement style team to run in. What a fit! I'm waiting to hear how she does on her first run with his team. Swanny said that they've been doing about the same mileage, so it should work out nicely. Yay for Dutchess!! :o) Wahoo!

Here's Dutchess in lead

Ok, so now, let's keep doing our snow dances and get some more of that white stuff so that we can shake the dust off of those sleds and let the runners hit the trails!!

-Tammi

Meet Zen

Here is Zen! She is a 4 year old gee/haw leader who was in training for the 07 Iditarod. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to bring this girl to RS Kennel to run with our team. She is a dynamite leader who runs very solid. Zen led our team to a 2nd place finish in the Chatanika 100! Zen is a sweetheart who LOVES to give kisses and get hugs. She is a lover, though all business in harness. Zen is one of the stars of Rogue Summit Kennel.

Would you like to Sponsor Zen?? She sure would appreciate your support! Contact us today for information on

how to be a Dog sponsor for one of these athletes

Today.

Running well

Both teams were run today, with the B team going out first. Munchkin and Riley were in lead for this run. We like to keep them slower, as we are running the oldsters, youngsters and the rest of the race dogs from the A team. With about 20 solid race dogs, it's just easier to split them up between the two teams. The B team went a bit further today, taking the loop, over a 5 mile run. Balian ran in this team and did really well. We'll keep him in training with the other 3 yearlings, Odin, Peiper & Zeus. Dutchess also ran with the team, even at 9 years old, that girl still has it! She's slowed down some, but still running strong.

The A team went longer today, going up Oh-My-God Hill to run on the logging road toward the Fire Break trail. It was a long, hard pull, but they did it just fine. Just and Dusk started out in lead, with Zen & Feather in swing behind these 2 boys. However, Zen kept trying to pull out and around the boys. Manny didn't want to run her in lead, as she's still in heat..but she was adamant about it. So, he stopped the team, took Just out of lead and put Zen up front. No problems at all! Dusk didn't even blink and Zen was hard into the tug. Definitely good news, as I can count on them to keep their heads into the runs, even when hormones are raging. Right on!! It never seems to fail that at least one of my girls goes into heat on the Quest 300. I definitely don't want any problems like I had on the 06 YQ300, with boys snarling and grumbling most of the way. Though, Feather went into heat on the 07 YQ300, and I didn't have a single issue.

The dogs are looking good and fit. Its very heartening to see them. We are really working on solid conditioning and I feel that we're getting a solid base. Its amazing what these dogs can do.

New addition

It's been a busy week for us, as we made our way through Halloween, got our new atv with a plow and winch (yay...no more shoveling!), Parent/Teacher Conferences for me, then I was a line judge for the Regional Volleyball tournament on Friday evening. That was truly interesting, as I hadn't done that before. I felt all official and stuff. ;o)

We swapped a dog with Jodi. Balian, who came from Lance Mackey, is just a yearling pup that Jodi had taken on. He is a good running dog, but he just didn't have the long leaping stride of her hound yearlings (she's training for sprinting/stage racing). On the other hand, we had Skuuga, a hard-driving sprint dog who we just have not been able to get trotting (she'd run herself into the ground had we taken her on a long run). So, we swapped. Jodi took Skuuga, who is already running well for her and we took Balian. Balian is a beautiful boy that we'd considered getting from Lance...but, Jodi decided she wanted him instead. Guess things work out as they should.

Balian

The A team ran really well today. They had a tough workout, as I rode along with Manny on the run...phew, those poor doggies didn't know what hit them! Ha ha ha! Still, they ran very strong and quickly, came in wagging their tails and pulling us back to their posts. Definitely time to up the mileage. They've been doing 7-8 milers for a couple of weeks, so they are truly solid. In the past, we've jumped up in mileage fairly quickly. However, this year we've decided to really get the dogs able to pull hard and lope coming in, before we up their miles. True, we aren't going as far as some others are at this point...but we feel that the dogs are getting very solid conditioning. They are so strong, that it's scary on that atv going around some of the turns! Wow! On the B team, we've decided that there are a couple of dogs who just aren't up for running the Quest with us, so we're looking for good homes for them. Check out our Kennel listing for more info if interested by clicking here: Rogue Summit Kennel.

I'm off. Work comes early tomorrow. Have a great one, folks!
-Tammi