A friend sent me some pictures of Team Nookies at LaPine.
Ferrari's new brakes did not hold with Koyuk on the team. I am trying to release them as we were racing through the staging area.
The next day the snow was gone but it was 15 degrees as we ran through gauntlet of a several hundred excited sled dogs in the staging area.
Team Nookies with after burner Koyuk going strong.
All smiles at the end of four brisk miles.
The next day the snow was gone but it was 15 degrees as we ran through gauntlet of a several hundred excited sled dogs in the staging area.Team Nookies with after burner Koyuk going strong.All smiles at the end of four brisk miles.
Lisa bred, raised and trained the world's best mannered and talented Bull Terriers (the dog with the egg shaped head you see on the Target ads). Bullies are banned from many areas, even whole countries. Lisa proved even with their squished, out-of-shape brain they could do wonders. She put the first ever tracking title on a Bully. Her dogs titled in agility, rally-O, obedience and tracking. They showed as national champions in conformation. Lisa leaves behind a husband and four Bullies. Like them, I will really miss her.
My sister and her husband cooked two complete Thanksgiving meals so everyone would have leftovers to take home. They only sat long enough for pictures then back to the kitchen.
Iris and Dad. They just keep looking better.
My beautiful sister with four of her gorgeous daughters
Sleeping beauties resting up for Black Friday shopping. 
"obviously these kids are on the floor for kisses"
"Is he really dead? Sure looks dead."
"don't hurt my baby"
"do I get to play with her after you are done?"
How many Chinooks in this picture?
Cedar ready to tag Willy and Koyuk
McKenzie rejoins the game
The joke around here is that I never get the excess Christmas greens cleaned off the front patio before our first snow buries them. This year Ma Nature decided to bury the fall leaves too. 
Saturday morning brought freezing rain ice covered with snow. The staging area was crowded with hundreds of excited dogs and their mushers.
We met the Chinook team from Portland. Unfortunately Willy and Koyuk were too reactive from all the stress to try to combine our teams. 
Team Nookies had our longest and most adventurous run ever. We followed some large teams on a 4.5 mile course. 
By the time we were back to the trailhead 20 minutes later, most of the snow had melted. I pulled off the side of the trail to take pictures of other teams. Meanwhile...
Team Nookies became hopelessly tangled.
Saturday afternoon was jam packed with potluck entrees and desserts, wine and beer and mushing talk. Trail hardened mushers answered questions and were egged on to share some of their adventures. Much later, once the snow started, we abandoned the campfire to raid the leftovers and resume mushing tales. 
SPYteam members at the ready
"Injured" SPYteam member being bandaged, "packaged" and made ready for transport (by a former SPYteam member, now patroller)
SPYteam member lowered from the ski lift after a very, long, cold wait 
down time between scenarios
patrollers lowering SPYteam members from the lift
piece of cake - where's the hot cocoa?
He has a pump for the blood coming out his arm wound. 
Waiting to find if they have any vitals 
Yes, that is a real defibulator.
Removal of a helmet without injuring his neck.
Successful toilet stall removal.
Chest pain. He's hurting.
Guess she won't be skiing any more today.
Chest compressions while going downhill in a sled. 
I truly believe by the time the SPYteam members perform as patients for all the ski season patroller training, they too become competent first aiders. They know when a bandage has been securely applied. They see competence or discomfort in the different patrollers performing first aid. And they learn injury and illness symptoms from being a patient. As co-leader of the SPYteam, my job is to oversee the kids. Today this group of SPYteam members made a great start learning to be patrollers. 
Patrol trainins was not all I did today. Willy, Cedar and McKenzie were tested on their tracking progress. It was pouring rain the whole time. The dogs were to track where a stranger had walked. During the 20-40 minute between when the tracks were laid and the dogs were put on them, the rain and wind scattered the scent. My dogs performed amazingly. We then set tracks on the uncut grass and weeds on the parking mediums. The dogs had not tracked on grass before. Again they were amazing. I did not know exactly where the track was in the grass but all three followed it dead on - right through rain, weeds, tall grass and blackberry vines.