The temperature was in the mid 30's this morning - perfect for a Ferrari run. Koyuk has not had any pulling instructions and has only been in harness once before but her Chinook mushing instincts made her look a pro. I hooked the dogs in a fan hitch with Koyuk's tug line a bit shorter. That way she was free to keep her own pace and could watch Willy and Cedar. Her pace turned out to be on par with the other two. In fact I think having her there spurred them to go faster.
We flew past the 1/2 mile point and were still going strong at the 1 mile. I rested them before attempting a hill and turned us around at the 1.5 mile point. (Gotta love Google Earth. Last night, I was able to take a virtual trip down the road and identify landmarks as mileage reference markers.) They ran the entire way back with only one brief rest before another hill.
I laid tracks for the dogs while they were catching their breath. McKenzie's ability continues to amaze me. Her 300' track was 45 minutes old with treat drops at every 10 to 15 feet. Debris on the road prevented her from being able to use the treats to indicate where she was to go. She had to rely on her nose to know where I had walked. She didn't miss a one and only got a little confused where a jogger had jogged through her track. Cedar completed a 300" track and Willy did a 100' one. I got smart today and laid Willy's going up hill. He still dragged me along but it was easier to keep up.
Now all dogs are resting. Koyuk has her won chair next to the dog couch.
.jpg)
