SPYteam Overnight

The annual Jr. Ski Patrol (SPYteam) overnight includes creating an "avalanche" complete with buried victims for National Ski Patrol Members to test their avalanche training on. The kids and I use a 200 yd, chute called SDN (steep, deep and narrow) for the scenario. This year we had about 3' new snow on top of the season's accumulation, blowing winds and temperatures in the teens.

All of the kids would much rather have been skiing this chute than wallowing in the deep powder but, these are amazing teen volunteers. They worked really hard without complaint.

We got to hit the slopes while the Ski Patrol searched for our "victims"  - which actually did include one SPYteam member.

After the lifts closed, Cedar and Koyuk gave each of the kids a chance to mush.

Old McKenzie took a few runs too.

Cedar and Koyuk

The kids still had energy to spare - Oh to be young again. 

A patroller couple generously let the 17 of us bunk in their beautiful cabin for the night.

The dogs kept a close eye on the table ready for anything that might be dropped.

6 am, 14 degrees and beautiful snow.

McKenzie was a bit sore from yesterday's runs.

Van is packed and ready to head home with homework burdened kids. The rest had another bluebird powder day.

OFA-PAR

BrownStone Koyuk had her OFA hip x-rays and prenatal exam today. She had to be put under for the x-rays and was quite "drunk" for a few hours. When the poor girl tried to walk, her front legs splayed and the faster rear legs moved forward to bypass them leaving her with a drunken swagger. I got to bring her home early. McKenzie and Cedar took turns as PAR (post anesthesia recovery) nurses. She was asleep with her head on McKenzie's rump until I disturbed her by grabbing the camera.

 She then used her mom's rump as a pillow.

 Soon only a full body snuggle would comfort.

I am pleased to announce that Koyuk was determined to be in the best of health on her exam and the x-rays were deemed excellent by two vets. Last week she passed her eye exams.

As I type, she snuggling comfortably in bed with Dave.Soon she will get to help me with nesting for a litter of puppies.

Skijoring

Mindy, head of the pro-ski patrol, has been wanting to try skijoring so we took a hookie Wednesday adventure to the mountains.

I have not been on skinny skate skis for at least 5 years. I gave Mindy, the much younger and better skier, Koyuk, the younger more energetic Chinook. I skied with Cedar.

 X-C skiers watching skijorers always say "you're cheating" but it is really harder than it looks, especially if you have dogs that need to make sure you are all right, give kisses and get tangled when you are down.

For the most part it was beautiful gliding on a cold winter day.

  Opps. Cedar is consoling Mindy as Koyuk checks for a squirrel.

After a little over 3 miles, we made it back to the van - tired from laughing and wonderful exercise.

Until the next adventure...

Westminster

The dogs weren't interested at all in the Westminster Dog Show until this terrier started yipping.

I put caption bubbles on this picture but could not get the file to post.
Cedar:"Is that really a dog?"
McKenzie: "Nah, I bet it can't even pull a dog sled."
Koyuk: "I saw that guy drop a treat!"

 Back to sleep. Maybe they will have more interest in the "Working Group".

Working Sled Dog Title

To earn their working sled dog title, each trip needs all kinds of completed paperwork and pictures of the start, turn-around point and finish. When the dogs average running along about 15 mph, the paperwork often takes more time than the trip. But getting to run the dogs 100 documented miles and having a collection of pictures makes the title program more than worth it.

The van is locked and the dogs are ready to go.

I love these hard packed trails. We really fly along.

I am always on the lookout for snowmobiles. They groom these trails and I want to stay on best of terms. When I heard them coming, it sounded like a posse of every snowmobile in central Oregon coming my way. The noise became deafening about the time I spotted the freight train on the slope above us.

Today I decided to turn around where the paved road, train-track and my trail converged. Though it made for a longer run, I never want to repeat last week's 2 mile trip along the road.

The dogs agree. They were still kicking up snow clogs at 7 miles.

I hopped off the sled to catch a picture of the dogs with Diamond Peak Mt. in the background.

End of the day's trail.

Siblings? Huh?

Apollo joined his 1/2 sister Cedar in the CGC class. Apollo has completed his puppy classes so is ready for more advanced work.  Even though all my dogs have their CGC certification,  I use the class for socialization - both the dogs' and mine. Cedar had met Apollo once when he was a puppy but was a little hesitant with his playful approaches.

Apollo and Cedar have the same mother and if her puppies had survived Cedar may have had a son just like him. Cedar and her mother were both bred to Apollo's dad Jiggles. Handsome isn't he?

If you are wondering about Apollo's buff color, it does show up every once in a while. The most famous buff colored Chinook belonged Andrew Weyth. He was the model in several of Weyth's paintings.

 The sort-of siblings on a down-stay.

Except for the last 2 miles, today I had my second best ever dogsled run. (It will take quite a ride to beat running a team of Karen Yeargain's racing huskies in the Ocochos). After dropping Dave off at the ski area so he could work with the Jr. patrollers, I headed on over the pass to Crescent Lake. I had never been there but had heard there were nice 2 and 4 mile loops. This area is a snowmobile mecca but being Superbowl Sunday I figured the traffic would be lighter. As it turned out we had the freshly groomed trails to ourselves. I grabbed a trail map from the warming cabin, hitched up the dogs and off we went.

The dogs ran strong for miles...

and miles. All I had to do was hang on.

Then we came out of the woods to a road and RR track. Neither were on my map. Yup, I was lost so I anchored the sled and walked up to talk with the crew working on the ties. They told me to follow the road and that the sno-park was about a mile plus away.

Our trail was no longer groomed but not too bad for the first 1/4 mile or so.

By this time the temperature was in the 40s. We were getting hot and tired in the punchy snow. At one point the dogs decided running on the road would be the better option only to get tangled in a small tree  and each other when I insisted we stay on the trail.

Every driveway and side street was an abrupt drop off the snow bank onto pavement, carry the sled and back onto the now very diminished trail.

Within canine smelling distance of the sno-park the dogs had had enough of the rough trail and headed cross-country in the deep snow.

Our great adventure ended with a 6 foot drop straight down to the parking lot.

After loading up, I drove back to the RR tracks. It was exactly 2 miles. I do plan to make this my playground but first need to find a better map: 1) to figure out how far we actually ran. My guess is 8-9 miles and 2) to find the actual looping trails.