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.