SPYteam Rides the Runners

Saturday the dogs and I drove up to Willamette Pass to give the SPYteam (Ski Patrol Youth) Jr. Ski Patrol an opportunity to try mushing. It was pouring down rain, windy and getting dark when we set up to ride on the heavy snow.  Trask was so excited he wrapped a patroller up with the tie-out line.

 The kids learned how to put a harness on a dog...

 and stand on both brakes while the dogs were hooked up.

 After a few runs, Koyuk and Cedar slacked off a bit and let Trask do all the heavy pulling.

I brought the basket sled with the plan of me being a passenger so I could get the dogs turned around...

but the dogs took off so fast, I never did catch the sled to hitch a ride. (If I sat on the sled before giving the "Let's Go", Trask would come back to join me on my lap instead of heading out on the trail.)

Soaked but happy SPYteam mushers with Team Nookies 

Thanks to everyone who braved using their cell phones in the pouring rain to get pictures.