What a way to celebrate a birthday! The day started out overcast and grey but the temperature hadn't dropped overnight. Breakfast was at 9:00, with accompanying birthday greetings, and it was at least 11:30 by the time we got to the dog yard. The first order of business was training on steering (weight shifting) and then what to do should the sled tip over and how to get it back upright and jump back on. Most important thing is to hang on! Basic commands are 'okay' to start them off, 'whoa' to stop them along with stepping on the brake, 'straighten up' when they lose focus and start licking up snow, and 'tighten up' when the line gets slack. Anyway, we then collected our teams, again one by one, and got them harnessed up. My lead dogs were Coal and Whistle, Sirus was in the middle and Scout in the wheel position. Wheel dogs are responsible for keeping the sled on the trail going around corners.
It was 2:30 by the time we headed into the hills and about -3
. My niece chose to ride for the day, so we were 3 teams. We climbed quite a few hills, steadily going up following the lake north. At one point the dogs behind me were overtaking me and when I looked back they had no driver on the sled! I grabbed the dogs to keep them for going any farther and we waited maybe five minutes until their musher (my niece's husband) showed up.
Some of the climbs were steep enough we had to get off to make it easier on the dogs. Fabulous views along the way but rather close to the edge a few times for my comfort, although no steep drop offs, just some steep pitches. At the top we got into more woods, narrower trails and then a long meadow. We even had a fine drift of snow for a little while. The sky never did clear up.
Lunch stop was around 3:30 beside a little lake. We had a fire and the others toasted sandwiches but I had mine right out of the wrapper. Wasn't taking chances on loosing it in the fire. I was hungry! My feet got cold during the stop. But then we got going again, made our way around the lake and back on the same trail going down
. By the time I'd stood on the drag a few times, moved back and forth on the skids to help steer and rode the brake to keep from going too fast down the slopes, my feet were warm again.
Then I smucked into a tree! Didn't handle a corner quite right and everything came to a halt! The team behind me went off the track and the sled flipped to the side but managed to get back on track again really quickly. I got myself back on track too, but when Ned stopped soon afterward to ask me if I wanted to go down a slope he knew was dicey, I said 'no thanks' and tied up my team while he rode his team down, tied it up and climbed back up to bring my team down. I walked down and was supposed to help my niece keep his team, 7 dogs, from getting tangled up. That was a challenge! Those dogs can get themselves twisted up together and in their own harnesses very quickly. Anyway, Ned sorted it all out when he got down with my team and we were back to the dog yard by about 6:00. Each dog got some warm water with soaked crumbles and then back to their own huts.
By then it was pretty much supper time, but still only about -3. Chicken, steamed vegetables and rice casserole for supper and then birthday cake with candles and everything. My niece had even brought tarts and sour cherries from home to make for me ... Very special! ... And some perfect gifts. It was lovely! But I was exhausted from the day (mushing in the woods is a serious workout) so it was into the sleeping bag for me by 10:00.
Mushing through the woods
Friday, March 04, 2016
Lake Labarge, Yukon, Canada
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2025-02-13
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Michele and jerry
2016-03-10
Wow the most perfect birthday day!!!!!
Michele and jerry
2016-03-10
Wow the most perfect birthday day!!!!!