Best of Times, Worst of Times

Took the team out today for a 50 mile run, and it became quite memorable both good and bad. On the plus side, we were running the snowmobile trail out by Button Box and a black wolf crossed our path, just ahead of the team. Magnificent! The wolf passed in front of us just a few dozen feet away, totally nonchalant -- glanced at the team coming toward him and kept on moving. He kept on going, and so did we. We continued on to the Wilderness Willie trail, and headed out through the series of mudholes to the Lofgren and Holstrum roads to complete our training loop. The dogs aren't very fond of going through the mudholes late in the season, as the water is cold and they'd just as soon get around them if they can. Sometimes they can...and sometimes they can't. Coast tried to jump the last mudhole, and missed...dislocating both her shoulder and elbow on her right side. Ouch!

So I was in quite a pickle -- I suspected a dislocation and wanted to get her to the vet ASAP. But she couldn't walk, and wouldn't stay on my lap back through the mudholes, yet that was the shortest way home. So I decided to go on to get out to the Lofgren Road, hoping to meet up with a hunter who might have a working cell phone and I could get someone to come out and pick her up while I take the rest of the team home.

And that's what happened. I ran into John, who went out of his way to help, driving up and down the Lofgren until he got a cell signal, and we got hold of Clarke and Sue who drove out, picked up Coast and took her into the vet in Hibbing, where the dislocations were reduced and she got home just after I got the team home and put away. She has some healing to do, but the prognosis is excellent and we'll take care to do all the right rehab. Keep your fingers crossed!

Button Box Campout -- Rain, rain, go away!

Poured on Thursday, rained Friday, beautiful Sat., cloudy Sunday. Really, really poured on Thursday -- hard, no respite, just getting hooked up got you soaked. Everyone decided to run the dogs over to Button Box campground directly, rather than trying to go to Kendall Camp on Thursday and then back to Button Box on Friday. So we did...and still got soaked.

When we got to the campground, all the big teams park at the meadow by the boat ramp. Problem was, with all the rain, the bottom of the meadow was a pond, at it's deepest about 3-4 feet. So I had to force Coast and Rope to go thru, since the exit trail is on the other side of the pond. Not a very popular idea, but they did it. Put Crimp in lead for pond, to take it easy on his foot. Lots of sore feet throughout the team, which is typical for this stage of training, and is something the dogs have to learn to work through. Achoo took a chunk out of Tie's side when he tried to take her dinner. A few harness rubs from all the wet harnesses and sand, so had to do some switching of harnesses/sizes to provide different pressure points.

All in all, a soaking wet weekend, but typical in terms of mid-fall training. With Andrew running some of the dogs, everybody got to participate which was great experience. We put on nearly 100 miles over the weekend, everybody ate and everybody ran -- all in all, a terrific weekend!

Andrew and the pups go to Boot Camp

Andrew Gehrig came over from Australia to learn how to run dogs at the Oregon Mushing Boot Camp in May, and borrowed some of mine since he couldn't bring his due to quarantine restrictions. He had such a great time that he arranged to come back to Togo this fall and again attend Boot Camp, as well as the other fall training events which Jamie has. This fall he got a larger team...my 3 yearling pups (Dane, Gjetost and Shout), plus Hasp and 2 leaders Reebok and Utah. Put those guys together with a beat up old cart with questionable brakes and you have a recipe for exciting training runs. Andrew did a great job and really enjoyed Boot Camp and trying new combinations of dogs and new leaders. The dogs got to work with someone different, new experiences and it was a win-win for everyone.

Another Team Member...Gus' sister Achoo!

Today we got another team member. Gus' sister Achoo came to us...a little pipsqueak of a dog, but my does she work hard! She's quite shy, just as Gus used to be, so I have my work cut out for me. She loves to pull, works hard, and we'll use feeding her to overcome her shyness. My dogs all learn to eat while being petted. If they won't allow themselves to be petted while they eat, the food is removed and we try again later. It doesn't take them long to figure out what they have to do to be fed!

I also learned where Gus' and Achoo's names came from. Many mushers give litters "theme" names, and this litter was no exception. These dogs were named about "noses". Gus is short for gezundheit, and Achoo is well, a-choo!

Welcome Achoo!

Arrived in Togo

Arrived in Togo, MN at my fall training base – Jamie Nelson’s. In the first week and a half we’ve had 23 degrees, 80 degrees, thunderstorms, humidity, dry, buckets of rain, wind, and calm. I’ve gotten my new 4-wheeler, lost the team (for a tiny distance, the bridle on the 4-wheeler gave way and they headed straight for a water hole in front of them), dog team went swimming (several different mudholes), switched their diet to mink, got everyone in the dog yard with buckets, houses and newly graded circles, started everyone on an aggressive parasite riddance protocol, and everyone has 30 something miles already…in other words, the typical start of fall training. You definitely hit the ground running here! Oh, and moved into my cabin, my home away from home this fall and early winter.


The rain continues…sometimes warm, sometimes cool, but nearly always wet. Welcome relief from years of drought which has plagued this area. The ditches and mudholes are starting to fill as the water table slowly recovers. It’s amazing what you notice as you traverse the same terrain day after day at 8-10 mph!


Today was a swimming lesson, although no body actually swam. Turns out that one of the “doggie dips” along the driveway as we make our way out to the main road is a wonderful place to train listening, control, discipline and much more…all the while getting the team nice and wet at the start of the run so nobody overheats. Only today Liz got to get nice and wet too, well above my knees and therefore of course waterlogged boots. Heading out you go through the water hole from the north, so the deep side is on your left, and your leaders must “haw-over” to at least the middle and not hug the right hand bank. Coming back, vice-versa, a definitive “gee-over is required. So when that doesn’t happen…swimming lessons! Many trips sloshing to the front of the team to convince Tie and Rope that they could just STAND, then walk, through the chest deep water without melting. Being huskies they of course did not believe this at first, and it took repeated demonstrations, pushing them over, pleading looks (them to me), stern looks (me to them) and I ended up as wet as they in the process. But when success came, how sweet! Once they decided to do it, they did it with style. Coming back, just one reminder, then straight across, fully geed-over, and never looked back – leading the team exactly like they should!!!

p.s. On subsequent runs, with Tie in lead with other dogs, he’s done a consistently marvelous job at doing the doggie dip exactly as it should be done. Heaps of praise and he knows he’s done well.

Busy Week!

This has certainly been a busy week for the team...well, if not for the dogs, at least for me! All the trip preparations are falling into place -- good thing since we leave for fall training this coming Wednesday (Sept. 5th)! Truck has been serviced and has new tires, so it's ready to go. Trailer has new wheel bearings, new batteries, and new kennels on the back, so it's ready to go. I've gotten a zillion things done, clothes packed, harnesses, vet supplies, etc. ready to go -- a couple of zillion loose ends to take care of, so I'm not personally ready to go...but I will be by Wednesday!

And the big news: Our Iditarod race entry was received and we're up on the Iditarod website! On the musher listing for 2008, you'll find us as entry #76 -- since I graduated high school in '76, I've always been partial to that number, so that's just fine with me. No, that won't necessarily be our bib number, just the entry number, but we're in!

Sled Dog Sendoff Celebration

Last evening we had our final local fundraising event before we depart for fall training...a Sled Dog Sendoff Celebration! It was tons of fun, as I'm sure the dogs who got to come would agree. I brought a "whole Iditarod team" -- 16 of the dogs from the kennel, and they were well appreciated, photographed and lots of pets to go around for everyone.

All the local support from folks in the Klamath Basin is a huge boost for the team, both financially and emotionally as we prepare to take on this ultimate challenge! Wow...folks are really interested, and we got to share lots of stories as well as a sneak peak at our Iditarod sled which I'd just picked up. Knowing we have all this wonderful support, so many people following us and rooting for us -- how can we possibly not get it done?! We will!!!

Welcome to Briar's Patch Sled Dogs!

Welcome to Briar's Patch Sled Dogs' Blog! The team has a lot to say, and asked me to post on their behalf. We hope you enjoy coming along on our adventure as we work toward the finish line of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race at Nome, Alaska in March 2008. We welcome your questions and comments...and promise lots of virtual doggie kisses and hugs!