Day 10 - More Fun in Denali

We're up and off on another day full of fun and adventures. Our first excursion for the day is to Husky Homestead, home of four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King.  Does it seem like I'm a little obsessed with the Iditarod and the dogs?  Well, I am!  Definitely!  This was at the top of my "must see" list when we were planning this trip.  As I said in an earlier post, I have been an Iditarod fan for many years, and when we were planning our excursions, I absolutely HAD to sign up for a chance to see the dogs up close and learn more about this fascinating (to me at least) sport.  At the time, we had no idea we would get two other chances to visit kennels and see the dogs.  And even though we did get those two other chances, I'm so glad we also did this one, because it was the best, and the one where we learned the most about how everything works.

Husky Homestead picked us up in its own bus and drove us to the kennel, just outside Denali National Park.

Husky Homestead Bus

The second we got off the bus, we were handed puppies . .  warm, soft, cuddly tiny baby puppies . . .

So cute!

It doesn't get better than this!

We totally could have spent the rest of the day just snuggling these adorable little fur-balls.  But, sadly, we had to give them back.  The trainers and Jeff King himself wanted to talk to us, to tell us all about what it takes to put an Iditarod team together.  And if we're holding puppies, we aren't going to hear a single word they say.  How true!  So we had to give the puppies back . . . {sigh}  And they count noses just to be sure every puppy is returned!

Once we were settled on benches, Jeff King introduced himself and told us a little about himself and his dogs . . .

Jeff King

What he humbly didn't say . . .  Jeff King is known as the "Winningist Musher in the World" and has won the Iditarod four times (1993, 1996, 1998, and 2006), won the Yukon Quest in 1989, earned twenty-four other first-place titles in races across Alaska and parts of North America, and was inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame in 1999.  With his first-place finish in 2006 at the age of 50, he became the oldest musher to win the Iditarod.  (This record was broken last year (2013) by Mitch Seavey who won at the age of 53).  He has logged over 150,000 miles on a dog-sled over the last thirty-five years.  So he definitely knows what he is talking about.  And he's also a natural born story-teller, making him very enjoyable to listen to.

He quickly turned our attention to his dogs while one of his trainers described how they work with the dogs and keep them in shape all year round.  As we saw with the other kennels we visited, they hitch the dogs to an ATV in the summer.  And as soon as the ATV comes into view, the dogs go absolutely crazy with their "Pick me", "Here I am", "It's my turn", attempts to get chosen.

And they're off!

Once the ATV is out of sight, the dogs instantly settle down and wait for their turn.

Back from the training run, the dogs get lots of love and attention
This is one of Jeff King's daughters

The dogs are raised with total love and affection and as a result, they are very gentle and friendly. One of the trainers demonstrated just how completely trusting and relaxed the dogs can be . . .

Can you do this with your dog?

The moment the puppies are born, they begin their training.  Those puppies we were handed when we first arrived?  They were being trained - we were actually training them - to accept the touch, handling, and smells of all sorts of different people.  To be gentle, relaxed, accepting.  This is so important because on the trail, they will come across many different people and no one wants a dog that is unpredictable, wild or fierce.  The musher needs to know exactly how his dog will react in any given situation.  So now we can add "sled-dog trainer" to our resume.

The dogs love to run in this wheel - gives them exercise and they get rewarded with treats

The puppies have their own smaller wheel that they also love

Puppy pile

The dogs are all so beautiful and so well cared for.  Besides all his other awards, Jeff King has twice received the Humanitarian Award for exemplary care of his dog team. And it shows. 

A closer look at a couple of these amazing dogs

We were then led into the building where Jeff King told us more about his life, the Iditarod trail, and how he raises, names and cares for his dogs . . .

The Iditarod trail is approximately 1100 miles, from Anchorage to Nome, and begins every year on the first Saturday in March with a "ceremonial" start in downtown Anchorage, complete with marching bands, huge crowds and a carnival-like atmosphere.  The actual race begins the next day (Sunday) in Willow, approximately 70 miles away.  Each team is allowed a maximum of 16 dogs, and must finish the race with a minimum of 6 dogs.  The optimum team is 9-10 dogs.  No dogs can be substituted during the race, only the dogs that start the race are allowed.  However, if a dog is injured or isn't performing properly, he/she can be removed from the team and sent home.  The entire race is all about the dogs - they are the athletes here and the main concern - the musher is just there to care for the dogs and direct them with standard words such as:

• Hike! (Let's go! Get moving!)
• Haw! (Turn left!)
• Gee! (Turn right)
• On by! (Pass another team! or Pay that distraction no mind!)
• Easy! (Slow down!)
• Whoa! (Stop!)

The race continues 24/7.  The dogs run for 6 hours, then rest for 6 hours, all around the clock.  During the rest periods, while the dogs eat and sleep, the musher is kept busy warming food for the dogs, melting snow to make water for the dogs, rubbing the dogs feet and checking them for injuries (the dogs wear booties to protect against rocks and other hazards), and carefully checking each dog from nose to tail to be sure he/she is healthy.  This process takes about 4-1/2 hours, leaving the musher only 1-1/2 hours to get any rest himself. Then it's right back on the trail.  That being said, there are three mandatory stops along the way . . . a 24-hour stop at any check-point, an 8-hour stop at any check-point along the Yukon River, and another 8-hour stop at White Mountain, the last check-point before the finish line at Nome.  The winners will run the entire race in around 9 days, or approximately 120 miles per day.

There are 22 check-points along the trail where the team must check in.  There they can restock supplies, and the dogs are examined by veterinarians.  Each dog requires 10-12,000 calories per day, which is a lot of food, and way more than can fit on the sled.  So the musher pre-packs the food and other supplies and sends the packs ahead to each of the check-in points.  The average weight the dogs are pulling is around 300 lbs.  The sled itself is about 50 lbs, each supply pack is about 100 lbs, and the musher's weigh around 150 lbs. One sled dog alone could pull the sled, the race is not a strain on the dogs at all.  It's all about endurance.  Also, the driver can have no outside help along the trail - he doesn't have a pit-crew waiting in the bushes - it's all up to him (or her).    

Jeff shows us a picture from one of his races

A closer look

The fully loaded sled

Jeff designed this sled, that keeps the musher's weight in the center instead of at the back end as in previous designs (see photo below).  Also, the ice chest not only holds food, it also provides a place to sit during the long runs.

Typical sled design hanging from ceiling

Jeff on the sled

Taking advantage of his seat

And where he spends his 1-1/2 hours of rest time on the trail

This is how he would actually look - all decked out in his protective snow-gear

Jeff also told us how the puppies get their names.  When he first came to Alaska and got interested in the Iditarod and decided he wanted to participate, the first step of course is to get the dogs.  So he started his Husky Homestead.  He has three grown daughters, who were just little girls at that time. The girls advised their dad that they would be in charge of naming the puppies.  And so it's been ever since, they are still naming the puppies.  Each littler has a "theme".  For example, the puppies we were holding at the beginning of this post are from the "Frozen" litter - I was holding Elsa, Carol had Anna.  Some of the other themes they have used - "Circus" (Barnum, Bailey), "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (Burglar, Menace, Suspect), "Opposites" (Yang, Ebb, Flow, Wax, Zig), "Insects" (Skeeter, Spider), they even once had the perfect litter for "Friends" (Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, Joey).  How cute is that?  They always know immediately which litter each dog is from just from his/her name.

We really enjoyed our time at the Husky Homestead, and hearing all the stories about the Iditarod.  And as I mentioned, Jeff King knows what he's talking about . . . here are just a few of his trophies . . .

 

Jeff King

Sadly, we had to leave the puppies behind and head back to our hotel to grab some lunch before our next adventure . . .

River Rafting on the Nenana River.  I've only been river rafting one time when John took me years ago, and I think the rapids must have been a "Class 1" at most - very calm and to tell the truth, I was very disappointed.  Carol has been several times with "Class 3-4" rapids and always says it's a total blast.  So I'm looking forward to this, because the rapids here are "Class 3-4" and I'm ready for a really fun adventure!

We were picked up at the hotel and taken to the "office" where we were outfitted from head to foot in a dry-suit.  Our hiking guide from yesterday, Easton, was there to help us get outfitted.  The dry-suit goes on over our regular clothing and then the life preserver goes on other that, and when it was all said and done, we looked like we were headed for outer space.  But you know what?  We didn't get wet . . . except for our hair, and at this point, who cares about that?  We were ready!  Of course, we couldn't take our cameras because there was no way to keep them dry, so the only photo we have is the one they took of us in the raft . . .

River Rafting on the Nenana River

Our guide, Lee, has been doing this forever.  He told us his parents took him river rafting when he was 10, and from that day on, that's what he wanted to be - a river guide, much to the disappointment of his parents who of course wanted him to go to college and have a "normal" career.  But he loves it and has been a guide on rivers all over the country.  The other guy in the raft with us, Dallan, works as a bartender on the train.  (As I may have said in an earlier post, most of the tour guides, adventure guides, and restaurant workers are college students or recent graduates who spend their summers up here, having adventures and totally loving what they do.  And they all seem to know each other.)

Anyway, when we were being instructed about the "rules" of the raft, we were told we could not over-tip the raft (I like this rule!)  So now we're on the river and Dallan says something to Lee about not being allowed to get into the water.  Lee told him, "No, you can get into the water, you just can't over-turn the raft."  After being assured by Lee that he could get him back out of the water, Dallan jumped over the side and into the 39 degree river.  And within about 2 flicks of a lambs tail, Lee jumped up, grabbed Dallan by the straps on his life preserver, and pulled him back inside.  Oh, I guess I should mention - Lee is an average size guy, maybe 170 lbs or so, but Dallan has to tip the scales at at least 300!  Lee just laid back in the raft and pulled Dallan in on top of him.  Wow! Obviously, he's done that a time or two before.

So that was pretty exciting!  The whole trip was really fun, loved the rapids and wanted more of them.  When the trip was over, we tried to convince Lee to take us back to the start so we could go again.  Sadly, he wasn't convinced.  Fun!  Another must do!!!

So that's the end of the adventures in Denali.  Tomorrow we head for Anchorage.  Stay tuned!