1st "Gorge" Trail Work Sessions Aug. 15/16 & Aug. 22/23

We met and walked the trail with several Forest Service folks on Thursday, July 23rd in the a.m. and we all decided it makes more sense for them to complete their portion of the trail rehab before we begin work on our section. They are closing the entry point to the illegal ORV trail that we are rehabbing. They are also attending the yearly meeting of the Lake association where most of the ORV traffic comes from on Aug. 1st to let them know that the trail is being closed for good (3rd try over the years) and serious enforcement will be taking place if they try to bypass the trail closure.

We will be working on the weekends of Aug. 15/16 and 22/23. The sand and wood chips are already on site; we have an all terrain skid steer (bobcat) rented for the work week in Sept.

Our big push on this project will still take place Sept. 12 - 19, rain or shine.

Boot Camp News

Interested in Mushing Boot Camp the first weekend in October? Get your registration in - we need all 9 teams registered ASAP. Go to: http://www.mushingbootcamp.com/ and fill out the forms and follow the instructions there to get signed up.

Below are a few more photos of the trike with one dog in harness in lead, the other two running by their necklines.

Here's two views of the same section of driveway - what a difference 8 months makes!

Finally back on the blog!

Whew! Took me many hours to figure it out but I finally did - back in business.

Here's a few photos of my trike set up with 3 dogs attached. The leader is in a guard harness (1/2 harness) and the other two dogs are running attached to their necklines only. Just when you think there's nothing new to try in dogsledding, someone comes up with a novel idea.





Jason Barron at http://www.kanabearenterprises.com and a few others are using this technique to back off some of the power so the dogs can get out in warmer temps and get some exercise in the late spring, summer and earlier fall. I know it sounds weird but the dogs do figure out to back off a little and they love getting out and running.



I'm hoping this will help reset their thermostats, so to speak, so they can tolerate warmer temps in the winter and beyond into next summer too. I'm also looking forward to using this technique in the winter to reduce power in the team when the conditions are dicey (read: icy!)



We aren't going far, only 1 - 2 miles a run, depending on how they look. Even at that short distance, I stop and offer water most days. It also affords a training experience, stopping, standing, waiting for my "go" command on the trail with little holding power on my end (a ball bungie around the hand brake is all the parking brake I have.) I think they are learning some better "wait" manners with this too.

I am running 5 teams of 3 a couple of times a week each, including right up to this week. In the really hot weather, we laid off for a week or so.

I run them right up to the kiddie pool when we come back to the barn and they jump right in to cool off (well, most of them anyway - some just don't care to be wet.)

Mushing Boot Camp comes to Baldwin!

Here's a photo from our trails on private land - I thought I would include a spring view of the B team to show what our trails look like to anyone who hasn't been here. We are hosting a Mushing Boot Camp the first weekend of October (Thurs. through Sunday noon.) Go to www.mushingbootcamp.com to sign up!





Here are some photos from our impromptu trail work session last Friday and Saturday.

Many thanks to Ed Setterington and his friend, Jake for the work they did last weekend on the Sweetwater Challenge trails. We opened up another mile of new trail to the west and improved the overly challenging section of trail to the East.

The photo with the 3 amigos includes Rick and is taken on the east side of the far east wetland, looking west.

The photo where you can barely see people is taken on the newly opened trail, there's a couple of serious hills in that section - you can see many miles to the south from the highest hill.

St. Patrick's Day - no green but still some white!

The photos below show what conditions were like this past weekend. Patty and I ran three and four dog teams Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was able to get out last night and this morning for a couple of short runs with the "border mutts."

The first two photos I call "the Good."









...the Bad...(right)






...the Ugly (packed ice for trail)...




....behind the lodge...(right)




From one season into another - Patty coming in the "start chute."

Great Coverage of the SWC #2

Howard Meyerson, Outdoor Editor of the Grand Rapids Press took some great video and photos at the MiDD event last weekend. There are several interviews too.

Here's the link to entire article, video and photos online:

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2009/03/mushers_go_the_distance_on_swe.html

This should also be in the print version of the Grand Rapids Press today.

It's nice to have some good news today - it's raining and 40 degrees - pretty depressing to see all of that wonderful snow wither away.

Sweetwater Challenge #2 A Success!

Mother Nature was kind to us this past weekend - sunny skies, cold temperatures and hard, fast trails. The parking lot was icy but the trails were not. Here are some photos - I've been having fits getting them resized and renamed - I may add more later. We had 13 teams on the trail both days, with teams from IL., WI. and Delaware in addition to Michigan teams. Check out the 3 dog skijorer!