I've posted the entry from my training journal below the video.
Sunday, 1-30-11:
8.5 miles - same route and trail conditions as the last 2 runs. +15 degrees F. Tunnel bed sled.
Amazing Grace and Just (leaders)
Capella and Cassiopeia (swing / team)
Beau and Nels (wheel)
Bright, beautiful day and the kind of run that reminds me why I do this stuff. Moved my hook-up anchor to a tree that is closer to the line, but a better angle for clearing the gate post. That worked out quite well so I'll leave it where it is, probably for the remainder of the season.
- Nels spun around on launch and tangled his harness and tug-line. Had to stop as soon as we got on firm snow on the power-line right of way to clear it.
- Grace and Just took the back-to-back "haw" cues to pass the trailhead parking lot very nicely.
- Leaders tried to go "haw" at the Swamp Trail, but corrected very quickly.
- First head-on pass with Jason Gonyaw on Wood Cutting Rd. Lots of room and was
an easy pass.
- Truck parked on left shoulder with woodcutters. Orion tried to climb up the bank
to avoid them. They drew my attention to the cow and calf moose that were just
beyond the tree line beside the road.
- Capella had jumped the gangline and was crowding Cassie, but not enough snow to hook down on the wood cutting road, so they ran literally shoulder to shoulder until we turned onto the Little Chena Extension trail.
- Team took a perfect "haw" onto the Little Chena Extension trail. I hooked down
almost immediately to help Capella duck under the gang line. I got back to the sled
and saw a big team barreling down the trail. Pulled hooks as quickly as possible
and whistled them up.
- Second pass. Not sure who it was, but the dogs just steamed right past them.
- At the top of the ridge had a head-on pass with a snowmachine pulling a sled
behind. Orion again shied well away from it. No one else had any issue with it at
all, barely sparing it a glance.
- Third head-on pass with another team. Not sure, but think it was Rod Boyce.
Again my team just steamed on by without issue.
- Fourth head-on pass - Julie Stricker. Once again the team was on perfect behavior
and she and I exchanged high-fives on the way by.
- Fifth head-on pass, either Rick Swenson or Sonny Lindner (not sure which) with a
big string of dogs. My dogs responded to the "gee by" cue perfection and once
again ran by with no problems. We exchanged pleasantries.
- Nice controlled descent down the side of the ridge to the Swamp Trail. Fun
running through the initial pinball rollercoaster section.
- Coming into sharp blind right hand turn in trail saw another team and called "gee
by" to pass on the right, as I wasn't sure how many dogs might be on the team and
didn't want to risk trying to pass a big team on the 'wrong' side. Dogs climbed up
the snow bank to run right past, just like a bunch of professional sled dogs. Turns
out it was my handler Ted with a team of four of his dogs. Boom tried to interact
with my female yearlings in swing, but wasn't fast enough. Dodged a BIG log
sticking out next to trail as we sailed by. It was all rather exciting.
- Sailed over the narrow "pinball" section through the trees probably faster than is
prudent, but we are all having too much fun to slow down.
- Leaders wanted to take the haw for the road crossing, but corrected as soon as I
spoke the "gee" cue.
- Nice sprint down the power-line right of way to return to our yard.
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