Season's First Sled Run

We finally have enough snow to get the sleds out, so we loaded up two teams and drove over to Marenisco to check out the trails over there today.  We are a bit nervous about our local trails because of logging activities.  There is no real base under the snow yet, so we can't set a snowhook to hold teams, and we don't want to get into any situations where it would be needed.  The trails in Marenisco are really easy to navigate and safer with no base.  Jeremy took an eight dog team and I took a six dog team. 

The sleds waiting for the teams to be hooked to them.  Stimpy and Cherry, my leaders, in foreground.

Waiting and ready...

The trails over there are actually forest roads, so there has still been some traffic on them, which gave us a broke trail to follow, and we did pass one truck during the run, but there's easily enough room for us and them, so its no problem, the dogs barely hesitate when passing vehicles.  Good training. The roads do not get plowed, so soon there will be too much snow for trucks to drive on them.  Then the low snowmobile traffic will break the trails for us.

Jeremy way up there...

Jeremy's team is usually most of the better, faster dogs in the kennel, so he goes a bit faster.  He does have two more dogs than me, but his sled is much longer and heavier than mine, and he's heavier than me, too, so we figure it should come close to even in the end.  He wants to race and I don't, so I usually get the slower and/or weaker dogs in the kennel.  My usual main leader, Stimpy, is about 11 years old or so, tends to keep my team slower-suits me fine.

Breaking trail.

We also use a stretch of snowmobile trail, which is getting no use right now, so we ended up breaking trail for the last three miles.  The snow is about six to eight inches deep, not too bad, but its still more work for the dogs, and Jeremy's team really drove nice though it, leaving me way behind.  I was pretty happy he did-faster is better for racing, obviously-really looks like he might have what he needs.
 We did 10 miles and most of the dogs weren't tired yet.  Sure was fun and nice to get back to real mushing, no more mud all over everything!

Puppies in the snow!  Breeze, Storm, and Rain.  Cloud refused to pose for me! Age five months.