First Runs on Snow

October 24, 2001

 Seavey's Iditarod Racing Team--Tyrell Seavey

While we don't have any good photos of Dolphin's puppies yet, these three-month old puppies are from two litters born earlier this summer.  Some puppy kennels have two parts.  The larger part is the main area the puppies live and play in.  The smaller area, shown above, is where the puppies eat.  Separating the eating area from the living area allows for quick and easy cleanup of the living area while the puppies are eating.  Note how spotless they lick their bowls.  Sled dogs LOVE to eat!!!

We now have a good eight inches of snow here in Sterling, Alaska.  It has been falling steadily since the16th.  The accumulation would have been greater if the ground had already been frozen when it started.  Because of the heat coming from the ground the snow was melting as fast as it fell for awhile but the ground has a solid layer of frost now, so I think the snow will “stick”.

I ran my first runs of the season on sleds today!  It was a blast!  I just ran five dogs at a time, but they still moved out at a pretty good clip.  It was exhilarating to be out there, just me and the dogs, doing what we do best. 

Carmen, a neighbor of ours who mushes as well, was not so fortunate.  He went out for his first run of the season and came back with twenty-two staples in his head.  Carmen tried to go out with fourteen dogs, but since the snow isn’t deep enough to hold a snowhook (an anchor), he was a little out-of-control, and ended up dragging down the icy trails until his head hit a large sharp rock that was on the trail.  Even though he was severely cut by the rock, he managed to run the team seven miles back to his dog truck, load the dogs, and drive himself home.  He had a friend drive him to the hospital where they administered the twenty-two staples.  This goes to show that the dogs always come first.

Because we are still limited to small teams on sleds, and because it is too slick for the four-wheelers (ATVs), we are now running the racing dogs by having them pull a snowmachine.  Because of the extra control it offers, and because of the heated handgrips, my dad, Mitch, really likes training on the snowmachine.

Mushers are well known for their refusal to let go of the sled despite crashes and personal injury.  This photo of Cindy Gallea at the finish line of the 2001 Iditarod shows two very large black eyes and  a swollen nose.  Cindy hit a tree 800 miles before the finish line, but did not let go, and finished the race in 38th place, saying, "It really doesn't feel as bad as it looks."

Dolphin’s puppies are doing well.  They are growing quickly, and are getting very cute.  Dolphin is not tied up right now because she is with her pups, so every time we go to the dog yard to feed, she meets us halfway and manages to snitch a few extra treats.

Today I spent a good deal of time moving dog hoses.  Because the wind is predominantly from the north now, we have turned all of the dogs’ houses around to the other side of their areas so the doors face south.  In the summertime we have them all on the south side of the chain so the dogs have more shade, but now they offer a wind block for the dogs.

Well, our snow is here, and we are out on sleds about a month earlier than normal, so you can bet we are some happy mushers.  Until next time.

Tyrell Seavey