Storm Mushing!

[Glacier]

I always enjoy your photos. Can you please explain, where are you, what am I looking at in the first photo? Is it a lake you are on? It is such a wide open space, I wonder what is there in the nice ("warm") weather!

Yes, that's a lake. A fairly small one, but a lake nonetheless.


This is what it looks like in early June from my kayak.

How do you stay on the sled and take a photo?

That camera is a point and shoot Olympus. I put it on the action mode before I leave. I keep it inside my parka so the battery doesn't freeze. I keep one hand on the drivebow at all times. If it's even a little bumpy, I hook my free arm around the drivebow. If it's really rough or a steep dowhill, I don't even try to take pics.

When you turn the team and sled, that is making a wide arc, isn't it? So with all that open space, I guess I don't know what you mean "looking for a place to turn!?"

Turning on the lake would have been relatively easy, but the dogs were still having a good time at that point. We didn't turn around for another four miles or so. That trail is wide enough for two sleds to pass and that's it. Turning a team in that situation is very difficult and requires a very good lead dog. "Come Around" is a difficult command to teach. Paxil can do it and does it well, but I prefer to avoid it if at all possible! The leader has to bring the team in almost a straight line back towards the sled, while keeping the other dogs from getting tangled. The musher has to stay on the sled as it causes a very sharp turn and a snowhook would likely pop out. Watching your team run off without you truly sucks. I waited til we came to a spot where a snowmachine had gone through the trees and followed that track to turn around.

[cyber-sibes]

Watching your team run off without you truly sucks.

I would imagine so! Do you have to round them up and walk them back to the sled to bring it home? wonderful pictures, as always. Paxil sounds like such a smart girl! Love the huskies in the snow - the amazing thing is how warm they are when you stick your hand by their paws & nose - they get downright steamy. Skritches to your pack!

[Glacier]

I would imagine so! Do you have to round them up and walk them back to the sled to bring it home?

Oh, no. They keep running sled and all. The musher has a long, cold walk home. If you're lucky, they just beat you home. Very bad things have been known to happen to sled dogs when their musher is no longer with the team.

[gemini9961]

That last pic made me giggle. Since I am in Florida any little bit of cold weather and my dogs don't want to step foot out and there yours are just enjoying the storm.

[Ginger's Mom]

Oh my goodness, what amazing pictures, and what interesting information. I always love reading your threads. And Antare and Delta, you are such silly boys, it is a good thing you are both so darn cute.

[Randi]

Wow, what wonderful pictures! It must be such a thrill going on these "excursions" - I'd probably freeze to death, but I WOULD like to try it just once.

Did you see any of the expeditions from Greenland? Our future king (Frederik) was on one of these. Such rough conditions.

Thanks for sharing, your pictures amaze me every time.

[Kalei]

Wow, that is one thing I have wanted to do all my life. I see you live in Northern Canada. I live in Nova Scotia and the most we've had this winter is a couple of centimetres. It sucks, I wanted way more snow than that.

Those were great pics, I just love the one of them running on the lake. It's a pic you would see in a Discovery Magazine or the movies. Huskies are such strong dogs..and strong willed

[Glacier]

Did you see any of the expeditions from Greenland? Our future king (Frederik) was on one of these. Such rough conditions.

I have seen some pictures from those expeditions, beautiful but treacherous! My family is Danish so I try to look up Danish news occasionally!