Storm Mushing!

[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.

[Jadapit]

You must feel so much peace when you and the dogs are out running. I would love to do that, I envy you. The last picture is amazing, I love it.

[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

[DrKym]

Ya know hun I was already impressed now I am just flabbergasted!

*bows in amazement* Thanks so much for thinking of all of us and sharing!
Amazing just amazing pics and such a guilty pleasure to open any of your threads

[kimlovescats]

WOW is all I can say!!! Awesome pictures and to think of what you are doing is amazing! I'm sorry but I have to say it ... BE CAREFUL out there!

[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!

[Glacier]

I'm sorry but I have to say it ... BE CAREFUL out there!

I always have an emergency bag on the sled with enough stuff in it to keep me and the dogs alive, if not comfortable,for a night or two. I keep a smaller kit, just some matches, bandages, a knife and handwarmers in waist bag. That way if I loose the team and can't walk home, I can keep myself warm!

[captain]

Tamara,
WOW - you do so much, and I love the pics you take. But of course, living here in the SUN all the time, I had no idea what you would have to take "in case" your team ran off without you.

Has that happened to you at all? Do you tell hubbie which trail you are going on before you go? Do you have mobile phone reception out there?

Soooooo many questions, apologies for that ....

[Glacier]

I had no idea what you would have to take "in case" your team ran off without you.

Has that happened to you at all? Do you tell hubbie which trail you are going on before you go? Do you have mobile phone reception out there?

Soooooo many questions, apologies for that ....

The emergency bag on the sled has paper, matches, a few pounds of dog food, some granola bars for me, a small pot to melt water in, a silver heat reflecting blanket, extra mitts, another hat, and a full first aid kit for human and canines. I also carry extra tug and necklines, booties and a couple spare clasps. I also have an axe and a pair of cable cutters on the sled at all times. The axe is the most frequently used piece of emergency equipment!

Fallen trees aren't unusual! This was last week after I chopped through the tree! Sundin and Pingo ducked under it but there was no way the rest of us were getting through!

The cable cutters are there because most of my lines are cable filled rope. In the event of a serious tangle, it could be necessary to cut a line in order to save a dog from serious injury.

Yes, I've lost a team three times. Fortunately, every time we were headed home and they just beat me back to the yard. Once my neighbor found them and drove the team home. Once they just showed up and Stuart found them waiting by the gate to get back in! The last time, a kid on a skidoo found them, stopped them, tied them off to a tree and then went ripping around until she found me walking! She gave me a ride back to my team who were several kilometres ahead of me by that time! I took her a bunch of gift certificates a few days later to say thanks!

It hasn't happened in three years(knock on wood). When I first started mushing, a friend who has won the Yukon Quest, told me I couldn't call myself a musher until I'd walked home without my team! Once I did that, he told me to come over and he'd show me how to drag behind a team! That's where I learned the hooking my elbow under the drivebow trick. I haven't been dragged much this winter, but I do it quite well now!

I carry a cell phone but reception is iffy pretty much everywhere around here. Even in downtown Whitehorse, cell reception sucks sometimes!

I tell Stuart which general direction I'm planning to go. There's a massive trail network around here and I rarely decide exactly where I'm going until I'm out there! I call him when I get home(he's rarely home until late in the evening) so he knows I made it back. If he's not around, I leave a note for my father in law. He's here pretty much daily and would hopefully notice if I wasn't!

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally Posted by cyber-sibes
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.

I always have an emergency bag on the sled with enough stuff in it
to keep me and the dogs alive, if not comfortable,for a night or two.

I keep a smaller kit, just some matches, bandages, a knife and handwarmers in my waist bag.
That way if I loose the team and can't walk home, I can keep myself warm!

I'd just make sure I had Bus Fare inna pockit ... then
Walk to da corner an Hop on da Bus!


Hey Glacier ~

You might SERIOUSLY consider a Mountaineer's or Skiier's "Safety Beacon" to carry with you.
Sends out a signal that can be tracked by a search party.

Be CAREFUL out there!

[captain]

Once again Tamara, WOW ............

Thanks for filling me in. I am sure there were many other people who wondered too.

Cheers
Michelle

[Ginger's Mom]

Yes, I have to agree with Michelle...Wow! And you do this voluntarily? I am only kidding I am sure it is very exciting and invigorating, and you probably get a real adrenaline rush while out running with the dogs. But as many have said already, just be careful out there.

[Randi]

Tamara, I had forgotten about your Danish family. Don't know whether you know about this link: http://www.cphpost.dk/
and this: http://www.aok.dk/section/english

Thanks for telling us about the emergency equipment and everything, it's really really interesting!!

By the way, your photos and stories are fit for NG, have you thought of that?

I'll say like the rest.... Be careful out there!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Brrrrrr! I can't blame Paxil for wanting to head back. The view there is amazingly beautiful, but I think I prefer seeing your pictures more than I would like being in them. At least you've got a good winter sport to keep you and the dogs happy...do they actually prefer the winter over the summer?