Follow our quest for a more simple lifestyle living off grid in the remote north woods of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, working with traditional sled dogs.
Cookqiz with Tumac towering above her in the background. She's a 57lb female.
Rosie
Sweet Tumac
Cookqiz
Hana
Rosie and Yahboo
Lidia fixing a tangle
Structure!
Tumac in lead with Yahboo
After an afternoon of visiting with puppies we were ready to get out and run the dogs. I was anxious to see how those three Points Unknown pups, now between three years old and 18 months old ran in harness. I wasn't disappointed. Their pulling instinct and natural drive are fully intact and they appeared so familiar, having so many of the same mannerisms as their relatives at Points Unknown.
Lidia has an area near her home called Sandwich Notch that has some very steep and twisty trails and a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains; very different terrain to central Minnesota but strikingly similar to portions of northern Minnesota minus the high mountain views.
Kennel connections:
Tumac and Hana are Tuloon/McKenzie pups from 2009. They are litter mates to our White Feather and Topa.
Cookqiz is a Tuloon/Bazil (Zulu line) pup from 2007. She is a sister to our Zala, Oken and Zodiak as well as our dear friends Rich and Kendra's Wahya.
Rosie is our Ilo's daughter. She is a sister to our Phoenix and Ari.
Daisy (dam of current litter and therefore out of harness) and Nellie are Journey's sisters and were born in early 2007.
In addition to the Hedlund Huskies, Lidia has an incredibly sweet dog named Yahboo who is a Yukon Husky and eight very well mannered Malamutes; Sharky Bob, Diva, ZsaZsa, Tonka, Moose, Biffa, Lilly and Zudnik.
Please visit her website if you would like to know more about her adventures with her dogs at Uktousa Kennel. Can you believe that she races with her team of freight dogs? She does an excellent job of highlighting the traditional sled dogs at the races she attends and is actually quite competitive with them.
Beautiful Daisy in her new whelping box by the woodstove.
Turkey Jim is a light chocolate buff color and is the largest of the male pups. We've not seen a pup of this color come out of a Hedlund litter to date.
Wishbone is the smallest of the male pups and looks strikingly similar to our Phoenix at the same age.
Pepper is the second largest boy and so far seems to have the thickest, most wavy coat.
Grayvy caught me completely off guard. I typically see these facial markings in my Zulu line pups.
Pear is the largest of all of the pups and has a very unique silver, almost blue coat color. Her recently opened eyes indicate a lighter blue than the others so she may very well have blue eyes.
Honey is an adorable female who is the smallest of the bunch at this point.
Fruitcake has markings that look as though they have been finely painted on to her china doll like face.
Lidia and I had been connected via email 5 1/2 years when she inquired about the wonderful rare line of Alaskan Husky called a Hedlund Husky that I had just added to the Points Unknown kennel. We became the best of friends, emailing and talking on the phone almost daily ever since. She has also received three very special puppies from the Points Unknown kennel over the years. With the arrival of the new puppies sired by one of those original special pups sent, it seemed like time for us to meet face to face and we were both very excited that one of us was finally able to make it happen.
Our initial face to face meeting was anticlimactic as it seemed as though we had just seen each other the day before. What a comfortable feeling. And we just went about doing what either one of us would have done had we not been together; run the dogs, play with puppies, etc. We did manage to get some very special down time in (!) that included a special dinner party with like minded mushers and a quick shopping trip to a local artsy shop that carries Lidia's art.
On to the puppies! What can you say about puppies? They were adorable. At almost two weeks old, their eyes were in various stages of opening and by the end of the trip, they had finally noticed that they had litter mates and began to play. This is an extremely diverse litter with the various colorings, markings, coat type and potential eye colors while still appearing, at this time, to hold true to the best of the Hedlund Husky phenotype.
Lidia chose initial names for the pups that were Thanksgiving based as the pups were born on Thanksgiving weekend and some of those names may actually stick!
Using a plastic freezer bag to search for lost items needing to be found was a pretty valuable tip given to us by our vet. We were shocked to discover that we had a sled dog vet within 20 minutes of us for the past 10 years and had never even known! Dr. Jackie Piepkorn from the Westonka Animal Hospital has been the official vet for some major races through the United States and has visited Alaskan villages so is even familiar with our traditional style of sled dogs. What a find!
Our sequestered canines
Three weeks ago, not considering my "Quest for a more simple life......" I booked an impromptu trip out to New Hampshire for the first weekend in December to visit our dear friends at Uktousa Kennel and the new Hedlund Husky puppies. I began to scramble to prepare for my departure, justifying the trip in the name of "balance". Even if I now had to work that much harder for the next week, I could then enjoy some down time or actually a change which can be as good as a rest. As you see, Lidia and Richard are also not too familiar with that illusive state of rest and I knew we would not be idle.
It was three days and counting when we discovered a rubber bungee missing in the dog yard. It's always something. Klaus, Oken and White Feather were the three most likely suspects as they were in the "right" place at the "right" time. Thankfully, we did find the two metal "S" hooks that attach to either side of the 18inch bungee rather quickly. Now all we had to do was track down the remainder. Rebecca and I searched every inch of the kennel with a rake and sorted through the straw in the houses by hand. Not one bit of bungee was found. If the offender chewed the bungee into tiny bits before eating then we have less to worry about. The bigger the bits, the more concerned we needed to be.
We booked our potential bungee eaters for a visit to the vet the next day and one day before I was to leave for New Hampshire. Thorough exams were given and based upon how each dog reacted to the poking and prodding , it was determined that Klaus was the one to watch most closely and White Feather was the least likely to be our culprit. Rubber doesn't show up on x-rays so a final determination could not be made until there was physical evidence passing through.
Klaus and Oken were isolated in our kennel closest to the house and would be brought inside at night for observation. If any vomiting began this could mean that we have a large piece in the stomach that can not move out through the back end so must come up out the front end. If vomiting continued, he was to be rushed to the vet. I began to question whether or not I would make my trip to New Hampshire, however after speaking with the vet, getting an emergency vet shuttle service (a nearby friend) lined up and going over the protocol for the next few days with Rebecca, I felt that there would be nothing I could do that Rebecca couldn't do while I was gone.
Rubber bits began to come out that afternoon and Rebecca began to piece them together like a puzzle to make certain it all came out. It was good to see that the bits were small so I felt even more comfortable with leaving the next day.
Time for departure! Rebecca had a two page instruction sheet for all of the dogs and had everything under control so off I went to the airport dark and early on a Thursday morning. Ah! a bit of relaxing time. Although not excited about a plane change in Detroit, it did bring me closer to my destination so a long car ride would not have to take place at the end of my travels. As I was about to board the plane in Detroit, I made a quick call home to check on Klaus. He had began to vomit that morning and had vomited up some larger bits of rubber. Rebecca had done the right thing and gotten a hold of the vet right away and they were in the process of devising a new plan that included a dose of hydrogen peroxide so that it would foam in his stomach, making him vomit even more in hopes that any other bits would come up. Imagine my feelings of helplessness as I boarded the plane not knowing what the outcome would be and not being able to do a thing about it. I did manage to let go, knowing he was in good hands.
Upon my arrival in Manchester, New Hampshire I was able to touch base again with Rebecca to find out the latest on Klaus, who we soon decided was the ONLY bungee eater in the bunch. He did end up throwing up again once induced and out came more bits. As long as he is acting normal and eating and drinking as usual, there is no reason to worry at this point. And he was so Rebecca continued her "treasure hunt".
Little did we know at that time that one of the five biggest winter blizzards would be pounding down on Minnesota in just two days adding even more adventure to Rebecca's first time alone with the sled dogs.
"I don't know. Do you really think I'm ready for this? Where's Klaus. Oh there he is! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh."
"Alright, I'm feeling ok about all of this single lead stuff. I think I can do it."
"Actually, I really am nailin' this single lead thing and we're going in THAT direction. No ifs ands or buts."
"Ya, I think he's got it. I can lay back a little bit and take it easy", thinks Klaus. But Topa thinks she can do a better job. "I'll just keep my eye on the trail and I'll be up there some day soon and show him a thing or two."
My smiley boy
If you recall, Oken seemed to lack the confidence up in lead during our last run to contradict Zala. And miss Zala was slotted for a demotion due to her silliness and lack of desire to please the musher on that run.
Oken was hooked up first and kept the line tight while the other six were hooked up behind him. Klaus was in point directly behind him for moral support. Keeping the line tight, Oken continued to look back to see who of his kennel mates would be joining us on this run. He appeared a bit nervous so we continued to praise him and hug him in between hook ups.
All dogs hooked up and off we went! Roughly 100' from the hook down spot is a fork in the lake trail. He took a right(gee) and I asked for a left(haw). He then took a left. Good boy, Oken! I want to get him to the point where he looks back if in doubt. This will soon come as we take lefts and rights intermittently until he must question his direction before he takes it.
Once under the Luce Line Trail bridge that leads from our little bay to the bigger lake, we typically go to the right so Oken took a right before questioning our direction. I asked for a left (Haw) and he took a left! Good boy, Oken!!
He continued to dazzle us all around the lake with only a few minor confusions which required that Rebecca or I get off the sled and support his turn. Rebecca quickly learned that when doing this, one should always know where the team is going as she found herself on top of Wimzi as they turned sharply. It is also not a good idea to run directly in front of the sled unless you want to suddenly get scooped up, which, in an emergency might be the best way to approach it. She didn't get scooped up but nearly!
Rebecca ran the team a good distance today while I "chilaxed" (Rebecca term) in the sled. I thought she was ready for some fancy maneuvering so I directed her past the new dock that surprised us when setting the trail. As we neared the dock, the dogs came within inches, making the sled come even closer. I instructed Rebecca to approach it with slight resistance, then the second it appeared as though we might hit it, she was to lower her center of gravity and throw her hips to the dock side. She did this flawlessly and the nose of the sled went to the right and away from the dock the second it needed to and the rest of the sled followed. Excellent job!
The same principle goes for going under the trail bridge. In her case, she needed to lower her center of gravity even more because she is so tall, she would likely knock her head on the under carriage. No issues under the bridge. Out we came and to the right we went as was the goal.
We tested Oken's abilities at the very end on the approach to the kennel. He took a left and we asked for a right turn to head back to the kennel. This confused him and I hopped out of the sled to support his turn and remained off, letting Rebecca take the team safely back.
Oken did an amazing job. I could see that Klaus was feeling a bit left out so he'll be up in lead on the next run.
Our trail had already blown over quite a bit from the first run so the second team ended up breaking trail as well.
Taking a break. Journey and Ilo in wheel
There's my happy boy Oken and the little stinker, Zala.
Wimzi Woozer!
Rebecca did a great job running both teams today about a third of the way around while I sat in the sled and took photos.
The sun decided to make a showing for our afternoon run. Watching the sun reflect on the snow as it twinkled and shimmered back at us was magical.
Conditions warranted an eight dog team which meant that three dogs had to make the run again. Those appearing to be up for it were Oken, White Feather and Journey.
The line up was: Oken-Zala in lead, Wimzi-Sweet Pea in point, Zodiak-White Feather in team and Ilo-Journey in wheel. Let me just say that Oken was amazing and has such great potential and Zala is just as amazing and just like her mom. If it had not been for the fact that Zala had other plans and Oken still does not have the confidence to continue to go in the direction I've given because Zala confuses him into thinking he is wrong, Oken would have just aced the run. Another mental note was made at this time to demote Zala back into the team on the next few runs. Like mother, like daughter.
Oken looked back at me and attempted to go in the direction I have him each time. My next run will be with Oken in single lead so that I can work on his confidence level without interference from one of the princesses.
This was Wimzi's first run in snow and first run on a lake! You would have never known. It's just go, go, go with her. She continues to be the most massive female in our kennel. She's close in height to Topa and Sweet Pea but outweighs each of them. She's got a very thick build - thick legs, deep chest and head. Her gait and structure are excellent.
Sweet Pea ran well despite her missing toenail. We did place a bootie on that foot to help protect it which worked well.
All in all, we had two very successful and very fun runs today.
Harnesses are hung on the sign with care.... Phoenix waits for the big moment; breaking the first trail on the lake!
Rebecca's first lake run as well. She double checks all safety items on the sled prior to hooking up the dogs.
Topa and Phoenix with Zodiak and Sweet Pea in the back ground wondering when it will be their turn.
Waiting in anticipation. Oken has learned to lay down to calm himself before a run.
We're off!
Around the bend
Down the middle of the lake
And back again
First lake run of the season! 8 inches of fresh snow with ice depths on the lake of between 5 and 8 inches. On December 4th. What?! That can't be right. But it is! We are almost a month and a half ahead of schedule from last year. Love it.
We always want to get out on the lake before anyone has had a chance to scar the beautiful surface of the pristine snow. It's a tough decision as to who will set the trail. Initially I had wanted it to be Oken, however changed my mind after considering the conditions. This year, it was decided that Phoenix and Tuloon would have the honor. (Klaus was noticeably unhappy about the choice as during hook up, he kept taking his frustrations out on Oken as he barked in his ear) Now to figure out the safest number of dogs for the conditions. Last evening, I recall thinking about running only four dog teams as the snow would be very fluffy, making slowing down and stopping the team almost impossible. Big changes were made after Rebecca and I first began setting up the sled. We could barely push it to the hook down location. Now the question was; eight or ten dogs?
Here's the line-up: Phoenix-Tuloon in lead, Oken-Klaus in point, White Feather-Topa in team and Journey-Ari in wheel. Out of the chute Phoenix looked back and took commands as asked, however some commands fell on deaf ears for Miss Tuloon as she began to make her own plans on the trail. Tuloon was insistent that we head into German Shepherd bay to pay a visit to the bay's namesake beast as he ran directly towards us, barking and posturing. We convinced her that bypassing this area was the wisest thing to do as I made a mental note that she will be demoted to point position on the next run so she can think about a few things. This began to happen quite a bit last season and placing her back in the team for several runs really seemed to get her attention.
We discovered, and quite abruptly, that a brand new dock had been installed on the peninsula. As we rounded the corner it caught us all off guard and the lead dogs jumped up on and over it and the sled almost followed. A small area of open water and lots of slush greeted us on the far side of the lake. The dogs were up for the challenges. And we had the most exhilarating moment as a bald eagle dove from an oak tree and directly over the team it flew. Glancing down the lake we could see another bald eagle perched in a tree not far away, gazing down upon us as we silently passed.
We plan to give each of our dogs a taste of open country leading on this lake this winter. We feel so fortunate to have this beautiful lake right in our front yard and need to make the most of it.
It's official. Our 2009 Tuloon/McKenzie Hedlund Husky puppy, Tumac, sired a litter of seven pups that were born at Uktousa Kennel in New Hampshire a few days ago! Daisy, a half Hedlund Husky, is also a family member, being our Journey's sister.
Points Unknown will be receiving the wonderful gift of two of these beautiful pups and will travel to New Hampshire the end of January to bring them home.
Please visit Lidia's blog for photos and updates on the new arrivals.
Nellie with Hana peering from behind
Cookqiz with Tumac towering above her in the background. She's a 57lb female.
Rosie
Sweet Tumac
Cookqiz
Hana
Rosie and Yahboo
Lidia fixing a tangle
Structure!
Tumac in lead with Yahboo
