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.
Olive is enjoying her time in America with us and the dogs. She has a puppy of her own waiting to come home with her upon her return; a little collie puppy!
Christmas day fun with the dogs
Olive and Sasha
Our Christmas Day was a peaceful one. The sled dogs got a day off from running guests and were rotated in the house throughout the day and we cooked a wonderful holiday meal together that included traditional American dishes along with some traditional English ones; Leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, baked sweet potato and apple dish, green bean casserole, biscuits, cranberry sauce, strawberry cream cheese balls and Christmas pudding that was Brandy soaked and lit on fire. A much needed rest, wonderful company and great food!
All of us at Points Unknown wish you the happiest of holidays and a prosperous New Year!
Photos in this post by Rich Baker Lexy and JJ with Grandparents, Jim and Mary
Scenic bridge passage
Oken leads with confidence
Back to the kennel
Lexy gives everyone an after-run treat
We had a very special run on Christmas Eve day when Rich and Kendra (McKenzie and Wahya's humans) came out with Lexy, JJ, McKenzie, Wahya and Kendra's parents from North Carolina. It was important to get some photos of Jim and Mary with the dog sled team for their New Year's card so we set out to do just that. Jim mentioned this being a "once in a lifetime experience" and we wanted to make sure it was the best it could be for them.
Jim went with Neil and his team lead by Phoenix and Tuloon and Mary and I and our team lead by Oken, lead the way. The run was beautiful and peacefully uneventful except for the moments across the most slushy part of the lake where the dogs appeared to walk on water and, thankfully, the sled floated. We had to add just a touch of adventure for them so their experience could be even more unforgettable. We hope they had a wonderful adventure and wish them a safe journey home.
Sasha met Ari for the first time this morning as they were on the tie out next to each other. Here, she licks her lips which is a calming behavior. It is to calm not only herself, but Ari as well as they were both momentarily on edge. Ari's ears are back indicating his uncertainty.
Being the playful puppy she is, Sasha lunges forward unexpectedly. Ari pulls his head back and to the side a bit and his enlarged eyes show his surprise.
Then as quickly as Sasha lunged forward, Ari slowly rises up from his sit and stares her down as if to say "listen sister, I'm the bigger dog here even if I am still a bit worried." She quickly moves back.
The scene ends with both dogs running calmly next to each other in front of the dog sled.
All photos in this post by Rebecca Lain Ari sports the set of "jingle bells" we had on each team to help spread the holiday cheer.
Nick runs the dog team while I relax in the sled. Ari and Sasha were in wheel on the team.
And there's Oken in single lead, head to the ground!
Neil's first team out with Drew in the sled. Wimzi was on his team and is in point position looking right at the camera. Look at the big girl!
Journey and White Feather direct their attention to the goings on at the other end of the kennel.
Drew and Nick's dad, Pete, takes photos at take-off.
A father and two sons joined us today for a half day Oake Lake Experience. Our half day adventures allows you to get more acquainted with the dogs and spend more time on the back of the sled runners. Our guests learned to collar the dogs, as we don't leave collars on in their kennels for safety reasons, bring them to the tie out line, harness them and safely run their own sled assisted by one of our mushers.
Oken was in single lead today and boy was he cookin'! There was no hesitation at hook-up this time. He also lead steadily as we went over some pretty rough frozen slush and even through some heavy water pockets. Not slush; water! The snow was so saturated that it was slush no longer. We literally water skied for a short period of time as the dogs were up to their shoulders in water. No worries. The lake is completely safe and there is a thick layer of ice below the water. This trail phenomenon is really just another learning experience for the dogs and our guests a like and we quickly hopped back on solid hard packed snow trail. This is just what happens when too much snow comes down too quickly in the season. Our hope is that subzero weather will come soon and firm up our lake trail.
Phoenix also ran single lead on our second run. White Feather began up in lead with him but it was quickly apparent that she was a bit too mentally tired to lead effectively considering her young age and we placed her back in team. To keep Phoenix on his toes, I asked him to cut across the lake and off of our main trail towards the end of the run and he did just that. What a good boy!
And Sasha ran in the team for the first time! She was pretty darn good. Wimzi has been showing her the ropes and she is quickly catching on to what is expected of her.
All photos in this post by Lidia Dale-Mesaros Grayvy - Female
Fruitcake - Female
Honey - Female
Pear - Female
Pepper - Male
Turkey Jim - Male
Wishbone - Male
Please visit the Uktousa kennel website to follow these pups more closely.
None of these puppies are available. If you are a like-minded individual, interested in becoming a member of the Hedlund Husky Preservation Project and being considered for a pup in the future, we are interested in meeting you and getting to know you better. You can find all contact information for our organization on the official website by clicking here.
All photos in this post by Rebecca Lain Olive works with Sasha
What a goofy puppy sit
Smiling Sasha
One of her serious moments. There are so few at her age.
Sasha will be visiting for the next couple of weeks. This is a busy time of year for Chris, her human and one of our dog handlers, so we welcome her visit. She'll run in the team today and then next week when we attend a family event at an Audubon Center of the North Woods Environmental Learning Center near Sandstone, MN. After which time, she'll join us on a fun family trip of our own up off the Arrowhead Trail just south of the Canadian border.
Who is Sasha? Sasha is Wimzi's sister. She is Tuloon's granddaughter, Zala, Oken and Zodiak's cousin and Klaus and Sweet Pea's niece. There is also some distance relationship between her some others in our kennel. Her look reminds us so much of her grandpa Zulu, the foundation male and namesake of our freight Alaskan Husky line. Zulu passed away almost a year ago now and we still feel his presence every day in our kennel in the wonderful kids and grandkids he left behind.
All photos in this post by Rebecca Lain Olive, Neil's mother, helps prepare the sleds
The first team out navigates through a slush pocket while the second team looks on
Linda and Erica's team
Neil and Salve's team
Specks on the horizon
Phoenix and Tuloon in lead. White Feather and Zala in point. Zodiak alone in team and Ilo and Sweet Pea in wheel.
Oken was Erica's favorite
Zala says its time for a nap.
Our first guests of the season joined us yesterday for an Oake Lake Experience. Erica met us over five years ago when she was one of the first wholesale buyers for our Scent from Nature; 100% Pure Beeswax Candles at a local natural foods coop. When hearing about the sled dogs at around the same time, she expressed her interest in coming out to meet them. She and her sister finally got that chance yesterday.
Lake trail conditions were relatively good with various frozen slush patches. On a few occasions, we did find ourselves in some fresh slush but this didn't bog us down. Oken took some exceptional open country leader commands. Klaus seemed a bit tired and had a slack line for the first time ever. And I mean EVER. We are a bit concerned about him after his bungee eating incident. Most of the bungee has "exited", however some bits may remain. He is also getting a bit older and it wouldn't surprise me if he is feeling his age after all his years of giving 110%. We'll keep a close eye on him and see how he does on today's run.
Erica and Salve learned how to interact with the dogs, collar and harness them and then got to spend some time on the runners while their mushers sat in the sled. This, after learning how to safely run the sled with a lesson in stopping the sled being paramount.
Erica's teary eyed comments upon departing the Points Unknown Kennel touched me. "It has been a spiritual experience with your dogs. They are so healing."
Wimzi, me and the visiting Sasha
Wimzi is a big affectionate girl
Sasha and Wimzi become lap dogs for Olive
Olive is enjoying her time in America with us and the dogs. She has a puppy of her own waiting to come home with her upon her return; a little collie puppy!
Christmas day fun with the dogs
Olive and Sasha
