Melanie; the Budding Photographer

Tuloon

Zodiak

Zulu

Linda and team

Linda and team

Linda and Klaus

Phoenix

Tukisi

Zala

Klaus

The entire BOW class

Linda and Team

Linda and team

The above photos were all taken by one of my young handlers. Melanie is a Junior in High School and is taking some pretty spectacular photos of a not so easy subject - moving sled dogs.

Ginger Cookqiz Update

Cookqiz, the largest female from the Tuloon/Bazil litter, was sent to a dear friend in New Hampshire at Ukousa Kennel when she was 9 weeks old. She is reportedly a very smart girl who learns quickly and typically uses this knowledge she so quickly gains to test her owner. “Naughty” is the word so affectionately used when referring to this bright bulb of a pup that will be one “kick-ass lead dog” some day, per Lidia. Cookqiz is an old soul that has the entire Uktousa Kennel under her control.

DNR BOW Winter Event

Deep Portage Environmental Learning Center

Handlers Hailey and Melanie posing with Klaus

Hailey lounging with Zodi

Melanie with Tuki and Isis

The dogs were staked out on the dock

The dog "camp" for the event

Little Deep Portage Lake

The classroom dogs for the morning.
L to R Oken, Phoenix, Klaus and Sweet Pea

Oken, just 5 months old, patiently lets a participant harness him

Sweet Pea's turn

Handler Marilyn with a participant as we teach sled handling and safety

Another lesson on the way down to the lake

Harnessing before each run

Journey finds a friend

Tuloon relaxing after her run

Zodiak kisses

Ilu is the biggest ham

Klaus and Tuloon leading a participant around the lake

Sweet Pea and Zulu get a turn too

The Department of Natural Resources, Becoming and Outdoors Women (DNR BOW) Winter event was held at Deep Portage Environmental Learning Center from Friday, February 29^th to Sunday, March 2^nd. There were 56 women in attendance that participated in such activities as ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, target shooting and dog sledding. Points Unknown was there teaching the dog mushing course that provided a small taste of this wonderful lifestyle and activity.

The dogs were picketed out on a small lake where dog handlers Hailey and Melanie also set up camp. They slept out both nights with the dogs to make sure everyone was safe and sound and took exceptional care of them while assistant Marilyn and I taught the classroom portion of the class.

Two classes of twelve women each learned how to harness the dogs, how to handle a small toboggan sled and then how to hook up and run a team of two freight style traditional sled dogs around a small lake as the others stood by for support and assistance. Since this is a three hour course, it is set up to provide only a small glimpse into dog mushing. Those interested in gaining more dog mushing skills and digging deeper into dog mushing are then invited to attend a Beyond BOW event, one of which is the Points Unknown Women’s Winter Adventure (PUWWA) where four days are spent learning the finer points of this sport and then applying them.

Wild Canid Encounters

Resident fox stopping by for a snack

Maybe it was the full moon that prompted the wolf encounters as folk lore might suggest.

Wolf tracks have been spotted on our dog mushing trails and near the dog yard for weeks. Last week, after feeding and just before dark, I heard an alarm bark coming from the dog yard. Zulu never barks unless it’s something pretty important. The interesting thing was that the rest of the dog yard was silent. I opened the door to my apartment here at the lodge that has a direct view of the dark yard to the east. I glanced over at Zulu and saw him staring and barking in my direction. My eyes quickly scanned the area from Zulu to where I was standing until I saw it. There it was, a wolf standing directly in front of me on the dog sled trail and within approximately fifty feet away. My first thought was that I had a loose dog. Then why wasn’t the dog yard going crazy? Seconds later I realized it was indeed a wolf. It was a smaller one, maybe about 55lbs if compared with one of my smaller female sled dogs. Its nose was to the ground, sniffing the trail. It was a bittersweet moment for me. I cherish every single one of my very few wolf sightings. Wolves like to see all but be unseen so it is rare if one is actually spotted. On the other hand, since dogs and wolves are natural enemies and if it’s between a wolf and my sled dogs, well, the sled dogs win, hands down. Now in protection mode, I yelled loudly as I ran towards the small wolf. It stopped in its tracks and then up the trail it ran, nose still to the ground.

The later drawn conclusion was that having three females in heat as well as having numerous deer hanging out near the dog yard is quite enough to entice these wild canids to encroach upon the dog yard. My hope is that I put enough of a scare into this particular wolf to make him think twice about coming back any time soon.

Interestingly enough, while out on Gunflint Lake with the dog team the very next day, we spotted a small wolf in the distance on the Canadian side of the lake. It seemed to follow the team from afar. I cherished the sight of this wolf on the lake while running my dog team. I stopped the team to watch him and howled a greeting, hoping for a reply but none came as he ran off, the opposite direction of my traveling team.

Around the same time as the wolf sightings, one of the resident foxes decided to come calling as I returned from my evening dog feeding with a bucket still partially filled with meat bait for the dog water. I tossed a piece of meat a couple of feet in front of me. The small red and black fox quickly but cautiously came and snacked on the meat. He stayed long enough for me to go in to get my camera and return and I took pictures of him as he ate only two feet away from me.

The story of the resident pair of foxes goes something like this; they were rescued from the Canadian side of the lake when it was ablaze last summer during the Ham Lake fire. One of the two was injured during the fire and to this day, can not use one of its legs. They seem to be thriving here at the lodge and have become a permanent part of the community.

Winter Tracks

Taken as the dogs and I headed down the Gunflint Trail to the DNR BOW event.

Snow sculpture of a musher, sled and a small dog team

For the past couple of weeks there has been a flurry of activity and happenings here at Gunflint Lodge, even more than usual. The month of February was a very busy time for Points Unknown and we were booked with dog mushing adventures every weekend. Last weekend was the Winter Tracks Festival on the Gunflint Trail. Due to a DNR BOW event at Deep Portage ELC, I was not able to be at the lodge for this event, however, the remaining Points Unknown mushers reported a successful weekend with fun had by all.

Activities included dog sledding, a trout derby, pizza made in brick ovens on the lake, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and a banquet and dance, just to name a few. There were also snow sculptures all along the Gunflint Trail that included a musher and sled with a two dog team.

Another Puppy Run

Uncle Klaus with Miss Zala(or Miss Hollywood as some would say)

Zodiak with Uncle Klaus. His feet are bigger than Klaus'!

Klaus and Zodi

Oken and Aunt Sweet Pea

All pups are where they should be. Zodi is i n lead with Klaus.

Oken and Uncle Klaus

Klaus and Oken

Zodi with Aunt Sweet Pea. He's about as tall as she is!

The view before the descent into the dog yard.

Zala next to mom, Tuloon

Zala is very much like Tuloon

Zala

Time for a nap after the run

The day was slow for tours at Gunflint Lodge so I took this opportunity to take the Tuloon/Bazil puppies, who are now 5 months old, out on their third puppy run.

This time they each ran next to an adult, Klaus, Sweet Pea or Tuloon, and had a turn at each position during our very short one mile run. I began with Zala in lead with Klaus. She was quite something in lead. Once hooked up, she stood next to Klaus patiently waiting for take-off. When I gave the command, off she went, keeping the tug line tight. When I noticed her attention span dwindling, I stopped and moved her back to point and placed Zodiak in lead. He did just as well; tug tight and no looking back.

Finally it was Oken's turn so he went from wheel position where he ran next to Aunt Sweet Pea, to lead, next to Uncle Klaus. He was placed initially next to Sweet Pea based on the results of the last puppy run. He was the one who didn't seem to be able to stay on his own side of the gang line. I knew that Sweet Pea wouldn't allow this behavior and would give him a few gang line etiquette tips. She did just that because Oken stayed completely on his side while next to her. When he was put up in lead, he promptly went under Klaus' legs to get to the other side. After a brief lesson from me and a growl from Klaus, he stayed on his side and ran in lead on the return trip. He was a bit more distracted than the other two pups but, to me, this means very little at this age. We will just have to wait to see how they all progress as they mature. If anything, how they did today gives me a training direction for each of them.