Go, Bullet!!

Aliy is currently in Ruby.
This is a clip from Aliy's blog re: her dogs running Iditarod with her:

One current "standout" is Bullet, who Aliy has been using in lead to "pull through" checkpoints when dogs typically want to take a break. You know how we feel about Bullet the wonder dog, and this is an example of how she will do absolutely anything Aliy asks of her… Including run past what must look like very comfy piles of straw in checkpoints!

Bullet is Frita's daughter... Frita retired here. She is a look alike to daughter, Bullet, and has the same shy personality, but ask her to lead, and she says, 'let's go!' Good luck to all of Aliy's and Allen's dogs.

Top photo: Julie and Frita; bottom photo, Bullet, current leader
for Aliy Zirkle, Frita's daughter.

Aliy and Iditarod

Looking at official stats, Aliy is showing in fifth place out of Cripple and on the GPS as she is resting dogs at the moment, in 10th, at mile 409, at minus thirty six degrees. The GPS is a great addition for those of us following at home!!
Staying tuned. Ken and Amy, you're picking up dropped dogs, yea!!

Trails?

The Copper Dog races are this weekend in Calumet, MI. While they are North of us it looked like their trails were down to basic ice in television report tonight. The races are on , so good luck to them! We hope its successful and will be back next year.

More meltdown today, highs again in mid 40's and forecast continues with the same into next week. Messes upon messes in this rapid meltdown.

We are still running early a.m. with Skinny though, he counts on it... trail is ice but do-able.

And off she goes, Go Aliy!!

Minus 19 degrees as Aliy leaves Takotna, Go Aliy!!

Updates: Wisconsin; Alaska, Iditarod

The most interesting is the progress of Aliy Zirkle's team in Iditarod 2010.
Currently taking her 24 mandatory layover in Takotna , she is up at the front of the pack along with nine ahead of her. This is where she will 'pay' her bib number hours, but gains a bit of advantage with bib no. 50 and Jeff pays for his bib number 15. I am calculating her ability to leave Takotna at 2:50 AM today...(Alaskan time) there are nine able to leave Takotna ahead of her and four (Jeff King first out) have left Takotna. Now the race is even more interesting as those ahead of the race (Baker, D.Seavey) have now to take their 24 as the ten from Takotna surge forward. See Aliy's blog link at top of this page.

Here in Wisconsin the MAJOR meltdown continues. It is 34 degrees at 5AM today, foggy and melting. My son, Tim, came to chop drainage ditches in the pens yesterday... it is actually fun to see the water start flowing as the ditches begin to work :). Not sure we'll be able to navigate a sled for Skinny's run this morning... if this keeps up we'll be on the ATV again soon.

The Next Generation: Introducing Josefina and Mama Shanna

The warm weather has lingered and seriously impaired dog sled running, but Fina's favorite sled dog,retired Gee Haw command leader, Skinny, took her for her first dog sled ride today, fifty degrees and sunny. Skinny, kind and wise, enjoyed showing Fina the trails, very gently. Mama Shanna is a natural on a sled and has run various teams. Happy handlers were Jim and Grandma Julie.

Four Leaders? Three Leaders?

Wish I had had the camera... I hooked up Skinny (fragile and needs extra care, but he doesn't know it ) and Eos (speedster and hearty) and invited Sierra and Buddy along to free run. Sierra (not hooked up) wanted to be in lead so she fit her mighty little body in between Skinny and Eos and ran the whole way in three dog lead. They couldn't goof off because she kept going (no necklines, of course).
Will try again this morning with the camera.

Snow: some snow, enough to cleanup the pens and the trail, but wet and warm, so also enough to make things a bit punchy.

STRAW BALE COUNT: 52