ALASKA ADVENTURES: HUSKY PUPPIES & JEEP SAFARI

9 AUGUST 2014

For you Iditarod lovers out there you will be jealous of our tour this morning.  Jeff King, 4 time winner of the Iditarod, opens his kennel in the summer months for people to visit and learn about what it takes to raise, train and run Alaskan Huskies.  

As soon as we step off the bus we are met by one of Jeff’s staff with an armload of puppies.  We each get a puppy to hold. 

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Some are a little older and some just a few weeks old.  The two weekers come with a diaper to hold under them.  We learn that this is the first stage of their training - socialization with and handling by many strangers.

We are seated outside facing the dog yard where each dog has a house, swivel chain attached to the top of the house, bucket of water and food dish.  Huskies are very active dogs; constantly on the move.  They yip and jump and run around and around. 

Dog Yard

They are born to pull and run and are at their happiest when they can work.  

Husky dogs you see in the movies are Siberian Huskies and are not as strong or have as much endurance as the Alaskan Husky.  They are prettier, though, which is why the film industry uses those.

Resting

One of the handlers hitches a team of 8 dogs to a tractor.  The other dogs go ballistic.  They want to go too.  The musher gets on the tractor and gives the word.  Off the dogs go pulling 600 pounds of man an tractor behind them.  This is how they keep in shape and train over the summer.

They also have two wheels much like hamster wheels.  One is for the adult dogs, the other for the puppies.  These wheels give them running exercise without having to go long distances.

Adult Wheel

Jeff is a very interesting and funny fellow.  A natural entertainer he explains all about the process to get to the point where mushers are ready to run in the Iditarod.  Bottom line: it takes more skill and strategy than strength to be a winning musher, but it takes many years and other races to be ready to mush with the big guys/gals.

As I listen to Jeff I hear the passion he has for the sport, the love he has for his dogs and the desire to be the best.  Be the best he can be, but not at the expense of any of his dogs.  I must say after listening to him I now have the desire to witness this race.  The fanfare starts in Anchorage, but the race really begins in Willow ending in Nome.

To learn more about the race, its history and list of winners, and all other information go to www.iditarod.com.

Later in the evening we set out on a Denali Jeep Adventure.  When we booked this tour we were unaware it was a self-drive off road experience.  When we got our documents and read the full description of the tour, Sandra announced she was not driving.  Now, I love to drive, but wasn’t sure I wanted to drive either.  We decided there must be two guys who would both want to drive the whole time (there are 4 to a jeep) and we could team up with them.  With that plan in mind we cheerfully get into the van that delivers us to the jeep site.

The string of jeeps were pretty sad looking.  Dirty, covered with mud, parts missing, etc. 

BUT sure enough there are two guys on their own.  Our plan is working!  Until we start to get into the jeep with them.  They said, and the guide agreed, you can have your own jeep!!!  Great! Not! So, I get behind the wheel with Sandra in the passenger or navigator seat.

The guide is driving his jeep in front, two couples are in the next jeep, the two guys, then us and finally two couples in the caboose jeep.  We set off for the trail by crossing over the highway and onto a paved road.  So far, so good.  We are in communication with the guide and other drivers via CB radio.  On the way down the paved road our guide, who looks 12, encourages us to test the feel of the steering by weaving back and forth across the road.  He does 180 degree circles as do the yahoos in front of us.  I just play drunk driver to test my steering.

We reach the beginning of the dirt road that will lead us through the wilds on the edge of Denali park.  At this point   we throw the jeeps into 4 wheel drive and prepare to have our off road experience.  The car behind the guide then complains they are overheating.  The guide tells them to turn on the heat and assures them that by the time we go through the first water hazard the engine will be cool.

They don’t buy it and will not drive with the heat blasting .  It is a hot day and stuffy with the windows rolled up.  Sandra tests our fan and we promptly get a face and nose full of dust.  We decide hot and stuffy beats dusty.  The guide then approaches us to see if we will trade cars and go in the overheating one.  Uh NO!  I suggest that the couples split up: two with us and two with the yahoos.  They opt to go back because they want to be together.

After that is settled we are ready to set out, one jeep less.  Our guide says we will bottom out on one of the bumps through the next hazard and when we do to put the peddle to the metal to keep the jeep from hanging up on the rock.  Super!!!  We are to go through the hazard one jeep at a time.

The hazard is full of water, deep mud and huge pot holes.  The guide goes through.  The yahoos go through.  They have all been driving the jeeps up the sides of the banks along the road, so I’m not sure how to follow them through this.  It’s my turn, so I take a deep breath and go for it.  Sandra has assumed the crash position with her head down and eyes closed holding onto a bar across the dash board.

I’m doing great.  We bottom out, I put the pedal to the metal and clear the rock, so far so good.  Then the jeep begins a sudden slide to the left which is too fast for me to react, plus requiring strength.  The left side slams into the forest and the front rams into some bushes.  I try reverse, I try rocking between forward and reverse.  All I accomplish is to dig us in deeper.

I begin laughing until I see the face of our guide as he surveys the situation.  I apologize for laughing, but it is still funny.  He attempts to pull us with a tow.  Nope.  He attempts to push us backward with his jeep.  Nope.  He attempts to pull us again - tow breaks in half.  Nope.  he then gets stuck and has to be rescued by the yahoos.

He gets behind us with another tow to pull us.  Nope.  Now we are even more jammed into the forest on the left and deeper in the mud.  Finally he is able to push us out.  By this time he is covered with mud has smoked two cigarettes and is a nervous wreck.  I’m still laughing and Sandra resumes the crash position.

I successfully navigate the rest of the hazard up and out.  We stop at a camp for stew and fry bread.  Back in the car I ask if that was the easiest or hardest hazard.  He says hardest, but we are not going back through it we will drive around.  Perfect!

Driving around means breaking trail through the forest.  A sharp left turn into something I could not see takes us into the forest.  Sandra is still in the crash position.  We go through the brush, through another deep water hazard, and into the woods again to get around someone whose ATV has broken down in the middle of the trail.  Sandra is still in the crash position.

We arrive back at the starting point.  I get out to survey the damage once again.  We left a front and rear fender in the woods, the license plate in the back is hanging by a thread.  Our guide says “it’s all good”.  

Before

After

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara