We have entered the depth of winter. The temperatures have dropped, the daylight has vanished, and the training miles have stretched from day into night. Mike and the dogs have been training around the clock. In replication of the race, they are running 6 hours, resting 6 hours, and running again.
In Alaska, everything is big: the mountains, the distances, the adventures. This week we have experienced the biggest snow storm I can remember. Snow started falling on Monday evening. Tuesday morning there was already 15 inches.
Living 150 miles from the closest shopping center has its challenges. The grocery list is always long and we buy the dog food 50 bags at a time. This last week, Max and I made a supply run which included a refrigerator, which made me think about how much I appreciate the versatility of our dog truck.
The dogs are loving the cool weather and the snow and are eager to run. As in the summer, we are training the dogs on trails that cross creeks. This time of year the runs early in the day may cross over the water on the ice, while the teams later in the day may go through the water once the ice has broken apart.
Life has been really busy at the kennel. The dogs are running about 10 miles a day. Mike has been working on a new cabin for our helpers. We typically have 2 or 3 people who come and spend the winter with us to help us train the dogs. When Mike and I first bought our property we built a 14 x 14 foot cabin to live in. After Mike moved the house, we have used that cabin to house our handlers. However, spending the winter in a one room cabin is a challenge, even if many of your hours are spent outside running and camping with the dogs.