Sping in Alaska (sort of)

Karin and I are down in Homer now, in our home on the 1000' hill above town, enjoying some down time before the summer season at the lodge gets in gear. We left about a week ago, stopping overnight in Anchorage to visit our friends Tom and Elaine. Since the drive is about 9 hours from EarthSong to Homer, Anchorage is about half-way and a good spot to split the trip in half. Beautiful weather going down, and for the start of our Homer stay. And that's where it about ended! The ridge above Homer is known locally as the snow-belt, compared to the banana-belt down in town. We currently have about 3-4' of snow in the front yard, with burms above 6'. In fact, we had to have our roof shoveled/snow-blowered a month ago when the snow level up there was exceeding 9'. I am currently looking out the office window at a big drift of snow and lots of snow coming down, most of it diagonally. At this pace, we will still have snow through May. A big contrast to the lodge, where we just went through one of the lowest snow years on record (even with the additional 10" we got a few days ago). Alaska is a big state, lots of different environments, and when we go through a strong El Nino year, everywhere gets askew. Climate Change Deniers either don't live in Alaska or live up here with their eyes and ears shut!

We'll be heading back to the lodge in about a week. Karin and I will try and take the ferry overnight to Seldovia, a nice town down Katchemak Bay. Although I did a few hours of sea kayaking around the Homer Spit yesterday, I would love a bit more, and Seldovia is a nice place for that. If you are visiting Alaska in the summer, don't miss Homer, and don't leave out sea kayaking if you are a bit adventurous.

When we leave here, we will be going back to the lodge with plenty of projects to start and finish up before the summer guests come. We will be working on our employee housing...we have hired our three employees, and expect to have an excellent crew on board this summer. We also purchased a yurt from a local Homer company, and Karin can't decide if she wants it as another summer guest lodging option or for herself...I am guessing all you out there will NOT have the lodging option, unless we get another yurt! She got a yurt book, and already is creatively planning the yurt interior. We will also be finishing up our new and expanded septic system, a very large project that will replace some of the permafrost problems we had in the past (note to people unfamilar with Alaska: large tanks in the permafrost ground usually results in some upward movement, not good with gravity-flow systems!). There are some dog yard projects, two new sleds to build for next season, walkway and fencing upgrades, and the never-ending list of "honey-do" items Karin has compiled for me and the cabins.

The dogs are doing fine, JJ is keeping an eye on all of them, and giving the pups lots of walk-time. He has his own pup/pet from our guide Mike, so he takes our pups, his pup, Bart-the-lab, and Boomer on long walks.

So from wintery Homer Alaska, the Halibut Fishing Capitol of the World and known far and wide by fans of Tom Bodett as The End Of The Road, happy trails, and more to come soon...maybe some new puppy photos.

Jon

End of the Sledding Season

April 7 was the end of our guided sledding season, finishing up with a family of three from California going out on a day trip. Just prior to that, we did a three-day trip with three people: a climate change professor from UC Santa Cruz up in Alaska giving seminars, her 15 year old son, and a member of Alaska Coast Magazine out of Anchorage. We had little snow, and it was disappearing fast while we were out on the trail headed to and from Sushana Cabin. But the trip was successful, even with a team member CATCHING AIR down the second Sushana Step. An amazing sight to see, and I apologize for not having the helmet cam on for that event. All survived. Justin, from Alaska Coast, plans on an article in that magazine coming out in the fall, in time to generate some enthusiasm for our trips next season. Had some nice conversations about climate change. Remember, all you people who saw a cold snowy winter back East: Climate and Weather are NOT the same!

Now we are closing up things in the gear room and around the dog yard, putting sleds away, and slowly getting ready for the summer. JJ, our assistant, will be around the rest of the month, and will focus on getting the pups out for walks. Karin and I are heading to Homer for a few weeks, to see how much of that seven feet of snow in our front yard is left.

As for the dogs, they deserve a bit of time off. After a few weeks, they will likely be missing the trail, and if we have any snow left, we may go for a run or two. Patrick, Brucie, and Lyman are all at about 14, and in fairly good health. We expect to be looking for a pet home for 8 year old Gretchen, the mother of half our yard. Her work ethic is a bit poor, and we have gotten enough pups (5 litters) from her. So anyone out there in a cool climate that wants one of the sweetest sled dogs around, let me know.

That's all for now, I hope to be in my sea kayak within the week. More about the pups to come.

Happy trails!

Back from the Big Trip

Just two days ago we finished up a trip where the dogs were out on the trail for 13 days. Every season we offer one 10-day trip, with the itinerary depending upon trail conditions. This season our big trip was with Kevin and Dave, two experienced mushers that ran dogs with us on a seven day trip two years ago, and wanted to step up the experience. And we did.

Our trip started at the lodge, heading west on the Stampede Trail Corridor, into the park. On the Sushana Flats, we had an intense caribou encounter, and only the photos can show what we saw...to be posted soon. We spent the second night at Lower Toklat Cabin, and then headed up the Clearwater Fork the back way to Kantishna and Wonder Lake. That route hasn't been broken out for years, due to the reputation of the Clearwater for overflow that "eats" snowmachines. A couple that guide for us were kind enough to break out the trail, and up over Awesome Pass we went. Not called Awesome Pass for nothing, it offers an incredible view of Denali and the Alaska Range, the Moose Creek Drainage, and a hair-raising descent to Moose Creek...made all the more "interesting" due to virtually no snow most of the 700' descent. One of the short steep drops on the descent now has the moniker of "Testicle Hill"...if you are wondering about that, see a soon-to-be posted video clip on YouTube. We reached the Parker Cabin (a cabin located on Moose Creek where the previous owner was evicted by the National Park Service when Denali National Park grew in 1980 to encompass the land his cabin was on), only to find the Denali Park Kennel crew and dogs staying there. We camped about a mile down, after a very long 35 mile day.

The next few days were spent at Wonder Lake, with amazing views and weather. We met up with the new mountain climber gear hauling concessionaire, Eric Jayne, who was beginning his haul. We mushed to the top of Turtle Hill for an unequalled view of Denali, and then down the McKinley River a bit.

On Day 6, we left Wonder Lake and mushed east to Upper Glacier Creek and the Muldrow Glacier. Our goal was to run up to Anderson Pass, but the very low snow year only allowed us to go about a mile up the creek, bouncing along on sharp rocks and boulders. By this time, a 48 hour virus was hitting a few of our key sled dogs, including main leader Frodo and chase leader Assam. Luckily their overall attitudes and health remained good, so we were able to keep on moving. The next day we curved around Mt. Eielson and heading up the Thorofare River to the terminus of the Sunset Glacier, for an amazing backdrop at lunchtime. That night we were back in Thorofare Gorge.

Since the Denali Park dog teams had put in a trail up to their backcountry cabin on Moose Creek, we thought it a good idea to head up onto the Park Road and mush to the trail that headed towards that cabin. That would entail five miles on gravelly road, and then 2.5 miles along a hiking trail to where the dog trail was put in. The best laid plans... Since there was virtually no snow at the Moose Creek Trailhead, we then decided to go to the south and meet back up with the Thorofare River. Bad idea. Two steep drops down the tundra found all three teams tied up in an alder thicket. For those of you who don't know Alaskan alder, it is something to be avoided at all costs, for dogs and hikers. About a half-hour later and some creative use of my ax, we were heading back to the road, to continue west to Wonder Lake. Lots of gravel and burnt plastic later, we arrived at the lake, and stayed there for that night.

On Day 9, we mushed to the Kantishna Airstrip, and then over to the Parker Cabin for our guests' last night in the Denali Backcountry. We headed to the airstrip the following day, and Kevin and Dave flew out via small bush plane back to Healy...being exchanged for JJ, our dog handler. He and I combined the three teams into two larger ones, dropped one of the sleds off at the Wonder Lake Ranger Station, and then started the three day trip back east to EarthSong.

Awesome Pass had even less snow, Moose Creek had more ice, but finally we made it over to the Clearwater. After a short trip up to Stampede Mine (Thanks for the trail, Jamie and Hannah), we arrived at Lower Toklat Cabin. And then two more days, and we were home. Things are changing here fast, snow disappearing under the unrelenting sunny days, so spring is not too far away.

We have one last overnight trip, three people for a three day trip, beginning Sunday. Then one last day trip, and Karin and I should be heading to Homer and see if we still have seven feet of snow in our front yard. Going to take the pups out of the pen to run around the dog yard for their first outing, and give them their vaccinations. And the dog boxes will come off the truck. I imagine soon enough we will be visiting with some of you all out there, when you come up this summer.

Happy trails!

Back from a spring Toklat Loop

Yesterday (March 17) we returned from a seven day Toklat Loop trip with guests Shirley of Oakland, CA and Ally from Indiana. In some ways, this trip was a classic March Toklat Loop, with most days sunny and spectacular, comfortable daytime temps, and night temps to below zero. With an inch of new cold snow (that fell prior to the trip at -18F), traveling times were a bit longer, but that enabled the rookies to negotiate the challenging trail with heavy loads much easier than earlier trips. Even though, there were some bumps and bruises, as with all of our expeditions!

Caribou were in abundance the first and second days out, near Sushana River. The overland trail to Lower Toklat Cabin was a bit less bumpy, although the Great Tussock Crossing lived up to it's name, throwing both guests. The 23 mile run up the Toklat River was great traveling, very little overflow, with a new (and only choice) crossing of the Toklat Narrows. When we arrived at Upper Toklat Cabin, we were met with the Denali Park Kennels: three employees and about 30 dogs, on their way to Wonder Lake for the annual spring patrol. There were breaking trail west from the new snow/blowfall, and we were able to take advantage of that and get up to Stony Hill for a spectacular view of Denali...see new photos added. That afternoon, Eric Jayne arrived with his team of 10 dogs to begin his first season as the concessionaire for the mountain climbing freight hauling business. It was nice to visit with him, a long-time friend to our kennel.

A quick note about Eric. He is also known as the Bush Vet, providing extremely low-cost vet service to communities along the highway and in remote bush Alaska. We wrote an article about him years ago in the Denali Summer Times. Basically, Eric was offering services not available to many pet owners and mushers. In many places in Alaska, the alternative to Eric's vet care was a bullet to the sled dog's head. So it was outrageous when he was run out of business and forced to hand over his license. It seems that many of the more established veterinarians in Alaska objected to his operation, as he was a direct competition to their practices. Trumped-up charges were brought against him, for negligence and sub-standard care. Those who know him know that this is total nonsense, but the charges were taken without being under oath, by people who he never even met. It seems that the Vet Board in Alaska has absolutely NO standards, so Eric never had any chance to fight against the vet establishment. The end product is less care for more animals, and a reinforcement of the overcharging establishment that most (not all) veterinarians in Alaska are part of. So Eric has said "bye" to vet work, and now hauls climber gear for those attempting Denali from the traditional North Side.

Two days after Toklat, were were back at Park HQ, and the end of the trip. All dogs did very well, and it seems that Assam has a generally good working relationship with his co-lead partner Frederick. We now are getting ready for the big 10 day trip with Kevin and Dave, two fellows that did a Toklat Loop two years ago. We will be heading out the Stampede Trail, going up the Clearwater the back way to Wonder Lake, and hopefully heading towards McGonnagal Pass. A trip up to Anderson Pass may be an alternative. They will then fly out of the Kantishna Airstrip near Wonder Lake, being replaced by my handler J.J., and we will then mush two 12 dog teams back to the lodge. I'll update everyone after this trip. Happy trails, All.

a blissful day in Denali

The slighest of movements can be heard with such solitude today. I am wrapped around this blissful world surrounding me. All of the clients are out dog mushing leaving me with a joyful afternoon of scenic inspiration.
I managed to get out and visit with the little puppies. They are beginning to have individual personalities; shy, feisty, playful, demanding, and last but not least the little blue eyed center of attention.
I am breathing in this time, simmering it slowly, soon these quiet moments will echo with the return of the excited guests after an experience they will always remember.
Happy thoughts!

Caribou at Sushana

Our latest trip, a three day trip to the Sushana River cabin with Jonah and Joan from Chicago, finished up yesterday (March 9). Although our guests were brand-new to sledding, they had an excellent first day driving their own teams, with only a lost sled at the very end. As mentioned before, conditions here have been very tough for sledding, very low snow, oscillating temperatures, very bumpy on the trail. We had a fast run to Moose Alley on the other side of the Teklanika River, about 14 miles out, and while stopped for a break I discovered three sheared bolts on two sleds. After an hour for repairs, we were up and running. Although cloudy, the temps were mild. During the last three miles to the cabin we came across a large portion of the Denali Caribou Herd, in a few groups, a few hundred animals. Very exciting for the dogs!

The last run to the cabin is down the infamous Sushana Steps, and it is only at the end when dropping onto the river that one guest lost a team. Surprising...not that a team was lost, but that both mushers weren't knocked off! Around the corner from the cabin is another private cabin owned by Steve and Heidi Carwile, park people living in Anchorage. They come up every spring break with their two boys Teddy and Nick, and do cool cabin things. This year they are up with about 8 or so other friends, working on building a larger cabin. They stopped by with a gaggle of kids, visited with the dogs, and invited us over to the cabin to help set the record for number of people inside that small structure at one time. Like a phone booth or VW Bug...

We got a few inches of new snow with winds beginning that night, and that made not only the trail a bit smoother, but gave the landscape more of the traditional winter look. After more caribou chasing on the Sushana Flats, we had a quick run back to the lodge. An excellent trip.

Shirley and Ally come tomorrow for a training day, and then it's off for six days into the park, doing the Toklat Loop route. I'll write again after that.

Late winter dog sledding in Denali Park

Early March finds us in the middle of our busy time for guided dog sledding in and around the lodge. We finished our first seven day Toklat Loop trip the last week of February, with Dana and Nancy from Columbus. They found out first-hand the "challenges" of a strong El Nino year in Interior Alaska. When we have an El Nino phenomenon, the Interior (most of Denali Park and our lodge area) see very low snow years, as the storms all come from the south and there are two mountain ranges between us and the ocean. We need a few storms from the west, and since they haven't come, that's why we have only seen snowfalls of over two inches at a time prior to early December. In addition, the temperatures swing wildly, from colder than usual to warmer than usual. This seven day trip started with temps up to +40F, and the fifth night out was down to -24F. We found some great mushing, but also a fair share of rocks and bare tundra, not to mention ice...in that matter, a normal mushing trip!

You can see a video clip of Nancy and Dana following me up Stony Hill for an amazing view of the mountains and Denali (Mt. McKinley) on YouTube, at

A great trip, and when Nancy returns we'll try and keep her away from the steep drop-off on the east side of Sable Pass.

We finished a three day trip yesterday with a group from National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). We usually take a group of 4-6 people out on a trip from NPCA the first week of March, part of a week-long trip they do that includes watching the Iditarod Race start in Anchorage. NPCA is an excellent organization advocating responsible development and recreation in national parks, and watching over the National Park Service, keeping them "in line" when they occassionally stray from their mission. Tom Kiernan is the organization's president, and this has been his fourth trip with us. We'll miss him, as he will soon be moving on to other challenges. Due to the low snow year, our trip to the Sushana River cabin made a detour the last three miles, which includes the descent down the Sushana Steps, two short steep drops down the the spruce forest and onto the river near the cabin. Check out the video clip:
this descent was unusal in that I had a passenger in my sled. And Anne didn't scream at all! While all our trips are safe, there has to be some excitement or you're not getting what dog sledding is all about.

In other guiding news, we will be starting a three day trip for a couple in a few days, followed by a seven day trip, and then a ten day trip with two guys who did a seven day trip two years ago, and want something more challenging. They won't be disappointed. Also, our five new pups are doing well at about six weeks: Dax, Sisco, Basheer, Odo, and Kira. Anyone guess the theme?

I'll try and keep posting updates about the dogs and trips as the season progresses. If you are bored, go to my YouTube contributions (DenaliDogBoy), and see some Frodo-cams and Picard-cams...video shot from a camera attached to the dog's harness. Puts it all in perspective. In the meantime, the people back East can please send us some of their snow, I'll appreciate it.

Welcome to EarthSong Lodge and Denali Dog Sled Expeditions

Hello and welcome to our blog. We have been getting many requests to join in on blogging so here we go. I hope you all enjoy the "view". Be sure to check us out at www.earthsonglodge.com for detailed information.