[]
Personally, I find this depressing, but what the heck:

But a lack of reliable snow cover in the East and Upper
Midwest the last couple of years has prompted a
cancellation rate of more than 30 percent for
Isdra-sanctioned races. Dryland competitions have gained
prominence as racers realized the situation could be
permanent.

Used to be that December meant snowfall; you took it for
granted, but not anymore, said Steve Knight, a
59-year-old bus driver from Cambridge, Minn., who has
raced dog sleds since 1976. He came as a spectator to
the East Meets West race. Some of the biggest names in
the sport now race dryland, and its turning into a whole
other season before winter comes.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/12/0...tml?ref=travel

There's going to be a fairly large dryland race at Fair
Hill, MD next weekend. Details at
http://www.pennsleddogclub.com/event.../fairhill.html
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:
[]
Personally, I find this depressing, but what the heck:

I think that, while it's depressing for mushers, and it's depressing
for anyone who gives a **** about the planet, it is also kind of
cool that folks who don't live in traditionally snowy areas can
participate in dog activities they might not otherwise consider.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

In article ,
shelly wrote:
I think that, while it's depressing for mushers, and it's depressing
for anyone who gives a **** about the planet, it is also kind of
cool that folks who don't live in traditionally snowy areas can
participate in dog activities they might not otherwise consider.

The problem is that they often don't know about them. But
you're right, and it's also worth pointing out 1) that the
distances involved (usually under 2 miles for canicross, 4
or 5 miles for bikejoring) are something that most people
can do (i.e. you don't have to be particularly fit), and 2)
unlike dogsledding and carting, they're something you can do
with only one or two dogs.

But being out in ths snow in the woods by yourself with the
dogs and heading down the trail is an amazing experience and
one that you really can't duplicate with dryland stuff.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:

The problem is that they often don't know about them.

That will likely change over time, though.

But
you're right, and it's also worth pointing out 1) that the
distances involved (usually under 2 miles for canicross, 4
or 5 miles for bikejoring) are something that most people
can do (i.e. you don't have to be particularly fit), and 2)
unlike dogsledding and carting, they're something you can do
with only one or two dogs.

Also, they're things you can do with dogs that aren't well suited to
cold weather.

But being out in ths snow in the woods by yourself with the
dogs and heading down the trail is an amazing experience and
one that you really can't duplicate with dryland stuff.

I wouldn't think so. Just the being in the woods by yourself with
your dogs is something I don't think that all that many people get
to experience, period. I'm going to miss having the woods right
outside my door. The dog-sledding aspect is something I can only
imagine (I doubt I would ever have the quantity of dogs required for
that). I expect it's a wonderfully free and exhilarating feeling,
assuming, of course, that everything is going well.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

In article ,
Terri wrote:
Poking out of each hole the
panting and grinning head of a Sibe.

!! Did he mention his name?
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:18:40 GMT, (Melinda Shore) wrote:

But being out in ths snow in the woods by yourself with the
dogs and heading down the trail is an amazing experience and
one that you really can't duplicate with dryland stuff.

Damn that sounds great.

--
Lynne

In article 42,
Lynne wrote:
Damn that sounds great.

There are lots and lots of touring outfits that offer
packages ranging from short rides in the basket to multi-day
excursions where you care for the dogs and drive the sled.
Backpacker magazine had a nicely-written article about going
on a longer trip last winter:

Once you go, you go. There is no buildup. Arleigh's sled
is moving off ahead, and my dogs leap to the traces. The
dogs left tethered in the yard set up a howl and holler,
and just as quickly-zip-it is just you and your team
whooshing through a tunnel of spruce. The runners hiss
against the snow, and the cargo bay grunts and creaks as
the straps ease and the load settles. I keep my right
foot on the studded rubber flap of the drag brake, but
the dogs are flat-out flying. The first corner
approaches, and now I realize why Arleigh puts your
focus on that tug line. Any more responsibility at this
speed this early, and you'd bail out at the first
bend. "Slow 'em down on the straightaways and let 'em go
on the corners," he'd said. It's counterintuitive, but
if you brake on the corner, the dogs drag you straight
into the brush. I step off the brake and hope for the
best. The dogs stream around a tree trunk and out of
sight. I dip, lean, and shift my weight. The sled tail
kicks out and sweeps through the corner in an arc,
tracking neatly in the dogs' wake. The tree is scarred
by beginners who gave in to the temptation of braking.

http://www.backpacker.com/article/1,...0207_P,00.html
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Terri wrote in :

(Melinda Shore) wrote in
:

In article ,
Terri wrote:
Poking out of each hole the
panting and grinning head of a Sibe.

!! Did he mention his name?

Um, yes....but (hangs head.) I can remember his
dog's names but not his! Argh!
Nice man though. Wonderful dogs!
(Honestly I can remember people's dog's names
long before I can remember their people's names.)



I bet if you told Melinda the dogs' names, if she knows the guy, she'll
recognize the dogs :-)

Tara

In article ,
Terri wrote:
Um, yes....but (hangs head.) I can remember his
dog's names but not his! Argh!

And what were the dogs' names?

There are a bunch of Seppala Siberian people out your way.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

In article ,
Terri wrote:
And my short term memory turns crappy here so a few more clues were
that most were white/off white except for two which had the
marks of the Sibe face but also very light. None of his dogs
were richly marked in that distinct rich coloring.

So far that sounds typical of the Seppala line.

The gentleman was perhaps in his early 60's to late 50's, in good
outdoorsy shape and on the side of his cab was something written about
"Pound-(xxxx something or other) Sled Dogs-xxxxx (His truck died at the
bank in the drive through and I helped him push it back so I didn't get to
spend much time reading it.)

There's a "Pound Puppies" racing kennel but I think they're
in Alaska and race rescued Alaskans. I don't know who this
fellow is. Having a dog truck crap out seems to be awfully
common, mostly because so many mushers are just getting by.
I know two people who arrived at races (the same race, come
to think of it - just different years) behind tow trucks. I
really hate the thought of breaking down in the middle of
nowhere with a bunch of dogs in the truck so I upgraded my
truck about a month ago.

I was extremely impressed with the attitude of Callie. She just looked at
me calmly with what seemed a bit of disdain. She was a very confident
girl, very aloof and full of dignity. No tail wagging, no nothing for me
really, just something that said: " Yeah I see you, puny human. You're
not worthy of my attention so look but don't touch me."
I don't know enough about Sibes to know if that was because of what she
was and did or if it was the Akita in her or not, but she definately
commanded a certain aura of respect that was very obvious.

That's really not typical of Siberians, although you'll find
a few here and there like that. Even Crow, who's a big diva
and is *all* business when she's working, is a big puppy
slut the rest of the time. That sounds more Akita-ish to
me.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community