Summer Training!

Dave Desmarais and Peat pull ahead of Jon Lucas and Assman, as Heather Desmarais apppears over the brow, with Dust still invisible (photo Laura Jane Lucas)

Information Section

AGM of the Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon (DPSAY), Friday May 1st, 7pm, Whitehorse Library. Come and join and support DPSAY to encourage and represent dogs sports in the Yukon

Early start to 2009 DRYLAND SEASON

News Alert - first Hot Hounds Dryland of the season, the Chocolate Claim's:

 "MUD-PUPPY DERBY"

Saturday May 16th, host Wendy Morrison, Carcross Rd

More details to follow - brought to you by the CHT Org...where all the cool (muddy) dogs go

Yet More Season Finale photos - this time from Stacie Zaychuk

Yes indeed Ms Zaychuk finally managed to drag herself out of her cosy bed (or was it out of hibernation), surrounded by 12 dogs, in time to catch the end of the last Twister this season - still, we are grateful for these finish line photos. Stacie has also kindly and tentatively offered to host the new June Hot Hounds, Season Start out at Mendenhall. Remember she's a skijorer with a sled habit she's been trying to kick for some time (there should be a support network for these desperate people trying to escape from the dark world of sledding into the light of skijoring) so expect some interesting twists and turns in the trail. Watch this space for more details as they emerge!

Lee Kirkpatrick brings Team C back, still landing third and being beaten by her A Team driven by mad flying Tony on the metal-fatigued Skeleton sled (it's going to snap, Tony, it's just thin metal...into shards...sharp shards....)

Skijorer extraordinaire Stephan Wackerhadyn storms home

We think this is Marine Gastard, but she's going the right way so we cannot be sure....

Drag n Fly Team 27, white leader "I want an upgrade to team 19, the 20s always get the stoopid monkeys!"

Snowpiglet Eilidh Lucas, fortunately unable to understand her leader's thoughts....

More Dave Mondor snapshots of the Season Finale

Seth Carey leads out in the Kids 5km, that looks suspiciously like PI's sister there in lead.

Hans Gatt's Iditarod B team makes The Turn at "Lee's Tree"

Taking a well earned rest with a view. although the dogs are more interested as to where their snacks are coming from

Yellow Harness "Don;t you just love this!", Red Harness "No, not really, I've got a terrible hangover"

Dave Mondor - Pics from the season finale

Speed Demon Eilidh Lucas defects to Drag 'n' Fly and roars out of the start chute...

Approaching the appropriately named "Lee's Tree" in the Kids loop, Eilidh has a flashback to bending her Dad's sled at the start of last season...

Which turns into an "oh cr..!" reality moment nanoseconds later....

Race Results Error! Shock Horror!

The CHT reporting office thanks Carolynne Campbell of Midnight Sun Alpacas for correctly pointing out that our editor had tried (or tied?) on one too many Yukon Brewing celebratory T-shirts before writing up the Icy Waters Ltd Race Day results. The Kid's Race positions as declared at the awards meeting were correct and the correct results read:

1) Jeff Diment

2) Thea Carey

3) Erin Spicer

4) Seth Carey

5) Keegan Hopkins

Apologies to Jeff and Erin for switching their positions in the earlier blog posting.

APRIL FOOLS?

Between 8pm Mar 31st and 5pm April 2nd, not one, not two, but three vehicles got themselves stuck whilst driving on the Copper Haul Trail - apart from all the carving up on the way in and the big holes dug to try to get them out,  by the time they got out on the 4th, the "rescue" vehicles had carved more tracks and made more big holes!

These photos have been sent to Douglas.hnatiuk@whitehorse.ca of the City's Parks and Rec Department, with a further request for gates to be built this summer to keep wheeled vehicles off this trail in winter, although given the amount of empty beer cans in the back of both trucks it might be safer for everyone using the trails to keep the gates closed all year! Please support the gates, and Douglas, by emailing him and asking him to get something done to protect this trail.

Red extended cab Nissan SE V6, Alberta Licence Plate PWU-072

About 2.5 miles in, not exactly stuck, more marooned between two large holes in the trail where the vehicle had been dug out of soft patches. Sadly, appeared to have a dog drop chain in the back.

Red & White Ford Bronco, chains on rear wheels, Yukon Plate EPM 03

Well stuck, about 2 miles in.

Dark Blue Subaru Outback, Quebec plate 479 THB

An expensive vehicle to have stuck 300 yards beyond the quarry entrance, although it's still carved the trail, and the owner appears to have tried to dig it out with the windscreen scraper.