December Pooper Scoop

Chocolate Claim Race Day
8-Mile Twister
This month's Twister on a trail of glazed snow was fast and slick. Mike Simon said teams sent up plenty of spray banking around his corner. Watch Crispin Studer's team, below, pounding down the trail.

In a nifty spin, Tony Radford's team wrapped around Marianne Gregoire's legs and pulled her off her feet. "Sorry to the volunteer I accidentally took out," he said upon collecting his first place winnings.

Being bowled over by dogs is nothing, according to a volunteer from the Australian Dog Trainers Association. A dryland driver herself, she's seen kangaroos leap out of nowhere to jump a team in gang.

In the videoclip below Grant Simpson demonstrates a Lesson from the Trail: Tell the dog driver in human language what they need to do (left, right, straight ahead) and let them translate into dog (gee, haw, on-by) for the team. Then hope the team reacts before they flatten you.

On the home stretch, left, Dave Johnson's team passes Jeff Diment on his debut Twister. Willkommen ins Club, Jeff!

The Copper Haul coyotes were spotted trailside by Mike and Jessica Simon. A race so thrilling even the wildlife come out to watch.

5-k Kids
Erin Spicer was the only entrant in the Kids' Race, and flew down the trail until she landed on her side. Here, she keeps her gangline taut and rights her sled.
5-k Pets
Pet dogs pull all kinds of equipment down the trail. Here's Tiramisu having far more fun skijoring with Pippa Lawson than Asha's having bikejoring with the serious-looking competition, Jonathan Lucas.

Thank you to all our sponsors

Chocolate Claim
Yukon Brewing
Yukon Agriculture Assoc.
Icy Waters Ltd.
Midnight Sun Alpacas
Drury's Elk Farm
Yukon Grain Farm
First Mate Dog Food
Yukon Honda

for letting us have so much fun.
The next Twister meets on at January 24, 2010 at 10 a.m. at Icy Waters, km. 4 Fish Lake Road. Note the date change.

This coming Sunday, December 13, mushers can Reach for the Sky and Take the Beer in a totally legal race 2200' up Mt. Mac for a nice fresh t-shirt and down for a with a handful of cards. Prizes include airfare vouchers from Air North, and cash donated by Air North, Yukon Brewing and Hot Hounds Dryland Racing for the best poker hand. For those hardworking pack dogs, the First Mate Dog Food Extreme Freight Pull starts at 11:30 a.m.

On the same weekend, the Yukon Quest is organizing a work bee at McCabe Creek, the unique checkpoint shared by the Yukon Quest and Arctic Ultra. The original building was lost to fire in February and the Kruse family are hard at work to make the replacement shop ready for this year's Quest. Anyone with skills on the tools is invited to contact Wendy Morrison at the Quest office at 667-4411 or questadmin@polarcom.com for details.

See you next week or next year! Merry Christmas and Happy Trails from the Copper Haul Twister.

photos, film and words by Jessica Simon
yukonwriter@lycos.com