City smooths out the "Steps of Death" on CHT trail

What was two large steps has been kindly smoothed out into a slope by Gordon Smith, City of Whitehorse, Transportation Supervisor - many thanks! Trail now as safe as it was before!

Mystery remains as to how the gravel was dropped there to originally form the steps.

WARNING, ALERT, DANGER

Hi all - too serious to joke about if you are using the following trail:

The trail we use in the new 8 mile CHT, it runs along the landfill electric fence (remember, the 10 million Ravens) - on the return loop you run along the electic fence and cross the old dump access road at right angles and have a short steep downhill immediately you cross that road.

If you are quadding/biking that trail - someone has dumped 2-3 truckloads of gravel off that road down the short steep downhill - it has CREATED TWO LARGE STEPS - and you can't see them as you approach.

Tonight I approached that downhill with 3 dogs attached to my quad, all looked good until the dogs looked like they fell off a cliff...because they had..and so did the quad as I pulled on the brakes, which meant I pitched onto step 2 and started rotating over the front axle. Lights and winch kissed gravel, and the quad fell back instead of flipping forward on top of me.

I have asked the City if they did it (as they have the keys to open the gate to the road, I guess that is a bit of a redundant question) and asked them to put up some sort of warning.

In the meantime, if you are quadding on that trail, approach the old dump access road with great CAUTION - goodness knows what will be there next.

Funny thing, if I hadn't been running dogs and just reconning the trail, I would have come over that first step at a lot more than 20km/hr, with no dogs to warn me...you gotta love dogs, they never looked back..."oh, a cliff, Jon being funny? what's new? let's go!"

Safe training!

Chocolate Claim Races - those 2 dog teams in full (courtesy Clark Rogers)

Darryl Sheepway powering down the Copper Haul, Leader 1 to Leader 2 "That wasn't a long enough stop at the pond, my mouths's still full of dust!" Darryl: "Go faster then and pass those teams ahead!"

Claudia/Cynthia Wickert, face a mask of concentration, or just trying to dodge the flying gravel?

Jon Lucas, fully armoured, although at the speeds he managed it was hardly necessary

Puppy leads the pack - Adam "Kennel Slave" Robinson, in rare footage of him out on front shows youth can trump experience.

Show me the Money!! Cheque arrives for DPSAY Litter PIck-up

$250 for picking up litter along Fish Lake Rd - Thanks to everyone who volunteered for this! You know who you are and you can stand proud knowing you picked up dirty bad people's garbage and made this City a cleaner place - and made DPSAY $250 closer to its insurance premium!!

CHOCOLATE CLAIM : DUST EATIN' DERBY RESULTS! n photos (thanks to Clark Rogers)

A glorious normal Yukon summer day - mild, cloudy, threat of rain, south breeze - met the teams, monkeys, officials, volunteers and spectators Sunday at Icy Waters Ltd. Nine kennels turned out, and fielded 17 teams, had fun and raised $$ for DPSAY.

The two dog two mile trail - the CHT Kid's loop and for 3 years the return section of the 12 mile CHT should have posed no problems....100m from the start Snowpig's newcomer Flicker in her first ever race took fright at a passing bee (or a ghost, whatever) and tangled, it took Jon a minute to remember it's easier (or actually possible) to untangle lines and dogs if you take your heavy protective gloves off first...by which time it was all over for Snowpigs...except that in the actual wooded loop Smokin' Paws team took off down the wrong trail, closely followed by Cynthia, oops sorry, Claudia Wickert, only alerted by a chasing Jon screaming "Gee" at leader Tutshi. And for a moment Snowpigs were back in with a chance....till Adam - Sky High Kennel Slave - Robinson motored past at the water stop. And then it was all over as more tangles slowed Snowpigs and Smokin' Paws' Darryl Sheepway finished first in a cloud of dust, 2 seconds ahead of Adam, and 3 seconds ahead of Claudia, with Snowpigs somewhere quite a lot further back. Meanwhile Sandro had gamely Canicrossed the 2 mile amongst the bikes and finished in a great time of 18.15.

2 mile (ish) 2 sled dog, all bikejour except Sandro

1 Darryl Sheepway Smokin' Paws 11.00

2 Adam Robinson Sky High 11.02

3 Claudia Wickert "No Name - PC brand kennel" 11.03

4 Jon Lucas Snowpigs 11.34

5 Sandro 18.15

1 Mile 1 sled dog + 1 mile 1 Pet dog (sole entrant, Sandro)

Sandro again ran the mile, almost catching Janet Keller and her cute puppy, and sleepy Mark Manolis - catching flies.....

The trail was rock and gravel downhill from the start (nice) then steep uphill (not nice at all) followed by a fast hard packed mud section through the trees, before returning to the gravel of the Copper Haul Trail and the steep downhill/rock chute (worrying), before uphill back to the start line - harder work than the 2 miles with 2 dogs - at least Snowpigs couldn't tangle with just one dog! (although they tried). Because all the racers were moving, we all thought trail vounteers Jennifer and Claudia were simply waving us on as they swung their arms around madly...we didn't notice the hordes of blackflies descending on the poor unfortunates who had to stay in position to make sure we made the turns...the organisers didn't want another outburst from Smokin' Paws about "bad trail marking" after the 2 dog......

Grizzly & Darryl Sheepway, concentrating.....must win....must win.....trail marking? wot tra....?
Amil Dupuis-Rossi "Just follow the green tape, it's easy, if only people would listen in the Musher's meetings"
Bluto and Jon Lucas... concentrating on staying upright in the rock chute

1 mile 1 sled dog

1 - Darryl Sheepway - Smokin' Paws - 6.15

2 - Jon Lucas - Snowpigs - 6.20

3 - Amil Dupuis-Rossi - Smokin' Paws - 7.40

4 - Mark Manolis - 9.53

5 - Janet Keller - Grizzly Blizzard - 9.54

1 mile 1 pet dog

1 - Sandro - 9.58

Sandro having no trouble in the rock chute

Canicross! with 5 entrants the race was on - the same trail as the wheeled 1 dog - the racers soon discovered at what speed the blackfly could keep up.

Janet Keller with her first time racer!

Asha "See, running is FUN"; Jon "No, it isn't , it hurts"

Melanie Bedard

Simi Morrison

Unfortunately we don't have a photo of Mark, he was probably asleep under a bush somewhere - note how most of the Canicrossers are smiling, it's such a fun sport :)

1 mile Canicross

1 - Jon Lucas and Asha - 11.20

2 - Mark Manolis - 12.40

3 - Simi Morrison - 13.28

4 - Melanie Bedard - 16.50

5 - Janet Keller - 18.55

There followed a most enjoyable pot luck BBQ, and prize ceremony, with delicious prizes from the Chocolate Claim for places 1-3, and smaller prizes from Aurora Booties, Icy Waters Ltd, Muktuk Kennel and a special 2 dog Red Lantern prize from Gene Ennis.

Next races July 11th and the First Mate Summer Freight Pull. I know the location but I can't publicise it quite yet as I can't get in touch with the hosts...so they don't know they are the hosts..yet. All will be revealed in good time - merry training, and dodge those bears!

Race on! Chocolate Claim Dust Eatin' Derby ON!!

Trail checked - 2.5 mile wide and straightforward, 1 mile (1 dog teams) a little more technical - but nothing you veterans of the CHT haven't met with larger teams in winter!

Looks like a nice cool evening, and the 2.5 mile has a pond along about 1/3 its length to let the dogs cool off in!

Delectable prizes from the Chocolate Claim, with supporting prizes fron Aurora Booties, Icy Waters Ltd, C&D Feeds, a very nice T shirt (really, made of cotton n stuff) for the 2 dog Red Lantern from Gene Ennis, and 2lb sample bags of dog food from new sponsor Muktuk Kennels!!!!

6pm Icy Waters Ltd, Km 4.2 Fish Lake Rd, Sunday 13th - and don't forget your DPSAY membership money (no membership no race) - $15 single/$25 family. Then you have to pay more to actually race = First race $10, subsequent $5! I know, but we have a $2500 insurance premium to pay, amongst other costs, and for the other 14 odd events we put on, you only have the entry fee :)

Potluck BBQ and T shirt opening in the IWL parking lot after the races - bring a chair, firepit if we're allowed.

Dryland Season Kicks Off!

More Money!

Crooked Eye Kennels donates 2 years worth of recyclables to DPSAY! - the crushed cans will fill a pick up! Board Member Jocelynn LeBlanc will be weighting down her truck with aluminium and glass shortly to claim all those deposits for DPSAY.

Newsflash! Lotteries Yukon provides over $4900 for DPSAY Road Runner

An application to Lotteries Yukon for funding to support the proposed next season's Road Runner mid-distance race was successful! - allowing DPSAY to access funds for Trail Work (including 2800 marker stakes); facility rental fees; and a small amount for honoraria.

Thank you DPSAY Board for applying, and thank you Lotteries Yukon!

Chocolate Claim : DUST EATIN' DERBY Dryland!

Loads of dust out here! All ready to be tore up by bikes, scooters, and feet (human and monkey) with the 2010 DRYLAND SEASON PREMIERE - the CHOCOLATE CLAIM HOT HOUNDS!!

Kicking off season 4 with the :

1 sled dog 1 mile

1 pet dog 1 mile

as many dogs as you like (or are crazy enough to use) 1 mile Canicross - take seven league steps!

and the soon to be famous

2 sled dog 2,5 mile mini mass start

This is an interesting format, with 2 teams starting next to each other, followed 30 seconds later by another pair, then another pair till everyone is out at once. This is down the Copper Haul so it's nice and wide. Just before the turn into the Kid's loop there will be a line in the sand - first dog to the line has priority into the loop and NO passing in the loop - make sure you draw bib 1!

The one dogs go the other way, with the delight of a short climb, then sprint twistily through the trees on hard mud, before racing back down a Copper Haul Section from last winter's trail and down the mogul descent (except the snow has melted so it's so much easier to negotiate - it is, honest, beware the rocks).

Meet at Icy Waters Ltd 6pm sharp Sunday, or Jocelynn & Simi won't let you in, remember it's DPSAY membership renewal time ($15 single, $25 family/couples), $10 entry for your first race, $5 for subsequent races (on the same day).

As always bike helmets - and not some dog bowl "helmet" famously featured on the Yukon News cover - are mandatory, and body armour recommended - ask yourself if your knee/elbow is worth $35? Armour available at sponsor Cadence Cycle (the bike shop previously known as "Philippe's")

Prizes for 1st-3rd from the Chocolate Claim (coffee still 50c off with your own mug), other prize positions from Aurora Booties, C&D Feeds, Icy Waters Ltd.

BBQ in the IWL car park afterwards - bring a chair! and a Yukon Brewing T-shirt, and catch up with all the dog sports enthusiasts you won't recognise in summer now you can actually see them and they've cut winter's insulation off!