Spring Fling Pooper Scoop

What a treat to zip out on a trail as smooth as silk! Thanks so much Klondike Snowmobile Association for the magnificent grooming job - even carved a pull out in the desert snow at the Pyramids.

Crispin Studer hooked up his ghost team and vanished down the trail to come in ahead of the Snowpigs. Emma and Assman, below, practiced their cover photo pose for the Percy DeWolfe. Good show league leader Jonathan Lucas.
Teams found their pace this month and ran in packs around the back end. Two, three teams at a time sliced into the crust on the way to the Drop Kick Corner and every group met traffic in the Stone Chute. Have I been spelling this wrong all season - should it really be Stone Shoot?

IMPORTANT LESSON FROM THE TRAIL: via Fabian Schmitz - sometimes the dogs just run into the volunteers. "Only at the corners where there was a person, my team went straight for them. At the empty corners, they took my commands like normal."

Below, Laura Lucas relaxes after Team Pom Pom's hour on the trail. Is this the unknown weathergirl unmasked in her own snowbank? See for yourselves, and compare.
5 km Kids' Race
Kids on Skids this month included Erin Spicer, Thea Carey and her brother Seth who banked out of the start, below,




and Keegan Hopkins who walked home. Even though he wasn't happy with what happened, he came in under his own steam, and in the money for the league.



But running away with the purse was Jeff Diment, below, who capped his Kids' League career with the season's top prize. Get ready to move up to the Twister next year.

















Pet Dog 5 km
Below, Heather Demarais and Akeno cani-crossed the finish for the red lantern. Jonathan Lucas, ousted by Rachel Wider and Claudia Wickert, finished third.


And that's the last sniff of the season. All the dogs have marked their parking spots for next year. Thanks to our great sponsors and supporters, Icy Waters, Dazhaw Du Chiropractic Clinic, Midnight Sun Alpaca, Aurora Booties, Klondike Snowmobile Association, C&D Feeds, First Mate Feeds and league backers Yukon Brewing. They've staked $1600 for the 2010 Twister, bringing their total investment in local dog sports to over $6000. You have our mutual support - by the bottle and the jug.

Keep your tails up and noses to the ground for the Hot Hounds season opener at Drag-n-Fly Kennels in July.

Photos: Stefan Wackerhagen
Text: Jessica Simon
posted by yukonwriter

Stuck in a Rut Pooper Scoop

12-Mile Copper Haul
Undaunted by the Truck Track Terror created by a nameless ninny, 16 teams lined up for March's Monster Truck Dog Mush. Snow grains gave way to sunny skies for the 11 a.m. start that saw more skijourers than ever join Cynthia Corriveau, left, to compete against the four-dog teams, like Lee Kirkpatrick's Drag-n-Flies below:










With the trail carved to the axles of a 4x4, teams had no choice but to hobble over 3-4 k of ruts. For Lee the run was more like bobsledding than dogsledding. "My dogs chose to run right in the deepest ruts. It was awful."

Smoking Paws skijorer Darryl Sheepway bounced from ski to ski to navigate. "It wasn't my best time, but it was a really good run," he said. The only hiccup came at the Pyramids when I sent Alexandra Rochet's team ahead - straight into Darryl's leader, Polar. IMPORTANT LESSON FROM THE TRAIL: Before waving on a team, look up to see if the way is clear.

Three dog skijorer Adrian Laydevant had other concerns. "I have a really big strong girl out front!" he hollered at the Pyramids, with his skis horizontal and hauling on his mainline with all his might.

On advice of veteran Twisters, the Kids 5 k was drastically altered to avoid the carvings. Five teams set out for the quarry where they circled back for a short turn. Although Erin Spicer, below, came in faster than a speeding snowmobile to take second...










...Jeff Diment's team, below, shot out of the start chute to bring home the win. Red Lantern winner Larissa Rueckenbach and fourth place finisher Seth Carey tangled in the turnaround, giving Thea Carey third.

Finally, pet dog owners, like Fabian Schmitz, below, ensured Asha and Jonathan Lucas had competition for the Pet Dog 5 k. Destined to finish second in every class this month, the Grizzly Snowpigs gave up first by 37 seconds to Rachel Wider. Congratulations Rachel and Tundra on a great run.

Thanks to the Chocolate Claim for sponsoring the day, and all our generous sponsors; First Mate who donated dog food won by Lucky 13th finisher Debbie Last, C&D Feeds, Yukon Brewing, Dazhaw Du Chiropractic Clinic, host Icy Waters, and Aurora Booties.

Be at Icy Waters, Mile 4 Fish Lake Road, at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 22, for the Twister season finale. And when you send your letter to Doug Hnatiuk supporting gates on the Haul Road, make it public - send it to the papers, too.

Text and Kids photos: Jessica Simon
Twister and Pet Dog photos: Stefan Wackerhagen
posted by yukonwriter

New Year Pooper Scoop

Left: Last weekend's Chinook brought out everybody and their dog to the first Copper Haul Twister of 2009, including the media who caught second-place skijorer Gaetan Pienard's demonstration of a perfect spider monkey sprawl. Or was that "brake"dancing? For those who doubt Gaetan's ability to stay upright, here's photographic evidence.

Below: Important lesson from the trail: Don't wave or say hello - EVEN IF THE MUSHER TALKS TO YOU FIRST! Frontrunner Jo van Randen made a series of graceful faceplants moments after giving me a friendly wave on her way into the final loop. And she wasn't the only one. Unfortunately, I was laughing so hard, I couldn't get pictures. Expect that to be remedied next month.

Recently graduated to the Twister Aileena Rueckenbach finished fourth this month, in spite of one dog slipping his harness. The free ranger trotted along behind for the entire 12 miles.

Among the brilliant starts and spectacular finishes of the Kids' 5 k race, Erin Spicer had the most excitement. Out of the chute with a clean start she passed Matt McHugh's homebound three-dog team, slipped around the corner and out of sight. Three minutes later her team came back riderless. A tough break, but wait 'til next month!

Finally, in the Pet Dog 5 k, Asha lined up with three challengers. Thank you Anissa Guenfoud, Heather Demarais and Michael Pealow for giving the Champ worthy competition. Catch the live action footage below.

Meet at Icy Waters at 10 a.m. February 8 for the next Copper Haul sponsored by Yukon Brewing, The Chocolate Claim, Duffy's Pets and Tanzilla Harness Supply, H Coyne & Sons, Oscars Electric, Alpine Vet, Icy Waters Ltd, Aurora Booties, Midnight Sun Alpacas, Dazhaw du Chiropractic Clinic, Yukon Agriculture Association, Taplow/First Mate Petfoods. Welcome to our new sponsors C&D Feeds, EBA Engineering and Inkspirations Graphix

posted by yukonwriter

Win, Show and Place

Annisa Guenford and Cosmo skating, Larissa Reukenback sledding, Jonathan Lucas poling behind Asha to the Kids' and Pet Dog 5 K finish
Camera: Mike Simon