Oscar's Electric CHT Race Day DATE CHANGE

Due to conflict with Carbon Hill race date, Oscar's Electric CHT is now Sunday Jan 24th.

2-6 dogs for sleds, 2-4 dogs for Skis.

Sun 13th - 22 mile Poker Run + Freight Pull

10am at Icy Waters Ltd: Reach for the Sky and Take the Beer Poker Run + at 11.30am Icy Waters Ltd First Mate Extreme Freight Pull.

Icy Waters Ltd, km 4.2 Fish Lake rd, Whitehorse.

Poker run: 4-6 dog teams will leave approx 11am, larger teams leave 15 mins after last small team. All teams leave at 2 min intervals

Due to Lottery Licensing regulations race limit is 25 teams max; 12 teams have already pre-registered. To register call Jon at 668 7012/667 4138.

Freight Pull: Dog weight categories Lightweight 0-60lb, Mediumweight 61-100lb; Heavyweight 101lb+.

Both competitions $20 entry fee. Poker Run proceeds to DPSAY, Freight Pull proceeds to CHT Org.

Note, Poker run is an unsupported trail - trail is flagged, but there is no snowmachine support, nor sweeper snowmachine - if you lose your team, you are on foot till you find them.

Trail final check and flagging, 12 noon Saturday 12th Dec. Anyone with a snowmachine welcome to come and help, please call Jon at the numbers above.

Alpine Vet Race Day - more teams, more thrills, and a few more spills

Photos courtesy of Stefan Wackerhagen, www.lonetrails.com . To see more photos of the race go to www.lonetrails.com/cht_09_12_06.zip - Thanks Stefan!

Karine Grenier's 9 month old youngsters pound home

Cynthia Corriveau encouraging her team

Erin Spicer leaves the start chute to victory in the Kid's 5km race

Bertrand Bellencourt leans into the curve

Kiko looks happy in the Pet Dog, but Cynthia Friedrich doesn't look so sure

"No, No Hanah, don't jump on the nice cameraman" shouts Kam Davies, Hanah didn't jump on him, she leapt over him!

With the trail very hard packed and slick, the skijorers had some difficulty carving the corners - after Jon (Snowpigs) lost the edge, smacked down and slid almost into the landfill electric fence, observing volunteer Jocelyne LeBlanc commented "And that is why I will never skijor". The sleds also had some "fun" carving the turns, Quest Veteran Kyla Boiven commenting "I wiped out three times, in eight miles, I havn't crashed like that for 2 years!".

Despite the spins and crashes, the leading times were significantly faster than last race, and with the 5th dog for the sleds and the skate skiers, well, unable to effectively skate with much confidence, the sleds finished pre-eminently in the top five.

Thanks to all the Pet Dog Racers, this was a good field, and all the dogs had a good time. Congrats to Erin Spicer, for hanging around for 2 hours to run the kids 5km alone - a great race time, $25, and 10 points for the Kid's league were in the bag for her.

Results

8 Copper Haul Twister

1 - Tony (the Bandit) Radford - 26:17 - Drag n Fly - 5 dog sled - Jocko & Turbo

2 - Crispin Studer - 27:18 - no name - 5 dog sled - Witch & Becks

3 - Jon Lucas - 27:37 - Snowpigs - 3 dog skis - Tutshi

4 - Dave (Tagish Tornado) Johnson - 29:57 - Dead Broke Kennels - 5 dog sled - Chub & Julie

5 - Kyla Boivin - 32:03 - Doggone Racing - 5 dog sled - Pebbles & Posie

6 - Kyla Johnson - 32:25 - Doggone Racing - 5 dog sled - no name leaders

7 - Alexandra Rochat - 34:18 - no name - 5 dog sled - Big Bear & Suomi

8 - Cynthia Coriveau - 34:59 - no name - 2 dog skis - Sugar & Nahanni

9 - Gaetan Pierrard - 35:18 - no name - 3 dog skis - Ibex & Bertha

10 - Ian Stewart - 35:26 - Skinny Puppy - 5 dog sled - Walker & Logan

11 - Bertrand Bellencourt - 35:53 - no name - 5 dog sled - Taro & Skoute

12 - Claudia Wickert - 35:57 - no name - 2 dog skis - Hydro & Ultra

13 - Trevor Braun - 36:32 - My Dog - 3 dog skis - Bella & Finger

14 - Karine Grenier - 37:39 - Casavant - 5 dog sled- Anis

15 - Jeff Diment - 37:40 - Grandpa Campbell's - 5 dog sled - Toot & Echo

16 - Kate Weekes - 45:11 - Skinny Puppy - 5 dog sled - Bungee & Trooper

17 - Wendy Morrison - 45:13 - The Zoo - 2 dog skis - Wilson & Guru

18 - Stephen Reid - 47:12 - no name - 3 dog sled - Cruz

19 - Grant Simpson - 47:20 - Skinny Puppy - 5 dog sled - Kikoyo & Lulu

5 km Kid's Race

1 - Erin Spicer - 12:21 - Dogged Pursuit - 3 dog sled - Freckles & Maisie

5 km 1 Pet Dog

1 - Tiramasu - Pippa Lawson - 13:47 - skis

2 - Asha - Jon Lucas - 14:53 - bike - Snowpigs

3 - Hanah - Kam Davies - 19:01 - skis

4 - Kiko - Cynthia Friedrich - 22:01 - skis

5 - Tarka - Kyla Johnson - 24:08 - skis

Thanks again to all you volunteers, and to the Chocolate Claim (take your own mug and save 50c on a coffee) for the cash, and our merchandise sponsors - Yukon Brewing, Yukon Honda, Yukon Grain Farm, Drury's Elk Farm, Icy Waters Ltd, First Mate Dog Foods, Midnightsun Alpacas, Grizzly Pigs Farm.

See below for Jessica Simon's write up, and details of Sunday 13th's Poker run and First Mate Freight Pull!

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

Chocolate Claim Race Day ON!

Trail checked and polished today between 3.30 and 5pm.

All looks good, even the new section. Extra flagging put up. The Moose had destroyed the red warning Xs, now replaced, hopefully moosey will be elsewhere tonight.

See everyone at 10am, at Icy Waters Ltd tomorrow.

Race details for this and next weekend!

Dec 6th - Round 2 - Chocolate Claim Race Day - Trail good even after extensive remodelling thanks to City grader in the old landfill - we've bypassed the gravel - you'll love it, really, crash test dummy Jon armoured up (even used a helmet) and didn't fall once skijoring with 3 dogs - well not in that new section.

Meet 10am Icy Waters Ltd. km 4.2 Fish Lake Rd, on Sunday - spectators and volunteers very welcome. NOTE:

1 Pet dog - is ONE PET DOG with you using anything unpowered over 5 km

The 8 mile Twister is 2-5 dogs for sleds and 2-3 for Skijorers

5km Kids Race is 2-4 for sleds and 2-3 for skijorers

Carolyn Campbell is Race Marshall - or Supreme Ruler for the day

Dec 13th - 10 am Icy Waters Ltd - Reach for the Sky and Take the Beer Poker run - LEGAL GAMBLING on Fish Lake Rd - hey let's turn the fish farm into an aquatic nightclub and casino - it'll make more money to sponsor more dog races!! ok back to reality- $20 entry for the chance to win $550 cash and certs - and that's just first prize - 2nd and 3rd aren't too shabby either. To register simply call Jon at 668 7012 (and leave a message if he's busy with his second job at Icy Waters Ltd) and promise to turn up with $20, warning - if you take a place and don't show, then unfortuately Puck will come and chew you, and you don't want a Puck chewing you, seriously.

Meet Puck - "me? chew? no, never, honest - what sofa?"

And, for the second year running Veteran Harvey Van Patten has already registered FIRST, with a promise of a crisp crunchy $20 for DPSAY (that's where all the money's going), for the chance of that 1st prize and the certainty of a refreshing Yukon Brewing cool T-shirt at the High Point (geographically, and imbibingly) of the race - on the shoulder of Mt Mac, looking out at the vast expanse of snow covered plains and valleys below (alright, Fish Lake, but it is spectacular up there). 4-12 dogs, complete the 22 mile run in 4 hours or be scratched - c'mon even that Mr Schnuelle can go faster than that (just)!

Dec 13th - 11.30am - yep, the same day that the athletic monkeys are climbing 2000 feet for a T shirt (it's amazing what people will for a free aluminium wrapped pressurised t shirt)- Icy Waters Ltd, bring your Freightpuller for a chance to win up to $250 worth of FIRST MATE EXTREME dog food - or simply go buy it at Duffy's Pets and Tanzilla Harness Supply!

LEGAL - Reach for the Sky and Take the Beer Poker Run is....Legal

With threat of being hauled off to jail for organising a dog race lifted, all the organisers have to worry about is various plough operators being bored by the lack of snow and "having a larf" ploughing trails and minor roads they don't usually go near.

Air North, Yukon Brewing, and Dryland Hot Hounds' Poker run is legally on (thanks DPSAY!)- meet 10am at Icy Waters Ltd, km 4.2 Fish Lake Rd Sun Dec 13th, for the race and at 11.30 for the First Mate Extreme 3/4 tonne Freight Pull!!