Pack Pics.12
Winter 2008 - 2009 . At the end of November, we participated in the Williams Lake Winter Lights "Light Up Event". Anakin & Geoffrey again posed for photos to benefit the Salvation Army Food Bank. They patiently posed for photos from 4:30 pm to just after 8 pm while Craig Smith from About Face Photography took over 800 photos. Christiane Klein helped getting the kids and families settled on/around the sled which enabled me to concentrate on my boys. We raised $401 plus food donations. It certainly is a wonderful (and fun) way to give back to the community. At the Gala event a few days later, Geoffrey and Anakin were perfect gentlemen in the crowd. What a wonderful way to showcase Alaskan Malamutes!
Anakin, Geoffrey
                                  
Sledding Season : The weather cooperated in producing a lot of snow for sledding. I was out on the trails with the dogs a total of 60 days - the most I've ever done in a year. The teams frequently had to make - and break - their own trails down to the big meadow that I like to go to. Thanks to the ice storm that we had early in the season and then the amount of snow, I had to take my pruning saw with me to literally cut my way through the trails. I lost count of the number of trees that were pruned. This is the first year that I've had 3 teams to work. My main team, team of four, is the one that did the trail blazing. This team also went farther than the other two teams (of two dogs each.) I'm guessing that we did over 5 miles/run for the majority of the winter. This is the third year that this team of four have been together and are really a joy to work. The second team (Anakin & Sila) had a brief season as Sila tore her ACL in one knee.  They had a total of 14 runs - and Sila (9 yrs old) is now retired from working. The newest team (Justin & Pema) is very interesting! This is Justin's second year in harness and Pema's first. Both have strong instinct for working and we often fly down the trails. But they are both young which can provide some interesting moments when their "puppy-brains" kick in! This was the team that I was working when a cow moose blew across the trail in front of us! I'm not too sure who was more scared, her or me....  I was very glad that she kept going as moose are not only huge, but very unpredictable. Justin & Pema got in 40 runs. (Pema was in heat in February and couldn't go out.) The dogs love going out on the trails and it is a great way to get us all a little more fit.
Team #1: Lead dogs: Geoffrey (10.5 yrs) and Dorje (3.5 yrs)
              Wheel dogs: Zhouma (7.5 yrs) and Drala (9 yrs)

Team # 2
 Anakin (5.5 yrs) and Sila (9 yrs)

Team # 3: Justin (2.5 yrs) and Pema (2 yrs)
Dorje & Geoffrey (and happy smiles) after a run. Geoffrey is incredible in being able to keep up, give stability to Dorje as he learns the lead work, and still work. He'll be 11 yrs old in May.