Season 2020 ending with Thoughts and Prayers for the world!

Season 2020 has come to a sudden end while temps and snow conditions are beautiful. No more clients does not mean stopping things as the dogs are still an integral part of our world and it is important to keep their heads good. So they are getting out on fun runs and enjoying the weather. They are unaware of what is happening in the world around them and I sometimes wish I was as oblivious.

The Corona19 virus is new and we are all learning how to deal with it on a day by day basis. Hopefully everyone is taking safety steps as they travel and move around. Especially if they have vulnerable people in their families. So many people are stepping up to help out…companies and individuals switching productions to face masks, ventilator parts and other needed items. A thank you to those who can help in this way and others such as picking up supplies and groceries for vulnerable shut ins. A thank you to the truckers and others who are moving supplies to help keep people supplied and fed. And a thank you, a very big thank you to the people who are out there on the front lines and in the research areas that are desperately trying to help. There are probably many more thank yous needed but at the moment I cannot think that far.

This is a time for people to come together. To think of the greater good. Things are tough and it is going to be tough when it ends. And we are not sure of when it will end. Many of us may not be able to pick up our lives, at least not right away.

Our thoughts and prayers go out daily as we are isolated here in our remote world and unable to lend a hand. Be safe and be well!

And a Merry Christmas and most wonderful New Year to All!

Merry Christmas and most Blessed New Year to All!

The Holiday season is fast approaching and it finds Last Chance Creek ready. Snow has fallen abundantly this year and the Yukon River ice has stopped it westward flow for the winter. Trails are taking shape and the dogs are loving the runs as you can see by the picture. Hippo and Hyo are in lead and you can see Gazelle’s and Butch’s smiles in the background. Magnum and Daffy bring up the rear but their heads are down. Photo complements of Earths End Photography.

There is still space available for customized tours. Please get with us with any questions.

If you are interested in a children’s book series for Christmas, please check out our retired sled dog, Black Bear and her wonderful adventures. Black Bear Saves Christmas, Black Bear Goes to San Francisco and/or Black Bear Goes to Washington by Denise Lawson. You can find them at Barnes and Nobles.

www.blackbearsleddog.com, #blackbearsledding, info@brownlowebooks.com, https://blackbearsleddog.com

Training Puppies to Run in Team!

When it is time to train puppies we always have such fun… It is so wonderful to see how they love what they do. But first, it important to expose them to any environmental difficulties while they are very young. In this case they were already 5 1/2 months old when we were able to get them out on ice. This group of the mighty four warriors took to it like ducks take to water. Then we worked with each pup pulling a log to get them used to a pull. At that point we took a small team of adult dogs down to the slough, for a straight run with no turns, to be their first out of the gate moment. The Mighty Four were awesome and all all at 100%. They are now running woods trails and river ice with the adults. It is important to keep it fun for them in their first year and we make sure that they have fun. The above picture is of Reno on his 2nd run being put in lead and his love for that position. Check out the videos of ice training and first run on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/?ref=page_internal along with lots of other great videos that show how we love and train our dogs.

Summer is over, Fall has passed, Winter...

Summer has passed and Fall came and went quickly and winter is now here. We await more snow before the dogs begin pulling the sleds. Right now they are still free running. The puppies had their first session of playing on the ice yesterday. That is always an interesting time to see how they react to something so different. They loved the water and suddenly they are on top of it. All 4 did wonderful and had a great time.

The garden and green houses went well. 1043 potatoes were dug. Yes, they were counted…not by me. The last of the tomatoes are ripening in the pantry. Fishing was not good for us this year as low water hindered our catch at our usually good fishing hole. We tried various different spots with no better results. The chums were there but spread out over the shallow shelf that runs for several miles here at our site.

The chinook run was good for us and we managed to get more strips done than we have in many years. That is a pleasant treat all winter.

The boats are pulled and the fish wheel has been wenched up the bank to its parking spot, a 2 to 3 day process. It is now time for us to breath deeply and enjoy a bit of slack time as we catch up on chores around the place.

Alas, we did not get a moose or caribou this winter which means a bit more hunting by the guys. Rabbits and grouse are probably going to be seen a bit more on the dinner table.

Puppy Sit Training

Here is a picture our first puppy training with our 4 young guys. They actually taught themselves this and I started re-enforcing it with the sit command. As we breed more generations of dogs, each litter seems to get easier and easier to train. Jennifer Raffaeli hey puppy memory from selected generations. To see the training video go to https://www.facebook.com/pg/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/?ref=page_internal

Check out our web site https://bushalaskaexpeditions.com for information on our tours. Other videos on our facebook video page and references at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30981-d26396…

Puppies and Water Training

Ishmo, Mac, Reno and Shorty are 10 weeks old today and we are working to get them exposed to different elements. Today it was rain, wind and water. We were all soaking wet. All 4 made the grade and in a few weeks this same water will be a skating rink of slick ice and will be another big learning curve. The more we can show them at young ages the better. Note...that along with Wayne and Scarlett...Gazelle, Jake and Einstein joined us with the training showing the younsters how to play in the water. See the video on our video page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/?ref=page_internal

Please view videos on our web site at https://bushalaskaexpeditions and on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/…

If you are interested in doing a winter tour with these wonderful dogs then please contact us at bush_alaska_expeditions@hotmail.com. You can see references at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30981-d26396…

Supply Run and Caribou

Wayne and I headed into Fairbanks for our 2nd supply run of the season and came across a beautiful sight! Caribou are majestic creatures and it is so great to see them in the Alaska Wilderness.

The fishing season has arrived

Summer is here and the garden is lush and green. The king salmon are swimming by us and we are busy creating fish strips and canning fish. The smoker is puffing out the sweet flavor of the alder wood.

Things have been very dry with lots of fires in the state but luck has stayed with us and none have been a threat to us. Thoughts are with those who are close as we have been there and it is a very stressful situation, one that does not end quickly.

The dogs are having a wonderful summer. The free runs along the river are very looked forward to. The yard is divided into 5 groups and with 3 of us doing a run each day the get to run and swim in the river every other day. It is such a pleasure watching them have fun. Once we return to the yard they trot to their houses and relax, often before we call them over.

The 4 pups are growing and now taking walks out of the yard with mom and Scarlett. Their little legs work hard to try and keep up with mom while Scarlett hurries behind them.

The Names of The Four

June 3 at 6:09 PM · 

We have the theme for this litter of 4 puppies and their names after some great rodeo animals of the 70s....RENO..named after one of the showiest saddle broncs of the time..but only for a couple yrs...I drew major Reno after he began to slow down some..but still good enough to win on. MAC..full name Mac the KNIFE...fast spinning bull to the left...drove my head in the ground and stepped all over the top of me and broke I don't remember how many ribs...in the hospital for awhile..might not be my favorite puppy, but I like the name. Then their is ISHMO..(full name General ISHMO) and SHORTY..(full name SHORTY T) These two bulls treated me much better than Mac winning 1st on both of them. The 70s...what memories that I will remember with this new litter of SLED DOG greats..we'll see if they live up to their counterparts names. Any of my old rodeo buddies of the past seeing this..remember these bulls and horse?

New Life

May 29 at 9:14 AM · 

We promise not to post too many puppy pics but as there are those wanting to see the new guys. Here they are...Quantum is being a very attentive mom and Wilder has not yet met his young uns.

See how our dogs and puppies live, love, train and work on our videos page... https://www.facebook.com/pg/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/?ref=page_internal

Cow Moose in the Yukon

May 13 at 3:20 PM · 

Beautiful sighting of a cow moose as we took the canoe into Eagle today to pick up mail and supplies. Perfect spring day.

First Trip by Boat 2019

May 6 · 

Made the first trip, after the Yukon River ice breakup, to Eagle today. Looking at the river, this morning, it was running small bits of ice so we felt pretty confident to take off. Did not get but about half way before we hit much heavier ice but the guys wanted to keep going (could have something to do with them running out of Copenhagen). As we got closer to Eagle, one of the many chunks of ice we hit broke the shear pin on the prop and it took a bit of time before we could find some gravel to land on to change it out. Once changed we continued on to Eagle. Landed in 1 of the only 2 places we could find for a landing site and a large chunk of ice came in behind us and stuck so in panic mode we made a mad dash for the post office and the store and quickly relaunched into heavier ice for the return down river.

Fun Times for the Dogs

May 9 at 9:51 PM · 

Greg made it to the end of the island while out free running a group of dogs to find the river has taken out a lot of the sand bar since break up. The dogs sure do love these runs.

See more of our happy dogs by looking at the videos on our facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/pg/bushalaska.expeditions/videos/?ref=page_internal and/or check out our web site at https://bushalaskaexpeditions.com

Yukon River Ice Break Up

It is officia!…Break up is here!

Springtime in Alaska

April 28 · 

Springtime in Alaska, what a lot of us call mud season. And this is actually pretty clean for some of the days. Each evening I wait until all the dogs are up and then sweep the floor but dang if Wayne does not let a few more in for a visit.

Early Heatwave

April 22 · 

An early heat wave took out our snow pack and caused the Yukon River ice to weaken, but winter has not totally released us yet as a new winter storm threatens 8 to 12 inches of the white stuff. The first picture is from a couple of weeks ago as Wayne and I walked the dogs along the river. The follow pics are of a male grosbeak waiting for me to throw his early morning seeds to him and of the beauty of the dog yard with white coating the world in beauty.

Final Tour of the Season

March 23 · 

Wayne and Deb guiding the final dog tour of the season together. We are taking one last look at the incredible beauty/design in the background. Note: The low hanging smoke you see in the background is coming from an underground seam of coal, that is on fire and has been burning for...15 years plus...

Photo taken by our wonderful client...Eric Krieger!

People Seem Most Curious About the Dogs by Michelle Keil

March 7

PEOPLE SEEM MOST CURIOUS ABOUT THE DOGS...so let's talk more about them! 🤓

SLED DOGS ARE A LOT LIKE OTHER DOGS...some are outgoing, some are shy. Some are silly, some are serious. Some are stubborn, some are compliant. Some are sweet, some are sassy. Some are big, some are little. Most of them like praise and affection, and tummy rubs, and ear (or butt) scratches. 👍 They ALL like treats 😋 and some of them like to sleep in bed with you at night. (Some don't, preferring to be outside.) And like all dogs, they need to be told when they are doing a good job. They key off of their humans. They learn and thrive with positive reinforcement. Relationship is key. 🐾❤️

BUT SLED DOGS HAVE SUPER-POWERS UNKNOWN TO MOST CANINES 💪They have been bred for many, many generations to love - to LIVE FOR - running and pulling in harness, and to have good attitudes and terrific appetites, tough feet, warm coats and a temperament that allows them to work well in a team. Most of them seem to average 45-65 pounds. They are not huge...they just have huge endurance, and attitudes and metabolisms to match.

AND THEY LOVE THE COLD...sled dogs in this region of Alaska are very well acclimated to COLD temps. In fact, mushing when it is above about 10 degrees F is a little TOO HOT for them. Ideal temps for them are about -10F to -15F 😮

THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO RUN AND PULL...they do that automatically. They DO have to be taught things like Gee (go right) and Haw (go left), oh, and WHOA!!! 😂 They also have to learn good manners like how to be nice running next to their teammates, or how to behave in the house.

BECAUSE OF THE WORK THEY DO...they don't eat like average pet dogs. They get a special diet consisting of "performance" kibble, supplemented significantly with salmon caught (and then frozen) from the Yukon each fall, along with various other sources of fats, carbs and proteins. They often get snacks of raw meat and/or "fat balls" on the trail. They also get warm water "baited" with various flavorings (think stinky, yucky things that dogs would like  :) ) to help keep them hydrated. Every musher seems to have a "formula" that works best for their dogs. The one thing they all have in common is they put a LOT of thought and effort into their dogs' diets!

MUSHERS ALSO TEND TO BE MORE IN TUNE WITH THEIR DOGS' OVERALL HEALTH THAN PROBABLY MOST PET OWNERS. Sled dogs' feet, appetite, weight and body condition are all monitored very closely. And of course any sign of soreness or lameness - just like with any athlete - is addressed right away. They even get their nails trimmed to prevent snagging anything on the trail, and the hair between their toes and pads is trimmed to prevent ice balls from forming.

MOST SLED DOGS SLEEP OUTSIDE IN THEIR DOG HOUSES MOST OF THE TIME. Retired dogs at Bush Alaska Expeditions have their choice of whether to spend nights indoors or outdoors...they each have their preference. Working dogs each have a dog house of their own with straw in it for bedding, but sometimes they get to sleep indoors too. I'll talk more about retired dogs in tomorrow's posts.

How Long Do Sled Dogs Work and How do They Retire? by Michelle Keil

March 8

HOW LONG DO SLED DOGS WORK AND HOW DO THEY RETIRE???

EVERY INDIVIDUAL DOG'S "CAREER" AT BUSH ALASKA SLED DOG EXPEDITIONS IS DIFFERENT. Just like people, the amount of time that each dog might spend in their "career" - i.e. as a working member of the dog teams - depends on the individual. The "average" career of a sled dog at Bush Alaska is probably 8-10 years - sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less - and most of them live to ripe old ages after they retire. They often live 14-16 years...quite old for big dogs!

NO DOG IS EVER FORCED TO WORK...beyond their desire or capabilities, and the dogs themselves basically decide when they are ready to retire from being a working sled dog. REMEMBER BACK WHEN I SAID RELATIONSHIP IS KEY??? The dogs "tell" you when it's time  :) If you remember Sir Jake from my tent camping post, he is semi-retired, meaning he only goes on shorter day trips or easy over-nighters like the tent camping trip. And he decides when/if he wants to go at all. On the morning we were preparing to leave, Jake let us know he wanted to go. So we made a space for him and he got to go!

BUSH ALASKA BASICALLY RAISES THEIR DOGS FROM PUPPYHOOD TO BE "WORKING PETS". Of course each has a name, a distinct personality and their own individual strengths, talents, likes and dislikes. Each one is trained to come when their name is called, they enjoy off-leash freedom around the homestead, they go on off-leash fun runs in the summer, and they take turns getting to spend time in the house. So their transition to the life of a retired "pet" is a pretty easy one. Many of their dogs already know ALL ABOUT THE COUCH 😁 and the retirees get to choose whether they sleep inside or out. If they choose outside, they have a nice comfy bed (a futon?) under the shelter of the arctic entry where they stay warm and dry and out of the wind.

MANY OF BUSH ALASKA'S RETIRED HUSKIES ARE ADOPTED...by former clients (like me!), or by other friends across the country and around the world. One of their retirees (Black Bear) even has a book written about her - Black Bear Goes To Washington! It is about her and her adventures in her new home, and a portion of the proceeds of the book are used to support the adoption and rehoming of retired Alaskan sled dogs!

OTHER RETIRED DOGS...like Sir Jake, will spend his golden years at the homestead, perhaps helping to teach the younger generations the basics and going for short runs with light sleds as part of that education. So being a retired sled dog is a pretty good gig 👍

THIS WAY OF REARING AND CARING FOR SLED DOGS DURING THEIR WORKING YEARS AND INTO RETIREMENT...is common among mushers. Many mushers who keep quite a number of dogs in their kennels either retire them to their own couches or to the couches of other responsible pet owners who love to have the chance to care for a true Alaskan Husky of their own 💕

Thank You to so Many by Michelle Keil

March 18

BEFORE I TRAVEL TOO MUCH FURTHER DOWN THE TRAIL OF LIFE...after this year's trip to Alaska, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to several individuals, and to share some of my favorite pics from this year's trip. (Spoiler alert: lotsa dog photos here 🐾😄)

FIRST, THANK YOU TO WAYNE AND Scarlett Hall...owners/operators of Bush Alaska Sled Dog Expeditions. Thank you for opening your home and your hearts to me (and every client), giving me/us a chance to share the amazing life you live...true wilderness, authentic subsistence life-style, sense of community among neighbors in bush Alaska, and - of course - amazing, incredible, fascinating, funny, furry, hard-working, loveable, laughable dogs!!! 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾💕

SECOND, THANK YOU TO Deb...for being my awesome, courageous, capable, companionable, fun and funny guide and teacher again this year. I didn't think we could top last year's trip, but somehow we did! I'd adventure with you anywhere, and that's sayin' somethin'!  ;) And THANK YOU ALSO TO GREG...for all of the wilderness know-how you bring to guiding, and for sharing that with me/us on this trip...helping set up camp, building fires, gathering wood, and a whole lotta other fun stuff...and for being funny and fun all the while.

THIRD, THANK YOU TO NICKY...for being so much fun to travel and volunteer with! I had such a blast, largely thanks to your wit and wisdom, talent and humor. We will have to plan a "reunion trip" and do it again! And a BIG SHOUT-OUT TO SUE...for being so kind and helpful to everyone at the checkpoint, me included. We three made a great Communicatons Team! Maybe Scarlett will "hire" us again next year! And...Bob's your uncle  ;)

FOURTH, THANK YOU TO THE GOOD FOLKS OF EAGLE...for sharing your community with this Lower 48er for a short while. I had a great time volunteering those few days for the Quest, getting to know some of you a little (Naomi, Twister, Sonja, Steven, Sara, Jan and so many others). You are all so friendly, helpful and kind, and I can't wait to come do it again!

FINALLY, THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING DOGS OF BUSH ALASKA EXPEDITIONS...the more I am with you the harder it is to leave you. I love your friendly and playful spirits, your tough and tenacious attitudes and your never-ending enthusiasm. I love your smiles, your barks, your leaps, your wags, and the funny looks you give me 🙄 when I mess up on the sled (Pintail!). Being on the runners with you is my happy place 💕 Good dogs!!!