First off, want to say sorry for taken me so long to do a post, but I have a good reason! I have been trying to buy this house I wanted sense October, and finally last Thursday was closing, so the week after the Can Am, I was busy packing, so I could move the following weekend. So I have been busy! Now that I am all settled in the new house, I have a little time to do an update! First about the new house, its got a very large back yard for the dogs when they move up here in just a few short months. We will be working on the new kennel shortly, and hope to have it done by July! I am doing a lot more different things to this new kennel. Setup is going to be heaven! There will be a puppy kennel/retiree kennel. Females will be in one yard, than in the other side of the yard will be the males, than out back there will be a big play area for when we turn them all loose. Hoping this summer we can build a jungle gym thing. With a tunnel, ramp and stairs. I have all these ideas now I just need to put them together the best way possible! Hoping to have pictures through the process, so you can follow!
Second off, the can am and why we chose to scratch at the checkpoint. The team did really good the first 18 miles, and that is when Phoenix came up sore with a shoulder and wrists, same leg, trail was punchy due to it being so warm. Remembering how bagging her was I just slowed the team right down and kept on chugging along, where she ran a lot better with a slower pace. At about that time my good friend Becki passed me, and we both agreed that the temperture was absurd! It was way too warm for Fort Kent, but that is something us mushers can't control! And boy wouldn't we all like too! Anyways, at that point, plan was to drop Phoenix at the half way point and than continue on. At about Mile 23 the team was really getting hott! It must of been close to 50 degrees in the sun, because I was sweating. I NEVER SWEAT! Two of my dogs get hot faster than the rest of the team, they just kept throwing themselves in the snowbanks all the time. I would stop and let them roll in the snow, than when I tried to get them to go, they would but not with a lot of enthusiasm. This to me isn't good, I want my team to have enthusiasm and want to go, not want to roll in the snow all the time because the temperture is taking a lot out of them. I watered them quite a bit the day before, and gave them their morning water/breakfasts a few hours before the race, but it didn't seem like it helped them that much. So as we were getting closer to the checkpoint, I didn't want those two that were getting way too hott way too quick to get to the point of overheating, you can ruin your best dog that way. So instead of dropping 3 dogs and continueing on, I made the decision to scratch. I knew we could do the Can Am 60, we have completed it before, I needed to remind myself, Kasey this is just a race, take care of your dogs and make the best decision based on the team. And that I did so. Of course I was dissappointed, and wished we could of finished it, but I wasn't going to put more pressure on the pregnant female I had on the team at the time, with dropping 3 dogs, granted she was only 3 weeks pregnant, but puppies are way more important to me than any race! Oh and I am sure you are wondering who the 8 I chose for the Can Am team, they are Kaleeta, Cree, Aryan, Wallace, Phoenix, Yoda, Ryder and Lumos. Blazer didn't go, and I regreted not taking him, but due to a shoulder injury he had 3 weeks prior I was worried that would come back and haunt me on this punchy trail. Kotka and Marocca sat out for the same reasons.
Well thats all the news for now, I will check back in, if and when we have pups!
Happy Spring!
~Fort Illio Kennels~
