Spring is here...

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~

Girl Scouts

We were asked to attend a girl scout meeting in a town near us, and talk in depth and detail about the sport of mushing. There was about 18 girls, with teachers and parents as well. Everyone had a great time! I brought Kaleeta, and some gear to show the girls, how to boot, wristwrap, harness and etc... The girls had a lot of fun, and were very interested! We have never really done educational programs on this sport, but it was a lot of fun, as always when it is something you take interest in! The girls had a lot of great questions to ask, and were very interactive with Kaleeta! Enjoy the photos below.

Training in NH

This past weekend we went to Stratford NH and trained with some friends (Jaye & Becki). The trails in NH were in great shape, and it was exactly what the team really needed! They needed to be on the road before the Can Am came around where we are on the road for 4 days. Everyone ate well on the truck! The team had a great time on new trails, and having the trails not be hard packed was a huge plus and perk for the team. The hard packed stuff we have been running on at home the past few weekends isn't doing justice for the team at all! So it was great to get away, explore new trails, and have some actual snow to run on!! Enjoy some pics below!

~Fort Illio~

Greenville 30 Mile Race

We always love this race and the effort the crew puts into it! We had a great time as always. Trail was in beautiful shape considering the rain we got, and the toll it took on most trails. I was very impressed. It was a hilly trail, and the views was just to die for. Times were very close and we placed 14th out of 18 teams, with a time of 2 hours and 46 minutes. The team was Cree and Kaleeta in lead, Wallace and Kotka, Yoda and Aryan, than Blazer and Lumos. Ryder set this one out, due to him loosing focus when we pass teams or teams pass us, I had to be very picky, where I couldn't decided who to leave out. Phoenix and Marocca set this race out as well. And Storm and Kody are now running on moms team for the remainder of the season. Storm so he can heal properly and go at a slower pace, and not run as much or as hard for the meantime. Kody well its his official time to retire, this saddens me, because he has always been on my race team and usually is my go to dog. But when we ran on sunday and mom ran him in solo lead on her team, his face made me feel a WHOLE lot better. He deserves this and very much appreciates it! We hooked up moms 5 dogs first because they were going nuts, and got her off. Than I hooked up my 9 by myself which was easy. I came up behind her, passed her, and glanced back at Kody who was smiling ear to ear! He was loving it! HE can set the pace, HE is running lead, and HE is KING! :) Or so he thinks he is, we won't burst his bubble!! So hang on mom, Kody will throw you a lot of obstacles but they will all turn into great memories!! I know I have plenty with that boy! Enjoy!

Until next time we are all crossing our toes, finger, and paws here at Fort Illio in hoping to get some snow very very soon!!! We need it so badly!! So we don't really know yet where the racing and the season will go at the moment, its all up in the air until we get some snow!

Happy Thinking SNOW!!

~Fort Illio~

KI 30 Mile Race

Team at the finish of the race!

I always enjoy this race, the crowd of people, the work the club does to put this on. I can't say enough good things about this race! Always a pleasure to attend it!

The team was Kaleeta and Cree in lead, than Wallace and Kotka, than Yoda and Aryan, Marocca and Phoenix, Ryder and Lumos, Blazer and Kody. We had a great run, team did awesome! They were used to pacing themselves, with taking in consideration of running the 100 miler next week. Hence that is how I trained them. I just kept calling them up and calling them up, CREE was loving it!! She loves speed anyways, so the faster we went the better she liked it. I had a blasts! We came in 5th out of 12 teams with a time of doing 28 miles in 2 hours and 42 minutes! According to my GPS we were averaging over 11 mph! :) The trail was very hard and fasts, but it was in great shape considering what the rain did to all the trails around us. The team came in just as strong as they went out, loping in! NOW that to me is a successful race, I like nothing more than to come in with the team looking like the photo above!! Very proud of them all! :)

Now the bad news, the 100 mile race in Greenville got cancelled. Big bummer considering all the work we did as a team to be ready for it, but I guess that will just help us get more prepared for next year. We can't control the weather unfortunatly! We need SNOW!! We are going to still do the 30 mile race that the crew worked so hard to get together! :) Now I just need to pick the 8 dog team out of 13 dogs! UGH! That will be a hard one. This is a fun race as well, so we all can't wait for it! :)

Until than...THINK SNOW!!!!!!

~Fort Illio~

Good times...

We had a great weekend, with some great friends. On Saturday we went to Brownville and put in a nice 36 mile run. I borrowed one of my friends dogs (Maggie Wey) Lumos which is my Phoenix's brother. He did great! He can trot for miles beyond miles, he would make a great distant dog. I put him next to his sister Phoenix and you can see the photo below, its just too cute! He is much bigger than her.

Cree ran lead on Saturday, and I got thinking that this was the longest run she had ever ran lead before, and she handled it perfectly! I was happy to realize this because now she should be ready to lead at some of the races! She just keeps impressing me more and more.

On Sunday we ran at our normal training area and did a nice 20 miler, the team needed a break, with putting on 100 miles this week. I had Lumos in my team again, and he did great as always! Boy does he love food!

Last Wednesday we did a nice long run with a camp out, to get the dogs used to resting...They did great as far as eating immediately on the line, everyone ate! But the resting part they must of forgot about, because they didn't want to rest. Next time we will have to run them further to get them to rest. Plan on doing that this week! :) So stay tuned. The pictures below are from our camping trip with the dogs. At one point you can see for miles, and that is at 2556 feet in elevation! It's a climb for sure!

Nothing else going on, we have just been working our butts off trying to get in gear for the 100 mile race we are entered in at the first of February. I have to say so far everything is going smoothly...knock on wood! Well to end this enjoy some photos!

Happy Trails!

~Fort Illio~

Photos

Here are some photos that Maggie's friend took of our team this past weekend! Thanks Tyson!

Kaleeta and Cree lining out!

Kaleeta and Cree again, such good girls!

Phoenix!