The day after we arrived in Fairbanks, Magali offered to help put the trail in to the Tanana river to Nenana. It is a trail that they  have always used , until this year as they are only sprint racing and have no need to run that far.
So Magali pulled me on my sled  behind her  Skandic Super wide track and off we went. It was a great opportunity to try out my new Anorak from Skookum , as well as my new beaver skin mitts that my "other Mom" made for me. It was about -40 Celcius and being pulled behind a skidoo obviously increases the wind chill dramatically. I did not get cold at all! What a much more pleasuale way to be enjoying the outdoors when you are warm!

So we made the trail to the river, marked the entrance back to the slough from the river(or you would end up eventually in Fairbanks) and came back home. We saw around 10 moose. I'd say there are lots around here!

So we ran the trail yesterday, around 50 miles. It was a good mix of nicley groomed trails , moose holes and soft punchy trail, and river running. I ran 18 dogs that I am trying to pick out for the Quest and I have divided out the 9 others for Iditarod that Kate ran. 
Everyone looked good  on the run I am letting them run pretty much as fast as they want. Trying to let them sort themsleves out.

I would not complain to get into some major jumbled ice,  just to give the dogs more of a taste of it, but I guess they will have to wait untill  about 25 miles after Eagle. The trail reports are "the worst freeze up in the area in memory" .So I am expecting some pretty wicked stuff.
The thing of it is  we have been training with so much weight all season, whenever the trail gets easier, the dogs go faster. Granted we are not going sprint speeds, but 12-14 mph at the end of a tough slow run  is pretty quick. The problem with jumble ice is that it is generaly twisty and not alot of resistance, two  instances where our dogs like to speed up. I will be hanging on tight and I am sure that I will be sore after that run ! I am looking forward to it!  
 
So we are off to our freinds Ken and Gwen, to use their meat saw and finish our prep work for Idiatrod . We have never been to their place so it wil be nice to see them, and their two new additions as well, they have twins!

More Later.

Warren