You’re not going to believe this after the last few adventures.  But for 3 runs in a row…. nothing happened.  We’re tried different trails, different temperatures, and different combinations of dogs.  And…. nothing.

Yeah, I’m not believing it either.  But, being a willing victim to this tragedy, I plod on.  We’re going to get our carting/sledding titles this fall.  So we’re training on several 10-mile loops.

Day 1 & 2:

Starting out in the yard — hookups are a deadly thing…  Especially since Summer‘s in lead for the first time with Nu-Nu.

11-month-olds Tom T. and Singer hooked in last.  I’m waiting for the troubles to start…

Now would be a good time to do seomthing, kids…  But they don’t.  We start down the driveway (no way am I taking my hands off the t-bar to take pictures, folks, you can forget it) and head for some big pine trees and I yell “Summer, Gee OVER” and… and… and she does.  (Huh?)

We get out on the main road and into a nice easy trot…

Quickly becomes a flat-out gallop…  I knew it, no way they’d have a nice easy run.  Not MY team!

So I’m prepared for disaster.  I call to them to “E-Z” (slow down) and then “Woah!” And well, heck, they do…

The rest of the trip went the same way.  They actually did what was requested.  When I told them to Gee Over, well, I’m stunned to say for the first time in 4 years, they DID.

And when I told them to “Haw-Over” again, stunningly, they actually, well, Hawed over… Who the heck stole my pet team and replaced it with these… obedient, trained sled dogs!!!!?

Day 3:
So feeling cocky, I took them off the nice easy, FLAT, roads and put them on the lumpy, bumpy, dirt and fire road we’ll be using for our sledding/carting legs. Can they do 10 miles????

Th-th-these are b-b-bump-p-p-y bec-ause we are g-g-g-going over b-b-bumps…

Still b-b-bumpy.  Still pulling strong.  Who are these dogs? Perfect pulling, gangline is straight as an arrow down the middle.  Heads down.  Tails mostly down.  Ears flat.

I can see the end of the trail…  We’re almost there… And… they did it.  I know you expected this to be funny, but… well, sorry.  Maybe I’ll have a specular wreck next time, but for 3 days in a row we had completely uneventful sledding (well, except Summer deciding to take the lo—ong way home through the creek, but oh well.  No harm.  No foul.  No pictures.)

Happy Trails!
Oct 2000