I’ve avoided speaking much on matters of faith here at freewheelings. You might expect my views to be somewhat unconventional and I imagine that they are. It’s hard to tell what another individual truly believes and how those beliefs manifest themselves in their experiences. I’m about to give it a whirl. To underscore the importance of […]
The Yukon Quest is Under Way!
As most of you know I had the pleasure of living with Pierre Heritier, the Swiss musher as he trained for the Yukon Quest 2010. This race is generally considered to be the world’s most difficult race and the supreme adventure through some of North America’s most difficult country. As it were, the race commenced […]
Sled Dog Alaska, Goldstream Kennel (now Alaska Outback Adventures) Review
The sled dog world from a distance seems like one of romance and grandeur. I will not even begin to protest that I was, and still to a certain extent am, seduced by the lure of the sport and the lifestyle, but there are many things that must also be taken into consideration when entertaining […]
Sled Dog Alaska, No More
My apologies for the lack of updates, but I was quite ill over the couse of the Thanksgiving holiday on top of being strapped with the farm to myself while the Huttens (Huettens) were on vacation. The long and the short of it is that the Huttens have returned and Goldstream Kennel I am no […]
Sled Dog Alaska, The Cold – First Impressions
The first real run in with the cold took place today along with what was my first proper go ‘round with the sled dogs and a race style sled leaving behind all the implements of training. Thirty miles and three hours behind six Siberian Huskies on the trail and I’m sitting here now two hours […]
Pierre Heritier, Yukon Quest Training Videos
Pierre Heritier is a particularly interesting component of life these days. It will be just the two of use living out at the dog farm for the next three weeks while the proprietors are in the lower forty eight. Pierre arrived from Switzerland a fortnight ago with 18 Siberian Huskies in tow and is here […]
Sled Dog Alaska, The Day to Day Life of a Dog Handler / Musher
I have officially survived one month here at the kennel and about five weeks in Alaska. Both my spirits and resolve are intact, and my body is making its way into extraordinary shape. I’m quite amazed at how quickly I’ve acclimatized to the subzero climate. I consider five above zero a warm day now and […]
Sled Dog Alaska, Getting There
I have a whole different respect these days for the term wild, maybe it means the absence of domestication, maybe it’s a communion with the Earth that takes place under the lack of opposable thumbs, a void of human safety in utter completeness. It’s a bit challenging to pin down exactly. What was it that […]