Fun in the Midnight Sun: Caribou are NOT Reindeer!

06-15-13

Saturday was wash day! The only Laundromat in the park was located in the mercantile. For everybody from miles around, that was the place to wash clothes. It had 4 washers and 4 dryers. Yes, we had to wait in line for our turn. When we arrived kids from AmeriCorps were there washing their clothes. The kids were from all over the world and were there for 4-5 months for summer jobs before returning home. Seemed like most of them were students. Mosquitoes were rampant and we had to spray ourselves down to be able to even stay inside the Laundromat. Four loads and three hours later, we started our day.

We went back into the park for the 15 miles an auto can travel back into the park. We didn’t see any animals but did get back as far as the river braids. Today the summit was clouded over.

We went into the little town right near the entrance to the park. Our bus driver from Friday said the town is referred to as Glitterville. Apparently it is open only during tourist season, but has enough attractions to pull in the tourists. By attractions I mean stores with gifts, local crafts, foods, and spirits. All the stores are rustic. We had to climb steps up to the stores and then there is a walkway that connects everything together.

We lunched at The Salmon Bake and then got pulled into the stores. Did we buy anything? What do you think!

We rested a little before having a night we won’t soon forget. We caught a bus and rode over to a dog show. And what a show it was. Called the Husky Homestead, it is a place where a former Iditarod winner raises huskies. The guys name is Jeff King and he puts on a show that is fantastic.

Immediately after arriving at the ranch, everyone is handed a puppy to hold and love. We held one week old puppies and eight week old puppies. The purpose of having people hold the puppies is to socialize them. We had our pictures made with the puppies, too, which of course we bought!

We sat, listened and watched as Jeff explained about the dogs. Whereas the huskies that we normally think of are black and grey and maybe have blue eyes, Alaskan Huskies are not born for beauty but for speed and stamina. Some were long haired, some short. Some were big, some medium. Some had blue eyes, some had one blue and one green eye and some had brown eyes. Their coats were all different colors.

When a husky runs the Iditarod, their food is carried ahead of time to drop-off places. During the race each dog will consume up to 30,000 calories per day. And they are not big dogs. 30,000 calories!

Back to the show. Jeff showed us one way the dogs are exercised. He has a big wheel, sorta like a hamster wheel. The dog jumps on the wheel and starts running as fast as he can. The wheel goes very fast. Jeff would pull the dog off the wheel with the leash, and the dog would jump right back on the wheel. The dogs love to run on the wheel.

He gave us a demonstration of how the dogs pull a sled. Since there was no snow, he had a four wheeler that he hooked up ten dogs to. The dogs knew it was time for the demonstration to take part. They began to bark, jump up and down, jump on their houses, whine…..you get the picture. Each one wanted to be chosen to R U N! As Jeff told us, these dogs are born to run and that is what makes them happiest. The ones chosen were beside themselves with glee. The two at the front were totally unalike in looks but were sisters.

Once Jeff released the brake, the dogs took off running as fast as they could. They came by twice before he took them to a lake to cool down in. Then they came back to the starting point.

After this demonstration, we went inside a theater of sorts and listened to Jeff talk. He has run many Iditerods through the years, winning some and coming in the top three in some others.

He showed us the “get up” he wears when racing. The outfit reminds me of the Michelan man, all puffy and big. Every bit of flesh is covered except a little oval around the eyes, and even that has fur around the edges of it. He said the temperature can reach minus fifty when the race occurs. The racers cover 1400 miles.

Before the actual race begins, there are men who go out and put sticks in the ground marking the way for the entire 1400 miles. If I remember correctly, the sticks are put in the ground every ¼ mile.

When the race begins, Jeff will run for six hours and rest for six hours. When it is time to rest, he spends about 4 ½ hours looking after the dogs. They need hay spread out for a bed, food, their boots taken off and their feet rubbed, water, and love. He settles down in his sled for about 1 ½ hrs and then is off again. This goes on for at least ten days. He is not allowed to have any companions with him.

When the race begins, Jeff usually starts out with 16 dogs. If a dog fails to perform for any reason, that dog is removed at a stopping point and shipped home. He has finished with as few as six dogs.

He told one story about a dog starting the race, but going into heat as the race progressed. The natural idea was to put her at the head of the pack and let the other dogs chase after her. But then she decided she wanted to turn back and flirt with the dogs. So, in his words, he sent that bitch home!

The closest Jeff ever came to losing his life was when he fell into the Yukon River. He made it out but says it was the scariest time of his life. He has a book that he tells of his adventure in the river and other aspects of being an Iditerod racer.

Through trial and error, Jeff invented a sled that is now in use by many of the racers. This sled allows the handler to sit down instead of standing the whole race.

He told us that when the dogs start running they don’t care if the handler comes ahead or not. There have been times when he has fallen off and he will yell Gee. The dogs will veer right and maybe get tangled up in some bushes or something to stop them so he can plow his way over to them. If the dogs keep on going, one has to catch a lift to the next stopping point and catch up with the dogs there.

He also told us that when his three girls were in school, they had to ride 7 miles to catch the bus, and then ride 13 miles to the nearest school. I believe he said 13 graduated from that high school this year. He said snow days consisted of the temperature getting to -50 before school would close.

Do you know the difference between antlers and horns? Antlers fall off every year and horns are permanent. Antlers will grow as much as 2” per day. They are bone, and they are heavy. So those big racks you see on moose, elk, caribou return and fall off every year. I find that amazing.

He says the males are so proud of their antlers. They prance around, showing the girls how big and hard they are, and in the end, they fall off!

So…why are caribou not the same as reindeer? Reindeer can fly, of course!

One last trip into the park. We could only go 15 miles in by car.

Mew gulls come in from the coast during the summer. They build nests on the rock in between the braided rivers and hatch their young.

Just like these roots right outside our cabin at McKinley Cabins

Restaurant on site at our cabins.

Snow melt creek at McKinley Cabins

Terry's wishing he could spend a whole day just sitting by this creek

Husky Homestead dogs sitting beside their houses

Dogs are bred for speed and trained to crave the human touch

Alaskan Huskies aren't show dogs. They will be long or short -haired.

They will be different colors

But their whole desire is to be hooked up and running!

The puppies have their own playground and running wheel

This one has blue eyes; another may have one blue and one green

"Wanna play chew the can?"

Husky running wheel. He pulled this dog off and she would get right back on.

Jeff King is the owner of Husky Homestead. He won the Iditerod 3 times. He is showing 1/2 of an antler, and it weighs 18 lbs.

This is an Iditerod sled that Mr King patented. The can on the back allows the person to sit while the dogs are sledding. I can't imagine standing for over 1000 miles.