commercial fishing and moose hunting...

we've got pictures to share and stories to tell, and i hope to get back here by next week on the journal to do just that.....

it's been a great summer full of adventure, lots of hard work, rewarding, lots of fish, the ocean, summer tours, and moose hunting.....

yesterday...16 hours in the wilderness, on foot, bush wacking in the tundra in brush 6ft tall 7 miles off the road...crossing swamps, mud, rocks, hills, valleys....three humans, one gun.....
this morning at 6:15 am, we got our bull. One mile from the road and 2 miles from the kennel ----after having walked miles and miles yesterday and today, we were ready to put in at least 15 hrs of total walking time. This bull was about 4 yrs old, and very busy preoccupied with the itch of his velvet. 600lbs of meat=12 months of food for a 2-3 person family. we are grateful. Now the back breaking works begins. it's time to get our packs on and head out on the atv with dogs. Everyone pitches in to help.


zoya

Women's Health Magazine

Our special feature (with dogs) in Women's Health magazine has been moved to the December issue. mark it down!

Zoya

THE GIN GIN 200 women's race plus mens' class

Yes, it's true ---A brand new look at the GIN GIN 200! The dates have changed giving you more time to train your dogs, i've increased mileage to 200 miles and YES, the gentelmen may run too. You can mark it down on your calendar that this year's 2007 GIN GIN 200 will happen on Dec. 28-30 starting & ending at Meier's Lake Roadhouse, mile 171 Richardson Highway.

40 team limit

The womens' race will start at 11am- 12 dog class
The men's class will begin one hour later at noon sharp. 10 dog class.
1- layover (8 hrs) Maclaren River Lodge
No food drops
dog drop with transport feee--Maclaren River Lodge

Any other questions, email zoya zdenure@yahoo.com
we'll have forms available soon on website. sign up opens Sept. 1st.
see you at the races.

zoya

EXTREME WINTER.......coming up

PROBE, 6 yr old male

Training for the Copper Basin 300, Taiga 300 and Iditarod 2008

Going to work everyday is simple...

Harness up those dogs! It's time to hook 'em up and drive 'em out..... Maclaren River Lodge & Princess Guests welcomes Crazy Dog Kennels!

This is our 4th season entertaining Princess guests! We make a special trip next door 4 days a week, rain or shine to meet, greet and entertain. Pet our dogs, hold the puppies while learning all about these amazing athletes.

If you are looking to book your tour please do so in advance for special rates, availability and space.

Crazy Dog Kennels is open for reserved tours through Sept. 18th.

CDK

Iditarod 2008

It was about 7 am this morning when we headed out for Delta Jct.

20 miles to pavement and another 20 to the Richardson Highway. Then another 2 hours north from there. My bags were packed.

A big smile is plastered across my face as i step into the car. And for good reason. When I moved to Alaska in 2002 for dogs, my sights were set on running the Iditarod . I had hoped to run in '05 but realized I had more to learn and a dog team to build. You don't just show up with some dogs. I just kind of put my head down and went to work, I think we're always working and learning and hopefully progressing. So it's been just 5 years in Alaska this May and In dog years that would really be 35 years...and since I am the "right now girl" and always very much in the present, it makes sense to me (and my hubby) why it feels like such a long time ago since I started scratching at the walls for it. My dogs are healthy and well trained and the team I am building is good. Sebe is already three 1/2 and an incredible lead dog. She's finished several mid distance races coming in 2nd on the Chatanika, 3rd in the Taiga 300 and 11th with John on last years Yukon Quest. It all kind of starts with Sebe--my first litter back in Nenana. We have been breeding our own here ever since, we have some wonderful rescues that fit right in to the team and some excellent quality race dogs. This will be a good year for us as we are prepared to work hard. My husband is taking on a new role in the kennel as Gin Gin 200 and Taiga 300 race promoter, organizer, trail groomer and puppy trainer. This is to help relieve me from all those duties so that I may focus all of my energy on racing and racing alone. In the past I would try to do it all from promoting and organizing the Gin race, training 40 -50 dogs, grooming trails and training pups. Well, that all sounds great but in reality everything suffers a little bit which adds up to a lot on the race trail and for me, it's meant sacrificing race training and the racing itself.....I surrender! I am giving it over! It's all about keeping it SIMPLE! I want to race and I want it bad. I love bing out there with my dogs and competing. It's exciting to shape your team and bring them to do the best they can do. My new word is simple, it's my inner garden! We are very determined to succeed. I've had some set backs in the past but we're changing things up and it's called progression. My down fall has always been taking on too much. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach and knowing when to hand some of these tasks over. We are going to get where we want to be as a top contender in racing and I am focused on getting there by training hard, caring for my dogs to the best of my ability, striving to learn constantly and training a smaller pool of quality race dogs. My life revolves around my dogs and traveling with them in the wilderness in Alaska on this race trail will be a great journey, adventure and a great challenge.

"The check is in the mail!"
...going down the list of items for the big trip to town.

Iditarod 2008 entry form and $3,000.00 check----check it!

Mail----check. Grocery List--check. Banking stuff--check. Office stuff--check. car keys--check! Judy--check!

Our summer kennel tours here at the kennel are scheduled well in advance and it's been next to impossible to attend opening day in Wasilla at the headquarters. Next year I will plan in advance. So, the best I could do would be the mail route. My intention was to sign up this month, the first week of August.
I'm more than ready to get back on the runners, itching to get back to the races and I just can't wait for winter again.

Last night after walking the boarding dogs, playing more with our puppies and playing more with Patsy Ann, I made myself come in the cabin trying my best to ignore the clock that read 11:30 pm and the most amazing sunset you have ever seen bursting outside my window in shades of hot pink and purple. What a night! I have a tough time coming in at night when I'm alone, when John is fishing. There is always so many things in a day that I want to do and never enough time.

We are so fortunate this summer to have good kennel help.
Our kennel manager Judy is the very best and we are jumping up and down out of our rubber boots that she found us and that she loves it here. She suits us and our kennel needs. Judy has 11 Samoyed Huskies of her own (Yes, the pretty white dogs with LOTS of fur!)
and has been very active with this breed for 38 years----from breeding, training, showing, bikjoring to sledding her dos. She is good with our dogs and seems to know just what to do and when. She is just fantastic all the way around. The dogs like her and that says it all. "how did we do without her I ask..like how did we get by without this darn internet??.......

My boarding dogs go home around the 15th of this month and I am trying to spend more time with them as I know it will be another year before they return. This is their 3rd summer with us and it's been great again! Hard to see the old dogs get old! The dog yard is my favorite place to be and it's easy to find reasons to be outside more than inside and so things inside get neglected often times and the cabin really needs a cleaning and the dishes..we just won't go there. You would think we could just chill? We have a new gift shop for the summer guests with one heck of a view of the river and glacier and we even bought super comfy chairs to sit on with a little fancy table that sits on the new deck..do you think we ever make the time to just sit and enjoy it ?
When we do have time, we're back in the dog yard! When John is home we do spend more time together cooking, walking, building, goofing off, and of course and we spend tons of time in the yard--that is a given. BUT when hubby is away, One of my favorite things to do is roll around with the dogs and puppies, playing in the dirt like a little kid in the sand box but mine is better ----with dogs ! Another Great activity for us is to take a group of loose dogs for long walks and jogs in the tundra exploring new paths, animals tracks and playing in the caribou moss. They make me laugh, they make me step outside myself and take nothing for granted. It's Just this amazing life with dogs.

Healthy-Happy and anything but the norm...life in the mountains with your friends. Maybe when we're too old to do dogs, we'll sit on that deck and use those chairs! Someday I will sit........but I promise you one thing......it won't be on one of those funny sit down sleds....Susan wasn't sitting when she won the Iditarod. I'm sure of that.

Amen.


sit ubu sit. good dog.


z

What's UP??

" Come and Get it..says Cliff and Sebe.
These 2 are good buds--
competing for camera space!

"HAMS, they are both total Hams!"


Cliff is a dog we've been boarding this summer--we are Very fond of Cliff. He has a great big heart and sweet personality. Take a look at that face! We started running Cliff in team and who knew this dog liked to lead?
I said "gee" (right turn signal) to the team leaders as we came to the West Fork Trail off the Denali Highway...Cliff was in team two sets back from lead trying to gee the team over. He was all business like and he knew what was going on. "Let's put Cliff up there" I said to John.
John switched Cliff for Betty and away we went. He's been assuming lead since. Cliff is a fun & happy dog to work with and we're delighted he is here.


It's August ---YES! YES! YES! This is a great time of the year for us at Crazy Dog Kennels---------It's time to get those dogs going again for another season. I've got some sorting to do from all the tubs we stored away for summer- old mittens, gloves, hats and pulling out the good rain gear for ATV training. The temperatures are cooling down out here in the Maclaren Valley allowing us to run dogs on the ATV--this is how we train and condition our dogs. It's been raining on and off steady making our runs a little wet and dirty. The Denali Highway is gravel. I eat a lot of rocks this time of year and it isn't pretty.

We train rain or shine. The dirtier the better.The colder it is the better the running. Dogs like it cold. Sebe, Chuckie, Galen and Cliff are leading the way down the trails this fall until the motley crew get home mid September. We have 36 dogs away this summer working for Alaska Excursions--giving cart rides on land daily. And from the sound of it---they are having a good time up that way. I just got an update the day before last. We worry a bit when we send them packing in May with their little brown lunch baggies knowing that someone else will be caring, feeding and running our dogs for 3 and a half months. EEEk.....see, to just say it makes me want to freak out all over again." I try to look at it like "summer camp for the kids" and then I feel a little better. I know they like it, they always come home looking good and ready to roll.
Dorky, I know. But I miss that crew very much, those are some of my best dogs, the dogs I've raised and the team I've been building on. You form these bonds like you would with good friends. These are our good friends. We work together. They range in age from 9 months to 7 yrs. It'll be nice to have them home again--we have a lot of work to do and a big season ahead. The Hunters and Henry's of the world that make me laugh, the Cookie's and Bridles who make me think "tough" and Bligh and Storey's that make me say 'wow" ....oh man, I miss my dogs. They are full of life, energy and enthusiasm for everything. Those dogs inspire me time and time again & after the Taiga 300 dog race last April, they flipped my frown into a smile and kicked me back into high gear--something I needed bad after such a rocky season of one miserable mistake after another; I wanted to come home and lick my wounds in March but instead I got it together, trained those dogs and ran that race despite the fact. "Never give up"..a voice from within would say. I learned we could make it happen --whatever it was we wanted, we could attain it by getting through it together and believing in ourselves and our ability. Sometimes the answers are right under your nose. It's that simple. "Simple" is my new favorite word.
This summer has been Quiet....the summer of "THE old dogs"...we have a few old dogs pushing 15 and the majority are 8-14 years old....a few puppies pushing 3 months and Sebe and Galen breaking the rules at 3.

OVER THE RAINBOW.............................
We lost one of our "Greats" this summer. Crazy Loui---one of John's dogs that he bred and raised 15 years ago. Loui was one of a kind--a big, tough and steady dog. He was on John's championship Yukon Quest team in 1996. Loui is the father to some of our great dogs now, like Wilbur, Pitch, Zither, Bonnie and Clyde..he' the grandfather to Diesel, Canoe and Kayak.
Loui had the ultimate retirement and easy going life the last 4 years. Loui got along well with all the dogs but he had his favorites. He loved to argue with his son Wilbur and friend dog Galen. This was something he enjoyed most. getting those two going made him feel...above and beyond. He was good at training puppies and keeping everyone in line. We let Loui tell us when he had had enough of the training puppies and we let Loui tell us when it was time to let go. "We love you Loui and you will always be with us, looking out for us on this old Denali Road. " It's never easy loosing these old guys. They are family.

The puppies keep us busy moving ahead and the cycle of life continues.

Onward and upward. xo
Zoya

Future Race Athletes~ Little Fur Critters...

It's PUPPY time! Crazy Dog Kennels, Maclaren River

Maybe some of you have already met the wild bunch this summer! If you have, you 're sure to remember them for the rest of your life. They aren't only sweet but they are full of Life and Energy!

Just in case you didn't meet the wild bunch, let us introduce you to three of the 4 puppies from this years litter.

Here's O.B.---- he's black and white with sweet brown eyes. O.B. is FULL of burst--he's all about sticks and chewing on his sisters ears. He will wrestle anything in his path. Then we have Cinnebar---she is light brown with beautiful hazel colored eyes --Cinnebar is quite leggy and lean. This is a feminine dog with an athletic edge. Cinnebar enjoys fast walks and loads of attention from all, including her favorite BIG dog, Hansel. Her brother Jon Jon is a little more dark brown and seems to have all the manners. All three puppies are very close and enjoy going for walks, runs, swims..whatever the day may bring!! Truthfully, I think the thing they love most is chewing on my tennis shoe laces....!

Zoya

How do we make it all work? Let's talk Fishing...

This is always a popular question each summer during our kennel tours...when you come to visit us you will see that we live 42 miles off the road system, our closest grocery store is over 100 miles away and we have built all the cabins, dog houses and shop buildings ourselves...there's 3 people here at the kennel, 50 dogs, training equipment, sleds, lots of gear etc...

Q: "How do we support ourselves, our kennel and our winter racing months?"

A: We take a big portion of the summer and fish like mad. This takes both John and I away from the kennel from 3 weeks to 2 months each summer. John must fish full time taking up to 2 months total and when we have good kennel help to run the kennel tours, business and chores; I am able to get away and help fish speeding up the trips by several days.

This is a large portion of our winter funding--right here--Bristol Bay in the Naknek River for Salmon and Prince William Sound for Halibut. We have a small boat that can fish and haul very large loads of Halibut and salmon and we have an established market in both regions.

It's hard work, long hours are spent out at sea in the rain, in the cold and dark....
Each year the fish prices can very....
There's things about it that are very enjoyable such as time out at sea, fishing, the landscape, working with your partner and then there's days you just have to laugh because it feels miserable to be cold and so tired...a small price to pay. Pictured above is John sitting on a halibut in the boat taking the hook out of it's mouth, the landscape out of PWS and me with a newly caught halibut.

zoya

Fly with the Angels, you will be missed by all

Our friend Ray and long time local of the Paxson community-- had passed unexpectedly in his home this past weekend. Monday night after 2 days of fishing at sea, we were just coming into the Valdez harbor to deliver 900# Halibut to Peter Pan. We tied the boat off at the docks and started hauling ice down for the fish. After the fish were packed in, we headed into the office to check email, touch base with the world and determine a fish delivery time for the following day. We had 2 emails sitting in our INBOX about Ray's passing. We were both shocked to discover that he had passed away. John called home to Maclaren and talked to our friend Susie and then he phoned Meier's to talk to Galen and Robin. How sad. We just saw Ray on our way out for the 1st Halibut trip last Thursday. He was in great spirits and he and Terry had me rolling with their stories. They had been fishing and having a good time.
John and Ray had been good friends for over 30 years doing everything together from commercial fishing hunting and trapping and building. John ad Ray were like brothers. I have known Ray for about 3 and a half years and due to his health he has not been able to fish with John and since then I have taken up that job on the boat.

Ray always wore a smile on his face. The community will miss his presence.
Zoya & John