Training Run

Thursday I got a little bored and took the dogs to Willow for a run.  I thought about going to Skwentna and back, but at the Skwentna Roadhouse I found the Iron Dog trail to Shell Lake and it sounded like fun.  The map on the left shows the Iron Dog trail starting in Big Lake, I picked it up as we came to the Yentna River.

It's big open country - this is the swamp leaving Skwentna

 More of the swamp













Two stakes in an X indicate a trail hazard











In this case it had been open water alongside the trail.  This is pretty common along the river, but easy to avoid if you stay on the established trail

 After the swamp there is a nice run through the trees

 This is the sign leaving Shell Lake going back to Skwentna

 View of Sleeping Lady (Mt Susitna) from the backside

 And a dog team doing what God designed them to do.  It was a good trip - with a couple of side trips we did 190 miles in 36 hours.  However, I can assure you that 3 AM Saturday morning is not the best time to remember that you left your leader that knows the turn off the Susitna River to go up Corral Hill sleeping in the kitchen with a sore foot. 

I realized that Klinger and Dash didn't know the turn when we got to Deshka Landing, about 2 miles past it.  No problem, turn the team around, find the turn, off the river and all is well, right?  At 3:30 AM we jumped a moose in the middle of the road and she ran down the road and around a corner.  With visions of Karen Ramstead's adventure dancing in my head I cautiously proceeded.  We didn't see the moose again, but when I got to the truck at 4:15 AM I was thoroughly awake.

Got home at 7 AM with a tired, but very happy dog team.

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric