Gold Rush Camp week 1

We have now been in Juneau for a week and we seem to have found ourselves in a very different world and yet one that is very much the same. Dogs are dogs, harnesses are harnesses and the team is the team. Its rainy, overcast and chillier here which is certainly different from the Fairbanks summer heat but this is certainly a good different. Far and away provides a more comfortable environment for these arctic dogs and for Elke (my Texas blood has seemed to have turned Alaskan on me).

So far in a training perspective I like these short, fun and insanely high energy runs we do here. It keeps the dogs and me desperate for more which I hope will bleed over to some equally high energy race training. And race training it will be. Its an airborne virus up here... All anyone seems to want to talk about is what races you'll be planning on for this coming winter. I was already excited for my first season of racing but now im practically pre-packing drop bags.

As for the good stuff, Mania, Schnaps, Axel and Fitz have been shining bright this week. Mania, no surprise there, simply lives to be in the team chugging along and this new environment hasn't changed that for him. Schnaps is a surprise but I think she's really feeding off this huge energy here, makes me very excited for her next season- her confidence here has been through the roof. Axel, my right arm and my consistency when I feel scattered- he's been the fastest eater and a hard driver- no surprise. And finally my Fitz pants has his brain turned on in lead and has been sprinting into commands!

All in all energy is high, we're happy and we're ready for some tours.