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News

Mount Marathon Bushwhack

Sarah · June 20, 2011 ·

Sometimes, we need a break from doggy things. The last several days off Travis and I have had off together all we’ve had time for was kennel chores: scooping, feeding, leveling the dog lot, draining the freezer, fixing chains, cleaning out the truck, organizing the gear shed…not to mention trying to get this website up and running! Needless to say between real work and dog work, we’ve stayed busy. So, when a good sunny day came along and our friends had some time off, we decided to go on a hike. But not just any hike — that would be far too easy. We embarked on a bushwhack.

Bushwhacking Marathon

We thought, stupidly, that it would be easier. To our credit, it probably was both easier and quicker than taking the hiking trails though we probably ended up with more scrapes and Devil’s Club’s stings doing it our way. Still, we had a good time. We set off from the local water tower up a partially beat in path. We gained elevation remarkably quickly.  We just went up, up, up. Hiking like that felt good — though I’d been on two shorter hikes the day before (once to Boy Scout Lake, the other to Tonsina Bridge) so I was a little tired. Still, I had no trouble keeping up with the boys. There’s something about strenuous exercise and wading through tall grass that makes you feel as if there’s lightening in your blood.

Resurrection Bay

The narrow path we started off on quickly ended. Bear scat was a common “trail” marker and we’d heard rumors of brown bear in the area. We kept joking with one another, pretending there were bears up ahead. All I could think of was Peter and the Wolf. I sure hoped we didn’t run into Mama Grizz. I’m sure she would have been less than thrilled and it would have made our outing more adventurous than we intended. Lucky for us, she stayed clear. It probably had something to do with the fact that we weren’t exactly quiet as we stomped and plodded our way through the thicket. But For all our work, we were rewarded phenomenal views of Seward and Resurrection bay. It was the first real time Travis and I had gotten to go out and have fun without the dogs in a long while and, in some ways, the peace and quiet was nice. Still, there’s nothing I enjoy more than hitting the trial with a couple dogs in tow on a nice long hike. Especially sled dogs. I’m convinced that free running your dogs is the single best thing you can do for training.

What a view!

In the end, we had to run down the mountain and then walk/run a mile or so back to our cars in order to be on time for a birthday dinner. All-in-all, I’d say it was one of the best days off in awhile. I’d give it a ten out of ten. Anyways, now I’m tired so I’m going to go to bed…

Boy Scout Lake

Sarah · June 19, 2011 ·

Archie and Chena enjoying a walk to Boy Scout LakeChena and Archie smelling the swampArchie Playing Fetch Archie, Chena, and I went for a get away hike out to Boy Scout Lake. Although it’s not much of a hike, it was nice getting outside for awhile.

While out on the trail, we rounded a corner and ran smack dab into a ptarmigan and her chicks. The dogs went nuts. Archie took off at a full sprint for the mother and the chicks scattered like pinata confetti into the woods.

After, there was nothing but silence. I stood in the trail dogless. I called for both Chena and Archie and eventually heard the jangling of collars and tags — but only Chena came back. I continued to call for the yellow hound dog, but there was nothing to be heard in woods even the birds had gone quiet.

Chena and I began walking back toward the lake but had no luck. I’d come out to the lake to escape my problems and it seemed all I’d done was create a brand new set of them. I couldn’t believe that Archie would run away, yet I knew he loved chasing animals. Whenever he saw rabbits or squirrels, he automatically bolted in their direction. I’d even seem him stalk ravens in the backyard.

When I had almost walked back to the lake, Archie charged up the hill with a huge grin on his face. “Don’t worry mom!” He seemed to be saying. Well, thanks. Why couldn’t you just stay put? Still, it was hard to be angry now that he was back with me. There was no sign of the ptarmigan…

 

Rookie Mistakes

Sarah · June 15, 2011 ·

Siphoning thawed fish guts from the freezerIt all started because the freezer somehow got unplugged and everything in it rotted. It ended with a tube of toothpaste, some hilarious facial expressions, and a 50 gallon drum filled part way with fish guts. There was one thing we knew we had to work on during our time off: the freezer. The dog lot needed attention but the dog food freezer had started leaking and the smell was anything but pleasant.

We ventured over to the freezer after hemming and hawing about it all day. “I really don’t think we want to deal with this,” was the general consensus but what we wanted to do and what we needed to do were two completely different things. In the end, we wandered over to the freezer and cautiously pulled open the lid.

Instant gagging.

The freezer itself was filled with bloody water right up to the brim. The only exposed contents were part of a Red Paw dog food bag which had more fish in it. We sat and stared at it. How the heck were we going to deal with this? The freezer had been unplugged for a week a week and was full of nasty bloody fish water, not to mention rotting fish.

What to do, what to do. We couldn’t very well lift the freezer. It was far too heavy and, despite being unplugged for quite some time, the contents (fish) were still a completely solid block of ice. There was no getting that thing out. We sat around for awhile before we had the brilliant (or was it?) idea of siphoning the drained water out.

The only problem was this was definitely not water. A reddish brown color, the liquid stunk of decaying fish and rotting seaweed. It smelt like something a dog would roll in, not something it was supposed to eat. Still, the job needed to get done.

Travis was the less than enthusiastic “volunteer” for the job. We found a short stretch of hose and he got it going, getting some of the putrid water in his mouth. He started gagging and nearly vomited. I ran inside for the toothpaste and he promptly emptied half of the tube into his mouth.

That was when we realized that the siphoning had stopped. The fish guts had stopped draining. Travis looked like he was going to kill someone. But he sucked it up (quite literally) and got the thing going again. We were careful about how we held the hoses as the water got drained into an empty 55 gallon drum.

I sat there gagging at the smell trying to hold the tubes in place when we realized the hose had stopped. Susie then came on by and, on her very first try, got the whole thing going again. Then she nearly lost her lunch.

 

By the time we had drained the water we had exposed several dead fish at the bottom of the freezer — enough to turn anyone’s stomach. But we just took it all in stride. After we were done, we loaded the barrel in the truck and dumped the water out on the edge of town away from any people.

We’ve plugged the freezer back in. Hopefully, we can fill it up with a few new fish for the winter.

Spring Training

Sarah · April 15, 2011 ·

We decided to take the pups on a spring training run. The snow was softening up and we were out simply to enjoy the lovely sunshine and our dogs company. We started up a small hill (we swear, it looked bigger in person)… and this video ensued.

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Hello THK fans! I appreciate all the love and su Hello THK fans! 

I appreciate all the love and support my team and I receive each and every year. Ever since I was a young boy I knew dog mushing was in my blood and something I was meant to do. Chasing my dreams wouldn’t be possible without you all. I have a huge behind the scene crew that helps me with everything from dog handling, to food prep, and social media updates. So from the bottom of my heart I would like to thank you all.

With that being said, after much thought I’ve decided to take a step back and withdraw from the 2023 Iditarod. This decision did not come easily and is something that has been weighing heavily on me. I’ve always had the mindset of racing competitively and to push myself and the dogs to our fullest potential. This has led to a somewhat unbalanced approach to life that has been detrimental to my over all health. 

I believe that for me to get back to being a healthy competitive athlete that I need to take a step back so that I can come back stronger than ever. 

I am looking forward to catching up on things at home and with my business that have been put to the side for the past few years during training and race seasons. 

I also look forward to following the race this year from a different perspective and cheering on all my friends and fellow competitors down the trail. Good luck to you all. 

The next two months will be well spent working on me, my health, and training my team at my own pace.

Again, thank you race fans for your love and support. I hope you will continue to follow my adventures with Sarah and our incredible dogs.

- Travis
Sun’s out, tongues out! . . . #dogsledding #sled Sun’s out, tongues out!
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#dogsledding #sleddogs #iditarod #alaska #sewardak

📸 @its_kris_fish
Happy trails & wagging tails. We are back for anot Happy trails & wagging tails. We are back for another for season of sharing our sled dogs and passion for #dogsledding here in beautiful #sewardak 

Thanks to Azura and @its_kris_fish  for the awesome photo!
An absolutely incredibly dog team coming into the An absolutely incredibly dog team coming into the Kalskag (inbound) checkpoint of the Kuskokwim 300.

🎥 by Abby Klager

#TurningHeadsKennel #kuskokwim300 #k300 #bethelak #alaska #dogsledding #iditarod #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #huskygram #huskylife #optoutside #kuskokwimriver #dogsled #mushing #sleddogs #sleddogsport #sleddogsofinstagram #alaskalife #alaskaoutdoors #alaskaadventure #alaskaliving #alaskanhusky 

@thealaskalife @kuskokwim300 @dogsleddingdaily
Travis putting booties on the dogs as he gets read Travis putting booties on the dogs as he gets ready to depart the halfway checkpoint of the Knik 200 sled dog race. 

There were hurricane force winds throughout the race. Semi trucks got blown off the road. Planes parked at the airport were flipped over.

Still, the dogs and Travis persevered — even when they had to go through waist deep overflow.

The team came to the finish line happy and healthy and in 2nd place. Travis also received the Humanitarian Award for Excellence in Dog Care.

We are so proud of him and Braxton, who ran the B team, and also had a strong finish.

#dogsledding #sleddogs #alaska #dogsofinsta #doglife #alaskalife #huskylife #instahusky
💯 #dogsledding #alaska 💯 #dogsledding #alaska
Getting out and enjoying the sunshine together. #d Getting out and enjoying the sunshine together. #dogsledding
Happy Birthday Travis 🥳 Happy Birthday Travis 🥳
Two by two⁠ 🐕🐾❄️⁠ ⁠ Trail breakin Two by two⁠
 🐕🐾❄️⁠
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Trail breaking :)⁠
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#turningheadskennel #iditarod #dogsledding #sleddogs ⁠
#husky #huskies #huskygram #instahusky⁠
#getoutside #explore #adventure #explorealaska #alaska⁠
#denalihighway #cantwell ⁠
#instadog #dogsofinstagram #dogslife #mustlovedogs
BB is a rock star⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #instadog #dogsofinst BB is a rock star⁠
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#instadog #dogsofinstagram #dogslife #mustlovedogs⁠
#turningheadskennel #iditarod #dogsledding #sleddogs ⁠
#husky #huskies #huskygram #instahusky⁠
#getoutside #explore #adventure #explorealaska #alaska
Baby Skunk 💕⁠ ⁠ Skunk is now almost 17 mont Baby Skunk 💕⁠
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Skunk is now almost 17 months old and is working hard at being a sled dog.⁠
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#instadog #dogsofinstagram #dogslife #mustlovedogs⁠
#turningheadskennel #iditarod #dogsledding #sleddogs ⁠
#husky #huskies #huskygram #instahusky
We were blessed with some gorgeous skies this seas We were blessed with some gorgeous skies this season. Here's just 1 of the many we enjoyed 💕⁠
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#getoutside #explore #adventure #explorealaska #alaska⁠
Time Warp! A look back at early season fall traini Time Warp! A look back at early season fall training using the side by side. ⁠
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(Also, what smells so good in the grass 🤣)⁠
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Right now, the snow is melting and spring is well on its way here but we are already thinking about this coming fall and the adventures it will bring us. 💕⁠
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#instadog #dogsofinstagram #dogslife #mustlovedogs⁠
#turningheadskennel #iditarod #dogsledding #sleddogs ⁠
#husky #huskies #huskygram #instahusky⁠
#getoutside #explore #adventure #explorealaska #alaska
Dolly & Blue. 💕⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #turningheadskennel Dolly & Blue. 💕⁠
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#turningheadskennel #iditarod #dogsledding #sleddogs ⁠
#husky #huskies #huskygram #instahusky⁠
#instadog #dogsofinstagram #dogslife #mustlovedogs⁠
#getoutside #explore #adventure #explorealaska #alaska
Old man Boston 💕⁠ ⁠ Our time left with Bost Old man Boston 💕⁠
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Our time left with Boston is slowly coming to an end but this geriatric sled dog is full of heart. He is the dad or granddad to many of the dogs in our kennel. ⁠
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Each day we have together is a gift. ⁠
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📸 by Kalani Woodlock
Travis and the dogs are in FINGERLAKE on #Iditarod Travis and the dogs are in FINGERLAKE on #Iditarod 2021 🥳 and OUT of FINGERLAKE.

Although his stats haven’t been updated as of this posting, it looks like he got there around 5:10 this morning, making it about a 4.5 hour run for him and the dogs. He rested about 3 hours and is now headed down the trail towards RAINY PASS

Here’s a fun video from one of the last training runs this year. 

🥳🎉 Go Team Go 🎉🥳
Well, he’s off! We’d hoped to livestream the s Well, he’s off!
We’d hoped to livestream the start of #Iditarod but because of the new location, we unfortunately didn’t have coverage!

The starting line up this year:
BB - Blue
Spartan - West
Krum - Granger
Melissa - Queen
Skiff - Jovie
Ohmer - Mongoose
Delta - Tug

Go Travis go!
The countdown to race day has started. Travis is g The countdown to race day has started. Travis is getting in the last few training runs before #iditarod to determine the final few dogs on the roster.

Our trail has one minor road crossing that we usually have no problem with —  as it’s in a wide open area — so we have plenty of opportunity to see cars and vice versa but with it continuing to snow day after day in Willow, the berms have gotten quite high. 

Because of this, after Travis and the team take off I drive down to play crossing guard.

Here’s a glimpse of the team from yesterday. #dogsledding #turningheadskennel
Well we got 1882 lbs of food headed out on the #id Well we got 1882 lbs of food headed out on the #iditarod trail for mushers and dogs. 

A big thanks to Caleb & Dave for helping cut meet, Victoria & Richard for letting us post up at their house, and a huge crew of human volunteers who helped cook Travis’ meals for out on the trail. @dlwalkerak for cooking and organizing and: @zudyscafe @akcarlyn @lonechicharron @woodysthaikitchenak @bakingthyme and Cristian McClain for cooking @majormarinetours for some great snacks and Portage Transport for delivering.

It’s not small feet getting a team ready to go 1,000 miles but this year— with little indoor access —- it really took a lot of careful planning to make sure Travis stays warm and well fed.

Thanks team!
A lot of the time, we are running teams of 8+ dogs A lot of the time, we are running teams of 8+ dogs. It’s more practical with a lot of dogs in training. That being said, there is something magical about breaking things down and working with the dogs one on one in smaller teams. This is especially true for our youngest teammates!

In this video, 16-month-olds Keister and Tucker are working as a lone pair. With no one else to guide them, the pups get their first experience taking commands without the pressure of having other dogs “chase” them. They also get to practice lining out and staying forward oriented.

Working at night with young leaders, a headlamp also becomes a great tool as we can easily show the trail we want the dogs to take. 

#dogsledding #mushing #iditarod #alaska
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