For three days straight it has been blowing like stink in central Yukon. The tradeoff has been that the nights have been a good ten degrees Celsius warmer; no more frosts for the moment, and there won't be as long as the cloud that the wind brought stays around. Nevertheless, the frosts we already had have started the processes of autumn on their inevitable course. The aspens are starting to turn a bilious yellow-green, the fireweed is going rusty red and yellow, willows and wild roses show bright yellow leaves, and the rose hips are lightening towards vermilion.
Today, thanks to the wind, it was just cool enough to get out the battered mountain bike and remind my two main leaders of their winter responsibilities. I took Tonya out with little Nera; it was six-year-old Nera's first time at lead, yet she surged ahead as though she had done it a hundred times, due I suppose to my having taken her around with Tonya on leash a lot lately. It is strange how middle-aged Seppalas who have always been kennel dogs can make a graceful transition to housepet status, and how some older team dogs suddenly discover they can run at lead.
Encouraged, I hooked Tonya's usual co-leader, her daughter Happy, with a nine-month old female pup named Lizzy. Wearing a radiant smile, Happy introduced the totally green pup to bike running. Lizzy was apprehensive and wild, but with Hap's good example made it through the 1.5 mile run in pretty good style for a first-timer; I had to untangle her a couple of times, but she didn't panic. She might make another leader — both of her parents are good ones.
Since the wind blew my hat off in the middle of the second run, I went out yet another time with a single big tall male who usually runs wheel. Hawk stopped to do his business four or five times on the trailside and ran at a fast trot, but we made it — and I retrieved my hat from the trailside. Probably he'll never make a leader, but I keep trying him occasionally.
The dogs love autumn bike runs and so do I. The idea of being pulled by sleddogs while riding a bicycle seems to terrify some people, but to me it feels natural and easy. The dogs learn quickly what the ground rules are. This way of working with leaders is relaxed and free of pressure; it allows me to develop close communication with the dog that has to make quick decisions and respond to directional commands.
Most of all, though, for me bike training with Seppalas is just something that seems to be the very essence of autumn. (If you'd like to see how we go about it, here's a link:)
Tonya helps Boss train daughter Mokka at lead
Posted by jjeffrey at August 14, 2003 07:44 PM