They're at it again....

(Photo by Jess O. 2009)










I've been in touch with all my glacier geek friends and the new season is underway! I'm willing to be they've already done their first tour (or its at least fast-approaching)! I just wanted to send a shout out to them and wish them a great year! I am of course bummed that I couldn't make it back up there, but I've still got a few stories up my sleeve to share. I can't wait for updates on "my" team from last summer. Dotty is calling me!! I hear her! :-) When they share fun stories with me, I'll do a little write-up on here so that we can all remember the good ol glacier days.

Marla

The funny thing about Marla is that her name is Maria. I didn't know it until the summer was over and I called her home kennel to check up on the whole crew. I mentioned her name and her people laughed, saying someone didn't spell check her name tag. Thus, Maria became Marla...well, at least for the summer.
She was (is, I'm sure) a very driven dog. Marla was a very solid double lead and a hard worker anywhere. She'd get a little crazy in the chute, but Beaver could handle it. She was super sweet and responsive. She always payed attention and loved to cuddle. She was an all-around good girl. She threw two good boys(more on them later) and only ever caused trouble once (though both she and the other female held a grudge for the rest of summer). I can't wait to hear how she's doing! A new season is underway and one of my friends has that team. I'll remind her to double-check the name tags :-)

"coppertone tan"

Speaking of tan lines....this one was bad!! Seriously, it's just about the most painful memory I have! Honestly, these were like 3rd (or 10th!) degree burns, I swear. Not my face (believe it or not, that color was normal for the summer), just my legs. I couldn't bend my legs because the backs of my knees were so swollen. It took four days to be comfortable and even now nine months later, I STILL HAVE A TAN LINE FROM IT. Yes, a faint tan line remains from a burn that happened in just a few hours. Bad choice in wardrobe by me.

Dotty

Dotty, Jet and I skijoring on my last night of the summer!


On my kennel blog, I've been trying to write a post about everyone. For memories sake, I might start that here.
Have you heard about Dotty?
I would buy her in a heartbeat. This little dog slept not only in my tent, but in my sleeping bag with me. She is the best. I miss her terribly. She's Jeff's 4 year old main (ish) leader, but I hoped all summer long that she was old and retired because I so badly wanted her for my own. I told Jeff that if she ever becomes available through any circumstance, like losing a leg, being swept away in a flood, anything at all, I'd take her without a second thought.

(Out of MontanaXMaybe.Littermate to Denali, Kona, Wolfy)

Tramp Tans

With Iditarod and all, I've been thinking about Alaska so much lately! I'm not going back this summer, but I'll try for next year. Had I been able to miss some school during fall semester, my job would have been waiting....but I decided to be an absolute (Vodka!) loser and not miss any class. Sooooooooo this summer I'll be home (well, in my home state at least), falling back on the watery crutch of those lifeguarding skills I learned at 15. I'll be at a boy scout summer camp demanding buddy checks instead of on the orientation box explaining what the dogs wear on their feet.




I'm sad about not going North this summer, but I've got some dog events planned to keep me occupied, and plus, my tan lines will be a little better this way.
Awkward tan lines are the story of a Heli-Musher's life. We compare them like gang members discussing scars from a knife fight. The sun finds ALL skin. No skin is safe. Thus, the tramp tan was born. (NOTE:these pics don't actually show a tramp tan)



I always get some pretty awesome strap lines during the summers I twirl my whistle and denounce Marco-Polo, but nothing can compare to the sliver of brown us girls all had in common in the great white north. The perfectly tan strip on our lower backs came from our trusty t-shirts shimmying up our backs when we bent over. No, it's not what you think. Bending for a few seconds multiple times per day really added up! Again, mind out of the gutter. While harnessing, unharnessing, booty-ing, un booty-ing, checking feet, cleaning up equipment and the like, that little, whorish landing strip was bathed in sunlight.




The absolute best time to see a fresh tramp tan was down in Juneau....they stick out so much better with the green backdrop.
Anyway, though this summer I plan to became an irresistible shade of bronze, it just wont quite be the same without the tan sliver adorning my lower back. I miss my tramp tan and my tramp tan misses me! The story about the "tan" lines (more like SCORCH lines) behind my knees is for a different day.

Even though these pics don't show any true Tramp Tans, I chose them because they do represent the weather on the majority of the days. Yes! T-shirts and shorts. Yes! One night we played in the lake and acted like it was a beach party. Yes! It was WARM. And, yes! I always wear the same shirt. Every day. (hahahaha these were all taken the same afternoon)

Field Trip

Ahhh I'm just in an Alaska mood. I picked a random picture to write about. The infamous "suspender pic." This was my last full day on the ice. We had been weathered in for three days I think it was. No tours. Nothing. Just a lot of card games, cookies and naps. It'd be a lie to say I didn't enjoy it a little, but I also remember being very anxious because my contract date was approaching. But of course, we still managed to have fun. After an entire summer of begging, well, not an entire summer- we only started begging after we heard that the OTHER rotations had been allowed to go, we went on a field trip. Oh man, it felt like we were breaking all of the rules. We'd been told since day one that going NEAR the mountains would invite avalanches. On this particular day, we were allowed ON them. It was pouring rain and freezing cold. Nobody cared. We were all happy to get out of camp, and in my case stop trying to dig a new modesty pit, and stretch our legs. We threw rocks off the top and had a good-bye pow-wow. It's when I start thinking about Alaska that I so badly want to go back to Alaska. I suppose it's possible and I suppose I'm considering it......

Change is Good (for use at vending machines)

Let me put it this way: being home is great, but Alaska will always be with me. I haven't made any concrete decisions regarding next summer, but I'll be sure to up date accordingly. With that being said, I'll try to keep this page relatively current, for I'm sure I'll think of Alaska stories at random, but I'm going to start another blog, aimed primarily (if not solely) on my kennel and dog happenings. I still have a few more ideas for THIS page, but I'm itching to start writing about the home bodies. Once it's up and pretty (don't expect too much! It'll probably look just like this...), I'll link to it. If you think Alaska sounded crazy, just wait until you see what happens when you mush in the Mitten. There was this one time with some crazy French Canadians....but we'll save that for later.