Iditarod Veteran Karen Ramstead visiting Southern California

As previously announced, Karen Ramstead, 9-time Iditarod veteran (and quite the engaging speaker) will be flying down to Southern California from her North Wapiti Siberian Husky Kennels in Alberta, Canada.

Our Urban Mushing Group will be hosting 2 different events in order to help Karen raise funds for her kennel:

July 10 (Saturday) will be at an auditorium at the Costa Mesa Community Center (Map) from 1 PM - 4 PM. Karen will give a live audio and visual slideshow presentation covering her experiences in training and racing in the Iditarod with her "Pretty Sled Dogs". Cost is $30 per attendee - drinks and snacks will be provided for. No dogs allowed.

July 11 (Sunday) will be a barbecue potluck picnic and Q&A workshop at Laguna Niguel Regional Park (Map) from 11 AM - 4 PM (or whenever). Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided but please bring a potluck item (email Cindy Stepp via btrflygrl68 at msn.com) Donation amount is $20 per person, and $5 for children 12-and-under. Aside from enjoying the food, picnic, and mingling with Karen Ramstead as well as your fellow mushers, this event will also serve as a
Question & Answer workshop (note: this is NOT a hands-on mushing clinic so dogs are optional). It's a wonderful opportunity to pick Karen's brain and learn a little bit more about her training techniques and view points. IT WOULD HELP A LOT if you could write down your questions on the back of the registration form so that Karen can answer them as best as she can.

T-shirts will also be sold at the event (you can order them ahead of time - see registration form) as well as cookbooks, posters, etc., that Karen will be bringing.

If you will be attending any or both of the events, please mail in your registration form by July 3, 2010. Locations and other details are in the registration form which can be downloaded here
The registration form will likewise be available soon for download via www.urbanmushing.com.

Hope to see a lot of you out there, specially those who want to learn more about the Iditarod. If you can't live it, at least hear about it....from Karen Ramstead!

Dryland mushing season is around the corner

Yes, it's only the beginning of summer, but all of you know how quickly the next season is going to be here. You'll be excited and ready to run the dogs, but you don't have your cart, yet...

Now is the time to plan ahead and place your order to make sure, you're ready for fall.
Our early spring orders almost carried over into summer, but we have the next available carts ready to be shipped by mid-July.

Also, please check with us about our travel schedule, so we could possibly drop-off a cart or two along the way and save your shipping expenses.

We're going to be in La Pine, OR in mid November (see below) and might make a trip to south-western Montana in December.

8-dog team at Fairview Park, Costa Mesa CA

Here is an e-mail we received from one of our customers, which we truly appreciate:

>>Excellent news~! :) Just as you said, the cart arrived today. To say that I am impressed is a massive understatement. Henning, this cart is a piece of art! It is just stunning and I am beyond thrilled with it. The quality is obvious in every weld and bolt. I simply can't wait to get out this fall and try it out with the dogs. I'll be sure to update you once I do! Thank you so much for being so above-board with this whole transaction, even when things got a little tricky with the shipping. It was well-worth the wait and I feel that I was sold a solid piece of equipment that will be relied upon season after season. I will be recommending you to other mushers I know! Thank you so much, Henning!<<


...and here are some of our recent creations:

Dark blue metallic cart, silver wheels, wide tires & high clearance

All black cart with cargo basket and sled bag
(bags custom made for Arctis by Alpine Outfitters)

Lost Siberian Husky - San Diego County CA

Our friend Jeff in Fallbrook (north San Diego County) posted this message earlier today:

LOST DOG - FALLBROOK AREA

At approximately 9:00AM, June 17th our newest dog, Jessie, jumped a 5' fence and bolted. We live in Fallbrook. She has a yellow collar with her name and telephone number on it. She also has a blue/green collar with another telephone number on it. She is 4 years old, white in color with grey/black splotches of color, one blue eye, one green/blue eye. She is very skittish and shy. She had an orange leash attached to her collar, but may have chewed it off if she got caught on something. She is an experienced sleddog and can really run.

Please be on the lookout for her. My contact information is:

Jessie has been found!

Just announced: La Pine Mushing Weekend, Nov 12-14

For details about the 2011 La Pine Mushing weekend please click here.

Spring is here……. Time to mow the lawn, train on dirt, wash the truck….. and plan for next Fall’s mushing events!

Once again, Karen Yeargain is organizing a “fun-for-all” mushing weekend at La Pine State Park, in La Pine, Oregon. She had a couple of inquiries as to having the weekend earlier, which she strongly considered. There was, however, a PSDSA (Pacific States Sled Dog & Skijor Association) event that conflicted with her doing so this year, so she's sticking to Veteran’s Day weekend this year.

This year’s event will be the second weekend of November, which falls on the 12^th (Friday), 13^th & 14th. Some of us will arrive the afternoon of Thursday the 11^th, to get settled in. We will be hoping for damp trails and cool temps, but no snow. This event is a dirt run, so plan on carts, quads, bikes and scooters. Runs will be arranged to provide a variety of training opportunities, including passing (from behind and head on), team weaving, directional command training, hills, etc. There is quite a variety of nice dirt trails to choose from. The event is open to anyone regardless of mushing style and experience (or lack thereof); bikejoring and scootering teams are welcome. Trails are suitable for all functions unless we get a surprise dump of snow that makes them dangerous for bikes or scooters.

Organized runs will be on Saturday and Sunday mornings; meet for breakfast at the conference lodge at 6:30 am or at the meadow about 7:15. The meadow (staging area) is about 1/8 mile before you get to the South Loop of the Park, on your right. One of our Cascade Sled Dog Club attendees has volunteered to print up trail maps so folks can better keep track of where they are!

The event has the use of the meeting hall on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (until 1 pm on Monday). It has a refrigerator/freezer, microwave, sink with hot/cold running water, tables and a heater. We will have a potluck meal on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at about 1 pm; other meals will be informal potluck at the participants’ discretion…. We never lack for enough good food!

Karen will be planning a couple of presentations on Saturday and possibly on Sunday. Topics still to be determined. These will be right after the potluck, so bring a dish, join the meal and talk dogs!

Campsites at La Pine State Park are suitable for tents or R.V.’s; all have electrical hookups and water. Bathrooms with shower facilities (included in camping fee) are in our immediate area; bring your own towels and toiletries.

There are five “rustic” cabins (two double futons, a table, electricity and heat) and five “deluxe” cabins (two double futons in separate rooms, toilet/shower, heat, running water, microwave, fridge, barbecue). Rustic cabin #1 and Deluxe cabin #44 have been designated “pet friendly” this year as a pilot, meaning that up to 2 dogs are allowed in these two cabins; whether that continues and/or expands depends on how well guests manage their inside dogs. There are no dogs allowed in the other cabins, same as in the past. THIS RULE WILL BE STRONGLY ENFORCED THIS YEAR, AS WE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS FROM THE PARK ABOUT DOG HAIR IN NON-DOG CABINS; THIS IS IMPORTANT DUE TO FUTURE CAMPERS WHO MIGHT HAVE ALLERGIES.

Each person needs to make their own site arrangements. To make reservations for a campsite or cabin, go online to www.ReserveAmerica.com or call Reservations Northwest at (800) 452-5687, specify La Pine State Park, South Loop. Also, state that you are with the SLED DOG GROUP/MUSHING WEEKEND so that they can note that on your reservations. That way the reservations folks can advise non-mushing campers as they make reservations and give them the option to be close to the activities or further away, as they prefer.

Please let her know if you are planning to attend so that she may organize the event well and be able to provide updates as we get closer to November.

Questions, please e-mail Karen through her site

Please cross-post and pass along to anyone who would be interested.

Karen Yeargain

Tumnatki Siberians