Arctis Carts

Ready for dryland season?

2012-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, for many mushers in the lower 48, the entire season seems to consist of dryland training and racing this year. With the exception of Alaska, there's just not that much snow around and many races have been canceled due to lack of the white stuff.

We've certainly noticed, that there's an increased demand in dryland equipment and it's been busy since the season began last fall.

Delivery estimates for current orders are early to mid March at this point, and we always have a few interested mushers "hovering", waiting to place their order.

In order to maybe give an incentive to one or another musher on the west coast, we're thinking about attending NWSDA's spring fling on April 28th & 29th in Cle Elum WA. As always, we can bring a cart or two along the way and drop it off at your door step (if you live somewhat close to or route) or deliver at the race site for free.

Keep in mind, that time and space will quickly run out, so you may want to take a minute and think about a new cart for the upcoming season.

For cart features and pricing, please click here.

If you have any questions regarding our carts and free delivery or are ready to place your order, contact us at info@arctis-carts.com

1 y.o. Siberian Husky available, Southern California

2012-01-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

This handsome boy is "Buddy", a one-year-old, neutered, black & white Siberian Husky. Buddy is a very, very good natured and gentle boy, but just like all Huskies, needs a lot of exercise to keep him happy. He's a strong and energetic dog and requires long walks, hikes and runs. He ran for the first time in harness last weekend and took right to it.

His new forever home should be with experienced Husky owners where he won't be home alone for long periods of time.

For more information, please contact Gina at Animal Crackers Pet Rescue in Laguna Beach CA at acpetrescue@gmail.com

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

Wishing all our friends, customers and fellow mushers a happy,

healthy and prosperous new year and happy trails!

Wild & Free!

2011-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Finally a moment to update the blog after a long drought.
Yes, we're still here and have been spending pretty much all of our time on the trails and in the shop, so updates on our website, blog and facebook have been few and far between.

Someone else has also been very, very busy recently: our good friend Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing in Fairbanks, AK.
Brent is a 5-time Yukon Quest Veteran and in addition to signing up for his 6th time at the YQ, he also decided to run his first Iditarod this season, going for "the double"!

We met Brent in September of 2010 when he was visiting family in our area. By accident, he was at our mushing group's staging area when we returned from a weekend morning fun run. When he saw our carts he immediately said "I want one!".
Sure enough, after he finished his amazing 2010/11 season, he called and placed his order for one of our carts, the famed Bumble Bee.
Initially, the cart was supposed to be used for puppy training at his kennel, but Brent scrapped the idea as soon as he received the cart, and hooked up the first 6-dog team of his mainstring to the cart...the first of 4 teams to go out the first day. The next day he added two more dogs to the team and after about 2 weeks, he trained up to 10 of his race veterans on the cart every day.

During his fall training, he constantly kept us updated about how the cart performed and what updates/upgrades would have to be done to run a team of his caliber with the cart. Once his season comes to an end in April, we should have the "Brentified Arctis Cart" ready for him to test. That will be our first all new cart design since we started on the 3-wheel cart.

Since Brent has been such a great advocate of our carts, we decided to start sponsoring Team Wild & Free for the current season. In addition to being a general team supporter, we also sponsor "our boys" Scroggie & Braeburn and looking forward to seeing those boys cross the finish line in Whitehorse and Nome (albeit not in person, unfortunately).

Brent's enthusiasm for the dogs, the sport and life in general is absolutely amazing a definitely infectious. He is held in high regards by his peers and a great ambassador to the sport of dog sledding.

Feel free to check out his website Wild & Free Mushing, see the dogs and read up on any news regarding the races this season. There's also a link to Wild & Free gear and, last, not least, opportunities for sponsorships!

If you check out his facebook page, you'll see plenty of picture and video updates of the team's training regimen as well as the trials and tribulations of training sled dogs in Alaska.

Be wild and free!

As always, if you're looking for a cart for this season, please contact us for current wait times and delivery schedule. Our e-mail is info@arctis-carts.com and phone # is (949) 280-7019

Busy, busy times!

2011-11-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since we posted an update, but it appears that the season has arrived.

After we returned from our trip to the New Hampshire trade fair, orders started to come in from quite literally all over the continent and we're busy at work getting those carts built and shipped.

We're currently booked through the end of the year, and with our own busy schedule during the early months of the new year, you might want to check-in to see what the schedule looks like, if you're thinking about a new cart for the new year. We'll be in spring training in no time.

As always, we may go on a few road trips in 2012 and would be able to bring a cart along if you're in the general area of our route. Feel free to contact us to see where we might go to attend any races.

Thank you to all our customers for your continued support and trust in our products!

The Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair

2011-10-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our starting point, Laguna Beach CA

We're back from our phenomenal trip to New Hampshire to attend the annual sled dog trade fair.
Wow, what an adventure! On September 26th, we loaded the van with three carts, three dogs and all our gear and supplies for a few weeks on the road and headed east.

Rest stop in the New Mexico desert

After 4 days and 3150 miles, we arrived at the Hopkinton fairgrounds and set up camp.
Some of the organizers, vendors and visitors had already arrived ahead of us and picked out their spots on the fairgrounds as well as inside the vendor building.

Our campsite

After the carts were unloaded and assembled, and the camp set up, it was time to socialize with the locals. It was wonderful to meet so many folks that we've know through online contact only.

Our display at the trade fair.

On Saturday, the trade fair officially started and a wide variety of vendors showed their products and services. From carts to sleds, harnesses to t-shirts, and so much more, anything related to running dogs was available to see, try and purchase.

Gregg Vitello of Northern Exposure Outfitters

Mountain Ridge display

Ken of Peacepups Dogsledding

All day long, various mushers were giving presentations, including Yukon Quest veteran Mike Ellis, Can-Am Crown 250 winner Rene Marchildon and New Hampshire musher Jaye Foucher.

Mike Ellis checking out one of our carts.

Saturday night, everyone got together for a potluck bbq and interesting games like the "harnessing & bootying contest", "dog & human egg race" & the "toilet paper caper".

On Sunday, the rig race was on at 8.30.
Races were held in a wide variety of classes from canicross to 6-dog rig and anything in between, and anyone from beginner to seasoned pro participated.

After the races, Loranne of Snow Star Farm had organized a little show & tell for all dryland equipment manufacturers and distributors. Several scooters and carts were introduced and could be tried and tested by fair visitors.

On Sunday afternoon, the fair closed and it was time to pack up and say good-bye to all our new friends.
Now we were ready for part 2 of the trip: a visit to our friends up north to drop off the last of the three carts we brought along, and then slowly make our way back to southern California, visiting friends and taking in the sights of Canada and the United States along the way.

Our first snow encounter of the season.

After 14 days and a total of more than 6900 miles, we arrived back in Orange County and went right back to work to make sure our orders are being filled in time for the new season.

Almost back home in California

Thanks to Amy & John at Mountain Ridge for organizing the fair and to everyone else who helped to make this a great event.
Also thanks to everyone who came out to see us and to our customers we met at the fair and in Canada!

As a famous cyborg once said: "I'll be back!"

Please check out the following sites, too:
Mountain Ridge Equipment
Northern Exposure Outfitters
Maine Made Dog Sleds
Arctic Star Dog Sleds
Snow Star Farm

Team Tsuga Siberians
Team Chocpaw
Sibersong Sleddogs

Peacepups Dogsledding
Boston Snow Dogs

News Flash

2011-10-03T14:51:00.001-07:00

We are still on the road, returning from the New England Sled Dog Trade Fair, currently cruising the Ontario countryside.
Thanks to all that showed up and those that made it happen. It was wonderful to meet all of you.
We'll write more as soon as we get back to California.

Ready for the New England trade fair!

2011-09-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

We just put the finishing touches on the three carts we're taking with us to the Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair & Seminar next weekend (October 1st & 2nd).
The "anti-freeze" green and fire engine red carts are sold already, but the blue metallic one is still available at this point. We'll have all three at the fair for everyone to check out. In case you're intrested in a new cart for the upcoming season, please e-mail us at info@arctis-carts.com or call us at (949) 280-7019
If you're not going to be at the trade fair, maybe you live along our route (map) and we can drop one off on our way back to California.

Now all we have to do is getting the van and our gear organized, and off we go across the country.
Looking forward to meeting many of you out there!

Dryland Mushing Events, Fall 2011

2011-09-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Newly updated list for dryland mushing events around North America:

- September 16th - 18th, Presentation & Clinic with Karen Ramstead, Calgary AB
- September 17th & 18th, SNDD dirt fun run, Hobart Mills CA

- October 1st & 2nd, New England Sled Dog Trade Fair, Contoocook NH
- October 1st & 2nd - SNDD Mushing Clinic, Truckee CA
- October 1st & 2nd, NWSDA Fall Warm-Up, Cle Elum WA
- October 8th, "So Mush Fun" NorSled Fun Run & Fundraiser, Vacaville CA
- October 8th & 9th, Camp K Dryland Challenge, Cle Elum WA
- October 22nd & 23rd, Pacific Northwest Dryland Championships, Cle Elum WA

- November 5th & 6th, Spokane Dirt Rondy, Spokane, WA
- November 11th - 13th, La Pine Mushing Weekend, La Pine OR
- November 12th & 13th, Canadian Championship Dog Race, Bristol ON
- November 20th & 21st, Dryland Sled Dog Challenge, Kirtland OH

- December 11th & 12th, Between the lakes sled dog dash, Grand Rivers, KY

- September - December, Mid Union Sled Haulers Fall Training Sessions, MI

Based on our current production/shipping schedule, the next available cart could be ready for shipment or delivery in the third week of November. If you are still in the market for a new cart for the upcoming season, please contact us asap.

Also, we're traveling to various events around the country and can always drop off a cart along the way. Check with us for our travel schedule to arrange delivery.

New Product! Scooter Rack / Carrier Now Available

2011-08-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here's another new product fresh out of the shop.
Finally an easy and secure way to transport your dog scooter / mountain scooter.

Fork attaches to the rack by quick release and rear wheel is securely strapped down.
Fits any 2" or 1¼" hitch receiver. Powder coated black.

Single scooter rack $145.-

Double scooter rack $195.-

Please contact us for shipping rates.

California Mushing Clinic & Fun Run

2011-08-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers' annual mushing clinic is coming up on the weekend of October 1st & 2nd in Truckee, CA.
They also organize a dirt fun run on September 17th & 18th in Hobart Mills, CA, just north of Truckee.

For more information about these events, please see SNDD's website here.

Mushing Events in Alberta & Ontario Coming Up

2011-08-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Two great mushing events are scheduled to our north.

From September 16th - 18th, Urban Mushers in Alberta are presenting a weekend with Iditarod Veteran Karen Ramstead.
Friday will be Karen's "Tails of the Trail" presentation.
Saturday a hands-on workshop for experienced mushers and Sunday a hands-on workshop for novice mushers.

For more information, please see the Urban Mushers website and Karen's blog.

On November 12th & 13th, the Bristol Dryland Championships are scheduled in Bristol, Ontario.
Races will be held in 5 different classes and 2 distances.

For more information, please see Bristol Dryland website.

If you are still in the market for a new dryland cart for the upcoming season, keep in mind, that we may be able to deliver to locations on the West Coast, as well as New England.

For West Coast deliveries, please see our post here and for New England (and cross country) deliveries, please see this post.

Time is running out and space is filling up quickly, so please contact us asap for details, if you would like to have a cart delivered to your doorstep.

2011 Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair & Seminar

2011-08-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Update 8/23: one final spot for a cart available. If you are in the market for a new dryland cart this season and would like us to deliver along our route or at the trade fair, please contact us asap.

More road trip news!
We are attending the New England Sled Dog Trade Fair in New Hampshire October 1st & 2nd.

We wanted to take on the cross country trip for a couple years now, and this will finally be the year.
As always, we're more than happy to bring a bunch of carts with us and deliver either at the Fair, or at your doorstep, if you live somewhat close to our route.
While we cannot offer free delivery for this trip, we can certainly offer reduced rates, plus you get an introduction from the manufacturer himself!
This would also be a great opportunity for our friends in Canada's eastern provinces to make the trip to NH to meet-up, take a cart home and save a bunch on freight charges.

Our planned route will be along I-40/70/90 from southern CA to NH:

Even if you live a little farther from our proposed route, feel free to contact us and we'll see if we can make arrangements for delivery.

So, if a new cart is in your future, here's your chance to save on shipping. Please contact us asap, so we can get the manufacturing process going to have the carts ready in time for our trip.

Our e-mail is info@arctis-carts.com and phone (949) 280-7019

Urban Mushing

2011-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Even though we're in the middle of summer in southern California, we still find ways to get out with our dogs, and take them on runs in the area. Coastal CA temperatures stay in the moderate range for most of the summer, since we have the marine layer off the Pacific Ocean keeping things cool.

So we meet up early in the morning or late in the evening at various places around Orange County and hook up a few sled dog teams.
Remember to keep your dogs hydrated, do not run in the heat and watch closely for signs of heat exhaustion.

We frequently run two or three cart teams and several scooter teams as well.
Cart teams run 6 or 8 dogs on an Arctis Cart and scooter teams anywhere from 1 to 3 dogs on a Diggler scooter.

Most of our trails are dirt trails through local parks, along creeks and around lakes. Occasionally, we have to make use of bike paths and sidewalks, too.

If you are in the southern California area and would like to join or just check out what we do, feel free to take a look at our Urban Mushing website for more information.

Equipment sources:
Arctis Carts
Diggler Scooters
Alpine Outfitters for harnesses, lines etc

...and more Siberian Huskies available in southern CA

2011-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

2 year old litter mates Cinnamon and Bandit are in need of a good home. Please call Ole or Gayle at (949) 246-1333 (not affiliated with Arctis)

and this 3 year old red/white male Siberian also needs a home that knows how to handle a very energetic dog. Please contact Jamie at pinkjello@charter.net for more information (also not affiliated with Arctis).

La Pine Mushing Weekend 2011

2011-07-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the second announcement for this Fall's "La Pine Mushing Weekend". The cabins are full but there are plenty of campsites to be had; this time of year they don't take reservations on the campsites, it's just first come, first served. There are plenty of sites in "South Loop", so no worries about not having a spot!

Summer is here and it's time to announce our yearly "fun-for-all" mushing weekend at La Pine State Park, in La Pine, Oregon.

This year's event is scheduled for the second weekend of November, which falls on the 11th (Friday), 12th & 13th. Some folks (not sure about me yet) will arrive the afternoon of Thursday the 10th, 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 7:30. (This is subject to change if the weather looks to be on the warm side.) The staging area may have changed due to construction in the park. I'll confirm the start point when I know for sure.

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! Since the cost per day went up to $75, I will be asking for donations to help defray the $300 cost of the meeting hall.

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. Campsites are first-come-first-served; there are plenty of spots and the State Park will open the adjacent Loop if needed.

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). There are no dogs allowed in the cabins. THIS IS IMPORTANT DUE TO FUTURE CAMPERS WHO MIGHT HAVE ALLERGIES.

Nearby motels are the Timbercrest Inn (541-536-17370) and the Newberry Station/Best Western (541-536-5130). There are a couple of other smaller motels, but the parking lots are tiny and border the Hwy.

Remember that there may be non-dog campers at the Park, so manage your teams to have them reasonably quiet.

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

For Questions, please post to the list or e-mail me directly at tumnatki@earthlink.net

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

Karen Yeargain
541-410-8475
Tumnatki Siberians
Diggler Dog Scooters
TAIGA harnesses/collars
K-Collars
National Dog Food
Prineville, OR
www.tumnatkisiberians.com

California Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic & Fundraiser

2011-07-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

New date and location announced!

Even though rattlesnakes are a year round occurrence here in southern California, summer is definitely the most active season for our slithery neighbors. As dog owners we need to make sure that our furry friends won't get into trouble by going after rattlers or inadvertently stepping on them or putting their curious noses into gopher holes etc.

On Sunday, August 28th, rattlesnake avoidance training is being offered in San Juan Capistrano CA.
Proceeds of this day's training will go to two local animal recues, Animal Crackers in Laguna Beach and Doberman Pinscher SOS in Tehachapi.

For more information, please see SnakeWiseK9.com

Two Huskies missing in Fresno CA

2011-07-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Two Huskies missing in Fresno, CA. Stormy, gray/white female, and Carmen, black/white female. Please contact Anastasia Siberians at 559-275-1437 or asiberians@earthlink.net with any information.

Siberian Husky Available, southern California

2011-07-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Courtesy listing for Animal Crackers Pet Rescue in Laguna Beach

"Oceanz" is a purebred Siberian Husky, red / white , blue eyes. 5 years old, has all his shots, healthy, neutered and micro-chipped.

Leash, crate & potty trained, loves to run, great companion for those who have an active lifestyle. Friendly towards people though he is rambunctious and doesn't always realize his strength towards children. Fine with other dogs once properly introduced.

Questions? Please contact Anton at (626) 215-8840 (not affiliated with Arctis)

More Dryland Mushing events scheduled

2011-07-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

In addition to the West Coast events shown below, Mid Union Sled Haulers announced the following dates:

November 5th & 6th, Ft Custer Rig Training, Battle Creek, MI
November 19th & 20th, Camp Rotary Rig Training, Clare, MI
December 3rd & 4th, Cummings Center, Mt Morris, MI

For more information, please contact M.U.S.H. through their website: MidUnionSledHaulers.com

And one event in Kentucky:
December 10th & 11th, Between The Lakes Dog Dash, Grand Rivers, KY.
For more information abut this event, please see "Mush the Dust"

There's still time to get a brand new cart for the upcoming season.
For Arctis features and pricing, please click here.

Iditarod Veteran Karen Ramstead Mushing Clinic & Presentation

2011-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

9-time Iditarod veteran Karen Ramstead will do a presentation about her mushing experiences and adventures on Friday, September 16th at 'Sit Happens' in Calgary, Alberta.
On September 17th & 18th she will hold a mushing clinic at the Rosebud Race Site in Didsbury Alberta, just outside Calgary.
For more information about these events, please see the event facebook page or the local events page and keep checking back at this blog for any updates.
For more information about Karen and her team of purebred Siberian Huskies, please see her website northwapiti.com and North Wapiti blog.

...and just a reminder: we are planning to make the trip up north to attend presentation and clinic and will be happy to deliver a new Arctis Cart right to your doorstep, if you live in the vicinity of our route (click here for map). For details, please feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone (949) 280-7019

Missing Siberian Husky - Ohio & Georgia

2011-07-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Please help find NEKO by sharing and retweeting this!
LOST SIBERIAN HUSKY-19 mos old black & white w/ blue eyes, neutered, missing since April 16/2011 from Calhoun, GA. When lost he was wearing a purple collar, ID tag with the name Kita Lumpkin. If you see NEKO or have found him, please call 706-263-7080 or 678-986-7282 any time of day or night.

OHIO-Everyone please be on the lookout for our Husky, Cronos. He has on a black collar and a choker chain. He has been missing since July 3 around 6 a.m. Went missing from Elyria Ave., Lorain near Clearview HS and no one has called about him yet. He is very friendly, does jump on people when excited or nervous. He is about 70 lbs. Please share this if you can! Any sightings or info please call Steve/Gloria at 440-233-4575, 440-506-8065, 440-610-7168 or Pamela at 440-752-1697. THANK YOU!

Road Trip!

2011-06-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

It looks like plans for our first major road trip of the season are starting to fall into place.
Time frame will most likely be mid-September. As always, we're happy to carry a cart or two with us for in-person delivery, so if you live in the general area of the map shown below, please contact us to check for details.

If you live in CA, OR, WA, NV, UT, ID and MT, as well as BC & AB, we might be able to swing by, say hello, and drop of a brand new Arctis at your door.
The routes run roughly from Los Angeles along the I-5 and I-15 corridors to the Canadian border and extend north to Canada Highway 16, between Prince George, BC and Edmonton, AB.

Ready for dryland mushing season?

2011-06-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Dryland season? Now? It's only June and we're just about to head into summer, right? Right!
But: fall is only three months away and the first dryland events on the west coast have been posted:

- Oct 1st & 2nd: SNDD 14th annual mushing clinic, Truckee, CA.
- Oct. 8th & 9th: NWSDA Dryland Challenge at Camp K, Cle Elum, WA
- Oct. 22nd & 23rd: Pacific Northwest Dryland Championships, Camp K, Cle Elum, WA
- Nov. 11th - 13th: La Pine Mushing Weekend, La Pine State Park, OR
...and many more to come!

Are you ready for the new season? All your equipment in good working condition? How about that new cart? After our "Bumble Bee" made it up to Fairbanks, AK, we received quite a bit of publicity and interest in our carts, thanks to Brent and his Wild & Free Mushing team. Slowly, but surely orders are coming in, and since all our carts are handmade to order, production slots are filling up. As of today (June 20th), our next available cart would be ready in the 2nd week of July, so it won't take much and we'll be in August, and boom, fall his here. Mix in work on one or two brand new products and our own road trips to various events, and time will run out before you know it. So now would be a great time to contact us in order to receive your cart just in time for the new season.

On a different note: are you interested in being a handler for a racing dog kennel?
Our friends Wild & Free Mushing in Fairbanks, AK and Kipp D'Amundsen Kennels in Strömsund, Sweden are looking for kennel help for the upcoming season.

Arctis Cart in the Arctic...well almost.

2011-06-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our "Bumble Bee" made it to Fairbanks, Alaska, almost all the way to the Arctic Circle...just about 2 degrees short.
Our friend Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing picked it up at the Fairbanks freight terminal the other day, unpacked it and put it right to work. He's currently running 8 of his Yukon Quest proven dogs at a time on midnight runs on local trails. Here are some of his first impressions:

If you are a facebook member, check out Brent's videos on his profile page, too.

Wild & Free's "Silver" lined out and ready to lead his team.

He recently made an announcement regarding his BIG plans for the upcoming season on his website and also mentioned his new training tool (aka Arctis Cart).
Thanks again Brent! All the best and good luck in the upcoming season and beyond!

Missing Iditarod Musher Melanie Gould Found!

2011-06-05T10:55:00.001-07:00

Update 6/11: GOOD NEWS: Melanie has been found and she is alive and safe.
Alaska Dispatch Story Here
Update 6/13

Arctis Carts Dryland Mushing Rig

2011-05-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an overview of the standard features, options and pricing for Arctis' three-wheel cart as of June 1st 2011:

Standard features:
- 6' length, 3½' width
- heavy-duty steel tube frame, powdercoated in the color of your choice (300+ colors available, including metallic)
- four wheel colors available (black, silver, red & blue)
- easy to fold down to 20" height for transport and storage. All joints in the folding mechanism have solid reinforcements to prevent wear and tear
- "no-fork" front steering for lower profile. No fork also means no worn-out bearings, no rattling or loose steering after hitting a number of bumps, ruts, rocks and tree stumps
- solid 5/8" axles, which won't bend or break
- heavy duty hydraulic disc brakes on rear wheels, incl. guards to protect them from being hit by trees, poles etc
- 4-prong "digger" earth brake with replaceable stainless steel tips to keep the cart (and team!) in place if you need to step off and attend to your dogs.
- Bridgestone 80/100-12 (3.00-12) off road tires on rear wheels for maximum traction, especially when hitting those brakes
- 30" x 20" cargo area to carry supplies, gear, injured dogs or a passenger. Comes with standard canvas cover on cargo platform. Optional sled bag, utility crate or jumpseat are available (see below).
- standard front fender to keep the mud out of your face :-) Optional rear fenders are available (see below)
- weight is approximately 85lbs (without crate or jumpseat)
- optional lower clearance frame and smoother tires are available at no cost, for those running mostly on smooth, well maintained trails
...and it's still handcrafted right here in the U.S.A.

Pricing and shipping:
The cart is still $1995, even with rising cost all around, we're still keeping it at the original price.
Worldwide shipping is available at actual cost, no handling charges, no crating charges.
We have an excellent freight forwarder (Mapcargo International), who is working out great shipping rates for our customers. You are also more than welcome to arrange your own shipping.
The crate is approximately 6' x 4' x 2' and weighs about 200lbs (cart & crate).
We frequently go on road trips and will be glad to drop a cart or two off along the way.

Optional equipment:
- rear fenders $49.-
- sled bag $75.-
- heavy duty utility crate $195.-
- jumpseat $195.-
(please note, that utility crate and jumpseat have integrated footboards and will also include additional reinforcements plus a wider front tire; crate and seat are easily removable)
- "easy load" rack $195.-

Related products:
- "Grand Teton" outriggers $295.-
- Dog Scooter Rack from $145.-

Other products
- Sled Brake $60.-
- Replacement Tips for sled brake $20.-
- Snowhook Holder $20.-

Our latest version of the three-wheel cart with all features we added one-by-one over the past few years plus a couple of new add-ons.

We now have a heavy duty utility crate with integrated seat and footboards, as well as a jumpseat with integrated footboards available.

The "Bumble Bee" (named for obvious reasons) is going to make the long trip up north next week and will be seen on the trails of Alaska. Our friend and Yukon Quest veteran Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing saw our carts during his California trip last summer and thought they just might come in handy as an additional training tool at his kennel. So as soon as his '10/'11 race season was finished, he came through and ordered his Arctis cart.
Thanks, Brent! We definitely appreciate it!
Hopefully, it'll help training the next set of Yukon Quest winners!

Here is a picture of Brent taking 8 of his Yukon Quest proven dogs out on a training run:

Over the past 2½ years mushers all across North America have tried, tested and come to appreciate the Arctis cart. All our customers' feedback went right back into the next model off the production floor. The cart is being used by recreational mushers with as little as two Siberians up to long distance veterans like Brent Sass. Last year, we had the privilege to visit Karen Ramstead's North Wapiti kennel and let Karen take the cart out with some of her Iditarod finishing Siberians.

The carts have been used on any kind of terrain, from the smooth trails of suburban Orange County to the northern Alberta bush and anything in between.

Earlier this month, Joe Loveless (WA) ran eight of his Alaskan Huskies on an Arctis cart at NWSDA's Spring Fling race.

We've spent countless hours trying to make the Arctis cart an excellent tool for training and racing your working dogs. Plus we're spending many more hours crafting each and everyone of our carts, doing our best to ensure that you will get many, many years of enjoyment out of our product when running, training and exercising your dogs.

Also, many, many thanks to our friends at Alpine Outfitters who have been very helpful in introducing our product to the mushing community and are also manufacturing the sled bag, jumpseat cover, canvas cover, digger brake bungee as well as all our lines, harnesses, belts etc etc.

Any questions? Please let us know. Our e-mail address is info@arctis-carts.com

Last, not least, thanks to all our customers over the past 2½ years for trusting our equipment!

We'll see you on the trails!

Spoiled dogs!

2011-05-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...May, when our girls Gidget and Gaia have their birthdays celebrated by us humans. Gidget turned 9 and Gaia 6 (approximately, since both are rescues) and like every year, they had their cake and ate it, too!

Actually, they shared with 17 of their best friends at Fairview Park after our weekend fun run.
The birthday cake came from our friends at Three Dog Bakery in San Clemente and is made for canine consumption. No worries fellow dog lovers, we don't feed cake made for humans to our dogs.

...and speaking of rescues, check out Husky Camp's website for currently available rescue Huskies!

Alpine Outfitters Quality Working Dog Gear

2011-05-10T07:47:00.001-07:00

www.AlpineOutfitters.net

Our friends at Alpine Outfitters just launched their new website. If you have any type of working dog or just an active dog, check out their equipment. Harnesses, lines and everything else you might need to work with your canine companion.

We've been working with Alpine Outfitters ever since we started building carts and they have been very, very helpful in getting our product launched. Alpine Outfitters also manufactures the cart bags we use on our carts as well a couple of new add-ons for our "Project Bumble Bee".

We are also manufacturing a few items for Alpine Outfitters, like brakes and snow hook holders for sleds.

Urban Mushing Video

2011-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video clip of our run last weekend with a team of eight Siberian Huskies and an Arctis Cart at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA.
Want to join us? Check www.urbanmushing.com for more details.

Project "Bumble Bee"

2011-04-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, we've been updating and adding to our carts with almost every one we've made. A lot of customer feedback (thank you!) and our own trials have led to several improvements that have turned our three-wheel cart into an excellent training (and in some cases even racing) rig. While working on a current customer's order, we decided to make a couple more changes (add-ons, really) and because of specific order details, dubbed this one "Project Bumble Bee" a cart 2.0 version if you will. It'll include all updates, options and extras we have available and will be our standard three wheel cart from now on. Once revealed (in about 2-3 weeks) we'll also update our website to show everything that's available from Arctis at this point and introduce a different pricing structure as well.
If you would like to place an order in the meantime, you're obviously more than welcome and we'll keep you informed about any updates.

Click here for the Bumble Bee presentation.

Why "Bumble Bee" you ask? Well, you'll just have to keep your eye on this blog :-)

Last call for free delivery on the West Coast!

2011-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

After the "Spring Fling" dryland race in Cle Elum, WA was postponed (now scheduled for May 7th & 8th), we had another space available for free delivery of one of our carts along our route from southern CA to central WA.
If you are interested in saving about $250 in shipping costs, please contact us no later than Sunday 4/24 to make sure, it's finished in time for our trip.
It looks like this will be our last trip out that way until at least October, so don't miss out on this one.
Please call or e-mail with any questions (or your order!).
For more information on the "Spring Fling", please check out NWSDA's website.

Washington Dryland Race Postponed!

2011-04-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

NWSDA's "Spring Fling" race, scheduled for April 23rd & 24th, has been postponed until May 7th & 8th, due to conditions at "Camp K".
This date coincides with the final race for the Scooter Championships Northwest, also at Camp K.
So NWSDA will sponsor the 4, 6, 8 and 12-dog classes and K9ScootersNW will sponsor the scooter/bikejor classes.

The postponement of the races also means that we have one more opening for a cart and free delivery along our route (see below). So, here's one more chance to get that brand new Arctis Cart delivered straight to your doorstep or to the race site!

If you're interested, please contact us asap to get your order in before the production spot is taken.

Arctis Cart shown in Candy Apple Red Metallic with basket

and sled bag (by Alpine Outfitters), as well as optional rear fenders.

Sledding season coming to an end

2011-03-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Slowly, but surely, dog sledding season 10/11 is coming to an end.
Alaska's Iditarod ended with Alaska native John Baker crossing the finish line first in a new record time, ahead of Ramey Smith and Hans Gatt. Overall, 47 mushers completed this year's race.
For complete results, please click here.

In Europe, the annual Finnmarksløpet ended with an overwhelming victory by Norwegian mushers, who finished in 1st through 7th in the 1000km race. In the 500km race even more Norwegians placed in top positions.
For 500km and 1000km results, please click here.

The last distance race for the season will be the Kobuk 440 in Kotzebue, AK, starting on April 14.
Up-to-date information can be found here.

So, now it's back to the dirt trails for several dryland events up and down the coast, as well as across the country.
On the weekend of April 9/10 Pacific Sled Dog & Skijoring Assocation will host a fun run/ race weekend near Sisters, OR. For up-to-date information about this event, please check Tumnatki Siberians' website.

At the end of April (23rd & 24th), NWSDA is hosting their Spring Fling at Camp K in Cle Elum, WA.
Team Arctis will be there again to join the fun!

Dryland Mushing Spring Race, Washington

2011-03-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, yes, it's still winter and there's still plenty of snow on the ground in many areas, but spring will be here sooner than later, which means dryland mushing season!

We're going to attend NWSDA's spring races in Cle Elum, WA on April 23-24.
As always, we're offering free delivery of a new cart to anyone living in the vicinity of our route, which is along I-5 and/or US-97 between southern CA and central WA.

At this point, we have one spot left for a new cart order to be finished before that weekend. If you're interested, please contact us asap, so we can get going on your cart.

Iditarod, Serum Run & Iron Dog

2011-03-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Alaska is a busy place this time of year.
Last weekend, the 39th Iditarod started in Anchorage. 62 mushers are on the 1049 mile trail to Nome. Lance Mackey is trying to win his 5th Iditarod in a row. Is he going to succeed, or is this the year when Sebastian Schnülle is finally going to be the first to reach Nome? Are Hugh Neff and Hans Gatt able to make up for scratching in the Yukon Quest a few weeks ago?
Click here for current standings, provided by the Alaska Daily News.

At the same time, the bi-annual Norman Vaughn '25 Serum Run is still going on.
The run started on February 20th and at last check, the teams made it into Unalakleet.
Some of the faster Iditarod teams might just pass them on their way to Nome.
Wishing our friends Don Duncan, Margaret Black and Von Martin a great adventure, lots of fun and, of course, happy trails!

Last, not least, the 2000 mile Iron Dog snowmobile race just finished in Fairbanks. Apparently, participants of this race also crossed paths with the Serum Run teams.
Who knew, there was this much traffic in the Alaskan wilderness in winter???

New Product! Arctis "Grand Teton" Hitch

2011-03-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

We just tested another new product on our recent trip to the American Dog Derby in Idaho: a truck hitch for your picket lines, which was named the "Grand Teton" over lunch at "511 Main" in Ashton, ID. and yes, there is a (long) story behind the name.

So, what's different about our hitch, compared to others?
The outer tubes are powder coated and the telescoping tubes are made from aluminum, to prevent rust. Also, the hitch shown in the pictures below has shortened outer tubes, so they're nicely tucked away under the truck when not in use.
Those can be made longer, depending on your specific needs.

Front hitch can be custom made to fit your truck, rear hitch attaches to any standard hitch receiver or over bike rack etc.

Price is $295 plus shipping and does not include the picket lines.
If you need picket lines, contact our friends at Alpine Outfitters and they'll "hook you up"!

American Dog Derby

2011-02-28T08:00:00.001-08:00

We made it! A few members of our local southern CA mushing group made the trek north to take part in the American Dog Derby in Ashton, ID. We pooled dogs to put together two 6-dog teams for the 24-mile "Everett Heseman Race". Knowing from the get-go, that our "working pets" wouldn't stand a chance to compete for a top finish, the question became, which one of our teams would win the red-lantern award? Contributors to the teams were Alpine Outfitters, Three Dog Bakery San Clemente and Arctis.
After a long hard-fought race, the award went to Rancy Reyes and his team, who finished just 3 minutes behind Bruce Stegmaier's team.

For all of us, it was the experience which mattered most, since none of our dogs had ever participated in a snow race before. They all did great and finished in good shape and excellent spirits.

We had a great time up there, enjoying the festivities in Ashton and the friendly people of Idaho, and we're pretty sure, that well be back for another run!

Our local newspaper, the Orange County Register, wrote up a couple of nice articles on our experience before and after the race.

Yukon Quest @ halftime & Race to the Sky

2011-02-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

The first mushers competing in this year's Yukon Quest sled dog race have made it to Alaska and reached the halfway point of the race. Way in front of the pack is Hugh Neff and his team, who has carved out a 12 hour lead, ahead of Hans Gatt, Brent Sass (pick it up, Brent!) and Ken Anderson.

Hugh Neff is going to be hard to beat with a lead like this, but you never know.
Watch live updates on the Yukon Quest website.

In Montana, the 2011 Race to the Sky is underway. Keeping our fingers crossed for our friends Laura Daugereau (Night Runner Kennel) and Steve Madsen (Sirius Sled Dogs).

2011 Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race

2011-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race starts this Saturday, February 5th in Whitehorse, YK.
25 mushers will make the 1000 mile trip to Fairbanks, AK through the wilderness of the Yukon and Alaska. Among the starters is our friend and Yukon Quest veteran Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing with 14 of his dogs, and his handler Kyla Durham, a Quest rookie, runs Wild & Free's 2nd team. We met Brent in person last year when he visited southern California and met up with our mushing group. According to his blog posts, his team is in excellent shape and spirits, and he just might be the one to watch at the finish line this year.
We wish Brent, Kyla and all other participants good luck on their run!

Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race

2011-01-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Cascade Quest Sled Dog race is coming up this weekend, Jan 28th - 30th, at Lake Wenatchee, WA.
Unfortunately, we won't be able to make it up there, but many of our friends will be running in various distances. Hopefully, snow conditions and weather are going to be great and everyone will have a great time! Good luck to all participants!

Speaking of races, we will attend the American Dog Derby in Ashton, ID, Feb 18th - 19th.
As previously mentioned, we can bring a cart with us and deliver along the way to save on delivery charges for our customers, but if you are interested, you would have to contact us now to squeeze your order in, so we can finish it before we leave.

Oh what fun it is to ride...

2011-01-19T15:06:00.001-08:00

We just returned from our first sledding trip of the season to Mammoth, CA. Several members of our local mushing group went up with about 35 dogs for three days of fun in the snow.
Building various teams for various distances on different trails made for interesting runs throughout the weekend.

Highlight was by far the 7½ mile run with a 10-dog team on breathtaking trails, driven by yours truly, with the help of my passenger/handler Dylan and generous support of other members who trusted me with their dogs for the run.

Now, it's back to work. Carts need to be finished and delivered, plus we're closing in on our order deadline before we head to the races in Idaho in February.

Off To Snow Country!

2011-01-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, a belated happy, healthy and successful New Year to all our friends, customers and suppliers, and thank you, thank you, thank you for a great 2010!
Arctis has grown and we've made a lot of new friends throughout North America over the past year and are very grateful for that!
The holidays were tremendously busy, so we're just now getting around to finally posting the first message of the new year, just when we're about to take off for California's eastern Sierra Nevada for our first snow run of the season.

We've been working on a few new products, like our "Easy Load Rack" for the cart, as well as some sledding accessories, which will be available soon (we're testing this weekend!).

Hopefully, by spring we will have a second type of dryland mushing rig ready to go. More to come in the near future on this one.

Last, not least, space is filling up for our free delivery offer in February (see post below).
If you are interested in a new cart by February, please contact us asap, so we might squeeze one more in before our trip.

Another free delivery offer coming up!

2010-12-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

While pretty much everyone in North America is dealing with snow at the moment (hopefully in a good way), it's never too early to plan ahead for the upcoming dryland season.
What better way to start the new year, than with a new cart AND free delivery?
We are planning to be in Ashton, ID in mid-February and can bring a cart or two with us to deliver along the way.
Our route will take us from southern California along I-15 to eastern Idaho, just west of Yellowstone National Park.
If you live somewhere along that route and are interested in a new Arctis Cart, here's your chance to save the shipping fees. Please contact us asap if you would ike to place an order, since it roughly takes about 3 weeks to complete a cart and it probably won't take long for the production to be booked solid.

Missing Husky in Reno/Sun Valley NV

2010-12-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Update: Shiva returned home on 12/13/10 and is safe and sound!

14 months old Siberian Husky available, So. CA

2010-12-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Kona is a 14 months old Siberian Husky in need of a new home.
For more information, please contact Gina at Animal Crackers in Laguna Beach at (949) 499-1988

Beer delivery via Arctis Cart in Akron, OH.

2010-12-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Our friend Amanda, her friend Shannon and 6 of their dogs recently delivered the first keg of "Thirsty Dog" beer to the city of Akron's tree lighting ceremony.
Thanks for showing off one of the many uses for an Arctis Cart!

Ohio Dryland Race Coming Up

2010-11-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

Coming up this weekend, November 20 & 21, it's the Trailbrakers Farm Dryland Challenge in Kirtland, OH.
We know some of our mid-western friends will attend this event and hope, everyone will have fun out there!
For more information about the event, please see Sled Dog Central

We just returned from our annual trip to La Pine, OR, to attend the Veteran's Day mushing weekend. As always, we had a lot of fun and good times with friends. Temperatures in the low 30s made for some excellent runs, especially for our southern California Huskies, who experienced the first snow of the season.
A short video of the event can be seen here.

Another free delivery offer to Oregon

2010-10-26T11:12:00.001-07:00

We're going to attend the annual La Pine Mushing Weekend from Nov. 12th - 14th in La Pine , OR. and are more than willing to deliver a cart to a musher along the way, from southern CA to central OR.
Contact us for details or to place an order.

On our way, we're also going to stop by the Urban Go Dogs clinic on Sunday Now 7th in the California Bay Area and have a cart available for test runs.

New Product!
What started out as a special order for a customer, turned into our latest product: an easy-load rack for our carts, to fit any standard 2" hitch receiver:

Please contact us for pricing.

Upcoming West Coast Mushing Events

2010-10-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

The following races and clinics will take place in CA, OR & WA.
Click on the event for more details.

- Pacific Northwest Dryland Champioship, Cle Elum WA, Oct. 23 & 24
- Big Bear Mushing Clinic w/Karen Yeargain, Big Bear CA, Oct 23 & 24
- Dog Scootering Class, Prineville OR, Oct 30
- Spokane Dirt Rondy, Spokane WA, Now 6 & 7
- Dog Scootering Class, Prineville OR, Nov 6
- Urban Go Dogs Clinic, Bay Area CA, Nov 6
- Urban Mushing Intro, Bay Area CA, Nov 7
- La Pine Mushing Weekend, La Pine OR, Nov 12-14

NWSDA Dryland Challenge & PNC Championship

2010-10-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Washington to attend NWSDA's Dryland Challenge at "Camp K".
As always, we had a great time catching up with old friends, making new ones and participating in the races. "Team Arctis" only placed 6th in our class, but all other teams ahead of us were genuine racing teams, as opposed to our "working pet Siberians", so overall, we didn't do too bad.
Plus, we won the award for "Best Kept Small Team", yay!

We had a few carts on hand and several teams ran them in the 6-mid and 6-sprint classes.

Coming up October 23 & 24, it's the first race for the Pacific Northwest Championship (PNC). Just like last weekend, this race is a dryland event and will be held at Camp K in Cle Elum WA.
For race information, please click here.
While we won't be there this time, a couple of our carts are going to be on site and one of them (the red one shown in the pictures) will be available to test and for purchase.
Please contact us if you have any questions in regards to our carts.

Coming up November 12th -14th, the annual La Pine mushing weekend in La Pine, OR.
We're going to attend this fun event once again and will bring carts with us.
As always, while on the road, we'll be happy to deliver a cart free of charge along the way, so if you're interested and live anywhere between southern CA and central OR, please contact us, and we'll make arrangements.

Arctis Dryland Mushing Cart

2010-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

We currently have this fire engine red metallic cart available for immediate delivery; no waiting on this one. It comes with a wire basket or sled bag to carry gear and supplies, as well as a warranty.

Dryland season is here and if you're about to hit the trails, why not invest in a quality dryland rig for your team? For a detailed description of the cart and its features, please see our website arctis-carts.com

Worldwide shipping is available and we can always deliver the cart, if you're located along one of our upcoming road trips in the western US.
Questions, please contact us and we'll be glad to help.

The North Wapiti experience

2010-09-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a spectacular trip that took us from southern California all the way up to northern Alberta, Canada, to visit Karen Ramstead and her North Wapiti kennel of Siberian Huskies, aka the "Pretty Sled Dogs".
We spent several days with Karen's team, be it at the kennel or out on the trails and were also able to run the cart with her dogs, have Karen run it, and even put our little clown Silver on a team with 5 North Wapiti dogs. He initially seemed a bit intimidated, but after the run pranced around his girls like a hot shot, showing off.

The cart ride with 6 Siberians through the wooded, rutted and rooted trails was a pure blast, not only for us, but even Karen had a great time as she posted on facebook:

The red cart shown here is available and ready to go without waiting period:

If you're interested, please contact us with your location, and we'll provide a shipping quote.
Local pick-up and delivery as also available, of course, and if you are located in Oregon or Washington, please contact us for details about our upcoming road trips, so we can possibly deliver the cart in person.

On our way back, we took the scenic route through Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. What beautiful places to see and experience. We can't wait to get back on the road again, soon, but in the meantime, we need to get some carts done.

Big Sky Roadtrip

2010-09-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

Finally!
We're all done, almost packed and one good night's sleep away from our "Big Sky Roadtrip" to Karen Ramstead's North Wapiti Kennel in Alberta, Canada.
It's been a long, long week, with several carts finding their way to new homes here in southern CA and two more on their way to the wide open spaces of central Alberta.
Our trip north will take us along I-15 from southern CA to the Montana/Alberta border and then past Edmonton to Perryvale, AB.
One of the carts will be delivered along the way and the other will be tried and tested at Karen's ranch and may possibly find a new home in the area.
If things go as planned, the trip back will take a little longer to explore some of spectacular scenery along the way.
We'll post updates on our facebook page.
If you are interested in one of our carts, feel free to contact us. We'll do our best to keep in touch along the way.

Reflectra Candy Purple Twilight

2010-08-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Yes, that's what the color is called which our latest customer chose for her cart.
Our friends at Embee Performance outdid themselves with this one.
Outstanding job once again, turning a steel frame into a piece of art.

Our fall travel schedule is filling up.
We're going to make the long trek up north to visit the "Pretty Sled Dogs" of Karen Ramstead's North Wapiti Kennel in Alberta, Canada from September 10th - 12th.

In October, we're going to attend NWSDA's opening race of the season in Cle Elum, WA. This is going to be the weekend of October 9th - 10th.

And in November it's an annual tradition to attend Karen Yeargain's La Pine Mushing Weekend on Veteran's Day, November 12th - 14th.

As always, we can deliver a cart in person if you're located anywhere along the way, which in these cases is mostly I-15, I-5 and US-97.

Just make sure you place your order early enough for us to have it finished in time for the trip.

Any questions? Contact us for details.

8-dog Siberian Team with Arctis Cart

2010-08-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

A short video clip of one of our recent runs at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA.

For the past week, summer has had a grip on southern CA and we haven't been able to run the dogs, but hopefully, the marine layer will keep the coastal areas cool again soon and we'll be back on the trails.

In the meantime, remember that dryland season is coming up and cart orders keep coming in.
If you're looking for a new cart, please contact us asap so we can fulfill the order before winter starts....gee, we're talking winter already???

Also, another free delivery offer for mushers in California, Oregon and Washigton.
It looks like we'll attend NWSDA's first race of the season October 9th & 10th in Cle Elum, WA.
If you're interested in a new cart and live somewhere along I-5 or US-97, let us know and we'll arrange free in-person delivery.
You're also most welcome to see us in Cle Elum and try one of our carts or just say "hi".

Dryland Mushing Events in Washington & Utah, Fall 2010

2010-08-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

While it may not seem like it in some parts of the country, dryland season is upon us and a handful of events on the west coast have been scheduled so far.

October 9&10: Camp K Dryland Challenge, Cle Elum, WA, hosted by NWSDA
October 15&16: K9 Challenge Dryland Race, Wellsville, UT, hosted by Cache Valley Mushers
October 23&24: Pacific Northwest Dryland Championships, Cle Elum, WA, hosted by NWSDA
November 6&7: Spokane Dog Derby, hosted by IESDA

For race schedules in other parts of North American and the rest of the world, please see Sled Dog Central's race schedule.

We're trying to make it to at least one of the events listed above, and, as always, are more than willing to deliver a cart in person, if you live along any of our routes in the western US.
Please contact us for details.

Win a brand new dog sled!

2010-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Tuuluuwak Sled Dog Refuge in Quebec, Canada are holding a raffle for a brand new dog sled worth $750.
Second prize is an overnight stay at the Auberge Viceroy in Quebec and a half day of dog sledding.
All you need to do is go to their website and make a donation towards their Siberian Husky Rescue before August 31st, 2010.
See their website for all details.

Here is a picture of the first prize:

Urban Mushing during So Cal summer

2010-07-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

With the exception of maybe one week, we've had a phenomenal summer so far (sun bathers and tourists might disagree). It's been overcast, cool and overall pretty pleasant for our dogs. While conditions are still ok in the morning, our local Urban Mushing group is out and about, running the dogs at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA

When we're not out with the dogs, there's always a lot of work waiting at the shop thanks to our great customers. There will be plenty of happy dogs (and mushers) in the near future enjoying the new "ride", from California to Canada.

Plans are firming up for our "Big Sky Roadtrip" in early September. If you want to take advantage of our free delivery offer (see previous post), now would be a really good time to contact us, before we're booked solid for the remaining weeks.
We might be able to squeeze one more cart in at this point.

Here are some pictures of recent runs at Fairview Park:

Free Delivery Available For Arctis Carts

2010-07-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're slowly getting to that time of the year again where we start planning roadtrips for the upcoming mushing season.
Whenever we're out and about, we love to take a cart or two with us and meet our customers along the way, saving them the shipping fee.

In September (exact date to be determined), we're planning the long trek up north to Alberta, Canada. Our trip will take us basically all the way along I-15 from southern CA to the Montana/Alberta border and continue through Calgary and Edmonton.

In early November, we're attending the annual Mushing Weekend in La Pine, OR.

More travel dates to be announced as soon as possible.

If you are somewhere in the vicinity of our travel routes, and are interested in a cart, please contact us as soon as possible to reserve a spot.

One more big puppy in need of a good home

2010-07-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

After a huge response to the previous listing for an available dog, Gina from "Animal Crackers" in Laguna Beach asked me to list one more of her available puppies.

This guy is Romeo. I personally know him, have taken him on walks and watched him play with other dogs, big and small. A really, really sweet and well mannered boy. Big and strong, but so gentle.

Gina says "He is a wonderful, loving dog that loves to play with every dog he meets. He is about 1 year old, weighs about 68lbs and is full grown. Not only is he very playful with all dogs, he is especially gentle and playful with small, more "energetic" dogs. Allowing them to even bite on him during play, all without irritation. He is a little shy with strangers at first but after a few minutes, warms up nicely. In addition, his looks might give an intimidating impression, but because of his shy nature he is far from being a watchdog."

For more information about Romeo, please contact Gina at (949) 499-1988

Siberian Husky available for adoption in So CA

2010-07-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

8 months old female Siberian Husky available to a good home that knows about and can take care of Huskies. Her name is Nova, she's red/white with blue eyes. She is in excellent health and has no "issues". Her current owners need to find a new home for her because of allergies.

For more information please call Gina at Animal Crackers in Laguna Beach at (949) 499-1988

Iditarod Veteran Karen Ramstead visiting Southern California

2010-06-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

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:

Jeff Anderson
jjsa@dslextreme.com
760-685-1255

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

2010-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

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

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day here in the U.S., a day to remember the fallen.

Please take a time-out from your every day activities and remember those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the things we tend to take for granted.

And while this is a U.S. holiday, please also remember all those allied troops who fought and died for the same ideals alongside our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Last, not least, please thank a vet for his or her service.
It's an easy thing to do and means a lot to those who put their lives on the line each and every day, so we can go about ours.

Support Our Troops!

Catching up

2010-05-31T06:03:00.000-07:00

We're finally caught up on spring orders and continue on with the next batch of carts to be shipped into the summer months.
The spring rush really caught us by surprise, albeit a nice surprise, and we tried to speed-up the process by changing a few things a round the shop. As it turned out, the new process ended up delaying the delivery of carts to our customers, so we're back to the old, tried and tested routine and will be able to deliver carts as promised.
To all our new friends customers we would like to apologize for the delays in recent weeks and thank you for your patience!

We've already had a few inquiries for carts for fall training and current orders are extending well into July, so if you're thinking about a new dryland rig for the fall, please contact us as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery.

Thanks again!

Henning & "Team Arctis"

Busy Times in "Arctis Land"

2010-05-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, time flies when you're having fun...and when you're busy, too!
It's been a great spring for Arctis, thanks to all of our new friends and customers from all four corners of the country. From Georgia, to Ohio and Illinois, all the way up to Alaska and way back down here in southern California. Thank you so much!

In between busy times at the shop, we're still able to participate in events around the area, like the Pet Expo and Wag-A-Thon mentioned below, plus we get to run the puppies 2-3 times a week with our local Urban Mushing group. So far, temperatures are still ok to run, if we get on the trail early in the morning or later in the evening.

Since it's getting warmer everywhere around the country, dog sledding events are few and far between, so more time for us to catch up on those orders.

OC Pet Expo and Dana Point Wag-A-Thon

2010-04-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

The 21st annual Pet Expo at Orange County Fairgrounds is behind us, and as always, it was a great success with a huge turnout.
Our local "Urban Mushing" group had its own booth, thanks to our good friends from the Southern California Alaskan Malamute Club. Tom & Tina Dunn came through just like every year and allowed us to do our mushing demonstrations with carts, scooters and bikes, while they informed the unsuspecting public of weight pull and backpacking activities.
KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles did a live broadcast to get things started on Friday and invited us to be part of it. The first half of the video is obviously not a dog sledding demo :-)

(yes, that's yours truly driving the cart :-))

Coming up this Saturday, April 24th, it's Pet Project Foundation's annual Wag-A-Thon at Dana Point Harbor, benefiting the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter.
Our Urban Mushing group has been invited to also do dog sledding demos that day.

For more information about this event, please visit Pet Project Foundation's website.

Central Oregon dog scootering & dryland mushing

2010-04-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 11th- scootering fun run- not suitable for larger teams/rigs-
Shevlin Park, west of Bend @ 9am. Spencer Egbert has agreed to be the point person for this run.

Saturday, April 17th- scootering fun run- suitable for teams/rigs- La Pine State Park, north of La Pine (some teams will run again on the 18th). Some of the folks from Cascade Sled Dog Club will be down for the weekend, which made it a good excuse for an outing!

Saturday, April 24th- Pacific Sled Dog & Skijoring Association (PSDSA) club meeting @ Diamond Lake- noon- scootering before or after the meeting.

Saturday, May 1st- scootering fun run or class- location/venue to be announced.

Saturday, May 8th- dog scootering class taught by Karen Yeargain & Jane Devlin- location, Karen's place

For info on any of these events, contact Karen at tumnatki@earthlink.net
Info will also be posted at www.tumnatkisiberians.com

What did we learn...?

2010-04-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

Our local "Urban Mushing" group got together for its weekend fun runs at Fairview Park, a week after our annual mushing clinic.
So today it was time to put all newly acquired techniques to work and take the dogs out on the trails. Several scooter, bike and cart teams were out and about, running 1 to 8 dogs.
Weather conditions were excellent: overcast skies and cool temperatures allowed for long runs.
At the end of the day, the dogs were tired and happy (and so were the drivers) but everyone realized, that there's still a lot to learn for us and our dogs.

If you like what you see and would like to learn more about our group, we're going to be at the OC Pet Expo in Costa Mesa April 16th -18th and at the Wag-A-Thon in Dana Point on April 24th.

California Urban Mushing Clinic

2010-03-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our 4th annual "Urban Mushing Clinic" was once again a great success.
Each day, a decent size group went out on the trails for a quick run while the temperatures were still cool enough for the dogs.
Turn-out was excellent on both days, even though the weather didn't make anyone feel like wanting to go mushing, but it's southern California after all.

Carmen Rasmussen of Alpine Outfitters shared her knowledge and experience both days, and we can't thank her enough for making the trip down the coast to do so.
This year, the clinic was divided into one day for newcomers to the sport and one day for the intermediate musher.
Topics that were covered ranged from the very basics like harnessing, basic commands as well as health and safety, to dog physiology, nutrition and race preparation.

As always, a lot of information to digest and hopefully convert into either better exercise with your dog or a better performing team of dogs (and driver).

Siberian Husky Missing in Springfield Oregon

2010-03-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nikkia went missing on 3/09/2010 and we are missing her very much if you
have seen her or have her please e-mail dreameater1990@yahoo.com
or call/text Taylor 541-514-5947....she is 3 months old,brown eyes,silver/gray on her back,white on her belly,black on the top of her head and ears, and she has black on her private area. That might have sounded weird but that is the only special marking she has. She went missing in Springfield, OR. Rambling and Lawnridge in the Mohawk area. There is a reward for whoever brings her back. No questions asked.

4th annual southern California Urban Mushing Clinic

2010-03-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

I know this is short notice but we will be holding our 2010 Urban Mushing Clinic next weekend (yup, in 10 days) at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. Schedules have been hard to work out but it just so happens that Carmen Rasmussen from Alpine Outfitters, who has been facilitating our clinics for the past 3 years, will be able to fly down here and spend time with us on March 27 and March 28.

The clinic will be a different format than previous ones. It will be more informal but will be more hands-on and I think, more effective.

The clinic will be split up into 2 different sessions which will cater to different levels: Saturday will be for newbies (those who have NO or little experience with dog scootering/bikejoring) while Sunday's session will be for those who are at the intermediate level.

The newbie session will cover the basics, including what equipment and gear to use, proper harness fit, how to teach your dog the basic commands (GEE, HAW, LINE OUT, EASY, WHOA), ground work training, trail etiquette, and attitude. The intermediate session will cover a little bit of what is in the newbie session but will focus more on advanced commands such as GEE OVER, HAW OVER, ON BY passing, teaching your dog to avoid distractions, speeding up on command, etc.

Both sessions will be held from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and will be limited to probably 20 participants per session, as this will be a more "hands-on" type of clinic. Carmen will be the main facilitator but others will be on hand to help her out.

Registration fee will be $20 per session (plus $5 per family member). The registration forms will be available for download on the urbanmushing website shortly.

Husky Camp Siberian Rescue featured on "Animal Rescue"

2010-03-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Husky Camp Siberian Rescue in Wrightwood CA were recently featured on an episode of "Animal Rescue".
If you're interested in a Siberian Husky, please think about rescuing, and remember to research the breed before committing to a Husky (or any other dog). Yes, they're sooo pretty and sweet and fluffy (not to mention those blue eyes...), but there's a flipside to that coin: they need exercise and lots of it. See for yourself:

California & Oregon Sleddog Races in February

2010-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend, our friends "Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers" are having the annual Chester Winterfest Sleddog Races in Chester CA, and next weekend it'll be the annual California Gold Mush in Portola CA.

Also next weekend, the Cascade Sleddog Club had scheduled their "Frog Lake II" race at Mt Hood OR. Unfortunately, just like Frog Lake I in January, it had to be canceled due to lack of snow. Better luck next year, guys!

Yukon Quest and Race To The Sky Results

2010-02-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of last week's two major races, the Yukon Quest from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory as well as Montana's Race To The Sky:

Yukon Quest:
1. Hans Gatt (9 days, 1 hour, 28 minutes)
2. Lance Mackey (9 d, 2 hr, 32min)
3. Hugh Neff (9 d, 4 hr, 15 min)
Complete results here

Race To The Sky:
1. Rick Larson
2. Jarle Halsnes
3. Laura Daugereau
Complete results here

Yukon Quest 2010

2010-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

The first of the two long, long distance sled dog races of the season is getting underway today.
24 teams will run the trail from Fairbanks, AK for 991 miles (1594km) to Whitehorse, YT.
Last year's winner, Sebastian Schnülle, took 9 days and 23 hours to finish the race.
Good luck to all competing mushers and their teams!

For more information, visit the Yukon Quest's official website.

Think Spring, Think Dryland!

2010-01-31T04:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, we know, winter still has the continent in its icy and snowy grip, and just like the rest of you mushers out there, we enjoy our time with the dogs in the pretty white stuff, BUT:
it won't be long before spring is here, and that means dryland season for most of us.
Time to start thinking about that new rig to train and race the dogs.

We'll be on hiatus for most of March, so if you're looking for that new rig to run once the snow is melted, it's time to place that order.

We have one more opening for February, so by the time Iditarod starts, you could be running your dogs on a brand new Arctis Cart!
Which one's it going to be? Candy Apple Red, Midnight Blue, Stealthy Black or maybe the latest addition: Anti-Freeze?

As posted on our recent website update, we're keeping the purchase price at the introductory rate, since the economy is still in recovery mode.
Our new freight forwarder provides us and our customers with great shipping rates throughout North America and as always, payment terms are flexible, so send us an e-mail or give us a call if you have any questions and get those dogs running!

First snow run of the season

2010-01-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Finally, time had come to make the trek up to the Eastern Sierra and go sledding with a bunch of SoCal "Urban Mushers". As always, we mixed and matched dogs and ran teams of 3 to 6 dogs on nicely groomed trails in the Mammoth area.
Unfortunately, we had to cut the trip short and skipped our last scheduled run in order to make it off the mountain before a major snowstorm hit. That area is expecting up to 10ft of fresh snow this week alone, which, hopefully, will leave enough for us to go back there in a few weeks.

Since most of us don't have snow conditions like this for most of the year, remember to check our carts for your dryland training, exercise and racing.

For more pictures, click here

4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run a great success!

2010-01-11T14:00:00.001-08:00

Our SoCal mushing group's 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run last Saturday was a great success! We had about 70 (yes, that's seventy!) teams competing in several scooter, bikejour and canicross races. After the races, we gathered for a fantastic potluck bbq, raffle and awards ceremony.
Most successful musher was Robert Stradley of Wrightwood, who, along with his boys, won in several classes. "Team Arctis" placed a surprising 3rd in the 3-dog 3-mile race and missed 2nd place by only 6 seconds, and a 4th place finish in the 3K canicross. Great job, puppies!

Here's a picture of us on our way to the finish line, trying to squeeze every second out of the run:

Many thanks to Rancy, who's heading the Urban Mushing group, as well as all volunteers to get this event organized!
Also, many thanks to Alpine Outfitters, Three Dog Bakery San Clemente, Laguna Beach Dog Park and Diggler Scooters for providing raffle prizes.

Please see the local Daily Pilot article here and a short video by the OC Register here.

Hope to see all of you next time around!

One week to go until our 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run

2010-01-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

After it had to be postponed, it is finally time to go racing!
Our local southern California mushing group is hosting its 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run on January 9th at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA.

Races will be held in a fun and friendly atmosphere in the following classes:

1-Dog / 1-Mile Junior Scooter Race
1-Dog / 1-Mile Scooter Race
2-Dog / 2-Mile Scooter Race
3-Dog / 3-Mile Scooter Race
1-Dog / 2-Mile Bikejoring Race
1-Dog / 3-Km Canicross Race

For more information, registration forms and rules, please see UrbanMushing.com
Registration deadline is December 5th!

After the races, we will have a potluck bbq, raffle (including a brandnew scooter, courtesy of Diggler Scooters!) and carting demonstrations with 4- 6- and 8-dog teams.

We will have some of our Arctis Carts available for test runs as well.

Fairview Park is located in the city of Costa Mesa on Placentia Ave, between Adams Ave & Victoria St. within minutes of I-405, Hwy 55 and Pacific Coast Hwy

For driving directions, see map here

Excellent post-Christmas run

2009-12-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

With continued cool temperatures in southern California, we're able to take the dogs out on slightly longer and faster runs. Only two more weeks until the re-scheduled (not so) Great Serum Run, so we better get them up to speed, plus our local sledding season is about to get going the week after and we want the dogs to be able to handle some decent runs while we're up in the mountains.

And while large portions of the country are currently covered in snow, remember that dryland season is almost year round, so check out our carts and the reviews on our Facebook page, and get your order in today!

Here are some pictures of today's run with the six-dog-team at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa:

Southern California Urban Mushing

2009-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

Cooler weather in recent days was a nice motivator to get us and the dogs out on the trails for some decent runs at local parks. On Sunday, we met with 7 other scooter teams for a 6-mile run at Aliso Creek Trail in south Orange County. It had been awhile since I ran my three puppies by themselves and it was good to see them working well together. If only our clownboy Silver would rise up to his potential and carry his weight for the entire run.

For updates on our runs, please see the calendar or the Yahoo! Group at www.urbanmushing.com

New date for 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run

2009-12-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

After getting feedback from the registered participants and reviewing the viable options, we have rescheduled the 4th Annual (not so) Great Serum Run to Saturday, January 9, 2010.

This is the soonest date that will work out for most participants. If you've already registered and cannot make that date, we will refund your entry fee (contact our group through info@urbanmushing.com). Of course, this also gives a chance for new dog teams to register for the races!

We'll send out a reminder again in a couple of weeks but everything else remains the same - venue, race classes, barbecue potluck, raffle and t-shirts. Oh yeah, we will once again be raffling off a grand prize --- a brand new Diggler Dirt Dawg courtesy of Diggler Scooters!!!

The Mud Factor

2009-12-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Winter has finally arrived in southern California!
The local mountains received plenty of snow and coastal areas had a few days of measurable rain and cooler temperatures.
Since our "(not so) Great Serum Run" had to be postponed, our "Urban Mushing" group hit the trails around Newport Beach's Back Bay for a run in the rain.
The dogs loved it and made sure to find a mud puddle at every break for extra comfort.

Speaking of mud, we recently shipped our first "mud cart":

By customer request, we added wider tires in the rear, mud guards for the back wheels and footboards that won't allow for mud to build up.
Combined with the bright metallic orange powdercoat paint job for better visibility, this cart is ready for action.

Huskies in need of good homes

2009-12-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

We were contacted by a friend about 2 Huskies/Husky Mixes that are in need of a good forever home.

They are:

Violet: 1 year old found running on the I-5 in Sun Valley, CA. She is very sweet and gentle. Loves to be outside, house-trained and crate-trained. She is good with kids and other dogs but doesn't like the cats and feels it is her responsibility to make sure the squirrels stay out of the year. Very typical Husky! She also loves to play "chase me".

and:

Collette: 4 months old. House-trained and very smart. We didn't get one good application from our TV spot Monday. She is playful and loves her chew toys! We think Husky/Shepherd mix

If you are interested in any of these dogs, please contact Pryor's Planet
- by phone (818) 288-0241
- E-Mail admin@pryorsplanet.com
- or on the web www.pryorsplanet.com

We are not in any way affiliated with Pryor's Planet, but always like to help find a great home for a Husky in need.

Remember to check the other rescue sites on the right side of this blog for more available dogs.

4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run Postponed!

2009-12-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Our 4th Annual (not so) Great Serum, originally slated for this Saturday, December 12th, at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, has been postponed.

Everything is all set --- medals, t-shirts, racing bibs, sponsors, raffle items, barbecue potluck, etc. And on top of that, we are experiencing unusually cold temperatures for this area and it would have been a wonderful and fun opportunity to run the dogs.

The City of Costa Mesa, to which we had to get permission and pay special events and usage fees to, contacted our group an hour ago and has revoked the permit for this weekend. They have determined that due to the soaking the park has received from the heavy rains this past Monday, coupled with the forecast for additional wet weather starting tomorrow (though possibly only showers/light rain), that the trails will be subject to a lot damage IF a large number of scooters and bikes were allowed on it. (FYI, they recently set up new trail systems and are continuing to do so together with a general beautification of the park).

And believe me, this is VERY disappointing as we've made all these preparations and spent all this money to get this set up but there is nothing we can do. It's not being postponed due to the weather but rather the effect past weather has had on the trails.

What are our options? I think there are only two of them at the moment: 1) move the date to Sunday, December 20th (the park is already reserved by the Boy Scouts for December 19), or 2) move the date to sometime in January, probably the January 10th. We have between 60 - 70 entries signed up so far and all will be contacted individually to get their suggestions for a new date.

Let it snow!

2009-11-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year when our friends in the northern states and higher elevations are getting their first taste of snow. Come December, the first snow races are being held in Alaska, with more states to join in the weeks after. Pretty soon, we'll be off to snow country in the Sierra Nevada to get our own fix of snow sledding.

On the weekend of December 10-12, the West Yellowstone Sled Dog Races are being held in West Yellowstone, MT.
Our friends from Jaraw Siberians (CA), R&R Huskies (CA) and Wulik Siberians (WA) will compete in this year's races and we wish them all the best!

For more information about the race, please see their website here.

In the meantime, remember that dryland season is almost year round and if you're in search for a great dryland cart for training or racing, feel free to check us out and send us an e-mail with any questions you may have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The 4th Annual (not so) Great Serum Run, Dec 12th 2009

2009-11-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

It is time to go racing!
Our local southern California mushing group is hosting its 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run on December 12th at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA.

Races will be held in a fun and friendly atmosphere in the following classes:

1-Dog / 1-Mile Junior Scooter Race
1-Dog / 1-Mile Scooter Race
2-Dog / 2-Mile Scooter Race
3-Dog / 3-Mile Scooter Race
1-Dog / 2-Mile Bikejoring Race
1-Dog / 3-Km Canicross Race

For more information, registration forms and rules, please see UrbanMushing.com
Registration deadline is December 5th!

After the races, we will have a potluck bbq, raffle and carting demonstrations with 4- 6- and 8-dog teams.

We will have some of our Arctis Carts available for test runs as well.

Fairview Park is located in the city of Costa Mesa on Placentia Ave, between Adams Ave & Victoria St. within minutes of I-405, Hwy 55 and Pacific Coast Hwy

For driving directions, see map here

The Spirit of Central Oregon Mushing Weekend on video

2009-11-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a fantastic video from the mushing weekend in La Pine, Oregon which captured the sprit, the excitement and the madness of numerous teams getting ready to get out on the trails on a cold morning:

Husky Camp 2010 Calendars now available

2009-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

Husky Camp, a southern California Siberian Husky rescue, has just published their 2010 calendars.
They'll make a great gift and you'll support Husky rescue with your purchase.

For ordering information, please see their website: Husky Camp Calendar

Great Mushing Weekend in La Pine, OR

2009-11-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

What a blast we had!
Last weekend, we made the annual trip to central Oregon to attend the mushing weekend, organized by Karen Yeargain. Once again a nice turnout, perfect weather and wonderful people made this weekend a great event. A good sized group of our southern California "urban mushers" made the 850 mile trip to join the fun. Arctis Carts was well represented with a total of 5 carts at the event.

On our way back, Team Arctis stopped in northern California to meet up with Team Humdog for a nice run on the lush local forest trails.
Too bad, not every week consists of 5-day mushing trips.

Coming up this weekend:
Adventure Unlimited Dryland Event in Buena Vista, CO.

This event is organized by the Colorado Mountain Mushers and you can find more information on their website

Next up: Mushing events in Oregon, Washington & Utah

2009-10-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

We're staying around the area this weekend to run the dogs locally and to keep building carts for the season.
Next weekend (Nov 7th & 8th), however, we'll be in La Pine, OR for the annual mushing weekend organized by Karen Yeargain. Come join the fun for a great weekend or running dogs in great company.
For more details, please see Karen's website here.

Also next weekend (Nov 7th & 8th), it's the Spokane Dirt Rendezvous in Spokane, WA, organized by the Inland Empire Sled Dog Association. For more information, please see their website.

Last, not least, it's the Round Valley CVM Dryland event in Park City, UT on Nov 7th. This event is organized by Utah paw Power and Cache Valley Mushers, and you can find more information here: Utah Paw Power

All good things have to come to an end, but...

2009-10-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

Our free shipping offer has come to an end after two mushers took advantage of it and will soon enjoy their new Arctis carts on their local trails.
However, as previously mentioned, if you are anywhere in the western US and are interested in one of our carts, we can probably work out an excellent shipping rate, because we frequently attend races and other mushing events west of the Rocky Mountains.
Plus, we're now working with a different freight carrier and can offer excellent freight rates anywhere in the US & Canada and possibly overseas as well.
So get your order in and get those puppies moving!

This weekend's schedule: California Mushing Workshop & Washington Rig Race

2009-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally...the season is well underway. Things are cooling down outside and are heating up around the shop. The tough part is to decide whether to work on the carts or go to the races/meetings...and if it's the latter, which one to go to?

This weekend, we'll be at Karen Yeargain's mushing workshop in Big Bear CA. Unfortunately, registration is closed for this event, but you can check her website for more upcoming events.

"Just up the road" NWSDA is hosting yet another race in Washington: the Roslyn Rig Race on October 24th & 25th. For more information, please contact NWSDA.

Mark your calendars:
November 7th & 8th: Oregon Mushing Weekend
December 12th: (not so) Great Serum Run, southern CA

Just announced: the 4th annual (not so) Great Serum Run

2009-10-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's once again time to make preparations for our 4th Annual (not so) Great Serum Run (NSGSR - 2009)! This year, we will hold the races on December 12 (Saturday) at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa CA.

For those new to the southern California "Urban Mushing" scene, the NSGSR is our once-a-year scooter race event that is really more of a chance for most of us to get together to run our dogs in a fun, recreational, yet competitive race environment. We have the 1-mile/1-dog, 2-mile/2-dog, 3-mile/3-dog scooter races, a bikejoring class, as well as a 3-Km canicross race and a junior division. The whole point is to get motivated to run our dogs, engage in friendly competition, feel the thrill and excitement as you and your dogs anxiously await your turn to take off at the starting line (and believe me, the dogs can feel it too), and just have a day of fun on the run with your four-footed furballs!

It's a great way to promote the sport and while we mostly focus on the joy and camaraderie of participation, we do award medals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place PLUS the coveted Red Flashlight Award (patterned after the Red Lantern Award, which is awarded to the last place finisher in the Iditarod).

More info and details will be posted over the next few weeks.

California Mushing Clinic & Washington Rig Race

2009-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Two items on the west coast mushing agenda for this weekend:

Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers are hosting their 12th annual mushing clinic in Truckee CA
For more information, see their website here: SNDD

North West Sled Dog Association is starting the dryland season with their Rig Rendezvous in Roslyn WA. Formore information, contact NWSDA

Mark your calendars for November 7th & 8th. Karen Yeargain of Tumnatki Siberians is organizing once again the Central Oregon Mushing Weekend. More information on her website.

Still waiting for fall to arrive

2009-10-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

The forecast was for fall to arrive today, but as it frequently happens, it was "just slightly off". Clear blue skies and typical late summer temperatures in southern California. Nevertheless, our local Urban Mushing group got together at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa for an early morning run, albeit at slow speeds and for limited distances.
We ran three cart teams with 4, 6 and 7 dogs, plus several scooter and bike teams.

Speaking of carts...we still offer free shipping within the continental U.S., see below.