West Coast Dryland Mushing Events, Fall 2014

Just a few more weeks, and mushing season 2014/15 will be here!
Here are a few scheduled events for the western US and Canada:

September 21 & 28: CDMA Dryland Race, Chugiak AK
October 4-5: Camp K Dryland Challenge, Cle Elum WA
October 13: So Mush Fun, Vacaville CA
October 18-19: Rosebud Dryland, Didsbury AB
October 18-19: Pacific NW Dryland Championships, Cle Elum WA
November 1-2: Dirt Rondy, Spokane WA
November 8-10: La Pine Mushing Weekend, La Pine OR

For additional races throughout North America, please see Sled Dog Central's race schedule.

While we are completely booked for the remainder of the year, please contact us if there's a new cart in your future, so you'll be ready to hit the trails in spring.

For more information about our carts, please see:

Arctis 3-Wheel

Arctis Mid-Size 4-Wheel

Arctis Heavy 4-Wheel

Did you check all your lines and harnesses before starting the new season?

If you need replacements, please see our friends at Alpine Outfitters for quality gear.

For non-mushing related pet supplies, please see Pet Club Online.

Spring Dryland Mushing

Finally another blog update!
We've settled in to our new location in central Oregon and have started to manufacture and ship the first products "Made in Oregon"! Our friends at Alpine Outfitters were the first ones in line with an order for sled brakes and snowhook holders.
The fist carts out of the shop will go to the mid-western US as well as Asia! Yes, the first Arctis cart to leave the North American continent.

Just before our move, we received an inquiry about converting a snow sled for street use in a commercial.

A few 2x4s and casters later, the "roller sled" was ready to go.





The commercials can be seen here:


and here:




While winter is still in session, it's never too early to think "spring training".
We are currently booked through mid-April, but there is still time to get in on a new cart before summer time hits again. Feel free to contact us to check on availability and delivery schedule.

For our west coast mushers, we have two dates for dryland events:
Mush without slush on 4/6 - 4/7 in Sisters, OR
Spring Fling on 4/27 -4/28 in Cle Elum WA

Summertime...and the shop is busy!

Even during the hot southern California summer days, there's plenty of work to be done in the shop. It's rather odd to be working on dog sledding equipment when it's in the upper 90s outside.

We're just finishing up the last summer orders for carts that are on their way to destinations all over North America. So far this year, we've pretty much covered the entire continent, from central Mexico to Alaska, from Oregon to Newfoundland and many places in between. Once again, a big "Thank you!!!" to all our customers.

Once those carts are on their way, work is beginning on our new project which will be announced in a few weeks right here on this blog, so stay tuned for some exciting news.

In the meantime, our friends at NWSDA in Washington have announced their fall schedule:
September 29th - Fall Warm-Up at Camp K in Cle Elum WA
October 13th - Dryland Challenge at Camp K in Cle Elum WA
October 27th - Pacific Northwest Dryland Championships at Camp K in Cle Elum WA
For more information about NWSDA events, please see their website or facebook page.

Also scheduled is Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers' annual mushing clinic on
October 20th & 21st in Truckee CA
Please see their website for more information.

Last, not least: the annual Veterans Day Mushing Weekend on
November 10th - 12th in La Pine OR
For more information click here.


In other news, our friends at Alpine Outfitters have just introduced a new product to their catalog:
the "See Me Safety Vest" . Check it out here.

OC Pet Expo & Dana Point Wag-A-Thon

'tis that time of year again for dog folks in southern California.

Orange County Pet Expo is coming up Friday April 20th - Sunday April 22nd in Costa Mesa CA.

Our friends at Alpine Outfitters will have a booth at the event and will have harnesses, lines, collars etc available for sale. Here's your chance to meet the folks behind the operation and get your mushing gear straight from the source.

Their booth # is 1480 (building 14) and they will be close to the Alaskan Malamute booth.

Another booth to check out is Canvas Pet, supplier of organic and environmentally conscious pet products. Their booth # is 734 in the "breezeway" between building 14 and 16.

Also at the pet expo, our friends at Husky Camp Siberian Husky Rescue, booth 119 outdoors.

Please say hello while you're there.

One week later, it's the 19th annual Dana Point Wag-A-Thon, presented the Pet Project Foundation benefiting the Dana Point/ San Clemente Animal Shelter.

The good folks at Three Dog Bakery San Clemente will provide treat bags for your furry friend(s). That alone should be enough motivation to make the trip out that way :-)

New Product! Arctis "Grand Teton" Hitch

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"!

California Urban Mushing Clinic

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).

4th annual southern California Urban Mushing Clinic

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.

Sledbags now available for Arctis Carts

Our friends at Alpine Outfitters came up with these sledbags specifically made for Arctis Carts. Made from 1000 den cordura, they're black in front and sides and your choice of black, red, green or blue in the back. Back closes with zipper and velcro. Price for these bags is $75 or you can switch it for the cargo basket that comes with the cart.

We're baaack!

We're back home in southern California after an almost 2400 mile roundtrip journey to NWSDA's Spring Fling in Roslyn WA.
What a blast it was to meet the NW mushers and participate in their event. Two of our carts were entered in the races and finished 1st in 6-dog sprint, 2nd in 6-dog mid distance, as well as 2nd and 3rd in 4-dog sprint! A million thanks to the successful mushers for running our carts and putting them to the test.
"Team Arctis" finished 7th in the 2-dog scooter race. Our SoCal Siberians Gaia & Silver tried their best to keep up with the "pro's"...good puppies they are!
Thanks to the good people at Alpine Outfitters, we now have custom made sledbags available for our carts, too. More information on those in the next few days.

For more pictures from the event, please click here

Up Next: NWSDA's Spring Fling, Roslyn, WA

After finishing the OC Pet Expo last weekend, we're putting the final touches on the cart we're going to bring to this weekend's Spring Fling in Roslyn WA.
North West Sled Dog Association is hosting, and Alpine Outfitters is sponsoring this dryland race.
Word on the trail is, that a team from Tumnatki Siberians is going to enter the race with one of our carts. We keep our fingers crossed, that it'll be a winning combination!
Just a reminder: if you're in the market for one of our carts and roughly live along I-5 or US-97, between Los Angeles and Seattle, please let us know, and we'll drop one off while we're on our way. That'll save you the shipping/crating expense.

Check out pictures from last year's event here.

Upcoming Events April '09

April is shaping up to be a busy month for us. In addition to producing our carts, we'll be out and about at several events in California and beyond.

April 4th & 5th - 3rd annual Urban Mushing Clinic - Costa Mesa CA
Orange County's Urban Mushing group will hold it's 3rd clinic at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa with guest speaker Carmen Rasmussen of Alpine Outfitters.
"Team Arctis" will attend and bring a cart or two to the event.

April 17th -19th - America's Family PetExpo - Orange County Fairgrounds
Arctis Carts will be part of the Southern California Alaskan Malamute Club and Urban Mushing group's booth for sled dog demonstrations.

April 25th & 26th - NWSDA Spring Fling - Roslyn WA
"Team Arctis" will attend NWSDA's annual spring fling in Roslyn WA. We're going to bring a cart or two with us, so if you're interested, you could save on shipping if you attend or live along the way between Los Angeles and Seattle.

...and a reminder: several beautiful Huskies are still looking for a home.Please see our recent posts here and here for more information, plus check out the "rescue" links on the right hand side of this blog.

2009 Urban Mushing Clinic, Costa Mesa CA, April 4 & 5

It's official --- the 2009 Urban Mushing Clinic will be held on April 4 & 5
at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa! Whether you're a total newbie or an
intermediate urban musher, you will definitely learn a lot from Carmen Rasmussen
of Alpine Outfitters as she will share her vast knowledge on the health, care,
proper use of equipment, and training when it comes to running our dogs.

This information, as well as the registration form, will likewise be posted on
www.urbanmushing.com shortly, and a more detailed schedule will be provided. There
are also plans to have a dinner get-together that Saturday night either at
a restaurant or have a potluck barbecue at a private residence.

If you and your pooches want to join in this fun and informative weekend, please
complete the registration form and mail it in by March 30th. You can download
the form by going to the FILES section of the Urban Mushing yahoo groups site.

The "Bat Cart"

Another cart rolled out the door today, looking like it was ordered by Batman himself.
This one is on its way to our friends at Alpine Outfitters in Washington.