Brent's Blog

The Family

2009-07-13T23:19:00.004-08:00

The newest family members. This is the Peak (Joee Redington)/ Silver litter they are almost 4 weeks old and looking pretty cute!

The family is growing but also shrinking at the same time. Because of the arrival of this new generation I have had to find some homes for some dogs that just arent going to make my Quest Team. Since the fall I have sold or found homes for over 20 dogs and have 3 more that need new homes. This was a really hard thing for me to do but it had to be done. These were all really good dogs they just did not have what it takes to be on a winning Quest team. This was really hard for me that is why there were so many. I become so attached to them that it is like selling a family member. But in thee end it is whats best of for the dogs and me. Because of this I currently have 23 adult dogs and only 15 races dogs. Instead of going into the season with 33 dogs to train and pick from I will be starting the season with just 18, but eighty of the best from the 33 I started with last season plus a couple big additions. It is the start of what I hope to be a long career as a dog musher. Every year that goes by the dogs and I both get so much smarter and gain so much experience with every race. My first race was the Quest 300 in 2006, A race we won and the race that would be the defining moment in my career. (See The press releases tab) Since then I have competed in 10 races finishing all of them and placing in the top ten nine times and the top five seven times. So at the brink of my 5th season of competitive racing I feel stronger and wiser then ever before. I have a team comprised of mostly veteran dogs with a few new comers with lots of potential. But what makes this season so exciting is the puppy program. 2009 marks the first season of serious breeding program. I have spent the last 5 years figuring out what kind of dog I like to run, created that and now am breeding them with some very successful genetics to create my perfect dog and future Yukon Quest and Iditarod Champions. This season is going too be very exciting please stay tuned for more information about the dogs in the 2010 team as well as puppy updates.
Thanks for checking in

B

Puppy Update

2009-07-13T00:13:00.004-08:00

Heres some fresh pics from the puppy yard. Enjoy

Oreo Posing for a pic, Oreo and his brothers and sister are now totally weened away from Rosie and ready for me to put their training into full force. We are doing very well on names, most of them know it most of the time. Walks in the woods are going to start getting longer and more challenging with obstacles like steep hills, water and big logs. So far this is a very strong set of pups, it has been hard to pick which ones that are the strongest and smartest. Tob the chocolate brown one is going to go to my good buddy Josh. He is ready to start training a young pup for skijoring since his oldest of 2, Willow is getting on ten and not up for long fast trips. Tobler which is what Josh is going to call him is going to be a great fit. Tobler will learn alot from Willow and Mo (Joshes other dog), who also came from my Kennel. Mo is the sister to Busta, one of my main dogs. So were keeping in the family, which is really awesome.

The second pic is Madonna and Clyde. Clyde is the lonely boy out of 3 and is truly a moms boy!

The Training Begins

2009-07-03T16:50:00.005-08:00

A very large part of our training is left up to the older dogs, but not just the race or retired dogs, the video shows how Dorcy who is 4 months old, is making these pups tough. The more exposure to other dogs, the better off the pups will be as the grow up. Socialization with both humans and other dogs is the key to early puppy training. Dorcy shows that she know just how far to go before she really upsets them.
Its way to hot for me and the dogs today, its been 85 and sunny al day. luckily it still cools down here at night. I can't believe we are already into July another month and a half and Ill be training dogs again. I cant wait. Lately I have been watching alot of videos from last season and I am already getting anxious for SNOW!! I know I am crazy but that my life. WILD AND FREE! I finally got my ability to download photos to the blog working so I am going to post fresh puppy photos and updates at least once a week. It is amazing in just a few months the pups will be dogs, and I will be picking out my future leaders. Very Exciting. Thanks for checking in. Have a great 4th of July

B and The Wild and Free furry Four Leggers

**** Scroll down to see picks of the pups!

Twix hanging with mom

2009-07-03T14:08:00.002-08:00

Twix is the only female out of 7 pups that Rosie had on May 15. Rosie was breed with Tok who has run multiple Iditarods and trained and made my team last year at 10 years old. These pups have started the weening process and you can see twix still likes being close to her mom.

Peak and half her Pups

2009-07-03T13:56:00.004-08:00

Here is Peak keeping a close eye as the pups get braver everyday. Yesterday was the first day the crawled out of the house on their own, it is amazing to watch how fast they grow. This group was born on June 8 and has 4 males and 4 females. Peak is a leased Joee Redington dog that I bred with Silver. This was a bit of an experiment since Peak is a 40 Pound Sprint Husky and Silver is a 75 pound Distance Monster. I am very excited to see how this litter turns out.

Madonna and her Pups

2009-07-03T13:15:00.004-08:00

Lucy, Bonnie, Clyde (from front to back) were born on May 30 and growing fast. They are the biggest of all the pups this year and are very fat and happy. These guys are out of Madonna and Thunder, both two time Quest finishers. This is Madonnas third litter and she is pro at being a Mom. Madonna has not only been working hard at being a good mother, she is also a great show dog. Because of her experience and tolerance to strangers petting her pups she is a star at the Puppies to Pullers Show Downtown. She is pet by hundreds of tourists 5 days a week but even more special is that she lets everyone pet and hold her pups!!

Yukon and Hub hanging out at home.

2009-07-03T13:04:00.002-08:00

Yukon and Denali are pups out of Muskrat (Wold/Siebold) and Tofty (Mackey/Team Norway). These guys were born on may 21 They were 4 weeks old when this picture was taken. the litter also includes a large female named Denali.

Puppies To Pullers

2009-06-02T00:04:00.003-08:00

Hello all

Its been a while!! life has been crazy between the new show starting up and 3 litters of pups I dont have a minute to spare.. Just like i like it. Rosie had 7 pups, that are now 15 days old. Muskrat had 4 pups that are 7 days old and Madonna had her 4 just 3 days ago. all of the moms are doing a great job and the pups are looking very healthy . Peak (a Joee Redington dog I leased) will have Silvers pups in about 10 days. I am really looking forward to raising and training this new generation of pups. I have a web cam that is on in the evenings and morning before we leave for the show. Check that out Rosies pups are currently on the Cam. My new show called "Puppies to Pullers" at the Quest office in Downtown fairbanks is now up and running and growing in popularity. It has been a great experience setting this show up and I am looking forward to making it into one of the main attractions in Downtown Fairbanks. If your in Fairbanks Check it out we are At the New Quest log Cabin at 550 1st Ave. in Downtown Fairbanks, the show is open Sun- Thursday 11-3pm. Silver is a hit along with Rosies new pups, which will become cuter and cuter as they grow into little sled dogs. Last week I was interviewed by Greg Sellentin from Mushing magazine and am featured with Wendy Morrison (canadian Excutive Director for the Yukon Quest) you listen to our conversation at the link Below or go to www.mushing.com and click on Podcasts. Better run thanks for checking in I will be back with more puppy unpdates soon.

Being Wild and Free
Brent

PUPPIES

2009-05-16T08:57:00.002-08:00

Rosie is having her pups as we I type. So far there are 4, 3 boys and 1 girl. all different colors very exciting. Pics to follow and by the end of the day I will have the live puppy cam up. Very exciting dat for Wild and Free!!

Stay tuned

Brent

Update from Wild and Free

2009-04-29T12:39:00.002-08:00

Hello all
Sorry it has been such a long time since the last post, I have been very busy since I got back from the Arctic on the 10th. The trip was great I fell a little sick towards the end and came home a few days early to try and get better before the summer season sets in. I also came back a bit earlier to start working on a new project. At the beginning of April some friends of mine and I realized that there was a great opportunity that was just coming about this summer. The Yukon Quest just moved to a new location in downtown Fairbanks right on the river just above where the start is in Feb. It is the old location of the Fairbanks visitors center and the main pick up and drop off point for thousands of tourists everyday in the summer. To make a long story short I submitted a proposal to the Yukon Quest to start a show at the office that would help promote the Quest and encourage the visitors to stick around the office while they are downtown. Just yesterday they excepted my proposal and we are moving forward. I am going to create a show that of course has lots of pups but also some great information about the Quests history and future along with information about my career and what Wild and Free is all about. It is an amazing opportunity for both the Quest and myself to make a huge impact on the visitors to Alaska this summer, and make some money for everyone involved. I am very excited and have allot of work ahead of me in the next two weeks to get the show up and running. The weather has really taken a turn here as well, we are seeing highs in the 70's and the snow is melting fast which is great. the dogs are all enjoying the nice warm temps. I have 5 litters planned for this summer Rosie will be the first to give birth sometime after the 10th of May followed by Madonna and Muskrat on the 18th and then a dog named Peak who a leased from Joee and Pam Redington to breed with Silver. She is due sometime around the 9th of June. The last breeding will be Jerry, she is coming into heat this week so we can expect pups out of here in July. all of this is very exciting for me! I cant wait to get the Quest show up and running and start showing off the future star of Wild and Free. I hope you are enjoying the webcam on the site.. when it is working! I am working some kinks out of it so it has been a little inconsistent but I should have it all up and running full time next week. It is a big relief to have my summer plans set and be moving forward. I will be updating regularly now and will keep you posted on the pups. once they are born there will be a puppy cam that I know you all will want to check out. stay tuned for that. thanks for stopping in.

Being Wild and Free

Brent

Update from Wild and Free

2009-04-10T10:32:00.004-08:00

Hey everybody no i have not dropped off the face of the earth, it is spring in Alaska and the last chance to get out with the dogs so I am taking full advantage before all the white stuff melts away. The Fort Yukon race as amazing, the villages welcomed us with open arms and treated us like gods. It was a flat hard fast trail and the dog did great considering we look like a team of horses compared to the competition. We ended up finishing 4 the out of 8 and got an award for having the Biggest dog. Silver at 75 pounds was b y far the biggest dog in the race and the villagers really took to him, I got a pair of leather mits with fur and some amazing bead work. the prizes giving out were out of this work. For first Dan Kaduce got a hand made pair of Snow shoes, Abby West got a pair of Mukluks and Hugh got an amazing pair of Lynx mits. Over all it was one of the best trails and most well organized races I have been too. I will definitely go back next Year. We hope to double the amount of racers next season. More on that later, I am also working hard on promotion this summer and have started it off by creating a webcam of the dog yard. the link is below so check it out and let me know what you think, This is going to be a busy summer for me along with tourism i am going to be doing some construction work on the side to make some extra money. the big news is that we are having 4 litters of pups so there will be alot of puppy cam throughout the summer. more exciting dog news I just bought two dogs from Lance Mackey and leased a dog from Joee Redington to Breed with Silver. The wheels are turning here at wild and free there is no doubt about that. These are the first dogs i have truly bought it is very exciting. the male i got from Lance ran in his team in the 2008 Quest!! Willy is his name and he is a big long legged sweet dog I cant wait to start working with him and gaining his trust. Peak is the name of the little female i got from Joee it is hilarious to see them next to each other she is about half the size of Silver!! but that's the plan to make silver smaller so we will see what happens, I can hardly wait!! I have one more trip planed for next week when I head to the arctic for one last fling with the dogs to explore new country and hunt caribou. once I am back from that my summer will be in full swing and I will get back to updating regularly, with all the pups on the way I am sure there will be lots to talk about. the 2008-09 season was a total success. all told the dogs and I did 6 races ranging from 100 milers to 1000 milers and put over 5000 miles on the dogs. Even though the Quest did not end like I had planned the Dogs Kyla and I learned more then we ever could of asked to. What doesn't kill ya only makes you stronger and we got allot stronger this season! Another exciting announcement is that Kyla will be back for her third season with Wild and Free next year. The past week Kyla has been showing her mom around Alaska including a trip to Fort Yukon for the race and a short visit to Eureka. I still think her mom thinks she is crazy but she supports her 100 percent!! Kyla flew out this morning for a short visit to California and will be back to work for the summer in Alaska, and the come back on board in Sept. This is awesome news Kyla has really turned herself into a great musher and a vital part of Wild and Free. look for Kyla to be doing some more racing next season. Ok I gotta run tons of packing to do for the arctic trip. Hang in there I will be back in a couple weeks with the Quest story and a full run down of the pups that are on the way. Wild and Free is looking forward to a very exciting Future, I cant wait to see what is around the next bend!!!

Webcam Link

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wild-and-free-mushing

Until the next time

Being Wild and Free

Brent

Back from the Whites and off to Fort Yukon

2009-03-31T14:58:00.004-08:00

We are back from a week in the whites and it was awesome!! We had prefect weather and the dogs were great!! I am now packing for the Yukon flats 300 race that starts tomorrow in Circle. I gotta run this quick turn around is a bite crazy. stay tuned to the site for race updates. thanks for stopping in

Brent

White Mountains

2009-03-23T23:53:00.004-08:00

In the morning we are off for the white mountains to enjoy the amazing spring we are having. A group of close friends have reserved 4 different cabins that we will hop between throughout the week. It is going to be a total blast all together we have 4 dog teams 4 skjorers and a snowmachine so we have all the basis covered. Ill be back on the 29 then I have two days to get ready for the Yukon Flats 300 which starts on April First in Circle, AK. I am really excited and after a week in the Whites the dogs are going to be in great shape for the last race of the season. I better get to bed. I have a new promo video a friend of mine made, check it out on Youtube have a good one.

B

www.youtube.com/watch?v=moyslR4GSmI
if this doesnt work just search my name. its called Brent Sass musher Profile

make sure to watch it in HD

Enjoy

Spring

2009-03-17T23:48:00.002-08:00

Hello all sorry I have not been around much. but it is spring in Alaska and it is hard to get myself in front of the computer and when I am I am totally engulfed in the Crazy Iditarod this year. Wish I was out there it was my kind if race with all the bad weather. Our race went well this weekend the weather was perfect and it was a great test for some young dogs and some recovering for injury. We finished 5th overall. I am off again tomorrow for a short 60 mile trip then back for a few days and off for a week in the white mountains. This is where some of my fist mushing adventures took place and I havent been out there in years so I am really excited. It will be a great trip to figure out my top ten dogs to take to the last race of the season, the Yukon Flats 300. It is the first running of the race and it is sure to be very exciting. I will keep you posted as the race draws near. thanks for stopping in

Brent

Chatanika Challenge 200

2009-03-13T00:11:00.002-08:00

Well on a last minute decision we have enter the Chatanika 200. I have been so obsessed with the Iditarod I figured it would be good to get out on the trail again and away from the computer for awhile. So tomorrow at noon I will set off on a little adventure through the interior of Alaska. I drew bib Number 1 tonight so i will be the first one out of the chute, I am excited and cant wait to get back out on the trail. the last week has been very busy I had a guide and Cameraman from the UK here to start making plans to start guiding mushing trips in the future. they came over to go over trip details and get a bunch of marketing material. the visit went very well and I am looking forward setting up the trip in the future. I better get to bed we have to get up early to get to the start. Look for updates on the site and at www.trdma.org

Staying Wild and Free

Brent and the Gang

LET IT SNOW

2009-03-06T19:02:00.003-09:00

WOW we are getting dumped on!!! In the last few days we have gotten over a foot of snow here in fairbanks. It is truly a winter wonderland around Brentwood. It has made my transition back to the real world allot easier. We went out to Eureka a few days ago to get it cleaned up and ready for summer and found 2 feet of new snow. It was amazing with all the new snow and after being gone from there for over a month I realized just how much I missed it. Eureka is the place for me, now i just have to figure out how to live out there year around. sounds like a good goal, add that one to the list!! It s never without Adventure, we did get stuck in the driveway for two hours trying to get out to go home and then drove back in a snow storm only to find 8 new inches of snow here in Fairbanks, but just as i was prepared to get stuck in my other Driveway my buddy Greg Shows up and plows all of my roads and driveways. Amazing couldnt do it with out support like that.
So here I am back in Fairbanks attempting to organize my life!! So far it is going well I have the old TO DO LIST down and have the first draft of the new one just about ready for print!! My mission to find good homes for some dogs is going very well. IN the past 5 days I have found awesome home for 13 dogs. 7 of which went together as one team and all the others to good friends of mine. This is Huge!! I am trying to get down to my core 25 race dogs so that I can make room for the pups on the way. I have made my decisions for my breeding this season and it is extremely exciting. I am really looking forward to raising and training a full set of 16 dogs from 3 different litters for a future race team. I have got some great genetics to mix with what i have created over the last 5 years to make what I believe will be a champion dog team. So between my existing dog team that still has 3 more great years on them and this new group of pups we are going to have a very exciting 2009-2010 season. So stay tuned! I better get back to that TO DO LIST. Enjoy your day

B and the Gang

Lucky 13

2009-02-13T15:54:00.002-09:00

Last night at the Banquet I drew Lucky Number 13 which sends me out the start Chute at 11:39AM Sat morning. After 4 days in Whitehorse filled with our final two runs, lots of meetings and final packing we are ready to go!! the dogs are extremely happy and sense that we are about to embark on an epic journey. I brought sixteen dogs to whitehorse and now the night before the race I have made my Final cuts. Unfortantly Tok the oldest dog at 10 years old got some kind of sore on the top of his head that has made the top of his head very sore. He is on antibiotics but because of this I have chosen to leave him behind. This is a real bummer I was looking forward to having his experience out on the trail. But anything that is sore now is only going to get more sore out on the trail. This has bumped the 45 pound Molly up to the race team. Molly has been a solid dog all season and has proven she can bring allot to the team. She is just two and this will be her first 1000 mile race, along with Budget they are the only two rookies. I am excited to add another young dog to the team, their excitement will be very fun to have along the trail. Molly is a big time cheerleader, a great eater and a very consistent, she will be a great addition to the team. So here you go the starting lineup for the the 2009 Quest. Thanks so much to all of my sponsors without your support this would not be possible. This will be my last blog entry I am turing the updates for the race over to My good friends Aren and Jen Gunderson. Check out the Yukon Quest 09 blog for updates throughtout the race, thanks again for being great supports, This years team is stronger and more prepared then we've ever been!!! I am looking forward to a great race. Off the the Races

Silver
Ling Ling
Madonna
Walter
The Dude
Rocky
Maude
Heckel
Rosie
Eagle
Molly
Budget
Taco
Thunder

Brent and the Wild and Free Gang

Fired up!!!

2009-02-09T00:17:00.002-09:00

Hey sorry its been a while but things are really heating up now with the race just 5 days away. I cant wait vet checks went great all the dogs are in good shape they are even fat. it is great to be able to put them all on a diet before the race instead of trying to stuff them full to put on weight. we did a 50 miler in the white mountains today and the dogs look great we are ready to go, Final packing tomorrow and we are off for Whitehorse on the 10. Ill be back with a final report from Fairbanks tomorrow with the starting lineup, before we head south.

Brent

Fairbanks Bound

2009-02-06T09:30:00.002-09:00

Well we wrapped up an amazing season of training in Eureka yesterday with an awesome 80 mile run!! the dogs and I are ready it was the strongest run of the season the dogs Know that it is race time. We are headed to fairbanks now for our vet check tomorrow and then headed to Whitehorse. Amazing it is just about race day and we cant wait!! Thanks so much for everyone that has sponsored a dog. as of today we have 6 dogs sponsored. As a sponsor your name will be displayed proudly on your dogs coat at the start line and throughout the race!! More when i get to fairbanks. Snowing like crazy here in Eureka should be a fun drive back to the Banks

Brent

Food Drops COMPLETE

2009-01-31T21:55:00.001-09:00

Mission accomplished we are that much closer the start line. the food drops are dropped off and after a day and a half of driving around town doing "town Stuff" i am hitting the road for Eureka. Cant wait town is a far cry from the Comforts of home!!. Ill be back in a day with the CB300 story

Hitting the road

Brent

Redington Checkpoint

2009-01-27T16:02:00.004-09:00

A few days ago we went back in Dog mushing history by mushing from Eureka to Manley and pulling into the Redingtons Kennel to rest the dogs, feast on an amazing dinner made by Pam and talk allot of dogs with some real doggy people. It felt pretty special to drive the dogs into Joee and Pam's place, just like 20 years ago when mushers like Susan Butcher, Ed Salter Ron Tucker and other legendary mushers used their place as a resting spot on their training runs. Joee and Pam were out feeding dogs when we pulled into the yard and I think they also enjoyed seeing my motley crew come rolling in. As we parked the dogs I felt like I was carrying on a great tradition, and when Joee came up (with a big smile on his face) and said "they rolled in here real nice" I new that they were enjoying this just as much as Kyla and I. This is something I have dreamed about doing ever since we started training out in Eureka lat year, and it finally all came together. The best part is the trail is in great shape and a good portion of it was put in by dogs!! or lets say a dog named SILVER!! Which makes this blast from the past even more special for me. We are headed back to the Redingtons tomorrow and hope to continue the traditions the rest of this season and for many seasons to come!! Along with establishing the Redingtons place as a great stop we have also got Ed and Willows place all lined out as a great checkpoint.. We stopped at the Salter Checkpoint the other night, after a soak in the springs, for Pizza and to help Ed with Some computer issues. Nothing like visiting the only neighbors for miles and having a great home cooked meal and being able to give back at the same time. These opportunities are priceless for Kyla and I and we are very lucky to be welcomed into both the Redingtons and the Salters homes. I love to run dogs and there are allot of great places to train but Eureka has a history that lives on in the people that have been here for years. Stopping at these legendary dog mushers homes for some great Home cooked food and great conversation can not be beat. Between the tough trail conditions and great people, one thing is for sure we have got a lot of good dog juju out here even if we are the only dog team running trails. Other then all the history we are making Kyla and I have been making great progress on food drops and should be done soon. We have really done a great job this year, I will definitely have the best drops I have ever had. As for the dogs, they are amazing they look better then they have all season and I think they are still getting better!! I have made the decision on 12 dogs baring no injury so that only leaves 2 spots. One of my younger dogs, Jerry is going to run the Quest with Iris Woods so that leaves me with 7 dogs fighting for those remaining 2 spots. Jerry is just two and totally amazing but I am going to race really hard and felt that my pace would be too much for her first 1000 mile run and when Iris said she needed a leader I offered Jerry. Iris and her Husband AJ came out the other day and picked her up, it was hard to see her go but i know she is in good hands. I hope she makes her team it will be a great experience for Jerry and I know she will be a force in Iris's team. In trade for using Jerry Iris brought out 10 pints of Ben and Jerrys Ice cream for my food drop. it is a perfect trade since Jerry is named after my favorite Checkpoint snack. And because of the warm temps last week all the pints I brought melted so I need some new ones for the drop. I ma really excited about Jerry Running the race. Last year Phil Joy ran Rosie in his team, she made it 700 miles and had a great experience and it really shows, she is one of my main dogs this year and i know it has alot to do with the experience she had with Phil last year! A big thanks goes out to Phil for taking a chance with Rosie. So here are the 12 dogs I have selected so far for the Quest team but know that this can change at any given moment. My team is deeper then its ever been this season and all of these decisions are very difficult. I am going to leave you with the list of the top 12. I am working on getting the next chapter of the CB300 story done but it has been really busy with food drops,the next post will be the Chapter 3 Chisto to Paxson. thanks for stopping in!!

Wild and Frees Questers

Silver-Leader
Ling Ling-Leader
Madonna-Leader
Maude-Team Dog/Leader
The Dude- Leader
Walter- Leader
Thunder-Wheel Dog
Rocky-Leader
Budget-Leader
Heckel-Leader
Rosie-Leader
Taco-Wheel Dog

Looks like all I need now are a couple team dogs and we are all good to go!!!

Brent and the Gang

Eureka Update and CB300 Glennallen to Chisto

2009-01-22T16:49:00.002-09:00

Hey just a quick update from Eureka, Food drop packing is in full swing Kyla is making great progress on bundling all the booties she has finished all of my snack food and Misc bags and I am making good progress on Cutting meat into snacks. we should be done in plenty of time for the Drop of on the 31st. the weather has been prefect a little windy but temps are hovering right around 0 which is great for training dogs. The trails are in great shape with the exception of some pretty crazy overflow sections but it is all good training for the Quest. The dogs are really doing great the decision on the final 4 dogs is going to be a challenge but no matter what we are going to have a very strong team for the Quest. thanks for checking in and enjoy the 2nd chapter of the Cb300

Brent and the Gang

Chapter 2 Glennallen to Chisto

3 hours 30 minutes into my rest at Glennallen I headed back out at -30 to prepare to leave. The dogs had all rested very well and as I walked up closer Silver sat up and he new it was time, he shook off and slowly all the dogs started to rise from their slumber. I grabbed a bag of booties from my sled bag and went to work; Starting at the front I began to booty. In the process I checked over everyone to make sure that no wrists or shoulders had become sore during the rest, as I moved from one dog to the next everyone looked great. I put the last booty on Tok zipped up my bag, removed the snow hook from up front and we were ready to go. At this point the dogs are all up an standing in the ready position. I love my team, they hardly ever say a word when we leave but when I say “ok guys” they all just lean into the tugs and we are off. My handlers were there to lead me to the checkout point and after exactly 4 hours of rest we were back on the trail. As we moved away from the checkpoint the trail parallels the road, there were lots of cars coming by slowing down to get a look at the team and even a few yelling out asking who I was. The trail was fast and hard and easy for the dogs to get right up on step. We were croozing along great. I kept and eye out behind me to see if any one followed me out, I never saw anyone, but I new that it wouldn’t be long before Hans and Allen would hit the trail. This was great motivation to get the ski pole out and start poling and kicking. The trail from Glenallen to Chisto runs along the road, on an off throughout the entire 60 miles mostly on the old road. It was a beautiful night with a full moon partly covered by clouds but the moon provide lots of light and allowed me to run without a headlamp for a good portion of the run. 10 miles into the 60-mile run the dogs are really moving well. I am especially excited about Heckel and Rosie’s performance so far. They are little smaller and that first section of soft punchy trail was a lot of work for them, but they have bounced right back. Heckel is still loping like crazy and Rosie has settled into one of the most efficient trots of any of my dogs. Up ahead there is very sharp U turn that goes into a steep down hill with another sharp turn at the bottom. As we approach where I think the turn is we all of the sudden are all caught up in some trees I realize that I missed giving the command to Silver on time and he just blasted right into the trees that had been put there to direct us to turn right. I guess that’s what I get for running without a headlamp. We quickly make the correction and are headed down the hill we make the turn at the bottom and are back on track. 15 miles in we go onto the Gulkana river, pass under the bridge and follow the river or a few miles before heading into the woods and up into some hills. I know we are going to be strong in the hills but the dogs exceed my expectations. As we start climbing the dogs shift into another gear, with me kicking and poling and the dogs driving hard, it feels like we are gong faster then on the flats. We blast through the 4 mile section of switchbacks with no problems and hit a power line which we will travel on for the next 15 or so miles. This is a great section to pull the ski pole out and really make some ground. The trail is good and with help from me poling we are croozing along at 11-12 MPH and are having a great time. All the dogs are really looking good Silver once again is proving he has what it takes. Him and Madonna up front are a force; they do a great job of keeping a good pace and motivating the rest of the dogs to drive harder. Especially Madonna, she loves to go into these little bursts where she just starts driving really hard and everyone else has no other option but to do the same. During these bursts we are moving 14 miles a hour for 10-20 minutes, it is amazing. These little speed bursts are great for the dogs, they all seem to really enjoy it and we can really cover some ground. Some of the younger dogs are beginning to pick up on this and learn from Madonna’s lead, and have started becoming the motivation for some of these spontanieous bursts. Weather it is just a random burst of excitement or an animal motivating them to surge, it is great to see all the dogs come together and really giving their all. It is just like wind sprints for a runner, it is great for their conditioning as well as the our morale out on the trail. We are now about 50 miles into the run and the dogs have not skipped a beat. We have become a very well oiled machine and I am really looking forward to the rest of the race. I begin to smell wood smoke and hear dogs barking up ahead, a sure sign that we are getting close to the Chisto and the third checkpoint of the race. As the lights come into view the dogs pick up the pace they know that a good meal and a nice rest is ahead. We charge into the checkpoint and check in with the checkers. Kyla runs in front of the team and directs Silver to our resting spot as we pick up my drop bag on the way. It is the same spot we parked last year, but I am looking forward to having a totally different experience this year. Last year I had 3 females in heat and at Chisto is were it became very apparent that I was going to have a challenging race. None of males ate or slept the entire race and it all started here. This year everything is different no one is in heat and I have a very different team, same dogs just better training and more experience. I secure the team and once again go into my checkpoint routine. After finding no injures I start feeding. As I move from one dog to the next I am not getting the response I wanted. Silver and Madonna just looked at it; Ling Ling seemed scared and moved away. Then The Dude made me feel better as he devoured the entire bowl, Budget, Eagle and Tok messed with it but ate it all eventually, Rocky, Maud, Heckel and Rosie all turned away. Not good this is very frustrating to a musher especially coming off a great run. The dogs need to eat to keep their energy level high; a dog that doesn’t eat cannot perform at their highest ability. I took the food away tried some snacks with no luck and realized I needed to just leave them alone. This meant that I was going to have to try another feeding in couple hours. My plan was to rest between 5-6 hours depending on when other teams started moving, again, just like at Glennallen I wanted to get out before to many teams hit the trail and chewed it all up. I went in a little bummed out that the dogs did not eat like I had hoped, but knew that I needed to get some food and a little rest myself and give it another try in a couple hours. After a great Moose stew provided by the locals in Chisto I laid down for a short nap. As I laid on the treadmill in the little cabin where the mushers could rest I tried to figure out why the dogs didn’t eat. They all looked good on the previous run and were happy when they came in, what could it be. After realizing that that was a lost cause I dozed off for a few minutes before my alarm went off letting me know it was time to get up. I gathered my stuff and headed back to give the dogs another try at some food. This time as I came by with my cooler they all perked up and as I filled there bowls they ate it like I had never feed them before. One after another they ate everything I put in front of them. When the feeding frenzy was over I packed my sled up and headed inside for a quick pint of Ben and Jerry’s before I headed back out to booty and leave. As I ate my peanut butter cup ice cream I looked over the leader board and studied times, it looked good so far we were right where we needed to be. With the dogs pumped full of food I looked forward to a great 70 mile run to Paxson. As I took my last spoonful of Ben and Jerry’s one of the Vets asked me how I can eat a pint of Ice cream and then head out in -30 degree temps. I answered: “Its what keeps me going” I’ve got two more pints waiting for me in Paxson!!

Stay tuned for Chapter 3 Chisto to Paxson coming soon the race is just starting, there’s lots of excitement ahead!!

Copper Basin 300 Chapter 1- Wolverine to Glennallen

2009-01-19T20:24:00.003-09:00

***For updates from Eureka Check the Previous Post****

3-2-1 GO!! I pulled the hook and we shot out of the Starting shoot of the 2009 Copper Basin 300. I had drawn #10 the night before, a good start number especially when the temps at the start on Lake Louis were hovering right around -45. Waiting around would not have been a lot of fun at those temps. As we found our way across the lake in the thick Ice Fog I looked back at the past weeks and still wondered if I had made the right decision in my training, Because of extremely cold temps in the Interior we had headed south to my Dads cabin just outside of Homer in hopes of finding warmer temperatures. We did find warm temps and great trail conditions but living on the road, out of the truck is not an easy task with 24 dogs. Because of this I was still not 100 percent sure that the decision would pay off in the end. But here we were at the start of the Copper Basin and the results of this race were going to give me the answer to my question. We were moving along great. I already knew that moving south to the balmy 5 degree weather offered by the Caribou Hills had been very beneficial to the dogs weight and conditioning, but weather all the moving around and living out of the truck had affected the Dogs mental attitude and long distance conditioning was yet to be determined. One thing was for sure the warmer temperatures were great for me, and my recovering frostbite from the Gin Gin 200 just 2 weeks earlier. As we passed our first team just 5 minutes into the race things were looking good. Other then The Dude and Silver splitting the musher and causing a brief stop to straighten them out it was a smooth pass and we were on our way. The trail report from the CB300 trail crew was fast hard trails for the first 4o miles into the Glenallen Checkpoint. I didn’t want to start to fast but I did want to get out in front and stay there for most of the race and this fast trail was going to help. Next we past Sebastian Schnuelle who had taken the other option when the fridged temps blanketed the Interior. He chose to bunker down and gave the dogs two weeks off. This was going to be a good comparison for me since that is what I could of done instead of heading south to Homer. I was going to keep a good eye on Sebastian throughout this race. With Silver at the helm it was an easy pass and we were on our way with only 6 mushers in front of me. I caught Martin Jahr next,e his team was moving nice so I decided to follow for a while and get the dogs calmed down after going out of the shoot at 14 miles an hour. As the trail took a left turn we went from a nice hard packed trail to some soft sugary snow. I just figured this was a connection trail and before long we would be back on the hard stuff. Once we got in the middle of this soft stuff my team started moving faster so we passed Martin and continued on. Sure enough after 5 miles we were back on hard fast trail and moving fast again. Before this race I had told myself that in order to do the best we could do I had to be a large part of the effort so just 10 miles into the race my Ski pole was out and I was kicking and Poling to help the dogs down the trial. In doing so we quickly caught Tamara Rose and Josh Cadzo and passed both of them. I wished them both a good race as we went by as they did the same to me. Tamara is my vet, and over the past few years has gotten sled dog fever, She has a small Kennel of her own and has been doing a lot of racing and has done very well. It is great to have a Vet that has her own dogs and is out there running races. It is very beneficial to both her and her clients. She defiantly has a better understanding of what goes on with the dogs out on the trail. Josh is a young Native kid from Fort Yukon who in his first race blew the Competition away and won 2008 Quest 300. I see a lot of myself in this kid since I did the same thing in my first race in 2006. He is also signed up for the 1000 mile Quest this year and I wish him the best. As we croozed onto Tolsona Lake and closed in on the first checkpoint the dogs were moving along great. The trial makes a big loop on the lake and I was able to see Newton Marshal and Hans Gatt as they pulled out of the checkpoint. I pulled in the Checkers did a quick check of my gear and off we went. I quickly caught Newton and passed him with no problems. Newton is a real story he is from Jamaica and has been training with Hans Gatt over the past few months. He is also signed up for the Quest this year. This Race is really going to serve as a great test for a guy use to 80-degree temps. He has a great attitude and I am sure will do very well. Shortly after passing Newton the race trail took a hard left and we went, once again from a hard packed fast trail to a trail that looked like it had been run over with a snow machine 2 hours ago. We dropped from moving 12 miles an hour down to 7 and the slog began. Because of my experience in previous years when this leg of the race is the finishing leg I pretty much new it was going to be like this until the next checkpoint in Glennallen. So we settled into moving 7MPH and just slogged along. This section of trail is a long straightaway, so I looked back to see how Newton was doing, I didn’t see him which I thought was a little odd I hoped that he made the left turn. It was marked well but the hard packed trail went straight and with memories of last year when Sigrid had the race all but won 20 miles from the finish and went straight at the very turn and ended up going 10 miles in the wrong direction I began to wonder about Newton, I hoped he stopped to booty or fix something and that slowed him down. The next time I looked back it was a different team a team that is very hard to miss all red Jackets and moving like a freight train. It was Lance he was coming up behind me not to fast but defiantly making time on me. As he got closer I pulled over and let him by we both said hi and he asked if I expected the soft trail I said HELL NO he concurred and passed on by. We hung with lance for a long time before the trail took some turns and he went out of sight. The dogs were moving good I was talking and singing to the keep their spirits high because in conditions like this it is easy for the dogs to get bummed out. It is a little painful watching the dogs battle through the soft deep snow, but I just think back to all the trail breaking we did back in Eureka and it comforts me to know that they are prepared for tough trails like this and that these kinds of conditions an advantage to this dog team. But I still have to watch for injuries this stuff is really hard on shoulders and with 4 of my main dogs, Madonna, Rocky, Eagle and Busta back from early season sore shoulders it makes me keep a real close watch for anyone out of rhythm. The temps have seemed to warm up a little, I take a look at my thermometer mounted on the side of my sled and see that I must just be warm from all the kicking and poling because it is still -30 wit with slight breeze. It is amazing how if you just don’t think about the weather it has very little affect, at least on me. I have my Beaver patch on over my nose to help keep it from turning black other then that my parka is in my sled and my Fingers are warm in the light liner gloves I am wearing. The strap on my Ski pole does not allow me to wear big gloves so I have to create enough heat to keep my fingers warm in just the Liner gloves, which is working at -30 so I think I will be all right. Up ahead I see the red flashing light of Glennallen and know we are closing in on the Checkpoint, but because this is the first time I have run the race with the start at Wolverine lodge I don’t know exactly where the trail goes. I know we have to go all the way round town to get to the Hub on the Richardson Highway where the Checkpoint is located. As we turn off the old trial to head towards the Hub the trail improves and the dogs get up in step. So far all the dogs are really doing well I see no apparent injuries from the loose trail and I let them open up a little and they love it. Heckel has been loping this entire section and it doesn’t seem to have slowed her down at all. I wonder how far into the race she will keep her lop before she settles into a trot. Most dogs are already trotting along very efficiently and will continue that for most of the race. Dogs like Heckel and Rosie are young hard driving dogs that haven’t developed an efficient trot, but as long as their tug are tight I don’t care how long they lop. The Next 300 miles will be a good test to see when or if they change gears to a trot. The lights seem to be getting brighter but it is hard to say where we are, it seems like we have been out here forever and that the check point should be just around the corner but the second that you start thinking that it will never come. The soft trail conditions are making this a very slow run, so I just kept singing and soon enough the lights will get brighter in the sky and the checkpoint will appear. It is dark now and the dogs seem to sense that the Checkpoint is near because we were really moving along. Then all of the sudden the dogs Disappear ahead of me and soon enough I new I would be going were they were DOWN, Straight down into a deep ravine, I put all my weight on the brake and it was all I could do to keep the sled from running over the dogs. We made it safely to the bottom and back up the other side, nothing like a sheer drop off to wake us up before the checkpoint!! Just around the next bend we took a left and paralleled the Highway for less then a mile before entering the checkpoint. I arrived at 523 PM just 13 minutes behind Lance Mackey and 16 minutes behind Defending CB300 Champ Alan Moore and Hans Gatt. We were in good shape. Kyla helped park the dogs and I started my checkpoint routine. Which consists of taking booties off, get water going in the dog cooker, check every dogs feet, shoulders and wrists, feed and let them rest. When I got to Busta I had already had a bad feeling and after just touching his shoulder I new that he had a problem, it was already swollen and extremely sore, I asked Kyla is she had noticed it as I was coming into the checkpoint but she said everyone looked good. I new there was only one thing to do, drop him now before he shows any sign of it getting better and I am tempted to take him. Busta is a very strong dog and an expert at hiding his injuries on the trail. I asked a vet to come take a look, but at this point I had already made the decision to drop him and I had to move on. One thing I have learned in my short racing career is not to dwell on injured dogs, I got a good lesson on this when in my first Quest I had to drop Silver at the first checkpoint. This was tough but has made me very good at moving on and not letting dropped dog’s get to me our spread to the other dogs. I signed the forms and Busta was in Kylas care before any of the other dogs even new it. Everybody else was 100 % and ate like crazy. Teams were pilling in now and just as I was getting ready to head in Michelle Phillips came in and parked right next to me, Very fitting that she would get parked next to me. Ever since last years Quest we have had an unspoken rivalry and this was only going to fuel that fire!! I left my dogs to rest and went into the Checkpoint. At this point I didn’t know if I was going to rest for 4 or 6 hours. The run over from Wolverine had been a long slog but all the dogs minus Busta had made it in good form and I wanted to make sure I stayed up in front so that the trail would not be to chewed up ahead. So I decided I would rest 4 and follow lance (who’s wife had basically announced he as leaving in 4 hours) and Tom Latsze out who had blown through the checkpoint and continued onto Chisto, after just ½ hour of rest. The way it works with the Copper Basin is that every musher has to take one mandatory 8 hour rest at any check point and a total of 20 hours of rest between all the checkpoints. It was going to be fun to see how each musher broke down the run rest schedule. I was not sure of my schedule yet, I try and be very flexible throughout the race because you never know what the trail and weather conditions are going to be like, and the condition of your dogs at any given moment. All of these are factors into how the rave plays out. But one thing was for sure I had some pretty exciting plans in my head and we were about to see how they all unfolded. I spent my four hour rest chatting with Lance and other mushers trying to get an idea of what their plans were for the race ahead, another thing I have learned in the past few years is never trust a Dog Musher on the trail, because there never going to tell you exactly what their plans are. At one point I think there were at least 5 mushers sitting around chatting and Michelle asked how long everyone was going to rest, and the room went silent!!!!

Look for Chapter two of Wild and Frees 2009 Copper Basin 300, Glennallen to Chisto Coming soon

Off the Road and Back at Home

2009-01-19T16:56:00.001-09:00

Kyla and I arrived back in Eureka on Friday and have been in total Bliss ever sense. The place was just how we left it and it didn’t take long for us to get moved back in. When we arrived it was 45 degrees here and the Trailer we just pulled out from town, with over a ton of dog food was barely staying frozen. Luckily since then the temps have dropped to around 24 above and the wind has picked up just a little so conditions are perfect. I have been out on a couple short runs since we got here and the trails are fast and hard. The warm temps soften the trails up and now that it has dropped down again it has made them hard and fast. It is great for the dogs as long as we can keep them under control, which was a challenge tonight. I went out to the Hoot and Quickly found out the extreme temps we have had over the last few weeks has created some very impressive overflow, some that are frozen into big mounds in the middle of the trail and some that are slushy or even have flowing water. It was a crazy run to say the least. The good thing is that it is snowing now and with a few inches of new snow on the trail conditions will improve. The temps are supposed to stay very mild with snow, which is perfect. The last few weeks was a very crazy gamble that paid off. I stopped out at Ed and Willows last night on my way home and they said it was miserable in Eureka while we were gone. The-40 temps mixed with wind blowing 20 MPH made for very horrible conditions. So that and the fact that we ran into great weather and trails in Homer really made the difference in our Copper Basin run. Confidence is high around Wild and Free!! The dogs have recovered from the race very well. The race was a great test for dogs like Heckel and Rosie who really proved that they have what it takes to make the top 14. Picking the top 14 is not going to be easy but I am looking forward to the dogs that really step it up and make the decision easy for me! Food drop packing is in full swing and Kyla is on a role. While I was out at the Hoot today she packed all of my snacks, drinks, batteries and all the Misc. items I need in my food drops. We have a long way to go but if we get a little done everyday, we will do a better job and it will take less time in the end. We are headed to Manley tomorrow to post this and visit with the Redingtons, it will be fun to tell them about my races. The next post will be the first chapter of the CB300 race story, so check back for that. I also wanted to thank all of my Sponsors for making this season possible. We have had a very successful season so far and it is because of all of the support we have gotten over the past few months. Please check out the Sponsors page to see a complete list of 2009 Sponsors. Also check out the “The Team” tab to see which dogs have been sponsored for this years Yukon Quest. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned as the start of the 2009 Yukon Quest draws near it is sure to get more and more exciting.

Signing off from the Far North

Brent, Kyla and the Wild and Free Hounds

3RD PLACE

2009-01-13T16:37:00.003-09:00

After finishing the race just under 24 hours ago I am sitting at the Wolverine lodge fully rested and feeling extremely happy with our run. The dogs were amazing, I worked my butt off and the results are proof of that. Finishing third is my best finish in the Copper Basin (4th in 07, 5th in 08), and close behind two 4 time winners of the Quest in Lance Mackey and Hans Gatt. We were on our game in this race and it gives me great confidence going into the Quest. We didnt win this one but we had a better showing here then we did at the Gin Gin. We kept better pace with the leaders and even had some faster times between checkpoints. the banquet is about to start so I gotta run but I will be back to you soon with the first chapter of Wild and Frees 2009 Copper Basin 300. Kyla and I are headed back to Fairbanks tonight after the Banquet and are going to spend a day there getting supplies together for food drops and then heading HOME to Eureka. Words can not describe how excited I am to get back up there and i know the dogs are ready too, Going to Homer was a gamble that paid off but living out out of the truck for the past two weeks really makes me miss the comforts of Home. Thanks to everyone for checking in and following our progress, its great to get all the emails and comments during and after the race, thanks for your support. Don't forget to check out New Tab "The Team" on the site for pics and bios of all the dogs. Here are the Awards for the 2009 Copper Basin

MVP's- Silver Madonna, Silver was once again on his A game and lead 150 miles. Madonna showed she is fully recovered from her early season injury and is back on the top of her game. She lead for 260 miles. Her and Silver were the driving force in our 120 mile push from Paxson to Wolverine.

Most Consistent- Heckels tugline was tight the entire race. She really proved she has what it takes to be in the Top 14!!

Best Eater- The Dude was always excited to eat, didn't turn down any food the entire Race, and was a great motivator for the rest of the dogs to eat their food.

There will be more on how each dog did coming soon

A big thanks to my handlers Kyla, My Dad and Josh. they did a great Job! Also Doug Vollman for giving us his room to crash in last night and all day today!!

From the Wolverine Lodge

Brent