Gee!! Haw!!
(Right!! Left!!)
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| The scenery along the trail |
Today I got to see my first sled dog race here in Alaska. The Fur Rondy Sled Dog Championship that runs through the city of Anchorage. It was.... quiet. Surprisingly quiet. I was standing along the trail, a few miles into the race, in a spot where the dogs and mushers make a sharp "haw" or left turn before going down a hill. I found a good spot just after the turn, up on the hill right next to the trail, and had my camera(s) ready. The volunteers at that part of the trail used whistles to signal that a dog team was in sight. That was very helpful to know when to have the camera "at the ready"! Especially since it's so quiet otherwise.
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| Rounding the corner... |
The first team comes over the bridge and around the corner... those dogs are so focused and happy! I'm used to seeing/hearing the dogs barking excitedly at the start of a race, but this is the first time I've seen them along the trail. Unfortunately, I was having battery problems in the cold weather, but fortunately, I had a total of 3 still cameras and a video camera with me. :)
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| So focused! |
I still maintain that anyone who thinks hooking up a bunch of dogs to a sled and making them pull them for miles is torture is completely naive. These dogs live for running, and are so sad if they're not chosen to be part of a team for any particular run. The dogs are so happy, I can't help but be happy when I'm around them. This race was a sprint for these dogs, and it was fun to see them goin' for it!
Very cool! So how long were out there before the first team came through and how much longer before the last?
ReplyDeleteSeems like it's not much of a 'spectator' sport :)