Americano Blue's musher/mushing chat thread

[SternRose]

We don't get a lot of snow so I just but 40-50 lbs in the little sled thing and make it 2 of those wide

 

[Americano Blue]

[COLOR=0000FF]Meringue?       [/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]Good kyna friend to have.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=008000]I use only 5&1/2-6' for a length of mainline. I get a passle of dogs into 20 feet from brush-bow to the snap at the end of the lead-dog's tug. Not much fore-vision for running though but works so darn good pulling a sled full of wood on tight curves in the bush.  I have one gang-line tho' that has 7&1/2' sections. I use that when I use the Racers and the youngsters. They like running and they need to see a ways in front instead of looking directly at someone's bum. LOL. That's what every other dog besides the leader/s see anyways eh.[/COLOR]:/

Yup.


Huh. So like the dogs are in a fan shape rather than a line?

 

[RezChamp]

Yup.


Huh. So like the dogs are in a fan shape rather than a line?

No no. Not fan hitch. That would be a horrible mess in the bush trails.

Tandem. Side by side. I believe some people refer to it as 'siwash'.
I just shorten the distance between tug and necklines and of course shortened the neck and the tug lines. That way I can put more dogs on a shorter main-line. It works good in the bush when I'm pulling out loads of firewood or when I'm hauling home large ungulates that I've harvested for sustenance of me and my fam.
And I'm quite sure you've heard the anecdote,"If you ain't the lead-dog the view is always the same."
Wolves on the hunt do not run single file. They fan out in an inverted V, like an arrowhead, until the right time to close ranks. Reason...they can see where their feet are gona hit the ground , so... they can see where they're going. They ain't looking at their brothers butt.
The extended tandem hook-up leaves room for dogs to see where their feet are gonna hit the ground, kinda like the inverted V like wolves on the hunt.
Try this, get your mom, or brother (or whoever will) to walk quickly in front of you at a fast pace through a natural setting and see how difficult it is to gauge your footfalls. This way you will be able to relate firsthandto your dogs running on a gang line? Please do not take my word or anyone else's word on it. Do it yourself. Firsthand knowledge is so good for this. And it's sbsolutely harmless done thie way. You will have so much more appreciation for your team.

 

[Americano Blue]

No no. Not fan hitch. That would be a horrible mess in the bush trails.

Tandem. Side by side. I believe some people refer to it as 'siwash'.
I just shorten the distance between tug and necklines and of course shortened the neck and the tug lines. That way I can put more dogs on a shorter main-line. It works good in the bush when I'm pulling out loads of firewood or when I'm hauling home large ungulates that I've harvested for sustenance of me and my fam.
And I'm quite sure you've heard the anecdote,"If you ain't the lead-dog the view is always the same."
Wolves on the hunt do not run single file. They fan out in an inverted V, like an arrowhead, until the right time to close ranks. Reason...they can see where their feet are gona hit the ground , so... they can see where they're going. They ain't looking at their brothers butt.
The extended tandem hook-up leaves room for dogs to see where their feet are gonna hit the ground, kinda like the inverted V like wolves on the hunt.
Try this, get your mom, or brother (or whoever will) to walk quickly in front of you at a fast pace through a natural setting and see how difficult it is to gauge your footfalls. This way you will be able to relate firsthandto your dogs running on a gang line? Please do not take my word or anyone else's word on it. Do it yourself. Firsthand knowledge is so good for this. And it's sbsolutely harmless done thie way. You will have so much more appreciation for your team.

ah. cool.

 

[charnic44]

RTTS start line! The first few miles were pretty bare and then when we got higher up into the mountains the trail was pretty nice. We took a wrong turn and headed back to the start line; causing us to scratch as the dogs believed we were done and were a bit tired not being used to such a hilly trail. Most hills were 1-3 miles long and climbed 1000-2000 ft in elevation. Needless to say, I am sore. The dogs are doing great now. I got to talk to the race marshal quite a bit, met a few mushers, and learned a lot. I did use a GoPro and videoed a few hours of the run, maybe I will set up a YouTube channel and post them there.

 

[Americano Blue]

RTTS start line! The first few miles were pretty bare and then when we got higher up into the mountains the trail was pretty nice. We took a wrong turn and headed back to the start line; causing us to scratch as the dogs believed we were done and were a bit tired not being used to such a hilly trail. Most hills were 1-3 miles long and climbed 1000-2000 ft in elevation. Needless to say, I am sore. The dogs are doing great now. I got to talk to the race marshal quite a bit, met a few mushers, and learned a lot. I did use a GoPro and videoed a few hours of the run, maybe I will set up a YouTube channel and post them there.

I'm so jealous of you!!! I wanted to go there so badly

 

[charnic44]

I'm so jealous of you!!! I wanted to go there so badly

You have to come next year. Maybe to race....?

 

[Americano Blue]

You have to come next year. Maybe to race....?

I wanna see if I can buy a leader that knows the trail then I'd love to race!

 

[RezChamp]

RTTS start line!

The first few miles were pretty bare and then when we got higher up into the mountains the trail was pretty nice. We took a wrong turn and headed back to the start line; causing us to scratch as the dogs believed we were done and were a bit tired not being used to such a hilly trail. Most hills were 1-3 miles long and climbed 1000-2000 ft in elevation. Needless to say, I am sore. The dogs are doing great now. I got to talk to the race marshal quite a bit, met a few mushers, and learned a lot. I did use a GoPro and videoed a few hours of the run, maybe I will set up a YouTube channel and post them there.

Aw geez man I am so happy for you that you were in it. so proud of you. Kinda sux tho that you made a left when you shoulda turned right. Kinda jealous for myself tho LOL staying home and even missing The Pas Trappers Festival World & Manitoba Championship Dodsled Races. I hear that Jessie Royer got first in the RTTS 300. I think that is so kooleos.
love to see your footage

 

[RezChamp]

We don't get a lot of snow so I just but 40-50 lbs in the little sled thing and make it 2 of those wide

LOL. I really appreciate and relate to your ingenuity. I have used snowshoes and an axe....for 10 miles at a stretch. I've pulled a truck tire behind a quad and or a snomo. I've used a snomo to pull a bunch of small trees or a ladder. I seen people use a barrel, a flat piece of steel, a camper trailer that's been stripped to the metal frame and then flipped upside down, a 10 foot long piece of (5ft wide)chain-link fence ........ingenuity rules.