The race has started. Updates here.
Musher list with bib numbers (start order):
3. Pato Geron
4. Derek Patton
5. Dennis Kananowicz
We reached the entry limit for the 2014 Chatanika Challenge today with Yuka Honda signing up as the 25th musher. We accept sign-ups on a waiting list (please hold off with payment!).
We just updated the 2014 Two Rivers 100/200 (Chatanika Challenge) page with a musher listing — a great field it is! As of today, the following mushers are confirmed for sign-up.
(We have contacted a few of them for some clarifications, so please come back to us. Also, if you have signed up but are missing above, please send email to info@trdma.org so that we can sort out the situation.)
Because of scarce parking this year at Chatanika Lodge, the field is limited to 25 mushers. So if you want to sign up yet, please do so as soon as possible.
Details of trail conditions and layout, as well as a confirmation of time and place of mushers’ meeting and banquet will be posted within the next few days.
We also need volunteers! If you can spare some time, or could do some photocopying or printing for us, please either send email to info@trdma.org or contact us via the Facebook page.
We also need funds to feed our snow machines, buy supplies and pay fees! You can support us by becoming a member, or by using the Donate! button in the side bar of this page.
The page on the Solstice 50/100 race has been updated with a musher list and trail description.
Photo: Rod Boyce
The last few weeks, winter has gotten underway here in interior Alaska. A month ago, there was talk of a snow-free Halloween (narrowly avoided), but now, with a two good feet on the ground and some ice in the middle from a bout of freezing rain, things look different. The trails aren’t deeply set yet, and people are still exploring and opening the main routes, but it looks good for our Solstice races, scheduled for Dec. 21, three weeks from now.
Some sign-ups have been trickling in by mail. The status as of Nov. 30 is:
Solstice 50:
Solstice 100:
We’ve heard interest from a lot more people, so send in your entries and/or come to the next TRDMA meeting (at 7 pm Monday Dec. 2 at the Two Rivers School) to help with the preparatory work.
Every season, the first event organized by the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association is not a race, but our annual rabies vaccination clinic in collaboration with Dr. Jeanne Olson, DMV, of Raven Veterinary Services in North Pole. Low-price rabies shots are available for a low price ($10 for a dog and $15 for a cat), and we usually manage to get well over 100 — in busy years several 100 — dogs and cats up to date with their rabies protection. The event is also an opportunity for mushers to exchange race plans, gossip, and news from their dogs. It is also nice to mix with the Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley neighbors, who bring in their pets.
Yesterday was this year’s date, and it was the first time we used the Pleasant Valley Community Center (right behind the Pleasant Valley Store) as a base of operations. It turned out to be a pleasant and roomy space, with tables to sit down at for animal owners to fill in their paperwork. After a very busy first hour — everyone seemed to arrive on the dot at noon when we opened — things calmed down a bit, and we ended up with 152 vaccinated animals (144 dogs and 8 cats).
Many thanks to Dr. Olson, to Stephanie Ehlenfeldt for organizing everything and Life Rhythms Massage for sponsoring the rental of the space. Also to the Pleasant Valley Community Association for being great to work with, and the following volunteers:
(Please leave a comment if anyone is misspelled!)
Next TRDMA vaccination clinic: In a year.
Next TRDMA date to note: Monday, October 7, 7:30 PM, Two Rivers School — membership and volunteer meeting.
To finish, a few pictures for your enjoyment.
Is it my turn now? (With Dr. Jeanne Olson and Torben Metzner.)
Torben and Dr. Olson look happy with the papwork
Stephanie and Debbie enjoying a lull in the papwerwork
The season is starting! Please note the following dates and events:
Welcome to the new TRDMA web site! We want to offer our members, supporters and the interested public a much better web presence. As I am posting this, the first stage in our transition is in progress. Here is the plan:
Why is this so complicated?
Mostly this process is so complicated because we don’t only have to move a site but also a mailing list. The second reason is that our old site is a very manual and hard-to-maintain site and our new site uses a content management system (WordPress). The old site has been hosted for us for free by a member (many thanks!!), but with the new site we are moving to a large-scale web host. This is a transition for our very small team of volunteers!
Thank you for your patience, and please let us know in the comments what you think and what you’d most like to see here!