Spring Camping

Spring Adventure! It has been a few years since I went on a spring camping trip with dogs. There used to be a time that I went down the lake for exciting trips that lasted for four days and three nights. Didn't know how much I missed it. My summer employer, Michelle Phillips, asked me to come with her family for an overnight at Moose Arm. This is a place south about 40 miles on Tagish Lake. It is a few miles south of the B.C./Yukon border. There is a 10 mile portage to the east over to Atlin Lake and another 30 miles to Atlin, B.C.

The Southern Lakes are a giant frozen highway in the winter. We usually don't get too much snow and people are using snowmachines to go icefishing, leaving a nice trail for the dogs. Later in the Spring the snow level goes down and has a nice hard crust, so with good lead dogs you can go anywhere.

The top pictures are of the kennel in Tagish and a view south from our camp. Then a picture of my team, complete with some of my favorite dogs from the summer. Allosaurus and Optimus were my wheel dogs (those closest to the sled). Both of them are great pullers, honest and hard workers. The middle ones are Zappa and English. Zap is one of my favorite leaders, along with Patti (nicknamed Patti Wacko, a little 40 pounder that thinks she is a pit bull and fun as can be) his sister. The leaders I got to use were Daisy and Franchesca. Daisy is Michelle's main race leader and Frannie is a really driving speed leader that wants to pass everything in sight. She is Daisy's daughter. You can see good photos of all these guys at www.pristinewildernesstours.com.

The trip was wonderful and I had a great time. Going home the wind was from the North, blowing 30 mph right into our faces, temp -17. Brought back many memories of other times down there.