Basalt Tamaskan

16/05/2025

I made a very last minute decision and drove out to Arizona for my Granddads celebration of life last month. Mostly thanks to a decent tax refund. I made a bit of a trip out of it with my little family.

Over 9 days we drove 5,617 miles. Went through 14 States, 6 National Parks. It was a adventure. Starting with a broken brake line. Hitting and killing a buck on my way to get a safe reliable vehicle. Getting use to driving something other than a truck. Never did get use to low light headlights. Driving through Kansas’ open plains at night surrounded by lighting/thunderstorm. It was amazingly powerful and beautiful. Going through a border patrol checkpoint in New Mexico. I kinda thought maybe in my sleep deprivation of driving 16 hours I took a wrong turn and was headed to Mexico. Satisfied my craving for Mexican food over and over again. The midwest just doesn’t know how to do it. Getting to see my brother’s home and being allowed to stay in his guest bedroom. Reinforcement of how much I dislike big cities, the suffering, the crazy things that shouldn’t be normal. Celebrated the extraordinary life my grandfather lived. Had a quick visit with Timberline Tamaskan. Hiked up the same arch in Utah I did in 2017 when it was just Zephyr, Noque and I. It was hard to watch Zephyr struggle and have to help him so much to get up to and down the arch. His house mates were not very helpful with their unfettered youth. Found a iPhone hiking. It works but its locked with no emergency contact attached to it. Prevented a massive wildfire in Colorado by quickly jumping into action with all my dogs water and a shovel with the help of a local rancher while on the phone with 911. Stop throwing ci******es out your car windows! Picked up my truck in Ann Arbor with the brake lines all fixed. We are reluctantly “home” and trying to get back into the swing of things. Stay tuned. I

10/05/2025

Happy 6th Birthday to my Great Lakes Litter.

Basalt Lake Superior (Graph)
Basalt Great Lakes Basin (Odin)
Basalt Lake Huron (Pyrite) 🌈
Basalt Lake Michigan (Drogon)
Basalt Lake Erie (Ayka)
Basalt Straits of Mackinac (Matías)
Basalt Lake Ontario (Andraste) 🌈

04/04/2025

It has taken a long long time to find a photographer that was at the 2021 Beargrease and was able to look back and see if they had pictures of my team. I am some how notorious for slipping through the cracks and being invisible and not getting photos. Races also don’t really make it easy to find the photographers but after a lot of inquirieses after Beargrease 2023 I did find Amber’s Impressions and she had taken photos of my team and promised to look back over the 2021 race photos. She was able to go back over her photos from the 2021 race this winter and she did infact have some photos of my team. So I ordered digital copies and a big print of this photo. She is the only photographer I have seen photos from of my team either year I have raced.

Lead: Sphinx - Ranger
Point: Graph - Pyrite
Wheel: Fahren - River

21/03/2025

Way to go Quince for continuing to Nome unsupported after being withdrawn from Iditarod due to rule 36 (officials vote to withdraw when deemed too slow). Excellent tribute to the indomitable spirit of the sled dog and their mushers an a memorable way to honor your recently passed mother and friends.

In March 2025, Q's Iditarod ended early.He kept mushing, self-supported.

16/03/2025

Graph (5.83 years old)
Vesper (2.5 years old)

14/03/2025

Happy Birthday Pi Litter form your daddy Zephyr and the rest of my pack.

03/03/2025

Thank you Jen and Pete of Lost Mile Mushing for inviting me to come handle for your CopperDog 80. The dogs and I were happy to spend another weekend in the Keweenaw with your team.

There were some tough moments to work through for me with this not only being my unintentionally second year off the runners but also because the CD30 was my last sled race I ever got to do with Pyrite. Then the realization that this could very well be the last race Zephyr ever makes a appearence at definitely had me in my head a bit. Maybe zoned out a bit here and there and I was way more food adverse than I usually am but I got through it and still had a excellent time watching everyone else and their teams compete.

If all goes as planned I will be back on the runners with a team of all my own dogs in 2027 but who knows maybe I will lease some dogs just to complete my team and get on the runners sooner.

Congratulations to everyone that took a stab at it or completed any of the four Copper Dog Races especially through Friday nights snow and 50mph winds.

25/02/2025

Last call! Due to deteriorating trail conditions on the races trails at many races and CopperDog having ample snow for races to go as normal they have kindly extended their race entry deadline.

The weather is suppose to be in the teens and low twenties I believe for most of race weekend too so it should be a firm trail. This a extremely well put together race with complete community involvement. We again are not racing but will be their all weekend to watch all 3 distance race as well as the sprint race and of course helping out Lost Mile Mushing in the CD80.

There is so many events planned across the communities of Calumet, Eagle Harbor, and Copper Harbor. Check out all the scheduled events on their website. Also I hear there will be free dog sled rides for kids in Copper Harbor on Saturday.

If you see my crew and I don’t hesitate to come talk dog.

25/FEB/25 - NEWS RELEASE: Due to deteriorating trail conditions in some locations in the Midwest, CopperDog registration will remain open until 11:59 PM EST (10:59 PM CST) tonight!

Trail conditions in the Keweenaw are safe, 100% snow-covered, and will remain so through race-weekend.

If you are looking to come mush with us, please follow this link; . We still have room in all of our four distance races and the overall purse is US$32,500.

Sleddog World / Sled Dog Central / Sled Dog Talk / Mushing Midwest / Mushing Magazine / Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce / Keweenaw National Historical Park / Visit Keweenaw / Michigan's Upper Peninsula / Pure Michigan

16/02/2025

After the last few hellish months having the weather to permit The UP200, Midnight Run, and Jack Pine 30 be a go was just what I needed. Got to hangout with Choixlibre and helped Lost Mile Mushing get to the start of their very first MNR. Saw many other mushers leave downtown for their first ever MNR (Flight Risk Mushing, Riot Dogs,Team Trailmix, Fl8risk Siberians) and many veteran teams get back on this trail.

Followed the trackers through most the night and on a whim decided to drive out to Gwinn to watch the start of the Jackpine 30 to support friends there. I helped Shorty Creek Sled Dogs get to the start chute and watched Jana and Ryan’s teams from Spirit Dream Racing, Bob Creek Kennel, Mother North Mushing, anf Potluck Pups all leave the start chute. Good Job everyone!

Didnt take very many pitures but it was a good time and reminder of a lot of things. Zephyr, Noque, Fahren, Graph and Vesper were all content being home and not racing this weekend. Excited to go to CopperDog in a few weeks for more dog racing, good company and fresh air.

I have too much snow to remove to get to the UP200 finish but I am watching the trackers as they finish through out today with their teams.

13/02/2025

UP200/Midnight Run/JackPine Weekend! We are excited to see many of our winter friends and their teams from across the USA and Canada.

Here is a list of scheduled events.

DO NOT BRING YOUR PETS and please keep them contained if you live along the trail for everyone’s safety.

07/02/2025

February 6th is chondrosarcoma awareness day, it also marks 8 weeks since I lost Pyrite to chondrosarcoma in her aortic valve and at only 5 years old 💔.