Cascade Sled Dog Club August 2015 President s Message Gangline Kate is on vacation this month. Things are certainly busy for everyone, including club members. Between trail reports and preparing for the fall pull clinic, there s no shortage of things to do. Upcoming Events August Meeting at Tim and Sharon s 8/15 @ 5PM Fall Pull Clinic 9/26 As always, volunteers will be needed to put on another successful clinic on 9/26, so contact Kim to find out what needs to be done. Renewing your membership is super easy, and can be done all online. Don t forget to fill out the form on the renewing member page! http://www.cascadesleddogclub.com/renewing- members.html Editor In This Issue July Meeting Minutes Meet The Musher Sunshine Report It s time to renew your membership! 2014-2015 Club Officers Board: Thad McCracken, Lou Luckeroth, Gaby Sipe President Kate Stinson Vice President Kim Tinker Treasurer Sharon Nuckols Secretary Laura Maffei
Meeting Minutes 06/25/2015 Laura & Noel s House (Hallstatt). Meeting called to order by Kim at 4:33pm In attendance: Kim Tinker, Tim Curley, Sharon Nuckols, Laura Maffei, Noel Snyder, Trish Carroll. Minutes Reading of minutes is waived. Treasury Balance is $3,031.18 (pre- pull clinic). PNC is $379.60. Sharon asked that those receiving checks from the club for reimbursements, etc., please cash them promptly so she can balance our checkbook. Race No report. Education OHS Summer Camp lectures are going well. So far, Laura & Noel; Dan & Lindsay; and Kate and Lindsay have given presentations. OHS has a nice setup for these lectures in one of their multipurpose rooms that has AV capability and plenty of room for dogs and sledding gear. Social Next meeting will be August 15 at Tim & Sharon s at 5:00pm. We will be planning the Pull Clinic so good turnout is essential. PNC No report Gangline Gangline has been going out, thanks to Dan. Looks good. Trails Trails: Trail Site Evaluation forms (aka Trail Reports) have been developed and were passed out to members in attendance. They also were attached to the July Gangline. Kim went to Lolo Pass to check it out and has filled out a report. It s not ideal for a number of reasons that are outlined in her report. She also went to the road to Bennett Pass (#4891) and has filled out a report. The road is not currently passable because it hasn t been maintained, but other aspects of the location are very good. Finally, Kim went to the Frazier Turnaround (#4610) and has filled out a report. It s not horrible and could offer a 10- mile run with a turnaround at the end. The road is rough for the first three miles, but is scooterable after that. However, it takes a long time to get there. Laura is collecting reports to scan and save in our USFS file on our cloud account. We need people to visit the rest of the trails on our list. We recognize that summer temperatures are not ideal for bringing your dogs on these outings, but please be on the lookout for favorable temps and times to visit possible trails. Of the list provided in the July Gangline, the following trails still need recon or a Trail Report completed (Kim completed 2660/Blue Box Pass shortly after the July meeting): 2640/Snow Brush across from Clear Lake; 4891; 5800-240; 2656 to 2659-309/Trillium; 2613; 2612/Still Creek; 2627; 4611; 4850/Barlow. Note that although we are quite familiar with some of these trails, we would still like to get Trail Reports filled out to have a complete list for our database. Also, if you happen to find other roads not on the list, please feel free to complete Trail Reports for them as well. Sunshine Sadly, Reggie has been busy with Sunshine as we ve had some losses lately. Club Member Reggie Lombardi and Suka. Photo 2014, Dan Silvertree 2
Membership Please renew as soon as possible and be sure to fill out the membership form online so Lindsay has the most current information. Old Business (See trails report above) New Business We need to form our committees for the upcoming season. This is a preliminary list and we need more people to add their names to these committees. A committee is NOT ONE PERSON we need good participation to make all of our activities work. Even if you are new, please consider joining a committee to learn the ropes with a more experienced member. Race: Sharon (she will need backup b/c she may be gone at bigger races this season during our local races); Debbie may be able to help after her move Education: Need someone Social: Kim by default as VP PNC: Tim & Kate (Kate by default) Gangline: Dan Trail: Kim, Tim, and someone else Sunshine: Reggie (maybe) & Trish Fundraising: Kim & someone else Membership/Social Media: Lindsay (if she s willing) Fall Pull Clinic? Yes. Ocbtober 3 if we can have access to the bathrooms and shelter, but September 26 if not. Meeting adjourned at 5:35pm. It s membership renewal time! It s super easy, click here - CSDC Membership for details, you can pay online or via mail. Either way you chose, please remember to fill out the membership online form on that page, it helps keep all our info current and reminds us what you re interested in volunteering for! The club puts on several events (weather permitting) and your dues money helps to fund those, as well as the clubs efforts advocating for trail access to train our teams on and securing new venues for possible dryland events. We rely on your support to continue these efforts. Without the membership we wouldn t have this resource, or a united voice to help protect our access. Meet The Musher Heidi and Peter VanderVoorn joined the club last year. Where do you live? NE Portland How many dogs do you have? 1 dog, a Tamaskan named Navarre. What got you started in dog powered sports. Several years ago we went on a sled dog tour near Leavenworth, WA and fell in love with the dogs, the experience of being pulled in the snow, and the synergy between the owner and the dogs. It was so inspiring! This was before we had a dog, but when we were ready to get one, we researched breeds that would be suited to pulling a sled or scooter and keeping up with our active lifestyle in general. Tamaskans are an active, sociable, trainable, and attractive breed originating from a variety of sled dog breeds, so it seemed like a perfect fit. How long have you been doing it? Only one season of actual dog-sledding. Two years ago, when Navarre was only 20 weeks old, we started having him pull a small log to 3
Meet The Musher (con t) get used to the sensation. We also used the mushing terms gee and haw (right and left) on our walks, so that he would get accustomed to the commands. In September 2014 we attended the Cascade Sled Dog Club Fall Pulll Clinic and participated actively through this winter season on both snow and dry land. What changes have you seen in yourself since you ve become involved in the sport? Peter and I have become passionate about providing our dog the opportunity to fulfill his innate desire to pull and run. I never expected to be so enthusiastic about getting up at 5:30am on a Saturday or Sunday to head to Mt Hood or some other training spot, but when that alarm goes off our heart skips a beat in anticipation of being on a trail racing through the woods with our dog. What is one of the most memorable experiences you ve shared with your dogs? This is a challenging question because every day with Navarre is memorable. We are always taking him to new places, showing him new things, and training him, so each day is special in its own way. Navarre was 7 months old by the time we first brought him up to Mt Hood, and it was thrilling to see the joy he experienced running and rolling in the snow. It was clear he would be in his element as a sled dog. The first time with Navarre on the starting line of a scooter race was remarkable. He was so full of excitement and anticipation that several handlers were required to hold him back and his barking was nearly deafening, but once I gave the hike hike command, he was all business running silently and with great purpose though the peaceful woods. My favorite time of the day with him is in the mornings when we lay with him on his bed and he gives us kisses and cuddles for as long as we can stand it. It s seems like his way of showing appreciation for his life with us and enthusiasm for a new day of exciting adventures! What is one of the most important lessons your dogs have taught you? Patience! In order to have a well-trained dog you cannot cut any corners and must be consistent with cues and commands. Sometimes this means a walk to the park will take 60min instead of 30min because you are redirecting them to heel and to ignore cats and squirrels. Patience and persistence will reward you with an extremely well behaved dog. When talking to someone unfamiliar with the sport and culture, besides the addictive nature, what would you want them to know? Spring or Fall weather may seem cool to you, but it is important to follow the mushing guidelines of only running your dog when temperatures drop below 50 degrees to avoid overheating. The mushing community is one of the most friendly, supportive, and inspiring groups we ve met. They are enthusiastic about informing people who are interested and helping people get started. Their passion for the dogs, the sport, and the outdoors is contagious. Have you had other working dogs? No Do you work with your dogs in other 4
Meet The Musher (con t) working activities? We have enjoyed participating in a variety of classes with Navarre, including Agility and Rally Obedience. I think these types of activities can keep a dog entertained in the off months when they are not pulling and, most importantly, it continues to build the personal relationship between dog and owner. The more they trust you, the more enthusiastically they will respond to commands and enjoy the teamwork required for successful pulling. Who was/is your gateway or foundation dog, and why? Navarre is our gateway dog to the sport due to the fact we intended on getting a breed that would be interested in pulling. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? We intend to continue skijoring, scootering and possibly sledding with Navarre for many more years. We ll try out more competitive racing next season, but for us it is more about enjoying time with the dog and giving him great exercise. Ideally, we would love to buy a small cabin on Mt. Hood that would allow us to hit the trails more often. Navarre will be 7 then, so I have a feeling as he starts to slow down with age we would consider introducing a new dog to our pack so that we can continue to enjoy the sport without putting too much strain on an older dog. What do you do when you re not training your dogs to pull? We like to keep Navarre as physically and mentally active as possible as that is when he is happiest. We take advanced obedience classes on a regular basis to keep up on his listening skills and off-leash behavior. We enjoy hiking and backpacking and Navarre usually accompanies us with his own pack. We ve recently gotten into paddleboarding. Navarre seems to enjoy getting on the board for short trips, and we re working to gradually extend this. Navarre also accompanies us to many local watering holes and dining establishments. Navarre courtesy Heidi VanderVoorn 5
1 2 Sunshine Committee Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine (and SNOW) and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals that had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content except for one thing; they each miss someone very special, someone who was left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, faster and faster. You have been spotted and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head and you look once more into the trusting eyes, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart. Rainbow Bridge Poem Good friends stay forever in our hearts. Joining other fur friends are: Wolfie (Denise Sillett) Jimmy (Tim Curley) Oz (Tim Curley) photo courtesy Dan Silvertree 6
Photo courtesy Sharon Nuckols Race (Sharon Nuckols) photo 2012, Andrew Borges Layton (Debbie Lyman) Classified Ads Member News No submissions this month. Classified advertising rates: Full page, one issue of Gangline, plus one month on CSDC website: $20 1 2 page, one issue of Gangline, plus one month on CSDC website: $17 1 4 page, one issue of Gangline, plus one month on CSDC website: $10 Business card size is free to members, One issue of Gangline, plus one month on CSDC website: $5 for non- members. Unless specified, each ad will run only once. Payment in full must be made at time of submission. Make checks payable to Cascade Sled Dog Club. Submissions must be received by the 25 th of the month for publication on the 1 st of the next month. Contact editor for details: cascadesdc@me.com. 7