Short track at Kortright is a go.

Well, a few hard days work and we have a 2.3 mile short track ready for Saturday and Sunday,Feb.27/28,2010. We will set this up as two separate races one on Sat. and one on Sun. The trail is in the three flat fields of Kortright. There is NO head on passing. No means no it's a piece of cake. Embarassing actually, the Kortright race does have a reputation apparently.
Drivers meeting around 10-10:30am -we will not be in a rush so don't panic.
Same for Sunday. When we figure out what we are going to run we will do a bib draw with some creative picking for racers who can run different teams (we will have heats).
This is a fun race so enjoy yourselves and the company..the nicest racers you'll ever meet will be here.

Kortright update for Thursday Night

I spoke with the Kortright Centre this evening and like Burlington, the snow has not really started to fall. We have already called off the four mile trail but we are still hoping for the short track event. For the Siberian husky teams that can wait we are hoping to make the call in the morning and see what mother nature has to offer.
I will post on my blog after 8:30am what we are planning to do.I will also email the racers on my contact list.
I am still very positive and hope to race short track after some snow falls and I pack the trail on Friday. Talk to you tommorrow.
dogsleddn

At Kortright today

I made my way to The Kortright Centre today. I was thinking positive all the way there. I headed into the main building and noticed a picture of our friend and racer (Michelle) in the cafeteria that was donated by a photographer, poster size and well framed. Wow this is positive!!The snow looked good as I got on the snowmobile.
I made my way around the first three fields and I said "not bad". As I drove around the back I could see there was not enough snow through the treed part of the trail and I was on the ground. By the time I got to the small bridge I knew there was no way we could race on the back side of this Kortright trail. I made my way around the whole trail and decided to just work on the first 2 miles. By 1 pm I thought I had done as much as I could for the day without causing any damage.
I will wait until Thursday to make the call to shut the whole thing down.
I need that snow that the area news has been speaking of.#@*&%4!
Anyways the 4 mile race is cancelled and I will let you know tommorrow about the 2 mile loop. Please email me if you are interested in attending..dogsleddn@hotmail.com
I will have $1200 for the fun run that we can split up between the racers that show up.(no entry fee). I'll update another post tommorrow.

"WOW!!!" Some Late February Snow

Here is Maureen, Natalie and Matthew at PineVista Resort. The only picture I had with snow in it this year.We love it there and try and go when we can to re-group, re-energize and re-motivate.
Well, we finally go some snow here in Southern Ontario. The first real bit in 2010.
"what's going on with that?". 7 pm and it's still coming down. I hope I don't get too much-just kiddn. I will not be able to get to Kortright until Wednesday this week. There is some snow but I will have to go check things out. The one problem that the warm weather may have caused some difficulty is the small creek at the bottom of Kortright was running the last time I was there. I need to get around that bridge so we can get to the other side of Kortright and finish the race.
I will let you know Wednesday what I can do.
If there is going to be a race I may need some help Thursday or Friday with straw bails. If you can help email me. I will be there Wednesday Thursday and Friday if I think I can pull it off. Foresure, I can do the three fields and back down the end part of the first field like we did a few years ago. I'll give you more info wednesday night.

Hans Gatt wins the Quest.

In record time Hans Gatt pulls into the finish of the Yukon Quest.
Lance Mackey is expected to arrive anytime in second place. What an exciting race and the first time Lance has been beaten in over 7000 miles.
Congrads to Hans Gatt!!!
Get some rest guys it's off to the iditarod next.
I have not heard from the horses mouth but I hear they are looking for some snow still so we can race in Canningtion this weekend. Checkout sleddogcentral.com to see if the race is a go. I will let you know if I hear anything as well.

Lance in the lead by 1 minute.

WOW! Lance is in the lead at Pelly Crossing check point. He has the lead over Hugh Neff by 1 minute. Both teams rested for 5 hours and 28 minutes. Lance left one minute before Hugh and the were off. They came into Macabe Creek dog drop within the same minute and both drove straight threw. Hans Gatt was only 13 minutes behind them. This is the most interesting race I have followed and is any one's championship.
Lance tells yukonquest.com that "Hugh and I have run over 4000 miles together during races". Hers is a picture from yukonquest.com of the three leaders all looking pretty good and getting a meal. Lance looks as relaxed as he did there as he did in the picture of us at the Jamaican fundraiser in Toronto.

Haliburton Race this weekend.

The Haliburton Race will happen this weekend. Lots of snow and a good trail I hear.
I had some great memories at this race. I finished fourth just a few beers short of third (siberian Class). My favorite memory of this race was all the teams pulling in with their trucks and I drove into the park with my new Red PT Cruizer. I had my Sled on the roof with my new Canadian flag strapped to it. My three dogs in crates in the hatch. Lynn Hiley told me she was speaking with Leigh Gilcrest and she said here comes Joel..."he sure can make an enterance". That same weekend during the race I had some head on trouble with an open French speaking team from Quebec. We were heading down the trail and my Tyler wasn't moving to the side and the French team wasn't going to budge either(head on Race). They ran right into each other and there was a big tangle. The french man was swearing at me in French something to the tone of #@4*+#2#$%^ cursing the church aparently. Refusing to even get off his sled, I walked up, picked up my sled lifting it in the air and my lines magically(fluke) came out clean. I called Tyler ahead and we were on our way. Still yelling at me, I said your welcome. When I checked the times when I got in I had beaten the open French team. It was my goal for the second day to beat him over all. I did and I think that motivation actually help me keep me in my fourth position. I don't have any pictures of that race but here I am with my PT.Cruizer and Sasha at Wasaga beach.
I hope everyone has fun at the race and I hope to see you all at Cannington next weekend and at Kortright if the weather co-operates (I'll be the team arriving in the park in the Vanilla Pt Cruizer with the sled strapped to the roof with the Canadian flag on it and three dogs in the hatch).

Yukon Quest update

Well, few days into the race now. Some team's into Slaven's Roadhouse Dog Drop.
Zack Steer in front,Hugh Neff in second and Lance Mackey in third. There is still a long way to go but Eagle Checkpoint next stop. The mushers are having a fun time so far according to the news from yukonquest.com
One quarter of the way to to finish. Still more fun to come until they start getting serious.

If you are looking for any info on The SHCC S/C Ontario 3-4 dog Champioships at Kortright, look at my Dec 3,2009 Post.
The date has changed to Feb.27/28,2010.

Weather is just not co-operating this year

We haven't had anymore snow since the last post. Still a few more weeks until the new date of the Kortright Race but what a crappy winter.
The Quest started this weekend. I hope everyone has a great race and dogs/racers stay safe. I tried to get some results from the website but it is still to early and hard to fiqure out. Looks like Hans Gatt has the early lead. I check back in a few more days.I had a few people calling me for some used sleds but I told them to buy a bike instead (just kidding I'm working on it). I'll keep you up to date with our Southern Ontario weather but it might be a early golf season at this rate.