Fun Runner

Babe loves to run, even with somebody behind her attached to her on a leash. There is probably nothing more enjoyable to her.






and despite that face, Nicki is not about ready to drop.


She's a great dog to skijor with :) Looks like a great season ahead for us.

Polar Bear Dog

Rocket encounters a Polar Bear on a frigid Alaska night lit by the full moon. Malamutes were used by the Inupiat to hunt sea mammals including polar bears on the ice on the Northwest Coast of Alaska. Instincts play out in an age old tradition of Malamute vs Polar Bear.


Rocket eyes the Polar Bear and judging by the look on his face he's not happy its around.


Rocket makes the nab.


Taking the bear back for some punishment.


I have seen this behavior for decades now, the Polar Bear is doomed.


gut Shot


Ouch, that has to hurt. You can almost hear the bear bellowing.


Sniffing to see if there is any remaining life. Its The End for this bear!

Weathering Heights

We helped the friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center by hauling a weather station up to Fresno Ridge, pulling the old one off and putting the new one on. They made this real easy for us to do. A clap on the back to Crane Johnson.

Here's Rocket supervising our work. The main controller box also contains the temperature, humidity, and pressure gauge on on this unit. Its found in the middle of our crap, I mean packs. We put this unit on after taking the old unit off.


This is Thomas bolting the main unit on the tripod.


This is Thomas attaching the anenometer wire to the pole. We don't want anything flapping in the wind.


Taking a break after finishing the work.


Heading home. Rocket carried the tools, about 10 pounds, in his pack. Thomas and I alternated carrying the weather station up in my pack. Thomas carried the old weather station down. Thomas has the old weather station in his pack.


It was foggy or cloudy all day but only enveloped us at the weather station. Fun day, and glad we could help folks out. We'll be watching the weather in the Summit area for skiing this winter :) Now were talking fun~!

Pineapple Express

What's a funhog to do when he wakes up and finds its 61 deg F outside? What a sock in the chops. Those gosh darn blocking highs and fronts moving in from the south put an end to our early ski season. Well, we put on the hiking shoes, make up a lunch and take the dogs out for a hike.




The place was empty besides a few moose, a bunch of Dall Sheep up high, and this Raven. Just a fifteen feet off the trail. He watched us walk by. Valley was interested in him but I just couldn't see the Raven letting her sniff his rump. I don't know Ravens too well but I don't think they act like dogs very often.




The pretty girl on the last break of the day.

Mother Nature teams with Old Man Winter

Mother Nature teamed with Old Man Winter last night and produced the goods. 3 or 4 inches of snow on my deck. Well what's a funhog to do? Grab the skis, a fundog and go skijoring.







this would have lasted longer but my skis slipped out from underneath me and I ended up on my back LOL

Season opener, game on!

In the Throne Room of the Mountain Goat

We saw a goat way down low and thought we might want to check it out. So we crossed the creek walked a ways then saw him again on the ridge. So we moved one gully over and climbed about 1500 feet give or take. Valley ran to the end of the line. I peered over and snapped the photo on full zoom


Same "pic" but with no zoom


It sure is great hiking in their realm, peace,quiet and beauty. What a lucky day to happen upon a goat.

Here Valley is on the return back in the valley off the ridge.


Another spectacular day in the mountains.

Last Weekend of Summer

We decided to spend our last weekend of summer east of Denali National
Park in the Alaska Range soaking up the sun and fall colors.

Here's Valley right before our camp:


Two Lovebirds in Camp:


Jago(Babe) out on patrol around camp while we are cooking:


Rocket with his turn checking things out during our breakfast


Out on a day hike from camp, entering a hanging canyon:


Valley settling down for lunch:


Here are some caribou we scared up.


Happy Valley at the head of the hanging valley.


View out the opposite direction:


All things must end, here we are on the way out.


Big dogs are really small dogs in the big picture. Looking out into
Denali National Park and the Parks highway.


It was one of our best summers ever, we are looking forward to an
early winter season with lots of skijoring.