What Comes Next

By now everybody has no doubt noticed that the ’11 race season has begun in earnest and I’m not signed up for a single event. No Iditarod. No Beargrease. No nothing.

I started running sled dogs when I was about 7 years of age (I turn 39 in a few short weeks),which gives me over thirty years of practical experience to look back on, during which time I’ve racked up high-profile finishes (and round trips along the Alaska Highway!) in more races than I can even clearly remember; I’m ready for a short break. I rather think that it will be fun to watch the industry from the sidelines for a change.

In all seriousness, it is very difficult for me to set this season out–especially when reports from the races up north begin to trickle in–but, it’s a career move which I’m committed to, and I have no intention of ‘backing out’. One of the biggest reasons for this diversion of my mushing career is the fact that I knew I would never have the time or opportunity to try my hand at a number of other projects that I’ve dreamed of doing for years, but never pushed off of the starting blocks; the biggest of these projects is my new writing career, but there are a few others which I will share with you in the near future.

With that said, I want everyone reading this to know that I am most certainly not turning my back on the sport–I have a life spent mushing dogs hard-wired into my genetic circuitry, and I love the tradition dearly; this will be a major focus of this blog–I have inside of me a wealth of mushing lore and insight which I fully intend to share with all of you in the days ahead.

I’m currently working on a series of stories concerning the Beargrease–a detailed examination of last year’s race, and also a look at this years up-coming event. On that note, if you have any ‘mushing’ areas that you would like me to explore in future articles, or questions, please do not hesitate to ask them in the form of a ‘comment’. I take these questions and either answer them directly, or fold them into a comprehensive story to be shared with all.

So, this blog is to become a forum for mushing lore, outdoor living, and adventure story writing, the writing to be a blend of all three topics. I hope to average approximately 21 posts per month (perhaps more, but I do not want to commit to a work load that I cannot maintain).

I leave you with part 1 of a series of two videos taking the audience on a tour of mine and my wife’s home in the mountains of Montana. Welcome aboard all, and thank you for taking the time to visit!

More to follow…