2nd Annual Chinook Olympics

WoodsRunner Chinooks (L-R) Hudson, Trailbreaker & Duncan wait to go for a run.

Once again, Elaine and David Bradbury graciously opened their home and expansive property to dogs and their humans for a CNE! event. This time the humans outnumbered the dogs by 1! 44 humans, 26 Chinooks, and 17 other dogs took to the trails at the second annual Chinooks New England! Winter Festival. What an amazing day it was. The sun shone brightly, the trails were perfectly groomed and the dogs were magnificent.

Several folks who came tried skijoring for the first time. We had extra belts, lines and harnesses available for beginners. The new dogs and skiers who tried it fell in love with the sport, and can't wait to try it again. Other, more experienced, skijorers flew around the trails with their dogs. All in all, we had six skijorers on the trails! Many enjoyed the trails on skis without dog-power too.

Rich Fass and Chinook X Trekker (R)
take seven month old husky, Talisman,
for his first skijor run. It was fast!

We also had an impressive number of sled teams come for the event. The teams benefited from the general ease with which Chinooks can be swapped and borrowed. There were multiple runs, kids got rides, newcomers got a chance on the runners and single dogs got a chance to run with a team. The trails were fast and drivers got exciting runs!

Bob Jones and the WoodsRunner team take a visitor and her daughter for a sled ride.

John Thomas borrowed two lead dogs (Tanker & Hudson) to help his Chinooks Aggie & Mica take Grace Ulinski for a ride.

Jess Maurer coming off the trail with the GreatMountain team after the first run of the day. The team would take two more runs with passengers Tyler and Risa.

David Bradbury borrowed Chinook X Erebus (L) to help his Chinook Becca run the trails. This team also took several junior drivers around the trails.

A fast finish! The WoodsRunner team, followed by a team of Huskys is chased by Chinooks Fae & Frankie driven by Conrad Griffin.

Visiting dogs Mitchell & Hazel try pulling a sled for the first time. They did great!

Several ice skaters also took full advantage of the Bradbury's lovely pond, which is iced over and cleaned for skaters. It first looked like hockey practice but then figure skaters took over. The toddlers also had it made with rides on ice and snow with Mom and Dad towing. Meanwhile, several folks who had come to meet Chinooks mingled with Chinook owners and marveled at the gentleness of the breed.

Cathleen Griffin & Chinook Lewi chat with a visitor and her Great Dane.

Trav'ler in front, with brother Cedar (diagonally behind) and Mina.

This event also gave the next generation of Chinook sled dogs a chance to learn about sledding. Three puppies got hooked to a more experienced lead dog to run in front of a "jogjorer". They did great and are all natural pullers. This offered these young dogs a positive experience with no pressure.

Predictably enough, we retired by the wood stove to enjoy baked ham, baked beans, chilis, soups, salads, breads, pies, cookies... While food was consumed, the silent auction was heating up. In the last five minutes, it got downright competitive. After all, there were old Chinook postcards and replica photos, homemade socks and hats, Chinook crafts, sledding books and more at stake. The finishing bell rang and the highest bidders went home with their spoils.

After lunch there was a bit more sledding, skiing and finally, a walk through the woods. You know, Chinooks pretending to be dolphins- running, romping, circling, diving, swimming through the snow. We humans, paired in conversations, enjoyed the warmth of the day and the sea of tawny around us. It was a nice way to end the day.

WoodsRunner littermates (L-R) Rain, Plato, Allagash & Charlie pose for a family reunion photo with their people.

Karen & Rich Fass head down the trail to join 20 something dogs on a walk through the woods.