Northernmost

We only have a few days left of our holiday and I’m actually starting to look forward to welcoming spring and summer on the coast. Overall, the winter of 2014/15 will be remembered as a frustrating wait for colder weather that never quite arrived. The last few weeks in Lapland have completely saved our sledding season but even here, in the Far North, spring has arrived about one month too early. Below are some snowy skijoring pics from different days last week. There’s something about big snowflakes that makes my heart smile ♥ Have a happy weekend, everyone!

My favourite pic from April – All Weather Dogs 🙂

Shall we go?

Running with frosting on top!

Oh no…Lyra has spotted the camera woman…

…glad Tuisku kept her on the trail, or I would have been love-attacked at full speed 😉

Sledog Dream Leaper, WTD, aka Lyra ♥

Time flies when you’re having fun, and we’re having a good time here in Lapland! During the first week of our holiday we had a couple of sunny days but for the most part it’s been snowy and wet, like today. The trails are holding up pretty well despite the mild weather and we’ve been out on daytrips nearly every day, exploring the trails in and around the village and visiting the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park on an overnight trip too. The dogs seem very happy to be on holiday and have been in a relaxed mood since we arrived here – eating well, working well and sleeping well 🙂 There have been a couple of less joyful moments too – like when the car broke down and when Fredrik snapped his skate ski – but we tend to forget about the debacles and focus on the good stuff instead. Life is an adventure so you’ve got to expect a few bumps along the way.

Tuisku shaking off the snow after a break. Five degrees (41 F) is balmy weather for Malamutes.

An eager Thunder checking out the trail ahead.

We went on a trip to Sissanki kota, where we cooked lunch on the fire.

Happy Malamutes awaiting their snacks.

Gemma, enjoying the sunshine 🙂

Hilary, looking regal in royal blue.

My Mum joined me and Leia for a day of skijoring in the national park. 10-year-old Leia is equally happy going on a leisurely “dog walk on skis” as she is going sledding with the team.

Love my fuzzy Bear ♥

Fredrik’s Mum nicknamed Leia our “Kim Kardashian” – can you guess why?

Titan inspecting his holiday dog house.

Yup, the straw smells the same as at home – this place will do.

My pretty Mom ♥

Another day, another trail.

Wilder – such a happy fellow!

My little team on an evening run around the village. I’m really pleased with how well they have worked this season. Tuisku is an absolute force in lead!

Plenty of snow in the kennels, we had to shovel our way in on the first day. 

Gemmy is happy to be in Lapland again!

And Hilary…not so regal looking in this pic 🙂

We’re up in Lapland enjoying a couple of weeks of holiday with the dogs. After a lousy winter on the coast it feels great to have access to good trails again, and not have to worry about ice conditions or lack of snow when planning our excursions. Having said that, this spring is probably the warmest we have experienced in northern Lapland. I can’t remember ever having had temperatures above freezing for one week solid in early April. Something seems to be going on with the weather, but hopefully it is just a temporary thing.

Below are some pics from our first excursion during Easter – a trip from Hetta to Näkkälä and back. Fredrik skijored with Hilary and Wilder, while I hooked up Tuisku, Gemma and Thunder in front of the sled.

There’s still about one metre snow in northern Lapland but it’s unusually warm for the time of the year. Normally, we don’t have wet and punchy trails until the end of April, beginning of May.

Tuisku, Gem and Thunder during a cooling break.

It’s a luxury to be able to go right out of our yard and get on endless trails 🙂

We stopped halfway through for a lunch break in the snow.

The dogs anticipate their tasty tuna water coming up!

♥ Gemmy and Thunder in their new Neewa harnesses ♥

This is Tuisku’s 10th season of working in lead. I’m so happy that his foot injury doesn’t stop him from doing what he loves best.

Heading home in the afternoon – smooth sailing on well-packed snowmobile trails.

While winter might be nearing its end here on the coast, there is still plenty of snow in “Fjällen” – the mountains of northwestern Sweden. We love to explore new spots in the mountains and our latest discovery is the village of Stora Blåsjön in northernmost Jämtland – a place almost too beautiful to be real. We visited Stora Blåsjön last weekend together with Tuisku, Lyra, Hilary and Wilder and had a great time skijoring on the fantastic trails in the area. There are mountains in every direction and you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to trails, as this is a paradise for both dog people and snowmobilers. Next time we need to stay longer as there is still so much to explore – I can imagine that this place is stunning in summer too!

After a dull winter on the coast it was amazing to be surrounded by glistening, white snow again.

We headed out early in the mornings, and had the trails to ourselves.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it had snowed heavily a couple of days before our arrival, so everything looked absolutely picture perfect.

A two-headed Malamute?

No, only Lyra and Tuisku – ready to go!

We really like our new Neewa harnesses from Baggen, they are a perfect fit for our Malamutes!

Skijoring with a Nordic pulk in a downhill involves controlling your skis, poles and lines, while at the same time pressing down the hand break as hard as you can. It takes practice to get it all right!

Lyra and Tuisku, cooling down in the snow after a long and steady climb in the morning.

Heading into the white – the best part of the year has begun!These two love to snuggle up together…

…and to suddenly attack you with sloppy kisses!

Wilder

and Hilary

Tuisku knows how to make the most of a break – he curls up into a ball until it’s time to go again.

Lyra is good at camping too – she attacks the snow with her front paws until a perfect bed is formed.

Imagine waking up to this view outside your window every day…

Hilary and Wilder found themselves a little mountain cabin and decided to stay 😉

There are more photos from our trip in the Gallery Stora Blåsjön 2015.

We are trying out some new harnesses this spring, they are from Italian sports and utility dog gear brand Neewa and available in Sweden from Baggen® (which is also where we buy our comfortable skijoring belts, the Baggen Softbelt). We have been using the same type of harness for many years so it’s interesting to try something new and be able to compare fit, comfort and durability etc. The harnesses from Neewa seem like an interesting new option that’s available to a good price. Their top of the range Race Line products are developed together with professional mushers and made of super-tough yarns to be able to maintain their technical properties in extreme weather conditions. I really like the feel of these harnesses and they seem to sit very comfortably on our dogs. Looking forward to trying them on some sledding trips this spring!

Neewa’s Sled Pro Harness is designed to especially for “purebred Nordic dogs”, such as the Alaskan Malamute and Greenland Dog. They also have harnesses that are suited for more lean sled dogs with narrow chests, as well as harnesses for cani-cross, tracking and every day use.

Hilary is wearing the Sled Pro harness while Wilder is wearing an adjustable harness, which is ideal for a younger dog that is still filling out. Both harnesses are in polypropylene with padding on the neck and ribcage areas. The “Pro” model has reflective inserts for high visibility at night.

All Neewa harnesses are made with non-allergenic and breathable materials.

I love this fresh blue colour in spring!

 You can read more about Neewa on their website.

We went for a walk along the coast yesterday to check out trail conditions by the Bothnian Bay. This is one of our favourite areas for sledding and skijoring but sadly the warm weather during February has melted much of the sea ice and the trail from January was completely gone.

The rapid weather changes have created paper-thin ice flakes….

…and glass-like ice on top of the snow…

…I love the beautiful formations of ice and snow that we found on the beach…

…like this ice diamond for example!

And here’s another diamond in the rough – our two-year-old boy Wilder! We love everything about this handsome fella – temperament, looks, working ability and intelligence. Okay, so we’re a bit biased – but he’s beyond amazing, really ♥

Despite the wild Norwegian storm “Ole” that kept us awake on Saturday night, threatening to lift the roof off the house, it’s been a pretty great weekend. We have been out on the trail on both Saturday and Sunday and have had some nice runs with both the sled and skis. If I were to complain about anything it would be about the temperature, as our Malamutes get warm fast in this mild weather. But, on the positive side, it is easier to pack the trail when the snow is a bit moist and if it gets colder during next week we’ll have a fairly hard packed trail to work the dogs on.

Below are some mixed pics from the weekend. I personally love the first picture, as it reveals a lot about the personalities of our dogs; Gemma and Thunder are happy to wait while I take my pics, and even pose for the camera, while Tuisku uses his voice to let me know he’s had enough with the photo stops and wants to get going asap. I love that their personalities are unique, that all dogs have their unique quirks that make them into the individuals they are. I also love that Tuisku is turning 10 years old this coming summer but is still mad about hitting the trail. Each run is as fun as the last one. That’s the spirit of a Malamute!

Can we go already?

But it’s nice to have calm and settled dogs too – the mix of personalities is what makes a team.

Gemmy is our sunbeam!

Tuisku looks like a puppy again after shedding most of his coat in January – a happy pup! 😉

Okay, so Thunder isn’t always happy about photo stops as he still chews the gangline at 10.5 years of age. Old habits die hard.

It would be nice if all snowmobilers could help us pack the main trail instead of creating five or six new tracks next to one another – maybe we should put up a sign?

Coming home after an 8 km run – check out my driving style LOL!

Fredrik took Wilder and Hilary for a run in the afternoon today.

They love the speed of skijoring!

Wilder is such a huggable dog ♥

On Saturday afternoon we went skijoring with Wilder and Lyra.

Lyra is probably my favourite dog to go skijoring with. Her tugline is always tight and she works at an even pace, with the right amount of power and speed for my (mediocre) skating skills. She also listens well to commands, and that means it’s easy to explore new trails together.

We had a lovely visit this weekend from Ian and Aimee, our friends from the UK. They stayed with us from Friday to Saturday, as a short break on their major roadtrip. We got to spend time with Hilary’s gorgeous siblings, Twisp and Leader, and chat with Ian and Aimee about Malamutes all day long. It’s FUN to catch up with friends, wish we could do it more often 🙂

It’s been a busy weekend; we spent eight hours bathing and grooming dogs on Saturday and today we have been running them in harness all day. That’s the kind of fun weekend my non-dog-minded friends would never understand 😉 Normally, we don’t groom our Malamutes much at all during winter but right now five of our dogs are blowing their coats big time – in January!! Can’t remember that ever happening up in Lapland…Since our dogs visit our house on a daily basis we have hair pretty much everywhere and thus we decided it was time to give them a proper bath & blast to get rid of all the loose undercoat. Grooming five dogs in one day is a crazy workout!! Anyway, below are some pics from today’s sledding fun on the trail. I have included some extra pics of Gemma, as she is one of the few that is still in full winter coat. I thought she looked extra pretty with some snow on top 🙂

Mtn Home’s Northernmost Gem, WTD, WPD, at seven years of age.

♥

Tuisku, Thunder and Gemma zooming down the trail.

Hilary and Wilder – from a distance they look almost in full coat but there’s not much undercoat left after yesterday’s grooming session. We expect Hilary to come in season in the next month or so.

Mtn Home’s NM A Touch of The Wild, WTD, aka Wilder, at 2 years of age.

We really should separate these two more often, before they grow into ONE, but it’s difficult to separate dogs who enjoy each other’s company as much as these two do…

…they are two peas in a pod!

Happy Mals!

On our way home after a nice run in the woods.

Have a good week everyone, says Gemma!

PS. Some Winter Safety Advice

When bathing our Malamutes in winter, we always let them sleep indoors for at least TWO nights after the bath. It’s important to start bathing the dog first thing in the morning, as he/she will need to stay indoors until the coat is completely dry. Blow drying the dog after the bath is a must, ideally with a cool air dog dryer, but even when using a high velocity dryer your dog may not become 100% dry and it is dangerous (and cruel) to let even a slightly damp dog sleep outdoors in winter. A coat that feels completely dry to the touch may still carry moisture which could lead to the dog developing life-threatening hypothermia. Therefore, if you for practical reasons cannot let your Malamute spend time and sleep indoors after a bath – don’t bathe your dog in cold weather!

“Yes, I’m a hardy Malamute – but I appreciate a warm bed too!”

Hilary, Mtn Home’s Northernmost Hiking Hilary, WTD, and Wilder, Mtn Home’s NM A Touch of The Wild, WTD, had their eyes examined today and passed with clear/normal eyes! Congratulations to their breeders Sue and Roy Fuller!

Wilder and Hilary in April 2014.

Snow has been falling all weekend and we have been skijoring on the now barely visible trail that Fredrik started packing on Thursday. When you are dressed for the weather it’s fun gliding through heavy falling snow, you can almost not see the dogs in front of you and have to guess where the next bump on the trail will be – but I love the feeling of being one with the weather and having to rely on the dogs to find the best way home. That’s what Malamutes are all about, if you ask me. The big flakes continue to fall this evening and it’s starting to look a lot like real winter. Yay!!!

There is beauty in this weather too 🙂

Nearly home after a run on the lake.

Wilder, 2 years old, and Lyra, 3.5 years old – two excellent working dogs with family ties; Lyra’s sire Mtn Home’s Spring In The Air, WLD, ROMWD, aka “Sunny”, is Wilder’s maternal grandfather.

Åsnes Breidablikk Jaktskis are a good choice for snowy days as they provide good buoyancy in deep, unpacked snow. Since these skis lack metal edges they are ideal for skijoring with dogs.

Hilary and Tuisku heading out on the trail.

Yup, we love daddy ♥

On Boxing Day we woke up to brilliant sunshine and packed our bags for a picnic by the sea. My six-year-old nephew Calle first didn’t think that visiting the beach in December was a great idea, but once we got there he realised that the beach is actually a big playground also in winter. Hilary and Wilder had fun too, although they had to remain on leash throughout the picnic, as Hilary would otherwise have jumped straight into the water (most probably accompanied by her partner in crime) and we didn’t fancy having to blow dry two wet dogs on our return home, as even with a HV dryer it takes a couple of hours to get their thick coats completely dry.

We enjoy visiting the beach during all seasons and I’m always amazed to see how different it can look depending on the weather, the time of the day and whether it is high or low tide. On Boxing Day the snow sparkled on the ground and the sea was calm and crystal clear – it was one of those days that will be etched in my memory for a long time to come.

♥ My sister and my Mom ♥

A fast way of cooling down hot chocolate!

Hilary is dying to jump into the water here – an excellent opportunity to train impulse control.

Calle collecting *ice diamonds* from the shoreline.

Fancy a swim?

When the sun started to sink into the sea we packed our bags and returned home.

A great Boxing Day!

While we’re waiting for winter to arrive we’re making the most of the mild weather by working on the new hut in the dogs’ play area. The idea is to create a cosy place where the dogs can find shelter from wind and rain, and from heat in summer, when spending time in their play area during daytime. Normally, if it’s pouring down we let the dogs return to their pens but when the new hut is ready the plan is to let them spend more time in the forest enclosure instead. There is still some work to do on the hut, we need to lay down the floor and build the rear wall, and add metal liners to the edges of the roof to make the hut more chew-proof, but at least the major work is done now. We look forward to letting the dogs try out their new hut, though it wouldn’t surprise me if they choose to stay outside in the rain instead of seeking shelter inside. Malamutes are not made of sugar – even though they are often sugar sweet 😉

It’s been a great weekend for training, still no snow but low temperatures so we’ve had some nice  runs with the dogs. Right now we’re mostly using a local trail which runs in loops in the forest between our village and the next. This is our favourite trail for off-snow training as the soft sand is gentle on the dogs’ feet and perfect to run on until the snow arrives. Unfortunately my camera refused to cooperate and nearly all shots came out off-focus but below are a few snaps anyway – felt great to see Tuisku back on the trail today, even if he just came along for a shorter round.

A happy Wilder ♥

Hilary and Wilder pulling hard uphill. I love how dedicated these two are!

Tuisku (in the back) is wondering what’s the hold up??

Tuisku hasn’t been working in harness for a long while but our vet suggested that we try him on some shorter runs to see how his foot holds up. He seemed fine after the run but we’ll have to watch him carefully to see if we notice any changes during the next few days – fingers crossed!

Three happy tails!

♥ Happy dogs, happy life ♥