tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84433248632121188562024-03-12T16:23:12.487-08:00Brent's BlogBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-84436945213655984402013-10-09T09:00:00.000-08:002013-10-09T18:24:46.731-08:00The Blog is Back! The 2013-14 Season is underway! Hello All <br />
After a couple years of silence I've decided to bring back the blog! It's been a crazy couple of years and most of the news from the kennel has been posted through Facebook, and even though it is one of the best ways to share the dogs and I's adventures, I have gotten many requests to get the blog back up and running so here we are! The 2013-14 season is ramping up and I figured this would be a great time to fill you all in on what is going on at Wild and Free. Currently I am in MN on the final leg of what will be a 3-week trip to the Lower 48. In the past two weeks I have been traveling the US giving presentations and visiting with friends. Starting in Michigan at the Midwest Sled Dog Symposium and most recently in La Pine, Oregon at the <a href="http://www.arctis-carts.com/" target="_blank">Arctis Cart</a>-sponsored event, "Wild and Free Weekend". This was an amazing event! I was able to meet some of our biggest supporters and fans and their amazing dogs! I've been missing the hell out of my four leggers so this event gave me a chance to run dogs and be around super doggy people which was awesome medication to get me through the next week before I head back home to the dogs in Eureka. Big thanks to Henning Bartel for hosting and to everyone who came and ran dogs and showed their support of Wild and Free! I am spending the final week with family here in MN. My little sister Melissa gets married on Sat. which is bringing my whole family together for the first time in 5 years! We are all very excited! <br />
I am very lucky to have a great crew of friends and handlers in Eureka holding down the fort and training the dogs while I am away. This is no small task! Mandy, Travis, and Jannelle are doing a great job and so far everything has gone smoothly. As much as I have enjoyed this trip I am eager to get back home and get back to my life with the dogs. Being away really makes me realize how much I love my dogs and my life in AK. I am really looking forward to getting back and diving right back into training. The dogs and I have a big season ahead of us and I am excited about what we have on the schedule. We are already signed up for the second running of the Top of the World 350 which will start on on Dec. 27th in Tok, AK, and our 8th go at the 1000-mile Yukon Quest which starts on Feb 1 in Fairbanks, AK. We are also planning on signing up for the Copper Basin 300 which starts in Jan and we are currently putting all the pieces together to sign up for our 3rd Iditarod!! I am very lucky to have many supporters and sponsors and it is because of them that I am able to get to the start line of our races each year. This year thanks to one of our sponsors we have a great fundraiser underway to raise money for our 2014 Iditarod. <br />
"Attitude is Everything" is one of my mottos and one that I try and live by everyday. So much so that I have it tattooed on my left arm to always remind me of this simple but very important message. Becky of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/5SibesSewingAndRepair" target="_blank">5-Sibes Sewing</a> took the design of my tattoo and made 100 patches and donated them to Wild and Free. We are very thankful for this sponsorship and decided to use the patches to help raise money for out 2014 Iditarod. We are selling the patches for $50 donation to our Iditarod fund. With your donation comes a Attitude is Everything Patch, a Wild and Free patch and an entry in a drawing to win my signed Iditarod bib, signed booty used on the trail and a Wild and Free pint glass. We kicked off the fundraiser 2 weeks ago and are well on our way to to selling all 100 patches. To learn more about the fundraiser and get your patch see the front page of our website: <a href="http://www.wildandfreealaska.com/">www.wildandfreealaska.com</a>. Since we kicked off this fundraiser I have gotten a lot of questions as to where the design came from and why I got the tattoo. It is a great story that I will share with you now. <br />
In 2010 I was working at Trail Breaker Kennel giving sled dog presentations. We had several groups a day come through, and I would share stories and talk about my experiences on the trail. One day after giving one of my talks I had a gentleman and his wife come up to me and thank me for my presentation and ask me if I would accept a gift from him. I said sure, with some curiosity wondering what he might be about to give me. As he reached into his pocket he asked that I would carry this this with me or at least keep the message that this gift represented close to heart. I said sure, not knowing exactly what he was about to give me. Out of his pocket came a medallion about the size of a silver dollar that said "Attitude is Everything". He proceeded to tell me that he had been carrying this medallion around in his pocket for the past 30 years as a constant reminder. I looked to his wife who was almost in tears, she said that she had watched him put it into his pocket every morning and could not believe that he would part with it. He said that my presentation, where I had emphasized how important attitude is when working with sled dogs, inspired him to pass it along in hopes that it would help me along in my life like it had in his. Wiping a tear or two from my eyes I took the medallion from him and said I would be honored to accept the gift. This day changed my life. I always knew attitude was important, but after receiving this gift and visiting with the gentleman who was a farmer from Nebraska and seeing how much this medallion and more importantly this message had affected his life, I realized just how important having a positive attitude really is. Whether you're farming in Nebraska or mushing dogs in Alaska, with a positive attitude you can accomplish anything! That night I drilled a hole in the medallion and started wearing it around my neck because I knew that I would lose it if I attempted to carry it around in my pocket. After wearing it for nearly 2 years I decided that I needed a permanent reminder. Because the medallion was a piece a metal and was pretty cold to wear around my neck during the winter in AK, I decided to get it tattooed on my arm. Ever since the day the farmer gave me that medallion "Attitude is Everything" has been my motto and something I strive to live by everyday. I have shared this story with thousands of people young and old and will continue to in hopes that I can help change someone's life with this message the same way that the farmer from Nebraska did for me. I took the pic below when I was crossing the sea ice between Shaktoolik and Koyuk during the 2013 Iditarod just one of the many times the tattoo has come in handy! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0xOZySunmNOOSvJ6A65RvePIgKzR2KHF5QRfmI9pk02Qd0SvL5nBW-CsqBT1VSvshnmHZu_EOrIggTpv362rsPj04laBFmdA4b6aIX4xcRfDdnu2xmgI78a5e4KBTAYuT0QXrUklKTa5/s1600/31irodtattoo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0xOZySunmNOOSvJ6A65RvePIgKzR2KHF5QRfmI9pk02Qd0SvL5nBW-CsqBT1VSvshnmHZu_EOrIggTpv362rsPj04laBFmdA4b6aIX4xcRfDdnu2xmgI78a5e4KBTAYuT0QXrUklKTa5/s320/31irodtattoo.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFDcB7RTqzQn8sWpjAqhpjsgFqbhNR1QqwvinVgJTLxI6sgUq5MDecqFh9Wrk9foDFAARG3KHDEv41Zw7pKJ61m3Qf8BKbb_ZMPxKVxbGPIA0P5UGSQwqZFcpQ4weK2rjAzgLJW5XZ8sE/s1600/attitudeiseverythingmedallion.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFDcB7RTqzQn8sWpjAqhpjsgFqbhNR1QqwvinVgJTLxI6sgUq5MDecqFh9Wrk9foDFAARG3KHDEv41Zw7pKJ61m3Qf8BKbb_ZMPxKVxbGPIA0P5UGSQwqZFcpQ4weK2rjAzgLJW5XZ8sE/s320/attitudeiseverythingmedallion.png" width="320" /></a> <br />
Stay tuned for more updates and stories from Wild and Free. We have a very exciting season ahead of us and hope you will follow along as we make our way down the trail! <br />
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Brent Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-56455494382799329542011-11-06T12:35:00.000-09:002011-11-06T12:35:55.991-09:00Closin her down!Hey all<br />
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I know this is going to be not cool to some of you but I obviously cant keep up with my updating on the blog. I hate to say it but facebook has taken over the world and made it about 500 times easier to update and share pics and videos. SO please check out both my personal site and the Wild and Free Facebook page for updates from Wild and Free World. just another step to streamline my life!! thanks for all of my loyal supports see ya on on facebook!! Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-25307154934448417802011-10-19T22:43:00.000-08:002011-10-19T22:43:04.048-08:00White stuff in Eureka!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Merc and Rosie leading the way.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZJsqx4bdfpxv_AsXjawKQ3HBitnLVuUtj_CcSTHFQA3mGKUwpE_hbaG22L0P0J7oHdQO1mG0Q9AYLFKvq3XRbikV8aQ8cVMk5uzkeU17htArxTWQsJeYsNazVFefbY0PvhqlkdLBw6JG/s1600/IMG_4323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZJsqx4bdfpxv_AsXjawKQ3HBitnLVuUtj_CcSTHFQA3mGKUwpE_hbaG22L0P0J7oHdQO1mG0Q9AYLFKvq3XRbikV8aQ8cVMk5uzkeU17htArxTWQsJeYsNazVFefbY0PvhqlkdLBw6JG/s320/IMG_4323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Copper and Chucko enjoying the fresh snow!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQysxkplTA3cAspUPnczOgWjZViEQ15gCZKdGt6vjsW_tqsCDD-qkjYnEYUPlLlk6Qe2IIVTnAh0_HsDC8swDvgj5GQUP8uRpaFotk1SkUbFvye7aA1iJiS8sZaMfCo_z8gjWB0BQhfDab/s1600/IMG_4330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQysxkplTA3cAspUPnczOgWjZViEQ15gCZKdGt6vjsW_tqsCDD-qkjYnEYUPlLlk6Qe2IIVTnAh0_HsDC8swDvgj5GQUP8uRpaFotk1SkUbFvye7aA1iJiS8sZaMfCo_z8gjWB0BQhfDab/s320/IMG_4330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-34824096864591822782011-10-17T22:19:00.000-08:002011-10-17T22:19:07.812-08:00We are in MN!!Hey all<br />
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Silver Scroggie and I have made the trip to MN and are getting set to start our talks. We are getting started with 2 school talks tomorrow, then two rotary clubs on Wes. and the big Public event on Thursday the 20th at the Chanhassen Rec Center at 7PM. On monday the 24th I will be in my dads home town of Stewertville for another public event there. I am really looking forward to sharing my life with the dogs with everyone here in MN. Its hard to be away from the dogs but I ma very lucky and have the best handlers in the world back in Eureka holding down the fort and keeping my dogs trained up!! The Wild and Free team is going strong!!Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-64115773612813313162011-10-13T00:10:00.000-08:002011-10-13T00:10:52.871-08:00Going 100MPH!!Holy cow where did the fall go. I just did my last run with the dogs before heading to tomorrow to finish up a cabin, (the last of my town responsibilities) and then Im heading to MN on sunday. I am looking forward to the trip but there is so much going on out here in Eureka that it is really hard to leave. We are going ful speed with training, we just got our new handler Jen, and its getting cold and the need to put away the firewood for the winter is growing! along with about a million other things. Luckily I have two experienced handlers, that I completely trust to take a care of everything and Jen is fitting in great and learning lot everyday! the dogs are looking awesome I have been able to split my time between the fourwheeler and the cart and that has made my dryland why more enjoyable! Ill be doing several talks and a few public events while I am in MN check out the home page for more details. look for videos and pics to be posted here soon. <br />
BBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-13959893343918554572011-09-19T22:16:00.000-08:002011-09-19T22:16:06.661-08:00Exclusive Automotive ROCKS!!!I owe a big thanks to Gary and his family at Exclusive Automotive in Fairbanks, AK. I had two trucks and my cart break down this week and they have been extremely help full in getting me and my dogs back on the trail! I highly recommend Exclusive for all your automotive and welding fabrication needs. Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-80090876635756266582011-09-15T16:57:00.004-08:002011-09-15T17:51:24.977-08:00New Dog Spoonsors, and the newest member to WIld and Free!!A big thanks to our newest Dog Sponsors, your sponsorship is greatly appreciated by the Dogs and humans of Wild and Free!<br />
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Annelle Durham- Thunder<br />
Thurston Williams- Carbon<br />
Clover Creek Family Farm- Molly<br />
For "Grandma" Anne- Linus and Lucy <br />
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Have fun following Wild and Free and your sponsored dog throughout the season, its going to be a wild ride!! To Sponsor a Wild and Free dog for the 2011-2012 season Visit <a href="http://www.wildandfreealaska.com/dogs.php">"The Dogs"</a> section of the website. <br />
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Puppy Update!<br />
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Earlier this season when we breed Silver with Chicken, for the second time. Silver was also hooking up with another female from <a href="http://www.dogpaddlegear.com/SquidAcres/SquidAcres.htm">Squid Acres Kennel</a> and the deal was I get one of the females. Well, last night I picked up the newest member of Wild and Free. After spending the night sleeping with me and not even moving and inch all night, see was introduced to her sibling from another mother! And I think she fits right in. In the pic Squid is on the left and her sister Xenon next to her. I think they bare some resemblance!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2UKr-UfZaKEk_5SJuZF371uhaSb3G-aooJmqS_TWhZrGdGMYxvYaLo-Qz_xXj0Wh1rAUE43cfsoNEB2k-G2rceLfiKBKxaPflRMUyOrCv3P9LDmLBEDVw_953jxqeAhWZmESkpH1qSBX/s1600/Squid+and+Xenon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2UKr-UfZaKEk_5SJuZF371uhaSb3G-aooJmqS_TWhZrGdGMYxvYaLo-Qz_xXj0Wh1rAUE43cfsoNEB2k-G2rceLfiKBKxaPflRMUyOrCv3P9LDmLBEDVw_953jxqeAhWZmESkpH1qSBX/s1600/Squid+and+Xenon.JPG" /></a></div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-17326204751937143702011-09-11T23:05:00.000-08:002011-09-11T23:05:14.564-08:00Buddy and Clyde... Leading the way in 2011Fall training is in Full swing in Wild and Free Country and super stars are coming out of the wood work!! Buddy and Clyde are two dog to really watch as the season progresses. These two are amazing leaders, have the very positive attitudes and are happy all the time. They really love their job and it shows! the countdown is on 14 days until Wild and Free makes the move to Eureka. Casey is back and already out in Eureka with 18 dogs. He is getting the camp all setup and ready for the rest of us to show up on the 25th. I have started my supply runs and Eureka is coming alive! We are Stoked!! Stay tuned as the excitement grows at Wild and Free! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMyKKnJUBwELVUzgLFo5pLylD6xtgqPcICt35ASWO2sn7rZMm7rdWJG-ZF-XZ-u2pi2cjwm2xJ2kybGVx5tt4nP1O1CgFk0DZFcZKDFYZG0W03ZQjo3Tk2kAhjIrRyUxq521AGizc3vyE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMyKKnJUBwELVUzgLFo5pLylD6xtgqPcICt35ASWO2sn7rZMm7rdWJG-ZF-XZ-u2pi2cjwm2xJ2kybGVx5tt4nP1O1CgFk0DZFcZKDFYZG0W03ZQjo3Tk2kAhjIrRyUxq521AGizc3vyE/s1600/photo.JPG" /></a></div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-21205783674027402552011-09-02T23:02:00.000-08:002011-09-02T23:02:14.996-08:00Sponsor Spotlight.... The H.E.R.O StoryWhat a Week! I just spent the last 8 days flying and hiking around northern AK exploring some of the most amazing country on the planet... and getting paid to do it!! My buddy Josh Horst of Horst Expediting and Remote Operations LLC. also known as H.E.R.O has been pulling in alot of field work and its getting me out into the Wilds of Alaska all on the clock! Josh started H.E.R.O with the same idea that I started Brentwood Enterprises and Wild and Free Mushing with. Why not take what we love and are passionate about and make it our jobs or better yet our lives. Over the last 10 years we have done tons of trips all over Alaska, and gained tons of knowledge along the way. Every year our camps got bigger more luxurious. We went from trips on our feet, then trips on skies, then by dog team. Every year we gained knowledge and our confidence grew. That's when Josh quit is desk job and headed for the hills! Literally. He started as a grunt hired to hike around in remote areas dig holes and take soil samples. Stationed out of a remote camp he would spend 4 plus months working 10-15 hour days. While a the camp he was very interested in the camp itself, how it was constructed and how it operated. He was soaking up all the ideas around him and figuring out how to make it better. Josh was always trying to find ways to make things easier and more efficient around camp. And the bosses noticed! The next year he was the camp manager. He was now in charge of all camp setup and maintenance for the entire season. This experienced not only had him in charge of the camp in the field but also all the ordering of the mass amounts of supplies that are shipped to the camp (by plane) on a regular basis. That's when H.E.R.O was born. With the experienced he gained as first the grunt and then the camp manager he took the leap to go out on his own and start his own business. A business that would not only set up the camp from bottom to top in the field but also do all of the expediting in town. Now in his third season Josh is a well known businessman in town, he has 1 full time employ expediting manager Matt Fraver, who manages the in town operation, and a bunch of "hit man" as we call ourselves. The "hit man" crew is a group of good friends both new and old that have businesses or jobs of their own but are available to head out into the field at a moments notice to tackle jobs of all kinds. H.E.R.O is hired by a wide range of entities to provide all types of field support including camp mob and demob, camp maintenance, specific building projects, field work assistance and much much more. Joshes clients come from all walks of life from university students and world renowned scientist to rugged old time miners and multi billion dollar mining companies. Josh's reputation of being a very well organized businessman with a take the bull by the horns and get the job done type of attitude has his business growing and gaining momentum for the future. Joshes success is sending me and the rest of the "hit man" crew (included Josh and friend and Musher Mike Ellis) to some of the most extreme and remote places of Alaska to do what we love to do! H.E.R.O is a true success story and proves that if you are passionate about what you do there is now limit to what you can accomplish!! Josh is a great friend and a business partner that has been there since the beginning of Wild and Free. He is one of my main guides for my mushing expeditions in the spring season, has helped train alot of dogs over the years and was my handler for the 2011 Quest. Josh played a huge role in our best quest finish to date, 4th place. Josh and H.E.R.O are a huge sponsor of Wild and Free! Moral of the story... Find what your passionate about and live it, there's no good reason not too! To learn more about H.E.R.O and what we do find us on Facebook and at <a href="http://www.horstexpediting.com/">www.horstexpediting.com </a><br />
Checkout the pictures below from a recent camp we built. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeAgIgey-BW9UsQuP_Myt7Jj00mZxSaj4Jy_wS1jvVqek5E82_NVaetn16yrw-uoWXrp6n-X1phgET_kOS9msDaQ0xafhfQs0xe60fwL8OBMBuatX8D358FJnTJhpDtGbNv1dPrg8Tvua/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeAgIgey-BW9UsQuP_Myt7Jj00mZxSaj4Jy_wS1jvVqek5E82_NVaetn16yrw-uoWXrp6n-X1phgET_kOS9msDaQ0xafhfQs0xe60fwL8OBMBuatX8D358FJnTJhpDtGbNv1dPrg8Tvua/s320/IMG_1413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Josh and Mike doing quality control </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllRyIS2FBLmxw3Qb2gT1tcl3Klekpb3HCfamnQ-o-zV8CmZKwlPWjszpQgA1uerrfAeRl4Ol3b6QXrKKEV6qiXYWe7svxgW25p5CSCf0GbBXXyNIt6-u_AeumtgtqMzzi34YMd3eY2Wqn/s1600/IMG_1420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllRyIS2FBLmxw3Qb2gT1tcl3Klekpb3HCfamnQ-o-zV8CmZKwlPWjszpQgA1uerrfAeRl4Ol3b6QXrKKEV6qiXYWe7svxgW25p5CSCf0GbBXXyNIt6-u_AeumtgtqMzzi34YMd3eY2Wqn/s320/IMG_1420.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Making Progress </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM817YmbZx-37iKC-rI48dQBmTR5UyzWNF_-kacl9N5EdKRCHR4ChHTFEilrW-O9sWfxu7eElZppfQHrqxza_Wk7alSqmP2UasWZcFkbgI8x48E5DKn78bCs5tNdUtZ6x7ekGyLrNt8D7_/s1600/IMG_1440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM817YmbZx-37iKC-rI48dQBmTR5UyzWNF_-kacl9N5EdKRCHR4ChHTFEilrW-O9sWfxu7eElZppfQHrqxza_Wk7alSqmP2UasWZcFkbgI8x48E5DKn78bCs5tNdUtZ6x7ekGyLrNt8D7_/s320/IMG_1440.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> It's Growing!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQxC41mlXd5GAymO1Hc5mT-bN6L7bKNFGZIo3Lfm0pGupdKa4JJBUEMdQGss3OXYWw1U73ApK0k6FJ_lfZABnzmOyt6DftjBnTOqJnupeYtQJKJhdP6SUD7uosve5a_5DCGXwfIbQXC4h/s1600/IMG_1457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQxC41mlXd5GAymO1Hc5mT-bN6L7bKNFGZIo3Lfm0pGupdKa4JJBUEMdQGss3OXYWw1U73ApK0k6FJ_lfZABnzmOyt6DftjBnTOqJnupeYtQJKJhdP6SUD7uosve5a_5DCGXwfIbQXC4h/s320/IMG_1457.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completed </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguwy2w95p6N4qe5ls1Ll0KAJ4-WE1MY79Src6VPHZ6rgX1UTMj8_qsnMBwIbZtOoCONeob3MkbjnqN6agxmbBc76z96keK4rhWn-IjF5ABR3vt4IF1drQ8XBXQD_GzTw2pCdWb93tQb0h/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguwy2w95p6N4qe5ls1Ll0KAJ4-WE1MY79Src6VPHZ6rgX1UTMj8_qsnMBwIbZtOoCONeob3MkbjnqN6agxmbBc76z96keK4rhWn-IjF5ABR3vt4IF1drQ8XBXQD_GzTw2pCdWb93tQb0h/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Flying home over our completed camp and dreaming about the next one! </div><br />
<br />
Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-40721461223877178132011-08-16T22:41:00.000-08:002011-08-16T22:41:35.284-08:00Pups are growing up FAST!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62VWJzO3PuZMk0rlL69CQczV6Pv1_wV-_8IRq-3jLU4ktv-myhKh_k4MpIVq4beo8LToVtRaMKJdwmQ4-f26Tc0leIUUECKv_MHPqNFdA6JHU95wjyhpAllpcEjl0KwfUqkBq5omU6K3I/s1600/Chickenpups3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62VWJzO3PuZMk0rlL69CQczV6Pv1_wV-_8IRq-3jLU4ktv-myhKh_k4MpIVq4beo8LToVtRaMKJdwmQ4-f26Tc0leIUUECKv_MHPqNFdA6JHU95wjyhpAllpcEjl0KwfUqkBq5omU6K3I/s320/Chickenpups3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chickens an Excellent mom! </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBV6BlknebVQ3JfYRZlXnY__qF4MnBE7EYI5lcBz9AXAHsGfx3NTq5VZZpTJH_ldZaBM-jEX9piNVVEPHTq7H_6rj1cGBsPwkw25qs997Y5mSIDtbns9eN8zVXB4I-WSmXPFjXRu6V4wv/s1600/Chickenpups4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBV6BlknebVQ3JfYRZlXnY__qF4MnBE7EYI5lcBz9AXAHsGfx3NTq5VZZpTJH_ldZaBM-jEX9piNVVEPHTq7H_6rj1cGBsPwkw25qs997Y5mSIDtbns9eN8zVXB4I-WSmXPFjXRu6V4wv/s320/Chickenpups4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9mGfl0H-EL26RYV0MUFWOrWXFm_r5T5VQO4puEMD7mdI4eKw-d1D9Y2XvWKG8J-JXXg_b7xwa9K8-na9E1Sdtqj5QOKCk1AAFYbm9L23jIuUlBARChAjkNlQLQsmJIzX2GMF3VCIuip1/s1600/chickenpups5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9mGfl0H-EL26RYV0MUFWOrWXFm_r5T5VQO4puEMD7mdI4eKw-d1D9Y2XvWKG8J-JXXg_b7xwa9K8-na9E1Sdtqj5QOKCk1AAFYbm9L23jIuUlBARChAjkNlQLQsmJIzX2GMF3VCIuip1/s320/chickenpups5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMlOq95pkuw_NYKdI2a7JkGqEoHUK4sVluQv3odhjPxP3bJ60Vs5ID-EBUw4hExu2J6Cx9pWRghdjKf7BnS9rBYEEwgdMpfqRNKl-xbaxBjmdSOZOoDohNoNBfoiuDJrc54NJRdCwylf0/s1600/Chicken+Pup2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMlOq95pkuw_NYKdI2a7JkGqEoHUK4sVluQv3odhjPxP3bJ60Vs5ID-EBUw4hExu2J6Cx9pWRghdjKf7BnS9rBYEEwgdMpfqRNKl-xbaxBjmdSOZOoDohNoNBfoiuDJrc54NJRdCwylf0/s320/Chicken+Pup2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello WORLD!! my eyes are open!</td></tr>
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Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-16206666097423691642011-08-06T12:06:00.001-08:002011-08-06T12:06:45.501-08:00PUPS and Quest Signup TODAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfqfUmj-GnjmGl0W4zbLo0-n2ZwSepN-4bhmxv2afjEyr5Q-fiuemSTDHKQuDMG6yivET9wsybNjX8ImlwoC6DgL85q_QyxldrO7WX21e0uKtiW0V8Ur6l_c11zdM9Qnh_DZ7Wpb_bDYs/s1600/chickenpups1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfqfUmj-GnjmGl0W4zbLo0-n2ZwSepN-4bhmxv2afjEyr5Q-fiuemSTDHKQuDMG6yivET9wsybNjX8ImlwoC6DgL85q_QyxldrO7WX21e0uKtiW0V8Ur6l_c11zdM9Qnh_DZ7Wpb_bDYs/s320/chickenpups1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHauHqUUUhuERmAkaSK7p6QerOH02_4puyA378GjbrkeOy3zjkfUXyqHA0Dnj3TytcR-9xAXXvH_3JWglHEUDAgynOeQ_ZkMnotIP2mot9iMbRwH8serec4ZGJ6M_uKVbSNdek0CQ2nQAJ/s1600/chickenpups2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHauHqUUUhuERmAkaSK7p6QerOH02_4puyA378GjbrkeOy3zjkfUXyqHA0Dnj3TytcR-9xAXXvH_3JWglHEUDAgynOeQ_ZkMnotIP2mot9iMbRwH8serec4ZGJ6M_uKVbSNdek0CQ2nQAJ/s320/chickenpups2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Wild and Frees newest additions entered the world early this morning. Chicken and Silver are proud new parents to 4 boys and a Girl! Exactly what I ordered up. 2 years ago this same breeding produced 6 boys, 4 of which were in Kyla's team last year and will be running in my A team this year! So we are very excited about this litters future!! Headed to the Quest office in a few minutes to sign up for the 2012 Quest!! Exciting day at Wild and Free!!Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-28781517097389812572011-07-30T23:11:00.000-08:002011-07-30T23:11:31.175-08:00Wild and Free 2011- 2012 season IS HERE!!!The Wild and Free Blog is BACK!! With the 2011-2012 season ready to go into full swing I am going to be posting updates, videos and pics. Kyla and are getting excited about signing up for the Quest on the Aug.6th, and are working hard here in Fairbanks to be able to make the move back to Eureka at the end of Sept. ON the handler scene Casey will be back for his Second season and we have just signed on another handler. I am very excited about having more help and am sure it is going to make the Wild and Free team even stronger in 2012. the Iditarod is also on the Brain for the 2012 season. I am in the process of figuring out exactly what it is going to take financially to run the race and am going to work hard to make it happen. anyone interested in helping us get to the start of the 2012 Iditarod please contact us to see how you can help. I gotta run, the temps dropped tonight and I am going to go take a run with the cart! thanks for checking in and check out the website for ongoing updates.<br />
Bring Wild and Free<br />
BrentBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-49688805185682738802011-02-10T15:32:00.000-09:002011-02-10T15:32:09.274-09:00Dawson checkpoint halfway point.Kyla had a good run coming into Dawson at 11:12 am this morning. She was happy and upbeat and all 13 dogs were also looking very good. She caught up and passed 2 mushers. <br />
Dogs getting settled in camp across river. Casey,Page and Cody are helping. Kyla will be resting and checking dogs again then settling in eating and resting for next 36 hours before heading out at 23:12 on 11th just before midnight. Check Facebook for more info and photos.<br />
Check pictures of Brent's dogs and Kyla in www.Yukon-news.com dated Wed Feb 9 th.<br />
MarkBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-24415805559778732132011-02-08T02:26:00.000-09:002011-02-08T02:26:38.048-09:00Pelly Crossing1-8 <br />
Kyla came into checkpoint at 1:43 am<br />
With all 14 happy dogs and she seemed same. <br />
Going well by watching. Will be resting before leaving in morning. <br />
Brent per tracker has left Scroggy Creek on way to Dawson. <br />
MarkBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-9860792772454432482011-02-07T17:41:00.000-09:002011-02-07T17:41:03.194-09:00Braeburn then Carmacks and now to Pelly Crossing.1-7-11 Been following Kyla. Brent is way ahead and followed by his handlers Josh and Steve. Checkout Brents facebook or Yukon Quest site and tracker option to see progress. Been hit and miss with signal.<br />
Kyla has came into all checkpoints with happy dogs and she also was very up. Running with all same 14 dogs doing great. Very good run with goal to finish race and with happy dogs and musher.<br />
We are waiting for her to come from a stop at McCabe along way. going to get some rest.<br />
<br />
Mark Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-39435965822196200892011-02-05T13:58:00.000-09:002011-02-05T13:58:59.762-09:00Start lineWell we got Kyla off 14th. She and team were looking good and ready to go! Had. Cooled off so was about 15 degrees. <br />
Then got Brent off 22nd. <br />
Brent was as usual ready to get on trail. Everyone looking strong. <br />
Lot of people at start. <br />
Will watch 300 mile mushers then hit the road to Braeburn. <br />
Mark and CaseyBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-7363026105727041182011-02-04T23:11:00.000-09:002011-02-04T23:11:36.805-09:00Yukon Quest 2011 here we go!Well I am back for another round. I will be driving with Casey following Kyla.<br />
I will be doing some updates on Kyla's run as possible.<br />
We had a good time in Whitehorse and all had dinner tonite with the whole team<br />
Brent,Josh,Steve,Kyla,Casey,and I (Mark)<br />
Also Joe and Anna who put lot of food together as well as Cody and Page. Built Brents Sled<br />
Tomorrow is the big day so here we go!<br />
Mark (Dad)Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-90641591792022632492011-01-31T23:22:00.000-09:002011-01-31T23:22:10.438-09:00Follow Wild and Free on FACEBOOKI KNOW I KNOW BUT BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH UPLOADING SPEEDS THERE WILL BE NO RACE UPDATES ON THE BLOG. PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WILD AND FREE 20011 YUKON QUEST FACEBOOK PAGE FOR RACE UPDATES! LINK BELOW<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-and-Free-Mushing-2011-Yukon-Quest/242559965192#%21/pages/Wild-and-Free-Mushing-2011-Yukon-Quest/242559965192">WILD AND FREE 2011 YUKON QUEST </a><br />
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THANKS AND ENJOY THE RACE!!Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-53405329025399453082011-01-26T23:21:00.000-09:002011-01-26T23:21:48.455-09:00Wild and Free's Yukon Quest starting Lineups!!So here ya go this is the top 15 that we will be taking to Whitehorse with us. <br />
<br />
Brents Teams<br />
<br />
Silver<br />
Buddy<br />
Chucko<br />
Trunk<br />
Walter<br />
Thunder<br />
Taco<br />
Ghost<br />
Carhart<br />
Danish<br />
Willy <br />
Jerry<br />
Corvette<br />
Rosie<br />
China<br />
<br />
<br />
Kylas team<br />
<br />
Veterans<br />
<br />
Madonna<br />
Molly<br />
Eagle<br />
Maude<br />
Donald<br />
<br />
Pups<br />
<br />
Clyde<br />
Scroogie<br />
Braeburn<br />
Reese<br />
Heath<br />
Yukon<br />
Carbon<br />
Merc<br />
Zinc<br />
Cobolt<br />
<br />
More updates to comeBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-90572680032308745052011-01-25T13:28:00.002-09:002011-01-25T13:55:16.745-09:00Wild and Free Update: "the road to the Quest" !Hello all<br />
<br />
I know, I know I have not been very good about updating the blog this season. Its been a Wild one, as always, but this season was a ground breaker for wild and free not only did we have more dogs then we've ever had, we also were training two race teams. After two summers of breeding and raising 4 litters per summer, we have alot of young dogs with great potential in the yard and the only way to find the super stars is to race them. So thats what we did! Between the three of us (me, Kyla and Casey) we took care of and trained 6 pups under 3 months old, 16 6-8 month olds, 40 tour and retired dogs, and 40 races dogs. (20 pups embarking on their first 1000 mile trip, and 20 of the best dogs I have ever trained!) it will be a season to remember!<br />
I have to say I have the best handlers in the world! Kyla and Casey gave it their all the entire season, and it shows in the dogs. All of our young pups are like pet dogs they live free around the kennel coming and going in and out of the cabin and the houses of all the adult dogs as they please. The future is very bright for these young guys. All the 6-8 month olds are harness broke and totally dialed in on what they love to do. I see lots of potential in these youngsters and cant wait until the spring time to really spend some Quality time with them. Then theirs the race dogs, first Kyla's team of yearlings... AMAZING!!! its the only word to explain how Kyla and her team have preformed. This team mostly consisting of HUGE males was going to be a big job for Kyla in her first year training a race team. But with a great attitude, a little help from all the lessons I have learned and a couple leaders by the names of Madonna and Ling Ling, she nailed it!!! This was a crazy group of dogs in the fall and it looked to be a real battle trying to harness their energy, in hopes to have some control over them. There is now way I can fully tell the story at this point but to make a long story short by mid Nov. they were Dialed! Kyla could harness them put them in the line and they would all just sit there and wait.. booty the whole team, put jackets on, get sorted, and they would just wait. it was an amazing site. Madonna's calm and cool attitude was the driving force. once the pups realized that she was the boss they just started following her lead. When Kyla would put her out there in front and Madonna would just site down, they just followed. Now don't be fooled they still have their energy, they just wait until they are given the go ahead to pour it all out. its been amazing to watch this team excel first in training, then in the Gin Gin 200 and then again in the CB300. They were stellar in both races and I feel they are ready to embark on the biggest adventure of their lives! (both Dogs and Driver).<br />
While I was coaching and watching Kyla and her pups have so much fun I was doing the same! My team this year is Awesome. I have a very talented group of dogs this season, consisting of a group of new dogs to wild and free and my core group I have had since day one. It is so awesome to have dogs still in the team that have been with me since the beginning. I have such and awesome relationship with these dogs it is impossible to explain. They know my next move they know when I am not so happy and when I really need them to step it up. It is this bond and connection that I have relied on the last few years to get us to the finish line in every race we have ever run. I feel that this relationship is key to success in this Sport/ Way of life. Because of that going into this season there were some real Question marks. Last Spring and over the summer I did something I had not done before, I bought some dogs, not just any dogs some really good dogs! First from lance Mackey and then later from JT Hessert. It was not an easy decision for me but after two pretty disappointing years in the Quest I needed to make a move. I just didn't have the depth I needed to be as competitive as I wanted to be. I had lots of great pups coming up the line but they were still too young to race in a competitive team. I first thought about running a puppy team in the 2011 race. That sounded kind of fun... take it easy and train up some awesome pups for the 2012 race. That sounded good until I started thinking about the actual race and knowing myself I new that that was not possible.<br />
This will be my 5th Yukon Quest there is now way I was going to take it easy. So I called up Lance and then later JT. once again there is no way to tell the whole story, but in the end I added some really Quality dogs to my core team to make the potential for a great 2011 race team. (So how bout those pups, now that I had built a race team I asked/told Kyla she would be running a puppy team in the Quest! and so the adventure began) Back to the Question... If I get these new dogs will I be able to form the bond I need in order to get the most out of the dog? Another story for anther time... but to answer the Question YES!! I got them early and it paid off I feel like we have created a very united team. My old dogs excepted the new dogs, which was huge because in many cases the new dogs were performing at a higher level. My dogs not only excepted it, it motivated them to be better and in the end it made us all a better team. To say the least I am fired up about this years race. I am bringing the strongest dog team I have ever brought to the Yukon Quest and this is my 5th race and I am putting EVERYTHING I have learned in the past to work in this years race! We had a great pre season finishing 2nd in the Gin Gin and 4th in the Copper Basin 300 and are caring alot of momentum! <br />
So here we are less then two weeks from the start of the race, how did that happen? overall we are ready food drops are done! Again the two team thing really made that a huge job, but because of the meat cutting, bagging machine in Casey we had them all done and packed with a day to spare. Now we are just making finally preparations taking the dogs out on short runs and getting the Kennel all ready for the dog sitters . This is a huge job its hard to come into the middle of nowhere to a place with no electricity, no running water, only wood heat and take care of 80 Dogs! luckily we have some great Friends and family lined up to fill our shoes. My long time friend GregJurek, and his girlfriend Emily will be up for the first week and then Kylas Mom and a friend will be up the second week. Last spring Kylas Mom, Annelle came up and stayed in Eureka with Kyla while I was guiding in march. So she is totally dialed in on this place which helps us out alot. A big thanks goes out to those guys. and about a 100 other friends and family that have helped us get to this point. I am going to come up with the list and post it on the blog before the race. There is no way I could do this with out their help.<br />
Couple last thing before I gotta get out on a a run. I am very excited about our handlers for this years race. One of my biggest challenges was finding someone to fill Kylas shoes out there on the trail. There is basically one other person and hes on board!! My good buddy Josh Horst is on board. Josh knows me better then anybody and has been apart of the Quest ever since I have been involved, in fact he got me involved as a volunteer at the circle checkpoint in 2004. He has guided the race several times and knows the trail like the back of his hand! Josh is also responsible for introducing me to Hobo Jim and the Song WILD and FREE which we all know the impact that had. I could keep going on but the bottom line is we have the best man for the job. Backing him up and again the best man for the job is the one and only Steve Stoller! Steve is a long time volounteer and came on last year as a handler for wild and free and brought alot to the table and we are glad to have him back as co captain of the USS WIld and Free!<br />
Kylas crew is another solid experienced team. My Dad will be returning to the trail to guide the second Wild and Free truck. This is huge, after taking last year off he is back, having him out on the trail is great piece of mind. I know that no matter what happens he will make sure that both Wild and Free trucks make it from point A to B. Casey who was my new handler this season will be riding long with my dad. Casey has been a huge addition to the Wild and Free team, he is a work horse that is willing to do anything you ask him to do. As I said earlier, he was a food drop packing machine but on top of that he helped train kylas dogs most of the year and split about 5 cords of wood! he is a perfect fit because he knows all of kylas dogs very well, having trained them for most of the season. OK thats the story and Im sticking to it!!! its been a great season, Dont get me wrong we had our ups and downs and defiantly had a few bumps in the road, but the important thing is that we have faced or challenges kept a positive attitude. We are taking this same attitude into the race and are very excited to hit the trail. Check back tomorrow I will be posting the starting lineups for both Yukon Quest teams and some sights and sounds from the amazing 2010-11 Wild and Free Season!!!! Ill leave ya with some puppy love....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvQnZUA7luJ5KGFbEv2FokT5X27R9CjMHFNh99d0ukHupAloDfbHbzrnj1kMbg2So4z7sOG8R0Va9Vjzmxsn7aRX8ulXq-592qTSxfT5tnk6jfLPl_6_E4gaEKjlmI-L0_W3ZJ9Id-Kaz/s1600/IMG_1502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvQnZUA7luJ5KGFbEv2FokT5X27R9CjMHFNh99d0ukHupAloDfbHbzrnj1kMbg2So4z7sOG8R0Va9Vjzmxsn7aRX8ulXq-592qTSxfT5tnk6jfLPl_6_E4gaEKjlmI-L0_W3ZJ9Id-Kaz/s320/IMG_1502.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Norton, Pam, Joee, and Sound taking a Nap</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0yvAhgJeVzOMNxM3yMuHYcBbh49smvTPMHjRrxcxLE1P8eZHFwfLMAz4eMIRAe3HRY6RVz-hjnighTrlYRhGstNK-BG0CjDR8T6vE5e8EeJyUDgeCfXgo7ttwI4nqoVewMCejDhx38qY/s1600/IMG_1453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0yvAhgJeVzOMNxM3yMuHYcBbh49smvTPMHjRrxcxLE1P8eZHFwfLMAz4eMIRAe3HRY6RVz-hjnighTrlYRhGstNK-BG0CjDR8T6vE5e8EeJyUDgeCfXgo7ttwI4nqoVewMCejDhx38qY/s320/IMG_1453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Basin Warming up next to Fish Cooker</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ptyuZN_muPFuqhsixegekpkifPaFqMCvYOy_VToj02eG3uCdIFiBf27ncAiyG_RChC1Yi7w3FP-P4_hpyh31oRpNP-E_L7jB24x461A_ZPcd5nh9YeuaWoS-MEhFU3Qc1SpSPZggsEV8/s1600/IMG_1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ptyuZN_muPFuqhsixegekpkifPaFqMCvYOy_VToj02eG3uCdIFiBf27ncAiyG_RChC1Yi7w3FP-P4_hpyh31oRpNP-E_L7jB24x461A_ZPcd5nh9YeuaWoS-MEhFU3Qc1SpSPZggsEV8/s320/IMG_1458.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">-40F Full Moon</div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-76129198488088949822010-12-30T23:43:00.000-09:002010-12-30T23:43:11.418-09:00Wild and Free UPDATE---race season is here!!Helloooooooooooo<br />
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I know its been forever.... we have had one wild and crazy ride so far this season but all of our efforts are starting to really pay off. On Monday the Gin Gin 200 kicked off the race season and Wild and Free represented with two very strong teams. I won the mens division and was second overall while Kyla guided her team of pups around the course like she and the dogs had been doing it for years!! the Gin Gin was Kyla and her team of pups first major race and they nailed it!! With help from her veteran leaders Ling Ling, Madonna and Molly they made it look easy. I was only able to see them a couple times throughout the race but when I did I saw only positive attitudes and happy faces on both the dogs and the musher! this was a very new experience for me as well, first logistically getting two teams to the start line and then trying to not only get all my ducks in a row but also be a good coach and mentor to Kyla. Luckily Kyla made it pretty easy on me and in the end once the race started I was able to focus on my team and have full confidence that Kyla would do a good job. My race went very well, the Gin Gin is a good test for dogs that are still questions marks and as it always does it separates the good from the great! Luckily all but one passed with flying colors. Salsa just couldnt keep up on the 110 mile loop and I ended having to load him in the sled 70 miles into the run just as we headed into the last 40 miles through the hills. Luckily the team and I rallied and were able to not only pass everyone in the last 40 miles but also gave us an 8 minute lead leaving the last check point to the finish, which in the end was a much needed 8 minutes!!! more race details to follow. we just got back home to Eureka tonight and I need to get some sleep before hitting the trail in the morning and then the chain saw in the afternoon! we need to beef up our woodpile! Casey did an awesome job back here in Eureka caring for the 100 dogs back here while we were gone. There is no doubt that this is a team effort and I am very lucky to have the team I have. First my handlers Kyla and Casey and then all of my friends that make all of this possible. over Christmas we had my friends Joe, anna jay and Amy up and they made and packaged all of kyla and I's food drop food for the Quest. the menu is amazing!!! a big thanks goes out to them, good food in the Quest is very important to having a successful race. ok i better get to bed, ill post more about the race and some pics and videos tomorrow. check out <a href="http://www.gingin200.com/">www.gingin200.com</a> for race results and video clips from the race. also checkout this youtube video of my finish <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ooGEUGdfyk">Gin Gin Finish </a> thanks for checking in and stay tuned as the race season heats up. the Copper Basin 300 is just one week away! <br />
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Being Wild and Free<br />
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BrentBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-82148108328318707182010-11-17T01:43:00.001-09:002010-11-17T01:45:47.809-09:00Wild and Free Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwTZUZGEcCU2duUqaU7iqtr_pL9osSCDEn8vs3HZH1CvzIgCxZXweFdkuK4mL7YrA4jlW1LYafv4SJKk1_P' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Chucko, Corvette and the gang excited about the snow and ready to GO!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx-PQl93c7lIpqIy_jGWZECe47pXhTMrZJG2Rnqd10_oCFF7q3Pw13YnvnH0idlOrLzFLCGl_6JBVRXzgMH8w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Awesome Night -28F </div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-49354687360445153512010-11-16T16:01:00.000-09:002010-11-16T16:01:17.785-09:00Photos from Eureka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IXHAnbOjW_Qu2Lp2Nnp4VouaUt5b8rM0a5z9BglnCNfs5x_U5ZttkFhMk1Ji5phnwX8qSMVLABLBWm8aOBKQqdcESOv83tTgc6-qM1mWaxfy717ScqTfCW-UmqO1fEZMY0urIa4wh1um/s1600/DSC00366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IXHAnbOjW_Qu2Lp2Nnp4VouaUt5b8rM0a5z9BglnCNfs5x_U5ZttkFhMk1Ji5phnwX8qSMVLABLBWm8aOBKQqdcESOv83tTgc6-qM1mWaxfy717ScqTfCW-UmqO1fEZMY0urIa4wh1um/s320/DSC00366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Kyla and her new Dogpaddle Design sled <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVAv918lENmVHYgXprWOSMqbCrMCLID91tuuGUxtmQ5WPCVBMKb8KUmdinhlvOeH-EHeCiwiDKcpGt1Mbq04WgiGMxBd2y3TEsIhlAN4IcqGSefOeUzPQhI9T1EHYeVoAlMbksWUMzNxr/s1600/DSC00368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVAv918lENmVHYgXprWOSMqbCrMCLID91tuuGUxtmQ5WPCVBMKb8KUmdinhlvOeH-EHeCiwiDKcpGt1Mbq04WgiGMxBd2y3TEsIhlAN4IcqGSefOeUzPQhI9T1EHYeVoAlMbksWUMzNxr/s320/DSC00368.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Norton and Sound hoping for a ride<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0hg84AtsjsGvTwLtvuLDAZHGhh7bYpFMv5k6nqo6-mPP5lwdVyBQ5VeNUKgC1T72A0Zlpe44zkR2p3qq2f-AnVv1Qf7YjTDObpkpLw8XekobXvRa1YMZ_8h5vS4b8OhPOaFlxTPYUuE/s1600/DSC00371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0hg84AtsjsGvTwLtvuLDAZHGhh7bYpFMv5k6nqo6-mPP5lwdVyBQ5VeNUKgC1T72A0Zlpe44zkR2p3qq2f-AnVv1Qf7YjTDObpkpLw8XekobXvRa1YMZ_8h5vS4b8OhPOaFlxTPYUuE/s320/DSC00371.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Norton is ready to go do some trail work<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATbPeOuH86AAbWwhG3ljnau3GpgMOaDrAu0iHxTB6-wxsvhYd9UWeoryxe1bie7tA-1db3h4eYZZQ8b9fCIp7Gn9elDvGAM70bgSKDxG7klxcqNs8uNvIShteVX2FWyjKLWwJc2gyGxvV/s1600/DSC00373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATbPeOuH86AAbWwhG3ljnau3GpgMOaDrAu0iHxTB6-wxsvhYd9UWeoryxe1bie7tA-1db3h4eYZZQ8b9fCIp7Gn9elDvGAM70bgSKDxG7klxcqNs8uNvIShteVX2FWyjKLWwJc2gyGxvV/s320/DSC00373.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Trunk settling in for a napBrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-32434143010454330172010-11-09T15:12:00.000-09:002010-11-09T15:12:45.944-09:00Skunk and Bud.. Leader fenoms!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wuz-FK64y4CgDjET5t61yLSH4NmECULU4InuyeuVxnWuzf2mdcH85Fcnj-G3TguJlAuWFijN6_iIV4Ts9JK12TdOKS1emnT4PadoXZIeLHcqZP0G8co596uqh2ZifU35w-YqEmSuaAG3/s1600/DSC00363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wuz-FK64y4CgDjET5t61yLSH4NmECULU4InuyeuVxnWuzf2mdcH85Fcnj-G3TguJlAuWFijN6_iIV4Ts9JK12TdOKS1emnT4PadoXZIeLHcqZP0G8co596uqh2ZifU35w-YqEmSuaAG3/s320/DSC00363.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bud(left) and Skunk had an awesome run today and I know it wont be their last! more on them and their future soon! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7MXHfeB97ynlhXNvDMsIVXJiI97KkUiInA1Do5MosDC5ZHYsxCfOPzaP56Fb8lhi1-agLfixbtTdvDha7kw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443324863212118856.post-5320569131430604942010-11-05T22:28:00.000-08:002010-11-05T22:28:59.928-08:00Buetifull day in Eureka and our First Day on SLEDS!! PARADISE!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lwnm3y-FslWdY0JYxdkEP1XjPsbGyX6Us1S-xdrytqzhQqobvVqs85jscrGTnpMW6lgH89FctutYTH68J7Gv6LjaBFEyO9wsdlNprWbFq1iB4DHd_rTtSZQ0VL3wQnLgf8BYGaVH0igq/s1600/DSC00313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lwnm3y-FslWdY0JYxdkEP1XjPsbGyX6Us1S-xdrytqzhQqobvVqs85jscrGTnpMW6lgH89FctutYTH68J7Gv6LjaBFEyO9wsdlNprWbFq1iB4DHd_rTtSZQ0VL3wQnLgf8BYGaVH0igq/s320/DSC00313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01587357076970753990noreply@blogger.com1