Back on Sleds! 2010-2011 season

Its Offical we have been on sleds FINALLY! Dec 8, 2010 we journeyed out to our usual stomping grounds at CottonBrook State Park. We were the first people out on the fresh 12-16 inches of powder! I took a 4 dog team out and had Ellie in Single lead. All of the training she did with Flash last year on breaking trail really paid off. She did 3 miles upfront all alone and did fabulous! The snow got really deep and a 6 mile run is great in the deep snow. I ran Ellie, Trapper ( Stacy's Dog) Jersey and powerhouse Eli for the first run. Then I ran Dubs and Trapper in Lead ( got another 1/4 mile further in the powder) Munchkin and Carmine. There is a video above of them running back to the truck on a nicely packed trail we made! There were plenty of skiiers and hikers out that all said thank you for making the trail. The snow was light and fluffy but deep. I then ran Dubs and Ellie in lead with the puppies Henry and Suzie and Carmine in Wheel. We did a few miles and they loved it! Screaming to go run and pulling their little butts off! It is hard not to run them further but at about 7 months old I dont want to burn them out too soon! It was a lot of work to take out several small teams but a lot more fun then another boring day on the ATV! They got some great on-by practice with loose dogs too! Joan Knelly was out walking her Siberians and there was a loose yellow lab. Munchkin got a little cranky once but Dubs pulled her tight and she got over it quickly. I can't wait for this weekend if we get more snow i will take the 6 adults out to break even more trail and maybe get to the top and then up and over. One more week until it will be nice and groomed by VAST and the snowmobile tours.

Training Trip

We recently went of a trip to visit Scott and Corina Alexander of Kiana Siberians in New Hampshire! Lee and I put the dog box on the night before with help from my Dad and I took the 8 sled dogs and borrowed Andrew and Barb Shenton's trailer for the ATV. We were quite the traveling circus on the road ( getting only 13mpg...). We went to Hill Thursday night and ran the dogs in the dark. I had never been there before, for a place called Hill it was mighty flat! The trail is really wide and used to be roads in the village of Hill, there were all these side trails though that were windy and tight that got the dogs really excited. Although it was dark the stars were out and it was a really nice run we did 12 miles there that just flew by. The next morning we ran out of the Alexander's driveway and did a 10-11 mile run, there were lots of hills and fun things to go past, the dogs did great and were really strong. After the big dogs ran Suzie and Henry got a chance to try it out and they ran 2 miles with the old dogs and Corina's 9 mo old pup. Henry was all business, head down and pulling hard while Suzie jumped all over him! She eventually caught on and got into the groove of things. We ran again in the afternoon 5 miles and the dogs were ready for dinner and a nap after that! Saturday morning we ran again, about 8 miles and then journeyed home to Vermont. It was great training for them to travel, be on picket lines, run with new dogs, sleep outside in the box. I got some really good pointers on how to help Munchkin with her motion sickness, Eli and Jersey with their stress running poos and about training for longer races. I now want to do a 45mile REALLY BAD! I have a lot to learn still about dog care to make sure my team is as healthy as possible mentally and physically. My stars for the week were Ellie - ran in Lead for the entire time, passing some loose dogs, people and others. Carmine - ran hard, stayed level headed, ate well and drank well. Puppies - ate, pooped and peed when I told them too!

Below are some photos that I pirated from Corina's Facebook page as I haven't been home enough to download my own! I borrowed two of her dogs ( most were much better behaving than my own...)

Dogs picketed ready to run

Corina's Team!

Suzie and Henry went for a walk with the pups and house dogs Henry really liked the mud...

My team cooling off in a puddle, Leaders are Munchkin and Ellie

Team in action

Bikejor Clinic

We ( Barb Stacy and I ) are going to be leading a Bikejor Clinic for the Stowe Mountain Bike Club and anyone else who wants to come!

It will be at 10am on 10-31-10 at Cotton Brook Park in Stowe Vermont. There will be dogs and bikes and equipment that can be borrowed. The clinic is very informal. Anyone wishing to bring their own dogs we will work with them on how to get the most out of the experience!

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ATV and Porcupines

So we are now moving on to longer slower runs on the ATV. We are blessed to have friends come and train with us. Barb and Andrew have come over several times to run their dogs. Sunday was an amazing 8 mile run with her 4 alaskans and my 6 misfits. All the dogs where in their harnesses digging in the whole time. Helen is their newest dog and she has been doing a great job in lead, excellent with gee over and other commands, all business that one! Stacy also brought over her girls Casey and Trapper. Both got a chance at lead and of course Trapper and Ellie were a great pair up front! Trapper is probably the most loved dog to come to the kennel. She is like a celebrity flocked by all members of Ta Dog!

Ellie is getting back into the swing of things and doing really well in lead once again. We have also been running Dubs, the dog I thought would always remain in wheel, up front! He can be moody and has lashed out at Eli when anything is exciting though so I have been keeping a close eye on that bad behavior. I am pretty pleased at how well they are getting into shape this year. They are recovering quickly from runs and are pacing themselves well. Eli is my only super problem child as he go crazy before the run, I have to crate him and then put him on last ( to reduce noise outside as well). He went so nuts before our last run he got his feet all tangled up in his blanket and I had to cut it up to get his feet free! I am hoping to get a few more 8 mile runs in this week and possibly a 10 miler by the end of next. We are all signed up for the 30 mile Mad Bomber in January and want to be ready for it! Maybe I will take a few of Barb and Andrew's dogs and run a 45 miler this year too.....

The puppies are growing super quick, Henry is a BEAST! He is almost as tall as Ellie and is just 5 pounds shy of weighing the same. Suzie is a riot and loves to run in and out of all the crates at dinner time. She is fiesty and likes to gang up on Henry with Ellie and Deklyn She also gets the group howl going almost every night and is dealing well with having her very own crate ( thanks mom!). Henry has been quite fearless will take on any dog for a good play session. He even tried his luck as sniffing a porcupine last friday. Thankfully both puppies have a great call back and I was able to call him away before the porcupine decided to throw it's tail around. Henry had 6 quills in his nose which came out easily. Suzie had better sense then to get that close. They are just over 4 months now and I am looking forward to when they are big enough to start running them. They both go ballistic when I am hooking up the team and have to be crated to control their barking and screaming. Lee reports that they cry for 20 minutes after we take off, they just want to be apart of everything the big dogs do. Both really love to run and I take them several times a week to a big field to stretch their legs. Not as fast as Ellie but Suzie is catching up very quickly and Henry is only a step behind. I love these puppies and cannot wait for them to be big enough to start running them!!!!

Busy Bikejoring

We have been very busy bikejoring with the dogs this season. I have been working with Eli on lining out, he gets so excited about running and just doesn't understand what he needs to be doing yet. I think as the season goes on he will calm a little and I will be able to work with him more. Carmine is getting over the fear of the bike. We had the camera but it malfunctioned so we didn't get the video of him running and passing beautifully on a training run with Stacy. I am going to continue working with him with other bikers as that is really working for him. The girls and Dubs are acting like old pros at it and I think are ready to do longer runs. I would like to try to teach Dubs to lead since he does so well biking. Previous attempts have failed, I guess you can't teach old dogs ( Dubs just turned 9) all the new tricks!

The pups, Henry and Suzie are growing, a lot! Henry is eating more than Eli right now, Suzie is a little bit fussy which we are working on correcting. It is tough to see a puppy turn away a meal and then when you put it out for someone else to eat she gets all upset. Henry is super outgoing and has been great in all the situations we put him in. I am also starting to teach them some commands when we go for our daily walks.

We are super excited for the Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair this Saturday in NH. I am carpooling with Stacy and we are bringing the pups. I am also going to remember a chair this year! Hugh Neff and Blake Freking are speakers this year. I am also hoping to get a chance to to see the Cool Runner that Mitch Ingerson built, it is a tread mill that holds a whole team of sled dogs! One year I would like to stay the whole weekend and compete in the dryland race. Lee and I are running in the Leaf Peepers Road Race that day though with no doggies ( weird I know!)

I need to order some parts for the ATV and soon we will be doing long runs in the cool fall mornings! We are signed up for a 30 mile race in January and we need to start getting super serious about packing on the miles with these critters! Hopefully the snow will start sticking early this year and I won't be stuck ATVing for too long. Once we are on the ATV I will get some new video and try some new ( non dog butt ) angles. Lee Registered the ATV with a club in NEK so we are going to plan a camping trip up there with the dogs. He is also planning on registering the snowmobile so we can do the same this winter. Sounds like we will be putting just as many miles on the truck as the dogs this year.

Fall Training 2010

It has begun! We have gotten some nice mornings and evenings for bikejoring and all the dogs have gotten out at least once. We like to start off with the bike to ease back into training with the dogs. It gives them some one on one attention and we can figure out what they remembered from last year. We also purchased a helmet cam this summer and Lee got some cool video with his favorite bikejor buddy "Dubs!" Dubs was our very first sled dog and is a pointer mix. He will be turning 9 in just a few weeks and LOVES bikejoring. In the video you can see how excited he gets when they get to the end of the road. He does a little boot scoot and almost seems to be saying " Are we REALLY doing this? YES!!!"

See Dubs Run on YouTube.com

I also got some video of Carmine running in the evening that I will post on YouTube as well. He is going to need some more work with the bike. He is pretty new at it and a little afraid of the bike. Eli was bad for Lee but I got him to go after a while. He was just overly excited! The girls all ran like Dubs, pros! Munchkin was my hardest worker so far but just won't go out in front of the other dogs when we run with our friends. Hopefully I will get her to be a front runner in years to come, she is maturing into a great dog!

Rest in Peace my Dearest Flash

2004-2010

Flash taught me more about dog mushing then any other being on the planet. His short life was filled with important milestones. We purchased him in Alaska from a very large touring kennel. Lee and I drove with my best friend Emily to Alaska so she could have her car for a summer internship. We bought yearling Flash while we were up there and flew back to New England with him. Flash was the 3rd dog we got and I felt like I had a real team after getting him. Flash loved to run, and was very serious about his passion. He was stand offish with us until I had a harness in my hand then he would leap and jump at me almost saying " Get that thing on me lady so we can RUN!". He was always ready for a challenge, eager to learn and please. I ran him in wheel at first, he was just so nuts, but I quickly realized his potential. As soon as he was in lead he seemed to know everything. He learned commands quickly and was willing to make mistakes and learn with me.

In our first race I ran 4 dogs in the 12 mile 4 -6 dog Stratford Nighthawk race in 2007. We came in 6th out of 23 competitors! I was totally stunned by his drive. Over the years Flash became my main man. I could always depend on him to do his job and do it really well. We learned about training, breaking trail, speed, working around other teams, camping, racing and most of all trust. I trusted Flash with the whole team and myself on the back of the sled. If I gave a command he wasn't sure about he would look back at me, and he was usually right! I swear he could read trail markers ( probably just smelling the other teams but he was smarter then me!). His quivering bark during hook up reminded me of the woman at the end of "Goonies" with the bag of gems rambling on. I loved Flash and worked with him off the trail too. When I broke my ankle in February of 2007 I would spend hours sitting in his "spin zone" trying to touch him until finally he would come close and I would pet him. I taught him how to walk on a leash and go hiking off leash. I never was able to teach him how to sit and I rarely saw him sit even in the kennel. He loved to get the other dogs to chase during play time. He was in love with all the girls, who of course didn't want anything to do with him! When he did relax he loved to snuggle up with the other dogs on the couch and dog beds; where ever Jersey was he was snuggled right next to her.

In 2008 Flash developed a persistent cough that sometimes made him vomit. We tried everything to clear his lungs and we battled with different medications/treatments and then last summer he was diagnosed with Canine Chronic Bronchitis. Last winter the cough got so bad he was having serious trouble running. He wasn't recovering well from even a short run and his skin was becoming very fragile. He had to sit out the racing season and ran/lead recreational with friends. This was very crushing for him when we would leave him at the truck for long runs. He was diagnosed with Cushings Disease this spring (which he developed from the medication he was on to ease his cough) and went down hill from there. I won't get into detail but it was probably the hardest decision I have ever made in my life. Flash didn't deserve to be as uncomfortable as he had gotten. He was given a chance that many tour dogs never get, he slept in a house, he was the leader of his team, he was pampered when he was sick and he was loved deeply by his owners. It has been 11 days since the little man went to heaven but his short life here has been branded in my heart and it has been hard for me to think about. I don't know if I will ever fully recover from his loss. What a good doggie.

Update: We got a card from the vet's office in the mail. Inside was filled with notes from all the vets and vet techs there. I cried for hours especially after reading: "When dogs go to heaven God doesn't give them wings because he knows they love to run."

PUPPIES!

Ta Dog! Racing Huskies welcomes siblings Simba, cream male and Suzie, dark female, to the pack. Thank you Stacy for the pictures!

Lee and I have been having a lot of discussions about the kennel this summer. Between Flash's declining health and Schnee currently living with my friend Susan in CT leaves us down two dogs (who didn't run last year either). Dubs ( super star wheel dog) will be 9 this September and will probably want to retire in a year or two. With all the changes in the team we wanted to look towards our future. We turned to Linendoll's Happy Husky Kennel and Shawn Linendoll who had a repeat litter from last year out of his female Aspen and stud Mudslinger. Both dogs on their own are amazing with a great heritage from Swingley lines. We are very excited about these pups, they have great personalities and fit in quickly with most of the adults. They have been quite the show and we have converted the upstairs to a wrestling ring for the puppies to rumpus.

I know they are super cute and fun now but I am so excited for them to get big and I can start training them! Simba is a little chow hound and very out going, he likes to play with Ellie the most but will go up to any other adults and play bow. Suzie is slightly more reserved, she likes to sit, asses what is going on and then picks the best way to pounce! They are learning how to sleep in a crate over night, walk on a leash and ride in the truck right now. Today is the first day they will be separated ( only by fence panel) from each other but I picked babysitters that will console them. Simba is having a harder time being house trained and thanks to him we went through 4 rolls of paper towels in the first week. Suzie is catching on much quicker! I am hoping to take them to a dog park soon but they need to get a little bigger first. I will try to post some new pictures of all the dogs soon, just need to find my other camera. Carmine wanted to see what the insides of my last one looked like!

Magazine Plug

This is the article from Vermont Sport Magazine

http://www.vtsports.com/articles/love-not-money-racing-sled-dogs

Proud of our experiences

I have been super busy this spring and summer and finally found some time to sit and write. The past racing season was amazing. I now feel like I am really chasing the dream of being a true musher. I had so much fun training and being with the dogs this past winter. I learned some important things about myself, how to concur my fear of trouble on the trail was a big lesson. I handled those times a lot better than I thought. I kept it together for the team and then let myself think about it after the fact and freak out! I learned that racing is more important than I had originally thought. I pushed myself harder than ever before, in the wilderness race I was down 2 dogs than everyone else, I probably ran 10-15 miles myself and was able to come in 7th! then at the can-am despite one of my worst cold/viruses ever I ran up every hill and really read the dogs, how they were feeling in the heat ( 40-50 degree weather). We came in 12th out of 31 in the biggest field we have ever been in. I was so proud of my dogs this season. I learned that you cannot rely on one dog to pull you through everything, you have to train all the dogs. I learned to pack a lunch that won't freeze in the sled bag. I learned that frozen venison is the dog's favorite after run snack but shouldn't be given on the trail. All these things that as a novice trainer you have to experiment, you learn so much from even your youngest dogs. I am rambling but I am excited still about the sport and am looking towards the future

Other News: Flash's condition has worsened and probably will never run again. We have been making him comfortable all summer but he has cushingoid symptoms and wheezing/coughing persists.

Schnee is having a blast at Aunt Susan Camp all summer and might be staying into the fall/winter! We miss her but know that she is having so much fun being the center of attention.

We are going to be picking up two 8 week old puppies from Shawn Linendoll's Happy Husky Kennel this coming weekend and a puppy pen was set up today! Their names are Simba and Susie. They are Swingley line dogs and their parents are Aspen (dam) and Mudslinger (sire).

All other doggies have been busy digging holes and lounging in the shade this summer, the few mornings that it has been cool they have had some major play sessions.

100 Mile Wilderness Race

We just got home from the 100 Mile Wilderness Race in Greenville ME. It was definitely worth the 8-9 hour car rides. The weather was perfect cold and sunny and the 26 mile trail was gorgeous, wide, hilly and great views. The 100 mile race was canceled due to trail conditions and the30 mile race start was moved 4 miles up due to the lake being glare ice. There were 18 teams competing with mostly 8 dog teams, so my 6 huskies and I had to work extra hard to stay competitive. That meant me running at any point the dogs slowed to my running pace. I was off the runners a LOT! There were only a few up hills that left me totally grasping for air which made me happy that I have been working out this winter. We got passed by some pretty amazing teams that just flew past us. We ran quite a ways with Becki Tucker and her gang, then a team went by that my dogs really wanted to chase. We stayed behind David Punch for a little ways until his dogs turned on the afterburners and left us in a cloud of kicked up snow! I was super impressed by my dogs, Eli was the only one who at the end was having a hard time staying in a lope but he kept going and running strong in a fast trot. We placed 7th at a time of 2 hours 31 minutes and 36 seconds! The finishing times were really close in the middle of the pack and I can't wait to see everyone at the next race! The video below is at around the 1/2 way mark right after Punch left us in his wake. The team was Eli and Ellie in Lead, Munchkin and Carmine in Team and Dubs and Jersey in Wheel. Can't wait for next year.

View of Moose Head?

MY TEAM! What a great Gee over!

Picture addition

I was playing around with google and blogger today and wanted to add this great picture that Corina Alexander's father took. Ellie is the little flying happy dog in lead with Eli, big orange guy. Munchkin is the crazy huge looking brown dog. Dubs is the floppy ear and tongued black pointer cross and little Jersey is the white and black mini powerhouse ( only 40 pounds!).

Running when it's cold.

Today was cold, it was -12 degrees without the windchill when we left the house this morning. I was wearing so much I could barely move when hooking up the dogs. But with the team I have now I don't have to move much on the sled, just stay warm and upright. I wish I was able to get a picture of the snowmobile tour guide trying to help me zip up my coveralls... and then me trying to put my parka on after that. My camelback hose froze almost before we left the parking lot and that was under my down jacket, coveralls and parka, but I stayed relatively warm for the duration of the run. I was last to leave the parking lot. Stacy left with her 6 dog team, which included my dog Schnee, then we got Heather and her 9 dog team out. It took me a while to get going in all my layers but we caught up to Heather at about Mile 7. Then the two of us caught up to Stacy right before we entered the Little River Campground, we did a nice loop in the campground and stop for lunch before going back up and over the mountain. Carmine the new dog from Christine Richardson is working out great! I included a video that other mushers will probably apprechiate more than others. I have been battling with dogs trying to teach them how to "on the fly poop" and he does it very well! and disregard the musher talking, she was really really cold...

Heather's team ( forgive me if I spell names incorrectly) Maya and Watson in lead then Rein House, Mud, Zukie, Garnet, Smirk and Brewster.

Stacy's team Trapper and Casey in Lead, Fava and Schnee in Team and Marl and Flint in Wheel

My Team! Ellie and Eli in Lead, Carmine and Jersey, and Dubs and Munchkin in wheel.

Schnee enjoying the car ride home

The band of Goobers! Ta DOG!!!

at least we don't have to drive anywhere...

So the nearly 2 inches of rain that happened Monday took us back to training with the ATV.... Not the most fun in the world but gets the job done. We checked out some local trails but they were solid sheets of ice and too dangerous! We found about 15 miles of roads with 3 turn arounds. I did run Flash who has been not coughing the last two days, and you can see Schnee's big hairy white butt right in front of the ATV. The new addition Carmine was very curious looking around but his tug was tight and he seemed to like running next to Munchkin! I have been calling around and the only place with any "trails" is Eden Mountain Lodge but it is also 2 hours away. I haven't cleaned my house since December, totally gross! So on the ATV again today. Oh and it is snowing so hopefully this weekend we will be back on the sled!

We always stay so busy!

The dogs have been logging some serious ride time in the truck the last couple of days. Last Thursday we drove up to the Collins Pond area in Hyde Park Vermont. But before we got there... well, we got to Richmond, I realized I forgot the drop chains ( the tethers to keep the dogs attached to the truck before and after the run), so we drove home and then went back out and met up with Barb and Stacy. It was a great run, we did two loops around the ponds doing a few head on passes with Barb, but never saw Stacy. It was a short run, only 13 miles but the terrain is similar to the fun run we went to on Saturday. I brought Stacy's Trapper and Marl with me so we could transport them to the fun run for her. Then Barb and I went to Lunch! After a great Meal at Frida's in Stowe we parked at a nearby park to let the dogs out. I attempted cross country skiing again, failing, i fell 3 times in less than a 1/4 mile stretch...Then we headed over to the Stoweflake to help Rob and gang with tours. We got home late and I was pretty tired, but we got up early the next day to go out running again.

Friday we had a interview for Vermont Sports Magazine and had pictures taken. That was something new for all of us! Dubs is kinda camera angry and kept barking at the camera. Hormones were in the air too, so of course there was a lot of humping going on at the truck which made everyone laugh. Schnee wouldn't leave Flash alone and Jersey was flirting very hard with Marl and Trapper. They got some moving shots of the team and then we were off on a nice 25 mile run. Up one side of the mountain, down the other than back up and down again to our truck. At the 1/2 mark we had a nice "picnic" the dogs had venison, I had beef jerky. the dogs were not really into stopping which was good but I didn't get to the rest of my lunch. They caught their second wind at about mile 18 and then were roaring up the hills! I was very proud of them and Trapper, who despite never gone on such a long run kept up nicely. I got to try out a lot of different leader positions and dog combinations along the way. The weather was great, sunny and in the 20s, and there were few snowmobiles about. When we got home there was lots of playing going on with Trapper and Marl being there and the dogs stayed out until almost 9 at night!

Saturday was a big day too. We got up at 3am, yes 3am! Lee and I met up with everyone in Waterbury and then drove down to Wonalancet, NH. There were about 15 teams that participated in the Wonalancet Fun Run, a benefit for the Patriot Siberian Husky Rescue. We came in 3rd in the 4-6 dog class. I ran Eli and Ellie in Lead, Munchkin in single team, and Jersey and Dubs in Wheel. The dogs loved the trail as it was mostly wooded windy trails that kept them excited. I had some steering issues, I think one runner is tilted funny, which kept me on my toes around all those corners! There were lots of bridges to go over and even a Boy Scout troop sledding on part of the trail! Ellie did not want to go past the bright plastic sleds and giggling kids but Eli true to form pulled her and the rest of the team up the hill past the distractions! Eli is a surprise leader. We got him in May from a true recreational team and he continues to amaze me! He is not very good about turns but he makes up for it in his drive and on-bys! Oh and there were some steep steep hills that just about killed me to run up. ( need to get my running shoes out again!) After the race we celebrated Barb's Birthday at a neat restaurant in Meredith NH and then treked over the Canaan to Christine Richardson's Seal Cove Kennel. We met with Christine to pick up a new , in order to compete in the 30 miler at the 100 mile Wilderness Race we needed one more dog; Flash is still out due to his Chronic Bronchitis. We emailed back and forth and Lee and I decided that her dog Carmine would be a great addition to our team. He was being very shy at her house but is already coming out of his shell 2 days later. He seems to be getting along with everyone just fine so far. After picking him up we finally started our journey home. Lee and I were so exhausted we went straight to bed after unpacking gear and feeding dogs. Thursday to Saturday we were in the car for over 400 miles and the dogs ran about 50! I can't wait for tomorrow to try out Carmine, hopefully we get more snow than rain tonight and I don't have to get the ATV out! Till next time. - Elizabeth

Starting Out with Ta Dog!

Ta Dog! Racing Huskies

Life is about to get even busier than ever, we are going to our first dog mushing event of the year on Saturday. The Wonalancet Fun Run. We are signed up for 4 other events, big and small. This blog will serve as a communicator for all my supportive friends and family to track how we are doing.

Since October the dogs and I have been increasingly busy training, we have already done a few 25 mile runs and plan on many more in the coming weeks. The 400th training mile has come and gone in a flash. Last year we only had about 250 miles at this time of year.

We added a great dog named Eli to the team last May and Schnee has "retired" from my team and is now running with friends when we can get her out there. She has become a professional snuggler instead of speedy race dog, celebrating her 10th birthday just a few weeks ago. The puppies are now two and in strong adult bodies. Ellie is quickly becoming a great command leader. Munchkin got HUGE and is a big force on the team. Flash was diagnosed with Canine Chronic Bronchitis but with drugs and running he is doing great. Dubs is not showing sign of aging and is ripped like usual and Jersey is just a hard pulling goober.

We are looking forward to continued racing success. Our plans for this year include the 30miler at the 100 Mile Wilderness Race in Greenville, ME, Sandwich Notch 20miler in NH, Stratford Nighthawk race in Stratford NH, the 15/15 category, and we are still waiting for a slot at the CanAm for the 30miler in Fort Kent, ME.