Pat's new book

in stock to send you an autographed copy.  Thanks for everyone’s support on this project.  This is the inside cover description of the Book.

Recently I came across a poem that really spoke to me.  It goes like this.

Dogs don’t lie, and why should I?

Strangers come, and they bark,

They know their loved ones in the dark.

Now let me by night or day,

Be just as full of truth as they.

My goal while writing this book was to be like the dogs in the poem above.  To be truthful and honest to the reader of the thoughts and emotions I experienced while competing in an actual 220 mile sled dog race.

I want my readers to see the love, respect and deep bond that the dog driver and dogs develop over a lifetime on the trail.  To get a feel of the quiet language spoken through the lines off the team.  Most importantly I want you to experience the courage and determination that the sled dogs posses.  They are the ultimate adventurers.

This story is written in both the voice of lead dog Casper and dog driver Pat, giving the reader a unique insight into the sport of sled dog distance racing, thoughts and emotions shared by both man and canine when matched against the elements of Mother Nature.

What starts out as a simple sled dog race quickly turns into something so much more for both Pat and his canine buddies and you the reader.  I hope you enjoy the ride with both the highs and the lows of being out on the trail that “Song of The Runners”, will take you on.

I have had many great dogs, with each dog having his or her unique special ability.  Louise was one such dog.  She was white, (except for one black ear) that I purchased as a two year old from a veteran distance musher from central Oregon.  Louise had the most determined mental ability to finish a task.  Whether it was busting trail chest high snow or getting over the next mountain through high winds to the next checkpoint….you could always count her.

She first proved herself while we were making our third try at finishing the challenging 350 mile Race To The Sky in Montana.  We were on the last long leg of the return trip with thirty miles to finish.  We approach a fork in the trail that takes you into the White Tail Resort, which on the outbound route we turned into for a mandatory four hour layover. Louise and an older dog named Ghost were in co-lead.  On the return route there was no planned layover rest stop.  It is a straight run of fifty five miles to the finish.  When Ghost saw that turn into the White Tail Resort he figured he had a rest stop coming.  He tried over and over to turn the team onto that trail while I am giving Louise the command to go straight ahead.  Louise, the young leader finally decides that enough is enough and leans hard up the trail just about dragging Ghost from turning off the main trail.  After convincing Ghost there wasn’t going to be any resting there, they charged up over Huckleberry Pass and on down to the finish line.

Later that season I borrowed Louise the the musher that I got her from.  She was going to the 1149 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska.  My friend had a dog pick up and injury and didn’t want to start the race short a dog, so he took Louise out for a trial run and that was it.  She was going to get do do something I never did get to do.  Run the Iditarod.  Half way into the race(600 miles) the two young leaders of the team lost their confidence and wanted to lie down and quit on the trail.  The dog driver remembered what I said about Louise.  ”She will run any position on the team and won’t quit on you.”  He decided to give it a try and put Louise in solo lead.  She got the team up and moving and she went on to lead the team to finish the Iditarod!  She had that no quit finish to the end.  At eighteen years old when it got to the point where I had to help her and on her feet up each morning I knew it was  her time move on.

To this day when I get to that spot in the kennel I have to stop and remember her.  The only dog in history that was trained in CA., to run and complete the Iditarod Sled Dog Race !!

Song of The Runners

Lisa and I are really excited to announce that the book I have been writing (Song of The Runners) and editing for 3 1/2 years is ready to publish.  We have decided to go with Amazon to first put it out as an e-book that you can get on your Kindle, I-Pod, etc..  We will then follow that up with it being available on Amazon POD(print on demand) books.  So many of our clients are waiting for this to be available to the public and we can’t wait to have it published.

Song of The Runners is based on an actual event.   Starting out as a simple dogsled race near Mount Shasta, CA. it quickly turns into something so much more.  It is a unique insight of the thoughts and emotions that both the musher and dogs go through while being challenged by Mother Nature over 220 miles of changing trail and weather conditions.  Spoken in the words by both the dog driver Pat and his lead dog Casper, I can promise it will make you laugh and maybe even cry while you are along for the ride on highs and lows that Song of the Runners will take you on.

We will make a big announcement when the book will actually be available to the reader.  A special thanks to Lisa for all her hard work helping me edit the manuscript and sound advice by our friend and author Gail Jenner.

“We may only have a couple of more weeks of good trail conditions so please don’t wait and get you reservations in now so you can get the time and date that best serves you.  Thanks Pat

We won’t be in operation for this week and weekend due to the poor snow conditions and forecast of rain.  There are some possibilities in the forecast for some more colder weather and snow coming back in.  We will be available for spring tours if we can get some of those March snows like we have had for the last couple of years.  We will be at the traihead the following weekend for short rides if the weather isn’t too warm and the short trail snows stay in tact.  Stay posted to this blog sight for future conditions and  open dates for tours. Thanks again and if the conditions don’t improve we hope to hear from you earlier in the season next year.

 If you should want to go on a tour the same day you heard of us, the call me during the day at 530-340-3647.  If I don’t have tours scheduled I will still be at the trailhead with enough dogs to do an 11:30 am tour and a 2 pm tour each day we are scheduled for tours on our calendar.  Looking forward to hearing from you.  Pat