The 2021 to 2022 season has been sort of a bust. We had warm temperatures into November, we didn't get much snow, we didn't get to any races, we didn't meet any big mileage accomplishments. Much of it was out of my control, but it's still frustrating, especially after a disappointing 2020-2021 season (covid cancellations and overcoming anxiety after Blitz's seizure). I know I'm not the only one who has had an anticlimactic winter.
So, for now, I'm going to celebrate what we did achieve these past few months:
Atlas joined the team. Raising a new puppy and seeing their first few steps in harness might be my favorite thing about mushing. Atlas has gone from slightly hesitant 10-month-old (only on his first hook-up) to a loud, boisterous yearling.
We attended a training campout. While we didn't make it to any races, we at least got to share the trail with other North Country Mushers for a weekend in New Hampshire.
New snowmobile is a blast! And possibly what cursed me to have a low snow year. That said, I spent this season learning how to ride, groom trails, and run the team with the new (to me) Polaris Switchback. It's a LOT of fun and offers a safe way to train the team when trails are a little dicey and I need more control. It will also help with pacing and setting a steady speed as we train for longer distances.
Meat soup is a go! After Blitz had his seizure, I knew I had to start getting food into these dogs before our runs. Many mushers will feed meat soup (meatorade!) to help with hydration along with getting calories in before they get to work. My dogs have never, ever wanted to eat soupy food. This season, I somehow found the right combination of beef, supplements, and water over kibble—at just the right temperature—to get them to clean bowls. I am really hopeful this trend continues when we're on the road. Getting them to eat well when we travel is another big hurdle to overcome for future races.
Scouted new trails. A little late, but I've found more trails directly from the house that I intend to maintain throughout the summer and use next season. I did run one of these trails before, but it had been blocked by fallen trees and flooding. I only recently realized it's runnable again (with the sled, at least). I'm also hopeful I can find a trail that connects to the state forest a few miles behind my house. Summer may be full of bushwhacking and trail work, but I'm ready for it.
Nothing bad happened? Knock on wood... we still have spring training left. The mushing community has been hit by a tremendous number of accidents, mishaps, and straight up tragedies this season. It hasn't helped my pre-existing anxiety to know all the different ways things have gone wrong for other mushers. The silver-lining has been seeing the community come together to offer support (both with words and finances) to get through these disasters.
As the seasons change and the snow melts, we'll be transitioning back to short ATV runs until things get too hot. There may be a spring training campout to attend; not sure just yet, but it would be nice to end the season with one more event. I have high hopes for next season and maybe, finally, hitting some mid-distance races. Cross your fingers for big snow .
