The 2026-2027 mushing season is right around the corner and we’re getting things ready for our first fall runs. After two great snow seasons, El Niño has returned, and we’re expecting less time on a sled this winter. I’ll be happy as long as the trails remain ice free, which was the biggest problem our last warm winter.
As our season kicks off, I wanted to give a brief update on each dog and what I expect things will look like for them!
Willow is most likely fully retired going into this season. She might join us for a quick jaunt here or there, but she seems content to hang back and watch the chaos from afar. Two years ago, I noticed she was favoring her left rear foot after runs, with some minor swelling on the hock. It took months of referrals and sports med specialists to eventually determine she has a mass between the tendons of her foot. It’s most likely a benign lipoma, but it still seems to bother her after heavy activity, so we won’t be asking her to run anymore. She’s 11-years-old, which is around when my dogs typically retire off to the B team or help with training puppies. I am sad to see her reach the end of her mushing career, but hope to have plenty more years with her by my side.
Blitzen is going into this season at 10-years-old, but I’m crossing my fingers he will continue to be a powerful member of the team. He missed a good chunk of last season with a foot injury. He’s since made a full recovery, so I’m (cautiously) optimistic he’ll have a complete season, despite being the oldest member of the race pool. If he tells me he’s ready for slower speeds or shorter distances, we’ll bump him down to the B team.
Hubble is officially retired from events, though he will still train with the team. Like Blitz, he also missed a bit of last season due to injuries, including recurring foot problems. His feet are a bit flat, which makes them prone to fissures and other issues. However, the real reason he’s off the race pool is his sharking at other teams. He might get to race if I know there’s no other teams to pass, but he’ll likely be sitting out otherwise.
Willow - 11 years - Retired
Blitzen - 10 years - Race Pool
Hubble - 9 years - B Team
Laika is a bit of a wildcard. When the boys got injured last winter, I had Laika step up and run at events I normally wouldn’t. She hates crowds and does not like being around strangers. Still, she handled herself quite well at Tug Hill and Seguin. The real question will be her ability to keep up with the race team. I had to slow the team down quite a bit for her when we ran the 12.5 mile Seguin mail run trail, which isn’t something I want to do when we’re actually racing. I expect she’ll start the season training with the race pool, like Hubble, but may not be running at events with us. We’ll see!
Sagan will enter this season as Atlas’s go-to running mate and a back-up leader. She’s only seven, so I anticipate a lot of years left from our team cheerleader.
Hopper is also seven this season. He’s my most trusted leader and will likely be out in front of the team for many of our races and events. I do hope to have him train some up-and-coming leaders, too.
Laika - 7 years - Race Pool or B Team
Sagan - 7 years - Race Pool
Hopper - 7 years - Race Pool
Atlas is my ever-steady freight train. He’ll be turning six this fall and shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.
Faye is another one of my super leaders. At 4-years-old, I hope she’ll have many more seasons leading for us. She’s one of those dogs who will be personally offended if I don’t run her up front.
Kuiper is an unusual guy. He’s not as amped up in harness as my other dogs, but he seems to find his groove in longer runs. We will continue to monitor his heart for any changes that could indicate ARVC, but there’s not a whole lot we would do differently either way. As long as this boy wants to run, he will. I’d like to see him leading the team, but he needs more practice there.
Atlas - 5 years - Race Pool
Faye - 4 years - Race Pool
Kuiper - 2 years - Race Pool
Rubin is entering her yearling season with the team. I am very excited to see how she does at races. She’s got a handful of puppy runs under her and so far I love what I’m seeing! I am really hoping she will become a leader, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Artemis is just a puppy now, but she’ll join us for spring training runs next year. In the meantime, she’ll gain valuable experience traveling with the team and learning the ropes of being a sled dog.
Rubin - 1 year - Race Pool
Artemis - Pup!
