Mush on!

As much as we would love for this vacation to be all about us, we have an imperative duty to provide our canine children with the opportunity to sustain their exsisting state of mental and physical attributes. As most of you know, this requires a big playfield for The Tillster. Cantwell Elemetary provided the space for the desired effect.

Rosie remained in her defensive position as if she was assigned to protect and defend if any large beast may wander to the field! Take a gander at the rounded fence, that serves as a basketball court and an ice arena! OK, our duty is served, now lets go for a hike!

 With the fear of  these pests, maybe I ought to heed the warning before trekking!             

We decided to allow ourselves to become blood doners and passed our opportunity to purchase those fashonable saving graces. 

The end of the hike awarded us the pictorial quality of a lake that owed it's exsistence only because of large herbivorous rodents that build dams and underwater houses of mud and sticks.

The water on the left is about 2 feet higher than it is on the right. Those beavers are great engineers! Let's get out of here and continue down the road.

The clouds and the sky worked in harmony throughout the day.

Moments like these I realize that there is a sound of silence...all you have to do is listen...

....and the inspiration that Mother nature bestows is amoung us......

In 1917 Mt McKinley became a National Park, with 2 million acres. Years later it was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve after 4 million additional acres were added. Six million acres and only a fraction of it could only be traveled by modern means because the Federal Gonvernment enacted laws to protect and preserve the territory. Helicopters burn $800-$1000 dollars every hour, the noise disrupts the natural enviroment for the animals, they can only fly in good weather, and need a flat spot to land. Snowmachines (as they are called here) are major polluters, they break down, get stuck, and they don't start in 40 degrees below weather. That brings us to the Huskie Kennels located inside the park. I could go on forever how these dogs are essential to the survival and exsistence of this impressive place, but I need not bore you with details. I will say that they never get sick, they rarely brake a bone, they don't pollute, they are excellent alarms, they keep you warm,they go into tight areas, they always start and they LOVE TO RUN!  It is normal and customary that these powerful dogs be released from thier kennels by the stronghold of the  Park Rangers. If they were to let them down on all fours, the Rangers would be dragged, also it is safer for the dogs as not for the handler to step on their precious working feet and paws.

Harnessing takes only moments and the entire pound began a barking rukus!

Typical garb of a musher.

You can see the compassion these park officials have for these animals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no holidays or time off.

Puppies, the next generation. The adults dogs usually retire at age 9, or when they start showing lack of enthusiasm. They go to homes located in cold places and that have the willingness to keep them as active as they can.

We got to walk around and pet these beautiful working dogs.

I mushed my dogs until they were tired! MUSH ON!

The last dog we visited was named "buck." All donations stay inside the Kennel organization.