Wonderful Wanderings at the Kobuk 440

Hey y'all.
Greetings from the Greatland's "Hidden Jewel of the North"- Kotzebue, just above Nome. The Kobuk 440 has been a wonderful experience following the Sweepstakes fiasco. The Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways. Nothing like starting off your journey heading into a harrowing blizzard. Then the rain came, followed by open water once we reached the halfway point, the village of Kobuk. The return trip was a much more pleasant experience as the temps. dipped down below zero compared to forty above it felt like heaven. The trail hardened up and the dogs began to fly! Sure, the body is a bit beat up having to go through these conditions but the immaculate views- with valleys 30 miles in width- are more than worth it. The team was the center of this beautiful portrait. I've finally begun to understand that mushing isn't about how tough you are but how good of an artist one is at constantly adapting to the pooches needs. Coming down out of the hills, within a mile of the finishline in Kotz, tears began to well up in my eyes as I reminisced over the Alaskan rollercoaster ride we've been thru the last few months. I hope our 5th place finish sets the tone for a more successful season next year. The amazing aspect is that these DAWGS had just run three hundred miles the previous week in the sweepstakes. (In fact all the dropped dogs for 440 were the ones who didn't compete last week.) Omen, Annie, Flame and the crew have been on fire. Maestro, a beautiful blonde seven year old not only finished his 7th and 8th thousand milers this year, but the Kusko, Sweepstakes and 440 as well-- that's my BOY! (his mom's June-Mari) Our host family here has been great, Ida Peacock even presented me with a drawn lovely pic from the start of the race that she made. Her daughter Angela has been caring for our nonracing pooches with her father Chris- muchas gracias. We'll be heading home tomorrow- can't wait to start training up some yearlings. We're recieving numerous requests for our upcoming school tour 'NEVER LOSE HOPE' which encompasses the end of April and the 1st week in May. If you're interested please contact us asap for more details. Besides playing with the pooches on the trail there's nothing more enjoyable than sharing our adventures with YOU. I guarantee our story is one to put a smile on your face and hopefully ignites a passion in the viewers heart to imagine and achieve their dreams as well! Who knows if I'll ever become a 'champion'- whatever that means. However, few will ever contain the energy to enjoy this incredible lifestyle as yours truly- I'm possessed by this beautiful world of the north, a lucky man am I.
.Enjoy the view, Hugh and The Laughing Eyes Kennel Crew