Brent's Blog

2008-08-20T00:06:00.000-08:00

Surging Forward

2008-08-19T23:06:00.003-08:00

The fall training season is in full swing and things are really heating up. Along with running dogs and working at TBK, all the projects that need to get done before the snow flies are going into action. The list begins with cleaning up the dog yard with new gravel, build 50 new houses, finish my half built wood shed and fill it with firewood, build a new shed, annual maintenance on the rental cabins and the list goes on. My marketing campaign is now underway as well, I am trying to spread the word about Wild and Free mushing, to get as many people interested in what I am trying to accomplish this season and get them fired up like I am. This campaign includes sending out postcards, writing sponsorship letters and thanking current sponsors. This is a huge job but very important to the success of The Wild and Free Team. Overall everything is going very well, I am happiest when I am busy and there is no shortage of projects to keep me busy. Sigrid is back from Norway and staying with me her in Fairbanks its been nice having her back and the help running dogs and doing chores has been great. Last Thursday and Friday Sigrid and I took a quick 1200 mile road trip to Whitehorse to pick up so dogs we bought. The trip went really well it was a great trip no problems and the dogs turned out to be great they have already been on 3 training runs and are adjusting to their new home very well. This weeks dog of the week is The Dude. The dude is a 3.5 year old that has been in both of my Quests and has become one of my main leaders. He was dropped 700 miles into my first Quest with Frostbitten testicles but showed allot of potential, last year in my fifth place finish he was a force and was one of the main reasons for our success. He has started this season with that same drive and has matured into a main leader. He is listening to commands holding out the line in lead and really pushing the pace. I can guarantee he will play a large role in our success this season and a dog I see could go in both the Quest and the Iditarod. I better get going hope all is well in your neck of the woods, thanks for checking in.

Staying Wild and Free

Brent

First in Line

2008-08-09T06:28:00.002-08:00

Well it wont be official for another 2.5 hours but I am the first and only person in line so far to sign up for the 2009 Yukon Quest. I arrived here at the log cabin visitors center in downtown Fairbanks at 5am this morning to make sure that I would be the first musher to sign up. This is the third straight year I have been first, and I plan on keeping this tradition going until I am first on both ends (to sign up and to cross the finish line first). This also makes me officially signed up for both the Quest and the Iditarod. I have one hell of a season ahead and this is just one of the first steps to making it the best season it can be. Better get back to finishing up my entry application. Signing off from downtown Fairbanks, AK

Brent

Jerry The Crazy

2008-08-07T16:26:00.003-08:00

The first ever dog of the week goes to a year and half old dog named Jerry. Her enthusiasm tops all the dogs and her natural ability as a leader has set her apart in the first week of training. She is a black and brown 45 pound female with a very smooth stride and more energy then you could ever imagine. Last april in the arctic Jerry showed lots of potential, and quickly made her way to the leader position for many long runs. Jerry was also one of the dogs I worked with this summer with the mountain bike. On cool nights I would take two dogs out with the bike, one experienced leader and and one young dog, like Jerry. We go out on short two mile runs to get the young dogs familiar with being in lead and also teach them the commands. We use GEE for right and HAW for left. When the dogs are pulling me down the trail on my bike I give them a gee command the experienced leader takes the command and turns right, while the young dog follows and begins to learn the commands. It can take weeks, months or even years to train a good command leader, patience and a really good leader are the key to success. Luckily I have that in Silver, his great response to commands and strength really makes him an excellent leader trainer. Jerry is one of the easier ones to train, she has learned the commands very quickly and has the makings of a great leader. She will definitely be in the hunt for a spot on the Quest team this year. Her mother is Minook (Butcher Blood Lines) and her father is Ling Ling. Ling Ling is one of my original dogs and has been with me and finished both Quests. So with the combination of good blood lines and some solid training Jerry is defiantly a dog I see leading the Wild and Free team into the future. Hope you enjoyed learning more about Jerry, make sure to check back every friday for the Dog of the Week.

Happy Trails

Brent

WET AND WILD

2008-08-07T00:06:00.004-08:00

Fall training is going great!! The weather, although very wet and miserable for most people has been awesome for the dogs. The cool wet mornings are making it really nice to start training and the dogs are really showing their excitement. I have never scene the dogs as fired up as they have been this fall. I think they are sensing my excitement and really showing that they are ready to give it their all this season. To help all of you fans and supporters of Wild and Free get to know the team better I am going to start picking "A Dog of the Week". Every week I will pick a dog that has preformed exceptionally well and tell you about the dog, its role in the team and why it stood out that week. This will hopefully allow you to get a little more insight into the training and also get to know each dog individually. I am in the process of taking pics and writing a brief bio about each dog to be posted on the site, so stay tuned for that as well. The dog of week will be announced every Friday so check back tomorrow to see who stood out in the first week of training. If anyone has any other ideas on things I can do on the blog to better keep you informed please email me your suggestions. I want to be able to help all of you, have as much fun following me as I do living the life!! Better get to bed. Thanks for checking in

Brent

Training season in full swing!!!

2008-08-03T12:16:00.003-08:00

Here we go!! Aug 1 marked the first day of official training for Wild and Free. I am running three teams of 12 dogs 2.5 miles. The weather has been great for running dogs, Cool and Wet, unfortunately because of the extremely wet season we are having major flood at TBK. The tents that I do my lunch and dinner shows in were 4 feet underwater, and stopped just shy of the Dog barn. Because of the flood we had to move the dogs to higher ground, move the tent shows to a different location and reroute the dog run for the riverboat. Half the driveway (trail) is underwater so instead of doing a circle around the lake with the dogs we run down the dry end of the driveway circle the dogs around and come back the same way. It is great training for the dogs and also gives the passengers of the boat a great view of dogs taking commands. It has been one hell of a week but I think the worst of it is over, the tents are still in about a foot of water but it is receding fast. But the water is very good for training and it has been great to get the dogs out in good cool temps. It is amazing how fired up they are to go, it is a real patience lesson for me because I have to make sure I don't get made at them for being excited. Soon they will realize that it is not the first or the last time they are going out and will calm down while hooking up, but it takes time. The three teams take me about 3 hours total to complete so not to bad, add in shoveling,watering and feeding and it totals about 4 hours of great fun. I am really excited to get started and cant wait to see the dogs preform this season there is a lot of potential out there its up too me to train them to their best ability. I also just signed up for the Equinox marathon which starts on Sept 20, so my training is going to start getting a lot more intense as well. Better run hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Thanks for stopping by, check back regularly I am going to start updating training news on a regular basis!!

Being Wild and Free

Brent

Team Momentum

2008-07-23T13:28:00.002-08:00

I am very proud to announce that Wild and Free Mushing is now an official member of Team Momentum. Momentum brand dog food is produced my Dr. Tims pet food company out of Marquette Michigan. We have been feeding this great food for the past two season and are glad to have them as a key sponsor of Wild and Free Mushing for the 2009 season. Check out www.drtims.com for more info. With Aug. 1 as my goal date for fall training I am extremely busy getting projects done around the kennel as well as getting the four wheelers ready for another dryland season. One thing is for sure the dogs are ready to go. As the temps get cooler and cooler there energy level gets higher and higher, they know the white stuff is right around the corner. back to work thanks for checking in.

Brent

Back and on Track!!

2008-07-20T20:53:00.004-08:00

Hello all
Norway was amazing I had a wonderful time and had the best tour guides possible. Sigrids parents took me in as their own and really showed me an amazing trip. But getting back was important so after a delayed plane and an extra long stop in Amsterdam I made it back and hit the ground running. I am back over at TBK giving tours and having a great time while at the same time plugging away on projects around home including two new sheds for food and Gear, 35 new dog houses,a wood shed, a major dog yard overhaul, and the on going hunt for fire wood. and that just is the tip of the ice berg. I am also spending some time writing sponsorship letters and getting prepared to start Training. Aug 1st is the goal date for this season as long as the temps cool down, and if today is a preview of whats to come, it's looking good, it actually felt cool all today!! Cant wait to hit the trail, I have a solid team of dogs that are raring to go. While I was gone I had to leave the dogs in the hands of other people to take care of them, Luckly I have great friends I owe a huge thanks to Aren, Jen, Greg, Josh, Carol, Danny, Ken and anybody else who helped keep the Family Happy and Healthy. Thanks guys!! Back to work for me, stay tuned for updates about the training season that is just around the corner!!

Staying Wild and Free

Brent

Norway

2008-07-06T02:31:00.002-08:00

What an amazing place, I am here in Norway visiting Sigrid and having a great time. The weather has been perfect so far with warm temps and sunny skies, although everyone says this is not the norm so we will see what the rest of the trip has in store for us. We are staying with Sigrids parents in their home town of Sparbu, they live on an old farm right on the shores of one of Norways many fjords. Today we are heading out on an overnight hiking trip in the mountains, it will be nice to get out into the Norwegian wilderness and see the differences from Alaska. Hope all is well back in the states. Until next time

Brent

Norway bound

2008-07-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Iditarod 2009

2008-06-23T02:20:00.003-08:00

Well its Official we are signed up for the 2009 Iditarod. just faxed in my entry paperwork and Payed my 4000 dollars to enter the 2009 race. Very Exciting stuff. My entry will not be official on the Iditarod site until June 28, the first day to sign up, but I will not be able to go to Wasilla for the official sign up so I sent my stuff in early to make sure I get a spot. They are only excepting 100 entrants this year and are expecting 60-70 to sign up on the 28th in person so it was important to get it in asap. Sign up for the Quest is Aug 5th and I plan on being he first person for the 3rd year in a row to sign up. once that is done the stage is set for one hell of a season. the summer tours are going well over at Trail Breaker Kennel we had 170 people out today for our show, the biggest day of the season so far. The dogs are all doing great i have been getting out most nights with the mountain bike training leaders and young dogs which has been great, just like the sled in the winter time as soon as I touch the bike the yard goes crazy with excitement. Cant wait for snow. Now that summer solstice is behind us we are on our way back towards winter. I know that is a crazy thought but I am excited, although I am not quit ready yet, I have alot to do before then. Hope the summer is going well for all of you, stay tuned as the summer progresses and we continue to prepare for the epic season ahead. Thanks for stopping by

Brent

Summer In Full Swing

2008-06-09T11:30:00.003-08:00

WOW how time flies, it seems like just yesterday I was pulling out of the Brooks Range and here we are in the second week of June. The summer is going well I am working at Trail Breaker Kennel with David Monson doing everything you can imagine, from building dog houses to dinner presentations about Dog Mushing. I love it, keeps me busy while a the same time I am able to really promote Wild and Free. As it says on the front page of the site I am planning on signing up for both the Quest and Iditarod this year. My focus will still be on the Quest but I have some young dogs that I think would be great to run in the Iditarod, and I am excited to see the Iditarod trail as well. The dogs are all doing well, I have 36 dogs at the moment and everyone is looking happy and healthy. I have been running them with my mountain bike every night and they look very strong. I am especially excited about my younger dogs, they are showing alot of potential. Please stay tuned to the site it is sure to be an exciting season. thanks for stopping by

BwildandFree

WINDY

2008-04-05T15:23:00.002-08:00

hello from the arctic it has been a crazy few days the wind has not let up, we had gusts to 45-50 mph yesterday, it pretty much locks us to the tent for most of the day hoping that the tents hold up. so far we are all good with the exception of having to dig out the dog houses 3 times, but because of it the dogs have huge walls and deep holes to live in. This morning was out first calm morning it was amazing. I took Pete about 5 miles to the north-west out of camp to spend the day hunting while i came in to meet aren and Kyla with all the young dogs and pups. camp will be complete tonight with 5 tents with wood stoves, an outhouse with a view, 41 chain dogs, 2 loose dogs, 5 little pups and one Cat!!!! Hope all is well back in civilization. until next time

Bwildandfree

Wild and Free Station Update

2008-03-31T14:40:00.002-08:00

The Wild and Free Station is up and running!!!!!! Because my sheep hunt was cut a little short due to weather and snow conditions I was able to get up here to Toolik on the 26 of march and have been hauling loads and setting up camp for the last few days. it is always nice to get back to camp. Thom and I did alot of work getting the dogs all settled in with snow dog houses and holes. we were really proud of ourselves until the wind it. We have had consistent winds of 30-40 mph the last two days and everything has been blown shut including all of our nice dog houses. but the tents held up so I am not complaining, the dog houses can be rebuilt and will be even better now that the snow pack is so much bigger. the dogs are in the groove and have been hauling alot over the last few days. The attempt at at sheep hunt was a great trip we didnt make it to the hunting grounds but it was a great 2 day 150 mile warm up for the dogs. Spent some time with Chandalar Dave (the only year around resident of Chandalar lake) The trip was a great test for some young dogs, and they really shined. But the real story is a dog named Leer he is the oldest dog in the kennel at 13 and lead Kens team the entire 150 miles amazing!!!! Well better get going Thom will post this soon. Check back throughout the month for updates from the Wild and Free Station. I will try and send some photos as well

Bwildandfree

HAPPY AND HEALTHY

2008-02-02T18:13:00.000-09:00

Well the race is on now we arrrived back in Fairbanks last night after getting my friend Kurt all settled in with his 20 dogs out in Eureka. It is so nice to have someone out there so that all of my none race dogs dont have to be moved back to town. It was sad to leave but I will be back, there is no doubt about that. I just got back from my vet check and everyone is looking really good, the vets said I have a really strong dog team, which is nice to hear before the race. I got 17 dogs checked so now it is just narrowing it down. There is still lots to do but it is a relief to have a clean bill of health. My new sled should be in on monday and then i head to eagle summit to do a test run so that everyone knows what to expect. I volunteered to do it because there is nothing like knowing first hand what to expect up there. i have a second string team in town so that i dont have to use my race dogs, should be a good time for them and me. Greg (the web man) is putting up a New blog for Quest 08 so stay tuned for that. I have whole team in place to do the updates so it should be very informational. ok gotta run 1 week until the start, kind of wish i could hit the trail tomarrow but we will definetly be ready when the time comes!!!!!

Bwildandfree

Food Drops DONE

2008-01-24T18:42:00.000-09:00

Hello from Eureka where things are amazing we came back here to a foot of new snow rthen it snowed another few inches got up to 25 degrees the training is better then ever. on top of all of that the food drops are all packed lots of hard work from my dad, Kyla and i got them all done with a few days to spare. The dogs are all looking great, I am fired up and cant wait for the race start this is going to be one hell of a race. MY computer crashed so I have not been able to update much and have no email until today so sorry if i havent gotten backto anyone since the CB thanks for all the support there. also make sure to check out Sigrid in the Tustumena 200 this weekend she is coming off an amazing race at the CB and is sure to turn some heads again. ok gotta run thanks for stopping by I will be heading in to town on the 1st of Feb for my Quest Vet checks that i will be the next update, unil then

Bwildandfree

Change of Plans

2008-01-19T13:12:00.000-09:00

Well as they seem to do alot these days plans have changed. I woke up last night in a sweat thinking I didnt get my food drops done in time. Then i spent the rest of the night thinking about everything i still had to do and then decided i needed to head back to Eureka today. I can put a hundred on them up there and get working on my Food drops ASAP. So were off back to Paradise. My laptoop crashed so we will probably be totally out of contact until we head back to town on the 1st of Feb. Man it crept up on us fast, the Quest is less then three weeks away. I am pretty fired up, the Copper Basin really gave me and the dogs some great confidence, were going to go into the Quest with flames behind us. Cant wait. Talk to ya all in a couple weeks

Bwildandfree

Winter Wonderland

2008-01-18T09:55:00.000-09:00

We finally got some snow the night we got back from the Copper basin it snowed close to 8 inches. Probably the biggest snowfall I have scene in fairbanks in a few years it is awesome. We are back in the swing of things here, with food drops due in just 9 days I am doing my final shopping and getting ready to head back up to Eureka for the final 2 weeks of training. I decided to stay in town through the weekend and do the Solstice 100 in Two Rvers. It will be a great race for the dogs who didnt go on the Copper Basin and it is always good to get the dogs fired up to race. On a sad note While we were down at the Copper Basin one of my first Sled Dogs "Brent" Passed away. Brent is responsible for getting things started for me, he was my first leader and helped make Silver and my other leaders what they are today. He was vital part of my Kennel and will be remebered forever. He did spread his seed around, he is the father of The Dude, Donny, Muade and Walter so his blood is running strong in the Kennel. He will be remebered for his boundless energy and constant begging for attention. We had a big fire last night to remember him. Brent was 13 and died peacefully in his house. Ok I better get going Kyla and I are heading out to the Tannana River today to do a short run before the race tomarrow. Check back for results from the race tomarrow night. thanks for checking in

Bwildandfree

Great Fans

2008-01-15T12:49:00.000-09:00

Wow thanks to everybody who followed my progress in the CB300 this year it was a great race I couldnt of asked for more fromthe dogs. These guys may of been inexpereinced but they arent anymore. Walter, Maude and Heckel were all amazing, Having never raced before they really showed what it takes and if they stay healthy it looks like they will round out the Quest team. I had a grea time as well kick pulled and ran the enter way an am feeling that now but I love it. A huge thanks goes outto m,y dad and Aren G. for keeping the blog updated I know you all aprreicated that. Again thanks for all or your support. will write more about the race when i get back to town. O and JOEE R it was really wet and wild out there!!!!!!!

Bwildandfree

2008-01-14T17:24:00.000-09:00

Just heard from Brent. He is very pleased with his run. He learned what he needed to know to get the best team for the Yukon Quest. All the dogs are in good shape. Rocky, Vorlox and Toolik were dropped during the race but they are fine, nothing serious, just tiredness.
Sigrid did get lost, that is why she ended up 4th. She really deserved to win but anything can happen.
The Yukon Quest starts Feb 9th in Fairbanks!

2008-01-14T16:54:00.000-09:00

Brent finishes!
5th place, right behind Sigrid. No word yet from Brent at the finish or about what happened to Sigrid that she fell back to 4th. I am sure he will write an update on the blog when he gets back to town. Good job Brent and dogs!

2008-01-14T14:51:00.000-09:00

Allen Moore is the first across the finish line. It took him 4+ hours to go 20 miles from Tolsona. If Brent follows that pace he will finish around 4:15-30. Thats 5 mph, well below the pace of the race to this point. The trail must be slow or perhaps Allen and Sigrid did get lost. You will know when I do.

2008-01-14T13:47:00.000-09:00

The leaders, Sigrid and Allen, were expected in to the finish by now but they have not arrived. They cannot be found along the road either. The trail runs next to the road for the last 20-30 miles. They may have taken a wrong turn and lost the trail....
Brent is in 5th place right now and should be in to the finish in an hour (about 2:30-45 AK time).

CB300 Update

2008-01-14T09:48:00.000-09:00

Brent has left Wolverine behind Sigrid, Lance, and Allen Moore. Shortly behind Brent is Ally Zirkle. Toolik was dropped in Sourdough due to just being tired, no injuries. All the other dogs are doing great. He had a bit of trouble getting out of Wolverine because Willow is in heat and Ling Ling and Walter were distracted by her and lost their focus on the race and wanted to turn around and put the moves on. Brent got that sorted out and is now on his way, with short stops if any, to the finish. Based on the CB300 website Allen Moore stills needs 40 minutes of rest so that will help Brent catch him. And Lance is now down to 8 dogs so the 26 minute lead he has on Brent can certainly be overcome. Sigrid looks to be running away with the win.

Copper Basin 300 Update

2008-01-13T10:26:00.001-09:00

Brent's dogs were itching to go out of Chistochina so Brent took off last night at 8:20. He arrived in Paxon 7+ hours later.

Mushers are into Paxon. Brent is in the mix of the top 6 with Lance Mackey, Sigrid Ekran, and others. Brent says the dogs are running perfect, things are going great. There was one small incident between Walter and Rocky, Walter bit Rocky and cut his neck a little bit. Rocky will be fine but Brent is going to drop him. No worries, there is plenty of power left in the team. Brent will probably take his mandatory 8 hour layover in Paxon and be leaving around noon.

The variation in musher's times due to the staggered start will be corrected as they take their 8 hour layover. If you factor in the stagger time Brent is in third place right now 93 minutes behind Lance and 34 minutes behind Sigrid. It looks as though the top mushers will all be taking their 8 in Paxon so after this its first to the finish wins!