When Kristy and Anna get up in the morning, the first thing they do - aside from getting dressed and hitting the facilities - is take care of their dogs. They're fed, the yard is cleaned, and everyone gets a little love. Then the twins get some breakfast themselves.
Sometimes the dogs send up an alert, a special tone of barking or howling, that gets one or both of the twins up in the middle of the night, long before breakfast is due. Kristy and Anna know the pack's sounds, when something is afoot and their presence is required. Maybe a moose or other critter on the perimeter of the yard. Whatever and whenever, the twins always answer the call.
The rest of the day? Maybe head to work. Maybe head out with part of the pack on a free run, or in the summer hook a couple dogs up in harness to a bike for some canicross. Kristy and her husband, Andy, might plan a long bike ride, and Anna might go for a run or catch up with friends. But there's always a plan - who will be home for the dogs.
Vacations, trips to visit family? What's the plan for the dogs? Funds a little tight this month but you really kinda want a new pair of running shoes? First check the freezers and kibble supply.
Feeling a little blue? Walk outside, breath in a little Alaska, and watch as over 40 furry faces turn to greet you, ready to make you feel better.
What I'm trying to get at, is the Iditarod is only a portion of Anna and Kristy's lives with their dogs. It's the most public portion, certainly a driving force in a lot of what they do year round. But ultimately they love dogs and want dogs to be a key component of their lives. The twins love the outdoors, they're very athletic, and enjoy challenges. What better way to harness all of that together than the best of the twins bringing out the best in a pack of Alaska Huskies?
And these dogs do so love to run. And pull, and travel forward together as a team. Anyone who has witnessed this firsthand can't help but agree.
In some ways, the circle starts just after Iditarod. Easing veteran racers into a more relaxed summer season and getting pups used to harnesses. The snow melts, human working season heats up. The dogs' adventures are often closer to home. But there are still plenty of activities, and the twins are almost always out in the yard doing something.
When temperatures start to drop a bit in early fall, it's time to start hitting the trails. Slowly at first, a couple miles. Usually "moto-mushing" with the dog team hooked up to a four-wheeler. This allows for the greatest degree of control and safety for a larger number of dogs to stretch their legs. Never letting the team go too fast, the wheeler primarily slows them down.
The miles increase much as a human prepares for a marathon. The wheeler is traded for a sled when there's enough snow. Mid-distances races of increasing lengths are run.
As you might expect with any track or cross country team - arguably most athletic disciplines - injuries happen over the season. Canine and human alike. The key is to spot any problems early, treat any issues thoroughly, and respect any individual's limitations or boundaries.
Which sheds light on why Kristy and Anna have just over 40 dogs at the kennel. The majority of those they own and are Seeing Double Dogs, but a few will be borrowed from other mushers for the season. They're always treated like family. Anyway - from that 40 or so dogs, you need 28 Iditarod caliber dogs to run two teams, you have a few puppies or yearlings, a couple retirees. And any professional team needs alternates. It's the only way to properly treat any injuries or illnesses without sacrificing the overall program.
So you care for your pack and you train and along comes Iditarod. Kristy and Anna live with these dogs day in, day out, year round. They train, see which dogs love it, which dogs like going the distance. Who's happy, healthy, has a great appetite, is strong. Kristy and Anna decide on their dog teams, typically a reflection of the dogs they have already run the most that season. They each get 14 dogs on their team.
Each of those dogs, and typically an alternate, go through a series of tests leading into the Iditarod. Of course they get regular vaccinations like any dog. But now there's blood work, EKGs, overall vet checks and confirmation each dog has viable characteristics by way of coat and size for the event ahead. Each dog has a microchip and a specific collar tag to confirm it's identity. Immediately before the race, the dogs are also urine tested for any prohibited substances and their microchips confirmed again.
After they hit the trail? Each musher carries a mandatory veterinary log book about his or her dog team. This is a relay of information to the volunteer vets at each checkpoint along the trail. Mushers must leave the start with 12 to 14 dogs, and every dog is accounted for at each checkpoint. No swapping, no trading, and most certainly no leaving a dog behind. Unless a musher opts to leave, or "return", a dog within a checkpoint with vets and authorized dog handlers. These returned dogs are then flown back to Anchorage by the Iditarod Air Force or, nearer the end of the race, transported forward to Nome to rejoin their team.
What if something happens out on the trail? Another mandatory gear item is a sled capable of safely securing at least 2 dogs and continue traveling. A dog twists a wrist on a stump, you secure him in the sled bag, mush to the next checkpoint, and return the dog home from there. Then you mush on with your remaining dogs. Each musher must arrive at the finish with a minimum of 5 dogs in harness.
Mushers have a lot of gear in their sleds, but it's more for the dogs than themselves. Food (kibble and a raw protein source), dog snacks. Dog jackets, booties, shoulder coats, leg wraps. Paw ointments. Dog-sized fleece blankets. Bowls, a ladle. A big cooker and HEET to boil water for the dogs' stew. If a campout is expected along the trail between checkpoints, at least a half bale of straw is strapped to the top of the sled, used to make dog bed nests along the trail.
And so they mush along, checkpoint to checkpoint, all 975 miles until they reach Nome. It's a pretty amazing journey to make with some of your best furry friends.
This year, Anna left the start with 14 dogs and 11 of those dogs arrived with her in Nome: Astro, Bolt, Chaos, Drax, Yondu, Forrest, Diego, Barb, Rizo, Dane, and Platinum. Anna had nothing but amazing things to say about each dog on her team, but throughout it all, little Rizo was an absolute champ. A true leader of the pack through anything they encountered. But after a breath, Anna was quick to rattle off other dogs that happily led the team - Yondu paired with Rizo. Drax, Kevin, Bolt, Platinum. I know they all stood out in their own way along the trail.
What of the three dogs she returned home early? White Sauce had a sore wrist, Randy's movement wasn't as smooth as usual, leading Anna to believe he had a sore shoulder. Kevin had a mild cough. No labored breathing, no fever. But you don't run hundreds of miles with a nagging cough. Sorry, Kev.
And Kristy? It was a bit tougher with her team health-wise this year. Hold the line, though, cuz six amazing canine athletes led her sled into Nome ~ Moocha, Brezerker, Shadow, Bogus, Mayhem, and Rampage. Wallace was 22 miles away from making it on that list when Kristy, in good conscience, chose to leave him with vets in the last checkpoint of Safety. He's a strong fellow, but he was just getting a bit too banged up by the winds in the last stretches. Kristy said that when Wallace arrived in Nome via snow machine a bit behind them, he was completely full of beans and so happy to be with his pack again.
Over the course of the race, Kristy did return eight members of her team. Early on, several of Kristy’s dogs got hit with some sort of stomach bug. It happens in a kennel, it happens in a classroom. (Um - Covid? Right. Anyway ~ ). Havoc, Ruckus, and Bulliet had a bit of a stomach bug, Saison had a variation with a little more temperature fluctuation. You sure as heck don't ask your best friends to go for a super long run when they're not feeling well! Another dog, Sherman, showed signs of a sore shoulder, and Crocket had a prior injury come back to haunt him. Finally Bootleg, in a silly twist of fate, was doing great when Kristy opted to give her a brief ride in the sled basket going into a checkpoint, and Bootleg caught her leg in a little pocket within the sled bag. Not a major injury, but enough of an ouch to not immediately run a few hundred miles. She was not keen on being left by her team in the checkpoint!
Of the six that made it all the way to Nome with Kristy, she had a ton to say about Mayhem. This girl did finish the 2021 race with Kristy, but remember - that was the loop. This was her first time going to Nome and facing the coast. And in all that wind this year? She really did amazing. Steady, focused. Moocha also did a great job in lead.
Most importantly, all 28 dogs who left the start were back to the kennel either within days of leaving the trail or the finish. They're all back in their familiar dog houses with their friends, healthy and happy. The few that were on loan will return to their home kennels. And all of these dogs will get some recovery time and be raring to hit the trails once again.
Seeing Double isn't just Kristy, or Anna, or the dogs that made it all the way to Nome during the Iditarod. It's one big family, every dog, every day of the year. Nothing illustrates that better than all the pictures the twins sent me over the last few months. Here's a sample.
Sometimes the dogs send up an alert, a special tone of barking or howling, that gets one or both of the twins up in the middle of the night, long before breakfast is due. Kristy and Anna know the pack's sounds, when something is afoot and their presence is required. Maybe a moose or other critter on the perimeter of the yard. Whatever and whenever, the twins always answer the call.
The rest of the day? Maybe head to work. Maybe head out with part of the pack on a free run, or in the summer hook a couple dogs up in harness to a bike for some canicross. Kristy and her husband, Andy, might plan a long bike ride, and Anna might go for a run or catch up with friends. But there's always a plan - who will be home for the dogs.
Vacations, trips to visit family? What's the plan for the dogs? Funds a little tight this month but you really kinda want a new pair of running shoes? First check the freezers and kibble supply.
Feeling a little blue? Walk outside, breath in a little Alaska, and watch as over 40 furry faces turn to greet you, ready to make you feel better.
What I'm trying to get at, is the Iditarod is only a portion of Anna and Kristy's lives with their dogs. It's the most public portion, certainly a driving force in a lot of what they do year round. But ultimately they love dogs and want dogs to be a key component of their lives. The twins love the outdoors, they're very athletic, and enjoy challenges. What better way to harness all of that together than the best of the twins bringing out the best in a pack of Alaska Huskies?
And these dogs do so love to run. And pull, and travel forward together as a team. Anyone who has witnessed this firsthand can't help but agree.
In some ways, the circle starts just after Iditarod. Easing veteran racers into a more relaxed summer season and getting pups used to harnesses. The snow melts, human working season heats up. The dogs' adventures are often closer to home. But there are still plenty of activities, and the twins are almost always out in the yard doing something.
When temperatures start to drop a bit in early fall, it's time to start hitting the trails. Slowly at first, a couple miles. Usually "moto-mushing" with the dog team hooked up to a four-wheeler. This allows for the greatest degree of control and safety for a larger number of dogs to stretch their legs. Never letting the team go too fast, the wheeler primarily slows them down.
The miles increase much as a human prepares for a marathon. The wheeler is traded for a sled when there's enough snow. Mid-distances races of increasing lengths are run.
As you might expect with any track or cross country team - arguably most athletic disciplines - injuries happen over the season. Canine and human alike. The key is to spot any problems early, treat any issues thoroughly, and respect any individual's limitations or boundaries.
Which sheds light on why Kristy and Anna have just over 40 dogs at the kennel. The majority of those they own and are Seeing Double Dogs, but a few will be borrowed from other mushers for the season. They're always treated like family. Anyway - from that 40 or so dogs, you need 28 Iditarod caliber dogs to run two teams, you have a few puppies or yearlings, a couple retirees. And any professional team needs alternates. It's the only way to properly treat any injuries or illnesses without sacrificing the overall program.
So you care for your pack and you train and along comes Iditarod. Kristy and Anna live with these dogs day in, day out, year round. They train, see which dogs love it, which dogs like going the distance. Who's happy, healthy, has a great appetite, is strong. Kristy and Anna decide on their dog teams, typically a reflection of the dogs they have already run the most that season. They each get 14 dogs on their team.
Each of those dogs, and typically an alternate, go through a series of tests leading into the Iditarod. Of course they get regular vaccinations like any dog. But now there's blood work, EKGs, overall vet checks and confirmation each dog has viable characteristics by way of coat and size for the event ahead. Each dog has a microchip and a specific collar tag to confirm it's identity. Immediately before the race, the dogs are also urine tested for any prohibited substances and their microchips confirmed again.
After they hit the trail? Each musher carries a mandatory veterinary log book about his or her dog team. This is a relay of information to the volunteer vets at each checkpoint along the trail. Mushers must leave the start with 12 to 14 dogs, and every dog is accounted for at each checkpoint. No swapping, no trading, and most certainly no leaving a dog behind. Unless a musher opts to leave, or "return", a dog within a checkpoint with vets and authorized dog handlers. These returned dogs are then flown back to Anchorage by the Iditarod Air Force or, nearer the end of the race, transported forward to Nome to rejoin their team.
What if something happens out on the trail? Another mandatory gear item is a sled capable of safely securing at least 2 dogs and continue traveling. A dog twists a wrist on a stump, you secure him in the sled bag, mush to the next checkpoint, and return the dog home from there. Then you mush on with your remaining dogs. Each musher must arrive at the finish with a minimum of 5 dogs in harness.
Mushers have a lot of gear in their sleds, but it's more for the dogs than themselves. Food (kibble and a raw protein source), dog snacks. Dog jackets, booties, shoulder coats, leg wraps. Paw ointments. Dog-sized fleece blankets. Bowls, a ladle. A big cooker and HEET to boil water for the dogs' stew. If a campout is expected along the trail between checkpoints, at least a half bale of straw is strapped to the top of the sled, used to make dog bed nests along the trail.
And so they mush along, checkpoint to checkpoint, all 975 miles until they reach Nome. It's a pretty amazing journey to make with some of your best furry friends.
This year, Anna left the start with 14 dogs and 11 of those dogs arrived with her in Nome: Astro, Bolt, Chaos, Drax, Yondu, Forrest, Diego, Barb, Rizo, Dane, and Platinum. Anna had nothing but amazing things to say about each dog on her team, but throughout it all, little Rizo was an absolute champ. A true leader of the pack through anything they encountered. But after a breath, Anna was quick to rattle off other dogs that happily led the team - Yondu paired with Rizo. Drax, Kevin, Bolt, Platinum. I know they all stood out in their own way along the trail.
What of the three dogs she returned home early? White Sauce had a sore wrist, Randy's movement wasn't as smooth as usual, leading Anna to believe he had a sore shoulder. Kevin had a mild cough. No labored breathing, no fever. But you don't run hundreds of miles with a nagging cough. Sorry, Kev.
And Kristy? It was a bit tougher with her team health-wise this year. Hold the line, though, cuz six amazing canine athletes led her sled into Nome ~ Moocha, Brezerker, Shadow, Bogus, Mayhem, and Rampage. Wallace was 22 miles away from making it on that list when Kristy, in good conscience, chose to leave him with vets in the last checkpoint of Safety. He's a strong fellow, but he was just getting a bit too banged up by the winds in the last stretches. Kristy said that when Wallace arrived in Nome via snow machine a bit behind them, he was completely full of beans and so happy to be with his pack again.
Over the course of the race, Kristy did return eight members of her team. Early on, several of Kristy’s dogs got hit with some sort of stomach bug. It happens in a kennel, it happens in a classroom. (Um - Covid? Right. Anyway ~ ). Havoc, Ruckus, and Bulliet had a bit of a stomach bug, Saison had a variation with a little more temperature fluctuation. You sure as heck don't ask your best friends to go for a super long run when they're not feeling well! Another dog, Sherman, showed signs of a sore shoulder, and Crocket had a prior injury come back to haunt him. Finally Bootleg, in a silly twist of fate, was doing great when Kristy opted to give her a brief ride in the sled basket going into a checkpoint, and Bootleg caught her leg in a little pocket within the sled bag. Not a major injury, but enough of an ouch to not immediately run a few hundred miles. She was not keen on being left by her team in the checkpoint!
Of the six that made it all the way to Nome with Kristy, she had a ton to say about Mayhem. This girl did finish the 2021 race with Kristy, but remember - that was the loop. This was her first time going to Nome and facing the coast. And in all that wind this year? She really did amazing. Steady, focused. Moocha also did a great job in lead.
Most importantly, all 28 dogs who left the start were back to the kennel either within days of leaving the trail or the finish. They're all back in their familiar dog houses with their friends, healthy and happy. The few that were on loan will return to their home kennels. And all of these dogs will get some recovery time and be raring to hit the trails once again.
Seeing Double isn't just Kristy, or Anna, or the dogs that made it all the way to Nome during the Iditarod. It's one big family, every dog, every day of the year. Nothing illustrates that better than all the pictures the twins sent me over the last few months. Here's a sample.