The Howard Cosell on 2010

Just got a grip on how all of this blog stuff works and we've decided to morph our Howler Ezine into this blog. We plan to update it often throughout the mushing season and as frequently as possible throughout the summer.

Winter 09/10 at the Den was a blast. One of the highlights of the season came out of our pup pen. Zazu, I don't know who came up with the name, but I know what it means, PHENOM! didn't miss a step of training, made all of our races, and oh by the way she's been leading since the day she donned a harnesses. Watch out for her and her two brothers Zepplin and Ziplock next season.

Finished the construction of our state of the art dog barn just in time for the winter season. After three days on the trail, sixty degrees, two feet of straw, thirty dogs, a cold budweiser, Trusty Husky foot ointment, and a tube of Icy Hot, and it's rub down time. TCB if you know what I mean. Talk about a good time.


Managed to sneak in three races, forgot to bring my balls, (uh, can I say balls? hell it's my blog,) to the first one, the copper basin 300, finished 20th, the jet was ready but the pilot had the afore mentioned problem. Enough said about that one. Remembered to pack the boys for the Chatanika Challenge, surprise, won that one. By the time The CantwellRondy rolled around I was packing some serious heat, and the 1st place trophy was a spruce pole chair complete with a moose antler backrest that my neighbor made. The dogs of the Den rose to the occasion and we brought the thrown, as we call it, home.

Our G-Cell harnesses gained popularity with three teams using them to get to Nome, and dogs around the state are refusing to come out of their houses without our Hibernator Jacket on. Windigo Outfitters will soon be producing our stuff. Deb and Steve came up this spring to learn... or I should probably say teach us how to make harnesses. We instantly hit it off, and I'm awfully excited to be partnering up with them. Side note the Cantwell lodge misses Steve's big voice and thumping bass riffs.

Benedikt Beisch asked me to do a little videography during the Denali Doubles sled dog race for his website Mushing TV http://www.mushing.tv. Check out the footage, I think I might have a future in the film industry.

Leslie Morgan a TV producer form LA rolled into town working on a solo project chronicling the progress of an Iditarod rookie http://www.1150project.com. She got to Cantwell late at night and I don't think she realized how isolated this spot is. She thought Willow was the end of civilization, she probably still does. The following morning was clear as a bell and we got a chance to go out on a little dog mushing / Ski-Doo tour of the Alaska Range. Loads of fun, and refreshing to re experience this place through someones eyes who is seeing it for the first time.

Can't imagine signing off on an entire season without bragging a little about some of our dogs who are doing some really cool stuff with other kennels. Hero went to Nome this year with Matt Hayashida, brining our total of Iditarod finishers to 5, but who's counting. Whiskey, Malt, Glock, Knickers, Zero and Kermit, are all kicking butt in New England's six dog 30 mile races with my friend Rico Portalatin, http://www.jazzmineskennel.com. Yankee won the blue harness award at the Jr Iditarod in front of Anton Guillermo's team, and Swifty and Kindle lead Meredith Mapes' 6th place Jr team.