This is my seventh season in the north country, but only the first with consistent snow coverage from January onward. We haven’t seen dirt since 2024. So why has this season felt so challenging? Why are we just now hovering at seven miles, when I’d expect to be doubling that distance by now? Lemme tell ya.
First, a disclaimer. This post isn’t meant to be a pity party. Nor is it to make excuses (because who cares? I am my own boss here). It’s for my own bad memory. I reread old posts pretty often and I want to remember some of the harder times. It will help me appreciate the easy times and maybe I’ll learn something, too.
So here’s a not-so-brief list of challenges we faced this season:
Hunting, logging, mud: every fall, the trails we share get used for hunting, which limits our access. This season, we had additional logging activity out back, which blocked the only ATV-safe trail down into the woods. Rain and mud delayed the logging operation through winter, so that trail is still unsafe.
Health issues: Laika developed bladder stones, which took her off the team. Kuiper had some odd behavior after a few runs, and with the threat of heart issues in his lines, I took him off the team as well. Willow strained a muscle in her foot, so she came off the A Team as well. And can’t forget Hubble, who has chipped another tooth, and will be going in for dental surgery next week. He should recover within a day or two, though my bank account will take longer.
So much snow: a blessing and a curse. Once we got enough, I could use a side trail to access the woods and finally start building miles. But snow has been falling almost every day. Temperatures have been mostly below freezing, so it keeps piling up. As soon as the trail is groomed and ready, more snow falls. We ran out of time to scope and prep the biggest loop out back, and it’s now buried under more snow than dog or machine can handle. We’ve spent most of our free time this week getting snow off the roof. And more is coming this weekend.
Leaking roof: the barn’s metal roof typically sheds snow on its own, but with many small storms and the wood stove blasting, an ice dam formed. The roof panels developed tiny cracks, just enough to let a steady stream of water leak down into Sheridan’s office. Super.
Electricity nightmare: lights have been flickering for a few months, but it has escalated to full blown power loss on one leg of the house. So far, we’ve spent over five thousand dollars between two electricians and the problem only seems to be getting worse. We’re having our meter box replaced tomorrow in hopes that solves it.
Travel: ok, so this last one wasn’t exactly a challenge, but it was hard for me to go on vacation during mushing season. We lost about two weeks of training time while I visited Hawaii with Sheridan and his family. It was a great trip and I’m grateful for the experience, but next time we’ll have to plan a summer excursion.
We’ll get through all this and come out stronger on the other side. I always like to recap our season with some noteworthy positive experiences, and I promise that post is coming. If there’s any good news, it’s that winter is holding steady, and I hope that means we’ll have an extra month to make up for time we’ve lost.
