North Star Sled Dog Club

(February 18, 2013, Camp Ripley, MN) Camp Ripley and nature rolled out the red carpet to stage a truly winter warrior’s sled dog race. Twelve inches of new snow blanketed the mostly wooded trails along the Mississippi River in a winter wonderland of beauty for the thirty teams that entered to vie for the $1600+ in purse money. Camp Ripley lent its trail groomer and personnel to the superb weekend to make for a very successful event, which sported an 8-dog mid-distance class (37.1 miles), a 10-dog sprint class (10.2 miles), a 6-dog sprint class (5.7 miles), and the 4-dog sprint pro and recreational classes (4.0 miles), 1-dog skijoring, and 2- and 3-dog youth classes.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Saturday saw partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low teens. Sunday was warmer with temperatures in the upper 20’s but damper with a good breeze. The trails were well packed and harder on Sunday.

The longer trails had some challenging hills and curves as well as some interesting sights along the way, including tanks, helicopters, and even a practice Afghan “town” and prisoner of war camp used for military reservists’ weekend war games. Other reservists could be seen practicing their cross-country ski and snowshoe skills.

When all was said and done, Alex LaPlante of Esko, MN, took home the trophy in the mid-distance class with a total time for the two days of 7:20:40.36 (hours, minutes, seconds, hundredths), besting second place Tim Chisholm of North Branch, MN, whose time was 7:24:32.75. Linus Meyer of Melrose, MN, placed third with a time of 7:36:25.33.

In the 10-dog sprint class, event organizer Bob Bzdok of Rice, MN, copped the top honor with a total time of 1:13:40.00. Art Stoller from Bagley, MN, took second place with a total time of 1:14:48.03. Bzdok had a substantial lead after Saturday’s heat, but on Sunday his leader was reluctant to get started, costing him almost two minutes. Coreene Hanson, Stoller’s partner, took third place with a time of 1:25:23.42. Both Stoller and Hanson ran only eight dogs, the “puppy brigade,” as they referred to them.

A small contingent of teams came in from the East en route to the IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) World Championships in North Pole, Alaska, to compete in the Winter Warrior’s limited classes. With crack teams ready to vie with the best in the world, they showed their stuff by impressive runs in the 6-dog and 4-dog classes. Grace Bailey of Stratford, NH, bagged first place in the 6-dog class with a total time of 45:29.40. Sherry Johnson of Fergus Falls, MN, carrying the Neal and Carolyn Johnson tradition of great teams, logged in a second place time of 49:37.90. She also gave a superb interview with a Brainerd television channel, there to record the events. Steve Peterson, Backus, MN, took third place with a time of 1:19:09.12. Mention should be made of competitor Allison Petell (Mazeppa, MN), whose kennel consists of rescue dogs. Although she was not in the money, mushers commend her for her efforts to rescue dogs suitable for the trails. Such an undertaking takes vim and vigor … and lots of patience!

Grace Bailey again took the top honor in the 4-dog pro class with a time of 19:29.21. Jordyn Bzdok of Rice, MN, turned a respectable second place time of 20:07.49, and Lyman Wolske, NSSDC president from Hudson, WI, placed third with a time of 20:55.77. In the 4-dog recreational class, Sherry Johnson was again on the awards podium in first place with a time of 26:06.60, and Camille Haglin of Brainerd, MN, clocked in a time of 27:06.80 to take second place. Brad LeBlanc from Little Falls, MN, took home the third place trophy with a time of 31:11.91.

Mike Schultenover of Excelsior, MN, won the 1-dog skijoring event, posting a time of 32:56.94. Nathalie Fortier of Loudon, NH, placed second, clocking 35:30.65.

The Bzdok kids from Rice, MN, stole the show in the youth classes. Jonathan ran the 2-dog, 4-mile trail in a total time of 27:20.62. Jaymie covered the distance with her three dogs in 25:38.24. They exhibited a friendly family rivalry as well as well wishes to each other. A gutsy seven-year-old, Jonathan fears little and stops short of nothing on the trails, but a howling wolf out on the trail will scare the devil out of him!

Rumors have circulated that Camp Ripley was already taking stock of the trail map on Sunday morning for 2014 in an effort to improve the layout and staging. They were very pleased with the event. Camp Ripley Post Commander Col. Scott St. Sauver and Sgt. Tim Krouth, who worked directly with North Star and Erin Lindquist and Bob Bzdok, paid their respects to the race. Over the weekend, Camp Ripley also hosted the Annual Norwegian Soldiers Exchange Program, and several participants came over the see the sled dog race.

North Star Sled Dog Club (NSSDC) extends its thanks to all the personnel at Camp Ripley, especially Sgt. Tim Krouth and the trail groomer, and to the many sponsors who contributed to the race. NSSDC also thanks the officials and assistants: event organizers Erin Linquist and Bob Bzdok, race marshal Sally O’Sullivan Bair, veterinarian Jerry Vanek, dog marker Jill Levene, timer Lynn Congdon, chute judge Mike Congdon, announcer Chris Meyer, and trail boss Brian Bzdok, and the myriad of other people who helped, among them the VFW of Little Falls, which supplied the concessions. Don Deckert, Melissa Bloom, and Stoffel Reitsma were available to give sled dog rides to anyone. Thanks!

Camp Ripley reports 12" of new snow after this past weekend's storm. Trails are being groomed and looking good!

Sally O'Sullivan Bair

Entry deadline for the Camp Ripley Winter Warrior Sleddog Race has been extended to Friday, February 15, 2013, 10:00 AM.

February 6, 2013
Camp Ripley Race Looking Good!

Erin Lindquist, race coordinator for the Camp Ripley Winter Warrior Sled Dog Race, scheduled for February 16-17, 2013, at Camp Ripley, MN, is cautiously optimistic that there will be sufficient snow cover for all classes of the race. Not only is there enough (barely, though) on the ground now, but more accumulation is expected in the next five days as well, and no significant melt is in the forecast either. All appears good to go!

Sally Bair

Due to lack of adequate snow, the St. Paul Winter Carnival Sled Dog Race rescheduled for February 2-3, 2013, on Bald Eagle Lake in White Bear Lake, MN, has been cancelled. Despite the new snow (3"), there is still not enough to prepare a proper and safe trail on the lake.

Due to lack of adequate snow, the St. Paul Winter Carnival Sled Dog Race scheduled for January 26-27, 2013, on Bald Eagle Lake in White Bear Lake, MN, has been postponed to February 2-3, 2013. A final decision regarding snow decisions for the February date will be made Sunday, January 27th.

Due to the lack of sufficient snowfall following the recent warm conditions, the fate of this year’s St. Paul Winter Carnival Sled Dog Race, scheduled for January 26-27, 2013, is in question. While ice thickness on Bald Eagle Lake (White Bear Lake, MN) remains more than sufficient, the minimal snow cover will not support the creation of a trail at this time.

A minimum of 3-4 inches of new snow will be needed in the upcoming few days in order for a safe trail to be established on the lake. 5-8 inches will be required in order to provide a trail surface which will secure a musher's snow hook, necessary to anchor a team in place when stopped. For safety reasons, the 10-dog class will be cancelled unless snow hooks can be set. All other classes will still take place if a safe trail can be created which may or may not be able to secure a snow hook.

The North Star Sled Dog Club will be making a final decision on whether to postpone or cancel the race on Sunday, January 20, 2013. The results of this decision will be posted on the race website (www.wintercarnivalsleddograce.com), the North Star Sled Dog Club’s website (www.nssdc.org), Sled Dog Central (www.sleddogcentral.com), and announced via standard media outlets.

If the decision is made to go forward with the race, the North Star club will need the help of the local community to establish the trail. Please contact joe@experiencesleddogs.com to volunteer, and help save this historic piece of the St. Paul Winter Carnival!

The Frazee (Minnesota) Third Rendezvous Sled Dog Race is being rescheduled for Saturday, February 23, 2013. A lack of snow has made it necessary to move the race from its originally scheduled date of January 19, 2013.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival Sled Dog Race will be graced with the appearance of the Winter Carnival Royal Family, who will confer knighthood on several attendees. The royals will be present at 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 27, 2013. The race is scheduled for January 26-27, 2013, on Bald Eagle Lake in the city of White Bear Lake, MN, a northern suburb of St. Paul.

Camp Ripley Winter Warrior Sled Dog Race:

Equipment requirements in the Mid Distance class: In addition to the equipment required by the main North Star race rules, the following items are required in the sled, or with the musher, on the race course of the mid-distance class:

*First aid kit,

November 20, 2012
From Sally O'Sullivan Bair

Entry forms for the 2013 races are now available. Click on the menu item in the left column, "Race Entry Forms." As remaining forms come in, they will be uploaded.

Volunteers are needed for the following North Star Sled Dog Club events and activities.

Winter Carnival Race: If you or someone you know is interested in helping with the planning and execution of the Winter Carnival race, please let Sally Bair or Joe Fessler know. In addition, we are seeking volunteers to be involved in the following events associated with the race:

Kids Mutt Race: NSSDC is still finalizing plans with Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet, but our hope is to have a number of events at their store locations to promote the Kids Mutt Race. These events would involve bringing dogs and equipment to walk families with children through everything they will need to know to get themselves ready to participate in the Kids Mutt Race. We plan to have a set “curriculum” developed by the time of the events. Although the dates are not established at this time, please let Joe Fessler know if you are interested in being involved. The Kids Mutt Race is usually for kids ages 8-15.

Winter Carnival Parades: NSSDC would like to have representation in one or both of the Winter Carnival parades this year. Unfortunately, the daytime parade is typically the Saturday of our event. However, it would be fantastic if we can find a few non-racing members to handle this parade. The torch light parade is the following week during the evening sometime. Please let Bob Bzdok or Joe Fessler know if you are interested in being a part of the parade.

NSSDC Event at Infinite Campus: Joe Fessler’s work has requested that the club come out this January on either the 3rd, 9th, or 10th during the work day to provide a brief talk on sled dogs and skijoring, some demos, and a handful of dog sled rides for the top contributors to the company’s Toys for Tots campaign. Please let Joe Fessler know if you are interested in being involved in this event and which of the dates would work for you. Note that the club will be receiving a donation from Infinite Campus for providing the programming.

Girl Scout Events: Joe Fessler will be providing educational dog sled programming to a number of Girl Scout groups again this winter. He is looking for additional mushers to come and share their experiences with the scouts. Fessler has structured programming, including hands on activities, to be presented at these events. Please let him know if you are interested in participating, and he will provide additional details and dates/locations.

Midwest Mountaineering Winter Expo, Nov. 16-18: NSSDC will require a handful of volunteers to occupy the booth Friday November 16 through Sunday November 18 during Expo hours. This involves talking to customers about the sport, the dogs, the club, upcoming events and promoting new membership applications. Please let Joe Fessler know if you are able to help out!

Past IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) secretary general Sally O’Sullivan Bair will tentatively be offering training for those interested in the IFSS canine anti-doping protocols. Bair is the only IFSS certified canine anti-doping official in North America. This two-day, weekend seminar will be offered in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Veterinary School.

The training will take place on the St. Paul campus, probably sometime in April, 2013. Dr. Jerry Vanek, DVM, will also present a short workshop to the vet students on doing race vet checks.

Bair has been in contact with Megan Pratt, Pre-Veterinary Club President at the University vet school. Pratt has expressed interest on the part of several of the vet students in such a training seminar and workshop.

The seminar is open to any interested person. One need not be a veterinarian or a vet student or a pharmacist or physician to attend (Bair is none of these!). Anyone wishing to participate in this valuable and interesting weekend seminar is asked to email Bair at sbair@tds.net.

This year, the positions of vice president and treasurer and the adult youth committee chair were up for election on the staggered schedule of officer elections. Joe Fessler was re-elected to the position of vice president. He was installed in this position last year as a result of the then vice president, Lyman Wolske, being elected to the presidency. Julie Schmelzer, a relative newcomer to NSSDC circles, was elected to be the new treasurer. In that there were no nominees to accept the position, the Adult Youth Committee Advisor remains vacant.

Vice president Joe Fessler’s involvement in the operation of mushing organizations is the next step in his goal of supporting the sled dog community and educating the broader public about the sport. Through his passion for mushing and his innovative ideas, he hopes “to contribute energy and promote collaboration amongst the various groups involved in the mushing community.”

He became involved in our sport around 2005 or 2006 with his Siberians in the skijoring events, where he has garnered many accolades. This young man lives life at 90 miles an hour. He is a board member of Mushing USA and a founding board member of Skijor USA. With a B.S. Degree in Computer Science, he is currently employed as senior software engineer. He is the founder of Experience Sled Dogs, an organization that provided a sled dog program for 141 girls of the Rum River Girl Scouts. Joe has been an integral member of the NSSDC race committee, lending his energy and expertise to, especially, the St. Paul Winter Carnival race. Fessler lives in Chisago City, MN, with his kennel of Siberian husky dogs.

NSSDC’s new treasurer Julie Schmelzer lives in Kimball, MN. She has been around the sport for thirteen years, mainly in the mid-distance classes. Schmelzer loves the outdoors, especially hiking, canoeing and camping. Although she received her education in recreational leadership and American Sign Language, which she freelances at, her true calling is for the outdoors. Her interests in hiking took her to Kenya, Africa, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2009 with three other women. The climb took five days of hiking and camping. “The views were awesome.”

Back at home she resides with her hubby and her Siberians, which she races in the mid-distance classes. She especially enjoys the sport or rec class. Her next adventure? Only she knows!

August 22, 2012 – At its Summer meeting and picnic on August 11, 2012, NSSDC elected new officers. Elected were:

Vice President: Joe Fessler
Treasurer: Julie Schmelzer