It never ceases to amaze me how the land will change from day to day at this time of the year. On the trail, the dogs and I, cross a bridge over the Little Chena, a small tributary of the Chena River that snakes its way through a good portion of the Interior, before joining the Tanana River.. Yesterday there wasn’t even a hint of ice. Today if you look at the edges of the water, there is the beginning of ice.

I like to play with the panoramic feature of my little camera. Here is a view of the bridge and the river.

It is time to start running dogs – with the help of Darrel and my jet pack! We have a couple of short run options for now, which is fine, because the dogs need to stretch their muscles and just get back into the groove. I decided to check out the damage done by moose hunters to the main winter trail. This is a multi-use trail which means ATVers, snowmachiners, skiers, hikers, mushers all share the same ground. Mushers have the right-of-way and I’ve never had an issue with those who use their ATVs or snowmachines to get around in the wilderness. However, every fall there are those who head out for moose hunting and absolutely tear up the trail with their vehicles.

We had a really rainy summer so the trail, which normally passes through wet black spruce country, was super muddy. The center of the trail is full of deep ruts and the hunters made even more of a mess by driving around some of the boggiest areas, creating more ruts. It is unfortunate that they forget their trail etiquette. Here’s a short video of the mess:

This is Bella’s first winter and ice is new and exciting. After a couple of faceplants, it didn’t take her long to figure out moving slow is best. She will also skirt the edges where the frozen mud gives her more purchase. When we got home she snuggled right up to our heater in the living room. If she thinks it’s cold now, she is in for a surprise come November!

P.S. There are no grouse in Alaska.