This cache is dedicated to
Victor, the latest edition to our canine family. Victor
is a purebred German shorthair pointer with roots going back
to championship skijor/pulk lines in Norway and great hunting
dog ability right here in Alaska. He is our top lead
dog Corky's nephew and even though he is barely more than a
year old, Victor towers over our other dogs in stature and
weight, tipping the scale at more than 75 pounds. As is
typical of pointers, he is eager to please and a VERY
quick learner of anything we ask him to do. He is
learning to run lead in our skijor and mushing teams from the
older dogs and is almost uncontrollable with excitement when
I come into the living room when wearing skiing/mushing
clothes. Despite his power and size, Victor has formed
a tight bond with the junior ladybugs and can often be found
curled up on the floor in front of the wood stove with
them.
"Creamer's Refuge:
Victor" is hidden with permission in the 1800 acre Creamer's
Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge which is under the
jurisdiction of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game -
Division of Wildlife Conservation. This map of the mushing trails
maintained by the Alaska Dog
Mushers' Association will help you access the cache
location.
The cache is placed on the portion
of the mushing trails referred to as "the extension" and sees
competitive mushing only one day a year on the third day of the
Open North American Championships (ONAC). This particular
section is interesting to us because the black spruce forest and
birch trees contrasts so much with the open area of mini-spruce
crossed by the trail just to the east. Some of the turns
through here are sharp enough that a musher can't see their lead
dogs as they negotiate the course.
Please be aware that the Creamer's
Field trails and the mushing trails are multi-use trails used by
skiers, skijorers, mushers, runners, snowshoers,
hikers, mountain bikers, and people on snowmobiles. Be aware
of your surroundings and travel in the designated direction when
possible. If you are on foot or skis and you are approached
by a dog team, step off to the side of the trail and stand quietly
to let the team go by. Dogs are welcome on the Refuge,
but they must be leashed in compliance with the Fairbanks North
Star Borough regulations. DO NOT let your dog(s) run loose
during any season because they can be a hazard to dog teams in the
winter, migratory birds in the summer and moose during all
seasons.
Access to this area is best during
October through mid-April when the ground is frozen and or snow
covered. If you venture onto these trails in the summer, we
recommend wearing footwear for wet terrain and taking a fair amount
of bug repellant. Regardless of the time of year you go,
watch for wildlife ranging from owls, fox, and moose year round
many species of migratory waterfowl during the warmer
months.
For more information about the
refuge and activities that occur at the Refuge, visit the
Friends of Creamer's Field website.