Grand Park Dog Days of Winter ~ 2015
Every dog has their day, but at Grand Park, they have a weekend!
If you visited Grand Park this past weekend you would have seen, blue skies, sunshine, families, food vendors, snow, and hundreds of dogs! These dogs weren’t just any dogs though. These were pet-athletes who were ready to compete in the skijoring and dog sledding events. They were focused, determined, excited, and most of all ready to race!
Walking around, it was hard to tell who was more excited about the races, the dogs or the humans. People from all around the country, gathered behind the orange starting gate, watching in amazement, cheering as teams of dogs and their handlers took off to run the course!
“You don’t see this in Nebraska!” A gentleman exclaimed snapping photos with his camera.
“We saw the sign hanging in an ice cream shop, and knew we had to come up to see this!” A spectator from the Denver area said. “Our kids are so excited for this experience…and our dog is too!”
“These types of events are what make the Grand Park and Fraser Valley community so special,” said a resident of Grand Park. “Every day is an adventure. I’m essentially living a vacation!”
Meet Some of the Athletes:
Cliff has been dog sledding for 15 years. His friend who owns the team he uses introduced him to the sport of dog sledding. Cliff participates in the six-mile, four and six dog sled races.
“I am excited to run this race because the Grand Park course is a fun course and today’s temperatures make for a great ride!” Advice he would give to someone new to the sport is, “keep it simple and have fun!”
Lynn Whipple President of Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club started dog sledding in the 80’s. She loves dogs, skiing, being outdoors, so falling in love with the sport came naturally.
“My dogs are athletes and my pets,” said Lynn. “We all are very passionate about dog sledding.” Watching Lynn and her team harness up and get ready for the race, it was clear that dog sledding was what they loved to do.
“If someone is looking to get involved in dog sledding, start by mentoring a musher,” Lynn suggests. “Or contact the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club.”
Skijoring is where one to three dogs assist a cross-country skier through a course. The skier skis through the course while the dog adds additional power by pulling. It’s a work out for all involved!
Michael Wason and his rescued German wirehaired pointers have been skijoring for eight years. He does between four and five races a year. Saturday Michael and his team competed in the six-mile three-dog skijoring race.
“The temperature is right, the dogs are ready, and this track is a fun one!” He exclaimed. When asked about what advice he’d give to a ‘newbie,’ he replied, “Find the right equipment. It can make all the difference.”
Laurie Brandt participated in the two-dog skijoring this weekend. Laurie’s two-dog team Pops and Quinn are world-class medalists who ran and placed in the IFSS in Alaska in 2013. Laurie is having fun working with the team for the time being, until their owner is able to get back into skijoring.
Jennifer of Lakewood had had Sierra for a few years. This past November she adopted Precious, a younger husky with a lot of energy. Jennifer quickly realized Precious needed an outlet for her energy so she figured she’d take up skijoring. “I started teaching voice commands on walks,” Jennifer explained. “We bike or ski between four and six miles a day to train. This is our first race, so we all are very excited.” Jennifer and her pups competed in the four-mile two-dog skijoring class on Saturday.
The Grand Park Dog Days of Winter was sponsored by; Grand Park, Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park, Grand County Tourism, the Town of Fraser, the Town of Winter Park, the Winter Park and Fraser Chamber, and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club.
