July 12 -- paddleboat; sled dogs

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Believe it or not, we are still on July 12. We had lunch at the gold dredge, saw the pipeline, then got on a sternwheeler for a ride up the Cheena.

Big wheel keep on turning.........






Big sky over the river (with wake).






Our first stop on the paddle boat was Susan Butcher's place. You may remember Susan as a four-time Iditarod winner. She died last year at 51 (of cancer), but her legacy and her kennel continue, in the hands of her husband, David Monson

When the boat stopped by, David Monson was miked so he could talk to us, and answer questions directed to him by the guide on the boat (who also was miked).

The dogs are "Alaskan huskies," which is more a description than a breed. The only thing Iditarod mushers care about is function, so the dogs can look like anything. You may note that these dogs are rangier and slighter than Siberian huskies (a breed recognized by the American Kennel Club). You will surely note that they don't look anything alike, other than that they look built for speed and endurance.....

Lead dogs, waiting.....






Some people say these dogs are enslaved and coerced into serving man.

They looke pitiful and beaten down, don't you think?






NOT!!! This is my favorite of these pics, with the pair of dogs entirely airborne.....







There they go, streaking by, about a third of the way down from the top of this next pic.






Here they come back.

All of these pics were taken from the boat, over people's heads and the railing. Nothing artful here, but I think you can get the idea of what it was like to see these dogs, loving the job they were born to do.





In order to facilitate chronological traverse of these posts, a link to the next one is here.

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