Alaska Skijoring and Pulk Association

March 18 trail tour at Rosie Creek

janna — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:01:49 +0000

Come explore another portion of the Rosie Creek trails. You need a reliable snowplow skill and should be able to negotiate fairly sharp corners at moderate speeds, both on narrow trails. Be ready to head down the trail by 1 pm. No charge for ASPA members; nonmembers $5. For more information, contact Janna Miller at 479-5585 or janna@alaska.net. Check the events calendar for details.

Trail Tour on the Tanana River March 4th

matt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:13:19 +0000

Come out and join ASPA for a trail tour on the Tanana River, Sunday March 4th. We will travel along the well used snowmachine trails for an out and back trip, totaling about 9 miles. Encounters with other trail users is likely, no loose dogs please. Luckily there is plenty of room for everyone. Run as many dogs as you feel comfortable with, the trail is flat and open. I prefer skating on the river but classic skiing will also work. Let’s plan to meet at the Chena Pump Road boat launch by 12:45 pm for a briefing and start skijoring by 1pm . Follow Chena Pump Road west and the boat launch is just before you start to climb Chena Ridge. If it is colder than -10 degrees F. at 11:30 that morning (458-3745 ext 1113 weather) we will cancel. If you have any questions please contact Matt Sprau at 456-8585 or matt.sprau@gmail.com. This event is free for club members; $5.00 for non-members.

Birch Hill Race on 3 March Announced!

admin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:12:49 +0000

Race director Jim Herriges has announced the details of the Birch Hill races on Saturday, 3 March. The races will have the following classes:

Classes:
Interval Start Races
1-dog 4 km, 2-dog 6 km, 3-dog 6 km
Mass Start Races
One-dog 7.5 km, Two-dog 9 km

See the Events calendar for details!

Trail Tour Sunday, February 26

stabbert — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:30:45 +0000

They say the third time’s the charm – let’s try AGAIN for a Goldstream Valley trail tour this Sunday. We’ll meet at 1 pm at the Ballaine road pullout (approx 3/4 mile down the hill heading into the valley, right side.) See details on the “events” page. Call Sara Tabbert at 479 0456 or email stabbert@hotmail.com if you have questions.

Feb 19 Rosie Creek trail tour

janna — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:57:53 +0000

Tour flatlands on snowmachine-groomed trails suitable for one- or two-dog teams and narrow skate skiing. One very narrow section requires double-poling or classic ski gear. ASPA members free; nonmembers $5. Minimum -10 degrees at 11:30 am (call 458-3745 ext 1113). See the events calendar for driving directions. Be ready to head down the trail by 1 pm. For more information, contact Janna Miller at 479-5585 or janna@alaska.net.

Check the Events Calendar for Upcoming Events!

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:07:20 +0000

Just wanted to post a reminder to check the Events Calendar here to see a complete list of upcoming events. We post some announcements and details about some events here in news, but the calendar has everything that’s coming up.

Trail Tour- Sunday, 12 Feb

dkatwood — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:31:29 +0000

We will skijor the trails off Chena Hot Springs Rd, with a stop on top of Sage Hill. See the Events section for more information.

Chena Lakes Race Saturday, February 11

stabbert — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:50:33 +0000

ASPA will be holding a race at the Chena Lakes Recreation Area on Saturday, February 11. There will be 3.8 mile and 6.5 mile distances, and racers can run 1, 2, or 3 dogs. Please preregister by contacting Sara Tabbert at 479 0456 or stabbert@hotmail.com before Thursday Feb 9 at 6 pm. (I will be away from phone and email from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon so don’t worry if you don’t hear back right away.) All racers need to preregister for this race, and participants need to be current ASPA members. If anyone is interested in a longer distance please contact Sara. Check in at 11:30 or earlier, race meeting at 11:40, racing starts at noon. Please see the trail map for the Mike Agbaba trail system on the “trails” section of this website.

If it is -15 or colder at 9:30 am at 458-3745 extension 1113 on the day of the race it will be cancelled. Call the ASPA hotline 457 5456 shortly after 9:30 to verify the status of the race. We also need volunteers for starting, timing, and handling.

Complete race details: [Word] [PDF]

Practice Clinic #2 Date and Time Change

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:28:07 +0000

The second of two Practice Clinics is scheduled for Saturday, February 4th at Creamers Field. NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THAT REPORTED IN THE JANUARY 2012 NEWSLETTER WHERE IT WAS TO BE ON SUNDAY. I’ve moved it forward one day because I really want to do the Trail Tour on Sunday. With this long cold snap, I am really missing skiing–badly. We will be slow and out of shape. Besides, the clinic
won’t interfere with any Superbowl Sunday activities of our ASPA members.

This clinic will emphasize the basics and is meant for novice skijorers. In my travels around town, at the dog park, Petco, etc. I’ve had folks who have tried skijoring, but are not good skiers and/or the dogs won’t pull, etc. Well, this is the clinic for you! In particular we are going to discuss and practice SKIING basics. I will have both my skate as well as classic skis on hand. The biggest thing I’ve noticed keeping owner and dog from being able to skijor is the owner’s inability to ski or stay upright. Having good balance and confidence in skiing is a very important first step to successful skijoring. It is important when starting your dog in skijoring to not be frustrated when you fall. The most important thing for your dog as well as for you is to have FUN!!

We will meet at ~~11:00 AM~~ 1:00 PM (new time!) at the Creamer’s Field farmhouse and have a 30 minute question and answer session. Afterwards, we will practice skiing basics, using the skijor training trails at Creamer’s Field across from the Farmhouse. Afterwards, if there is still interest, we can attach our dogs and continue to practice. All participants must be members of ASPA due to liability concerns. Cost is free to all ASPA members.

The Practice Clinic will be cancelled if the temperature at 458-3745 extension 1113 at 9:30 AM on February 5th is colder than –15F . NWS states it is supposed to be warmer this weekend….

So come and practice skiing and skijoring and most importantly, HAVE FUN!! If you would like to help out with handling, advice, and/or show up with behaved dog(s) who will act as “rabbits” for novice dogs to chase later in the clinic please contact Lisa Stuby at 458-7657, or e-mail at las@acsalaska.net.

Isberg Recreation Area Trail Tour Feb. 5th

matt — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:49:17 +0000

Join us for a trail tour of the Isberg Recreation Area on Sunday, February 5th. The trail can be bumpy in sections and encounters with other trail users and/or moose can occur. No unleashed dogs please. The tour will cover 7.5 miles of flat and hilly terrain. The trail is nice for 1 or 2 dog skijor teams. More can be used, but you may be skiing by yourself. Let’s plan on meeting around 12:50 on Oboe Ct. (Isberg trail head). To get there: follow the Parks Highway away from Fairbanks, Make a Left onto Cripple Creek Rd.(past Ester), after 1.5 miles make another Left onto Isberg Rd., Make the first left onto Oboe Ct. and park along the right side of the road. If the temperature is below -10F at 11:30 that morning (458-3745 ext 1113 weather) we will cancel. The Isberg trails can be a little warmer than in town, but remember to dress appropriately and bring extra layers and snacks. If you have any questions contact Matt Sprau at 456-8585 or matt.sprau@gmail.com. Participants in the trail tours are required to be members of the Alaska Skijor and Pulk Association. Membership forms are available on the website and will also be available on Sunday.