An ode to dogs: a commentary on Seasonal Affective Disorder

The snow is falling lightly, haphazardly floating through the cold air like a daydreaming grade schooler.

It is 27 degrees, and the dogs are amped, pacing back and forth as I grab a three-pound bag of frozen meat and begin to soak it in steamy hot water for them. Some are barking, some are howling. Miles and Freya are my worst pacers. They circle their houses all day long, itching to run and begging for more when we stop running.

I need the dogs' enthusiasm. They ground me, keep me focused during the dark winter months.

It started when I was young, about fifteen. Winter felt like a shroud that engulfed me. I slept too much, but still felt tired. I was listless, despondent. I pushed my friends away inadvertently.

In college, it grew worse. Without the structure of my parents' home and daily routine, I fell into a deep depression that first winter away. I gained weight and skipped classes just to sleep. And northeast Ohio winters didn't help.

Many people experience this in the winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D)affects people most commonly between the ages of 15 and 55, and women are more at risk. It is thought to be triggered by lack of sunlight.

I admit, sometimes I struggle with these feelings even now.

But, this is one proactive reason why I got into dogs and winter sports.

One way to combat S.A.D. - or any depression - is to get active! 

Having the dogs here, with their endless energy and vivacious appetite for living motivates me. They make me happy. Seeing them doing what they love, watching them grow and training them from puppies to be the amazing athletes they were born to become - this is happiness to me.

Being outside with them is the best medicine for almost anything that ails me. 

My new leader, Big Brown, being bossy on the trail

A dog doesn't question why. A dog is the moment. 

Perry, one of Tak's six month old pups, howling out of the roof of his kennel. We had a huge wind storm with 45 mph winds at the Ranch recently, and it partially blew the roofs off some of the kennels.

Traveling to distant beautiful places to train and race is one of my favorite things.

Crossing a frozen lake on the Jack Pine race trail in 2010

Dogs are the ultimate Zen animal. Neither looking to the future nor reminiscing about the past, they move in the pure joy of the here and now. They work hard when they work, play hard when they play, and sleep hard when they sleep. And they want nothing more. 


I am thankful every day for my dogs: for their spirit and lust for life. Here's to my amazing dogs, to life, and to dogs everywhere.

Can't depend on snow

My sled, runners buried in snow, waiting to go on its first race of the season

A few random snowflakes fall from the sky haphazardly over an expansive, white horizon. There must be a foot of snow on the ground here at the Ranch. The only color is a jagged, rust-colored tree line inching its way upward on this gray and white canvas - as if a painter dabbles his brush neatly in the distance. As the colors come closer, their focus sharpens.



So, how can it be, then, that in this expanse of white that surrounds me, there isn't enough snow up north in snow country for my first race of the season?

It's hard for me to fathom.



I am very disappointed that the first race of my season, the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race has actually been postponed twice for lack of snow.

So, I am modifying my race plans for this season, and trying not to be too disappointed. Tahquamenon is rescheduled for February 12, but that is a week before the Jack Pine 30 which is another race I usually run.

We'll see...

In other news, Ella, one of Aspen's puppies, went to live with my good friend, Jenn, at her kennel in PA this last week.



Jenn and her family have a small sprint racing kennel. We miss Ella but know she is in excellent, loving hands!

We are down to six puppies, and all but the runt and Etta, the one who recovered from pneumonia, are outside now, much to their dismay!

I have several talks coming up from now until March, so check out the calendar of events and stop on by if you happen to be in northeast Ohio.

Prayers for snow!

The Red Lantern

Young dogs. Tangles. Lack of brake. Snowhook in hand. Chair lift. Everything that could have possibly been a factor in this red lantern was.


Ruffian, my yearling leader, with a worried look on her face. Photo by Dino Mandoli

My first clue was before I even left the starting chute when my drag mat broke in the parking lot before the race even started! It was half attached on one side, so I figured I'd go for it. My name was called to the chute, and we zoomed out of it, drag brake or no. The team looked awesome coming out of the chute, and I was very happy with the way Ruffian and Yeti, both young, fearlessly led the team over terrain they'd never seen before.


My team flying out of the starting chute at the Jack Pine 30

I stepped on the drag mat to slow them down a bit. Despite having several hundred miles of training on the dogs this season since September, they don't know how to pace themselves very well having run sprint races all this season. Soon after I stepped on the drag, it fell off completely! With almost the full 30 mile race to go, I braced myself. This would be an interesting ride.

Suddenly, the team decided to try to turn left on a short crossroad to a little shed! I yelled "straight ahead" over and over to tell Yeti to keep on the same trail, and I could see the wheels turning in his head, but he was determined to go down that short turn off! Eventually, after about four minutes, Yeti got it, but by the time we were back on the trail, my leaders were hopelessly tangled. They were still hot (wound up) so I was hesitant to stop them and hook down for fear they'd pop my snow hook and I'd be left in the dust. So I ran them a bit. In that time, my friend Jon who started behind me, caught up to me. I let him pass and he yelled back, "Your leaders are tangled!"

"No shit!" I yelled back.

He stopped his team so mine would (hopefully) stay behind him and I quickly hooked down and ran up to untangle my leaders. In a swoosh, we were off.

Only to encounter another tangle. I hooked down again. This time a musher from Lloyd Gilbertson's super fast kennel was coming up behind my team. I knew if she passed, my dogs would want to give chase. Translation: I better hurry up! Just as this musher started to pass me on the left, the dogs started to pound in their harnesses and popped the snowhook, which came flying toward me. I caught it, but it stuck into my right hand between my thumb and index finger. I caught the sled and jumped on the runners just as it came by. There was no time to think about the snowhook or my hand, which was bleeding. The dogs were off again.

During this stretch, where the trail turns away from a major highway and runs along a railroad track, I had an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful day! It was a little warm at right around 30 degrees, but sunny clear blue skies stretched on for miles. The run along the train tracks was beautiful. A train went by, but the dogs handled it fine. Things were uneventful for about 8 miles or so until we hit the "gravel pit" - a winding trail that goes through a gravel yard. There's a sharp 90 degree turn that drops abruptly down a sharp hill along this part of the trail, and apparently some mushers had several wipe outs here, because in addition to the huge drop off, there was a three foot ditch within the hill. My right runner fell into the ditch and I wiped out briefly, but quickly bounced back. The dogs were still going strong and I was happy so far despite a couple set backs. I thought we still had a good chance at placing with good time.

But as we climbed the steep hills behind "Marquette Mountain," the dogs started to tire.


Coming down one of the steep hills behind Marquette Mountain. Photo by Dino Mandoli

It was difficult to navigate the downhill slopes without a drag mat; I used my heel a lot and the bar brake so I wouldn't run over the wheel dogs. I stopped to give them a break a couple times and to encourage them a bit. But they were growing tired climbing those big hills, despite my running behind the sled.

And then, finally, we made it to the top of Marquette ski hill. This is my favorite part of the race trail on the Jack Pine. It's so cool to run along the ski hill with skiers whizzing past. The skiers and snowboarders always get a kick out of the dogs, and it's a lot of fun to come flying down that hill.

If it weren't for the chair lift overhead.


You ain't goin' no where! My team stopped dead at the bottom of Marquette ski hill because of the chair lift. Photo by Lina Blair

Several dogs in my team are young. Two, Big Brown and Ruffian, are yearlings who are only 20 months old; Yeti, my main leader, is only 28 months old. My main concern was giving my young dogs a good experience and helping encourage them to keep moving. They were quite nervous about the chair lift, however, and just stopped dead near the bottom of the hill. I decided to give them a break. What else could I do?

Several people came up to talk to me and encourage the dogs while we were stopped. One person, photographer and academic advisor from Northern Michigan University, Lina Blair, shot several funny photos of my team stopped at this point. Lina was instrumental in helping my team have the confidence to go under that chair lift. I owe her tons of thanks!

Once we got past the chair lift, I called the team up, and away we went. The break gave the team a chance to collect their energy for the final five miles.

Finally, we went under the bridge and turned the corner headed back for town. It was a rough 30 miles.


Grabbing for the hard-earned red lantern

The red lantern is a symbol of perseverance and teamwork. In the first serum run in 1925, the red lantern was kept lit until the last musher returned home safely. It was a beacon guiding wayward mushers home.

But it is so much more. The red lantern says you've met struggles and adversity on the trail and had the wherewithal to deal with it and still meet your goal. It's a symbol of teamwork.

I am so proud of my dogs. And I am thankful for the people who have stood behind me along the rocky road the last six months have been. There was a point in time, last September, I didn't think I'd even be back on the runners, much less racing. This little red lantern symbolizes triumph over so many struggles.

With love, from winter: come as you are

People rarely meet others with an ability to see or accept them exactly as they are. Whether we admit it or not, we inadvertently meet others with judgement or expectations about what they will or will not be. We may look up to others, or we may look down.



Part of the beauty of the U.P., and of the mushers I call friends, is I have never been met with anything but a "come as you are" acceptance. People are real. There is no pretense. This is part of the allure of the Upper Peninsula for me.

Growing up in a family who spent so much time on the water, I looked forward to every weekend on the boat, anticipated it. It seemed I could smell the water in my dreams. Some look forward to a long-awaited, exciting vacation to Disney World or an amusement park; nature was always my amusement park.

This season, and this race - the Jack Pine - meant so much to me this year. Working toward that goal, training my young fur kids, making sacrifices. Even fora 30 mile race, these things are present.

But getting together at races is more than just about racing. It's about seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and celebrating - sort of like a reunion.

Driving over 2,000 miles in four days is exhausting enough. But add to that running a 30 mile dogsled race, staying up chatting with friends, not eating well, sleep deprivation...and saying good bye to five of my beloved Gwennie puppies ...to say I am exhausted is an understatement!

I'll start with the pups. One by one, I loaded them into a small crate in my truck, and Gwennie became increasingly distressed to see them loaded, one by one.

First we arrived at the home of sprint racer, Jane Schramm and her beautiful family.


Jane stands with her son and their two new pups, Annie and Two Star

Jane has been driving dogs a long time, and has a small kennel of thirteen dogs in Indian River, in northern lower Michigan. She also spends her days working in the Cheboygan County Humane Society, so she knows a lot about dogs. She helped me vaccinate all the pups with their first puppy shots, and left me the sweetest gift: a three page note from Annie and Two Star about how happy they will be as real racing sleddogs! Jane also sent me off with a sweet little treat: a five gallon bucket (mushers always need buckets!) chock full of goodies for the trail. What an amazingly generous gift!


Jane's son holds his new puppy, Two Star

Then it was off to Marquette to meet friends Tim and Angie Looney from Iowa, and Kathleen Kimball-Baker from Minnesota.


New sleddog mamas Kathleen Kimball-Baker (left) and Angie Looney (right) get acquainted with their new fur kids, Ginsberg and Maggie, respectively

I held my emotions in check while passing off Gwennie's babies to begin new adventures. Kathleen, however, got emotional on seeing Gins, who she calls her "dream come true."


Kathleen tears up while hugging Gins

On the way down from Marquette, in Manistique along the Lake Michigan shore, it all hit me. My puppies - who I watched take their first breath, eat their first bite of food - were gone. The weekend I had trained for and looked forward to, was over.

In a whirlwind, the weekend, the race, the reunion - it was all over before I knew it. Suddenly I was alone, exhausted, heading southbound on Route 2. The only thing to do was to stop along the way and shoot some photos. Hopefully they express the beauty and peace I see in this landscape.


Jumble ice along Lake Michigan, Manistique, Michigan


More jumble ice

Some are drained by the snow and cold. I leave the Upper Peninsula recharged, focused, and sad to return to Ohio every time.


Lighthouse along Lake Michigan, Manistique, Michigan


With love, from the U.P. winter


Many, many thanks to this guy, my friend Jon Mattsen, who is as real as they come and helped me get to the Jack Pine this season. Jon also won 7th place in the race! Congrats, Jon, and thanks for being there

The story of how I came to receive the red lantern in the Jack Pine, and the significance of the red lantern award, belongs in a post all its own...

"A Baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." Carl Sandburg

It's so hard to believe: the puppies are now five weeks old. Before you know it, they'll be pulling sleds like their beautiful father Yeti...


Papa Yeti stopped along the trail yesterday

In just two short weeks, some will leave the safety and warmth of their mother and the whelping room and begin new adventures. Elise, my five year old, explained to Bolt tonight,

"You will go live with Amanda, and you will love it! She has lots of space for you to run around, and chickens and wolves for you to play with!"


Elise and Bolt

My good friend and fellow musher, Amanda, will take our beloved Bolt to join her pack. Amanda and I have become quite close ever since the Punderson race a month or so ago where she officially went from "recreational" musher to "racing" musher.


Amanda and me at the Punderson Sled Dog Classic


Amanda and her little team at the starting chute at the recent Punderson Sled Dog Classic

Amanda has three recreational sled dogs who are all rescues from area animal shelters just days away from euthanization.


Sled dogs Willow (left) and Bandit (right) were just hours away from euthanization before Amanda rescued them from animal shelters

In addition to lots of space, Amanda has some fun critters on her property. Some funky-looking free range chickens provide yummy eggs.


Amanda's funky chickens

And she also has a wolfdog, Jasper, who is 50% wolf. He was also pulled from a shelter.


Wolfdog Jasper gets some lovin' from Amanda

Unlike many wolfdogs, Jasper loves attention and seeks it out, even from children.


Elise is the first child Jasper has met, and they adored each other

Big ones or little ones, Jasper doesn't mind:


Sophie and Elise get love from Jasper

I am so happy Bolt will go to such a loving home with lots of space and friends. Stay tuned for the stories of some of the puppies who will travel to their new homes, including Maggie, who will go to the home of Iowa friend and musher Tim Looney, who definitely lives up to his name!


Miss Maggie at 4 1/2 weeks, who will go to the Looney bin!

I have a busy next few weeks at the season culminates with two long-awaited races: the Tug Hill Challenge in Lorraine, New York on the banks of Lake Ontario and totally the other direction, the Jack Pine 30 in Marquette, Michigan on the banks of Lake Superior. Then, finally, the season's presentations kick off with our first presentation at the Ellet Library!



Posts could get spotty over the next few weeks as I'm on the road, but STAY TUNED and HAPPY TRAILS!

Photos from the sidelines

It's hard when you're the photographer, but then you're the one on the runners.

I stood on the sidelines until the wee hours for both the U.P. 200 and the Midnight Run snapping photos of teams as they passed by through the night.

So when it was my turn to race Saturday morning, I had resigned myself to the fact that there would be no photos of my team. This is the problem when you're the photographer: no pics of yourself typically.

But then, I saw a man along the sidelines as I was coming into town along the shoreway of Lake Superior....and, could it be, he was snapping pictures of teams! I yelled out, "hey, look me up and send me a copy would you," thinking I'd probably never see that photo.

Today, I received an email from that man! He writes:

"Dear Mrs. Miller,

I am trying to find who wore bib #13 at the Jackpine 30 this past weekend in the UP. I had taken a photo of the musher as she was crossing a bridge near the finish line and she had asked me to forward her a copy of that pic. I believe the person was you ... Congratulations on the race and I look forward to seeing you and your brethren (I don’t think “sistren” is a word, but you know what I mean!) at next years events!

A fan of mushing,
Aladino Mandoli"

And here is the awesome photo Aladino took.

Look how the leaders, Star and Tefa, are in perfect stride together!

Thank you so much to my new friend Aladino, aka "Dino"

Here is his web site with a gallery of more of his impressive work.

What a Weekend!

There is nothing like coming home. No one loves or gives such a welcome homecoming like my critters, both human and four-legged. But, there's nothing like the festivities of the events of this weekend, or the wonderful accomplishments of this season. As I drove home through a blizzard that brought 11 inches of snow last night, finishing the trip today, I had the chance to think about a lot of the amazing animal atheletes I've met and worked with this winter. But first, here are a few snapshots from this weekend:


Dogs from Alcan Kennels, owned by Al Hardman, await the start of the U.P. 200 in their cozy quarters


Jason Barron from Lincoln, Montana prepares for departure at the U.P.200 start


>Pizza isn't the only thing "Hot and Ready" (sign in the background)


A U.P. 200 team runs along the shoreway of Lake Superior outside of Marquette


Geri Menard waves to spectators at the Deerton crossing


At the Deerton checkpoint of the Midnight Run awaiting Joann and other mushers' arrival


Shortly after 10 p.m. Joann came into the Deerton checkpoint - at that point, she was the second team to roll in! That's her team there in the distance

The Jack Pine 30

My trophy!

Other mushers had forewarned that the Jack Pine 30 is a challenging 30 miler not for inexperienced drivers. But, while I admit it was challenging, I really found the trail an absolute delight. In fact, my official time of 3 hours, 1 minute and 20 seconds seemed to fly by!
There were definitely parts of the trail that were challenging, though. Running up Marquette mountain has caused soreness in my whole body today! And coming down the ski lift via six dogs with skiiers passing beside me was quite interesting. My favorite part was running along Lake Superior coming into the harbor in downtown Marquette, though, when I knew I had clenched a pretty solid good standing and the race was almost over.

Unfortunately, I was by myself without a driver or handler for this race, so I have no pictures of myself, except for these which I took with my phone. I couldn't help smiling to myself, even though it was just me and the team traveling in the neighborhoods of Marquette.
My team, along the Lake Superior shoreline at the finish of the Jack Pine 30