Welcome to Happy Trails Kennels:
Home of four-time Iditarod Champion
Martin Buser, and family!

FLY along the IDITAROD Trail:

See the Iditarod Race up close and personal. Fly with legendary Alaskan bush pilot Paul Claus. 2 seats available on Ultima Thule's turbine otter.

tentative schedule:

leave Sunday, March 8 and camp at Shell Lake, not too far from the RESTART. Lots of folks go out there and make big bonfires on the lake and watch the teams go by

Monday - camp near Farewell Lakes on the far side of Rohn checkpoint (Good to get through Rainy Pass since weather can catch people there for days)

Tuesday on to TAKOTNA where we will be staying in a house for 2 nights. Takotna is a busy hub and we can see lots of happenings. We could easily go up and down the trail from there.

Thursday- camp at Iditarod for 2 nights. Many teams take their 24 hour layover here.

Friday - camp at Eagle Island on the Yukon River

Saturday - Unalakleet where we have a cabin/or house to stay in. Maybe 2 nights. depends on how the race is going.

Sun or Mon on to White Mt then Nome. We can stop at checkpoints along the coast if mushers are there and/or we want to.

SO, it's not camping out every night and we might even have a chance at a shower.

$8000. inclusive. All you need to bring is a -40 sleeping bag and your personal gear. A detailed list can be provided should you decide you are up for the adventure.

Are you spontaneous?? Adventurous?? and a Diehard Iditarod Fan??

If you are any of the above here's your chance of a lifetime to fly and camp out on the Iditarod Trail. We have 2 seats available for Idita-Flight 2009. $8000 all inclusive trip from Anchorage to Nome in a turbine otter flown by Paul Claus (google him for further info). All you need is your personal gear. Arctic oven tents to sleep in.

Flight departs after the Iditarod start.

Email ASAP if you are interested. Maybe share the trip with someone by switching out in McGrath or another checkpoint.

I wish logistisizing was a word since that's what I seem to be doing a lot of these days. Quest and Iditarod preparations are going well. All people and dog food and supplies for both races are packed and ready to go. Sean is heading for Fairbanks tomorrow to drop off all the Quest food. The Iditarod food is in Anchorage already in a freezer arranged by Trapper Creek Smoking Company. Sean and Magnus will haul that to Airland Transport in mid Feb.

We are figuring out which paperwork for which race is due when. Because the Quest travels through Canada, customs forms and passports need attention. We hear the Canadian Mounties are working on the trail on the Canadian side at this very time. John Schandelmeier is the trail manager for the Alaska side and he's been hard at work getting a clear trail on our side. Since we are rookies in the Quest, we've been on a steep learning curve. The dogs have to be in Fairbanks on Feb 7 for a mandatory rookie vet check. That will be a quick up and back drive. Then we depart for Whitehorse on Tuesday, Feb 10. While we have our arrangements for staying in Whitehorse, we are having a difficulty getting space in Dawson. Teams have a 36 hour layover and handlers can manage the dog team at that time. Martin is still having a hard time believing that he doesn't have to do all the work during that layover. I'm sure he'll spend ample time with the team even though it's not mandatory. We do have some of our ace handlers, (we call them part of the professionals) traveling the trail. Nancy Marty, Jim Davis, Pat Hahn and Sue Greenly will be driving with me since handlers have to clean up musher's parking places, pick up dropped dogs and left behind supplies and do whatever else the rules require. The musher can be fined with $$ or time penalties if the handlers mess up. We'll have to be on our toes!!!!

DOG update!
The KUSKO dogs are fully recovered, gained all their weight back and dragged Martin all over when he tried to walk them. Their first run in harness was a fun trip out to the dog camp, about 7 miles. Martin let them all loose, they had a little post KUSKO party and then zoomed home. The non KUSKO dogs have been doing the usual training.

After bitter cold, then wind and rain, we seem to be returning to a more normal winter. We got several inches of snow and the trails are shaping up again after being pretty icy.

happy trails~

We arrived back home yesterday. The flight from Bethel to Anchorage was fortunately uneventful.

We came home to freezing temperatures, the first since we left. Sean and Magnus have been slipping and sliding all over the place due to all the rain on all the snow last week. Desperate to get some miles on the dogs here, Sean drove up to the Denali Highway and ran the dogs there. Magnus kept an eye on the kennel here.

The dogs on the KUSKO team are doing great and happy to be home. We thank Caribou, Elk, Sam, Orion, Dori, Jefferson, Neil Young, Patrick Roy, Roy, Goose, Angel, Herakles, Collar and Lionel for their hard work!!!!!!!

Despite blizzards, icy trails, and financial challenges, the K300 Committee pulled off another memorable race. There was little consideration of cancellation when the weather was hammering Bethel; rather focus was on how to make the race go safely for dogs and mushers. We thank the K300 organization and many volunteers for the "can do" attitude. While many races are having to decrease the Race Purse, the Kusko committee managed to maintain their generous purse and preserve the integrity of one of the toughest races around. It may have been shorter but no less challenging.

Thanks K300. Go to K300.org and buy a mile along this historic trail.

2nd place, 8 minutes behind in the end but proud and happy for the effort the team gave to try to reach the finish line first.

Mitch made a huge push and caught Martin about 10 miles from the finish line. He said once he passed Martin he could feel him all the way to the finish. And he said he had to use the entire runway to make it happen.

Martin knew Mitch was coming on strong after Mitch's quick run from Kalskag to Tuluksak. He knew then it would be a battle. Everyone gave it all they had, nothing left on the table. Can't really ask for much more. Goose was wagging her tail at the finish and dogs were tired after the hard days night. 38 hours, concrete hard trails and the Kusko 300 once more delivers a grueling test.

We could not have managed this endeavor without the help of the Hoffman clan here in Bethel, Alaska Airlines getting us here and our guys back home, Sean and Magnus, who are trying hard to get some miles on the dogs left behind, even with 40 degrees and rain.

We will surely be back to Bethel. I have had an amazing time, learning lots about the challenges of this area and the warmth and generosity of the people who live here.

The day couldn't be more perfect for traveling. The sun is shining bright and the temp is about 18. Bethel is big sky country so it seems you can see forever.

The trail is heating up and so is the race. Where and when to snack dogs makes a critical difference at this point in the race. Dogs need enough energy to get to the 4 hour mandatory layover in Tuluksak. A report from Kalskag said that Jeff King got water and left. I suspect from the times, Martin snacked the dogs there. Guess the next few hours will tell the tale.

Finish is predicted to be between 1:00 & 2:00 am. WOW! What a fast race.

By times into Kalskag, it looks like there was a rumba line going. Martin predicted the race would stay tight. Most mushers take their madatory 6 hour layover in Kalskag on the way up. Some might choose to go to Aniak this year because of the shorter trail. We'll see how this shapes up in the night. The travel times so far have been fast.

You may have heard that John Baker slipped on the ice his first night in Bethel and is racing with a fracture somewhere in his elbow. Looks like it's not slowing him down. Will Peterson of APRN is on the trail and giving updates at five minutes after the hour on the Bethel radio station.

The Kusko 300 is actually one of three exciting races that started today. The Bogus 150 began at 1:00 and covers 150 miles up and down the river.

The Akiak Dash is is shorter and has a mass start. Eighteen teams are lined up across the river and all take off at the same time. It's one of the most exciting beginnings to a sled dog race.

Ready to get going.


DeeDee gets ready to go.
Martin is loaded in the truck with the dogs to head to the starting line.

The KUSKO 300 got off to a great start today at noon, 5 degrees and a slight wind. Teams leave the divided chute by twos so the race gets going pretty quick. Martin and Ed Iten were the last to leave. The race start is down on the river and was pretty slippery. Dogs and people had a bit of a hard time staying on their feet but the teams are under steady control as they are attached to a snowmachine as a brake. So it's dogs, musher sled, then snowmachine. It's really a smart way to get to the start and reduces the potential of people falling all over dogs as they try to manage them. It seemed half the town was on the river.

Dogs are pretty cozy with room to go in and out of their kennels. 5 degrees and a slight wind here in Bethel this morning.

The K300 Race Committee is working overtime to make the race happen and make it safe. Because the temp is dropping and the winds are calming, the race is scheduled to start Sunday at noon! The trail crew will be out today, remarking around any large sections of water and finding the best possible trail. The trail will end up shorter, probably by 50-60 miles.

Last night the wind gusts sounded so familiar to hurricane winds. I'm staying with Mike and Jill Hoffman, Martin is staying next door at Mike's brother's Jeff's to be close to dogs. We awoke this morning to the news that during the night, the tie downs holding Mike's 185 had snapped and the plane was now a crumpled bunch of aluminum flipped upside down. Mike has had the plane for 23 years and it held many many fond family hunting and camping memories. Other planes were damaged but not quite to the degree of Mike's. People were trying to block the wind from the planes with trucks and heavy equipment. Most were saved from severe damage. It's a sad event and everyone is trying to make the best of the bad situation. Traveling by small plane is a way of life in this part of the country so it's a hard when something like this happens but it's also one of those things that people accept as a possibility.

Mushers are somewhat anxious about the K300 trail after last year's dramatic challenges with water but it is clear that the Trail Committee is working to assure as best a trail as possible for the dogs. Frozen slush can be a nightmare for dog's feet and glare ice is so tricky to navigate. Dogs need to wear booties to avoid cuts but need to have toenails exposed on glare ice. Conservative racing could be the way to go since this is really just the beginning of the racing season.

Our dogs seem to be enjoying the little vacation. They are eating and drinking like they were on the beach in Hawaii. Martin has had a chance to nap a lot and make up for the two nights sleep he lost in Anchorage while trying to get here.

We really appreciate the Hoffman clan for taking us in and making us feel so comfortable.

After weeks of -30 temps, Mother Nature threw a curve ball and Alaska is in the throws of a warming trend. Rain on lots of snow produces impassable ice everywhere.

We were scheduled to fly to Bethel on Wednesday morning. We arrived in Anchorage at 3:00 am to get the dogs set to load on the 7:00 am flight. Cancelled due to ice on runway in Bethel. Martin unloaded the dogs to await word on the 12:45 flight. Cancelled again due to ice on the runway in Bethel. Martin unloaded the dogs, fed them and let them stretch out. Word came that we'd have a good chance to get out at 6:45 that evening. So we were in the boarding line and the announcement came: Cancelled. Then came the chaos of trying to decide what to do with the 14 dogs that had been in and out of airline kennels all day. Sean and Magnus had dropped us off so we didn't have a dog truck in town. The roads in and out of Anchorage were treacherous due to icing so we didn't want to risk them coming back to Anchorage. While milling around the baggage area, Jeff King offered Martin the use of his dog trailer, that was parked in Anchorage since his dogs had gone out on a cargo flight earlier and were already in Bethel.

Our friend, Kent, picked up the trailer and brought it to the airport. Martin and dogs were out of the pouring rain and 100 mile an hour wind gusts for the night. Thanks, Jeff! My friend, Linda, came to my rescue and I spent the night at her house. We got work at about 11:00 that the 12:45pm flight would make a run to Bethel. Everyone rushed to get ready and we landed in Bethel at about 3:30 on Thursday, 36 hours after our initial arrival in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines is to be commended for it's unbelievable work in accommodating dogs and people through the entire ordeal. Ticketing, reticketing, moving dogs, working so hard to get dog teams and mushers into Bethel. Our flight included Jeff King, John Baker, Mitch Seavey and dogs, Ken Anderson and his dogs and Martin and our team. The service provided makes Alaska Airlines one of the most unique in the business, remaining flexible and working hard to get people and dogs where they need to be safely. We can't thank all the Airline people associated with this flight enough. They worked overtime and went way beyond the regular duties to make this trip as managable as possible.

So here we are in Bethel. It rained all night, school has been cancelled here due to icy roads and the K300 Start has been postponed until tomorrow.

I'm excited to finally meet the Hoffman family, who has taken Martin (and Rohn) in for years and helped him with K300 logistics.

Bethel is much larger than I imagined. 7000 people and a hub for 65 surrounding villages.

More later as news develops.

happy trails~

2009 finds us in the deep freeze but we are not complaining. Training has been going exceptionally well with regular snowfalls, smooth trails and glorious pink sunsets on Mt. McKinley.



The first days of the New Year were spent being involved in an ongoing research project helping to determine the best treatment for potential stomach ulcers in dogs. Actually, two medications were being tested to see which showed better results as a preventive measure. The study involved 300 miles of running dogs in 75-mile segments with rest in between. The guys have "Dog Camp" set up out on the steep bank of the Little Susitna River. A few tents, bales of straw, stake out chains for the dogs and a fire pit resemble a bit of a squatter's quarters but very comfortable for the in between rests.




To simplify the preparation for all the upcoming races, Martin has his Iditarod food drops packed and in a sub zero freezer in Anchorage. About 2,000 lbs of gear, dog food, and people food is ready to be sent.

We have everything ready to load on Alaska Airlines on Wednesday to head to Bethel for the Kusko 300. First time in Bethel for me. I'm excited about meeting all the folks who have been so kind, helpful and hospitable to Martin over many years. Race starts Friday evening. Weather is predicted to be above zero.

For info go to http://www.k300.org/core/kuskokwim-300/

Boys are back at college. Since school started a week later for Rohn, he spent a week in Seattle with Nikolai and unbeknownst to us, bought a car and ended up driving from Seattle to Troy, NY in three days by himself. Guess that boy just loves traveling long distances alone.

All is well here and we are feeling very fortunate to be in good health and have such loyal friends, sponsors, supporters and helpers.

Looks like we are headed into a heat wave, -1 right now.

The Race Schedule for the 2009 Racing Season is as follows:

Jan 16 KUSKO 300 in Bethel, Alaska http://www.k300.org/core/kuskokwim-300/

Feb 14 YUKON QUEST begins in Whitehorse, Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska
http://www.yukonquest.com/

March 7 IDITAROD Anchorage to Nome, Alaska http://www.iditarod.com/

April 2 KOBUK 440 Kotzebue, Alaska

This will be a very busy year of racing. We do have more racing dogs than usual this year as a result of Rohn and Sue Allen's participation in the 2008 Iditarod. We do plan reports from along the trail on each race.