Button Box Dog Rally-2012
Once again we attended this dog rally held every October at Button Box campground. Here is why it is great. Shawn and I were running our 14 dog teams on a 20 mile training run with 7 other teams that were training for distance racing.
As we approached the campground where we were staying we passed many teams that do not train as far. We passed a man with his two boys sitting on the four wheeler cheering raucously the dogs on, than a woman with two girls, the girls were looking much more serious. A cart than passed us with two 9 year old boys being pulled by three dogs. We saw a pure bred malamute team go by being run by a couple in their 60s.
This is just a sampler of the people who get out and enjoy the northwoods and their dogs.
A special mention should be made of Melinda Tjelta, 15 years old, who is training for the Junior Iditarod. She came on every run with the long distance trainers. Her father stayed back this year letting her deal with the problems that arise on her own. She did great. Follow her in February at the Junior Iditarod; I am sure she will put in a fantastic performance. She will be running dogs she trained, not just a team of her parents
