Day Four. Umsaskis to Chamberlain. Togo 261 Solo Memorial Dogsled Expedition
Day Four: Umsaskis to Chamberlain Togo 261 Solo Memorial Dogsled Expedition What I’m about to share with you is embarrassing. In fact, it’s taken me a few days to write this entry because I debated whether or not to include this self-deprecating story. But I want to take my readers on this adventure with me […]
Day Three. Expedition Journal. Round Pond to Umsaskis Lake. Togo 261 Memorial Dogsled Expedition
Day Three: Expedition Journal Round Pond to Umsaskis Lake It was nearly minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up on day three. I went out to feed the dogs. Druid was already pacing in circles, like a fighter shadowboxing to warm the muscles and burn adrenaline before a big fight. “He truly is tireless,” […]
Day Two. Expedition Journal. Allagash to Round Pond. “Togo 261 Memorial Solo Dogsled Expedition”
Day Two: Allagash to Round Pond Togo 261 Solo Memorial Dogsled Expedition Day two of the expedition began for me at 5:30 AM. This was my team’s first night on the trail, and I wanted to get out of the cabin and check on them. They say your brain continues working on problem-solving while you […]
Day One. Expedition Journal. Fort Kent to Allagash. “Togo 261 Memorial Solo Dogsled Expedition”
Updated: March 8, 2021 Day One: Expedition Journal Togo 261 Memorial Solo Dogsled Expedition “Well that was embarrassing,” I said to my boys as they ran up onto the dyke to see if they could help. “Heavy.” I wrestled the sled back onto its runners and drove the icehook into the snowpack. Earlier, it had […]
PRESS RELEASE: Togo Memorial Maine Mushing Expedition
Updated: Mar 27, 2021 2/20/2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Solo Dog Sled Expedition Across the Wilderness of North Maine To Raise Funds for Togo Monument in Poland Spring, Maine Fort Kent, Maine— 2/20/2021 — At noon on Saturday 2/20, a purebred team of Seppala Siberian Sled dogs will depart from the “Americas First Mile Monument” for […]
Solo Seven Day Dogsled Expedition across the Maine Wilderness
Updated: Mar 8, 2021 Togo 261 Expedition I wanted to let our team friends know that I am embarking on a roughly 285-mile Expedition the last week of February across the North Woods of Maine by dogsled team. The purpose of this expedition is to commemorate the 261 miles that musher Leonhard Seppala and his […]
Why I Still Believe in the Seppala Siberian Sleddog
Why I Still Believe in the Seppala Siberian Sleddog By Jonathan Hayes Thanks to Disney’s “Togo,” more Siberian Husky breeders are affixing “Seppala” to their pups for profit, making the real thing harder to find. However, the International Seppala Siberian Sleddog Club (ISSSC) has the vision to ensure our breed remains healthy and robust in […]
A Canoeing Adventure with my Sons in the North Woods of Maine
A Canoeing Adventure with My Sons in the North Woods of Maine Updated: July 11, 2020 The embers still glowed bright against the thin wall of our tent. By now my two teen sons were fast asleep, completely spent from nearly nine hours of paddling under the full gaze of the sun. I unzipped the […]
Liz and Sepp. A Love Story.
Based on a true story. The first in a series of short stories – by Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes. Getting tangled up: The team careened down the ridge at a full gallop. The icy snow rooster-tailed up from the bear-claw brake onto his reindeer skin leggings. This was a veteran distance dog team, and the past […]
Old Mushers. New Tricks.
Old Mushers, New Tricks My fumbling attempts to transition a great sled dog into a great lead dog. It was a mid-March day, my only day off work for the week. My dogs hadn’t been in the harness since the big race of the year two weeks earlier. With my family away, my dogs at […]