Earlier this week Fly and I had the honor of being deployed for a search mission involving a missing hiker with bears on location. Fly was the ideal K9.
The location was in the mountains - a very steep and rugged beast of a mountain - so we were inserted via Blackhawk helicopter.
She wore her muffs to protect her precious ears and I believe she traveled quite comfortably in relative quietness. Since we would be off-loading hot (with the helicopter blades still chopping) Fly also wore her goggles to protect those keen eyes from flying debris. Does she look mission ready or what?
Fly enjoyed her Blackhawk transport and wanted to stick her head out the window as we traveled - dogs and their windows! Here is a video of me holding her back from sticking her head out the window with her helicopter doorman buddy:
Here is another video of the Blackhawk lifting off from the landing zone with us huddled under the rotor wash and Fly waiting cool as a cucumber as if this is an everyday occurrence:
We had some lovely glacier and alpine views and we also saw at least 4 black bears, 2 brown bears, and 1 moose, but I didn't get any wildlife photos, sorry, I had other things on my mind at the time.
Riding in Blackhawks seems to come as easy to Fly as pushing bears, though the former is a result of training and the latter from genetics. Either way, there isn't another K9 partner I would rather have in the field and I am so thankful for and proud of this Karelian Bear Dog.
Special thanks to our terrific support teammate, TheDogTrainer, for taking most of these photos for us!
Allow me to introduce you to a certified Avalanche SAR dog: Fly.
Superhero pose
Yep, this weekend our brave girl confidently loaded into the snowmachine sled and was hauled up the mountain to begin her search for simulated avalanche victims.
Ready to begin!
After being given her search command, Fly flew across the snow and pinpointed the location of a human hiding deep under the snow's surface in a small cave; after I marked the location, Fly was off running up the slope and out of sight before I could even attempt to keep up with her. When I did manage to glimpse her again, she was eagerly searching and moving her way across the jumbled snow before she stopped in the middle of seemingly nowhere and told me she'd located another human under the snow.
Eyes on the prize - goggles cut snow glare, block blowing snow crystals, and just look cool.
Here is a low image quality video of Fly making her second find. Love her happy face as she peeks in to see the person!
After the safety and support volunteers had dug the "victims" out from their snowy depths, Fly and I were congratulated on passing the evaluation in just 6 minutes! We then loaded back into the awaiting snowmachine sled and zoomed back down the mountain so the next K9 team could take their turn.
I ended up relieving one of the volunteers and was hidden in a snow cave for the last K9 team. It is a strange feeling to be buried under the snow and I'd have to say I'm not a fan of the experience, but we do it for the team and we do it so that our efforts may one day help bring a loved one home.
My view: before being buried
My view: while being buried
My view: after Team Bandit made the find
This is Fly's third discipline of certification: she is already certified to be deployed for Scent Specific Wilderness Area live find searches, as well as Human Remains detection. However, just because we passed our evaluations and are certified, that doesn't mean our training and practice are complete - no, we will continue to hone our skills and practice, practice, practice, because learning and improving should never cease.
Fly poses with the gear we use for avalanche work - beacon, shovel, and probe not visible.
There is a misconception that to become an Avalanche dog, one just signs up for a class and then takes a test at the class' completion and, voilà, you have an Avy Dog, so I just want to clarify that this is not how it works, at least not here in Alaska. To be a deployable SAR dog unit, Fly and I are members of a SAR team with other dog handlers and members. We train together weekly (often twice a week). We take classes (paid for out of pocket) about first aid, human behavior, wilderness survival, weather, navigation, crime scene preservation, disaster preparation and building structures, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. We buy our own gear (which is expensive). When there is need for our services, we are deployed solely through our Alaska State Troopers - we can't just go rogue and jump on missions whenever we feel like it - laws and liability come into play here. Search and Rescue work is a lifestyle, not just a title to be earned for a piece of paper to frame for your wall, a brag post for your social media, or a feather for your cap (though with all the work we put into it, those things are nice, I admit). So, before you start searching the internet for the closest "sar training class," understand that is not really how it works, and be honest with your desires, ability, time, and truthfully your pocketbook.
My teammates packing up gear after 7 hours of SAR work today.
Okay, I didn't intend to throw a wet blanket on this celebration post, but now you can better appreciate how much time and energy went into this certification and why I am so proud of our Fly girl!
That first day of Spring feeling is wonderful, isn't it?!
Except this is Alaska and it is most definitely still winter here.
Fly and I were deployed for a SAR mission this past weekend and we absorbed copious amounts of vitamin D while braving negative temperatures.
The snow here is still about 3-3.5 feet deep and Fly had her work cut out for her while swimming through the powder.
Swimming is an accurate description, because she somehow managed to remain relatively afloat on the surface of the snow, while our K9 teammate floundered and sunk in the deep snow like he had an anchor tied to his tail.
Why is this? Our Lab, Shepherd, and Aussie friends all seem to drown in the snowy depths; weight doesn't appear to be a factor, since Fly weighs more than an Aussie. I wonder if it has to do with body shape and fur structure? Fly is shaped a bit like a tugboat or icebreaker ship that is designed to pop up out of the water and ice and her double layered fur, which easily repels snow and ice, maybe provides loft in more ways than one. I am extremely curious about why/how Fly seems to cruise snow better than other breeds; being a breed of nordic origin, she is literally born for snow.
Mentally and physically tired though after her hard work.
We were able to stop off and do some sightseeing on our drive home. Alaskan volcanoes sure are majestic as they sleep, aren't they?
Closer towards home we were stopped for road construction, but the view and that Spring sunshine made it tolerable.
Little Buddy, our GoPro, finally got to show some night photography skills the other night. We drove up to Hatchers around 9pm to try to see the Northern Lights that were supposedly going to be good for viewing, but it was too cloudy and too much snow was falling from the sky and I think my timing calculations were off. No matter. We salvaged the evening by taking a few test photos in the dark.
Fly made her own northern lights.
Not too bad, eh? I didn't do anything fancy, just selected the "night mode," pressed the button, and held my breath while Little Buddy took the picture. Not breathing was the only way I could try to hold still and also prevent my exhalation from clouding up the area. Hopefully I can clean up a lot of the blur by having Little Buddy be more stable when taking night pics with the tripod that has finally arrived from Nu Bear. I may still hold my breath though!
Now, if only Fly can remain still long enough to not be blurry - she likes to look around at everything and it messes up the exposure! My ever observant KBD.
Black and white: my favorite colors! But wow are black and white dogs challenging to photograph well: either their faces come out looking like dark holes in the universe and they have no eyes, or their white legs are completely clipped in the highlights. I accept the challenge, because if it were easy there wouldn't be any learning or growth.
Those eyes!
The monthly calendar photo contest theme in one of my KBD facebook groups is "black and white in landscape." With most of these "b&w photo challenges" people just take their regular photos, pop on a b&w filter, and call it good, but rarely do I think they're really decent images. There should be more to a really good black and white photo than just removing color, because without color, the shapes, the lines, the contrast of light and dark become more necessary to tell the photo's story. A good black and white photograph should take more consideration.
I'd like to improve my photography and take more deliberate photos; a little black and white challenge seems like a fun way to get going. First, I scrolled through the photos I happened to have on my computer and selected a few I thought would transition decently into b&w images. Here are the results:
This photo started out as a less than clear image to begin with: Fly is not in focus and the noise, or grain, in the photo is immense. I do like how the glacier's lines and cracks are pronounced and I think snowy mountain peaks always look great in b&w. But, without the color, you lose the cool effect of the location - you can't really tell that the foreground is ice and that Fly is walking on a glacier. Glaciers might not be the best b&w subjects.
This one isn't too bad. Again, those craggy, snow clad mountain peaks are looking sharp. However, I would have liked more contrast with the sky, so the clouds could be more prominent and add some drama. Also, I think the foreground Fly is standing on has too much texture going on and it takes away from the mountains. What I do love is the light falling across Fly's body and her shadow. More of that, please.
I saved what I think is the best for last. I loved this photo in color and I still really like it in b&w. Shapes play more of a role now that the color is gone: the slope of the mountainside, the bend of the bush from the weight of the thick snow, the angle of Fly's ice coated body, the log that connects the bank to the river and mirrors the mountain slope. It's all nicely composed. What we miss is the gloriously soft winter sunlight that is glowing through the trees across the river. How can I help that ah, shine, through?
I'll work on these points. Hopefully it will help me become a better, more thoughtful photographer. I'd like to take photos with a black and white outcome in mind, rather than just slapping a filter on any ol' photo.
Alaska Goldens Co water-resistant scarf that matches the glacial fed lake: code AKFLY15
Remi & Me Co ice-dyed bandana and matching tag are absolutely stunning: code FlyRex10
Rex's Jax & Moonie collar bark marks document all our epic adventures together: code Rex10
We now have 2,183 friends on Instagram. Thanks for liking and conversing with me on that platform - it's so nice to have Insta friends from all over the world!
We learned new tricks and earned Trick Dog Novice titles on both dogs. We're nearly ready to submit for the Intermediate and Advanced titles, Fly just needs to stop being silly and take it seriously while doing the videos! Also, we earned Canine Good Citizen, Canine Good Citizen Advanced, Canine Good Citizen Urban, and Farm Dog Certified titles - all of which demonstrate the KBDs ability to be well mannered and obedient in a variety of settings and situations.
So it began.
We made history with Fly finishing her Barn Hunt title of RATChX, or Rat Master Champion, the highest title possible: she is the first and only Karelian Bear Dog to earn the title. Also, we began the crazy fun sports of Rally, Lure Coursing, and Fast Coursing (think drag racing for dogs!). Rex is particularly excelling in these - stay tuned for more posts on these three sports this summer!
Here is the video of Rex's first ever Coursing Ability Test. I think he's got it!
We progressed in Search and Rescue and Fly is now certified in Wilderness Area Scent Specific Live Find and in Land Human Remains Detection. Rex continues working on urban trailing and human remains detection and is doing well. I hope both KBDs can certify in Avalanche this winter season.
Rex works an hour aged trail at -5F
We met up with the Dive Rescue team on several occasions and I learned how to drive a zodiac boat in 30mph winds (and waves) and support divers as they enter/exit the water.
So, what do we have planned for this 2021 year? More of the same!
More kickbiking, kicksledding, kayaking, dog sports, new hiking adventures and greater community service (remind me to tell you about our Therapy Dog certification!). I am also really, really hoping to enter into a dog show - Fly is ready to prance about and look beautiful in a doggy beauty pageant. Please, Canada, hurry up and lift your border restrictions.
Thank you for following and joining our crazy Karelian and Alaskan adventures. Let's enjoy 2021!
Rex is feeling pretty cool, now that his breeder made a poster for him.
Doesn't he look great?! My handsome boy.
The poster is in light of Da Villa Saloia's upcoming planned second breeding: Litter B.
I am so excited for Nadia, Leonardo, Cobra, and Sheldon and can't wait to see new little Rexy siblings. If you're ready for your own stunning KBD pup, send Da Villa Saloia a message: I highly recommend them. Tell Nadia I say hello!
