Photos: Sled dog team enjoys fresh snow
For Richie Camden and his sled dog team, the Breakaway Siberians, the recent weather has been a wonderful treat.
The team spend most of the year training on dry land with a special cart, but they make the most out of snow whenever it blankets the St. Louis region- getting out the real sled and breaking trail through the fresh powder. Camden and his dog team suited up and ran out of the Weldon Springs trailhead on the Katy Trail on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021.Â
"These past two weeks have been amazing for us," said Camden. "The dogs love the snow and they love this cold weather, and I've honestly spent more time outside this winter than I did all last summer."
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden gets his nine-dog sled team into their harnesses before a training run on the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden's sled dog team break trail through the snow on the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Sled dogs Juneau, front left, and Teemu, front right, break the trail through the snow for the rest of Richie Camden's during a training run on the Katy Trail near Defiance Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Snow flakes stick to the face of Richie Camden's sled dog Jeneau as she waits for the rest of the team to get ready to go. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Watch now: Ecstatic sled dogs take to the snow
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden harnesses Spezza, one of the sled dogs on his team. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Booties used to protect the dogs paws from the snow lay on the ground, waiting to be put on. Some dogs need certain sizes of booties, while others don't need them at all. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden gets a booty on the paw of one of his sled dog team. The booties protect their paws from the cold snow, and come in multiple sizes, denoted by color. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden lays out the line to attach his dog's harnesses, preparing to get his nine-dog team ready to go on a training run on untouched snow of the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Breaking the snow is hard work, but good training, for the dogs. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden's boots pack down several inches of fresh snow as he gets his sled dog team ready for a training run. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden's dogs Marleau, top, and Kaiya poke their heads out, ready to be harnessed and get out to the fresh snow on the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Sled dogs Juneau, left, and Teemu hop out of Richie Camden's van, in their harnesses and ready to be attached to the line. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden gets his nine-dog sled team into their harnesses before a training run on the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden hooks a dog up to the sled while his two lead dogs, Juneau, left, and Teemu, howl in delight at the Weldon Spring Trailhead to the Katy Trail on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Sled dogs Juneau, left, and Teemu howl for joy as they wait to take off as Richie Camden hooks up their teammates at the Weldon Spring Trailhead to the Katy Trail on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Sled dogs Teemu, left, and Juneau burrow their heads into the snow as Richie Camden works to get their harnesses onto the line. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden's sled dogs Juneau, left, and Teemu bark in excitement as the team is assembled behind them. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden watches his team break trail on the fresh snow of Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. While the snow causes problems for most, it provides a special opportunity for Camden to get his team behind a sled rather than a wheeled cart for training. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
A dog throws snow up as it runs, pulling the sled behind. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden pets his dog, Marleau, after getting the harnesses on several more dogs. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden's sled dog team brings his sled through the fence as the Katy Trail crosses a road near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden steps off his sled to lift it slightly as the team crosses a road on the Katy Trail near Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. When there isn't enough snow to sled, the team train with a wheeled cart. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
Snow treat for sled dog team
Richie Camden and his team head down the Katy Trail outside of Defiance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The past few weeks of snow have been a special treat for the team which runs "dry-land" training when the ground isn't covered. Photo by Sara Diggins, sdiggins@post-dispatch.com
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