Unless treated quickly, the outbreak would soon spread among the population, likely resulting in the death of many. Unfortunately, the nearest town with a serum was Anchorage, nearly 1, miles away. The closest medical teams could ship serum was to the Nenana train station, still miles from Nome.
After some deliberation, the town decided to use a relay of dog sledding teams. The last team was led by musher Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog, Balto. A blizzard struck on this final leg of the trek, making it nearly impossible for the musher to navigate and sending the temperature plummeting to degrees Fahrenheit.
Balto knew the trail by scent, so well that he managed to guide the team the remaining 53 miles back to Nome over a grueling hour journey.
The diphtheria outbreak was narrowly averted due to the efforts of these brave dogs and men. Young puppies spend their early days becoming socialized with their handlers; learning about group dynamics, recall, and being handled. A lot. By the time puppies are ready for an endurance race or freight run as part of a dog sledding team, they have often covered 2, to 3, miles in the course of training. During the Klondike Gold Rush of , 20, to 30, prospectors flooded the Yukon territory of Canada after gold was discovered in a tributary of the Klondike River.
Miners trekked the arduous landscape between Skagway and the Yukon, over treacherous Chilkoot Pass, in the hopes of striking it rich. Heavy freight dogs, pulling equally-heavy sledges full of the required supplies, helped miners make the long journey to an uncertain future. Paws are protected by thick pads, and a fluffy tail allows for a nose cover while the dog is curled up in a ball when sleeping out in the elements. The breeds most often used in dog sledding teams are Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes.
These breeds are highly intelligent and easily trained, making them perfectly suited to their role. It takes a smart dog to be able to follow verbal commands in the often confusing environments of a long distance trek.
A sled dog's speed depends on a variety of factors, including weather, the planned travel distance and the condition of the trail. For shorter distances, sled dogs may average 10 to 14 miles per hour during the course of a day of mushing. If conditions are poor, such as extreme cold or fresh snow, the dogs' speed can drop to 6 or 7 miles per hour. In a sprint race that takes a day or two, sled dogs may reach up to 15 miles per hour. The size of the sledding team makes a difference; however, the team will travel only as fast as its slowest member.
As well, the amount of weight the team is pulling will affect its overall speed. Some racers average 10 to 12 miles per hour at the start of a race and maintain a speed of 8 to 10 miles per hour. Some racers average 10 to 12 miles per hour at the start of a race and maintain a speed of 8 to 10 miles per hour. Despite the heavy load they carry, sled dogs don't tend to be particularly large.
They may weigh as little as 35 pounds and more than 70 pounds, though generally they range between 45 and 60 pounds. A sled team strives to have dogs of similar size and gait, so they can maintain the same speed as a team and move in a consistent, efficient fashion. In addition to the Siberian husky, the Alaskan malamute and Canadian and American Intuit dogs are popular breeds for sled dog duty.
Most sled dogs are mixed-breed dogs , referred to as Alaskan huskies. Even for a born musher, pulling sleds up to miles in a day is hard work.
0コメント