Stay updated with breaking news from We live up here. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
5:05 Members of the Langlade County sled dog club meet on most Saturdays with dozens of yelping, tail-wagging dogs. They are practicing for competitive dog sled sprint races at the Crooker Hills sled dog trails, east of Antigo. For 4 to 12 miles, the dogs run as fast as they can. And these dogs can run fast. Club President, Jamie Perry, got hooked on the sport when she was just 14 and by the time she graduated from high school she had 21 sled dogs. Today she runs a kennel and travels each weekend to practice or race with her 12-year-old daughter, who also races. Perry’s kennel is unique in that they do race with Siberian Huskies. Perry explains that today’s sport is dominated by other breeds. ....
5:16 I hiked along with Ford and her dog, Diggins, for a time on a -14 degree bone-chilling but sunny morning on the Summit Moraine Segment just north of Antigo. On this stretch of the trail through Langlade County, Ford has rarely seen anyone, so she seemed happy for the company. Not so much for Diggins who stopped and faced me several times. Ford, while urging Diggins on, told me with a giggle that Diggins had become protective during the journey. Emily Ford and Diggins Credit Image Courtesy of Emily Ford “She does a great job. She hangs out in front of me and she is tethered to me as we walk. We have become great friends.” ....