Polson student preparing for Junior Iditarod

Charmayne Morrison is not a typical 16-year-old.

She has taken extra courses to graduate a year early.

During the summer she works two full time jobs, while during the school year, she handles a part time position in addition to her course load.

In her “free time,” Morrison takes care of her 20 dogs.

Those dogs are her team that she’ll take to the Junior Iditarod race in Alaska in February.

The competition is a 150-mile race for teens 14 to 18 years old.

In order to run the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race, Morrison said she will have to place in the junior race.

“The whole project started as a school project and expanded from there,” she began, noting that the process began four years ago.

She got two retired mush dogs, then a few more, she said, and has built her team from there.

The dogs are Alaskan huskies, what Morrison calls “a mixed-breed of Siberian husky lines and some hounds and pointers.”

Her family raises horses, but still support her decision with her pups.

“I cover everything financially. They’re my responsibility,” she said.

Morrison has bred 15 of the dogs, which she had hand picked, and as a result, she said that the bond between her and the puppies is closer because as they grow up, they know what she expects of them.

“I think that definitely helps with our connection, our training.”

In the fall, Morrison said that the dogs start training with “short, easy, fun runs” that get them excited to start building their endurance.

The teams pull all-terrain vehicles, which Morrison said builds up the dogs’ muscles and tendons.

The training is done gradually because during the summer, the dogs tend to not be as active.

Once there is enough snow for sleds, about 8 to 10 inches, longer runs are incorporated into training, Morrison said.

For the Junior Iditarod, a team of 10 dogs will be used. Until then, she said that the training pool is large enough that as the weeks progress, she’ll be able to select the dogs best suited for the challenge.

Each dog gets rotated in various positions within the team, allowing Morrison to figure out the best placement for each.

During a season, Morrison said that the team can go through as many as 800 dog booties, which protect the dogs’ feet from ice and snow.

The booties are within the $1 range, but they are still needed.

To help with the costs associated with making the 5,000-mile drive to Alaska, as well as equipment, a spaghetti dinner will be held from 6-9 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Elk’s Club, 512 Main St., Polson.

Adult dinners will cost $8, children under 12 will cost $5 and children under 5 will eat for free.

There will be a silent auction and a dog-sledding presentation where Morrison will answer questions about her experiences.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/MorrisonRacingKennel/