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The Dog Team Bios
Written by The Dog Team
Part of The Dog Team at the finish line, the Whiteface
Summit
Good Dog
Dacks Dog, Sea Dog, Cave Dog, Groove Dog, Adog
Iron Dog, Rad Dog, Lady Dog, Herb Dog
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Sea Dog-Ross Workhoven, Sea Kayaker
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Sea Dog and Cave Dog have been
friends ever since Sea Dog moved next door to Cave Dog when they were
both two years old in Coos Bay, Oregon. They were often found
mixed up in some shenanigans with the other neighbor kids.
Sometimes it seemed that they lived atop the
tall pine trees between their homes. In Junior High,
they shared many of the same classes. In addition, Sea
Dog was instrumental in helping Cave Dog in his many political
campaigns to come. By Junior year in high school, Sea Dog, Cave
Dog, and Good Dog began to pal around and the ties between the three
of them would be formed into a life long friendship.
After high school, Sea Dog went to College at Western
Oregon State for a year, and finished his Outdoor Education Degree at
Northland College in Wisconsin. Throughout his college years, Sea
Dog built upon his love for the wilderness. He took jobs as a
backcountry ranger in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, guided in the Oregon
Caves, and spent two months backpacking in Kenya with Good Dog.
However, it was in Wisconsin that Sea Dog found his true passion, sea
kayaking. Since that time he has been employed as a kayaking
guide in both Lake Superior and on the coast of Maine. Like Cave
Dog, Sea Dog is a constant wanderer, but he currently lives in Bar
Harbor, Maine. His love for the water has renewed his
appreciation for the outdoors.
During the Mighty Mountain Megamarathon(M4),
Sea Dog was the primary driver of Myrtle. He was also in charge
of all electronics and photography.
In the summer of 2001, Cave Dog lived with Sea Dog in
Bar
Harbor, Maine. Cave Dog joined Sea Dog guiding sea kayaking trips
for
a local outfitter. Bar Harbor is a mecca for sea kayaking and a
great
place to improve one's skills. It has become a regional base camp
for
Cave Dog and home for Sea Dog.
That fall, the two of them moved out to the Adirondacks
to scout out the High Peaks region for the upcoming challenge.
Sea Dog was Cave Dog's constant hiking companion and helped him
consume a
can of Spam at the culmination of every summit victory. Sea Dog
gained a great appreciation for the Adirondacks and has enjoyed coming
back.
During the challenge, Sea Dog was in charge of driving
support. He also did some hiking support.
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Adog-Richard Kelly, Retired Attorney
Base Dog-Joan Kelly, Nursing Consultant
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Adog and Base Dog live on Boulderwood
in Lake Placid where the base camp lean to is located. They are
hiking the 46 High Peaks completing Allen, their 30th, the week before
the challenge.
Base Dog is a nursing consultant and Adog, an attorney; and they are
semiretired. They have spent all seasons these
past four years on the mountains and waters of the Adirondacks when
not volunteering, gardening, playing tennis, partying, or traveling
to visit one of their three children in New England, or going back to
Long Island, to Canada, to Florida, or just about anywhere else.
Adog and Base Dog's home has been base camp for both the training and
challenge. During the challenge they helped at
base camp and with hiking support.
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Dacks Dog-Erica Loher, Graduate Student
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Dacks Dog grew up in Valatie, NY, and
has been coming up to hike in the Adirondacks with her family since a
very young age. She has been hiking the Adirondacks High Peaks
with her dad. They are now on their 44th high peak. For the
last three years, she has been living in Wilmington.
She met Sea Dog while they were both working at the Oregon Caves
National Monument in 1993. After meeting Dacks Dog and her
husband, Brute Dog, Sea Dog decided to join them in attending Northland
College. Dacks Dog received her
Bachelors of Arts in outdoor education at Northland College in
1995. While at Northland, she did a variety of outdoor education
programs, such as, teaching fifth graders in the Apostle Islands
National Seashore and she studied at the Audubon Center of the North
Woods.
Since college, Dacks Dog taught outdoor education programs for Frost
Valley YMCA in the Catskills between 1996-1999. After which, she
guided skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing, and camping trips for the
Adirondacks Mountain Club in 1999-2001. She is currently studying
for a Masters in Elementary Education at Plattsburgh State.
Dacks Dog met Cave Dog at the end of the M 4 in Boulder,
Colorado. When Sea Dog and
Cave Dog came to scout out the Adirondacks High Peaks in the
fall of 2001, Dacks Dog and Brute Dog helped them out with routes and
gave them a place to crash in the northern part of the high peaks area.
During the challenge, Dacks Dog helped out with the hiking support.
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Brute Dog-Colin Loher, Rock Climbing Guide, Ski Patrolman
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Brute Dog grew up in Philadelphia.
He went to Northland College where he met Dacks Dog. The
two of them spent the a summer at the Oregon Caves National Monument
where they met Sea Dog and enticed him to join them at Northland.
After College, Brute Dog and Dacks Dog married in Frost Valley
where they were working at the YMCA. Brute Dog lead and
coordinated elder hostel bicycle trips. In 1999, they moved to
the Wilmington area and began working at the High Peaks Cyclery in Lake
Placid. In 2000, Brute Dog joined the Whiteface Ski Patrol and in
2001 he became a Rock Climbing Guide
for Rock and River in Keene.
Rock Climbing has been a passion for Brute Dog. Devil's Tower,
Yosemite, Red Rocks, Joshua Tree, New River Gorge, and The
Gunks are just a few of the places he has climbed. He enjoys
the adventure and the freedom of the rock.
Brute Dog met Cave Dog at the end of the M4 in Boulder,
Colorado. In the Autumn of 2001, Sea Dog and Cave Dog moved up to
the Adirondacks to scout out the high peaks for a
possible challenge. Brute and Dacks Dogs gave them a place to
stay in the Northern High Peaks Region. They also showed them
the area and exposed them to some of the Adirondack traditions.
In
addition, Brute Dog introduced Sea Dog and Cave Dog some great
Adirondacks rock climbing.
During the challenge, Brute Dog was in charge of the numerous barbecues.
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Roque Dog-Bill LaRoque, Accountant |
Roque Dog lives in Tupper Lake.
He loves hiking in the Adirondacks. This passion has
brought him to nearly completed three rounds of the Adirondacks 46.
Cave Dog's routefinding and overall course decisions were greatly
enhanced by Roque Dog. In fact, Cave Dog's first round of 46 was
completely determined by Roque Dog. In addition, they met in the autumn
and
did some hiking in the Sewards together.
During the challenge, Roque Dog helped with some of
the more difficult routefinding locations.
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Lady Dog-Tanya Dix, Graduate Student
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Lady Dog did not grow up in any
particular place. She has lived in Utah, Queensland, Australia,
Greeley, Colorado, and a short time in Oviedo, Spain. In 1991,
she moved to Myrtle Creek, Oregon. After graduating from South
Umpqua High School in Myrtle Creek, she went to Willamette University
where she earned a degree in Philosophy. It was at Willamette
University that she met Good Dog, a very close friend of Cave
Dog. In 1997, Lady Dog and Good Dog got married. In the
fall of 1997, they moved to Philadelphia where Lady Dog did
postgraduate studies in Classics at the University of
Pennsylvania. They currently live in Eugene, Oregon. She is
currently finishing her masters degree in Education from University of
Oregon. She has plans to teach high school English.
In the intervening years, Cave Dog has gotten to know
Lady Dog not just through Good Dog but as friends in their own
right. Good Dog and Lady Dog have always extended an open home to
Cave Dog in his frequent visits to Oregon and they have done many
interesting excursions together.
In 2000, Lady Dog joined The Dog Team in their record
breaking challenge of the M4. She was in charge of the
website design and updates. She was also the primary driver of
the backup four wheel drive vehicle. In addition, she helped
Scurv E. Dawg with making sure that nothing was amiss with Cave Dog's
pack.
During the M 3, she was the base camp manager and
spokesperson for the media. She organized the support
teams and kept track of the overall project. She kept particular
care to make sure everyone had plenty of food and drinks.
Everyone
has Lady Dog to thank for working hard to keep the website updated as
soon as information came out from the field.
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Good Dog-Jason Goodson, Middle School Teacher
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As Good Dog grew up he always had a
fascination with the outdoors and working with people. His
interests resulted in the maturation of a young man who liked to go
backpacking all around the western portions of the United States.
During middle school, high school, and college, Good Dog discovered two
of his best friends. Those two people are Cave Dog and Sea
Dog. When called, Good
Dog perked up his ears, and leapt at the opportunity to support Cave
Dog in his efforts to break the Adirondacks record of climbing the 46
peaks over 4,000 feet.
Good Dog continues to appreciate the outdoors and currently lives in,
and teaches near Eugene, Oregon. Subjects such as U.S. history, and
Computer Science are the disciplines that Good Dog offers for his
middle school students to investigate. Curious inquiry into these
topics has created a web of knowledge and personal understanding for
each student. When educating our youth, or thinking about life,
Good Dog tries to remember that one should never stop learning and
wondering about the world that surrounds each and every one of
us.
During the challenge, Good Dog was the navigator for the driving
support. He also was Cave Dog's massage therapist during and
after the event.
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Groove Dog-Mike Guerette, Vagabond
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Groove Dog is a Maine native and met
Cave Dog, as well as other members of The Dog Team during a rare summer
spent in Maine. The place was Bar Harbor; the draw was guiding
sea kayaking trips. While working for the same operation in 2001,
Groove Dog and Cave Dog found a shared enthusiasm for the outdoors,
and enjoyed swapping stories of past experiences while becoming friends
and temporary housemates. Much like Cave Dog, Groove Dog has
enjoyed an adventurous vagrant lifestyle. Some of the highlights
being: end to end hikes of the Appalachian Trail; Vermont's Long Trail;
the
Continental Divide Trail; and most recently, Ontario's Bruce Trail
along
the Niagara Escarpment. After the latest hike, Groove Dog buzzed
right over to the Adirondacks to be a happy part of The Dog Team.
During the challenge, Groove Dog helped out with some of
the more remote hiking support locations. He also cooked up
some of the best backcountry meals during the event.
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Dingo Dog-Jeff Wagener
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In 1990, at the age of 21 and 53,
Dingo Dog and his dad, Jerry Wagener, set the record for the youngest
and oldest highpointers, reaching the highest point in every state.
In 1993, he set the record for the Mighty Mountain Megamarathon,
to climb all of the Colorado 14ers in the least amount of time.
In addition, Dingo dog is an Adirondacks 46er.
During the challenge, Dingo Dog helped out with some of the harder
hiking support areas. He helped base camp figure out the best
support locations and times.
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Iron Dog-Vivian Beer, Blacksmith
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Iron Dog grew up in Ellsworth, Maine,
where she enjoyed hiking and camping in the Maine Woods at a young age.
One of her preferred retreats was to Baxter State Park. In
2000, she graduated from the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine,
with a degree in sculpture. She is currently working as a
blacksmith in Florida, New York. Next year she will
be attending Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Iron Dog met Cave Dog while they were both guiding sea kayaking tours
in Bar Harbor, ME, in 2001. They used to jog together on the
carriage roads of Mount Desert Island before their paddles. Sea
kayaking continues to be a favorite pastime for both of them.
During the challenge, Iron Dog helped out with the hiking support and
provided the support vehicle.
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Gold Dog-Bill Stowe, Retired Rowing Coach
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In 1977, Gold Dog summitted
Washington's Mt. Rainier the first time he ever put on a
backpack. Since then he has led groups of Coast Guard Academy
oarsmen up Mt. Washington, Katahdin, Marcy, and others in New England
as a part of the program he coached. He has also summitted
Kilimanjaro. But
this unashamed selfconfessed peak bagger's greatest pride was becoming
Adirondack 46'er number 4131. Gold Dog lives in Lake Placid and
the Adirondack High Peaks are his beloved mountains.
Perhaps Gold Dog's greatest athletic achievement was stroking the
American Eight Man shell to a gold medal victory in the 1964 Olympic
Games in Tokyo. Gaining rowing experience at Kent School and
Cornell University, Gold Dog joined Philadelphia's Vesper Boat Club
after a 1963 Navy tour running the Officer's club in Saigon, Viet
Nam. The Vesper Club went on to upset the nation's college crew
to become the last American boat to win the Olympics. Gold Dog is
currently finishing the book All Together about this experience.
Gold Dog met Cave Dog last autumn during their scouting of the peaks.
During the challenge, Gold Dog helping out with the hiking support and
the media.
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Slo Dog-Terry Finnan, Retired
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Slo Dog climbed his first Adirondack
High Peak in August of 1948. His childhood was spent partly in
the
mountains and partly at the ocean. After graduating from New York
Unniversity in 1965, he went into business and devoted his leisure life
to mountains, ocean sailing, skiing, and cycling.
Slo Dog climbed in the west and Europe and sailed in the Mediterranean,
Caribbean, and the East Coast from Maine to Key West. Not finding
the answer to the question of whether life is a beach or a mountain,
he returned to the Adirondacks. He hopes to finish his Adirondack
High Peak climbs this year, 54 years after his first peak. Slo
Dog
continues sailing on Lake Champlain, cycling, and skiing and
snowshoeing
in the mountains in the winter.
During the challenge, Slow Dog helped out with the hiking
and driving support.
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Ski Dog-Vikki Finnan, Student
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Ski Dog was on the summit of Mt. Marcy
in the winter before her first birthday. (On dad's back in a
child carrier.) This marked the beginning of her love for crosscountry
skiing, enthusiasm for adventure, and appreciation of nature. She
is an avid crosscountry ski racer, earning several gold medals at the
Empire State games in the high school category as a freshman.
Skiing is augmented with hiking and mountain bike riding.
She is also a devotee of karate, presently at the rank of brown
belt with the prospect of earning her black belt by the summer.
Ski Dog is an honor student at Keene Central School and is fortunate to
live year round in the beautiful Adirondacks.
During the challenge, Ski Dog helped out with the hiking support.
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Herb Dog-Brendan Kelly, Herbalist
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Herb Dog is a professional herbalist,
wildcrafter, organic grower of medicinal and edible plants, herbal
medicine maker, and teacher. He is also pursuing a Masters in
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. He spends much of his
time outside, studying Nature and its Seasons, as well as the wild
medicinal plants of New England.
Herb Dog happily offered some herbal help to Cave Dog
and others on the team during and after the adventure for there bumps
and bruises. He also helped out with the hiking support.
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Rad Dog-P.J. Keizer, Radiologist
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Rad Dog is Cave Dog's older
brother. They come from a close family of five kids based in Coos
Bay, Oregon. Day hikes, skiing, and travel are some of the
favorite pastimes for the Keizer household. Their parents gave
them an appreciation for the exploration of different regions and
cultures at an early age. In addition, when Sea Dog was a small
boy, Rad Dog taught him how to swim.
After graduating from Marshfield High School in Coos
Bay, Oregon, in 1979, Rad Dog went on to earn a BS degree from Notre
Dame, in 1983. He continued his education with a Masters in
Radiation Health at Oregon State in 1986. After working for
several
years in safety programs at nuclear plants, Rad Dog received his
doctorate
in medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine, in 1994. He
did his residency training in radiology at UMKC, finishing in 1998.
Cave
Dog joined up with Rad Dog in Kansas City in order to get some high
volume inner city EMT experience at MAST ambulance service.
Currently, Rad Dog is a radiologist at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay,
Oregon.
Like Sea Dog and Lady Dog, Rad Dog is a veteran from the
14ers Dog Team. Rad Dog was in charge of all medical needs.
He was also the primary driver of the Kennel. Rad
Dog put the chaotic financial accounting to some order.
In addition, he took charge of vehicle maintenance of the four
vehicles and the videography.
During the Marshall Mountain Madness Ultramarathon(M3
), Rad Dog was in charge of all medical needs and videography and also
help out with the hiking support.
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Cave Dog-Ted E. Keizer, Bum
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Cave Dog grew up in Coos Bay,
Oregon. He graduated from Brown University in 1994 with
degrees in Geology Biology and Political Science. While at Brown,
he was elected Student Body President. He was also voted by his
class to lead their graduation procession. After college, Cave
Dog was tracked for a
life in politics when he decided that he needed to experience life
before he could write and vote on laws. So, he set out to do his
own study of society, people, and nature. Since that time he has
visited all of the states, all but two of
them multiple times. He has lived and worked in fourteen
states, Indian country, the inner city, and the woods. Hot
air balloon pilot, hotel accountant, steel construction, shoveling
snow off roofs, enumerator, moving man, high school teacher, and
ambulance
driver are just a few of the means of employment he has tried.
His only restriction is that he never does the same job twice.
Being an outdoor enthusiast from an early age, he has visited 145
National Park sites and hiked and climbed in 38 states.
In addition, he did a 31 day solo in Glacier Park, Montana, under
winter conditions. Cave Dog also broke the Mighty Mountain
Megamarathon(M 4) by climbing all of the Colorado 14ers in
10 days, 20 hours, and
26 minutes. He loves all forms of hiking from the peaks to the
canyons, from the swamps to the desert, from the woods to the
tundra.
Most of all he loves the wildlife and the wildflowers.
During the Adirondack challenge, Cave Dog climbed, and
that is all.
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The Dog Pound
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The Dog House, Support Vehicle
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During the challenge, there were some
situations where Cave Dog needed to be driven from one mountain group
to
another. Iron Dog's pickup was outfitted with a mattress and lots
of supplies for this transport.
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