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Mom and Missy sold out of Blue on Black Kennels tee shirts, and still had some people who wanted one. So they got some more made. If you'd like one, contact my mom (Gwen Rodman) at grod3608@aol.com. They are really nice looking and only $15. Proceeds go to support our next race!
Finally, I got it done. All the details of Iditarod 2009 for anyone who is interested. I think it is kind of boring - first we went here, then we went here... But if you really want to know what our race was like, go ahead. Spend an afternoon reading all 30 pages of it. Click on the "Stories" link to your left, then scroll down to Iditarod 2009.
I wrote this up for the Mammut Blog, so I might as well pass it on here, too. A little appetizer, main course coming some day.
The dogs and I are home from Iditarod and I'm still trying to put everything in perspective. We traveled over 1,000 miles in 12 days, across the most impressive terrain that Alaska can offer, and encountered just about every kind of winter weather imaginable. I'm trying to pick out a couple of highlights because the entire trip could fill a book.
The dogs were truly incredible, wonderful, and beautiful. I will never
understand why they have such a joy and passion for running mile after mile, but
they do and I am glad to go with them as a partner. Overall, we had a blast. It
is not supposed to be easy or fun, but I have to say it was for us. Not to say
there weren't challenges. This was supposed to be the toughest years in decades.
Maybe I'm crazier than the average musher (that's saying a lot!) but I still had
a great time even in the teeth of the storm. So, highlights; Most fun: Running down through Rainy Pass and Dalzell Gorge. It was kind of scary because this is supposed to be a sled-eating nightmare and I was running in the dark with a little cloud-covered moonlight to spook things up. But the trail was beautiful and the dogs were nuts - just cranking along. Whenever the dogs were happy, I was having fun. We ripped through this section and roared into Rohn checkpoint where some of the other mushers started calling the dogs my "freight train".
Toughest: The weather this year was pretty extreme, and I got caught on the Yukon River when the big storm came up. 130 miles with no discernable trail, deep drifts, a ground blizzard that kept visibility minimal, and a head wind that was blowing dogs around. Did I mention it was pretty cold, too? You were fine as long as you kept moving, but you did not want to shut down out on the river where there was no protection from the wind. Some teams that quit in this weather were in a pretty dire situation and at least one had to be rescued. I was pretty worried, but my leaders are just spectacular and not one of the dogs ever looked like they would quit. We came through in great shape, which actually makes this also one of the best parts of the race.
Most beautiful: Gliding down off Little McKinley mile after mile with swooping flights of ptarmigan flitting across the trail in front of us. The hills and bushes were all white, the birds were white, the lighted sky was pale blue/white. The birds looked like white penguins swimming through the sky. Very surreal.
Lowest moment: Crossing the frozen sea ice between Shaktoolik and Koyuk. The dogs were not very excited about trudging hour after hour across a frozen white plain with no landmarks and not even a real horizon. All I could think was that we would get to Nome after the banquet and no one would be there - I was really upset to think I would miss the party. That doesn't count as much of a 'bad moment'!
Best hallucination: OK, when your physical exertion is at a peak for over 12 days and you are getting 2-3 hours of sleep per day, plus severe weather, limited hydration and often poor nutrition, hallucinations are pretty common. I really only had one vision, and it was less than a second, but it made an impression. I was dozing (yes I can sleep on my feet, and even drive the sled through tight trees pretty well while only semi-conscious). I blinked my eyes open and instead of seeing 12 dogs, there were 12 aliens with glowing eyes and open mouths all staring at me. I woke up pretty fast. Funny how the reflective tape on the dogs insulated jackets looked just like scary, creepy eyes. Not so funny at the time, though. I just about had a coronary.
We finished in 40th place, not bad for a rookie. Maybe the best part of the entire race was that so many of the world's best mushers were impressed with my dogs and assured me that we could be competitive. These guys sought me out to tell me I had a real team, and they don’t BS when it comes to dogs. So now we are trying to wrap our heads around racing next year - just need a spare $30,000 and the time and energy to train while working full time.
We're all home and rested and even back to work already. I owe you all some trail stories and pictures. It is going to take me some time to put it all together, but it is coming! The quick version is - we had a blast! It was a most incredible trip, almost
perfect. The weather was insane! The dogs were beautiful. The trail was awe
inspiring. I'll get those pix and stories in a few weeks once my head starts
working again.
Irene again. Well, the good news is, the team is home. Our friend Andy helped me bring them back from the airport on Sunday, and they seemed very glad to be home. Certainly the puppies were exhilarated by their entrance! I was astounded when I checked them over for sore wrists, splits in their feet, and harness rubs- they looked great! A split here, a rub there, and they've lost a lot of weight, but other than that, it's like they never left. Karin must have taken awesome care of them out of the trail. The bad news is, Karin and Varan are still in Nome. When Mt Redoubt erupted, the ash cloud caused some headaches for air traffic, and since that's the only way in and out of Nome (other than by dogsled)... Yeah. They hope to get out tomorrow morning, and then Karin can resume the updates! Knock on wood, please.
Well, we can all breathe again! Karin arrived in Nome this morning around 8:30! She took 40th place, third among the rookies, and she finished with twelve healthy dogs! Chase and Angel were in lead, crossing the finish line. When she arrived, she surmised that she could have gone at least 48 hours longer! As I post this, she is most likely either still sleeping, or enjoying the fruits of celebrity in the pubs of Nome- either way, she's earned it! Deja came home a few days ago, but other than being rather skinny and having some splits in her front paws, she's fine. Today I took some time with her to massage the major muscles of her back, hips, shoulders and legs. This is the kind of vet care to which few dogs object! The rest of the team will fly home tomorrow, and I'll see Varan and Karin the day after that. I would encourage anyone with the opportunity to buy our Blue On Black musher a drink!
Karin came through the blizzard just fine, so thank you to everyone else who was worrying for her and the team! She did drop off Scooby, most likely because of his history with frostbite. With the temperatures dropping, she wouldn't want to risk further damage to such a great dog. So Scooby is home now, running free in a pen, and we're very grateful to him for seeing Karin safely through the blizzard to Eagle Island. You can bet that his good sense and determination had a role in that journey!
Karin's good sense and determination has taken her through Unalakleet by now, and she's nearing Shaktoolik. In the last video clip we saw, she was running Angel and WSU in lead, and the team was looking good, all curled up in their straw.
Handler reporting again: as some of you may have noticed, Karin dropped a second dog the other day. We've just gotten her back, and it turns out to be Cerveza, Karin dropped her because of some pain in her shoulder. The vet apparently said that she would probably have been fine going on, but Karin didn't want to risk it. Cerveza spent the night inside, and we can't see any signs of a limp anymore. She has the run of the vacated puppy pen, to work out any discomfort that might be lingering. Here at home, we've started harness-breaking the pups, which has proved to be an amazing experience. Chisel, Razor, Hatchet and Cutter are older than most pups would be at harness-breaking, and they've taken to it like ducks to water. They just put their heads down and ran! Varan was using the brake going uphill, which is unheard of, and none of the pups had any trouble with the speed. The run was short- maybe two miles- even though no one was having any problems. We want their first run especially to be a good experience. Varan took some pictures: that's Luna and Maggot being silly in front, and Barley's stripey butt in the back, aand you can see that with the exception of Hatchet invading Razor's space, they're all acting like complete pros!
Back in Shageluk, Karin was still having a great time, going strong. She passed straight through Anvik and entered Grayling around 10:30 last night. Today we're worried for her: a blizzard is sweeping over the river, and she just left Grayling in a group of twenty teams, for safety's sake. So any of you who offered to pray for her, now would be the moment!
Well, Karin got into Takotna around 4pm yesterday, and declared her 24-hr rest. Today she left Takotna right on time, around quarter after five (which takes into account the time added to 24 hours for her starting time). She's doing really well, especially for a rookie! Our sources say that she's still having a great experience! Her stated priorities are to keep the dogs healthy and to keep the race fun. Her final placement is not important to her. On the home front, the dogs left behind are fine, and Luna is none the worse for a few checkpoint-worth's ware!
Irene reporting again! Karin so far seems to be doing great out there on the trail! She's very close to Nikolai now, and has only dropped one dog. Luna is back home now, eating dinner and wearing a little orange kerchief. Karin chose to leave her behind because Luna is in heat, and apparently is proving a bit too alluring for the nine boys on the team. Pilot Bruce Moroney was able to see Karin for several hours in Rohn, and he tells us that she's in good spirits, and the dogs are having the time of their lives! He also provided us with a picture of Karin in Rohn with Ray Redington.
This is Karin's handler, Irene. We got up early yesterdy, boxed up the dogs, and took them down to Willow for the real start of the race. For me, it was much more familiar territory than the Anchorage start was, just because it was more like any other race, only multiplied by two or three. No last minute changes were made to the team line-up, but we brought Azure and Sable along just in case. The dogs were keyed up from the moment we arrived- they know what a race start looks like, even if some of them don't know the difference between Iditarod and any other race! So it must have been a little anti-climactic for them to wait around for a while. But some of them were just thrilled by the visitors we got! WSU and Fly especially are our little social butterflies- they love to meet new people! We had a great team of handlers from among Karin's friends come out to help us with the start! Everyone had experience either helping Karin out, or taking the official Iditarod handler's class, and as we found out on Saturday, they're also great at following Karin's directions. It was a load off my mind to know that qualified people would be keeping certain canine miscreants in line (for example, Deja and Voodoo like to spin themselves immobile, Aberdeen will chew lines, and Angel has a complex about keeping her booties on!) As for Karin herself, she said she was feeling pretty mellow that morning- more like she would be taking a little weekend camping trip than anything else. She decided to keep thinking that way and thus preserve her peace of mind! As I mentioned earlier, there was a lot of waiting around, but once things started moving they really moved! We got the team harnessed and bootied, then hooked them onto the line, and Karin's mentor Diana gave us the signal to start moving towards the start line. It was a very well organized route- stop/go signs and everything (I felt like a country girl in a big city!), and thanks to our handler team, we never went any faster than a walk. I didn't have to worry about anything but guiding our leaders, Angel and Scooby (naturally). Everyone was pulling much harder than they had in Anchorage! Unfortunately, once the team got moving, that was the last I got to see of the musher herself!
We made it safely to the start line, everyone removed their leashes, and Varan and I checked for trouble spots, but the dogs were in perfect order (thanks again, handlers!), and right on time the team sprang forward and #29 Karin Hendrickson took off for her first Iditarod! We were left to fret about the team and to wonder "What now?" Varan has been keeping a hawk's eye on the race's progress, and so far Karin is looking very strong. She left Finger Lake, the second checkpoint, around 10:30 still running all sixteen dogs. We'll try to post any more details and/or photos as we receive them.
One last quick update before I hit the trail. The Anchorage ceremonial start was this morning. Tomorrow I will take off for Nome. Dogs on the team will be: Scooby, Skeeter, Chase, Shotgun, Flip, Fly, Trouble, Voodoo, Aberdeen, Angel, Alis, Mercedes, Luna, Cerveza, WSU, Deja. Photos by Martha Ethridge
Last weekend we took the dogs on one last camping trip. We needed to run long both days, and it gets very boring doing the same old trails at home. On Ryan Redington's suggestion, we went from Knik Lake, up the Iditarod trail, and then cut over to the Willow Area on the Klondike 300 trail. From Willow (Deshka Landing) we dropped down onto the river system. After running for 7 hours we set hooks and camped for 5 hours before returning back to the truck about 8 a.m. the next day.
It was a pretty warm run with pretty small teams (9 each), but I was still a little surprised by how slowly we traveled. I expected the run back to go more quickly, with lighter sleds (we used up food and straw when we camped), but it took just about as long. The good news is the dogs were very strong and steady. Even if we are slow there is no question about going and going and going – they seem to hate to stop.
Dog health is a primary concern in the last weeks before Iditarod. We have some good news and some maybe not so great news on the dog front. Here is a run down of each dog in the lot:
We need 16 dogs to start the race. We basically have 18 dogs to choose from, but 5 of those dogs are a little iffy for some reason or another (Skeeter, Azure, Deja, Sable, Shotgun). One great thing about the Iditarod is great access to veterinarians - I can take a dog that I might have concerns about, and get regular vet input about whether that dog should continue or go home.
Food drop is over! Good, because it was exhausting. We shipped out 2,000 pounds of gear and equipment to the various checkpoints on the trail. It is a logistical challenge to figure out what needs to go where. Tomorrow is EKGs and bloodwork for the dogs. Then just keep 'em happy and healthy and running to stay in shape.
Here are some pictures:
The start of Don Bowers race (legend Dan Seavey is holding my sled) and bootying before the last 100 miles - I'm tired but feeling good
Food drop preparations at home and in the warehouse with all the other drop bags
Food drop is upon us! Next week we have to send out all the food, supplies, and equipment to checkpoints along the Iditarod trail. It is an incredible logistics problem (see December 8 post). It's also staggeringly expensive. Here's a breakdown of where the money has gone so far (as of end of January).
That's over $20,000, and it's not a complete list! Still to come - food for race (several thousand pounds), shipping for food for race, flights home from the finish in Nome (me, Varan, and dogs), and still more equipment and supplies.
Did I mention there are still some very nice dogs that need sponsors???
EDIT Feb 12 - completely left out the $4,000 entry fee!
Last weekend we completed the 300 mile Don Bowers Memorial Race. We learned a whole lot and the trail was really neat, so this is liable to be a long post. (And it's taken me a few days to get it written and posted).
Here are some thoughts I had out on the trail - I was really wondering about the team during this race.
Sunday, 3:30 p.m., about 90 miles to go. Geez these dogs look tired. We are really moving slowly - have been even from the start. At this speed it will take us, let's see, about 18 hours of running. Plus rest. Luckily I have extra food because we aren't going to finish until the middle of next week. Wow, this looks nothing like the team I had last year. We ran 100 miles of hills in the Tustamena without stopping, and they were still barking to go. I have really messed up their training. Even with the time off we've had, it shouldn't look this bad. I better figure it out soon, because I can't run Iditarod with dogs that can barely finish 300 miles. I was hoping things would pick up, but this looks really bad. We're barely jogging even going downhill.
Sunday, 6:00 p.m. Wow, we are finally moving well and the dogs are having fun. What happened? I know they like to run in the evening, but that didn't seem to do us any good the last couple of days. I wonder if they can get in shape while in the middle of a race? Well, this is great. No need to camp early, we'll push on. Maybe we can rest 2 hours instead of 4, since they'll get to rest as much as they want at the finish. They probably don't even need to stop - I am sure we could run all the way in with no problem. Geez, we are flying - this will make the tricky parts of the trail more fun!
=============== Since the dogs have run so little and the trails have been so poor, my goal was to get a series of back to back long runs on decent trails. I wasn't sure how the dogs would handle long miles after so much time off, but I thought I could always rest more and we would eventually finish. I broke the race into 6 different 50 mile runs, with a 4-8 hour rest between each run.
Most of the dogs are young and inexperienced. Because I was very careful to stick to my planned schedule, and I knew that they were capable of doing it, here is what they learned this race; We are going to run, and then we will rest. Then we will run again. But we will always stop to rest. I won't ask them to go too far, and I won't push them past what they can do. They might be tired, but they can do much more than they think they can. And I will stop them to rest before they got too tired.
I could almost see their thought processes as we continued down the trail and they got less and less enthusiastic. Then, as they learned how the longer race process works, they started knowing what to expect, cheered up, and speeded up. Next time I ask them to go just a little bit farther then they want to, I bet they do it willingly.
The dogs learned to trust me, but I also learned to trust what I know. I knew the dogs were low on miles, but completely able to run 50 miles at a time. When the dogs looked tired and I had to pick them up off the straw to put booties on, I really started to doubt my own estimation of their abilities. Even early in the race, when they should have still been full of it, they were really flat, and that made me worry. But I knew they needed to learn this lesson, so I stuck it out. What a relief when it all finally clicked and we took off down the trail! Even though I probably could have caught Wade and earned 3rd place if we hadn't stopped for that last rest, I thought it was more important to stick to the plan and make sure the dogs got the lesson and cemented their trust in my decisions.
================ The Trail We got some last minute snow and the trails turned out to be in really excellent shape, although they had to reroute in some places through some very tight and twisty woods and up and down some steep drops. The trail was safe and well marked, but it was truly challenging - the most technical trail I have ever run.
The trail started in Willow and ran about 105 miles over rivers, swamps, and ridges to Joe May's cabin in Trapper Creek. After an 8 hour mandatory rest, we then returned to Willow over the same trail to stop at Eagle Quest Lodge. After another mandatory rest, we turned around and went right back to Joe May's for the finish. So for each of the tricky sections, we got to run it 3 different times! Some spots got easier, as we knew what to expect. Others got more difficult as the snow scraped off and the trail packed down.
There were lots of long, steep climbs and descents – not technically difficult, but tiring. There are sort of 4 categories of hills;
We saw all kinds of hills on this race, and lots of each. Plus a few cliffs and drops. More on this later…
There were 5 or 6 tight, twisty sections through the trees. Controlling speed and direction through these areas is tough. If you hit the brake too soon, you get sucked into the trees on the inside corner, but if you don't brake, your momentum throws you into the trees on the outside of the corner. I got very good at hitting the brake or drag just beyond the apex of the turn so that my sled would clear the inside obstacles, then pivot onto the new direction – a sort of two-point turn that was really beautiful and smooth when done well. I didn't hit a single tree, although from the evidence (fresh scars on the trees, sled parts, and wallows in the deep snow beside the trail), many other drivers did not have a clean run.
Near the Susitna river there were several steep drops and ‘cliffs' that we had to negotiate. They were mostly 10-25 feet high, and nearly vertical in places. Going down is generally pretty straight forward, but can be hard on the sleds. I heard several mushers broke their sleds on this trail, either from hitting trees or from the drops. My sled broke going over one of the drops. I had a couple of bolts break off and a crosspiece crack in half. I was able to replace the bolts and use a hose clamp to keep the crosspiece in place, but I had to drive very gently after that!
On one section, I swung through a corner and saw that 1/2 my dogs had dropped out of sight. To finish the turn and prepare for the drop, I needed to hit the brake hard. The top of the cliff had been completely scraped clean of snow, and I was on top of a large car sized rock. My brake tips started to catch on the rock and I worried about it ripping off. Instead of being able to brake, I just shot off into space. My sled had not finished turning, so we (the sled and I) flew towards the trees on the other side of the trail and half way down the cliff. I barrel rolled down the remaining hill and landed in a heap at the bottom, where the dogs politely waited for me to get the sled straightened out. This was my only real crash of the race, and I bet it looked pretty spectacular.
Coming back up the ‘rock cliff' on the final leg was another big test. The snow had gotten hard and icy, and the dogs were scrambling and clawing to go up. It took the leaders, several attempts to clear the top. I jumped off and started pushing the sled. About half way up we stalled out; the dogs just couldn't get enough traction to pull the heavy sled, and I was doing no better. We all slowly slipped back to the bottom. On the second attempt, we got about 1/2 way again. I tried to climb up beyond the sled to pull from the top, but found I could not get up the steep face and started sliding down. I grabbed the sled as I went by, but that started pulling the team backward again so I let go (they weren't going to take off without me). From the bottom of the hill I surveyed the problem and decided to climb up to the top through the trees on the side of the trail. At the top, I grabbed the gangline and pulled. The dogs and I all heaved together, and slowly brought the sled and rest of the team to the very crux. Then the sled stuck under the rock (remember that rock?) which was slightly overhanging. No matter how hard we all pulled, the sled was stuck. I saw that the left runner was really the one binding on the rock, so I tipped the sled up on edge and we all pulled at once. The sled popped over the edge and right on top of me, but the team, again very politely, waited for me to get back up and on the runners before taking off again.
I realize it is nothing compared to what I will encounter in Iditarod, but so far this was truly the trickiest trail I've traveled by team. (haha!) I felt really good about how we handled it all, and it really gave me more confidence in my ability.
A couple of random highlights, strangely enough, both related to straw…
Sled dogs love their straw. They know that straw means rest, and when they are tired it can be hard to talk them into passing a nice straw bed. You know you have a good leader if she can get the team to go on-by straw when they are sure it is time to take a break. Just before we stopped for a break on our final trip up the trail, we passed a couple of nice straw beds from previous teams. We weren't quite where I had planned to stop, so I told the dogs to keep on going. Although part of the team tried to pull over, my leaders put their heads down and muscled forward until we were past the lure of straw. I knew Angel was this good – she is really a stellar leader. But I was so proud of Chase, who is only two and was right there beside her pulling the team forward.
At the finish of the race, I was driving the dogs down to our parking spot. Each of the parking spots was in an alley taking off to the right, and our spot (where we had parked before) was several rows down. The team saw the straw in the first alley and made a beeline right for it. The first three pairs were already in it before I caught them. I stopped the team, then called to Angel and Chase to Haw. They turned around and dragged everyone back to the trail, then followed my directions to go Straight Ahead past several other straw beds, then Gee into our spot. I really didn't expect them to cooperate like that - I was so impressed. So were the checkers who were helping me park. They said they'd never seen a team that would turn around off of straw by voice command alone. Precision driving - what good dogs!
Oh yes, one more (not a straw story). Coming down the river into the Eagle Quest checkpoint it seemed a little chilly. I noticed that my nose and cheeks weren't going numb, but I did appreciate having my hood up. I was surprised to find out later that the temperatures on the river were probably about 30 below. I guess my experience on the bitterly cold Knik has given me a new perspective. So I also have more confidence about my ability to deal with cold now.
And one more… I remember 2 years ago that I was always scared of new trails. Even though race trails are generally safe and are well marked, I just was intimidated by not knowing what types of obstacles were out there, or where they were. I hated running new trails. This time I realized I was having a ball seeing what was coming next and finding I could navigate the sled-eating trees and free fall drops. My confidence in my sled-driving ability just went up several notches (so I expect to have several bad crashes in the near future - that is how it always works...)
Dogs that ran this race: Angel, Chase, Flip, Cerveza, WSU, Luna, Deja, Azure, Mercedes, Sable, Alis, Shotgun, Trouble, Voodoo.
Dogs that sat out this race, in hopes that their minor ailments will heal up: Fly, Scooby, Skeeter, Aberdeen, Suzy, Maggot (Most of my strongest and most reliable dogs, come to think of it - and still we did pretty good!)
Varan got us a new camera that actually works, so we have pictures!
Earlier this month rain and warm temperatures turned all of our trails into sheets of ice, too slippery and dangerous to run on. Last week we got 1/2 inch of snow. Somehow it bonded to the glare ice, providing reasonable traction in most places. The good news is, that allows us to run the dogs - very slowly and very carefully, using the four-wheeler again, as there is no way to set a snow hook and stop the team. The bad news is the trails are abrasive and rock hard, which is tough on the dogs. We've been running at very slow speeds, and still are seeing a number of sore wrists. These injuries are minor, just like having sore ankles after jogging on pavement. They respond well to massage, liniment, and compression wraps. I'm not happy to be back on the stinking machine, but the dogs just can't take any more time off and still stay in shape. What is it about four-wheeler training that is so darn cold? It is impossible to stay warm on long runs. Even though the temperatures are in the teens and single digits (above zero), I am dressed like it is 40 below and still not really warm. So keep doing that snow dance - it's going to take a lot more snow before we'll be back on sleds. I said last time that there is something interesting on each run. Lately Voodoo has been providing entertainment. He has appointed himself the enforcer of the team. If a dog in front of him slows down to grab some snow or go to the bathroom, Voodoo jumps all over them until they get up where they are supposed to be, out of his reach. While we don;t tolerate aggression or fighting of any kind, it is sort of hard not to laugh at how irate he gets with his team mates. And he is providing a service by teaching them to run and poop, which is a skill that all sled dogs need. Some are better at it than others. I've been putting Shotgun and Flip (terrible 'poop-stoppers') in front of Voodoo so he can get after them for me. Of course, Voodoo needs that lesson too, but no one is biting him in the butt!
Trails continue to be non-existent across
Alaska. Many races have been cancelled or postponed, waiting for snow to cover
the ice and soften the sharp, hard conditions. Sheep Mountain, a few hours up
into the mountains, is possibly the only place in the state where it is possible
to run dogs. So Varan and I took a couple of days off this week and drove the
dogs up to Sheep Mountain. More leave time that I cannot afford!!! But we also
cannot afford to scrap the entire season because the dogs are not getting run.
In the week after the Knik we let the dogs rest, and me recover from food poisoning. I've been hoarding my leave time, desperately trying to make sure I have enough to get me through Iditarod without having to take unpaid leave. After wasting a solid week on this, it looks like I am out of luck - but that's a financial bridge to cross in March.
Meanwhile, temperatures have increased by 80 degrees. Today it is 50 above, and the snow is all melting. It probably won't disappear completely, but the slushy mess that is left will freeze hard and sharp once we get back to winter. Frozen ice and slush will make for very tough training conditions. Booties will protect the dogs feet from cuts and abrasion, but booties are slippery on ice, increasing the risk for wrenched shoulders. We can hope for a little more snow to cover the slop.
Meanwhile, maybe my eyelashes can start growing back. When it is really cold they get encrusted with ice, then break off. They are about 1/2 size right now...
The Klondike 300 will run this weekend. Given the abysmal trail conditions, I have decided to skip it this year. The trail will be either slush and slop or will freeze up into cement. Either way, the conditions will be hard on the dogs, and we don't have any to spare.
We started out short of dogs, and of course over time there are a few who will not make the team. Highway has continued to have shoulder problems, and will need to become a recreational dog. Gringo's foot did not heal up soon enough after having a toe removed this fall - we're hoping he will make a full recovery and run next year, but he is playing 'pet dog' this year. Due to Scooby's frostbite issues, he may not be able to run when it is cold (which is hard to predict on a long race!). And Maggot has had an ongoing slowness problem - nothing is obviously wrong, but she is having a hard time keeping up with the team. If a week or so of rest doesn't bring some improvement, she may also be off the team for now. So, we are down to a solid 18 healthy, strong dogs. It sounds like a lot, but we need 16 for Iditarod so it doesn't leave much room for problems between now and March.
Dogs in training (in order of where their house is in the dog lot, which is how I sort them out in my head…)
Of these, WSU is the only one to have made it to Nome. Angel has been all the way to White Mountain, almost to the end. Fly, Scooby, and Skeeter have seen parts of the trail. Everybody else is a rookie on the trail.
Food drop season is also upon us. We have to prepare and pack up all the equipment, feed, booties, and supplies for the Iditarod. This includes cutting hundreds of pounds of meat up into snack sized pieces, which takes many many hours. Irene is making great progress on preparing the meat, and reports that she really loves the band saw that we cut meat on...
Barb Redington sent me some pictures of the Aurora 50/50 (happy Skeeter & Scooby in lead):
Last weekend we finished the Knik 200. The race goes from Knik Lake, up the Iditarod Trail, down onto the rivers, past Yentna, and up to Skwentna, and then back. We ran straight out, rested for just over 7 hours (mandatory rest), and straight back. It was a long, cold couple of runs, but the dogs did great and we placed 14th out of 36 teams.
We have had a real cold snap for the past couple of weeks. Lows have been 15-25 below, and our warmest temperature was 9 below. This is home in Chugiak, where it is much warmer than the race trail. It was 30 below at the start of the Knik 200, and it got colder from there. I don't know how cold it was down on the river, but I can make a couple of comparisons.
Booties have to be applied with bare hands - they just stick to gloves. I bootied the entire team at the start (-30) without really getting cold hands. Out on the river, Angel tore her front two booties off when I stopped to snack the dogs. In the time it took to replace those two booties, my fingers were dead (numb, no sensation) and I had to hurry to get my gloves and chemical handwarmers back on.
Coming up off the river to our checkpoint in Skwentna, it felt like a heat wave. While I was taking care of the dogs (heating water, taking off booties, making them straw beds, etc.), I stripped off my parka, outer jacket, gloves, and other layers. It felt so good to warm up! When I finally went inside for a meal, their thermometer read 28 below.
I can't say I was warm during the run, but I was never seriously chilled. I spent the whole time checking finger tips, toes, nose, cheeks for sensation. You can't feel it when something freezes. I did get one spot of frostbite high on my cheekbone close to the edge of my hat - another place I will have to check in the future. It was very dangerous cold - at those temperatures if you drop a glove you will loose your hand before you have time to dig out your replacement gloves.
The dogs did great - their ability to handle cold and still have fun is amazing. All the dogs wore fleece and nylon coats as well as booties. The belly bands on the coats have a strip of fur that hangs down to provide a wind block to prevent the boys' sheaths from freezing. Each time I stopped to snack the dogs, I carefully checked each dog for any signs of problems. Everyone did great, with one big exception.
After Scooby's problems with frostbite last year, he has an extra large windblock in front and on the sides. He also had surgery last summer to remove the damaged tissue. Unfortunately, after all our care, Scooby still got frost bite again. I was so upset that I almost turned the team around, but determined that I was closer to the halfway point, where I could send him home. He is now sitting on my bed, happy to be home. He will go back out in the dog lot after it warms up a little bit! He should still be able to run with us when it is not too cold, but it is a hard blow.
I also had to drop Flip just before leaving on the return leg. Although he was barking and jumping to go, I noticed he kept swallowing repeatedly. The vet was concerned that he might have something stuck in his throat, so I decided to drop him. By the time I got him over to the drop dog area and filled out the paperwork, I was 20 minutes overdue to leave. Loosing a big strong dog like Flip probably also cost us some time, but I would rather be careful! Flip seems just fine now.
The 14 dogs who ran the race included:
Race team dogs that stayed home included Maggot, Alis, Shotgun, WSU, Luna, and Suzy. All these dogs have proven their race ability, and, well, someone had to stay home. I was planning on taking Suzy, but she has so little hair I decided it might be too cold for her. Overall, I am glad I did this race because now I know I can deal with extreme cold and still take care of myself and my dogs. But I really don't care to run dogs in those temperatures again if I can avoid it. Guess I am just a fair-weather musher...
This weekend we ran in the Aurora 50/50. That is, 50 miles on Saturday and 50 on Sunday (actually it was closer to 37 miles, but still a decent run). The dogs ran really well and I would have been happy with them regardless, but it was especially nice because we came in 3rd place. We won $200, which just about covers the entry fee, gas to and from the race, and booties that we used! We were right behind Cim Smyth and Dee Dee Jonrowe, right ahead of Ray Redington, Mike Jonrowe, and another Redington team. Erin Redington and I were competing for third, but she quit the race to assist a junior musher whose team was struck by a snow machine. We are all very thankful that Erin was there and able to help out. Next weekend is the Knik 200. The forecast is for very cold. I am trying to convince myself I am tough and can handle it....
Last weekend there was a race at Sheep Mountain, 150 miles of seriously steep hills. We did not run that race, but this weekend we took advantage of the marked trail to run somewhere new and challenging for the dogs. We ran the first 50 mile leg, up over Gunsight Pass (steep and long), then over Belanger Pass (steep and longer), and then winding up and down through the valleys and ridges over to Eureka. In the week since the race, portions of the trail had seriously deteriorated. There were numerous patches of glaciation, where water wells up over ice and freezes on top. The ice had grown during the week, obliterating the race trail. To the left, the side hill ice offered no traction, sending dogs and sleds sliding off the abrupt edge. To the right were tall willow bushes that grabbed and held the sled. In the middle was a narrow strip of thigh deep, unsolidified snow which sucked onto the sled and held it. I must have fallen 20 times on the ice trying to heave the sled up out of the heavy snow, and gotten stuck in the bushes a dozen times trying from the other side. The dogs did a great job working together to heave the sled forward and find the best trail, even as they struggled to keep their footing. Patches of glaciation continued for miles, including one memorable quarter mile section that I completed on my hands and knees, shoving and yanking on the sled. Of course we got a late start, so we did all but the first hour or so in the dark. After a great run, with some pauses to struggle, we stopped in Eureka to rest for a few hours. We decided not to go back the same way, but ran down the easy trail on the powerline and then plugged up over Gunsight Pass again and back to the truck.
Last Thursday we each took a team to Eklutna Lake for a night run under the full moon. It was a beautiful night - tall snow covered peaks, glowing moonlight, a beautiful trail. But....but. In the dark before the moon rose, we didn't see where the trail (the real trail, the trail with snow) turned off. We went careening down a hard-packed plowed road until it dead-ended at a building and the dogs piled up in one screaming ball. Twenty stressful, sweaty minutes later we had both teams turned around, untangled and roaring off down the road back to the truck. In the struggle and clamor of untangling and turning, two little girls managed to get loose. Instead of staying with their pack as the dogs usually do, they swooped off in tandem, disappearing around the bend. After an hour and a half of searching by truck and by team, just as we were giving up the hunt, back they came, full of the excitement of running free in moonlight. Once more we tied off the sleds, hooked up all 20 dogs, and took off down the trail. This time the turn from the icy road was a success and we got a chance to run down the wide, rolling trail for a much shorter run than we had planned. There is no end to the surprises, stress, and accidents looming around the corner when running dogs. That is part of the game, and being able to handle the problems and still enjoy the run is something to learn.
I spent all of last weekend attending the mandatory Iditarod Rookie Meeting. It was a long couple of days filled with lectures, presentations, and lots of good information. I felt pretty confident because most of the information presented, such as a review of the trail, vet information, packing lists, etc. was review for me. I definitely picked up some good ideas and pointers, but I am relieved that my preparations to date are pretty much in alignment with all the recommendations. Getting ready for Iditarod takes months. Of course there is training and conditioning that takes all season. But the planning and logistics take nearly as much time. We are already working on cutting up snacks. Each 50 pound block of meat is cut into small 1/4 pound chunks. For each 20 miles, I need a chunk for each dog. 1,150 miles divided by 20, times 16 = close to 1,000 snacks. For each 50 miles of race, I need four booties for each dog. 1,150 miles divided by 50, times 16 X 4 = close to 1,500 booties. How much food, booties, batteries, and other equipment should I send to each checkpoint? Well, that depends on how long I will be at the checkpoint and if I need to camp between checkpoints. How long will I be at a checkpoint? Well that depends on how long it took me to get there. How long will it take me on each leg? Well, that depends on the condition of my dogs, the trail, the distance, the weather, and many other factors which I may not know until I am out there. There is a lot of guestimating and sending out extra to ensure there is enough. So I am making a list and checking it twice (actually several lists, and I'm checking and rechecking on a daily basis). It is starting to feel pretty real...
This actually happened last week, but I
was just trading stories with a friend and thought I ought to share with all of
you. Last week I was running 20 dogs. I missed a turn and stopped to see what my
options were. As I walked up to the front of the team, they jerked forward and
the four wheeler slid into a tree, so going forward was no longer an option. My
starter doesn't work in the cold (again), and so I need the team to pull start
it (or try to juggle using the pull cord and then getting the seat back on while
the team takes off). Plus I'm pretty sure I couldn't jerk the team backward off
the tree anyway. So I had to turn the team around in place on a narrow trail
with a long string. This is a recipe for disaster, or at least a major tangle.
It went better than I could expect with only one dog having a minor tangle (of
course it was Fly...) Now the team is going north, the four wheeler is kissing
the tree going south, and everyone is going nuts. Because the tree is jammed
into the fender, I can't turn the front end at all. My only option is to put it
in neutral, release the brake and let the team jerk it around and hope the
gangline doesn't wrap around the axle, since it is now jammed under the front
wheel. Again, things go amazingly well. As soon as the fourwheeler can move, the
team flings it around to point the same direction as them in no time. Now it is
in neutral with no brake, and I have a death grip on the handlebar as I drag
down the trail trying to keep from getting run over by the back wheel. My
dragging body manages to steer the vehicle into the softer snow on the side,
slowing it just enough for me to get my legs under me, jump on, and slam it into
gear. And off we went to finish the run.
Happy Thanksgiving! Our first sled run of the season went great. We churned out 35 miles and were done in time for turkey and pie. A little sketchy and not enough snow to set a hook (this means you basically can't stop the team). We will probably wait for more snow before we try it again, but it sure felt good to be on the runners! Other good news - we have a new dog for the season. WSU (Wazoo) is on loan from Bryan Bearss. She is super friendly and LOVES attention. She hasn't run yet this year, so it will take some time to get her miled up. You can see more about her on the dog page.
Great news!! Irene is our new 'house guest' and will be helping with the dogs. She's been here just a few days, and is already making an impact. Thursday instead of rushing around after work to cut meat, tie more tuglines, and finish up the millions of little tasks that make my 'to do' list grow longer each day, well Thursday I actually relaxed a bit, made dinner, and went to bed early.
Last weekend we ran out by Eklutna Lake. What a beautiful trail! A flat, wide road contours around a turquoise glacial lake with tall, snow covered peaks towering above. Of course I forgot a camera. By the time I've loaded 20 dogs, four-wheeler, gangline, harnesses, pans, water, extra clothes, spare gear, and all the other stuff we take with us every run, I just don't remember the non-essentials like cameras. Here's a summer picture I borrowed from someone's blog - just imagine it all frosty and white and silver. Now imagine you have 20 deliriously happy dogs loping up the trail in front of you, with clouds of steam from their breath floating along as you go. We won't be able to run here much, as the trail ends after 10 miles and we need to go farther.
Some runs are more interesting than others. Wednesday when we ran down to the inlet we found a very high tide. Although it looked like the trail disappeared into the ocean, the dogs remembered where the trail was supposed to be and happily splashed the 1/2 mile or so around the flats to higher ground. The water was only 6-8" deep, but there was no way of knowing that until we were in it. I knew the dogs would cross creeks and large puddles, but I was pleased to see them so willing to charge into water without being able to see the other shore.
It's been a tough couple of weeks. Sick four wheeler, sick puppy, sick humans. But we are all on the mend now. And training continued throughout. The biggest concern was Chisel, one of the 4 month old pups. He has been very sick with no appetite and horrible diarrhea. Surgery did not show any blockages or twisted intestines, just lots of inflammation and irritation. Last week the vet gave him a 50/50 chance at survival. But the medication he gave us is working wonders and Chisel is putting on weight and looking good. Bob Sept (our vet) is really a miracle worker! Chisel will be inside until his stitches come out. He still insists someone must be touching him or he is miserable and screaming. Makes it hard to get a good night's sleep... We are still running 20 miles or so. We should have moved up a while ago, but trails have been limited. Now that it has been colder (a week with lows in the single digits), the wet areas are freezing up and we have more options. We've been running lots of different dogs in lead, and so far everyone has been doing a really great job. Even Voodoo, who I swore last year I would NEVER put up front again (he twisted and spun and caused so many tangles I was ready to leave him behind).
Dogs (particularly my dogs
Some dogs (like Maggot), seem to take delight in catching their leaders in a mistake. I often run Maggot in swing position, just behind my leaders. If the leaders aren't paying attention and take the wrong path, Maggot slams towards the correct direction, dragging the leaders sideways until they get it straight. Sometimes my dogs know their directions better than I do. Every so often my tongue will get tangled and I will call the wrong command. If the dog knows where we are really supposed to be going, more often than not they will shoot me an odd look as if to say, are you sure you know what you are talking about? Dogs also learn the rules of the road. Just like cars on a highway, when another team approaches going the opposite direction, we are supposed to stay on the right-hand side of the road (trail). But if we catch up to a slower team, we need to pass them on the left, just like passing a slower car. The amazing thing is, I never have to tell my dogs which side to go on. They know. They are able to recognize the difference between passing an approaching team and passing a team going the same direction, and they automatically choose the correct side to pass on. They are probably better drivers than most teens on the road. Our dogs get plenty of practice passing on our crowded trails, and it is really fun to watch a long string of dogs all file over and make room for the other team. Yesterday Scooby was trotting along in lead, obviously zoning out. He didn't hear me call haw, and the first several pairs had already passed the fork in the trail before I got them stopped. The correct trail was just a few feet to the left, but there were a couple of small trees in between, and the team would have really wrapped up around those trees. Instead of cutting over to the correct trail and getting everybody tangled, Scooby threaded back the way he had come before he turned onto the correct trail. This shows that he has at least some understanding of the gangline, can recognize obstacles that would cause tangles, and can figure out how to avoid causing those tangles. I have seen this behavior many times with good leaders, but it never fails to impress me. Dogs have lots of instinctual skills, like how to find a trail, or how to curl up under the snow to stay warm. But their willingness to learn artificial things like left and right, or rules of the road are what make them such incredible partners to humans.
The Good Morning America story was pretty good. If you missed it you can check it out here.
Everyone was horrified last week to hear of a terrible accident down in the Kenai Peninsula. Jon Little's team was struck by a car, killing several dogs and injuring others. One dog, Wolf, has recently had extensive surgery to save his leg. He is currently residing in our basement, as we are much closer to the surgical clinic where he is being treated than Jon is. Wolf is a very cooperative patient, and we are glad to do whatever we can to help. It is always hard to lose a family member and team mate. I can't imagine how terrible it must be to lose several in such an accident. Training continues. We had a few inches of snow, but the trails are still incredibly muddy.
Pupdate:
Mud = fun. Just ask any dog.
Our first corporate sponsorship! We just received 2 Lucido TX1 headlamps from Mammut, with their new Zoom light on the way. These are a new generation of super bright, super lightweight headlamps. I tried one out the other night and was impressed by how bright it was. I'm looking forward to seeing how they hold up to the abuse and how they perform in the cold temperatures. Click here to see my posts to the Mammut Athlete Team Blog.
The Click here to see something funny about Lance Mackey....
Training has begun! We started at 5 miles, and we'll stay there a few weeks until the dogs begin to pick up condition and the weather cools down. 18 crazy excited dogs is a lot of power! We tried to get a picture, but couldn't get them all in one frame. We are thinking seriously about moving out to Knik, where it is much cheaper. With training for Iditarod under way, this is not the best time to be planning a move. But the opportunity is there, so we may have more news to report.... Pups are going strong and really getting obnoxious. A chip of the old block, with Fly as their daddy.
For previous posts from the 2007-2008 year, click here.
For previous posts from the 2006-2007 year, click here.
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Shotgun is always a cool customer at race starts.
Waking up
after resting. Eagle Quest checkpoint, 200 miles into the race.
Mercedes is
howling to go and Sable is starting to leap and rear.
Hitting the
trail for the final leg.
)
are incredibly smart. People are always so surprised when I say that my dogs
know their left from right. But watch any good leader, and they instantly turn
the team gee (right) or haw (left) when commanded. With a group of experienced
dogs, the entire team will swoop in the direction called - it is a really
beautiful sight to see them all respond in unison. 
That's Aberdeen on the left, Deja ( a BLACK dog!) on the right.
