Greetings from Aniak!
Kyle and his band of dogs are all sleeping right now here in Aniak on the mighty Kuskokwim River. He was glad to be in Aniak and was in great spirits and having fun. He was fun to just be hanging around with! Ryan and I are also in great spirits! We are all having fun!
Kyle had a strong run up to Tuluksak yesterday and ran on to Bogus Creek. The trail was challenging with soft snow and many ruts on the trail between Bethel and Tuluksak. His dogs all looked strong when they came into Bogus Creek.
Ryan and I left Bogus Creek after Kyle got the dogs to bed. We travelled up to Kalskag and arrived up there at about 5am. The conditions were poor as it was howling and the was a lot of blowing snow! I was nodding off for a five mile stretch as the going was slow and the blowing snow had a hypnotic effect on me. We took a break and I was fine the rest of the day.
Kalskag was an interesting scene as there were a lot of teams coming in. Ed Iten came in there first and Dee Dee and Jeff King and others also had their dogs bedded and they were taking their mandatory six hour layover. People were in good spirits despite the ground blizzard type conditions. We enjoyed our coffee there and took off for Aniak a bit after 6am. The conditions had deteriorated and we left in near white out conditions. The check point officials were surprised that we were leaving but it was on a marked trail after all. :o)
The 32 miles to Aniak was one of overblown trails and numerous complete white outs. We took a break at the 16 mile mark in a sheltered spot on a slough. The moon was out and it was harsh but we were optimistic and having fun! We speculated that it would be better for Kyle to come through in the daylight in these conditions. We were excited that it all seemed to be going well!
Aniak checkpoint was not open as there were no teams this far North (130 miles now). We travelled over to my friends place where Ginny Woodmancy had a great breakfast prepared for us. We were even on time!
After a breakfast and a shower we took a six hour nap. We got up, gassed up and went over to find Kyle into the Aniak checkpoint after and awesome four hour and 16 minute run from Kalskag to Aniak in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. It had warmed up to 38 degrees and the snow was still blowing like heck! He and the dogs did very well but I am sure that he will be sore from having to crouch down behind the sled to avoid the "sail effect". The conditions were severe but Kyle and the dogs did great!
Kyle is probably getting up right now at 9:00pm. He has some preparations before he leaves out of here at 10:26 pm this Saturday heading up on a 22 mile one way run up a hill to Pike Lake and then back here to Aniak! It is the time in the race where the mushers will find out what they really have! Questions that Kyle will have to answer will include whether or not to have the dogs wear boots on the slick trail conditions?? Will he need to do another rest at Aniak on his way back from Pike Lake or will he head on down the river?? Will his dogs that are known to always eat continue with this good and imperative habit?? Time will tell........however....his dogs looked good as he got them all bedded down in straw here in Aniak this afternoon! This sure is a lot of fun!
There were still three teams out on the trail coming into Aniak when Kyle layed down for his 3 hour nap. Now is the time where some teams will probably quit moving. Teams are starting to have some issues. Unplanned breaks will have to be taken. The plot continues to thicken!
So, we will try and post another blog before too long. Check out the K300 website. Kyle and company are doing well! Good Night from Aniak!
PS: Everybody loves our "Ocean Beauty" Musher Hats! Everytime they ask us we always proudly tell of our Number One sponsor!
Eric Holland
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Time to Go
We'll be loading up the dogs and heading to the starting line in a few hours. The dogs are ready. I've been loading the sled and they know it's time. Luke is ready to rock. He's whining and whimping and dancing around.
We've been laying low, resting and eating. The dogs look fantastic. Their weight is perfect and they are well hydrated and rested. We've been staying with the Vanasse family here in Bethel. The hospitality is off the charts. Everyone has made us feel very welcome. These people know how to put on a dog race.
Yesterday was rather busy. We dropped off the food drop bags at two airlines, had caribou soup at the K300 feed store, then a musher's meeting at 4:00, and finally we chose our starting positions on KYUK TV and radio. It's interesting being in the same room, and indeed the same race, as all these folks I've only ever seen on the internet or in magazines. I've enjoyed meeting them.
Been a long time since I've felt this way. Everything is ready and it's time to go. Of all the emotions, worry is not one of them. A million different things could, and probably will, happen. But everything boils down to me and my dogs. That's it. We are not chasing anyone or worrying about anyone else. For me this entire race boils down to myself, Luke, Hagar, Lucky, Bing, Bernard, Lucy, Olaf, Charlie, Felix, and Phoebe. I know all those characters very well and we'll be fine together.
Remember, you can follow the race at www.k300.org . Also, check the blog from time to time. Eric and Ryan may be able to make a post or two.
Time to go.
We've been laying low, resting and eating. The dogs look fantastic. Their weight is perfect and they are well hydrated and rested. We've been staying with the Vanasse family here in Bethel. The hospitality is off the charts. Everyone has made us feel very welcome. These people know how to put on a dog race.
Yesterday was rather busy. We dropped off the food drop bags at two airlines, had caribou soup at the K300 feed store, then a musher's meeting at 4:00, and finally we chose our starting positions on KYUK TV and radio. It's interesting being in the same room, and indeed the same race, as all these folks I've only ever seen on the internet or in magazines. I've enjoyed meeting them.
Been a long time since I've felt this way. Everything is ready and it's time to go. Of all the emotions, worry is not one of them. A million different things could, and probably will, happen. But everything boils down to me and my dogs. That's it. We are not chasing anyone or worrying about anyone else. For me this entire race boils down to myself, Luke, Hagar, Lucky, Bing, Bernard, Lucy, Olaf, Charlie, Felix, and Phoebe. I know all those characters very well and we'll be fine together.
Remember, you can follow the race at www.k300.org . Also, check the blog from time to time. Eric and Ryan may be able to make a post or two.
Time to go.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Ready or Not
Here we come. Headed to Bethel Tuesday evening leaving Dillingham around 7:30 and arriving in Bethel near 9:00. Spoke with our host family today. Making final food preparations, preparing drop bags, and packing tonight and tomorrow night.
Ryan and Eric are coming along to help out before and after the race, but they are also planning to travel the trail. They will try to update the blog from the trail and give you a very frank impression of how the dogs and I are doing. Whether or not they can do it mainly depends of if they can locate a good internet connection in the villages.
You will be able to monitor my progress during the race at www.k300.org as well. Like most races, the K300 maintains a chart showing each musher's progress. You can view one right now at www.cb300.com by clicking on updates. Lance Mackey is currently leading the pack at the Copper Basin 300 being run in Interior Alaska. These charts show what time you get into a checkpoint and what time you leave the checkpoint. It will also tell you how many dogs are still in harness (I may drop dogs during the race for any number of reasons), speed between checkpoints, and if I've completed my mandatory layovers.
I had a pretty firm schedule to run the race, but have opted for more of a "do what feels right" approach. To start with, we will rest after the first 50 miles in Tuluksak. That rest should be 3 to 5 hours long. The dogs won't be too tired at that point, but I'm going conservative early. From that point, we'll see how the dogs do. I may run another 50 miles and take my mandatory 6 hour lay over in Kalskag, or we may continue another 30 miles and take it in Aniak. My anticipated run/rest schedule right now is to run 50 miles to Tuluksak and rest 3-5 hours. Continue another 50 miles to Kalskag for the mandatory 6 hour rest. Then push an 80 mile run by running past Aniak, up to Pike Lake, then back to Aniak and rest 4-6 hours. We would then do another 80 mile run from Aniak, past Kalskag, and on to Tuluksak for the final mandatory 4 hour rest. Then it's a 50 mile run back to Bethel. That is a general plan, two 50 mile runs, two 80 mile runs, and a 50 mile run. We may find ourselves resting more or less depending on the dogs. The race only requires the 6 and 4 hours of rest, but I'm planning on twice that much. I'm sending drop bags with enough food to all checkpoints so I can adjust the schedule as the dogs need. So as you're watching the race unfold on the internet, if you see me pulling up for longer rests, you know the dogs are getting tired. On the other hand, if you see some longer runs and shorter rests, the dogs are doing well. Hopefully Eric can log on and tell you exactly what's happening on the trail.
So who is going to Bethel with me? I'm bringing 10 dogs (plus the two humans mentioned earlier); Hagar, Lucky, Luke, Bing, Lucy, Felix, Bernard, Phoebe, Charlie, and Olaf. Hagar, Phoebe, and Bernard all had their old injuries checked by Dr. Hagee today, he gave them all a thumbs up. He sent me a note to bring to the race vets in Bethel. If the injuries cause problems, I'll drop them. You've met each of these dogs except Phoebe, couldn't find a picture of her. She is Luke, Bing, Charlie, and Bernard's sister and Felix and Olaf's mother. At 58 pounds, she'll be the smallest dog on the team. She's a sweetheart. With the exception of Hagar and Lucky, I've raised each of these dogs myself. Luke, Hagar, Lucky, and Bing will be my main leaders. Felix, Lucy or Phoebe could also get a turn in lead, but it's unlikely. All 10 of these dogs could finish the race and it will be my pleasure to enter the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race with this team. Final mileage can be found at the end of this post. We didn't get as many miles as I had hoped, but we've got enough to run the race. Those were some hard fought miles.
A weather system out in the Bering Sea is currently headed straight for Southwest Alaska. Warmer temperatures and snow are in our future. Hopefully it doesn't delay our trip to Bethel. My bigger stronger dogs would do better with some snow on the trail. I'd take a foot if I could get it.
I had better keep packing. I'll try update the blog from Bethel. Stay tuned.
Hagar-987, Lucky-1147, Luke-1146, Bing-1187, Bernard-828, Charlie-1156, Felix-1077,
Olaf-1168, Lucy-1006, Phoebe-874
Ryan and Eric are coming along to help out before and after the race, but they are also planning to travel the trail. They will try to update the blog from the trail and give you a very frank impression of how the dogs and I are doing. Whether or not they can do it mainly depends of if they can locate a good internet connection in the villages.
You will be able to monitor my progress during the race at www.k300.org as well. Like most races, the K300 maintains a chart showing each musher's progress. You can view one right now at www.cb300.com by clicking on updates. Lance Mackey is currently leading the pack at the Copper Basin 300 being run in Interior Alaska. These charts show what time you get into a checkpoint and what time you leave the checkpoint. It will also tell you how many dogs are still in harness (I may drop dogs during the race for any number of reasons), speed between checkpoints, and if I've completed my mandatory layovers.
I had a pretty firm schedule to run the race, but have opted for more of a "do what feels right" approach. To start with, we will rest after the first 50 miles in Tuluksak. That rest should be 3 to 5 hours long. The dogs won't be too tired at that point, but I'm going conservative early. From that point, we'll see how the dogs do. I may run another 50 miles and take my mandatory 6 hour lay over in Kalskag, or we may continue another 30 miles and take it in Aniak. My anticipated run/rest schedule right now is to run 50 miles to Tuluksak and rest 3-5 hours. Continue another 50 miles to Kalskag for the mandatory 6 hour rest. Then push an 80 mile run by running past Aniak, up to Pike Lake, then back to Aniak and rest 4-6 hours. We would then do another 80 mile run from Aniak, past Kalskag, and on to Tuluksak for the final mandatory 4 hour rest. Then it's a 50 mile run back to Bethel. That is a general plan, two 50 mile runs, two 80 mile runs, and a 50 mile run. We may find ourselves resting more or less depending on the dogs. The race only requires the 6 and 4 hours of rest, but I'm planning on twice that much. I'm sending drop bags with enough food to all checkpoints so I can adjust the schedule as the dogs need. So as you're watching the race unfold on the internet, if you see me pulling up for longer rests, you know the dogs are getting tired. On the other hand, if you see some longer runs and shorter rests, the dogs are doing well. Hopefully Eric can log on and tell you exactly what's happening on the trail.
So who is going to Bethel with me? I'm bringing 10 dogs (plus the two humans mentioned earlier); Hagar, Lucky, Luke, Bing, Lucy, Felix, Bernard, Phoebe, Charlie, and Olaf. Hagar, Phoebe, and Bernard all had their old injuries checked by Dr. Hagee today, he gave them all a thumbs up. He sent me a note to bring to the race vets in Bethel. If the injuries cause problems, I'll drop them. You've met each of these dogs except Phoebe, couldn't find a picture of her. She is Luke, Bing, Charlie, and Bernard's sister and Felix and Olaf's mother. At 58 pounds, she'll be the smallest dog on the team. She's a sweetheart. With the exception of Hagar and Lucky, I've raised each of these dogs myself. Luke, Hagar, Lucky, and Bing will be my main leaders. Felix, Lucy or Phoebe could also get a turn in lead, but it's unlikely. All 10 of these dogs could finish the race and it will be my pleasure to enter the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race with this team. Final mileage can be found at the end of this post. We didn't get as many miles as I had hoped, but we've got enough to run the race. Those were some hard fought miles.
A weather system out in the Bering Sea is currently headed straight for Southwest Alaska. Warmer temperatures and snow are in our future. Hopefully it doesn't delay our trip to Bethel. My bigger stronger dogs would do better with some snow on the trail. I'd take a foot if I could get it.
I had better keep packing. I'll try update the blog from Bethel. Stay tuned.
Hagar-987, Lucky-1147, Luke-1146, Bing-1187, Bernard-828, Charlie-1156, Felix-1077,
Olaf-1168, Lucy-1006, Phoebe-874
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Best Sled Dog I Own
This is Luke.
Luke is Hagar and Lucky's son and the best dog out of their litter. At 3 years of age he is the best lead dog I own. He holds the line tight during hitch-up, gees and haws (turns left or right) on command, will break a trail, has perfect feet, has a great appetite, can follow an old trail, is friendly with everyone... Shall I go on?
I like all my dogs, but appreciate my hard workers the most. Even my hard workers have their quirks. Luke has very few quirks. He's only 3 so there are things he hasn't learned to do yet, but so far he has mastered each new challenge. More then anything, he wants to please me. If he knows I want him to do something, he works at it and figures it out.
He weighs 68 pounds with long legs and body and a perfect coat for the region, not too long and not too short. Luke is perfectly suited for our corner of the world. He can handle the -30 and -40 degrees we're having right now, but can also mush above freezing if need be. He has the physical ability to do anything he wants, but it's his head that sets him apart. He does tire both physically and mentally, just not often.
We have a special bond Luke and I. Together we drive our team of dogs. I wouldn't have gotten the miles on the dogs without him. Of all the dogs in the team, he's the one I count on most. I'm looking forward to running the race with him next week. I can't wait to see how he reacts to yet another challenge.
Luke is Hagar and Lucky's son and the best dog out of their litter. At 3 years of age he is the best lead dog I own. He holds the line tight during hitch-up, gees and haws (turns left or right) on command, will break a trail, has perfect feet, has a great appetite, can follow an old trail, is friendly with everyone... Shall I go on?
I like all my dogs, but appreciate my hard workers the most. Even my hard workers have their quirks. Luke has very few quirks. He's only 3 so there are things he hasn't learned to do yet, but so far he has mastered each new challenge. More then anything, he wants to please me. If he knows I want him to do something, he works at it and figures it out.
He weighs 68 pounds with long legs and body and a perfect coat for the region, not too long and not too short. Luke is perfectly suited for our corner of the world. He can handle the -30 and -40 degrees we're having right now, but can also mush above freezing if need be. He has the physical ability to do anything he wants, but it's his head that sets him apart. He does tire both physically and mentally, just not often.
We have a special bond Luke and I. Together we drive our team of dogs. I wouldn't have gotten the miles on the dogs without him. Of all the dogs in the team, he's the one I count on most. I'm looking forward to running the race with him next week. I can't wait to see how he reacts to yet another challenge.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Felix
My family is from Oregon's Willamette Valley. My favorite part of summer vacations in Oregon was visiting Grandpa and Grandma's farm. It was a magical place to a young Alaskan boy, full of animals, fruits, sights and sounds I only knew from books and television.
Grandpa always had working dogs on the farm. Most were border collies, but I remember one dog that looked more like a large blue heeler. Grandpa called him Felix and obviously liked the dog. Grandma chained up the collies at night while Felix had the run of the place. Felix didn't like me much, think he may have bitten me. He was grandpa's dog. I remember that well.
When Pheobe had her first litter I kept two dogs. One was named Olaf, who you met earlier, and the other named Felix. The name suits him. Felix is definately my dog. He likes Jo and the kids and is not aggressive, but he's not overly friendly either. Felix enjoys his own space and doesn't get too excited about anything. A beautifully rugged long gray dog, he looks and acts rather wolfy. I need to say that none of my dogs have wolf in them and I'm against infusing wolf into domestic dogs. It is an old practice that needs to stay in the past. What I refer to is the way he carries himself, very confident and calculated.
Felix fits the working dog bill nicely at a rangy 70 pounds. He pulls hard and never complains. His feet and wrists have held up nicely so far. Mostly, Felix runs in the swing position directly behind the leaders. He's run some lead, but hasn't shown the drive in front that a good leader needs. Perhaps in time he'll become a better lead dog. I'm not yet sure whether he'll be bred. Want to see what kind of leader he turns out to be first. But I must admit, I wouldn't mind having another half dozen dogs like Felix.
Here's a nice shot of Felix. He's got the classic look of a working sled dog.
Another shot of Felix during hitch-up. Never in a rush and always ready to work.
Grandpa always had working dogs on the farm. Most were border collies, but I remember one dog that looked more like a large blue heeler. Grandpa called him Felix and obviously liked the dog. Grandma chained up the collies at night while Felix had the run of the place. Felix didn't like me much, think he may have bitten me. He was grandpa's dog. I remember that well.
When Pheobe had her first litter I kept two dogs. One was named Olaf, who you met earlier, and the other named Felix. The name suits him. Felix is definately my dog. He likes Jo and the kids and is not aggressive, but he's not overly friendly either. Felix enjoys his own space and doesn't get too excited about anything. A beautifully rugged long gray dog, he looks and acts rather wolfy. I need to say that none of my dogs have wolf in them and I'm against infusing wolf into domestic dogs. It is an old practice that needs to stay in the past. What I refer to is the way he carries himself, very confident and calculated.
Felix fits the working dog bill nicely at a rangy 70 pounds. He pulls hard and never complains. His feet and wrists have held up nicely so far. Mostly, Felix runs in the swing position directly behind the leaders. He's run some lead, but hasn't shown the drive in front that a good leader needs. Perhaps in time he'll become a better lead dog. I'm not yet sure whether he'll be bred. Want to see what kind of leader he turns out to be first. But I must admit, I wouldn't mind having another half dozen dogs like Felix.
Here's a nice shot of Felix. He's got the classic look of a working sled dog.
Another shot of Felix during hitch-up. Never in a rush and always ready to work.
Monday, January 7, 2008
1000 Miles and Such
Been a while since the last post. Much to tell you about. This may be a long one, bear with me.
First of all, the sled dog ride fundraiser was a huge success! Funds raised completely covered the cost of booties (no small thing at $1.00 per bootie!), new sled runners, new coolers and bowls for feeding during the race, new racing lines, and a few other odds and ends. I also had a lot of fun doing it. For most it was their first time on a dog sled. Many had questions and most were excited to hear we were headed to the Kusko and wanted to support the effort. Father Scott blessed the dogs and myself before one morning ride. We asked for Saint Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals) to pray for us. It was a very nice blessing on a very nice morning.
Would like to say a few words about the folks helping me along. Ryan and Eric have been amazing. They've gone on every run with me but 2 or 3. They're out there with me at all hours of the day and night in all temperatures. All I'm giving them is a hat and a plane ride to Bethel. Would never have gotten this far without them. My wife's brother-in-law in Anchorage has jumped in to help as well. He's been out tracking down specialty items in Anchorage and shipping them out to me. Apparantly I could have had even more help. One lady asked if I needed help sewing booties. I thanked her and told her I already bought them, but a generous offer just the same.
Eric and I took the dogs on the longest run of their (and my) lives. We left the dog yard at 11:00 Saturday morning and ran them 70 miles before resting for 6 hours at Snake Lake. We followed the rest with another 70 mile run before returning home at 2:00 Sunday afternoon. A 140 mile weekend and the dogs handled it great. We ran the first 50 miles at 9 mph (pretty good for my slow working dogs), the next 20 included a mountain and soft trail that slowed us down. They came right out of the rest ready to go and trotted along nicely the entire way. We dealt with tidal overflow on the edges of two rivers and some serious cold. The first day wasn't too bad. The run started at about -15 F and warmed to probably -5. That was as warm as it got. We didn't have a thermometer, but it's always colder in town near the bay then it is inland. My co-worker said they had -32 at his house Sunday morning. I'm guessing we camped at -35 and ran some of Sunday at -40. It had warmed to -20 when we finished up Sunday afternoon. That kind of cold does things to both man and beast. We were well prepared for the most part. Eric and I stayed warm most of the way. I did use chemical heat packs in my mittens and boots and Eric had to do some aerobics on the trail to keep his blood flowing. We both came home tired and hungry. Jo fed us well and we both went to bed early. The dogs handled it well too. Running in cold weather always hits them hardest with weight loss. They all lost a lot of fat reserves so they're getting big chunks of raw frozen beaver, dog food, and other meats and fats to bring their weight back up. Also, Lucy and Lucky are my shortest haired dogs and wore coats on the trail. I told Eric, "My dogs are wearing coats. That either makes them professional or just wimps!" Shorter haired dogs often wear coats in distance races.
We also have a bunch of dogs with over 1,000 miles under their belts. That's pretty cool, very proud of them. They usually only run 700 or 800 in winter. They've got 1,000 miles and winter's really just now coming on strong. I'll post individual mileage at the bottom of this post.
My sister pointed something out to me. I haven't mentioned when we'll be running the Kusko 300. The race begins at 6:00 Friday January 18th. We load up a Cessna Caravan and fly to Bethel next Tuesday evening. There is a little concert Wednesday evening and the musher's meeting and drawing Thursday. The dogs also need a few days of laying low before the race. Lucy doesn't enjoy flying and will need a day or two to settle her nerves.
The Kusko has become a star studded event as usual. Here's who is signed up to this point: Jackie Larson,Kyle Belleque, Mike Williams Sr, Mike Williams Jr, Myron Angstman, Paul Gebhardt, Hugh Neff, Sebastian Schnuelle, Jessica Klejka, Melissa Owens, Mitch Seavey, Ed Iten, Jeff King, Dave Decaro, Jim Lanier, Dee Dee Jonrowe, Gerald Riley, David Tresino, Martin Buser, Rohn Buser, Ramy Smyth. You'll notice I was the second person signed up. That's no accident. They let you choose your starting place in the order you sign up. I'll be able to choose one of the last slots out of the shoot so my slower dogs don't have to spend the first few miles of the race being passed by faster teams. At least that's how they've chosen starting orders in the past. Hope they don't change it this year. Most will recognize Jeff King and Martin Buser, but Mitch Seavey, Paul Gephardt, Ed Iten, Dee Dee Jonrow, and Gerald Riley are all top Iditarod mushers and a few of them past champions. Many other on the list are successful professional mushers and are well known in mushing circles. I've never met any of these characters. Looking forward to meeting them. Should be fun.
In the next 7 days we'll put another 100 or so miles on the dogs, prepare food and drop bags, pack up all our stuff and make final preparations. I'll make a few more posts before the race. I've got a couple more dogs I'd like you to meet. Also, I'll explain how to follow the race on the internet. It's simple and a lot of fun.
Gotta go. Jo's going to cut my hair. Haven't had time for that lately either.
Hagar-926, Lucky-1086, Luke-1085, Bing-1120, Charlie-1095, Felix-1016, Olaf-1107, Lucy-945
First of all, the sled dog ride fundraiser was a huge success! Funds raised completely covered the cost of booties (no small thing at $1.00 per bootie!), new sled runners, new coolers and bowls for feeding during the race, new racing lines, and a few other odds and ends. I also had a lot of fun doing it. For most it was their first time on a dog sled. Many had questions and most were excited to hear we were headed to the Kusko and wanted to support the effort. Father Scott blessed the dogs and myself before one morning ride. We asked for Saint Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals) to pray for us. It was a very nice blessing on a very nice morning.
Would like to say a few words about the folks helping me along. Ryan and Eric have been amazing. They've gone on every run with me but 2 or 3. They're out there with me at all hours of the day and night in all temperatures. All I'm giving them is a hat and a plane ride to Bethel. Would never have gotten this far without them. My wife's brother-in-law in Anchorage has jumped in to help as well. He's been out tracking down specialty items in Anchorage and shipping them out to me. Apparantly I could have had even more help. One lady asked if I needed help sewing booties. I thanked her and told her I already bought them, but a generous offer just the same.
Eric and I took the dogs on the longest run of their (and my) lives. We left the dog yard at 11:00 Saturday morning and ran them 70 miles before resting for 6 hours at Snake Lake. We followed the rest with another 70 mile run before returning home at 2:00 Sunday afternoon. A 140 mile weekend and the dogs handled it great. We ran the first 50 miles at 9 mph (pretty good for my slow working dogs), the next 20 included a mountain and soft trail that slowed us down. They came right out of the rest ready to go and trotted along nicely the entire way. We dealt with tidal overflow on the edges of two rivers and some serious cold. The first day wasn't too bad. The run started at about -15 F and warmed to probably -5. That was as warm as it got. We didn't have a thermometer, but it's always colder in town near the bay then it is inland. My co-worker said they had -32 at his house Sunday morning. I'm guessing we camped at -35 and ran some of Sunday at -40. It had warmed to -20 when we finished up Sunday afternoon. That kind of cold does things to both man and beast. We were well prepared for the most part. Eric and I stayed warm most of the way. I did use chemical heat packs in my mittens and boots and Eric had to do some aerobics on the trail to keep his blood flowing. We both came home tired and hungry. Jo fed us well and we both went to bed early. The dogs handled it well too. Running in cold weather always hits them hardest with weight loss. They all lost a lot of fat reserves so they're getting big chunks of raw frozen beaver, dog food, and other meats and fats to bring their weight back up. Also, Lucy and Lucky are my shortest haired dogs and wore coats on the trail. I told Eric, "My dogs are wearing coats. That either makes them professional or just wimps!" Shorter haired dogs often wear coats in distance races.
We also have a bunch of dogs with over 1,000 miles under their belts. That's pretty cool, very proud of them. They usually only run 700 or 800 in winter. They've got 1,000 miles and winter's really just now coming on strong. I'll post individual mileage at the bottom of this post.
My sister pointed something out to me. I haven't mentioned when we'll be running the Kusko 300. The race begins at 6:00 Friday January 18th. We load up a Cessna Caravan and fly to Bethel next Tuesday evening. There is a little concert Wednesday evening and the musher's meeting and drawing Thursday. The dogs also need a few days of laying low before the race. Lucy doesn't enjoy flying and will need a day or two to settle her nerves.
The Kusko has become a star studded event as usual. Here's who is signed up to this point: Jackie Larson,Kyle Belleque, Mike Williams Sr, Mike Williams Jr, Myron Angstman, Paul Gebhardt, Hugh Neff, Sebastian Schnuelle, Jessica Klejka, Melissa Owens, Mitch Seavey, Ed Iten, Jeff King, Dave Decaro, Jim Lanier, Dee Dee Jonrowe, Gerald Riley, David Tresino, Martin Buser, Rohn Buser, Ramy Smyth. You'll notice I was the second person signed up. That's no accident. They let you choose your starting place in the order you sign up. I'll be able to choose one of the last slots out of the shoot so my slower dogs don't have to spend the first few miles of the race being passed by faster teams. At least that's how they've chosen starting orders in the past. Hope they don't change it this year. Most will recognize Jeff King and Martin Buser, but Mitch Seavey, Paul Gephardt, Ed Iten, Dee Dee Jonrow, and Gerald Riley are all top Iditarod mushers and a few of them past champions. Many other on the list are successful professional mushers and are well known in mushing circles. I've never met any of these characters. Looking forward to meeting them. Should be fun.
In the next 7 days we'll put another 100 or so miles on the dogs, prepare food and drop bags, pack up all our stuff and make final preparations. I'll make a few more posts before the race. I've got a couple more dogs I'd like you to meet. Also, I'll explain how to follow the race on the internet. It's simple and a lot of fun.
Gotta go. Jo's going to cut my hair. Haven't had time for that lately either.
Hagar-926, Lucky-1086, Luke-1085, Bing-1120, Charlie-1095, Felix-1016, Olaf-1107, Lucy-945
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