Watch your puppies, people, we're not in Big Lake anymore

Rich and I made it to Homer and up, up, up the mountain to Fritz Creek, our new home for at least six months. We've already got a PO Box (Jill and Rich, PO Box 15033, Fritz Creek, AK, 99603-6033) and some cool job prospects. I want to work in the hippie-friendly Fritz Creek bakery because it's funky and only a few miles from here (all downhill on the way to work and uphill on the way home) and I am truckless at the moment so I'll be biking all summer. Rich will most likely work on a fishing boat or for a bear-viewing company down on the Homer Spit as he has the wheels and the will. So our cabin is fantastic (electricity AND water, what luxury!) and there is lots of room for the dogs to roam. We're caretaking for the one and only Libby Riddles (first woman to win Iditarod) as she works in Juneau all summer. We have our own cabin and dog lot but access to her house and giant bathtub. We will be taking care of her 40 dogs and house plants and daily chores along with working and enjoying Homer. It's dreary and snowy right now, but the weather here is usually great (not like soggy southeast). The view from our place is crazy! Mountains and ocean everywhere. Rich just called via payphone. He was on his way back to Big Lake to get the dogs (we hauled a trailer with 14 dog houses on it yesterday) but blew a wheel bearing on the (borrowed) trailer. SHITBALLS! He's fine, it just set us back in time and money...
Anyway, here are some photos and a video clip of the pups on the drive down. We brought Summer, the babies, Roy and Bully with us on this first trip.
I'll send some photos of the cabin and area tomorrow.
Peace.

Little Alice crawling on Uncle Bully, who apparently was done with his coffee.

Puppies snoozing. Libby has a pen we can use for the pups but she advised us to cover the top with fish net or else the bald eagles will swoop in a get them. I've never had this issue before...interesting...

Surprise! They're still snoozing.

A puppy for your thoughts?

Well, these little boogers are growing quickly. Summer's already sick of nursing (bad mama!) but she's being quite the trooper...just wait 'til they get teeth! Ouch! Rich built a new trailer for our trek down to Homer and we're painting it today. Sponsor booty has been mailed, things are packed and I'm itchin' to get outta here! The days are getting longer and the dogyard is a soupy, poopy mess...spring has sprung. I've been told it's Easter weekend so I must get to Steve's Food Boy and get some chocolate.
Here is a photo and video of our newest editions. They grow up so quickly...sniffle...soon they'll be staying out all night and wasting their allowences on make-up and cell phones...
Peace.

The girls: from left, LuLu, Alice and Ruby

Livin' it to the limit and lovin' it a lot

After lots of sleep, a few beer and some tasty food, I'm feeling 100 percent again.
So here's my Taiga 300 story. Settle in kids, get a cup of coffee because I've got stories.
Rich and I arrived in Lake Louise on Tuesday afternoon with the team (Bully, Capiche, Crush, Drake, Omar, Steven, Jerry, Stanley, Peter, Ku, Rohn and Hazel) I signed in and we fed the dogs, then ourselves. After getting caught up with other mushers, we went out and parked on the lake, organized drop bags and packed the sled. We slept in the truck that night and got up early for breakfast, dog chores and the pre-race drivers' meeting. Rich was such a huge help, he pretty much took over to let me rest and fret.
I was the third of 21 mushers to leave and took off at 11:06 a.m. One concern on this race is that April temperatures can be pretty high (up to 40 degrees F) but we left and is was clear and cool. The first 60 mile run went well. The dogs got a little hot in the afternoon as there were some surprisingly steep uphills (with white-knuckle downhills to follow!). We finished in about seven hours in 16th place out of 21. Not too bad. It's not like I went into this with the expectation I was going to win. I know my team is slow and being my first 300-mile race, I just wanted to relax and take it easy. The coolest thing on this run was a snow tornado that spun up the trail at us. We went right through it. Also, we saw a wolf-kill on the lake near the end of the run. Apparently a lone wolf has been all around that area recently.
So we arrived back at Wolverine Lodge for a mandatory six-hour layover. The dogs ate and rested well. I ate but only got about half an hour of sleep before heading out on the 110-mile leg shortly after 1 in the morning. I dropped Hazel here as she was being pouty and didn't want to go anymore. I left her in Rich's care and took off into the night.
The 110-miler, traveled over three lakes and three rivers to Maclaren Lodge. I ran the dogs for six-and-a-half hours (stopping to snack a couple times along the way) before making camp at 7:30 a.m. I rested for the same amount of time I ran. I cooked them a hot meal, ate some frozen pizza and curled up in my sled for a three-hour nap. I woke up at noon feeling great. The sun was out and the dogs and I lounged in the sun for another hour or so before taking off for the last 55 miles into Maclaren.
Along the trail, we were passed and passed teams camping or snacking or just slowing down in the heat of the day. We crossed some nasty overflow up to my knees and that's where my feet got wet (not on the 30-mile loop like the website said). It dropped to 30 below on that run and my boots froze completely solid. It was like wearing casts on my feet. I wasn't all that cold though as I was pedaling on the sled to stay warm and help the dogs. About 25 miles out of Maclaren on the Maclaren River we hit a canyon where the trail twisted over shelf ice and ice bridges with rushing, open river on either side of us. It was kind of spooky, but I was never scared. Some teams had a tough time over the ice-bridge crossings and almost ended up in the drink! Not me, though. My team was steadfast and fearless over the many water and ice crossings.
We loped into Maclaren at 10:45 p.m. for a mandatory eight-hour layover. We stayed nine. In that time, I fed the team twice and carefully went through each dog massaging and wrapping wrists, rubbing shoulders and putting ointment on their feet. I tucked them into their straw and heavy dog coats (thanks again Lou Ann!) and headed up the hill to the lodge for a burger and some sleep.
I napped for about three hours before heading out to the dogs to do it all over again. At around eight, we took off for a quick 30-mile loop on a super trail past the Maclaren Glacier. It was socked in so I didn't see much. On this run, Bully started limping a little and looked really tired, poor old guy. I loaded him in the sled and gave him a ride the rest of the way. We still managed to finish the 30-mile in two hours and 45 minutes. We got back to Maclaren for a mandatory four-hour break. I dropped Bully and sent him home. It was here that I also dropped Jerry, one of five Greg Parvin dogs that I borrowed for the race. Jerry should have remained in the team as he was uninjured and doing great, but I'm an idiot and in my tired stupor, I gave him a cough suppressant to ease a tickle in his throat. I mentioned it to the vet AFTER I gave it to him and she informed me (actually race marshall John Schandelmeier informed me) that the substance was banned and Jerry would have to go home. Live and learn, I guess.
I left Maclaren for the last time at around 4 p.m. on Friday (the winner of the race had already crossed the finish line at this point) for the final 110-miles to the finish at Wolverine Lodge. We started out slow but eventually settled into a pace and the dogs were moving well, back over the ice bridges, one of which had apparently collapsed but I didn't notice (couldn't have been that bad). After about five hours I stopped to camp, fed the dogs, rubbed their bodies and crawled on top of my sled for a quick hour-long nap. I camped with another woman because she was a little afraid to be out there alone. I would have preferred to be by myself, but I wanted to help her out. We set out at 1 a.m. and ran another five hours before stopping to camp for the last time. I cooked the dogs a meal and crawled into my sled for a long two-hour nap. I was so sore and tired at this point, I could have slept there for days. But the end of the race was calling. At about 9:30 a.m. two teams came whizzing by us and I knew that I was in last place. Oh well. I slowly packed my sled, watered the dogs, bootied and took off for the last 40 miles to the finish. It took us about six hours as we were running in the heat of the day. I stopped often (probably too often) to rub snow on the dogs to cool them off. The woman I had been camping with was long gone. It was just me out there and the last 20 miles across the lakes to the finish was, at times, excruciatingly slow and painful. I was popping four Ibuprofen about every four hours, but my body was screaming at me. I got the finish line with my Capiche in single lead and my faithful Rich there waiting. Zoya and John, the husband and wife duo who put on the race, were also there to check my mandatory gear and look at the dogs. Most other mushers were still around so I knew I wasn't that far back...only about 15 minutes actually.
It was then that I found out that I wasn't last. Whoohooo!! A woman who had been in first place for most of the race had gotten lost in the night and took a 100-mile detour. After I realized that she and the dogs were good, I smiled because I wouldn't be last. Not that it matters to me. I had a great time and learned so much. The trail was challenging at times but beautiful. The weather was fantastic and people were absolutely amazing. The Taiga 300 was better than I could have ever imagined. It was well organized and as always with a John and Zoya race, the standards of dog care were very high. In fact, two mushers were withdrawn from the race because of poor dog care. So of the 19 teams that finished, I was 18th. The dogs were so great on this race. I love them so much and adored every second on the trail with them. They teach me something every time I get on the runners.
I need to thank Rich for his ongoing support and love. You are my everything, Rich!
Also thank you to Greg Parvin of the Nome-Kotzebue-Two Rivers-Big Lake-Lawyer-Musher ilk, for the use of Jerry, Steve, Stanley, Ku and Rohn and for his support and friendship. I love ya, Parvo! Thank you to Darrin Lee and Heidi for their kind words and support and to Ed Steilstra for complimenting my smile at Maclaren and for the good company while we both shoved burgers down our gullets! Thanks to Susie, Alan and Ed at Maclaren River Lodge for their support, great food, excellent company. See you all again soon! (thanks Ed, for putting my socks in the dryer and for the pizza bread!) Thanks to Jodi and Dan for Omar and Drake (they did awesome!) and for your friendship. Thanks to John and Zoya for putting on the race and for your support and advice. Thank you to my sponsors, especially Arctis Carts in California for your support this season. And lastly, thank you to my family for your interest.
Anyone else who helped me in any way, I appreciate it very, very much.
Peace.

Me on Lake Louise after the first 60-mile run.

On the Maclaren River shelf ice. Notice the open water to the left.

Our first campspot on the Susitna River.

Sunset on the Maclaren River.

Bully in the sledbag. The old man is feeling much better now and is enjoying some quality couch time with me.

Leaders cuddled up at Maclaren. Rohn, Ku, Stanley and Capiche.


Jerry enjoying the sun at one of our campouts.

Me enjoying the sun at one of our campouts.

We arrived home Saturday night and to our surprise saw that Summer's pups had grown exponentially. Here's Rich with Cinch, the boy. They mostly grew out and are now fat little roly-polies.

Slow and steady, sunburnt and still smiling!

Hi Everyone!
I finished the Taiga 300 yesterday (Saturday) at around 4:30 p.m. It was a little slower than I wanted, but we had a great time out there camping and meandering down rivers and over lakes that I guess I just didn't want it to be over! I had so much fun and I think the dogs did to! The nine I finished with looked good at the finish line, just a little tired. Over the four days in the race, I got less than eight hours of sleep, so I was little out of it but still enjoying the experience. I learned so much on this race and had a blast. I will write a detailed yarn later today with photos and video from the trail. My fingers are very swollen right now and not cooperating with the keypad. Thanks for your support and thanks to Rich for writing the updates.
Peace.

Taiga Update #5

Hi everybody!
The news since last night has the top 9 teams across the finish line. Michelle Phillips finished at 3:33pm (4/3), Micha Degerlund at 7:12pm, Cindy Barrand at 7:26pm, Angie Taggart 10:35pm, Jason Mackey 12:23am (4/4), Darrin Lee 1:44am, Robert Tasso 2:53am, Wayne Curtis 4:19am, and Wattie McDonald at 6:41am.
I received news this morning that Jillian is running a four hour on, four hour off schedule on the 108 mile run to the finish. This is a running strategy which ensures that the dogs and the musher are going to have a fun run without tiring out. Many of the Mushers that have already finished had talked to her at the McClaren checkpoint, and report that she is in a great mood, and having good dog runs. Due to the change in running schedule, her finish time is likely going to be a little bit later than the 12:30- 12:45pm finish that I had previously expected. I will let you know as soon as she crosses the finish line. Keep Cheering !!

Taiga Update #4

I finally have some news! First of all, it sounds like one of the ice bridges collapsed while Jillian was on the 30 mile loop, leaving her with wet feet! Being such a short run, I don't think it left her too uncomfortable. I received news from the race Marshall that after the run, she was doing well, and was prepared to leave McClaren after her 4 hour rest at about 2:45pm this afternoon. She dropped two more dogs while at McClaren, which means that she will run the remainder of the race with a string of 9 dogs (still a good sized team). Her run from Wolverine to McClaren on the outbound took her 21 hours and 50 minutes, so if she runs the same schedule and the dogs are moving as efficiently on the way back, we can expect her to cross the finish line between 12:30pm and 12:45pm tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.
Michelle Phillips is the winner of the race crossing the finish line at 3:33pm. We are still waiting for the next team to arrive. I'll update a little while later. Its going to be a long night as the rest of the teams start to drift in to the finish.
You can view fairly uncurrent race statistics at dogsleddenali.com, and click on Taiga 300!

Minimal Taiga Update #3

Hi
Sorry about the delay, but the information from McClaren has been very sluggish. What I know is that all but two teams were into McClaren before 11pm last night. There is a quick 30 mile loop after an 8 hour rest in McClaren followed by a 4 hour rest back a McClaren Lodge before the teams leave to head to the finish line, 108 miles back to Wolverine Lodge.
As of 10:30 this morning 12 teams had completed their 8 hour, 30 mile, and 4 hour rests, and were headed towards the finish line. I am not sure when Jillian arrived at McClaren last night, so it is impossible for me to update her progress as of right now. I will let you know as soon as I hear something. Sorry for the lack of information.

Taiga Update #2

Hi it's Rich again!
The most recent update has some corrections and new information.
Corrections: Tanya Schletner actually arrived at McClaren at 12:24 (not 12:04)
Michelle Phillips was in at 12:25 (not 12:05). They both ran straight, and did not rest on the 108 mile run.
New: Cindy Barrand showed up at McClaren at 3:20pm, followed by Micah Degerlund at 3:41pm, and Angie Taggart at 4:03pm. Each of these three teams reported that they took a three hours rest on the trail between Wolverine and McClaren. Talk to you again soon!

Taiga Update #1

Hi folks this is Rich reporting on the Taiga 300 and Jillian's progress on the trail. I'm not the seasoned blogger, nor as computer savvy as Jillian is, so just bear with me. 21 teams showed up by Wednesday morning to start the race, Jillian being the 3rd team to leave the starting line. The first teams arrived back here at Wolverine lodge on Lake Louise about five hours and fifty minutes later. Jillian took it easy due to the warmer weather and hot sun, finishing the first 60 miles in seven hours. There was a mandatory 6 hour layover at wolverine before the next 108 miles to the next checkpoint at McClaren Lodge. The first teams left here about 11:30 last night, Jillian left just before 1am and the rest of the teams were out by 2am. Jillian started the race with 12 dogs, but decided to drop Hazel out before leaving Wolverine this morning, because she wasn't having any fun. I will take care of Hazel here at the truck until Jillian returns, hopefully Saturday morning. That is all that I have right now, but I will update as I hear more reports from the trail.

UPDATE:
A report from the trail marshal this morning, who is ahead of the teams on the 108 mile trail to the McClaren checkpoint said that a lot of the natural ice bridges on the McClaren River have broken leaving big spots of open water in the race trail. This isn't as big of a problem as it sounds. The river isn't very deep, and the team that Jillian is running is very good in water. This will slow the run times down a little bit. Jillian is planning on taking a rest about half way through the 108, while the teams that are racing hard will run straight through.

UPDATE 2:
News just arrived that Tanya Schletner pulled in the McClaren at 12:04pm this afternoon (108 miles in 12 hours and 33 minutes). and Michelle Phillips showed up just behind her at 12:05pm (108 miles in 12 hours and 27 minutes).

I will write up more reports as I get them!

Female asses are mysterious creatures

What? It's from a Planet Earth episode on grazing herds of the plains.
Two posts in one day. Wild and crazy, I know.
Anyway, I'm trying to put music on my MP3 player while Rich is cooking pizzas for me to vacuum seal for the race.
A short dog run to come. I wanted to post a link to the race for any of those who are interested. Clickity click right Here!
Peace

Is that something you might be interested in?

Well, Mama Summer and her babes are doing well. They've settled in to a routine of eating...and, well, that's about it. Summer has been eating and drinking. She takes a bite of food and then goes back to the pups, bite of food, back to the pups, etc...
I got all my sponsor booty and will be sending it out after the race. I'm hoping to finish the Taiga 300 by Saturday morning. That's a really conservative schedule, but I don't have delusions in this one. I just want to finish with happy dogs. (I used to hate it when mushers said that in interviews, but it's true.)
So, here's the breakdown:
Sponsors who gave between $1 and $49 get a bumper sticker and a photo card.
Sponsors who gave between $50 and $99 get two bumper stickers, a card and a Spitfire Kennels hat.
Sponsors who gave between $100 and $500 get four bumper stickers, a card, a hat and a T-shirt.
Sponsors who give over $2,000 get a guided three-night trip via dog sled. (Airfare to Alaska not included)
So expect your booty by the end of April.
Also, all of these items including, Spitfire Kennels fleece jacketsand hoodies are for sale. Posters are also for sale upon request.
Today we're getting last minute items for the race and taking the dogs out for a short run.
Peace.

Say hello to my little friends

We've got four puppies! First up was a dark brown girl named Ruby, then a few hours later came a little grayish-brown girl named LuLu, minutes later came a dark brown boy named Cinch and finally a little light brown girl named Alice. These are the latest addition to our family and Rich and I are very excited. Summer is doing well and is an excellent mama. She and the babes are resting in the dog barn.
Here are some photos. Also, there is a short video clip of Roy partaking in his favorite morning ritual: Barking at moose until they charge him.
Enjoy!
Peace

Dog-barn hotel

Jilly and the Micro-tinies.

Proud parents!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing...Puppy Watch: Day 63

No pups yet. I thought for sure it was going to happen last night. All night long, Summer would initiate howls followed by moans and a couple of groans. I would hurry down the ladder (hurrying and ladders don't mix, needless to say) and outside to see. But each time, she'd just be sitting outside her house looking at me like 'what?'
I fell asleep on the couch in front of the warm, glowing glow of the propane heater, waiting for the next episode. I had trouble sleeping because her howling was so loud as she's right outside the window by our bed. It sounded like she was right...outside...our...window...nevermind.
So then, a while later, she started the old trying-jam-the-metal-food-dish-in-the-doghouse game. In my mind's eye, Summer's thoughts went something like this:

"Why...won't...this...darn....CLANG...dish...CLANG...go...inside...CLANG...my...CLANG CLANG....house..."
After about 20 minutes she must have realized that if she turned the dish sideways it would go in. The clanging stopped and the next time I went outside, she was curled up with her food dish. in her dog house.
She wouldn't eat breakfast this morning and she looks really uncomfortable, so those little pups are coming any time now.
I don't necessarily want to be there when she's actually having them, but I do want to be around in case there any complications (ie; if she withholds a pup or tries to eat them).
This summer when Sadie (a Greg Parvin dog) had her pups, Rich would go to check on her and she'd get so excited to see him, she'd burst out of her house to get some pets with a puppy hanging out of her vag. Not good.
We just moved her into the dog barn in a corral with lots of bedding hay and fresh water.
So, here we wait. For babies. I had crazy dreams last night that she delivered a litter of kittens.
God, I hope not.
Peace.

Puppy Watch: Day 62

The mood is tense; I have been on some serious, serious reports but nothing quite like this. I, uh... Ching... King Summer is inside right now. I tried to get an interview with him her, but they said no, you can't do that he's she’s a live bear dog, he she will literally rip your face off. 'Hey, you're making me look stupid! Get out of here, Panda Husky Jerk.'


Summer has actually been very loving and patient while I poke and prod and snuggle her every day. She's going to pop out these pups any day now. Her vag is really swollen and leaking goo, so I'm pretty sure she's almost there. She's still eating every morsel that's put in front of her and her poop is solid, so it's still probably at least a day or so off, but we'll see. When she stops eating, it's time.

Rich and I have been busy getting ready for the race; packing dry food, cutting meat, etc. Rich also made some white, polyester dog coats for my race. I have the heavy insulated ones too, but if it's warm and sunny, I need to protect the dark dogs from overheating.

I let a few of the race dogs loose this morning to let them stretch out and see how they look. Oh yes, they look good. Nice and happy and strong.

In the team will be seven of my dogs and five of Greg Parvin's dogs. For clarity's sake, I've been calling them Rich's dogs. (Bite my tongue, bite my tongue, bite my tongue.)
Regardless of who owns what dogs, they have been well-trained this season and are healthy and happy.

We're packing for the race, but also packing up all of our worldly possessions to hit the road to Homer and beyond. Homer for the summer for sure, but after that, who knows? Wherever the clever North wind blows us, I suppose.
Peace

Here is my Summer-boo in all her prego glory. She has beautiful eyes, coat, gait, appetite and disposition. I can't wait for her babies!

Don't put your ash near the dogs, please

Nothing could top the news of Rich finishing fourth in Goose Bay 120 yesterday. Not even a volcano erupting close by, showering the Mat-Su Valley with ash. (More on that in a minute)

Here are some results for all you Goose Bay fans.

1st) Jason 'I'm not my brother's shadow' Mackey

2nd) Carmen 'Came out of the woodwork' Perzechino

3rd) Joseph 'Not afraid to call out the Iditarod' Robertia

4th) Richard 'I'm not grumpy when I place in the top 5' Savoyski

5th) Gus 'I don't know what to say about him because he's mildly vanilla' Gunther

6th) Debbie 'Sparky' Moderow

Other people from 7th through 13th included Elaine something from Wasilla, a colorful character named Jesse Bebee, Wayne Curtis and his beautiful Siberians and Tom Someone-With-An-Accent who was running Kathleen Fredricks' dogs.

14) Colleen 'Doesn't seem right for her to be back here' Robertia

Sue Allen scratched about 15 miles into the race.


So, the confusion came after teams had their eight-hour layover at a makeshift checkpoint on Flathorn Lake. A storm moved in and with it brought strong winds and falling/blowing snow. Visibility was very limited and the trail had blown in. Trail stakes either weren't there to begin with on the outbound trail or had blown away/gotten buried, so teams were floundering though sometimes-waist deep snow (that's neck deep for the dogs) to find some inkling of a packed trail. Some teams went back to the checkpoint and according to one musher at the finish line 'The whole race got lost.' Trail breakers went out on snowmachines but unfortunately they a) didn't know where the trail was or was supposed to be either and b) had been drinking whiskey for a while.

Dangerous, foolish and frankly, appalling, I know.

Eventually up to 12 of the remaining 14 teams were lined up in a convoy trying to find the trail in the dark, in a storm. They would go up one way, realize that it was the wrong way, send word down the line to turn around and would turn, in unison, 12, 12-dog teams 180 degrees and head back. That's no easy feat even when you've got a tired dog team and conditions are good, so imagine how it was for these teams who were fresh off an eight-hour break and in a storm on fresh snow where it was impossible to hook down. According to Jason Mackey and others at the finish line, they had to do this synchronized turning many times before Rich finally spotted the correct trail and told the others. They took off and spread out. Jason and Carmen shot ahead both vying for first, but Joseph and Rich ran together for a lot of it along with Debbie and Gus. The trail was still confusing even as day broke and the winds died, but Rich and I train on these trails, so Rich knew the way and would wait for Joseph to make sure he was on the right path, too. For this, Rich got the unofficial sportsmanship award. I was so proud at the finish banquet when Joseph, who finish third, recounted Rich's helpful actions and then handed over some of his race winnings so that he and Rich had equal amounts. I was so proud!!! My heart was bursting and I haven't seen a smile like that on Rich's face in a while. Way to go, baby!

Rich is still sleeping as he didn't get any on the race and he was pretty amped up after the banquet so we watched a movie. (Cold Creek Manor, perhaps one of the worst ever.)
Rich's finishing team was: Ku, Rohn, Capiche, Bully, Drake, Omar, Steven, Jerry, Stanley, Crush and Pete. He dropped Sipsi at the halfway because she wasn't having fun. The dogs came in strong, tired and with absolutely no injuries. This, with the exception of Jerry and including either Hazel, Strider or Doyon, will be my team for next week's Taiga 300. (I'd like to thank Arctis LLC at arctis-carts.com for the shout out and sponsorship.)

Mount Redoubt erupted yesterday but Big Lake is east of the fallout zone so luckily we haven't had any ash raining down on us, but it is all around us in Willow, Wasilla, Talkeetna and Skwenta. Let's hope it doesn't happen as the dogs ingesting those particles is obviously very bad for them.

Peace.

I have some (hilarious) video of the debacle at the race, but I have to edit it down a little. Stay tuned.

We're drinking champagne like we won a championship game

Rich and the Spitfire Kennels crew finished fourth in this year's Goose Bay 120! The dogs finished so strong and Rich was pedaling and poling for the entirety of the race to help the team keep up their speed. With the exception of a wicked storm last night that caused all 15 teams to get lost and turned around on several occasions, and some mass confusion at the finish line after some teams took a shortcut, the race went relatively smoothly. I'll write more later after Rich and I have a nap, go the banquet to get the prize money (we finished in the money!) and feed the dogs again.
Peace

When the going gets tough, the tough get dragged across the road

Oh man, what a start to the Goose Bay 120. After my debacle last year, I thought no one could top it. As it turns out, it can be topped, or least matched. And by Rich, no less! Ha! Actually, his start wasn't as bad as mine because he hung on and didn't lose the team like I did. Plus the whole starting chute was a goddamn goatrope this year. Sleds were tipping and mushers dragging all over the freakin' place. They switched everything up this year and rerouted the race course to boot. We have a strong team, though a few teams showed up that I'm not sure we could beat. Who knows, though? Anything can happen out there and Rich knows these trails very well as they're our home training trails for the most part. Rich is a very determined, very competent dog driver so we'll see. A total of 15 teams started this year including Colleen Roberia and her hubby Joseph (each running a team), Debbie Moderow and Jason Mackey. Rich made it to the chute in good shape. He was counted down and, with Ku and Rohn in lead, he fired out the chute and over the road. He overcompensated for a 90 degree turn onto the trail and the sled flipped. Rich, who is wickedly athletic and scarily fearless, hung on as the team drug him over the pavement and down into the ditch. He righted the sled only to flip it again but was up again in a matter of seconds and didn't even have to hook down. The volunteers at the road crossing turned back to me after and in unison said 'impressive.' Yep, that's my Rich, never lets go or looks back. The run was rerouted down the Butterfly Lake trail and around Flathorn Lake where they have a basecamp set up. After that 55-mile run to basecamp, all teams must take a mandatory eight-hour rest before heading back about 55 miles to the finish. Unlike last year, which was a true 120-miles, this year will be cut a tad short. Plus, last year, we had our break at Yentna Station out on the river, but teams this year won't hit the Big Su or the Yentna River at all. (That is, if my understanding of the map was correct.) If all goes well, Rich should be in between 8 and 10 tomorrow morning. I'm going to call the checkpoint later to see how the first run went.
Here are some pics and a video (sorry hon, I have to) from the start line.
Peace.
My last race of the season starts on April 1st. The Taiga 300 will be an Iditarod qualifier for me. Rich will be there to handle (the dogs and me!).



Rich signing a bib.


Sipsi giving her papa a pep talk.

Bully and Capiche relaxing in the truck before the start.

This is the first time I've ever seen Rich wipeout. He did the entire Iditarod last year and only fell off once and it was on the flat Yukon River.

Well, I get told to never get old

I had the worst run yesterday. And it was with the puppies! So in case I've failed to mention, this summer Rich's dog Sadie had six pups. They're about seven or eight months now and we've been taking them on short, fun runs with some of the older dogs. Usually, I run them while Rich is doing longer runs and will take out two teams to divide the chaos in half. Yesterday I was feeling brave and took out an eight-dog team with all six pups and two leaders (Jack and Hitchcock). (The pups names are Mr. Lahey, Bubbles, Garcon, Obby, Maude and Wayne.) Even though these pups have been out on a dozen or more runs, hook-up is still a nightmare. Rich helped me yesterday and there was no shortage of flailing, chewing, biting, and general puppy antics. (The reason I've taken over with the pups is because, believe or not, I have a little more patience when it comes to the scratching, biting, fighting routine.) So right before we took off, Obby wiggled out of his harness and was loose, running around with Roy, who is impossible to catch when he knows you want to catch him. Fine, I thought, Obby can just run loose with the team. We finally took off and I realized that Maude has twisted herself up and was necklining. We were on the road at this point, so there was no stopping. As soon as we turned onto the NorthSouth trail, I stopped and unhooked her neckline. We were off again with Obby and Roy darting in and out of the team causing all the dogs to get distracted and thus, tangled. After several stops and lots of yelling at Roy, Jack, an old leader who has finished two Iditarods, had had enough. He made a quick haw (left turn) off the trail and into the knee-deep powder. I went with it, because I had had enough by this point also. I tried to get the team back on the trail, but Jack wasn't having it. He led us through the deep stuff for a while and then I saw Wayne trip and get tangled in his harness. I stopped quickly but couldn't set a hook because we were in powder, so I just grabbed him and took his harness off, setting him free. I finally got the team lined out and back on the hard-packed trail home. Now Wayne, Obby and Roy were running through the team causing everyone to get fed up. Bubbles reached out and grabbed Wayne, who was running loose beside her, by the ear. By the time I got back up onto the road and into the yard, I was sweating and hoarse from yelling. Jack was utterly fed up, but the pups were still wound up. It was a bad idea on my part to take them all at once. With two teams, I can have each pup beside an older dog and they don't act up nearly as much. Well, live and learn and hope that I didn't do too much damage.
No babies from Summer yet, but we're thinking in the next week or so. I moved her to a house right beside our cabin, so she can have a little peace and quiet.
Rich's 120-mile race starts tomorrow at 1 p.m. They generally don't update during this race because it's lesser known so I'll try to let you know how he's doing. His race team is: Ku, Rohn, Stanley, Steve, Jerry, Bully, Capiche, Crush, Drake, Omar, Sipsi and Pete. We'll see how they do this weekend and decide who will be on my Taiga 300 team. The Taiga starts on April 1st, at Wolverine Lodge.
I got a logo done and have ordered T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats to send to sponsors. I also ordered bumper stickers for sponsors, so if you sent me money, expect something soon besides my undying gratitude.
Peace.

Sometimes fires don't go out when you're done playing with them

It's windy here. And the chainsaw's broken so I can't cut word. Needless to say, I'm a little chilly. We have propane heat, but don't want to use it because fuel is so expensive. Rich is out for a 60-miler with the race team. We're taking turns doing a long runs with the main team and short runs with the pups.
Remember a few posts ago when I recounted the canine coitis on the trail between Summer and Rohn? Well upon close inspection yesterday it looks like Summer's preggers. She's not very big though, so it makes me think that either a) she's going to have a false pregnancy again or b) she'll only have a couple pups.
I hope it's the latter. We'll name a boy Junior and a girl Ruby. I've wanted a litter since last summer so I hope she pops out at least one.
Not much else to report. I'm counting the hours until we leave for Homer.
Peace.

I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down

According to my mother, with whom I just had the sweetest conversation, I'm leaving 'a trail of disappointment' wherever I go. Guess who's not invited to my rookie Iditarod start next year? Yes I gave up a steady career to race sled dogs. Do I regret it? Not for a second. I'm happy. Yes I've 'run away' from various lives I've had in the past several years, but I need to be happy. And you know what? I am happy. Have I disappointed people along the way? Probably. But I'm not living for other people. I completed my first 200-mile race this year and I'm pretty freakin' proud of that. (My mother paid the $200 entry fee but wanted it back when I didn't win.) I'm hoping to complete my first 300-mile race shortly. The people who have supported me along the way did so because they are supporting my dream, not because they expect something in return. And I'm living my dream. I'm not rich and don't have much to show, but I wake up every day not dreading the hours ahead. This is who I am.
We've narrowed the race contenders down. Hitchcock is out because she's just not interested in any run past 20 miles. Summer's out with a sore shoulder. Sister's out because she'd much rather train pups than go on any long runs. We've still got about 16 in contention for a 12-dog team, so odds are good that we'll have a great lineup come race time.
I'll keep you posted on the progress.
Peace.