Nikolai to Ruby
Same procedure as every year, I overslept in Nikolai for an hour. I wanted to leave after 4.5hrs, and left after 5.5hrs. Jeff King who did the run to Nikolai in 1hr 40 minutes less than us, left 15 minutes ahead of me. Well so much for the first team to Nikolai award…. Leaving Nikolai Kavik looked sound, but Bananas did not. I stopped several times, but could not find anything wrong with him. Mitch Seavey and John Baker both passed me, which did not help my mood. Only 5 miles into the run, I ended up loading Bananas, who did not really want to stay in the sled. The trail was hard and fast, so his weight did not slow us down too much, but it is always a mental blow having to load a dog. I could see John and Mitch for most of the way into Nikolai. Although this run with 6hrs and 16 minutes was much faster than I had done it in the past years, it was one of the slowest times this year. In Mc Grath I just stayed long enough to drop Bananas and kept on going to Taktona. In all my 6 Iditarods I have never stayed in Mc Grath. Originally I wanted to snack the dogs in the checkpoint, but it was too busy for my liking and I snacked the team a mile out. Everybody devoured their fish snack. Ideally I would have some fattier food, but much to my surprise the temperature started to drop, the thermometer showed mins 35 when we reached the small mining town of Takotna short after midnight. The team ran nice and steady. Mitch and John had gotten here a few minutes ahead of us. As in the past, we were greeted by the Takotna Parking crew and I asked for a parking spot right behind the community building. Same as in the past years, Jeffs team was parked right next to mine, his dogs already sleeping in a cozy straw bed.The only dog who had any issue was Kavik and I was glad he let me rub him down without putting up too much of a struggle, nor eating my hand. I took the Chickenfeet leggings of the dogs and was happy to see that their chicken feet looked much better than a few days ago. All feet rubbed down with Algyval and all shoulders massaged I headed for my first burger. But I was not hungry, which is unusual for me. I should have clued in that something is not right. I laid down for a nap and when I woke up 2 hrs later I realized what was going on, I was developing a full on migraine. I have been plagued by those all my life, but so far had never gotten one in a race, as I usually get them after a stressful situation is over. Feeding the dogs was a struggle. Feed a pair of dogs, vomit, feed a pair of dogs, vomit and so on. I crawled back into my sleeping spot, earplugs in and fleece over my head to avoid any noise and daylight. Several hours later I did not feel much better, but it was timer to give the dogs a second meal. I skipped on the usual second round of massaging for the dogs and went back to bed. Sometime late afternoon I went outside just long enough to pack my sled, tried eating a meal, which promptly came back out. So much for enjoying the great Takotna food. I was very relieved when I could feel the migrane subside around 10 p.m as my leaving time was drawing near at 1.30 a.m.. Instead of feeding the dogs a meal before leaving, I decided to take a full cooler of hot water with me and feed the team in Ophir. That was done mostly out of necessity as I had next to no dryfood left. Either I did not send out enough, or the dogs are more than I anticipated.
Leaving Takotna I put Skunk and Finn in lead. But Skunk was not into leading at all. I am afraid this is much of my wrong doing, as I have to admit that I might have spoiled that little princess a bit too much over the course of the winter, with her spending most of her time inside, but also getting away with her stubbornness way too often. I stopped to put Scruggs in lead. From here on this somewhat timid dog would lead me most of the way to Nome. He really seemed to enjoy himself in that position. I like to stop in Takotna for several reasons, one being that after a 20 mile run to Ophir, there is a chance to drop a dog after the 24 hr layover., in case I overlooked a problem during that time. I was specifically worried about Kavik, but he looked sound during the past 2.5hrs. The run to Ophir would be the first real cold night, my thermometer showed 40 below. As planned I stopped, got my dog dishes out and gave each dog a full meal, adding a lot of fat in the form of fishoil and canola oil. Knowing that the dogs having such a full belly would slow them down, I was still glad to have gotten a huge meal into them, so they could stay well fueled during the cold. I also got my own appetite back and started digging into the “ to go lunchbag “ they gave me back in Takotna.
I also loaded up a third of a bale of straw and enough heat bottles for a campout on the way to Cripple. 2 years ago I broke up the run Takotna to Ruby in 4 runs. My team looked great in Ruby that year. But Lance and Jeff had done that stretch in 2 runs and thus shaved off about 12 hrs of my time. Not wanting this to happen again I was looking at doing only one rest stop this year. But I was not sure to do it before Cripple or in Cripple. The team ran very nice and ate each snack until about noon. Lance passed me, and I stayed with him for about an hour, before he pulled away. I could feel my dogs questioning my decision and slowing down considerably. It was nice and sunny out and in hindsight, I should have just pulled over and camped. We arrived in Cripple after 2 p,m. and found a nice camping spot in the trees. Cripple is a cluster of tents and normally offers minimal services. But this year one of the volunteers kept a big drum with hot water going, which makes life soooooo much easier. After the 13 hr run from Takotna not only the dogs were zapped a bit. I desperately needed some shut eye myself. I was delighted to see each dog once again eat a full meal, this time I added a lot of fatty lamb meat, knowing a cold night was laying ahead. We stayed 5hrs 45 minutes, which felt adequate after such a long run. Leaving the checkpoint Kavik was limping and I immediately realized that I totally forgotten to treat his left shoulder upon arrival with Zalox and a heat pack. The run to Ruby is along one, so I decided to turn around and go back to the checkpoint to drop him. That is something I have not done in a long long time, to go back into a checkpoint. The run towards Poorman was painfully slow. I could hear and feel my runner plastic dragging in the cold. Unfortunately I did not have any black runner plastic for cold temperatures, due to a screw up at food drop time, where some runner plastic I had ordered was never send out. It is 22 miles to Poorman and that took me a bit more than 4 hrs. Not good, that is 5.5. miles an hour. Hans Gatt passed me and I asked him if he had any spare black runner plastic for me, which he did and graciously gave to me. I waited for a wider spot in the trail, as I could see more headlights coming from behind and started to change the plastic. But it would not fit. I could not line up the hole for the pin holding the plastic in place. I needed to trim off a half inch wide strip which was not a very quick undertaking at 40 below with just a knife. Very frustrating exercise. At the same time, the dogs were getting bored and stated digging nests and I could hear them stripping off their booties. Urghhhh. It took me more than half an hour to get the plastic changed. By that time I had to re boot half of the dogs with my already numb fingers. But, once I pulled the hook the grinding noise was gone and we were moving at a good clip. Sitting back in my lazychair seat, I normally can feel my axe handle in my back…., but not this time. I had somehow lost the axe during the runner changing ordeal. Not cool, with it being a mandatory piece of equipment. I turned my team around and went back, sure enough there it was laying next to the trail. After turning the team once again we were headed for Ruby for the third time. Turning a team around is never good for the moral of the dogs. Doing it twice during a minus 40 night left my team and myself mentally down. Several teams had passed us during the last hours. The run to Ruby is a series of hills on a mining road. That road had blown clear off snow in many parts and my nice brand new black plastic was getting all chewed up. What a waste of time to change it. I also was worried, that if the trail conditions would not improve and Hans would need his spare set of plastic, that I would have left him in a real tight spot, although I could have given him the set I stripped off, as I had tucked it in the sled bag Luckily he seemed to have made it to Ruby o.k.. I have never liked the grave yard shifts and usually really try to avoid running an all nighter. I tried to stay awake with drinking 5hr energy drinks, which somehow worked. At 7.30 a.m. after 11.5 hrs we pulled into Ruby. This run should have taken no more than 9.5hrs and had taken most teams just that. Loosing 2hrs in one run, at this stage in the race was a pretty good blow and would most likely take me out of contention for any of the front places.
More in a few weeks Sab
Sab
