Time to go
We had the vet check for the Yukon Quest here in Whitehorse yesterday, Saturday the 4th of Feb. Trying to get there was a challenge. I have been plagued by truck trouble the last week, but yesterday defenitely saw the ultimate in trouble, as I blew the starters out of 2 trucks, and it was not even cold. Than while doing a simple tire rotation the tire shop broke off the wheel studs, not realizing they were left handed threads, down went annother truck.
Time to improvise, John agreed to leave to Paxson with his own truck ahead of me, to get my trailer from Zoya and John Schandelmeier. After all I will have to drive my truck with the screwed up transmission back to the start of the Quest, not quite plan A and I hope I make it there.The Vet Check went fine, but also here the last week has not be a pleasant one. While doing a few last runs some of my main dogs developped a sore shoulder. Very bad timing 10 days before the race, so I ended up vet checking some dogs I had intended to run in the Iditarod. Thankfully they all had run the pre season races with Andy and are in good shape. Physical shape of a dog is one thing, but the mental part plays an important role also. Here I had kept "my original" team as a very tight group and now have to introduce "new" dogs in the last minute, it is going to be interesting to see the outcome of that.
Once we get up to Fairbanks we will have to pack the Food Drop for the Iditarod. I am lucky to have a lot of help this year. All my personal stuff and the dogstuff like blankets, Algycal, Booties is done, but due to the border issues John could not take any meat across to Alaska. That all has been precut at Charlie Chamaine, there we will bag it and than bring it to Fairbanks, once there I pre ordered Eagle Dryfood, we need to bag that also. Than finally the food drop should be complete and is due to be delivered on Monday.Roland has arrived last week and is busy training his team for the Quest 300. I just saw on the internet that the Quest 300 has 14 entrants, that is a new record number and very nice to see, hopefully that means more teams for the 1000 Mile Quest starting line in the future.
6 days till the Start of the Quest, 26 days till the Start of Iditarod. I am sure the truck trouble will just be the beginning of a few interesting weeks ahead of me.
I am running this years races in memory of Brownie, he was the first pup born in my yard in my first litter. He grew to be my main leader and passed away a few weeks ago at home, his kidneys failed, while we were training in Alaska. I know he would have liked to see the trail once more, he faithfully led me to Nome last winter. Time to go. For Brownie, gone to doggieheaven, but never forgotten.Sab
