On the way to Germany
The other day I got an email from Leanna, a race fan in Toronto, stating that I have totally neglected my website updates since the end of the Quest in february. Time is flying and as usual I did fall in a bit of a hole after the mushing season ended. PMS - post mushing synrome. Than in spring all of sudden things got very busy. A trip to Homer was quickly followed by a tradeshow in Quebec and than several trips to southeast Alaska to bring the dogs down there to run summer tours on the glacier.
Now that I am writing these lines I am en route to Germany, where I will spend the next weeks visiting friends, family and doing some slide-show presentations about the Yukon Quest.
The Iditarod still is very vivid in my memory, I have to admit the Quest seems a bit more far away, but the pictures of the Quest will help to bring it back to my mind. This was my third year of running both races in a row. Something which was regarded next to impossible just a few years ago. It was definitely regarded impossible to win both races in one year. Well Lance Mackey, also in his third year of running both, changed that principle, pulling off wins in both of them. Once again the old saying “never say never” holds true. Knowing what I have been going through to make it to the starting line each time, I have the deepest respect for him for those victories.Looking back at the season, although not winning, I am very pleased with the results. 4th in the Sheep Mountain, 3rd in the Knik, 2nd in the Copper Basin, 7th in the Quest. I was hoping to improve my standings in the Iditarod and my 22nd place was definitely an improvement. Both races were very tough this year, tougher than I had experienced in the past. While the Quest was dominated by extremely cold temperatures, the Iditarod had its challenges with long stretches of very little snow and long stretches of pretty high winds. I sure was glad to reach the finishing line in Nome. In both races my team came together very nicely at the end of the race. I am getting a little more comfortable with driving smaller strings, with finishing with 8 dogs in the Quest and 9 in the Iditarod. Once leaving the Yukon River in Kaltag, my remaining 11 dogs really started klicking together and it was very enjoyable to drive them. We made great times along the coast and were able to pass quite a few teams on the last runs before Nome. The best thing was that I had a very special person wait for me at the finishing line.
I have been doing quite a bit of reflecting and thinking about the past few years. In 2004 I signed up for the Yukon Quest to “ finish unfinished business “. After that race, finishing 10th, I thought I would never do that again. Little did I know at that time, that from february 2005, to march 2007, in 25 month, I would attempt and finish 6 more thousand mile races and finish the Quest and Iditarod for 3 consecutive winters. Something that to my knowledge only Lance and myself have accomplished. Needless to say that there has not been much time for anything else in my life. Compared to many other mushers I am pretty much running a one-man-show. I have no family here in Canada, although my parents mentally and some times financially support me. My relation to Jocelyne did not survive the racing stress neither. So it was me with some very very good dog handlers and a handful of faithful friends which pulled through this challenge, how, I often do not know myself. Without their help I would have never made it and I am very grateful for their support. Sitting in the airplane to Germany I realize that I have not seen my family for several years, most friends consider themselves lucky if they ever get more than a 5 word email, never mind a visit. This summer I am determined to change that, so here I am on my way to the “ old country “ with a slide-show presentation about the Yukon Quest in my luggage and a pretty stuffed full calendar of meetings and dates. I am looking forward to my trip, so if the website is once again a bit neglected, please be a bit patient. I promise to write a detailed race report about the Iditarod, please stay tuned.
Cheers,
Sab
Sab
Sab
