Challenging Season
These lines reach you from Paxson, not quite plan A. I had hoped to be at the Kusko 300 in Bethel. But also the Copper Basin did not go as planned. I divided the dogs into a Kusko and a Copper Basin Team before. The start of the Copper Basin on Lake Louise at Wolverine was still cold with minus 40°. I had pulled a nice starting number 6. With having the dogs being basically parked for 2 weeks before the race, I knew I would have to take it very conservatively. Within minutes several teams had caught up and passed me. As soon as we left Lake Louise, the trail disappeared and we ended up on ankle deep sugar snow. First mistake of the race, if I would have anticipated that, I would not have let as many teams get ahead of me. It was a soft, slow slog to Tolsona. Coming into the Tolsona Checkpoint a team was gaining on me fast. Taking a second look, there was something, or better said somebody, missing on the sled: The musher. In the distance I could see a lonely figure walking along the trail.
The run to Glennallen was not much more fun, still deep sugar snow. What should have taken around 5hrs total runtime, took me almost 6hrs 45 minutes. The checkpoint in Glennallen at “ the Hub “ was well organized, although it is a kind of funny to stop at a gas station during a dog race. We left after 4hrs 30 minutes, at this time still in race mode. To much surprise the trail to Chisto was actually hard packed and fast and it took us 5 and half hours. The temperatures had warmed up considerably to 27 below F. Arriving in Chisto the team ate well and settled into a good sleep. Wanting to give them an equal time of rest, I rested 5hrs 30 minutes. Right after pulling the hook I could tell, that the team did not have much for power. Snacking them right before departure did not help that matter, but more than anything, they were missing the training of the past 2 weeks. Letting them completely sit, was not a good idea. I should have at least made an effort to take them on short 5 or 10 mile runs on some days. In past Copper Basins this run to Paxson was always in the dark. This time with leaving Chisto at 9 a.m. I ran it all in daylight. The scenery is spectacular and although I have traveled this section many times, I never knew that we ran the banks of the Chistochina River much of the way. It usually takes me 4hrs to Excelsior Creek, this time 4hrs 45, not a good sign. The team was flat. Once we hit the pipline, I really had to convince myself to keep on going, as it is only 2 miles to our Paxson cabin from there. 9 hrs after leaving Chisto we made it to Paxson, a good full hour off the pace of the front runners.
Scratching and concentration on the Kusko sure hit my mind, but than again I thought that would not be beneficial for the dogs who were already short on miles, nor to my head, allowing me “ the easy way “ out. So off we went to Sourdough. By now down to 10 dogs having left Yonder and Happy behind. Both dogs I had deemed questionable before the race and should have listened to my instinct. The run to Sourdough was once again a slow soft sugar snow slog. Good training for the dogs, but it takes painfully long to get where you want to get. It did not help that I fell to sleep for a few minutes and ended up on the Haggart Creek trailhead and missing a turn. Luckily I know the area. In Sourdough I decided to give the dogs extra 2.5hrs rest and stay 4.30rhs instead of only 2hrs of mandatory rest time I had left. Racing was over anyhow.
Leaving Sourdough, dropping Wendy and down to 9 dogs, the team was getting stronger by the hour. By the time we hit Crosswind Lake, were Kirk was once again waiting with some water and hot stew, they were barking and lunging to go. Here we go I thought to myself. This is the dog team I parked before new years. Off we went cruising towards the finishing line, riding my drag for much of the way. At the finish line, 8 of the 9 dogs were barking and screaming to go. At least a pleasant ending of a disappointing race. Lesson learned. Cold or not, warm and hot, I will not let my team sit again. Lance put it very simple: “ Sebastian would you park if it get`s 45 below during the Quest ?”
Mark finished in very respectable time and his team looked great coming in. He wrote is own account of the journey. The finishing banquet of the Copper Basin is always very entertaining and almost worth the journey in itself.
After getting back from the Copper Basin I have to admit that I was more than disappointed that my crew at home had not unpacked one of my food drop bags, knowing that I would need much of the stuff cleaned and dried out for the Kusko Food Drop. With timing being very tight that meant my day was spend sorting stuff instead of getting a bit of rest. Finally at 9 p.m. everything was loaded in the truck and an all night drive to the Airport was ahead of me. Soon after leaving Paxson we started hitting above freezing temperatures, rain and the driving was horrific. After a quick stop at Bonnie`s in Eagle River I made it to the NAC Terminal in Anchorage by 5 a.m.. Time to unload all the dog crates, assembling everything, putting the dogs in and weighing the whole works. So far so got, things went somewhat to plan. That was about to change, when I tried checking in for my own flight. All flights the previous day to Bethel had been cancelled, and I was told that the runway there was closed due to the weather. Sure enough while waiting I ran into Mitch Seavy, John Baker, Jeff King, Dave Decaro all waiting to get to Bethel also. Than I got a call from Northern Air Cargo to pick up the dogs again, they would cancel the flight for the day. I tried to rebook with Alaska Airlines, but their cargo load was already overbooked. Not good. By than the Kusko announced that they will move their starting date to Saturday, which would give me one more day to get there. We went back to Bonnies, a nap really sounded good at that time, and would try again on Friday morning.
Friday morning. Same scenario with unloading all the gear at 5 a.m. and the waiting game began once again. By noon ., same verdict, my dog flight was cancelled. By now I missed the food drop date in Bethel, but my food drop also had completely thawed out from sitting a 45F temperatures for 2 days. I rang the Kusko headquarters and told them that I withdraw from the race. Man that bummed me out. Not only was I looking forward to being in Bethel again and running the Kusko, but more so I once again missed on 300 miles running, where I am already way behind in training for the month of January. I wonder what the dogs were thinking, after being loaded and unloaded in the plane several times, just to each time “ arriving “ back at the same place.
Too tired to drive back to Paxson right away we spend another night at Bonnies and Jims. I am lucky to have such great hosts, who always open their doors for me. As Bonnie put it: Sebastian the only constant thing with you is change. I guess she is right with that.
A hell of a storm broke loose that evening , 80 mile an hours winds and pouring rain over night, the power was out for several hours. Maybe a good thing I did not make it to Bethel. The snow had almost completely disappeared by the next morning. Not even a week ago we were enduring minus 50F temperatures, now it hit up to 50F above. Not only did the temperatures go from one extreme to the other, my mood had been doing the same thing. It is hard to stay motivated and focused, when a season turns out so shitty. The only way out, keep on going, same as in a race. John Baker put that very nice: “ Racing is just an extension of Life, never give up “. So the first thing I did when I got back to Paxson was hooking up my 14 dogs and going on a 25 mile run. If felt good to be on the runners, but most of the trails were drifted in. Trying to find my way over Summit Lake in the pitch black I narrowly escaped taking a bath, as what I took for overflow ended up being open water.
I just got an email from Ray back in Whitehorse, that it rained there all night, but the snow is still good. We have not been able to cut any meat for the food drops here in Paxson and as I write these lines, it is still too warm to do so. Luckily we woke up to 3 inches of fresh snow this morning. Time to regroup and to make new plans. Time to remember: Racing is just and extension of life: Never give up.
Cheers
Sab
Sab
