The first race
Sourdough
is quite closely for parking the teams and there I needed 2 approaches
to find a good place. John was the entire time ready as handler
and meanwhile he was as tired as we, he had to watch for 2 teams
and clean up the straw for 2 teams. Roland was, as always, short
behind me, and slowly I was conscious that if I do not watch out,
he will even overhaul me. Sourdough is always cold, the way to
the water far and the snow deep, there everything needs its time.
For the first time that a dog did not eat, Popcorn was obviously
tired. Also the fast trail had as a consequence that some dogs
had sore wrists and with a lot of patience, massage and Algyval
I became all supplied, therefore I needed nearly 2.5 hours before
I could go sleeping at midnight. Hugh Neff, Ray Redington Jr, Allen
Moore, Lance Mackey and we talked about dogs, equipment and so
on, this are the beautiful moment in a race. Allen was very nervous
and you could see that he was very conscious that he drives a good
team. When the bell waked me up at around 4 o'clock, I asked myself
why I’m doing that and that I could just stay here and sleep,
but after I had a look in the room I remarked that all the others
where gone and so I also get ready. Cold weather kills you nearly
if you are so tired. Before sleeping I had prepared the food for
the dogs and everyone ate well, also Popcorn. With cold hands it
gave all the dogs a massage and put them the booties on (48 pieces).
Roland was also with his team, he was unbelievably motivated and
drove a super race and that without large preparation. At 5.30
I left Sourdough under beautiful northern lights, but with -40°C
it was rather cold, fortunately I could dry all my clothes in the
cabin. The run to Wolverine is rather flat on large trails passing
Fish Lake, Ewan Lake and Crosswind Lake as interruption. On the
Crosswind Lake Judith run out at 9 o'clock in the morning to bring
me a hot soup and a cup of water. These are those beautiful moments
of racing and I had also determined that I was mentally in the
race, the thoughts only with the dogs and me. The dogs ran quite
slowly, I believe with 4 coolers of food in Sourdough in 8 hours
I have fed them to much and so I let them running simply in their
trot and with 6.30h to Wolverine we was 30 minutes slower in Wolverine.
The sun shines, all around the mountains of the Alaska Range, in
front a meanwhile harmonious team of 12 dogs, this are the moments
for which you do all the preparation and training, mushing like
in the books. I’m really happy to be here and this are exactly
these moments, which make us mushers so addicted to go racing.
In Wolverine I looked the first time on the times, I was in 9
th position and had to take a break of at least 87 minutes. There
is one mandatory stop of 8 hours in Paxson and at least 14 hours
for all the other checkpoint together. Roland came only 5 minutes
behind me, so he was 35 minutes faster than I on the last part.
When I saw him coming over the lake with his 11 dogs, he dropped
Hank in Sourdough, his team looked very good. And I was not unhappy
about this because he drove a lot of my Questdogs. Roland was in
10 th position. My plan was to stay for 3 hours in Wolverine and
2 burgers with fries I went better, I had already a withdrawal
of Junkfood. I could still make 2 positions if I hurry up a little
bit. Said, done, briefly said to Roland: "Hey I’ll go,
follow ". With still 12 dogs in the race I could really push
a little bit in this late part of the race, only 82 kilometres
to go. All had again eaten well. It does seem that it is definitely
better to give them less snacks on the trail and feed them more
in the Checkpoints. As I pulled the hook at around 14.00 after
only 2 hours break, the team was a sluggish, never we had a so
short break.
But the worse was that Herring and Franky hobbled. What was the
matter? Franky had an easy sore wrist and at Herring I couldn’t
find I anything at all, but he hoppled really strong. Short decided
I dropped Herring, thereby I nearly had forgotten the official
Dropped-Dog-form, and they brought it with the skidoo. There I
saw that Herring runs lively, without hobbling to the Truck. But
now it was too late. He has probably only slept somehow crosswise
on the leg, as we have it also sometimes, if our arm falls asleep.
The remaining team needed some time to find a smooth run, and behind
me Robert Buntzen, which did not want nevertheless to be overhauled
as fast. Long miles were stayed in visual contact, and for the
first time in the race I had helped the dogs with ski sticks and
run up the mountains. Even with -30°C it became so warm that
I was on the way without jacket, but Robert stayed behind me. O.k.
Chevy out of the leadposition and Brownie as leaddog, then Piano
and Wondar in point, that’s always worth of an attempt. And
look at that this gave a new impulse to the team and suddenly we
had a speed between 16-17 kilometre per hour, I should see Robert
again briefly in far distance on the Tolsona Lake. Roland was fortunately
not even in my range of vision. With 3 hours 11 minutes we were
quite fast in Tolsona, there only a short Sign in and out. Funny
there is a truck stick in........ Moment, that is MY truck........
not at all funny. John looked furtively and explained me that he
was stuck in the lake. Well at least I had enough time to consider
what I’ll probably do without a truck at the finish, well
well, then I’ll drive I the dogs through the city to the
B&B. Although the last 40 kilometres took only 2 hours and
41 minutes, it seemed to me like an eternity. The northern lights
danced over Glennallen and the lamp of the airport lively flashed
and did simply not want to come nearer. At the finish there was
as expected no truck, I turned the gang team and went to the B& B,
nevertheless there is the food. Bill my host got me fast a bundle
straw and the dogs were embedded as in the checkpoint. We just
drove to the finish and Roland was already there, he passed two
teams and came in 9 th position. A proud achievement as Rookie
in a race, where 23 from 40 mushers gave up, and it didn’t
miss a lot and he could have taken my place, there were only 40
minutes between us. He also drove the dogs home and Bill and I
went to Tolsona. There they had the truck already out of the lake
and at 22 o'clock we were all at home and the dogs in the box.
Defiance the small misfortune John was a 1A-Handler and without
him we would never have reached the finish so well. Hardly in the
house the telephone went and I was already 100% back in business,
I had to organized many things at home. As gladly I would have
said simply, see you in April, I’ll stay here. The travel
home, after the banquet, we stayed until Wednesday mornings, were
quite impressive, in Tok I looked on a thermometer, which goes
until -60°C. It was colder than that. In the Kennel -49°C,
also not warm, our first real cold snap this year.
Now you want probably know what’s next. Unfortunately the
messages are not so good. As it looks, I’ll not be able not
to participate at the Quest, I’m looking for a driver, but
in certain moments I have the ambition to be there. For the Iditarod
I still made no decision, thereby I have still hope to be there.
* all picture were taken by spectators of the CB300
