Another interesting day

I’ve been running the dogs with my sled since December 1st. The trails were marginal and I split the team in two for safety. That means a 20 mile run for the dogs is a 40 mile run for the musher. We got a lot of snow the 15th and 16th and yesterday I decided it was safe to get my good sled out and run a single team. As long as we didn’t have a tree down across the trail I was good. Some day I’ll learn not to tempt fate.

Sixteen strong dogs that had not run over 34 miles for three weeks were loaded and ready for bear. Sure enough an hour into the run on the back side of the trail system where the snow had not been well packed yet there was a small tree down. The lead six dogs had crossed over it by the time I saw it. Set both snowhooks firmly and remover the tree with my trusty sven saw. As I walked back to the sled Mocha (in lead) decided she had waited long enough, gave a sharp tug and popped both hooks. I grabbed the sled as it went by and it rolled over. The dogs drug me and pulled the sled out of my hands. I watched one of the snowhooks catch on something and the line holding it to the gangline broke under the impact. There I stand with a snowhook in one hand and my saw in the other watching the team run merrily away.

This is a musher’s worst nightmare. It is like turning a group of five year olds loose in the woods. By the time you catch up with them there have been fights, tangles, dog being drug, slammed into trees, and heaven only knows. None of this is good and I feared for the safety of my dogs. We were outbound on a five mile loop and I walked through the woods to the inbound side and started walking to intercept them, trying to think positive thoughts. Thirty minutes later here they come, Platinum in lead (but he was three back we they left me) and a ball of dogs wheel. I caught the sled and rolled it again looking for the one remaining snowhook. It was caught upside down in the drag. The dogs drug me, then stopped. Try to free the hook with one hand and hold the sled with the other. The dogs drug me again. Repeat several times with language getting choicer each time. Finally get the bright idea to sit on the sled and use two hands– now the hook is free and set. Rig the second hook to the snub line and set it. Say a prayer they hold and start untangling dogs.

Worf is on his back with the gangline wrapped around a rear leg. I can’t get enough slack undo it. Walk up the team undoing tug lines. Platinum and Blaze are missing! Platinum’s neckline is broken – and his tug line loose – he must have kept going when I stopped the team. Blaze’s collar is there, but the tug is loose. No idea where she is. Deal with Worf first – still can’t get enough slack. Back to Mocha and Rosemary in lead, bring them back and tie off to a tree. Now I can get Worf loose – he seems ok. Frodo is also wrapped, but on his feet. Get him free. Undo the tangle; start hooking up dogs praying the hooks hold so I can look for Platinum. Just as I’m ready to leave, Platinum come walking back. Hook him in and look for Blaze – she is either fine and going back to the truck, or hurt along the trail and can’t join us. Still trying to think positive thoughts, I’m going to redo this 5 mile loop first just in case.

Almost back to where I caught the sled I see Blaze lying down in the trail with a pool of red under her. No! No, it is her red harness, but she isn’t moving as the lead dogs pass. Stop the steam, set the hooks firmly and say a prayer they hold and that Blaze is ok. As I walk up I call her and she gets up. Whew. She seems fine. Put her collar and harness back – she is moving ok, so I put her back in the team. By now I’m soaked in sweat and feel like I’ve been drug the 20 miles we done. Cut this one short and go home. No idea what happened, but Worf broke the line at the end of his harness, Platinum broke his neckline and his tug came loose, and Blaze shucked her collar, her tug came loose and she shucked her harness. At home I saw Throttle and a long tear on the side of her face. Staple her back together. A good stiff drink and a night’s sleep and we are off to do it again.

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric

Bass (think music not fish)

Sled dogs are known for having great hearts. In my kennel Bass set the standard. He was a Susan Butcher bred dog out of her Granite lines. Jeff King bought a whole dog team in Nome just to get Bass and his brother Alto for to add to his bloodline. Jeff sold me Bass in Dec 2001 when I called looking for a leader to run my qualifying races. I’ve never made a better purchase. Bass was never a fast dog and like a kid he would test you to see what he could get away with. With a new musher he would go left when you called gee, stop on the hills to pee, and come back to flirt with all the girls in the team every time you stopped. But there was no quit anywhere in him, and if you explained that you knew what a good lead dog should do, and that you knew that he knew, he was great. If I had to take a rescue team into hell, Bass was the dog I’d chose to lead. The only question he would ask is what trail I wanted to take.

My rookie Iditarod Bass and Lycos lead me over Rainy Pass in the blizzard. When we got to Rohn that night they closed the trail behind us, holding the remaining mushers at Rainy until morning. On the Yukon River the other rookie teams I was traveling near said their teams stopped on the river and they were not sure they would get to the next checkpoint, let alone Nome. Bass just kept plugging away. When we left Unalakleet in strong cross winds and nobody would lead with him, Bass ran single lead the rest of the way to Nome. When the storm over Topkot was so bad I had to stop every 20 minutes and clear the snow and ice from his eyes so he could see, Bass kept going. When we stopped on top of a knoll and the wind blew the sled off the trail, Bass lead us around and back onto the trail. When a lesser dog would have just quit, Bass lowered his head and put one foot in front of the other. We might be slow, but by golly we were going to get there.

Bass died in my arms this afternoon. He had been in gradually failing health for over a week. He was my friend, my companion, my lead dog. RIP big guy.

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric

Snow

Snow!














My intrepid lead dog, Platinum


Say What!

Throttle the hopeful

Went out to pick up dog dishes after breakfast and Bowie's dish is missing. This isn't odd, "Bowie the bored", plays with her no tip dish and it slides downhill to 7 of 9. But not this time, check under 7's house - no joy. OK, keep going downhill and check under Throttle's house. No Joy, but wait. "Throttle the ever hopeful" has been looking for the magic dish that automatically refills. She picked up Bowie's no tip dish, carried it into her house and set it right side up in the corner. Now she is lying there watching and waiting for the miracle :-)

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric







Throttle

sponsors

Getting sponsors is all about getting past the gate keeper to get the right idea in front of the right person at the right time. My ideal job is to get a sponsor to pay me to travel around the country (world!) and tell stories (and to continue racing to get more stories :-). I want to entertain, educate, and inspire my audience. Surely someone wants the goodwill that would generate. Vern Halter supported his kennel that way for several years.

Now we just need to see if God agrees with me :-)

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric

No Iditarod in 2010

Iditarod entries closed last night and I am sorry to tell you that R Northbound Dogs will not be going to Nome this year. Finances do not permit it. I was hoping for a miracle like last year, but God must have something else in mind .

I have been applying for full time work with the Federal Government (they are less likely to tell me I'm too old), and have a job interview with Minerals Management Service (they are responsible for the Federal oil and gas lease sales) this Thursday. Please say a prayer for us.

Keep 'em Northbound

Eric