We have been working non-stop to get ready for the Iditarod. Mike and the crew loaded the bags to be sent to the checkpoints.
Max and I loaded this 1900 pounds of gear into the truck and delivered it to Anchorage. We dropped it off with the Iditarod volunteers to be sorted and sent out.
The Iditarod is really remarkable in their ability to organize the logistics of 80 teams of people and dogs. The handling of all of the supplies is efficient. This is achieved by utilizing numerous volunteers, including a whole bus load of Cadets. They march through in an assembly line, grabbing each bag and putting it on the scale. Weights ring out "Nickolai three four," "Kaltag four seven." My favorite is Shaktoolik, which elicits a response chant of "ooo, ooo, ooo." The bags are then marched and sorted by destination.
Have you ever heard the Woody Allen saying "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."? When we returned to the kennel, it became clear that something was not quite right. Dogs were not eating their food, their overall spirits were down. Somehow the dogs had picked up a virus and were not feeling well.
Mike, Thomas, and I have been working hard to help the dogs feel better. However, because of the timing of this event as much as we really want to run the Iditarod this year, we have made the difficult decision that it is in the best interest of the dogs to withdraw from the race. This is a big disappointment to us, but we know that in the end, it is the life with the dogs, their health, our health and our enjoyment of each other that is truly important. This surprising experience has affected me. I worry about everything, but I did not worry about this. I wonder if I can learn from this that the worrying doesn't help, or if it will only become one more thing for me to wonder what if about in the night.
While our team will not be going to Nome this year, Thomas has managed to become qualified to race next year. He finished his final qualifying event, the Goose
Bay 150, in second place and has shown the commitment needed to be an Iditarod dog musher.
Spring is racing forward in Alaska. The daylight is amazing. As the sun returns, first I am surprised to see it coming through windows. In my classroom, it can be blinding, but I am always hesitant to shut the blinds. The light starts to come earlier in the day. Now it is light when I leave for work. This always gives me an uncanny feeling. I start to think that I am late for things. The sun is strong. It reflects off the abundant snow and makes you reach for your sunglasses or hide in a snowcave.
The temperatures range between 0 at night and 30 in the day. These cold nights make the ground hard. It feels differently under your car wheels as you drive, bouncier and less forgiving.
As you may recall, The Iditarod race starts the first Saturday in March. This year, it will be March 5th. While our team will be running on our local trails instead, I encourage you to become Iditarod Insiders so that you can follow the GPS of the race. You can sign up on the Iditarod website. I will also send some updates during the event, to give you a personal insight.
Until next time, I hope you are having as much fun with your dogs as we are with ours.
Mike, Caitlin, and Max