Ok, I admit it, January can be a challenging month. The days are dark, the excitement of the holidays is over, the worry and challenge of preparing for the Iditarod is upon us. Luckily, part way through the month the sun returns. It finally gets high enough to peak over the mountains, even if only for a few moments. It is surprising as first. Sun reflecting off a surface. Some of my neighbors know the exact day the sun will peak back in their windows. I think Max feels a bit like a mole when we walk midday, the unfamiliar sun reflecting off the surface of the snow.
As I snuck out during lunch this week I saw an amazing Sun Dog. They appear on either side of the sun (only one could fit in my photo) and look sort of like a partial rainbow. They are caused by ice crystals in the air. I always believed they were called Sun Dogs because they follow the sun like a dog, but I cannot find any corroboration of this.
January is a month of Iditarod preparations. The drop bags, full of all of the supplies that Mike and the team will use throughout the race, are due February 17th. So we spend the month preparing the supplies. We send out about 1000 pounds of dog kibble, 1000 pounds of beef, 300 pounds of chicken and fish, fat, gloves, socks, and food for Mike. The kibble is packaged into 10 pound sacks. The meat must be painstakingly cut into butter sized sticks. The fat and clothing sealed as well. We send snacks such as Snickers bars, beef jerky, fruit snacks, brownies, Slim Jims, danishes, and cheese. All cut into bit sized to make them easier to thaw and easier to eat. We package Tang and instant coffee into individual servings. I cook meals for Mike to eat. This year it was egg burritos, hot wings, enchiladas, pizza, Portuguese rice, and, pasta. These meals are sealed using a vacuum sealer and frozen. We also send out booties, about 1500 of them. Each one must be powdered with Goldbond and wrapped up into bundles of 4. These bundles are then vacuum sealed into groups of 16 “pairs” to be sent out for the team.
Preparing for these preparations is a logistical challenge when you live as far from
the store as we do. I am always worried that I will forget something essential. Remember the dog truck that I wrote about so fondly, well it has had an adventure of its own as well. Mid January, Max and I drove to Wasilla to pick up the beef we would need for the Iditarod. As we returned, the truck hesitated as I tried to downshift and then stalled out and died. Luckily I had pulled over as it slowed so we were not in the middle of the road, but not so luckily, I could not get it into neutral and without being in neutral, it would not start. Also unluckily we were trapped on a long hill on a winter highway and the temperature was dropping. I always travel with cold weather gear from Max and often a sleeping bag as a backup. We also take a satellite phone because there are so many places without coverage. This is the first time I needed the supplies. We were within cell phone range and only about 30 miles from Cantwell, so Mike quickly headed out to help us. However, we were 178 miles from either Anchorage or Fairbanks, which makes for a long and expensive tow. The truck is still in the shop and we are missing it dearly. Mike has managed to keep traveling with dogs through the help of friends and neighbors who have lent him a trailer, a spare tire, and a helping hand.
In additional to preparing for the the Iditarod by both exercising dogs and packaging supplies, during January, Thomas has successfully completed two 300 mile races. Putting him within 150 miles of the mileage requirement to qualify for the Iditarod. His first race was the Copper Basin 300, known as one of the toughest self dog races. He finished 21st with a cumulative race time of 41:25:00.
Undertaker and Tantrum
Two weeks later he completed the Northern Lights 300. In this race he not only had the challenges of winter in Alaska, but also earthquake activity. An earthquake of 7.1 magnitude hit mid race, causing fissures to open up on the frozen river along which the race traveled.
In both races Thomas finished with every dog on the team. Indicating not only excellent dog care during the race, but effective preparation of the team and himself before hand. Quite an accomplishment for a Kansas boy who only first stepped on the runners last fall.
Melville
Thomas plans to run his final race, The Goose Bay 150, this weekend of February 13th. I am not sure if this race will have coverage online, but the previous two have given me a refresher for my addiction for tracking sled dog mushers as they compete. For sure you will want to experience this during the Iditarod by signing up to be an Iditarod Insider on the Iditarod website.
There is much to do in the remaining 29 days and 16 hours until Iditarod starts. I will do my best to include you a much as possible around my hours of sewing a few more harnesses, fixing Mike’s parka and gloves, and of course playing garbage truck with Max.
Finally, I want to send a big thank you out to Wendy and Joe for sponsoring Wingman, Allen and Laurel for sponsoring Deputy, Rick and Patrice for sponsoring Thomas' team, Jack and Maria for sponsoring Ozzy, John and Nancy for sponsoring Whiplash, Grandma Dorothy for sponsoring Jigsaw, and to Fran Gray for sponsoring our dreams over many years.
Until next time, I hope you are having as much fun with your dogs as we are with ours.
Mike, Caitlin, and Max