Or “The Stories you Didn’t Read in the News”

Thanks to the Internet, social media, GPS trackers, and Iditarod Insider everyone can follow the race in real time.  Y’all know where the mushers are at any point in time, and what we did when. But that is only part of the story, and to every epic story there is always a great back story, or at least some funny out-takes.  This year in place of the traditional race wrap up I thought it would be much more fun to share some of those snippets.

Starting Out –

I love this photo from the start, love how it captures the moment.  I look so relaxed and happy. And if you look closely in the sunglasses you can see the reflection of my team running smoothly in front of me. The same view I have from the back of the sled. And there is so much going on behind those glasses. The start is always full of optimism laced with nerves, surrounded by the collective excitement of masses of excited fans. You have spent years to get to that very point in time, training, raising dogs, raising money. And no matter how many times you have run it is never the same race twice, so you know there will be unknowns. All these thoughts and emotions rolling around inside your head as you go screaming out of the start chute behind 16 super athletes; all of whom are less nervous and more amped than you could dream of being.

Leaving Willow the trail is flanked by fans for miles and miles.  And the trail-side parties go on well into the night.  This year, as was the plan I camped with my team on the way to Skwentna, Armchair Musher Sebastian Schnuelle stopped to chat and got some photos of us for the Iditarod Website. You can see post here.  Shortly after his visit I finished my chores, sun went down, and the dogs were resting nicely.  I had picked that spot because it was off the main trail tucked away from the many parties and bonfires on the river, I though it would be a quite place for us to rest. And it was, until the sun went down…

…and then the fireworks started.  Literally. Fireworks. Apparently someone in one of the houses up on the bluff above where I was camping has spent a significant amount of money at one of the many fireworks stands in the area. Under any other circumstances I would have been pretty psyched for such a dramatic display. It was pretty impressive, lots of high flying explosive rockets, and big booms.  Yup, any other time. But on day one of Iditarod while you are trying to give your team some rest ranks pretty high on my list of  horrible times for a fireworks show. Needless to say it was not our best rest, but we managed, the dog ate well before the big blasts went off.  And shortly after the display it was time for me to pack up, put booties on the dogs, and get back on the trail.

Flat Jacob –

This year I had an excellent traveling companion on the trail; always smiling and up for anything, Flat Jacob traveled every step of the way to Nome with me. Flat Jacob was the flat version of a  real boy.  A strong, brave young man who at the age of 10 is battling cancer for the fourth time. When asked if I might be interested in caring Flat Jacob along to make following the race more fun for the real Jacob it was a no brainer, of course I would. Flat Jacob saw every checkpoint, traveled every mile, and through it all was a constant reminder that there are people dealing with far greater struggles then mine, and doing it with faith and humor.  Having that reminder helped me to stay positive. And if I am being 100% honest with you; more that once on the trail when I was in the middle of nowhere and fighting the exhaustion to stay awake I would find myself having conversations with my flat traveling partner. “Wow, Jacob check out that raven playing with the team”  “Hey Jacob do you think the aurora will come out tonight?” And before you totally question my sanity let me assure you I never actually heard him answered back.

The Boas –

OK it all started as a joke between friends, me, Jenny, and TC. They had been threatening to wear glitter, capes, and a variety of other glamish costume items. But at the start this year it became a reality. Yeah my friends are that crazy fun!! How great is that, we all sit around over coffee and talk about the silly stupid funny things we might do, but this year we actually did it! And it was FUN!

This year was not my best year. But on the way into Nome I took a minute to stop on Cape Nome and remind myself that I was the only one beating myself up for what at that time felt like my failure. To be honest on a long distance race you have a lot of time out there alone in your head to think. To quote The Indigo Girls (Who I Love!) “You can stand there and agonize ‘Til your agony’s your heaviest load” * The people who were going to be at the finish were there to help me celebrate the fact that I had made it to Nome. I knew right then I needed to let go of the agony load I had over-analyzed myself into, and instead focus on how great it was to have made it. Then at the finish the boas re-appeared wrapped around the necks of my friends in the finish chute.  And once again I was surrounded by my amazing friends reminding me that life is worth celebrating! Reminding me how fortunate I am to have the kind of friends who are vibrant and beautiful, and can always make me smile.
*from Watershed, a great song – see the full lyrics here. Or watch then preform it live.

Sorry About the Green Foam –

File this one under – yes this was my fault, and since I lived to tell the tale lets all just laugh about it. OK this is how it happened; leaving White Mountain I was almost ready to go, just went into the kitchen on my way out of  the checkpoint for one last drink of water. I grabbed my cup that I left sitting on the table next to my snacks and gulped….  and gagged…  This was NOT water!!!  Turns out that was not my cup of water, but a cup of hydrogen peroxide that another musher had used and left on the table. I would later talk to folks who were at the checkpoint who told me about the peroxide, at the time I had no idea and thought it was the water cup I had left out earlier. Big mistake.  And it all happened so fast I had drank half the peroxide before I even knew it.

So those of you who know about peroxide already know this story does not have a pretty ending. But for those who are unfamiliar with the amazing powers of peroxide when ingested let me tell you, it causes vomiting. It is actually a common known way to induce vomiting in dogs who have ingested something they shouldn’t. So now you know.  And there I am having just drank half a cup and needing to leave White Mountain for the last run of the race. So I am hooked up and leaving, but at the same time I am puking, and there is nothing I can do about it.  To make things even more interesting I had a belly full of creamed spinach.  As a special treat to myself I had sent out packaged Palak Panner (Indian creamed spinach with cheese). Luckily the effects of peroxide are swift and over quickly. So to any of my fellow mushers who left White Mountain after me, sorry about the green foam.

Gee , no Gee, for the love of all things holy will you just go Gee –

In spite of how easy it may look in the videos there are often times on the trail when things do not go smoothly.  And this usually happens at the most inconvenient time. I know places like “The Steps” get all the press for being difficult* it is usually the places you have never heard of for whatever reason on any given year have the ability to drop you on your behind or bring you to a screeching halt. (*Actually with a great base and lots of snow The Steps were wonderfully tame and manageable this year) This year one such spot was a creek crossing a few hours after the checkpoint of Rohn. You are rolling down the trail, at a reasonable pace since the snow cover was low making it harder to use your brake. Then you come to a corner where you run across an ice bridge near open water and take a right, Gee, along the creek a bit before getting back onto the trail through the woods. Teams often camp here to take advantage of the open water, much easier to cook dog food when you do not have to melt water from snow.

This year I came to the opening by the creek, and I could see 2 other teams camped out there already. The team started across the ice bridge and I called for the Gee. It was the obvious choice, a marked trail, and 2 other teams were already camped out along the obvious trail.  And in spite of all that, for reasons known only to the lead dogs, they went Haw – left! “No Gee” I called, but it fell on deaf ears, and since I was on an ice bridge stopping was not an option. First you can not stop on ice. Second, if I had been able to stop there was a very strong chance my sled would have slipped off into the water. So I have to get the sled off the ice before I can stop the team and try to get them going in the correct direction.  Once I am on land again, I call for the Gee, this time they do go right, but not without 3 of them wrapping around some small trees on the edge of the trail causing a total tangle.  At this point in time Monica Zappa who was camping there, saw my dilemma and came to give me a hand untangling the mess that is my team in the trees. And we had a good laugh about it as we worked to get the team lined out.  Apparently I was one of may who came around that corner with the musher calling Gee while the team went left anyway. Who knows why, but this year this was one of those innocent looking places that caused problems. And I learned that not everyone was as lucky enough to keep their sleds from getting wet. So hey, I had that going for me.

Where Gratitude is Found –

For me, this trip it was found in high places, hilltops, ridges, vast expanses of treeless wonder, and crests where the landscape below spread endlessly before you. The run to Takotna was brilliant, clear skies and a team that was rolling along through the hills with power and grace! The hills outside of Kaltag were spectacular, and the spectrum of colors that glistened across the mountains as the sun set was amazing! And cresting the last of the Topcock Hills, overlooking the sea ice outside of Nome took my breath away.  I would be out in these places and part of what would blow me away was the fact that I was there. The trail takes you to places most of the world will never see. Makes you feel alive in a  place where the only way to get there requires more effort, investment, and doing something that many people would not even dare to dream of. And yet, here I am, experiencing it in all its glory. It is humbling and empowering all at the same time.

Speaking of Gratitude –

To the friends, family, and businesses who were a part of Team Dew Claw this year, we can not thank you enough!  Without the support and sponsorship none of this would be possible.  Mush Thanks to all our Sponsors!!!

 

Mush thanks to Antonia Reitter – Photography by Antonia, Sarah McConnel, and Jenny Harrison for the photos and more importantly for being a part of my story.