This is a blog I have been meaning to write for some time now…

But life has conspired to keep me from the keyboard. Spring is a strange time for me. First the mud and bleakness of break up, a time to organize and stow race gear and sleds, wash and put up dog coats and leggings, all signs that mushing is taking a back seat to the season ahead. Then green up, as spring emerges and rushes forward into a summer that is both painfully short (for the amount of projects we always hope to get done) and hopelessly long (as you wait for the cool temps of fall and serious quad training to begin).

Now is also the time I finish up answering letters to school kids, mail out Thank You’s to the many wonderful members of Team Dew Claw, and work out my game plan for my summer goals. And in doing so I keep meaning to answer some of the questions that have come up time and time again in letters and emails from students who learned about and followed the race.  I got the jump start I needed when a friend posted some videos of this years race, letting my mind wander back to that point in the race and reflect. (Thank you to Dawn & Marlys for the video, and for being there to take it)

The clip is of the team coming into Nikolia, it had been a long run, and I was beyond happy to get there. It was where I dropped my first dog, Sparrow. Dropped dogs are a huge question in people’s minds; understandably, since most mushing fans & mushers are dogs lovers. The students writing us are also very concerned about the dropped dogs. This year with the help of locally owned and operated Date-Line Digital Printing I had a wonderful form letter with color photos to send kids. Yeah I know, at first I felt bad about sending kids a  form letter but then I realized: A) there was no way I was realistically going to answer the surprisingly huge amount of letters I got, and B) Santa does it and kids forgive him. Anyhow, I make it before the race as that is when you start getting mail. I can (try to) keep up on it. But it means the letter talks about the team and the preparation, but can’t answer the dropped dog questions. But the blog can, so here we go.

As I mentioned the first dog I dropped was Sparrow in Nikolia. She was on her first Iditarod, and was proving to be a driven worker, but it was that same drive that may have hurt her. The trail conditions were not ideal, seasoned dogs will pace themselves accordingly. Sparrow went full force in rough trail, and had pulled a muscle. I carried her in the sled bag as soon as I realized it. She was none too pleased about the ride, but it was in her best interest.  Dogs working in team are strictly monitored and race rules are clear “Rule 39 — Drug Use: No oral or topical drug which may suppress the signs of illness or injury may be used on a dog.” Dropped dogs, however, are given to the veterinarian team and have the full benefit of their care, knowledge, and medications as needed. Sparrow was prescribed and given the dog equivalent of Ibuprofen by the Vet staff. That, along with massage and rest are why Sparrow is fully healed and was even able to go on fun runs with the team this spring after the race.

Dogs are cared for at the checkpoint by volunteers and the Iditarod Vet staff. But that is temporary. From there dogs are flown to Anchorage where each mushers assigned dropped dog-sitters pick up and care for the dogs. I had a crack team working together to care for the dropped dogs of Dew Claw while I was out on the trail. Mush thanks to TC & Dave, and TJ & Lindsey. TC wrote a nice Iditarod Report where she talks about the caring for the dogs.

TC was kind enough to snap these photos of the kids while they were taking care of them:

In addition to Sparrow they were caring for Pledge who had taken a mis-step in a moose track right outside of Nulato. I had seen the moose tracks in the trail, and it is not something mushers like to see. A moose had walked down the groomed trail leaving deep post holes of footprints. Dogs can, and in Pledge’s case did, step into them and strain an ankle or shoulder in the process. Like Sparrow, Pledge made a full recovery.

Now Freezer was not an injury, he had a touch of a cough. I had no desire for it to turn into something more. So with a kiss on the nose he as sent home for R&R. Ribdon was dropped Unalakleet, he was not eating well and I knew something was not right. Later the dog-sitters would report that Ribdon would poop out some booties, thus explaining his upset tummy. Yes sometimes dog running will loose a bootie, or they will try and remove the booties themselves at checkpoints. It seems Ribdon has a nasty habit of eating said loose booties, something I will need to be hyper-vigilant about in the future.

Purge went all the way to Safety, but had gotten sore.  I still think it was the icy trip through frozen lagoons in high winds is where he strained his shoulder. His attitude was always amazing and I don’t doubt he would have kept pulling to Nome, but I could not ask any more of him. As you can see, once he got over being left behind he settled in for a nice nap. Dogs from Safety are brought to Nome and he was back with the race team the next morning.

What else did people want to know after the race?

Everyone wants to know if I am happy with how we did. The short answer is, Yes. But the long answer is more complicated. Of course I am very pleased. But now with some distance and time to reflect of course I have found plenty of things that can be improved on. I do not want to sound negative, but the reality is I made mistakes and still have a lot to learn.

Distance mushing is one of those sports where you get to mull over your event for a pretty extended period of time. Giving you extra time to really beat yourself up over every mistake and weakness; both real and perceived. Other sports, like running, you get more opportunity. Heck you can run a 5-10K almost every weekend in Fairbanks. Bad run, heck try again next weekend. Feeling sick, rest and do one later. But when your race happens once a year you do not have that luxury. I guess in a way this annual focus forces one to be more patient; next year replaces next weekend. Which leads to plans for next winter, learning from experiences, and all the work that needs to go into making it happen.

And it is not as if things are not going to be in motion all summer leading up to the fall. Like major renovations in the dog yard, working on sleds & gear, leader training, fundraising, firewood. Making sure everything is ready so we are ready to start fall training and focus on dogs. Fall training with the quad gives us the base miles that condition the dogs, preparing them for the longer runs of winter when there is enough snow for the sleds. It really is a cycle of seasons moving forward. And hopefully we take from each turn what we need to learn.  So (short answer long) Yes I am Happy, but I totally feel driven to run again and try to improve…

Is that closure? Kinda, cause looking forward is an ending in its own way.
In my mind a clear new beginning will be the annual Iditarod Sign-up Picnic: Saturday, June 30. Which I hope to be attending. Along with a chance to see dear friends and talk dog, and the benefit of picking an early bib number, all entrants in attendance are entered into a drawing to have their entry fee returned to them. A nice perk if you are the lucky musher. There are other plans and dreams in the works, I promise to keep you posted. Hope y’all will join us in looking forward to another cycle of dog filled adventure.