JAN BACK ON THE TRAIL...MONDAY, MARCH 8TH

Well, it has seemed like forever that I have had the dogs out running. We have about a foot of new snow and that means a lot of work before hooking up a team. I have learned to slow my pace and take my time in preparation. Patience is not always my virtue...so I try and not think of hooking up a team....and I focus on checking out the trail and grooming the start chute. I end up shoveling quite a bit of snow and running the drag over and over through the chute. All the while, I am being watched by my dogs....my every move.

There is still the dog truck to unload and sled to take down. Finally I am ready to go and I head back to the dog lot. I am greeted by excited dogs...all wanting to be the chosen ones. I select 8 dogs and listen to the protests of the dogs left at their houses. I tell them that they will be next.

Just before hooking up the dogs, I watch about 6 snow machines come roaring down the road and they stop right at the trail access. I decide to walk down and talk with them...I want them to be aware that I am taking out a team and ask them to please watch for me on the trail from the road to the swamp...it is full of curves and if not careful, a snowmachine can run over my leaders. They assure me that they will be watchful and I thank them....away they go and I continue hooking up my dogs.

Well, we are ready to go and I release my snub line. You would think that after hundreds of take offs and going through the wooded trail to the swamp that this would be just routine...but again I am in heaven...hard to put words to the feeling I get when I am behind the team. I can feel my spirits just soar....and my adrenaline slowly subside...and soon we are out in the swamp, taking the turn to the right and I am amazed at the feeling that I have as I have been past this turn over 200 times this winter...and it is as it was the first time.

I am just going to run 17 miles and it will be over before I know it. I am trying to savor the experience as soon my Alaskan winter will be over. Actually in just 4 days. Saturday evening I received a call from Jane and was told that my Sandy dog was very sick and was taken to the Vet Emergency Hospital the night before. I am heading home to be with my companion of 14 + years. We head out to Steven's Lake and run around the lake and head back. A wonderful run with snow conditions that are near perfect.

After I put away the dogs, I decide that I will work cleaning the blue house rather run a second team and return in the dark. Well, I no sooner get started and I convince myself that the second team will be so disappointed...as they were all going nuts when I left them behind...so I head back out to the dog lot and hook up team number two. Hmmm....could it be that I would be so disappointed? In a short time I found myself back on the trail and amazed that I could have the very same feelings all over again....I have come to the conclusion that every run will be like the first...

I have been spending more and more time with the dogs after the runs...knowing that soon I will be leaving. It has been an incredible winter and we have truly become a team. I wonder if they know that my time is soon up? I wonder how many remember my leaving last year? I wonder if it will be as hard on them as it will be on me? I would love to pack most all of them up and bring them home....hmmm....two dogs at Cindy's, two at my house, two at Cecile's, two at Bill"s...right there that would be an 8 dog team.