TOK AND NED...COMING INTO THE FINISH !It is nice to see a team look so good at the finish !
Photos by Buddy Giddens
Ricky helped get me off on the Don Bowers Race. I was emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted at the start of the race. Not a good place to be. I knew that my snowmachine partner would not be there when I returned from the race. He would be flying back to Colorado that evening to return home and get medical treatment for his foot.
Originally I had thought that it would be good for me to get out on the trail for the race. I am usually in heaven when I am out on the trail with the dogs and I needed to find that place. I had a very heavy heart and so much on my mind and I had a lot to sort out. It seemed like the longest race of my life....and they must have thought that too....as when they posted the times, they added 24 hours to my time. I was slow....but NOT THAT SLOW. They had me coming in on the 3oth at 2:05. I came in on the 29th.
Usually I have a very hard time sleeping on races. I lay awake for what seems forever and any noise wakes me up. After I got to Morgan's cabin, I took care of the dogs and then I decided to throw my sleeping bag down on a pile of straw with the team and sleep. I climbed into the sleeping bag fully clothed, boots and all. There was a check point volunteer who came by and told me that my leave time was around 3:30 and she would come and wake me an hour before and also give me a 10 minute call.
Well, I only remember the 10 minute before leave time call. She told the musher who was next to me that she thought I was dead... as she couldn't wake me. He said that he had heard me snoring...So she kept shaking me and I woke up.
I think that I had slept 2hours, but slept so hard. I woke up in a bit of a stupor, and was bummed that I didn't have my hour's prep time to get ready to leave. When I was finally ready I watched Christine take off (the only remaining musher). I then realized that two of my dogs had chewed tug lines. I had two extras with me but I was still short two. I had to make two tug lines and then got ready to go. Bootied the dogs and had two volunteers stand by my two chewers. If they chewed another tug, I would be in trouble.
I took off and hit the trail at 5:50am. It was still dark and I was the last musher out. When I was ten miles out on the trail I saw a team heading at us...he passed by and was followed by another team. I yelled out asking if we were on the wrong trail....I didn't think that I was. They yelled back for me to keep going. They were both heading back to scratch.
So, I continued on, and it seemed forever for me to get to the 30 mile check point. I got there and rested the team and changed out a few booties. I decided not to rebootie most of the dogs, as the snow conditions seemed favorable.
Originally I had thought that it would be good for me to get out on the trail for the race. I am usually in heaven when I am out on the trail with the dogs and I needed to find that place. I had a very heavy heart and so much on my mind and I had a lot to sort out. It seemed like the longest race of my life....and they must have thought that too....as when they posted the times, they added 24 hours to my time. I was slow....but NOT THAT SLOW. They had me coming in on the 3oth at 2:05. I came in on the 29th.
Usually I have a very hard time sleeping on races. I lay awake for what seems forever and any noise wakes me up. After I got to Morgan's cabin, I took care of the dogs and then I decided to throw my sleeping bag down on a pile of straw with the team and sleep. I climbed into the sleeping bag fully clothed, boots and all. There was a check point volunteer who came by and told me that my leave time was around 3:30 and she would come and wake me an hour before and also give me a 10 minute call.
Well, I only remember the 10 minute before leave time call. She told the musher who was next to me that she thought I was dead... as she couldn't wake me. He said that he had heard me snoring...So she kept shaking me and I woke up.
I think that I had slept 2hours, but slept so hard. I woke up in a bit of a stupor, and was bummed that I didn't have my hour's prep time to get ready to leave. When I was finally ready I watched Christine take off (the only remaining musher). I then realized that two of my dogs had chewed tug lines. I had two extras with me but I was still short two. I had to make two tug lines and then got ready to go. Bootied the dogs and had two volunteers stand by my two chewers. If they chewed another tug, I would be in trouble.
I took off and hit the trail at 5:50am. It was still dark and I was the last musher out. When I was ten miles out on the trail I saw a team heading at us...he passed by and was followed by another team. I yelled out asking if we were on the wrong trail....I didn't think that I was. They yelled back for me to keep going. They were both heading back to scratch.
So, I continued on, and it seemed forever for me to get to the 30 mile check point. I got there and rested the team and changed out a few booties. I decided not to rebootie most of the dogs, as the snow conditions seemed favorable.
COMING INTO THE FINISH !
HAPPY DOGS !
BACK AT THE TRUCK
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