THURSDAY IN WILLOW

Well, kennel days are always about the same...get up water dogs, scoop the kennel.  Up until today we had a moose cow and calf camping out on our trail.  Sadly the calf died yesterday and today the cow left our trail and headed for the swamp. 

Today we finally took out a team.  A small team, but a team of eager dogs.  When the dogs saw me hooking up the sled and carrying out a bunch of harnesses, they went berserk.  As always, I knew just who I was going to run.  Interesting how I am sure that they think if they bark the loudest, jump the highest, howl, twist and turn, that I will pick them.   I decided to take out the dogs who were left behind, along with Tok and Magic. 

I ran Tok in lead with Thornton(who did not run Iditarod), for old time sakes...they were my very first leaders on my first race in 2009.  Then I took Otter(who did not run Iditarod, but I wish that I had taken him) and Magic(ran on Bob's team), along with Spot and Roan in wheel. 

We just ran out to our turnaround which made for a 4 mile run.  I will have to say that this morning I finally booked my flight home to Edmonds and as I drove my team out of the kennel and down suicide hill and out to the swamp, I was in my glory.  Doesn't matter if it is a 6 dog team or 16,  I find that when I am on the runner I am in heaven. 

The day was nice and I pulled out my camera...."CHANGE BATTERIES" was flashing on my screen.  Bummer.   I wanted to capture the moment and it was plenty warm...not like on Iditarod where most often I never wanted to remove my mitts.  So, I spent the rest of the run enjoying the beauty that was before me and I also enjoyed watching the dogs.  Tok and Thornton leading together as they have done for years, Magic gungho and working hard for a little gal.  Roan and Spot dipping snow and enjoying being in the team. 

Not a moose in sight so that was a good thing.  The run was over before I knew it.  Too warm to take out another team.  Hmmmm....I think that I need to cancel my ticket and reschedule my trip home....

Tomorrow we will run another team in the morning early.  Then it will be off to Wasilla to pick up our return bags from Iditarod and hit the Laundromat. 

IDITAROD 2012

Terri, My Iditarider

On September 21st, I received an email from Pay pal that I had a donation.  The attached message was:   Sponsoring "Red". Will be in anchorage as a volunteer and look forward to meeting you at the mushers banquet.  Terri was from North Carolina and I was really intrigued.  How did she know of my dream? 

I sent Terri an email thanking her for sponsoring Red and asking her how she knew of my dream.  She told me that each year she chooses a musher from the Iditarod website and sponsors them.  I was honored that she chose me.  Later I received an email from Terri thanking me for taking the time to blog.  I was amazed, as she told me that she would take her i pad to work and each morning she would check out the blog.  Later I received another email from Terri telling me that she was bidding on my sled.  She won and would be my Iditarider. 

Signing Trail Mail

March first was a busy day for us.  We had a mushers meeting in Anchorage and then a luncheon for our Iditariders.  It was then I got to meet Terri.  Later that evening we had the Iditarod Banquet.  It was quite a time and I was so excited to share it with my friends from Washington state.  Cindy, Jenny, Kathleen, Patty, Jane and Debi all came to Anchorage to be a part of my Iditarod.   We were also joined by locals;  Angie, Mark, Rick, Jane and Bob's daughter Melissa and granddaughter.

Debi, Jane and Jenny at the Banquet

I drew the starting bib of number 40 and Bob drew the starting bib of number 49.  I have never autographed so many posters, hats, shirts, books, and programs.  The banquet lasted well into the night and we didn't get home until after 1 am. 

Trish and Sandy from Washington arrived in the wee hours.  They were troopers as they joined Jane, Debi and Jenny, leaving Anchorage at 5:30 am and heading for Willow.  When they arrived they had fun visiting with the dogs, scooping the kennel...yes, shoveling poop.  They also dug out 20 dog houses that were burried in 2 feet of snow.   Beth and ? were busy with Bob fidding neck lines and tug lines.   We were so grateful for their help.  Linda and Jane came and spent the day sewing.

THE CEREMONIAL START


Cindy, Kathleen, Patty and Terri

We arrived in Anchorage Saturday morning and parked in our designated area.  It was so awesome to be able to share this whole experience with friends from home.  As we were getting our sleds ready Terri arrived.  She was quite excited and spent time with the dogs.  I have to say it was an awesome experience for each of us, sharing in each other's dream.  We had a great time at the Ceremonial start and Terri was also there at the restart in Willow.  She made my Iditarider experience the best ! 



A Moment With Amber

Words are hard to describe the experience when we left the starting chute in Anchorage.  It was incredible !  (A word that I have used a lot to describe my many Iditarod experiences)  A beautiful 5 star day, with Angie on my tag sled and Terri in my sled bag.   It was so much fun.  Usually when you are on the runners it is a real solitary experience...just you and the dogs. 

Angie on the tag sled and Terri in the sled bag...
Photo by Keltron

Our journey started on 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage and went down to Cordova street where we took a Gee turn and Cordova street blended into the bike trail, going through three tunnels, several overpasses, amongst the numerous people, adults and children alike who wanted to slap hands as we passed.  The 6 - 8 miles were packed with spectators cheering us on.  I was amazed at how well the dogs did with the crowds so close to them.  At times it seemed like there was barely enough room for them to get through the people.  In no time, our trip to Campbell Airstrip was over.
We reunited with our dog truck at Campbell Airstrip where we met our handlers.  The dogs were watered and then unharnessed and loaded into their strawed boxes.  We then headed for home to prepare for the Re-start in Willow the next morning.

SAFETY TO NOME

After hours of a ground blizzard we pulled into Safety.  I went inside and changed out my socks, and put new foot warmers, toe warmers and hand warmers in my Neos.   I also put in new hand warmer in my mitts, and changed out my neck warmer. 

Safety Checkpoint

We had a cross wind leaving Safety for about 6 miles and then had a head wind going up the east side of Cape Nome.   Here we are heading to Nome and we have another hill and winds.  It seemed like we were traveling forever as we had left White Mountain 65 miles ago and we had traveled about 10 miles through a ground blizzard.  At the top of Cape Nome we laid on top of our sleds and took a cat nap.  I woke up when my hands got really cold.  It was time then to move on. 

When we were about a mile and a half outside of Nome, the sirens blew.  We could see the lights of Nome ahead of us.  As we came up over the sea wall we were escorted by Nome's finest on Front Street.   Off in the distance we could see the brightly lit up Burled Arches.  There were numerous people there to greet us as Bob arrived under the Burled Arches at 2:55 am and I followed at 2:57 am.   Good friend Angie Taggart was there for our finish.  It was so great to see her.   I was awarded the Red Lantern and the 2012 Iditarod was officially over.  I was so glad that I made it all the way to Nome and it was an accomplishment far greater than I had imagined. 

We then drove our teams to the dog holding area near the Nome convention center.  Angie helped put the dogs out on the stake out chains and we prepared a big meal for them.  They were snacked with lamb, salmon, tripe, and race mix.   We then took our bale of straw and made individual nests for each dog.  They curled up and when they were all settled in we left for our Host, Myra Boje.  When I got to her house I was so exhausted that I just crashed.   I figured that the shower would come in the morning. 

I actually woke up without an alarm after 4 and a half hours of sleep.   I decided that a bath was far more inviting than a shower.   I so loved the hot soak and my muscles were so happy.  I looked over my many bruises and wished that I had taken pictures of them when I saw them at McGrath.  Then they were so incredibly colorful.  Now they were beginning to be more shades of green and yellow. 

I headed down to the dog lot and fed and watered the team.  Angie met me at the dog lot and then she went to Northern Air Cargo to pick up our dog crates that we were to use flying the dogs home from Nome.  While there she looked for Bob's crates and none of his were there to be found.  We then found out that they were never shipped.  Bob spent the morning assembling my dogs crates while I spent the morning on the phone trying to rustle up dog crates for him.  We were successful at piecing together enough dog crates from local mushers and then our luck turned and we received a call from a scratched musher who had all of his crates sitting at Northern Air Cargo waiting to be shipped home.  We in turn picked up his crates and were set to go.  It was a win/win situation, as we saved him the cost of shipping his crates back and we didn't have to borrow crates from Nome and then ship them back to Nome. 

At 6:00 we had a Red Lantern Musher's Banquet and it was a very relaxed gathering of mushers, volunteers, well wishers, and local Nome residents.  To put it in perspective, the Nome convention center was packed.  Outstanding food, good times, great tales of the trail by numerous mushers who were still in Nome and the presentation of the Red Lantern award by Wells Fargo.  It was a fun time had by all. 

Seven thirty Wednesday morning Mike, our cab driver picked us up and took us down to the dog lot.  We loaded up 6 of Bob's dogs into kennels and they were transported by taxi to Northern Air Cargo.  The rest of the team and sled were transported by Mike Owens.  We said our good byes to the dogs and headed back to front street where we had breakfast and then it was time to meet Alaska Airlines at the dog lot.   They came in a large van and within minutes my whole team was loaded into dog kennels and then the sled was loaded up and away they went to Alaska Airlines. 

Mike our Cab Driver while in Nome

We headed back to Myra's and packed our bags and cleaned up our space.  Then we called Mike our cab driver and we too were off to Alaska Airlines to return to Anchorage. 







Beth Wheeler picked up Bob's team at Northern Air Cargo and then drove to Alaska Airlines to pick the two of us up.  We then went to Alaska Air Cargo and picked up my team and sled.   Thanks to Beth, Angie and Rick, everything went like clockwork and there were no glitches.  We were soon on our way to Willow. 

SATURDAY MARCH 24TH

Spent the day taking care of the dogs and getting them all back to their houses.  They are glad to be home.  Have gone through all of the return bags that came home with us and also all of the returns that we put in our McGrath sleds. 

Heading out the door soon to visit Ted and Paula. 

We are working on an overview of our 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, check point to checkpoint. 
This evening I will post our Nome experience. 

STILL ON THE TRAIL???

Well, I will tell you it was a rather interesting night.  I did sleep in til 9:30, but my night was full of me talking in my sleep and vivid dreams of wanting/needing to hook up dogs and thinking that I had to be back on the trail.  In my "confusion", I would try to grasp the fact that I had already arrived in Nome and yet, why was I still having to run another leg???  Bob found it quite amusing and told me that is what Iditarod does to you.  When I was talking in my sleep about hooking up Chad, he replied that Cad was hooked up and I went back to sleep.  Pretty amusing.

I have been going through the return bags that we carried home with us and am washing our clothing, neck warmers, socks,etc.  I will make a run into town to have my head looked at.  I will also stop by the Laundromat and wash our snow suits, all of the dog coats and booties that were worn on the Iditarod Trail. 

I have two of my dogs back to their dog houses and will dig out two more before I head to town.  Then when I return, I will dig out two more. 

When we returned home we found out that there was a local moose who took up residence in our dog lot.  Now that we are home I am hoping that the moose does not return.  He or she was sleeping right in front of our door and there was evidence that it roamed through the dog lot. 

Last night when I checked my email I was overwhelmed with all of the messages from you all.   I want to thank you all for the encouragement and well wishes and prayers that you kept us in.    It will take a while, but I want to respond personally to each one.  

A special note to Emma(a student who has been emailing and following my journey)....I read your message and will be sending you an email.  There are many more messages from students across the US and I will be answering your emails and questions. 

I think that the dogs are happy to be home and I can't wait till we can go out for a run !   I can't wait to get the dogs our for a run who I left home.  It was such a difficult decision to make when I selected my team.  Otter, Spot and Roan...I wish that I could have had them with me. 

Well, bye for now.  But I will try and blog each day and get caught up.   

BACK HOME IN WILLOW

Well, here I sit at my laptop...still trying to grasp the past 18 days.  I will have to admit, I am fighting the falling eyelids...still sleep deprived, but I wanted to make a post.   I would like to thank you all for following and sharing my dream.  I am so amazed at the following and so touched by the supporting comments and encouragement that you have all showed me. 

This was truly an experience of a lifetime for me and an accomplishment of a lifetime.  I am so happy to have finished this race.  As one friend wrote "finishing last you can still be a winner".  For me finishing Iditarod was just that.   It was a very BIG Win.  I knew from the beginning that my goal was to go under those arches and that would be my win. 

I thought that I had an idea of what it would be like.   I had no idea the reality...it was far more challenging than I had ever imagined.  I thought that I knew what winds were.   I truly had no idea.  I had never experienced winds like I did on this trail and I had never experienced weather so brutal before. 

I am forever in awe of the dogs who I drove down the trail and all the way to Nome.  They are truly amazing animals.  When I made the decision to run Iditarod, I knew that I was taking on a HUGE responsibility for the safety, health and well being of my team.  I needed to take care of these dogs all the way to Nome.  My goal was to come into Nome with happy, healthy dogs.  I came into Nome with 9 dogs on the tow line and they were just that.  Happy and healthy. 

When we arrived at the house, we were met with "Welcome Home Signs".  I will say that we have a wonderful supportive group of friends here who played a very big part of getting us ready for the trail and supporting and praying for our safety and well being down the trail all the way to Nome.  We came into our house and it was cleaned up and there were more banners and also newspaper articles of the race.  What a joy to come home tired and to a clean house !  There is nothing to have to pick up or clean. 

We just finished feeding the dogs and now we are going to get some much needed sleep.  The nice thing is this will be the first morning that we do not need to set an alarm clock.   I am so hoping that I will sleep in and not wake up early. 

There is still so much to share with you all.  I will work on filling in the gaps and sharing with you experiences on the trail.  Tune in to read about falling asleep on the runners, temps down to - 50 degrees,  trail breaking for 200 miles, Ruby to Unalakleet,  drifted snow, incredible headwinds, side winds, mazes of jumble ice,  ground blizzards, dragging through overflow, sleeping through alarm clocks, sled repairs, the dogs that I dropped and why, and more. 

WE MADE IT TO NOME !

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

Well, I am in Elim.  I think we left Koyuk at 8:30 and arrived in Elim at about 3:30.  The plan is to take as short a break as we can and then get back on the trail heading to White Mountain.  I will do that on no sleep.  So, this will be interesting.  I will most likely drop 2 dogs from the team.  Tok is tired and I can tell that he is no longer enthused.  I know that he could make it to the end, but I will not push him.  He is one of my faithful old-timers.  The second dog is Bohr as he may have a virus.  I think that our runs will be too strenuous if he isn't feeling himself.  We are trying to make the banquet in Nome.  So, it will be a push.  We will have a mandatory 8 hour rest in White Mountain.

Interesting thoughts: vet tape is a lifesaver.  I have many fingers taped.  Super glue is a lifesaver.  I glue my finger splits and there are many.  Any bets on whether or not I can get a comb through my hair in Nome?  I sure hope that I don't have to get a buzz cut.  It is a rather interesting ‘do.’  Musher's secret works great on your hands and face and feet!  Just don't use the one that I use on the dogs...I keep one in my toiletry bag.

Our run to White Mountain may take 7 hours.

Socks are changed daily.  I haven't had a change of clothes yet.  Eewwwe.  The dogs don't mind though.

Wind chill at 20 below is cruel.  On my run to Koyuk, I was sooooo cold.  I have missed many photo ops because it is too cold to take your gloves off.

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

I don't know what day it is.  They just run together, running around the clock.  I had a fabulous run from  Unalakleet to Shaktoolik.  I took a six hour rest and then left Shaktoolik for Koyuk.  There were high winds at about 25 mph or more.  The dogs did great.  It was a slow go and so very cold.   The run seemed to take forever.  Seeing the lights of Koyuk for hours was torturous.  I just wanted to get there.  I left Shaktoolik at 1:30 and arrived at 10:30 pm.  Teams were lost on this leg earlier.  We were so glad that we made it with no detours.  To be honest, it was rather scary for me anticipating the run.  However, once I got out there, I was fine.  Bob's dogs wouldn't lead so I lead 90 percent of the run.  There was no trail and it was tough going for the dogs.  I had to 'gee haw' them from trail marker to trail marker.  I have no idea what the wind chill was but I was very cold.

At the check point, the people were so nice.  We were welcomed to Koyuk and well fed.

Good night.  We are taking an 8 hour break and then will head out.

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

It's Tuesday and I'm in Nulato getting an hour or two of sleep.  I had time for a five minute shower.  I have body art... colorful bruises that make the northern lights dim.

It's slow-go traveling right now.  I'm breaking trail as the trail is blown in and there are snow drifts.  The dogs had to really work hard.  There were some very strong winds.  Thankfully, it was a bit warmer.

Good night!

Jan

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

Submitted by: Angie Taggart 3-12-12

Somewhere along the Iditarod trail outside of Galena, Jan and Bob ran head-on into a moose.  Bob wanted to get by the moose as quickly as possible.  As the moose was heading toward the front of Bob's team, it tripped and its front legs buckled.  So, Bob took the opportunity to pass the moose as it was wallowing on the ground.  As he passed the moose his dogs started lunging toward the moose making the pass not so graceful.  Once past the moose, Bob set his snow hooks and ran back to help Jan's team pass the frantic moose.  As Bob ran back to her team, he startled her leaders causing them to tangle with the rest of the team. The moose continued to try to stand upright as Jan and Bob quickly undid lines to untangle the dogs. Once the dogs were untangled, Bob told Jan to take her team past the moose. As Jan passed the crazed moose, she heard a deep guttural rumble spew out of the down-stricken beast. However she continued to move on by.  After both teams passed safely, the moose was able to stand and then ran off in the opposite direction.

Everyone survived the close encounter and is heading down the trail to Nome!!

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

I am in Ophir.  We got in at 5:34 pm Friday the 9th.  I wanted to give you guys an update.  We have now made it through Finger Lake, conquered the Steps, Rainy Pass, and Pass Creek.  From Rohn we did the South Fork of the Kuskokwim, the Buffalo Tunnels, and the Post River where we climbed the glacier.  At about that point, I ended up hitting a tree.  It was quite the bad hit on my head.  But, I’m OK.  I got checked out by an emergency doctor after I got to McGrath.  Everything is cool.

Then on the Burn to the lakes...  I took my 24 [hour rest] in McGrath... I found out my footwear was no good...
Much of this part of Jan's phone call cut out.

Everything has gone fantastic.  I am so glad that the first 300 miles are behind me because that was the most technical trail I have ever been on.  There were areas that were just incredible through water.  I drug through overflow.  It ended up that as I was dragging through the overflow, I just thought, “Oh my gosh! I’m getting wet!”  And so I spent the day semi-wet but running and letting it dry out with just the cold air.

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

It’s the early morning on Thursday.  The scenery is spectacular when I get the chance to notice it.  Rainy Pass, in particular, was amazing.

I’m feeling battered and bruised but I’m still in one piece. I just had two hours sleep. I’m now getting ready to go down to the dogs. We are heading to McGrath.

I got the bad stuff behind me. Yeah!

I still have 14 dogs!

Bye for now…

Jan Steves, racing in the Iditarod, is sending in reports via phone, email, and any other way she can communicate.  Here's the latest transcription.

The ceremonial start was the most awesome experience ever.  It was just incredible.  Words are hard to find.  I had a fabulous time with my Iditarider.  The dogs did great maneuvering through crowds that were just one foot from them.  It was so wonderful to have friends from home too.  I’d like to thank Debi, Kathy, Cindy, Patty, Trish, Jane, Jenny, Sandy out on the Yentna River, Linda, Larry, Buddy, Cindy, and the many other supporters who had a sign for Bob and I.  So cool.  It brought a huge smile to my face.

The restart went well and we finally got on the trail. We have cleared Yentna, Skwentna, Finger Lake, and Rainy Pass.  We conquered the (Happy River) steps and made it through the (Dalzell) gorge.  Those are two of the ‘biggies.’  It is Tuesday at about 6pm. We’re just going to camp and sleep and let the dogs take a nice long rest.  Then we’re going to head out tomorrow and do the Buffalo Tunnels.

Things are going fantastic. The (Farewell) burn is yet to come.

THE OFFICIAL START

Welcome to the Official Start of Iditarod 2012

In her third and final post as guest-blogger, Trish Feaster shares her experiences at the Official Start of Iditarod 2012.  

Be sure to continue following this blog throughout the entire race.  Jan will be posting updates on her progress very soon.

The thing that’s so brilliant about taking a “tour” up to Willow for the Iditarod Official Start – a 20-person van with only 10 passengers and a tour guide who gives you just the right amount of useful/interesting info – is the efficiency. 1) You don’t have to get up early, 2) you don’t have to be the one driving in snow and traffic, 3) you can sleep 

on the way up and back 4) the van drops you right off at the front entrance, and 5) you leave the race late enough to have seen your friend embark on her greatest adventure and early enough to beat the multitude of cars going back to Anchorage.

No dogs required for these sleds

Fans jockey for position to get a good view of the race

We arrive at the Community Center on Willow Lake around 2 p.m., just as the first musher takes off. Walking through the C.C., you see people mingling, bundling up, buying souvenirs and standing in line for the bathroom.  As you walk out the back door toward the lake, you are immediately hit with the brisk air against your face, and the smell of deep-fried donuts, reindeer hot dogs, kettle corn, and onion-slathered chili bombards your olfactory nerves. To the left, little tykes take advantage of a snowy slope to go sledding – dashing through the snow, laughing all the way…literally. Just about 50 yards ahead of us is a colorful, swarming sea of North Face jackets and woolen beanies bobbing up and down as they try to catch a glimpse of the mushers and their dogs burst out of the chute and out towards the wilderness. 

Thank goodness Sandy and I still have our handler armbands from yesterday.  We snake our way through the crowd, past the security guards (including one wearing a construction hat, replete with felt-like ears and tail made to look like a Husky), and into the holding area for the mushing teams. My plan for today is much the same as it was for the Ceremonial Start: take pictures and notes to document my perspective on the race and Jan’s experiences. Well, “the best laid plans of mice and men…” My plans will get slightly altered today.

Jan is musher number 40, and by the time we reach her staging area, about seven mushers have already taken off, leaving at 2-minute intervals. It’ll be about another hour before her turn, but time seems to be ticking away much faster than it did at the Ceremonial Start. I can sense it, and I know Jan does, too. Nonetheless, she still seems fairly focused, so I try not to worry. 

One by one, her dogs are brought out from their mobile kennels. They seem less distracted than yesterday, which is a good thing. The crowds can’t gather near them, and there is no “party” atmosphere in the staging area. Today, it’s all business. This is the real deal, and we all feel it. 

While Jan stays focused on her team and the tasks at hand, I sneak a peek at the nearby mushers and their dogs. Everyone is intensely busy, and the dogs are just aching to burst out into a mad dash. The piercing canine cacophony reaches practically intolerable levels; it’s almost impossible for anyone to concentrate or even be heard. I don’t know the details and histories behind these other competitors, but it’s interesting to note who has matching gear for their dogs and handlers, who has logos on their fancy mobile kennels, who is pacing back and forth, who looks frantic, and who has the most help. 

Another dog team prepares to go

Part of what amazes me about Jan is that she is a rookie at this. Now in her mid-50s, Jan has chosen to take on a challenge that most people would never even consider. She wasn’t raised in this environment and culture of Iditarod.  She started because of her background in winter sports and absolute love of dogs. She somehow ended up volunteering at Iditarod several years ago. She was later offered a chance to train sled dogs, which led to three winters of training and racing up in Alaska, including her participation in the 2011 Serum Run. 

Jan's sled loaded up with her gear

As her passion for this grew, she knew her goal was to complete the 2012 Iditarod. Along the way, she has had amazing support from so many people, but she does not have the massive logistical or personnel support that some of these other mushers do. She (with the unwavering help of her partner Bob and friends like Ted and Paula English and Angie Taggart) has learned to hone her survival/dog care/mushing skills. She's learned to do it with the bare necessities and without the help of handlers to help train her dogs on a weekly basis. She does it herself. She has good, sturdy, practical gear. It’s cool stuff, but it’s not all necessarily the top-of-the-line, the newest, or the shiniest. And while a pro may see that as a disadvantage, for me, it only increases my admiration for Jan that much more. She may not have all the advantages of her fellow mushers, but she has the invaluable assets of skill, passion, a soaring spirit, and a loyal team that will help get her through any challenge.

Getting the team in their order

I begin to calculate how long it will take me to trudge through the snow to get to well beyond the crowds and down the trail.  I want to get some good shots of Jan so I can make a fun memory book for her.  At this point, it occurs to me that I’ll never make it that far.  A woman has just come by to give a twenty-minute warning.  That’s not much time, and Jan still needs to finish getting her dogs and herself ready:  put on the booties, put on the harnesses, put on her suit, double-check the sled and its contents, line up the dogs, attach the handler lines, do this, do that, and that thing, too! I’m stressing out, and I’m not even the one who’s racing!

Jan and Bob give each other loving support

To be honest, Jan is less composed right now than she was yesterday. It’s too real, too close, too intense, too much. Her partner Bob, who is also in this race, sees this, and in his Zen-like way comes up to Jan and says, “Honey, I need a hug.” As much as he says he needed it, I somehow think that he was really looking out for her needs. They embraced for a long, long time. It was one of the most precious and beautiful moments I’ve ever witnessed.

My pal, "Dog"

Knowing now that I can’t get to the area I had scoped out, I commit to being an actual handler for the start.  With my camera slung across my body, I connect my leash line to the main line.  I stand next to the third dog on the right.  Regretfully, I don’t know the dog’s name or whether it’s male of female, so for now, I’m just going to use the name “Dog”. Dog and I look at each other.  I can see in Dog’s eyes that s/he is ready, eager to hit the trail, and determined to run like the wind.  I ask Dog to take care of Jan, to do the best that s/he can, and to make it safely to Nome.  Dog affirms my request with a rooo-rooo-rooooooooooo!

It’s time to move. We get the signal to take the team to the starting line. Man, can those dogs pull! Jan can control it with the brake, and we handlers must use the strength in our bodies to prevent them from taking off like a bat out of hell. With one hand on my camera to take pictures and the other holding the leash (not the wisest decision ever), I run, and I mean run, with the dogs and pray in mantra-like fashion (Please don’t let me fall, please don’t let me fall!). Angie had advised me earlier that should I fall, I need to roll and “get the hell out of the way.”

Taking a moment to connect with her dogs

With just one musher ahead of us now, we detach our leashes. Jan makes her way down the line of dogs, calmly talking with each one, reassuring them and thanking them. When she gets back to her sled, a swarm of TV cameras, photographers, and reporters crowd around her. She’s confident again.  She beams with an inner glow that could 

brighten a dark, Alaskan tundra night.

The media clamor for Jan's attention

She is now less than 60 seconds from embarking of the wildest adventure she’s ever known. Her dogs are ready.  She’s ready. The cheering crowd gets louder and louder still. 

And they're off!!!

And then for a brief moment, I swear I hear absolutely nothing. Life is suddenly in slow motion for me. I see Jan wave at the people lining the trail. Her dogs bark their eagerness. All around us, camera flashes pop: boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And in an instant, Jan and her team are on the move… away from us and toward her future. I turn around to stare at her back as she begins the first leg of the 40^th annual Iditarod Trail Race. She wears the number 40 on her race bib. It must be a good omen.

      Happy and safe trails to you, Jan. We all wish you well!

           

THE CEREMONIAL START - DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE

As Jan begins her journey to Nome, follow guest-blogger Trish Feaster on her adventures at the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Snow dances its way onto the ground and tickles my face as we trudge our way over to meet up with Jan on 4^th Avenue between F and G Streets in Downtown Anchorage. Several streets have been blocked off for two days in preparation for Iditarod, and now their sidewalks are packed with fur-clad spectators (locals, tourists, and die-hard Iditarod fans alike), reindeer hot dog vendors, journalists, and photographers. A palpable excitement is in the air, and it's contagious. On the avenue itself, which is cordoned off by a waist-high wobbly wooden fence, the mushers have parked their mobile kennels at their designated staging areas. Teams of dogs wait (im)patiently – they just want to run, and the distractions of camera crews, excited onlookers, and an unfamiliar setting make them feel and look a bit out of their element.

Jan has asked us to help out as “handlers” for the Ceremonial Start. Prior to the start, this entails just being with the dogs, helping them to keep calm, and scoopin’ the poopin’. As Jan and her team move up to the starting line, the handlers run alongside the dogs with leashes hooked to the main line and prevent the dogs from chewing on their lines. While I’m merely wearing the handler armband as I photo-document Jan’s experience, our friends provide as much help as they can. We are all novices – thankfully Jan also has the help of long-time volunteers and former Iditarod mushers like Angie Taggart, who has graciously provided Jan with some of her dogs for this race. She is able to not only help with the technical aspects of prepping the dogs but also lends calming reassurance and support to Jan, based on her own prior experiences in Iditarod.

That being said, I’m highly impressed by how calm Jan is. She’s not expending any extra energy and is staying focused on the tasks at hand,“loving on" her dogs, and not getting overwhelmed by all the frenetic action that somehow remains outside her personal bubble of rapt tranquility. Which, I must say, looks impossible to do, especially when so many excited fans come up so frequently to the fence line to ask her about the dogs and beg for her autograph. She is the Iditarod rock star that she deserves to be, and she is gracious under pressure. Jan would tell me later in the day that she felt so relaxed at serene during all of that and just knew that she was ready to do this. 

As her starting time draws nearer (she is number 40, her partner Bob is number 49), Jan changes into her Trans Alaska suit and massive boots. She’s conscious of how much time she has left and doesn’t want to be prepared too early and have to wait anxiously to start, nor does she want to have to stress out herself and her canine companions because she doesn’t get them prepared fast enough. She and the experienced handlers fit the dogs with their harnesses, secure the booties onto their paws, and continue "loving on" the dogs to keep them happy and at ease. The dogs keep their gaze focused on Jan. You can see how much they trust, love and need her – just as much as she trusts, loves and needs them.

                                                          

At this point, I tell Jan how much I love her and that our family and friends back in Edmonds are here in spirit to cheer her on. As we embrace she tells me how grateful she is to have so many familiar faces here, too. That they would fly all way up to Anchorage to emotionally support and physically help her heartens her immensely and gives her beautiful memories and feelings that she’ll hang onto for her entire journey.

With that, I take my leave and work my way past the other mushers, their dogs, the onlookers, the media, and the vendors to about five blocks past the starting line. The police officers kindly allow me to move in past the rope barriers so I can bunker myself against a snow berm that marks the mushers’ pathway. I watch musher 32 go by, then 33, then 34, and I start to get butterflies. I’m trying to imagine what Jan is doing right now and am neurotically checking to make sure my camera battery has enough life, that my fingers are warm enough to press the buttons, and that my lens hasn’t frosted up.

Jan's dog order for the Ceremonial Start

At the starting line

Suddenly, and even from five blocks away, I hear the announcer say Jan’s name over the P.A. He tells a quick bio: that she’s from Edmonds, that she attended UW, and that this is her first time to run the Iditarod. I’m sure he said some other things, but I was so overwhelmed by emotion that the stream of tears rushing down my face and the racing of my heart just blocked it out.

    

3-2-1-GO!!!!!!!! Cheers reverberate in the air, and in a couple of minutes, Jan comes into view. The dog team looks so alive and Jan looks so confident, so incredibly happy. I hoot and holler and snap the shutter and try to keep my composure as this most amazing woman whooshes past me and on to the path that leads her to the fulfillment of her greatest personal dream. This is her moment, and she is relishing it.

A LITTLE HELP FROM JAN'S FRIENDS

Hi, all. I’m Trish Feaster, and I’ll be guest-blogging for Jan for the next few days. It’s a real privilege for me to come up for the Ceremonial and Official starts of the 2012 Iditarod Trail Race and to be the representative for our family and our friends back in Edmonds, as well as for Europe Through the Back Door. I hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes, fly-on-the-wall take on things as Jan begins her amazing journey to Nome.

It was just after 12:30 a.m. that we touched-down in Anchorage. My friend Sandy and I were already giddy with excitement to see Jan, but we knew we had to get at least some rest before our early start in the morning. By 2:45, we had rented our car, checked into our hotel, unpacked and conked out. Our powernap bliss only lasted until 4:30. At 5:30, we met our (new) friends (other friends of Jan who flew up to support her) in the lobby and started our caravan to Willow. Fortunately Sandy was driving because it took everything I had just to keep my eyes open. Thank goodness for the stunning scenery. Even in the limited light before daybreak, nearly-bare and spindly trees, jagged mountains, and broad plains made for sugary, snow-covered eye candy.

We got to Jan’s place a little after 7:00 and were put to work right away. If you’ve been following Jan’s blog, you already know how much work she does on a daily basis, not only to train herself and the dogs for Iditarod but to just take care of them and to live out her everyday grind. With 35+ dogs (Jan’s and Bob’s) and the Ceremonial Start of “The Last Great Race on Earth” looming ahead, there still was much left to be done. Between Jan, Bob, her neighbor friends (Linda, Jane and others), her Mountaineers friends (Debbie, Jane, Jenny, Jenny’s friend Laura), Sandy and me, we took care of the following tasks:

powdering lots and lots of dog booties

organizing the dogs’ medication

sorting dog jackets

setting up Jan’s iPod shuffle with music to inspire her on the trails

sewing extra pockets and sponsor patches onto Trans-Alaska suits

sewing fur hood ruffs onto coats

stomping down trails with snow shoes

PLUS

shoveling poop (we used more colorful terminology amongst ourselves) in the front yard kennel

shoveling out the 35+ dog houses and pathways to them (they had been buried in over two feet of snow after a recent blizzard)

and weaving nylon rope neck lines

All of us kept remarking that we were just so thankful to be a part of Jan’s preparations for Iditarod, but we also admitted that the physical toil was a challenge. Even now as I type, my entire left arm feels like someone used it as a punching bag. Then I think of how much Jan has done over the last year – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – to get herself and her dogs ready for this incredible adventure, and I am completely humbled. David Thoreau once said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Of all the people in my life who truly embody this quote, I have never been as moved by someone as I am by Jan. And to briefly orbit her Iditarod world as she propels herself closer to achieving her dream has been, to say the very least, amazing and inspiring.

Around 4:30 p.m., we left Jan and Bob so they could finish up their other tasks and get mentally focused for the next day’s events. As we made our way back to Anchorage, I couldn’t help but reflect on what lies ahead for Jan on this journey of a thousand miles. This will arguably be the toughest thing that she has ever done in her life. Part of me worries. But now only a very small part. I’m so glad I got to see Jan in her element. This is what she has trained for. She can do this. I know she can do this. This is her dream, and she is making it come true.

Extra: Jan displays messages of support given to her

from her friends at Europe Through the Back Door

HEADING TO ANCHORAGE

Up at 4 am this morning....snacked and watered the dogs. Left instructions for a friend to come and feed the dogs and start the truck. It was 10 below at the house this morning. We will have a long day. We start at 8 am with a mushers meeting. Then at noon we have lunch with our Iditarider. Then it is off to the Banquet at 5:30. We are hoping that it will be over by 11:00 as we have a two hour drive home.

I am anxious to meet my Iditarider. Her name is Teresa and she is from North Carolina. We have exchanged emails over the past months. She sponsored "Red". She will have the ride of her life in my sled bag out of Anchorage on the Ceremonial Start.

Friends Jenny, Jane, and Debi will meet us at the Banquet. We will also re-connect with Kathy, Patty and Cindy(who came for a kennel tour). Trish and Sandy will be arriving Friday. They are friends from home who have been following my dream and part of my support network. Wonderful friends.

VET CHECKS

Amber having her microchip scanned

Well, we started the morning off early and headed to Wasilla for vet checks. It was a fun morning and the dogs all passed. Then I ran some errands in town while Bob headed back to the kennel with the dogs. When I got back I went to Ted's and picked up a sled for my Iditarider

Then we took the dogs for a 10 mile run. I took Kim in my sled bag and Aaron drove a tag sled. Interesting. Here it i midnight and I am heading to bed. Morning will come early...at 4am. We have to be in Anchorage for the Drivers meeting and then we have lunch with our Iditariders. Then it is off to the banquet. I don't think that we will be home until after 1 am...

Will be such a long day.

Friday will be a full day going through our final preparations. And we will tackle digging out buried dog houses.