1:28 PM
| Sunrise at | 9:28 AM | in direction | 129° | Southeast |  |
| Sunset at | 4:43 PM | in direction | 231° | Southwest |  |
It's a Wonderful Life
Today something very special happened. For family and friends, you can check out my story at the bottom, but for now ... I took photos of SP Kennel preparing for the race, as you might expect, and Gary took some really good ones of MIke Ellis leaving with Team Tsuga as well as Alaska's best known musher at the moment, Lance Mackey. If you want a more complete photo stream, though, go to the Yukon Quest Facebook page. You won't need to be a member of Facebook to view them. To track the teams on the race go to the Yukon Quest web site.Staging Area
Teams ready themselves to depart from a staging area where all the musher gather. Once dogs are "dropped" (in this case meaning on the ground from the truck), they will be fitted with booties, coats, and leggings if appropriate. The race vets will drop by and check out each and every dog and talk with the musher about possible issues down the trail. Gang lines are stretched from sleds, handlers go about their expected duties. Friends, if they have a pass, may drop by to visit and wish their friends well. |
| View of several dog trucks, gang lines extended |
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| SP Kennel team dropped while Aliy(left) and Allen(center) continue preparations |
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| Thick coated huskies from Chukotka, Siberia, Russia .. Russian dignitaries attended the start |
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| Pud(Left) and Quito(Right) are patient but serious as lead dogs, Olivia & Scooter, Nacho & Boondocks, Puppet |
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| Boondocks (next to Nacho) : Puppet & Chica : Schmoe & Meg |
At the Starting Line
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| Hey Flat Stanley, how did you get here? |
Here is the slide show of the starting chute. In order ...
- Aliy Zirkle in the starting chute
- SP Kennel Team lined out at the starting chute
- Lance Mackey and team leaving the start
- Mike Ellis running ahead of his dogs to lead them into the chute
- Team Tsuga lined out
- The type of moment I'd expect from Mike or Sue Ellis
- Team Tsuga out of the chute
A Heart Felt Moment
I was volunteering this morning at the Yukon Quest. My duties were light, showing rider program members to their team, and I spent a lot of the morning trotting back and forth and making sure my hands stayed warm.
A few times it seemed one finger or another would decide it wanted to separate from my body and I'd have to coax it back into the fold, but overall it was great. Then suddenly it was race time. I was not really needed so I walked over to take pictures of SP Kennel, the first out and a team that I support. Although not as often as I would like, I do go out to visit with all the dogs on the team on a regular basis. I am not a handler for the kennel. I am not a major financial sponsor. I had the pleasure of sewing leggings for them last year, but basically, I am accepted into the kennel's atmosphere because of what wonderful people Aliy, Allen, and Ryne are. When I go out, I take time to visit with each and every dog. Many now start wagging their tails as soon as they see me because they are great animals and greet friends in the most endearing way.
So while I was taking photos, I was cooing to the dogs, encouraging them as they prepared for race time when Wendy asked me if I wanted to help take the team down to the starting chute.
I was all over that one, so I ran over to Marty to tell her I was leaving, then ran back. That may have been my undoing because part way down two things were clear .. 1) Although I put my control rope into the right place at first, for some reason I changed it; it was sliding back into the team guide behind me. 2) I was tiring very quickly. We were not hurrying, but I couldn't run walk at the same pace as everyone else once we were on the Chena River. I was surprised because I'd been running across the staging yard several times, but there it is.
That doesn't detract from some seriously joyful moments, though.
Just before we moved down onto the river, I was wrapping my rope around the gang line and inserting it into my mittened hands (I had it right the first time - dang it). We shifted the team over to the left and then started to move down the river. My heart burst open. I realized I was walking down with dogs that I have loved for over two years now. Suddenly they became my team. Not just Allen's, Aliy's, Bridgett's and Ryne's, but my team. It was hands down one of the happiest moments of my life to be these athletes as they prepared to race and be able to talk to them and encourage them right up to the end - despite my own personal failings.
I get teary thinking of it. What's not to love about these amazing animals?
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