The teams in the Iditarod sled dog race are about half way to the finish line in Nome this week. The faster teams will be on the trail for about 10 days, the rest may be out there for another week. I don’t follow the race very closely, but I recognize the big names and cheer for Lance Mackey to win again.
Tom & I used to run dog teams. Every day was all about the dogs; feeding, running, clearing trails, fixing chains, mending ganglines, planning the next trip, breaking up fights, shoveling turds, snuggling puppies… Thankfully, we never got into racing.
The word gets out once you have a few dogs, and suddenly your friends have given you all their “best dogs” to complete your team. We had 16 at the high point, but it all started with just one “perfect” dog for me. Our friend Johnny gave us Jojo, an older female that would pull me on my cross-country skis. One morning Jojo didn’t come out of her house; the rest of our team had arrived! Five cute puppies that would grow to be the best dogs we ever had. We spent many years exploring together, from the surrounding forest to mountains and frozen rivers. Being out with the team could be the most peaceful, magical experience or all could go to hell and you’d be glad to get home alive!
Gary Paulsen is the author of “Winterdance, the Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod” the best book I have read about men and dogs and their souls. He makes some classic mistakes, builds relationships with the wildness in his dogs, gets the snot beaten (and bitten) out of him, but still has the bug bad enough to run the Iditarod. If you have any interest in the sport, you have to read this book.
We have only two dogs left, a mother and daughter (Jojo’s granddaughter), Blue is 11 years old, Pink Floyd is 9, so they don’t want to pull us very far these days. I was going to sell the last of our sleds recently and got it out of the shed to brush off the cobwebs. Blue started howling and Pinkie was jumping around so I hooked them up for a quick run up the road. Only one quick tangle as we turned around, then we were back with huge smiles on our faces and the sled stays here for another run.
Our dog-handling days are over, leaving us time for new commitments and freedom to travel. Running Fireweed Station Inn can feel like a good day with the dogs; everyone is happy, there’s plenty of warm food and clean beds, then it’s off to explore the territory.
Go on, wag your tail for me!
