Friday, February 4, 2011
Montana October 2010 Part 2
I stopped in Kansas City to visit relatives for a few hours and then headed north through western Iowa toward South Dakota. There was not much going on in western Iowa. The lights were few and far between. I slept in the truck at a rest stop, over night. The next day I drove to eastern Montana before stopping for the night and slept in the truck, which I parked in the hospital parking lot of the Crow Indian Tribe. The drive through South Dakota was picturesque, but seemed to take forever. Endless miles of fields and prairie lined both sides of the interstate, with huge round bales of golden hay framed by expansive fields of beige in the warm afternoon sun. I stopped in the Town of Wall to get fuel and was pleasantly surprised to find the old drug store. It is a veritable museum of the high plains, the Indian tribes and early settlers. It also has the largest collection and articles for sale, boots, hats, western jewelry, saddles, etc. You need it, they got it. You want it, they probably have that, too. The store is actually a collection of buildings strung together for an entire square block; much like a modern day mall. I was so impressed that I called my wife to tell her about it. She knew all about the place. She had eaten her first buffalo burger at the Wall Drugstore when she was a teenager on a trip out west with her family. It was evening when I pulled over again. I was only 35 miles from Mount Rushmore and decided to see it. I was glad I did. The amphitheater in front of the rock bluffs is imposing with flags from all fifty states framing the walkway to the viewing area. It was almost dark when I got there so I staying until the lights came on so I could see it all lit up. It is as impressive as Stone Mountain in Georgia and ironically was carved by the same person who started the carving at Stone Mountain before going out west to carve Mount Rushmore.
Montana October 2010 Part 1
I had scheduled myself to be off for two weeks and was planning to drive out to Montana and work with the dogs before it got cold. The plan was to have ten days for cart training. I wanted to see how the dogs would run with each other and where I should put them in the team. I did not want to wait until the snow fell and I did not have as much control over them from a sled. I had purchased a used pickup truck during the summer and was going to use it in my new business venture, raising and running sled dogs.
A few days before I was to leave, the ABS and brake lights came on. Everyone was worried that my brakes were going bad and I did not want that to happen while I was out west, driving over mountains. The dealer kept it for a few days and ran it through their diagnostic computer, but could not find anything wrong. I had my mechanic visually inspect all the brake lines, cylinders and pads and drain and refill the brake fluid. Nothing changed. I decided it was OK to drive and left for Montana five days later than planned. I stopped for gas in East St. Louis and was sitting at the red light, waiting to turn onto the ramp to get on the interstate, when a man drove up beside me and yelled, “You have a bad water leak.” When the light changed, I waited until it was safe and got out of line. I pulled into a gas station at the corner and stopped. There was a lot of clear fluid dripping onto the ground from under the hood, but when I raised the hood to look, it was not coming from the radiator or water lines. It was diesel fuel coming from the water separator that had come loose. I had to replace it with a spare one I had. This was providential. If I had continued I would have either run out of gas on the interstate, or I might have had a fire in the engine compartment.
Montana November 2010 Part 3
Sun. Nov. 14, 2010
Doug left for Colorado. He is taking runners to Tom Thurston, who is making a sled for me from Doug’s design. It will be lower and wider to keep me from tipping over so much. It will be Doug’s gift to me when I get to Nome. If I don’t get there Doug gets to keep it. He is also picking up beef and chicken fat to feed the dogs.
Doug left for Colorado. He is taking runners to Tom Thurston, who is making a sled for me from Doug’s design. It will be lower and wider to keep me from tipping over so much. It will be Doug’s gift to me when I get to Nome. If I don’t get there Doug gets to keep it. He is also picking up beef and chicken fat to feed the dogs.
For the last run, we left the dog yard with Herbie and Washington in lead, with no necklines. Reece was in swing. At the second turn Reece stopped, Washington went one way and Herbie went the other. There was confusion at the front. By the time I got there, Herbie was backing out of his harness. I had to catch him and wrestle him to the ground to keep him from getting away. If we had put a neckline between the leaders that would not have happened. One leader could have pulled the other in the right direction and I would not have to worry about a leader slipping out of his harness and getting away. If I was going to run the leaders without a neckline between them, I could have looped a neckline through the harness and snapped it to the collar to keep him from getting away. Live and learn.
Montana November 2010 Part 2
Monday, Nov. 8, 2010
It was business as usual, sort of. I declined a ride on the ATV and jogged up to the dog yard with Greg following on the four wheeler. I had gained twenty pounds over the summer and needed to get in shape. Doug had told me that was typical and happened to him every year when he was running the Iditarod. The place was much more subdued now, from the days when he had 125 dogs and three handlers. The pace was relaxed. I only had 17 veteran race dogs, 16 two year olds, 19 yearlings and two retired dogs to take care for.
Greg parked the four wheeler and stretched out the towline. We harnessed and put the twenty dogs I would be running on the line and waited. We let them lunge and bark their heads off. I tried to calm them down by petting them. Doug arrived and told me to leave them alone. He was trying to condition them to wait and said my petting them was reinforcing their behavior. Because I was old, inexperienced and out of shape, he had to get the dogs used to running slower and not get so excited. Finally, Doug and Greg took off with the dogs and I cleaned the yard.
Greg went home that evening. He would be staying at Doug’s and handling Friday through Monday every week. That was when we would run the dogs. That left me Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to do chores around the house and care for the dogs.
It was business as usual, sort of. I declined a ride on the ATV and jogged up to the dog yard with Greg following on the four wheeler. I had gained twenty pounds over the summer and needed to get in shape. Doug had told me that was typical and happened to him every year when he was running the Iditarod. The place was much more subdued now, from the days when he had 125 dogs and three handlers. The pace was relaxed. I only had 17 veteran race dogs, 16 two year olds, 19 yearlings and two retired dogs to take care for.
Greg parked the four wheeler and stretched out the towline. We harnessed and put the twenty dogs I would be running on the line and waited. We let them lunge and bark their heads off. I tried to calm them down by petting them. Doug arrived and told me to leave them alone. He was trying to condition them to wait and said my petting them was reinforcing their behavior. Because I was old, inexperienced and out of shape, he had to get the dogs used to running slower and not get so excited. Finally, Doug and Greg took off with the dogs and I cleaned the yard.
Greg went home that evening. He would be staying at Doug’s and handling Friday through Monday every week. That was when we would run the dogs. That left me Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to do chores around the house and care for the dogs.
Montana November 2010 Part 1
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010
Was it me, or had the atmosphere changed? Doug had arranged for his brother, Greg to be my handler. Greg had scores of records and first place finishes in mid-distance racing. Doug had actually started sled dog racing as Greg’s handler, before going on to win the Iditarod. We were no longer in our prime and I wondered, as the silence and limited conversation hung in the air, if we were trying to relive our pasts and capture the magic and glory of them. Doug was nursing a sore left forearm with tendonitis , that he said he got from all those years wrestling sleds. Greg was hobbling around with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, that Doug said came from standing with the ball of his foot on the runners and his heels on the track for the 13 years he raced and ran dogs.
Was it me, or had the atmosphere changed? Doug had arranged for his brother, Greg to be my handler. Greg had scores of records and first place finishes in mid-distance racing. Doug had actually started sled dog racing as Greg’s handler, before going on to win the Iditarod. We were no longer in our prime and I wondered, as the silence and limited conversation hung in the air, if we were trying to relive our pasts and capture the magic and glory of them. Doug was nursing a sore left forearm with tendonitis , that he said he got from all those years wrestling sleds. Greg was hobbling around with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, that Doug said came from standing with the ball of his foot on the runners and his heels on the track for the 13 years he raced and ran dogs.
Montana February 2010 Part 12
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 arrived at finish line at 3:10AM with time to spare. At the banquet I thanked Melanie and Doug. He had just gotten in from Arizona. I told the story about my shoulder, Doug and Rodeo. I said that I had found a sport I really liked and would be back and would be better. I suggested that Rodeo was watching all this from his skybox. After the banquet, I went to the ranch and packed. I got to bed at 1AM and up at 3AM. I felt OK, but was a little tired. No problem, I had driven like this before. I would just have to get something to eat while I was driving to keep me awake. As I drove out of the yard, I thought about turning left and going into Lincoln, to get something to eat. I got a strong premonition that said, “No, turn right.” As I drove down the dirt road, I again thought about turning left and going into Lincoln. I again had a strong impression that I was supposed to turn right. When I got to the stop sign at the end of the road I started to turn left, to go into Lincoln to get something to eat. Again I had an overwhelming feeling that I should turn right and head to the airport. I reasoned that it would be OK, since there was a convenience store about 45 minutes away, in that direction, and I would be OK until then. When I got to the store it was closed. All I could do was buy a bottle of Sprite from the machine outside. The wind was blowing and it was cold. I wasted no time in getting my drink and getting back inside the car. As I drove away, I was wishing I had something to eat, to keep me awake.
I nodded off a couple of times and did everything I could think of to stay awake. No big deal, I had done this before with no problems. I had no time to pull over and sleep. I needed to be at the airport in an hour to check in. I kept on driving. I felt a bump on the right rear tire and awakened to find myself skidding to the left. I had fallen asleep and run off the side of the road, hitting the right rear on the hard packed pile of snow. I corrected and cut the steering wheel to the left. I over corrected and spun the rear end to the right. I tried to correct again and turn the steering wheel to the right. I was oscillating violently now; the car spun out of control and turned 180 degrees, sending me down to road backwards. With each oscillation I had yelled, “No, No, No.” The rear end of the car hit the hard packed snow on the opposite side of the road and I went airborne. The passenger side of the car struck a large Ponderosa Pine and rolled over onto the roof. I yelled, “Shit.” I had wrecked Melanie’s car. It was 5AM.
I nodded off a couple of times and did everything I could think of to stay awake. No big deal, I had done this before with no problems. I had no time to pull over and sleep. I needed to be at the airport in an hour to check in. I kept on driving. I felt a bump on the right rear tire and awakened to find myself skidding to the left. I had fallen asleep and run off the side of the road, hitting the right rear on the hard packed pile of snow. I corrected and cut the steering wheel to the left. I over corrected and spun the rear end to the right. I tried to correct again and turn the steering wheel to the right. I was oscillating violently now; the car spun out of control and turned 180 degrees, sending me down to road backwards. With each oscillation I had yelled, “No, No, No.” The rear end of the car hit the hard packed snow on the opposite side of the road and I went airborne. The passenger side of the car struck a large Ponderosa Pine and rolled over onto the roof. I yelled, “Shit.” I had wrecked Melanie’s car. It was 5AM.
Montana February 2010 Part 11
Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010
Restart at Lincoln. I fell trying to step on the steel brake going down steep part on Martin’s Hill. Hit my face on a tree, scraped my upper lip and bloodied my nose, jammed my left hand between the tree and the handlebar and had to release my hold on the sled. Dogs took off dragging the sled down hill on its left side before it hit a bump and righted itself on the runners with me running behind, trying to catch up yelling stop the team, God stop the team. I thought all was lost when the sled righted itself and yelled again. God stop the team. The sled ran off the trail and hit headlong into a tree, smashing the whole front end, bending the brush bow over the front of the sled and popping all the slats from their lashings to the front cross piece. I ran to the sled and secured the snub line, checked the dogs and began pulling the sled off of the tree, thanking God for stopping the team. Mark Ibsen came along and helped me get it off the tree and make temporary repairs. He offered me the use of his spare sled and I told him I would consider it. I limped on down the trail looking for Chris, but he had stopped, fed his dogs and gone by the time I got to the place we were to stop. I traveled on past the turn to the dog yard before stopping so that the dogs would be tired and easier to control if they tried to turn home, and they did. John was at the turn and I called to him to get some parachute cord and bring it to the White Tail check point, that I had busted the front end of the sled badly. At the top of the hill I stopped, fed the dogs and repaired the sled. I was able to get it almost as good as new and decided that I didn’t need any more repairs. It ran fine and crossed the finish line. Mark commented at the banquet he never thought it would hold up and was amazed that it did.
There is a whole lot more to tell aout the race but you will have to get the book to read about it.
Restart at Lincoln. I fell trying to step on the steel brake going down steep part on Martin’s Hill. Hit my face on a tree, scraped my upper lip and bloodied my nose, jammed my left hand between the tree and the handlebar and had to release my hold on the sled. Dogs took off dragging the sled down hill on its left side before it hit a bump and righted itself on the runners with me running behind, trying to catch up yelling stop the team, God stop the team. I thought all was lost when the sled righted itself and yelled again. God stop the team. The sled ran off the trail and hit headlong into a tree, smashing the whole front end, bending the brush bow over the front of the sled and popping all the slats from their lashings to the front cross piece. I ran to the sled and secured the snub line, checked the dogs and began pulling the sled off of the tree, thanking God for stopping the team. Mark Ibsen came along and helped me get it off the tree and make temporary repairs. He offered me the use of his spare sled and I told him I would consider it. I limped on down the trail looking for Chris, but he had stopped, fed his dogs and gone by the time I got to the place we were to stop. I traveled on past the turn to the dog yard before stopping so that the dogs would be tired and easier to control if they tried to turn home, and they did. John was at the turn and I called to him to get some parachute cord and bring it to the White Tail check point, that I had busted the front end of the sled badly. At the top of the hill I stopped, fed the dogs and repaired the sled. I was able to get it almost as good as new and decided that I didn’t need any more repairs. It ran fine and crossed the finish line. Mark commented at the banquet he never thought it would hold up and was amazed that it did.
There is a whole lot more to tell aout the race but you will have to get the book to read about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)