Iditarod Training Update--Ultimate Iditarod

Well it's good to know that someone in charge of the weather patterns around here is reading these updates. In my last update, I said we needed a few more inches of snow on the trails to keep them in great shape. The morning after writing that, I awoke to a nice light snowfall. An inch of snow had already fallen, and the sky appeared to promise more.

That day was also the day we had planned to do our first camping trip. We spent much of the day working on chores, taking care of other things that needed to be done, and, of course, preparing for the camping trip. Snow fell all that time, and by 8PM when we were hooking the dogs up for the run, three more inches of snow were on the ground.

My dad and I did a 102-mile trip in about 17 hours. We ran for 51 miles, rested for 6 hours, and then ran back the same 51 miles. The new snow slowed us down a bit, but that wasn't a problem. The run was beautiful. Because we left so late, the entire first run was done in the dark. But the full moon provided ample light through the snow and the clouds, and we did most of the run without our headlamps on. After six miles of fairly level trail that paralleled the floor of a small gorge, we climbed 1,600 feet in just a few miles to the top of a ridge. Opposite us on the other side of the small gorge, the Swan Mountains shot straight upward for a mile--their sides so steep and rocky that trees are scarce on much of the mountains' faces. The clouds obscured our view of the tops of the mountains, but we could see the broad bases looming about us in the moonlight. I always feel very small when I am on that trail. At the top of the ridge, we spent the next 20 miles dropping down the 1600 feet we climbed before turning down another trail for the last 20 or so miles.

This is an alcohol burning stove or "cooker" used to melt snow and heat water for the dogs. Mushers use the warming water as a means to heat their own food, which is vacuum-sealed into plastic bags and then frozen.

The camp spot is nothing more than a wide spot in the trail just after it crosses a creek. We went just past the camp spot with the teams to an intersection where we could turn the teams, and then headed back to the campsite, secured the teams, unhooked the tuglines from the dogs' harnesses, and made camp. Unlike my Alaskan counterpart who needs a cabin and a barrel stove when on a camping trip, we tough Montana Mountain Mushers just make due with what nature provides us. Heck, we almost had to rub two sticks together for some fire (our matches weren't lighting, and we were on the second-to-last match before one lit and brought the alcohol stove to life).

Both my dad and I heated three gallons of water (which we obtained by melting snow because the creek was frozen over) and then poured the hot water into coolers containing meat and dry dog food. The coolers act as insulators to keep the food warm while we let is "steep" for a shot time before feeding it to the dogs. The 24 dogs we had ate a total of 10 gallons of food in about 5 minutes flat. Sled dogs have amazing appetites.

After the dogs were fed, we checked over everyone to make sure all was well and then ate a little something ourselves. With that done, I set the alarm to wake us up in two hours, and crawled into my sleeping bag to sleep. My dad is so "tough" that he slept on the snow and used his sleeping bag still in its stuff sack as a pillow. Snow was still falling.

About an hour before daybreak, the alarm went off. I keep it inside the top of my hat, so when it goes off, it really wakes me up! I got up, walked to my dad (who was still curled up happily on the snow), and woke him up. He immediately reached for his coffee thermos. I think my dad runs on coffee. I try to keep myself away from the stuff while I'm on the trail because it dehydrates you and isn't good for you.

We proceeded to pack up our sleds, put booties on all of the dogs, and put the tuglines back on the dogs' harnesses. About an hour and a half after the alarm had sounded, the dogs were barking and lunging to go, and we re-traced our steps, which were filled in with snow from the continued snowfall.

The run back was just as beautiful. Ice fog replaced the darkness and made the Swan Mountains again appear as ghosts and shadows looming above us as we climbed the ridge. The dogs were great! We have started our camping trips off on the right foot this year.

© 2001 Ultimate Iditarod, Snowcrest Racing Sled Dogs, Seavey's Iditarod Racing Team
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Ultimate Iditarod http://www.ultimateiditarod.com email: dogboy@ultimateiditarod.com