Iditarod (6)
First, this strange and unhappy story from last night on the trail.
http://www.people.com/article/iditarod-attack-sled-dog-killed-by-drunk-snowmobile-driver
Then, our report from the hard-working Rebecca, CEO of Snowhook, our team (and unhurt in last night’s event). She has also sent in a story she wrote, supplementing the report and linked to below. Chetspeak on Sunday returns next Sunday.
Watching and waiting for the GPS tracker flag to move becomes a professional sport at Snowhook. As past races has taught, the flag—or the damn flag, as I affectionately call it—does not move on command. It is easy to will the flag to move or plead for it to move faster, but what we watch on the screen is different that the reality of the trail. This is where trust in AJ’s judgement comes into play. A lot of factors impact AJs decision to run or rest, to check-in at a checkpoint or blow through it and camp on the trail.
Checkpoints usually offer amenities like water, a designated space for mushers to sleep, and sometimes access to indoor plumbing. The water may or may not be hot, and that space to slumber is not the Hilton. Yet, when a musher is tired, he or she can sleep just about anywhere. The space that welcomes the weary musher can be a gym floor in the village school, or a room in the Elder center. What the checkpoint might lack in Egyptian cotton and high thread count, they usually more than make up for in mushers dozing in their fur covered mushing gear. How could a musher trade the hospitality of a checkpoint for camping on the trail?
The musher may seek out peace and quiet so the dogs can rest without the distraction of teams parked next to them in a dog lot. Or, it could be part of the planned or unplanned run/rest schedule. Typically, but not always a team will match their rest with the time spent running. However, the team’s performance, trail conditions, weather, and the distance between checkpoints impacts when and where AJ chooses to camp the team. Whether camping or at the checkpoint, the care given to the dogs does not change.
When AJ stops to rest the team, the dogs are fed, booties removed, beds made for the dogs, paws checked and muscles massaged. It is then, that AJ will eat. It is then that he might sleep. Each of these tasks is done efficiently as possible. The quicker the tasks are completed, the more uninterrupted rest the dogs receive. But, what about the short breaks we see the team take on the GPS tracker? We have to trust the unknown reason. It could be stopping to untangle a line, switch a dogs position, to snack the dogs. These breaks can also be a time to play, to encourage, to love. In the spirit of Chetspeak Sunday, below is a link to such a tale of the trail.
http://snowhookkennel.blogspot.com/2011/08/tales-from-trail-uphill-climb.html?q=uphill
Tags: AJ, Chetspeak, Iditarod, Iditarod crime, Rebecca
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 13th, 2016 at 9:19 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
9:31 am on March 13th, 2016
Love our team. Thanks, Rebecca.
Good morning all.
10:19 am on March 13th, 2016
Great reporting, and a lovely story to start the day.
Praying for a good news, positive day for all the teams on the trail.
10:24 am on March 13th, 2016
The Insider email states that AJ checked into Nulato at 23:19 Alaska time.
Good morning all.
10:58 am on March 13th, 2016
Another Insider email states that AJ checked out of Nulato at 06:51 Alaska time.
For some reason I can’t move the page with Rebecca’s story so I only see the beginning. I’ll try again later.
12:07 pm on March 13th, 2016
Happy to hear about the Team’s progress. (I was at work yesterday where I read about the snow machine assaults–I hope the perp has been dealt with).
…and a good morning to everyone…
12:14 pm on March 13th, 2016
Howlers – AJ’s on the way to the Equine checkpoint – Kaltag.
Bee – try your mouse scroll wheel, if you have one. That’s how we got into Rebecca’s story.
Onward Snowhook!
12:17 pm on March 13th, 2016
…and thanks for Rebecca’s story and the link to the second one.
12:23 pm on March 13th, 2016
Thank you Bluecat but I have a laptop with a touch pad.
12:29 pm on March 13th, 2016
The problem is that the Snowhook site has a sidebar that is on top of the area where the up and down arrows are to navigate the page and it keeps popping out so that I can’t navigate the page.
12:47 pm on March 13th, 2016
Looking Forward to a Good Day on the Trail.
GO SNOWHOOK!!!
1:04 pm on March 13th, 2016
We weren’t able to get to this blog for a while this morning. So we went for a nice walk.
Bluecat, thanks for reminding us about Leo and Shiek and Abby’s and the rest of the horsies checkpoint. We think we can hear their hoofbeats racing out to meet our team. Arabian horses are known as “Drinkers of the Wind” so Shiek will love racing to join up with Snowhook. For anyone interested, here is the story of the origins of the Arabian Horse, the foundation stock of all other breeds of warm blooded horses.
http://www.uexpress.com/tell-me-a-story/2005/8/21/drinkers-of-the-wind-a-legend
1:10 pm on March 13th, 2016
B: You can use your arrow key to scroll down or up on the blog.
1:19 pm on March 13th, 2016
O’Howlers: Thank You for that Beautiful Story of the First Arabians. They have always been our Favorite Breed of Horse.
Same Blog Problems as youse. It has been very slow for the last couple of days.
1:23 pm on March 13th, 2016
Thank you Belle Starr. It worked! I love the story…and Charlie had his ear scratched!
1:24 pm on March 13th, 2016
I’ve had blog problems again today also. It is very slow.
1:29 pm on March 13th, 2016
BML posted on yesterdays page about not being able to post here.
1:40 pm on March 13th, 2016
Oops, I am being a lazy lump like the current HOH! Time changes affect my psyche (or sometimes psycho!) The Anchorage Three had a marvelous dinner and enjoyed the Sandborn Concert and met others from the “Woodstock” era there. CHobbitz was introduced to a new musician and loved the experience.
The DDD and I have accumulated so many “precious possessions” that we are mailing them home (they will not, Not, NOT fit in the suitcases).
Before I climb out of bed in the AM, I grab the iphone and check the race news.
After a shower and dressing, I check it again. Gah, I am a Snowhook groupie!
GO SNOWHOOK!
1:50 pm on March 13th, 2016
Oh, dear, the DDD came home with a dent and taxi yellow paint on the front right fender. I am so glad I bought the 55 gallon drum insurance…Barb that means if I bring the car back in a 55 gallon drum, you will thank me for bringing it back!
Actually a taxi hit the car at Wally World 🙁 I am evil and vindictive and insisted that a police report be filed for a hit and run! Going to the rental peeps soon to show them the damage 🙁
AJ and the doggies are in our pawrayers today. GO SNOWHOOK!
1:59 pm on March 13th, 2016
I am trying to post again. Hope it goes thru this time.
Howlers, good story about the Arabians. Way back in my former life we had a breeding stallion named Booma. He was a calm, beautiful fea-ticked grey horse from the Babson line. He was a direct descendant of Fadl, but I don’t remember how many greats back. Fadl was from the 30’s and Booma was born around 1966, so maybe 4x great.
HM, Good thing you took the insurance!
2:56 pm on March 13th, 2016
Insurance…don’t drive a loaner without it!
3:00 pm on March 13th, 2016
BML, That is very impressive.
Mom is so happy that Spring has sprung here, and she is back on Annie…2 days in a row now. And with daylight savings time, she will finally be back to being her happy, active self. Yahoo!
3:03 pm on March 13th, 2016
Yeep! Our team is only 5 miles from Kaltag! Go Snowhook!
3:16 pm on March 13th, 2016
HOH–Yikes! (And I don’t think you’re evil or vindictive–you have to do what you have to do.)
Howlers–Very much liked the Drinkers of the Wind story (surely I’m not the only one who flashed back to a loved childhood book called “King of the Wind”?)
3:24 pm on March 13th, 2016
Dawson: Awesome pencils! Thank you for thinking of me! (One can never have too many pencils.)
3:36 pm on March 13th, 2016
Kaltag! I can report that the team is in Kaltag!
3:40 pm on March 13th, 2016
So sorry to hear about the snow mobile mess. What a bad time.
I got the banner for 2014 unpacked and ready to put on the wall upstairs where most of Melanie’s things will be. It will be two years tomorrow since she died and I miss her and Dan every day.
I love Rebecca’s reports and stories.
3:55 pm on March 13th, 2016
Dear Zoe: Thinking of You and Sending Hugs.
4:18 pm on March 13th, 2016
Zoe!…Do you still have those crazy Cockatiels my friend sent Melanie?…snorkel!
4:20 pm on March 13th, 2016
Day!….Someone left here around noon and just came home ….sniff!…Seems she had had it up to here and left. She isn’t saying where shes been all afternoon either….grunt!
5:39 pm on March 13th, 2016
Zoe, we, too, miss her each and every day. Hugs to you and India.
5:52 pm on March 13th, 2016
Love to you, Zoe. This is a very difficult time for you, but we are so happy you spent some time with us on this blog.
6:01 pm on March 13th, 2016
Dear Zoe, We miss her something fierce. (I always think that expression says it honestly.)
6:15 pm on March 13th, 2016
Zoë: She is the friend we never met who is loved and missed so much.
Linda: Fierce…yes.
6:49 pm on March 13th, 2016
Zoe: It is nice to hear from you. Melanie is missed terribly, and never, ever forgotten. Big hugs to you always.
6:57 pm on March 13th, 2016
Hey everyone!
We have been gone all day. We took Gramp on a very long road trip.
.
.
.
Yes, we brought him home too.
7:07 pm on March 13th, 2016
Always good to bring Gramp home. The DDD and I are going south to Seward for 3 or so days (new for us, break for the Hobbit Hotel) BTW, there are so many stars here, it sparkles 🙂
7:12 pm on March 13th, 2016
Have Fun in Seward!
7:13 pm on March 13th, 2016
And Fierce always brings back memories of Molly Pop, too.
7:38 pm on March 13th, 2016
Aw Barb, that was our Molly. She thought her Pom-Pom tail was sissy so I always told her what a fierce tail she had. Memories. And two years ago we were in Mass. when Malanie died. You, Staff, and Dawson came here on Amtrak. More memories.
7:45 pm on March 13th, 2016
I wish I would have been with you guys. But, MPM, we had our time with Melanie and Amalia and Melanie and Zoe and Dan and Rebecca. I am so very glad I made that trip.
7:55 pm on March 13th, 2016
Howlers Mom – so are we!
And for tonight’s prayer, please keep in mind that the name of Unalakleet comes from the Native language meaning “comes from the south”
7:57 pm on March 13th, 2016
Gramp’s daughter: hahahahahahahah!
7:59 pm on March 13th, 2016
Unalakleet…Our Checkpoint.
8:02 pm on March 13th, 2016
I love Aliy
http://www.adn.com/video/video-aliy-zirkle-pushes
8:30 pm on March 13th, 2016
I, too, just thought of MollyPop and her fierce tail.
9:00 pm on March 13th, 2016
We love Aliy too. sniff.
9:00 pm on March 13th, 2016
Creator – the day is closing once again, and we welcome the dance of the moon and the stars, the whirling lights that race across the sky, lighting the path for those who travel. Let us remember to look not just ahead, but to look up above and see the beauty. Let us see the yellow and white lights in the sky, and know that they are a gift.
Tonight the team will be on the trail, heading for the shores of the mighty sea. We ask you to smooth the snow before their paws, let the runners slide easily along the way.
The time has come to turn towards home
The way is still long but hearts are renewed
They come from the south to Unalakleet
Place of the white light, place of renewal
The path between lights has been long and cold
But rest will come, and this place will heal:
Restoring the joy of traveling this road
Renewing the bodies of all who run
There will be rebirth of hope and belief
Confidence and endurance will join on their run
Spirit of South surrounds them with light
It is the Spirit of all things that are new
The South is the home of the strongest of light
It gives the ability to be at our best
We ask South Spirit to restore all the team
Give warmth to their hearts, and refresh their souls
Let them see the light that awaits at the end
The heart that is waiting to welcome them home
Let the light shine a direct line for them
Making the distance seem nothing to dread
Bring them into this light on the shore of the sea
Let the Earth restore them to be as they were
Creator – the day is closing once again, and we welcome the dance of the moon and the stars, the whirling lights that race across the sky, lighting the path for AJ and his team. Let all remember to look not just ahead, but to look up above and see the beauty. Let all see the yellow and white lights in the sky, and know that they are a gift.
9:06 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen.
9:07 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and amen for the pawrayer.
9:14 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and amen for the pawrayer.
The Moosewood cookbook
9:18 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and amen.
Thank you Amalia and Leonard.
9:29 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen. Thank you.
9:51 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen. Thank you.
9:54 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen.
10:04 pm on March 13th, 2016
Thank you both, once again. Amen.
10:12 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and Go Snowhook and AJ.
10:19 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen. And so good to hear from Zoe. Melanie and Dan both remain strongly in our hearts.
10:21 pm on March 13th, 2016
Is it still available?
10:55 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and thankyou for another heartfelt prayer.
Yes, HOH, check out Amazon Books. They have many versions. You could order it and have it sent directly to your home address as a coming home present!
11:07 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen.
I tried two brand new recipes this week. One ended in the trash, the other is a keeper (and easy to do).
GO SNOWHOOK????
TAKE CARE SNOWBELLA ????????????
11:19 pm on March 13th, 2016
Do tell Hobbit.
What was the disaster, and what was the keeper?
11:25 pm on March 13th, 2016
We are a day behind in our reading so are just hearing the tragic news. The death of any dog would make us sad, but some of you may know that Nash is our family name, so the dog is honorary family, sniff.
11:51 pm on March 13th, 2016
Amen and amen for the pawrayer.
The Moosewood cookbook. ALR are you psychic or what?
12:31 am on March 14th, 2016
When someone mentions a book chances are pretty good I can find it! And to think I did not even have to resort to Powell’s Books, a very big new and used bookstore in Portland with an online presence as well.
Now then, I wonder what brought The Moosewood Cookbook to mind for you?
1:04 am on March 14th, 2016
ALR, it was the first cookbook I ever had!
6:01 am on March 14th, 2016
Amen