My "other" Team of Mixed 6...

Well, I did it.
I got behind the wheel.
Not since I left Minnesota in July have I driven anything other than the school's ATV.
That is, until tonight.
Tonight Daniel introduced me to the team - his Dog Sled team that he is training to run the Kobuk 140 race this winter. We have bumped in to each other a couple of times since he first offered up a chance to help him run his dogs. I had other obligations on Monday. Tuesday we missed each other in passing but tonight, he swung by my place at 5:30 and we rode his Honda out to his sheds and the dogs.

The dogs were happy to see him. They were a little apprehensive of me until I started wielding the harnesses that they apparently live for. "Spit" was the first dog that I got to harness by myself. The all black female nearly put it on herself. Some of the other dogs weren't as cooperative. It's not that they didn't want the harnesses on. It was just that they were just so darn excited to be getting a chance to get off the leash and pull that they could hardly control their emotions and were bounding all over the place.

Daniel said he trains them 6 at a time and plans on running a 12 dog team in a couple of races this winter. Tonight he was interested in trying out a couple of younger dogs and even running one or two at Lead for only their first or second time. I nodded every time he spoke to me. I was game for anything.

Spit, Yukon and Pepper are three of the six I rode with tonight. The other three have Inupiaq names that I can't remember, pronounce, or spell - so when I called to them I used words like "Whoa Boy and Mush Girl" even though I hadn't positively identified the sex of any of them. Besides, Daniel gave very little instructions on voice commands. I just felt more comfortable talking to them...made it feel a little more official.

Come to think of it, Daniel gave me very little instructions on any of it...he pretty much told me the steering wheel turns left and right (That part I had figured out) and that the brake can slow them down. He smiled, I smiled. He followed that by saying, "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you on the Honda."

It was awesome.

When I pulled the hook and he gave the "Mush" - we shot out of camp like a rocket. I was hanging on and giggling out loud. Right out of the gates they pull like hell. At first I couldn't believe that they were able to pull my fat butt across the tundra at such a high speed. The Arctic air was a brisk 17 degrees but the sun was out and the blue skies made the whole scene worthy of "The Alaska they advertise." Eventually the dogs tired a bit and steadied down to decent clip. I stood there on the tundra Segway and drank it all in.

Periodically Daniel would give me the signal to stop the team. We'd hook them up to the Honda and let them rest. A couple of times we switched their orders and unsuccessfully tried two young ones as leads. They started out for about 25 yards like a bat outta hell but then turned around to make sure that we were still behind them. Like 4th graders in my classroom, they were easily distracted and somehow forgot that they had been chosen to lead... the tangled mess reminded me of fishing with 4 year olds.

It wasn't a walk in the park. I took some physical exertion on my part. The dogs did most of the work and I slowly got the hang of it. I continued to holler words of encouragement - not because I knew what I was doing but because it made me feel like a real Alaskan sled dog runner. I think the dogs could sense my sincere enthusiasm. Daniel appeared to.

When we reached the end of the island, Daniel pulled in front of the team with his ATV and started a wide arc of a turn. The dogs followed. They knew the drill - we were headed for home. Before we could get back on the trail though Daniels's wide, Dolly, pulled up on her Honda. So I stopped the team, threw in the hook and introduced myself. Dolly was happy to see us but probably more happy to see the dogs doing what the do. She had brought out a bottle of water and a Cherry 7Up. Daniel offered the can to me and I obliged... another thing I haven't done since Minnesota - tonight I drank half a Cherry 7Up.

I was only able to drink half of it before I handed it off to Daniel because the dogs were ready to rock. They had rested long enough and again, as soon as I pulled the hook, they were making hay!

What's the saying?
"Unless you're the Lead Dog - the view is always the same!"

The north end of Kivalina Island has some thicker patches of stones and rocks. The ground isn't as compact and it's difficult to walk in. The dogs had their work cut out for them trying to pull me through that mess. I did what I could and pushed from behind with one leg... I think I saw something like that in a movie once. I don't know if it helped the dogs but again, it helped me feel the part.

Dolly and Daniel enjoyed their nice evening ATV ride. I diligently steered the training wagon - I don't know if that's an official term or not. Maybe I'll ask next time. 

Oh yeah...

Next time...

Daniel wants me to go back tomorrow.

I'm game.

Iditarod material? I'd better loose some more weight...