January 27, 2007

ay 2 of the sled dog event. I decided I may live and the mail must get through. I decided to ignore the severe gastric upset. I left fairly early. I had everything going good. I get out of the staging area.. and almost under the sign.. and they stopped me. Another bridge and another team got hung up at it. So right off the bat, my team lost the rhythm of starting out. 

Picture above: Myself with my 2 leaders, "Tess" on the left and "Tasha" on the right, a few minutes before we hitched up and headed out. 

After we got started again, my team got hung up at the bridge and it required 3 people to help me cross it. At the corner, I discovered my sled weight had shifted and on a corner heading to the left, almost a 90 degree corner, I tipped my sled over. I was drug on my right cheek for some feet, and I have the scratches to prove it.  The photographer was horrified that I fell over (and didn't get any pictures of that event, which was good) but I told him all was good as I did not smuck a tree when I fell. 

Picture Above: My team taking off the second day. But they had to halt a few feet further than this picture as there was a kuffuffle on the bridge. 

This day last year was my nemesis. It is 11 miles of uphill. With 8 dogs and a well packed trail I did not have to take six hours to do this section. I did it in about 4 1/2 hours this time and I conquered this mountain. My team came into the checkpoint looking good. Though they did get spooked by all the people and loud music. The banquet, awards and auction that night was wonderful as usual. I was still feeling ill, so I actually did not get to eat very much *sad*. We got to sleep in the original lodge which is being restored at the moment, and Elena and I slept like logs on mattresses on the kitchen floor.  By now several of us mushers had the 'musher's blight' and one had gone home to potentially think about dying. He got the Hard Luck Award Trophy, as not only was he sick with this gastro-intestinal thing, he also broke a finger or something. His father's team looked so wonderful in their antique leather collar harnesses and a replica 100 yr old wooden toboggan.