Morning View Kennel Update – By Evy Gebhardt ©
IDITAROD RACE PREP: FOOD DROPS February 7, 2010 Download PDF | Fresh snow was still sifting to the ground when I started the day at 4am this morning, which was a welcome sight after a prolonged dry spell that we have had here at the kennel. And while daybreak saw the milky cloud cover breaking just enough for us to see the moon easing away through the snow-covered tree tops, the fresh snow had Paul excited as he pulled on his boots to start his day. Although food drops are a high priority on his list right now, he wanted to take advantage of the early hour to get out on the trail and lay down the groomer to get the trails set up before anyone else was up and about.
The days have been long since the Tustumena Race weekend wrapped up two weeks ago, with Paul and Kristy busy prepping food drops and keeping the team in training. They have one more race this coming week, the new “Denali Doubles Invitational” event, with the shipping of food drops happening immediately on the heels of their return following that.
  
On Left: Food Drops lined up outside the Iditarod checkpoint of Shaktoolik Right:We purchase whole kings from the commercial fishermen in the summer months for the race. Beneath: Kristy cuts the king into strips for dog snacks that will go into the food drops. | Outside of training, food drops are one of the biggest logistical undertakings of the whole Iditarod race process. For weeks now, the steady hum of the big meat saw and the vacuum sealer have filled our waking hours. Fortunately, this fresh snow will mean that Paul and Kristy will be afforded the luxury of being able to train directly out of the kennel now, which will save precious time as they take care of packing and prepping the final drops. It has been involved this year with the two teams, but Paul has still managed to build a new sled, which the duo will use in the race next week.
He has also been tweaking gear and of course organizing the food drop ingredients. Obviously commercial dog food is a key ingredient in the dogs’ diet, and for our kennel – that is Momentum Premium Athletic Dog Food. In addition to this, we feed a lot of heart-healthy Omega-rich Alaskan salmon to our dogs. With Cook Inlet a stone’s throw away from our kennel, we are able to work with the nearby commercial fishing sites to purchase fresh salmon during the summer runs. Additionally, along with the generous folks at Snug Harbor Seafoods, several of the local fishing charter guides in the area have been great about saving the heads of the giant king salmon that the lucky sport fishing anglers pull from the cold waters of the Kenai River. Paul and Kristy cut these into snacks for the dogs, which they absolutely love. An added benefit, is that the salmon is extremely tolerant to handling freezing and thawing – which can be a real problem and the cause of stomach ailments for a team with regular meat that spoils easily if it gets too warm. Although the Iditarod has made great strides towards mitigating the spoilage issue through the use of segregating “freeze” bags and providing additional measures to keep them insulated and covered, the food drop bags do ultimately get exposed to the elements out at the checkpoints, and if the weather warms up, the meat inside is subject to thawing.
Left: Frozen king salmon heads easily yield about 5 lbs of meat. Right: To our sled dogs, this label is like the word "CHOCOLATE!". Below: Specific bags are labeled for packing the frozen meat for food drops. |   
Of course there is also meat included in the drop bags for the dogs. Things like horse, beef, and lamb are all part of the mix. Chunks of beef fat – a powerful source of carbs for the dogs when the temperature plummets, are also included in the food drops along with special canine vitamins that Fit Dog Nutrition has perfected for us. One thing Paul is very pleased with this year is that through research and discussions with the Iditarod Head Veterinarian, Dr. Stu Nelson, he has found the ideal nutritional balance for our team and has not experienced any of the cramping issues that have plagued some of the dogs. Last year, Paul had to drop several dogs early in the race, which had a significant impact on where he finished, and it was contributed to the unexplained cramping. Ironically, the cramps would be short lived, and within hours of Paul electing to drop the dogs from the team, they were 100% again – while he was already further down the trail. It is one mystery that we were elated to solve, both in terms of the well being of our canine athletes, but also to feel comfortable in the potential of the team without that nagging worry. It had been a frustrating problem for Paul, as the vets too had commented how our team was always very well hydrated, and that they are known for their ferocious appetites. Rather it would be not eating or drinking well that would cause you to contemplate that this is where the problem was coming from.
Beyond the fuel that the team will need on the trail, there are other dog-care related things that go into the drop bags as well. We can’t say enough about the contribution by Lisa Davis and her crew in Ohio with all of the dog booties they made. Night after night, as I am doing the dishes after dinner, Paul and Kristy are sorting and packing bags of booties. Another ingredient in the drops would be the hand and foot warmers. Granted, the foot warmers are for Paul’s feet, but the hand warmers serve two purposes. Paul swears that he would absolutely not leave a checkpoint without handwarmers (Grabber Warmers supplies these!), which he needs to keep his hands agile enough to work with the dogs throughout the race. Additionally, the warmers also provide excellent therapy for our dogs when Paul stops them for a rest. He will use the specially designed jackets that the dogs wear when they rest, to insert warmers into pockets along their shoulders and joints. It is like resting with a hot water bottle, and it is invaluable for the recovery of the team during their breaks. Paul feels that the foot warmers that Grabber has created in the shape of a full insole warmer, helps to not only keep his feet warm, but also is beneficial in alleviating the pain in his back that he deals with constantly. (Some people may not realize that Paul has a spinal defect and at times he has said the pain is so intense that “he wants to lay in the snow and cry”)
Paul drinks a carton of chocolate milk just after finishing the Iditarod Race to avoid cramping. | There are also the bottles of foot ointment and liniment that Paul packs to care for the team, and of course Paul’s personal food. It is no secret that he loves, loves, loves McDonalds cheeseburgers. But we are also very fortunate to have the help of Blockbuster Video’s team in keeping Paul’s trail snack bags filled with bottles of water and juice, peanuts and jerky. Our friend Rick Schmeig, makes some wonderful smoked salmon sticks that Paul really likes because they stay pliable even in extreme cold. Of course, the same could be said about the Twinkies that Paul also carries. (We have friends that sent these especially for Paul all the way from Arkansas!) There are a number of other things Paul packs; such as homemade pork sandwiches – his own concoction of pork roast, slathered with Miracle Whip and grape jelly. (Scary, I know! But he loves them.) and the breakfast burritos that I have made for years loaded with shredded potatoes from our garden, bacon, scrambled eggs and calcium-rich cheese. Having grown up on a dairy farm, Paul is a big milk drinker. As a matter of fact, I always have a carton of chocolate milk waiting for him at the finish line that he swears does a lot to stave off cramping in his legs. He will send packages of sterilized milk on the trail for this specific reason, as well as keeping a stash of salt packets close by.
The first time Kristy encountered the dreaded leg cramps that result from the combined exertion, fatigue and cold, Paul suggested she take a shot of salt. I think she thought he was crazy, until she started talking to other mushers and finally tried it for herself. I have no medical explanation for it, but those guys swear by a small amount of regular table salt to almost instantly stop cramps. In addition to the milk and salt, my aunt, who is a nurse, wisely recommended dried apricots several years ago – which are now a mainstay in Kristy’s bag.
It has been interesting for me to see Kristy’s rookie approach to the upcoming Iditarod. Paul has been forthright in sharing his knowledge with other rookie mushers in the past, and working with Kristy is no exception. He can help her with the logistics, but a lot of it boils down to her own choices. The packing of the food she will take on her 10+ day journey is one thing that she alone will make some of the decisions on. Paul has told her that she has to pack what she knows she will like to eat, because the sleep deprivation and fatigue will impact her appetite. I have shared with her the feedback I have heard from other mushers – how they craved “meat and potatoes” ie: protein and carbs. And I know that until you have actually done it, you probably can’t fathom not having access to anything except what you supply for yourself. But she is making lists and packing things that are going to help her, like yogurt (another excellent source of calcium) and salmon Quesada’s. I’ve baked a few treats, like a cream cheese pound cake that should handle the trail well, and burritos.
Some of the food choices actually get a trial run in the mid distance races. Kristy experimented with “Hot Pockets” during the Copper Basin 300, and in the race this coming weekend, there are a few other considerations that will make it into the snack bags. I always tease Paul when he leaves the starting line, because I swear he is on a sugar high for the first couple hours. Take a peek at last year’s Iditarod starting sled shot here. Yep – there’s a Twinkie in there, and of course a Pepsi. Because they explode when they freeze, he can’t ship the cans out in the food drops, but Paul will take a Pepsi anytime someone offers him one. And I can bet you’ll see one tucked in the sled when he takes off later this week in the Denali Doubles race.
The new Denali Doubles Invitational is really a unique event compared to any other sled dog race out there. Criteria for entering included a prerequisite of one of the mushers on the two-person team having been awarded a Humanitarian Award during their career (which of course Paul has won four) or being in the top echelon of competitive race finishers. The race is set up so that two mushers travel as a pair with a total team of up to 20 dogs. In concept, it is an opportunity to provide novice mushers with direct interaction and tutelage of a qualified veteran during an actual race environment. It is a 260 mile race that starts from the scenic area around Cantwell, Alaska – the well known gateway to Denali National Park. The race will travel along the Denali Highway, where it turns around at the eastern most point at Paxson. That is one of the checkpoints that also served the Copper Basin 300 earlier this year, so both Kristy and the dogs will be familiar with that section of the trail.
As recent as last season, Paul and Kristy did a series of training runs out of the Cantwell area when we were lacking snow cover here on the peninsula, so that familiarity will also be an asset.
They will certainly need any advantage they can. The competition will be fierce, in a field that was capped at 20 teams. Several past Iditarod champs, a couple of Yukon Quest victors as well as some incredibly hungry, athletic pairings will all leave the starting line on Thursday under what promises to be a near-perfect weather pattern.
I do not know if there will be updates posted anywhere, but as I know the details – I will keep you posted. So stay tuned!
Until later, Life is a journey.. Enjoy the ride! Evy
Above – Paul took this photo at the Shaktoolik Checkpoint during the Iditarod. The sun was just slipping away across the sea ice of Norton Sound. These are dog teams hunkered down with fleece lined jackets covering them and beds of straw tucked in beneath and around them. The piles of snow acted as windbreaks. There are no trees in this windswept coastal village.
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