Update as of  4:30 a.m. Thursday, March 6, 2008

Currently in  1st place

Out of the OPHIR checkpoint

Wearing Bib # 69

Some of the most isolated miles of the trail await the team's passing as we roll through Day 4 of racing in the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. While I have been burning the midnight oil awaiting a current update on the official standings, as of roughly 1pm yesterday afternoon, Paul was leading the field of 91 mushers with his team of 15 dogs.  He had departed this tiny checkpoint after just a couple of minutes, so it is my expectation that he made camp with them out along the trail enroute to CRIPPLE. 

The checkpoint of CRIPPLE is considered the official halfway point of the race. Not unlike the checkpoint of IDITAROD that holds this status on the race's "odd" number years, it is a stopping point that is used specifically for the race and will be nothing more than echoes in a few weeks from now. The checkpoint is by far the most primitive of any along the trail, consisting only of a few wall tents that are situated next to an area that suits the landing gear of some small airplanes.  This is important, as the checkpoint will serve a vital role in giving mushers access to the food drops the airplanes have ferried out.  The tents are heated by tiny woodstoves, which given the warm temperatures that are plaguing the trail, they should be adequate this year.  In 2006, which was the last year the teams took this Northern Route, the thermometer plummeted to -55 and colder.  It was impossible for the woodstoves to ward off that kind of cold.

Because of this, I can only wonder if Paul may elect to stop the dogs for his 24-hour layover here.  When I spoke to him shortly before his departure from the TAKOTNA checkpoint yesterday morning, he planned to keep motoring up the trail according to what he saw with the team.  He had elected to drop little Madlin (Maddy), but was otherwise having the pleasure of running a strong team of 15-well matched athletes. The stats indicate that he is holding his speed, and he sounded like he had caught a few hours of sleep. Because he did blow through OPHIR, he would need to rest the team along the trail on the nearly 60-mile run into CRIPPLE. 

The process of camping is not something Paul approaches haphazardly. When he designed the new sled he is driving, he considered how he would carry the supplies he would use along the trail to care for his team.  Even if his other sled had made it to the NIKOLAI checkpoint earlier with enough time for him to switch to it, he would still be carrying bags of food and straw to use in caring for the team. Part of why will run the dogs in the mid distance races during the season is to teach the dogs the art of camping.  Equally important, is going through this exercise in training as well.  It is the process of the dogs recognizing what is expected of them by certain triggers they associate with the difference in this stop, rather than one of the many shorter snack breaks they will take.  When they camp, they are bedded down on straw.  Although, with the temperatures as warm as they are on the trail now, it is likely that the dogs will likely elect to roll in the snow to cool down and have a tendency not to be as eager to lay in the straw. Paul will remove any booties and take care of getting a good warm meal into the dog's bellies.  The timing of this is probably one of the most crucial elements in the whole camping process.  He needs to let them cool down some, but also needs to allow them time to digest their food before stepping back on the runners. One thing I would expect to see him doing with the current weather conditions would be to give the dogs straight cool water.  They receive fresh water upon returning from runs throughout training season, so they are conditioned to this.  Hydration is so important regardless of the weather.

I have noted the temperatures a couple of times, and consider this a huge element in the race overall right now.  Paul had eluded to the slower going on the trail due to the weather.  The forecast indicates that there is a chance of rain and snow, which is transforming the trail to mush during the warmer parts of the day.  It will also be a contributing factor to the potential for overflow, both on the run into the checkpoints of CRIPPLE and RUBY, and ahead on the Yukon River as well.  After their experiences out in Bethel with this year's Kusko 300, I know the team can handle it.  Additionally, Paul had been doing most of his recent training runs here on the Kenai Peninsula in the "heat of the day" in recent weeks. (Although this was not due to weather as much as it was to mitigate encounters with moose on the trail!)

On one such run just a week before the race started, Paul had been sharing the runners of his sled with one of the film crew members from the Versus network. They had been filming at the kennel here in Kasilof, then traveled with Paul to his training area in the popular Caribou Hills region of the lower Kenai Peninsula.  With our friend Kevin Fulton helping out with a snowmachine shuttle for some of the other film crew members, the team had spent several hours with Paul on the trail.  It was not long after the crew departed with Kevin, and Paul was on the return leg of his training run that tragedy barely escaped the team.  On a section of trail that Paul says he has never encountered moose before, a large cow jumped onto the trail.  With our heavy snow conditions this season, the moose are becoming increasingly aggressive and pose a tremendous threat to the dog team. On this occasion, the team was steaming down a sharp hill when the moose jumped out of the woods right next to Paul's leaders.  It happened so suddenly, neither Paul nor the dogs heard or sensed her until she was right on top of the team.  She must have been startled as well, and initially jumped back into the deep snow alongside the trail.  It was short-lived however, and she quickly decided she wanted to be back on the hard packed surface where the dogs were.  Since it was on a downhill section, Paul had to keep going with the team.  His split second decision probably saved the team from serious injury as the moose catapulted back onto the trail however, as he let his foot off the brake on the sled and called the team up to shoot past the moose.  She came back up on the trail right next to the middle of the team, and ran gangly-legged at full throttle with the team screaming past her.  In other years, Paul has literally had moose charge him on the sled during these late season training runs - actually knocking him off the runners.  Several years ago, a moose attacked the team and killed our lead dog at the time.

But I am not expecting moose to be a problem along the trail for Paul now.  The area has a high population of wolves in that region of the state, that have proven to be effective in keeping the moose numbers low. I would be more concerned about the wolves interacting with the team due to Tessa being in heat right now more than anything.  I wouldn't even have given that too much consideration, had it not been for the high number of incidents this winter involving domestic canines being attacked by wolves in Alaska. 

When I did talk to Paul, he commented again at how well the team was eating.  He was very pleased by this, and was using that small notebook he carries to reference the supplies he had shipped out in advance. Exactly where Paul elects to set the snowhook for his 24-hour mandatory rest will hinge largely on where he has sufficient supplies awaiting him.  It is amazing how many pounds of frozen meat and commercial kibble the team will consume during their breaks.  Paul will soak the combination in a broth of warm water, to create a soup that is similar to oatmeal in consistency.  Normally, Paul feeds the kibble dry initially, followed by the water/ meat mixture. It seems like the dogs -  the connoisseurs that they are - prefer the texture better this way.

There is no question that we will see some jockeying in the standings over the next two days now. Several teams behind Paul on the trail are currently deep into their 24-hour layovers, and will be back on the trail as he settles into his.  His #69 starting number, and his current position put him in a good spot though.  He will enjoy an automatic gain of about 2 hours on some of his closest competitors, and if the team holds together, he will be fresher hitting the trail at a later distance than they are.  Remember, last year there were many people that disregarded both Paul and Lance Mackey, and turned their attention to the race between Jeff King and Martin Buser - only to have their heads turned when the pair gobbled up the 6 hour lead King and Buser enjoyed for a brief period. Paul has historically had strong runs on the Yukon River.  He finished the Kusko 300 with the most dogs of any team this year, and the fact that that race is run on a river is not something that should be underestimated.

Paul is healthier than he has ever been for more reasons than one, and believe me, he is hungry for a win.  He was more methodical and deliberate in his race preparations than I can ever recall, and both Tyler and I agreed that the dogs have been the happiest we have ever seen them.  If it all comes together, Paul just may be on course for what Martin Buser refers to as the "unspoken" - the magic carpet ride when everything clicks and you can't go wrong.  It is the run when the team just peaks as one and the musher has a ride of their lifetime. With the caliber of competition in this year's race, it will take the right elements to bring that magic together.  With all of the prayers and positive energy being sent Paul's way, I am going to hope that the gentle snow falling along the miles of Iditarod Trail are like pixie dust, and Paul catches that magic this year.

Until later - Life is a journey, enjoy the ride! Evy

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