Cold and colder yet!!

Saturday started with sun and cold – but it was warmer than it has been or else we are just getting used to sub zero temps!!!  (Randy’s face is peeling everywhere except his beard area from getting frost bitten last weekend!)

We got to the driver’s meeting and talked to Doris the person we had sent the entry to – she only had Randy entered in the open and 6 dog – she didn’t look at the bottom of the page sent her with my info on it – but she graciously allowed me to enter anyway (this was my first clue that maybe I was not supposed to run in the 4 dog………….).  We got Randy out in the open with 14 dogs with Rocky and Bieka in lead and all of his other solid older dogs and 2 2-year olds (Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson) and a yearling (Drago)- he had to go heavy on the drag the whole 12 miles because Jeff wasn’t really pulling and Drago never tightened his tug line – he had one problem falling at a more-than-90 degree corner and there were lots of turn in the trail- so he came in 7^th and they pay down to 6^th…..

While we were taking his team to the line, my knee, which had not been hurting for several days got a work out – they don’t use snowmobiles or 4 wheelers to get the teams to the line – even with it being icy snow for a block to get there – they only use people power – so after he left I started limping –(another clue to not run – but I was still planning on it…..)

The 6 dog went well and he came in 10^th out of 13 teams – he said before he went out that he would know better being on most of the same trail for the 4 dog whether it would be risky for me to run it – when he came back he said definitely he didn’t want me to try it – the 3^rd clue and I was relieved!

He ran the 4 dogs team of Scar, Dee, Kimmy and Wolf – what an unlikely looking team with 3 little girls and one big boy with most other teams with 4 big bruisers!!!  They ran great and he came in 13^th out of 27 teams –

Last nite we went to the Musher’s Ball at the same log cabiny, rustic lodge that we stayed at 3 nites ago and had dinner and then they had a band – though I had to keep the movement to a minimum we did do a little bit of dancing – couldn’t resist!

Up this morning and they said it was -1 F which really doesn’t feel too bad – there’s no wind so that helps!

Well forget what I said about no wind!!!  In the time I wrote this waiting for Randy to come back it kicked up something fierce!!!!

The run did not go as well as we hoped – Isaac has been having problems with his front ankles even since training and we have been wrapping them every time he runs – well this time it didn’t work – he ran 2 miles and neck lined the rest of the way – until just a mile before the finish line Randy finally had to load him.

The 6 dog went a bit better but just before Randy left I asked him if he wanted me to switch back the leaders Oats and Snapper – and he said no – and when he got back he said I should have switched them because Oats runs better on the right – the rest all did very well, Dancer, Ghost, Donna and the only glitch was that Echo didn’t start working until about 2 miles.

In the 4 dog he gained a little bit but stayed in the same place  - all in all it was a good way to see which dogs have potential and which ones can’t make it anymore.

Up Monday morning and found out from the fireman it was -22F over nite – the generator stopped running once during the nite and it got to be 45 degrees!!!!  A little chilly – but the rest of the nite was fine – on the road by 10:42 and don’t think we will make it home today =especially if we stop at Gaylord to see if we can get the generator fixerd (the inside one)  Talk to you as soon as I can!!!