Race results

Yesterday was not as good as we had hoped - we think we might not have given enough runs to get the dogs from "stage stop speed" to "Quebec race speed"---------- we came in last place and part of the problem was that Randy was overtaken by JR Saucier and his dogs wouldn't pass easily so Randy had to stop twice - 

Today was better!  Our dogs hung in there tough and Randy moved up 5 places to 15th!!!!

It was not as cold either but I still put bag balm on the dogs scrotums and ears so they wouldn't freeze..............

Back to  Bellerive's tonite!!!  we are having a problem with the generator again and so we are running the little one and it will be good to be able to be back at our Quebec home to plug into the barn!!

There has been some discussion with Claude about him not  going to the race next weekend - he has a contact that is telling him the trail will not be good - Randy says if he doesn't go we won't likely either! So we'll see!!!

Race Day!!

 First day of the Pont Rouge race in Quebec - Randy goes out 5th - less than 11 mile course!! Very cold temps!!!  will let you know how he does!!!

Had dinner at Melanie's house on Thursday - left for the race on Friday at noon - no problem getting to the town of Pont Rouge but had to stop 3 times to ask people where the race site was!!!  finally found it - it's a drag racing site in the summer!!!  looks like they have everything planned out well - hope the trail is good!!!

WE are in Canada!!

The only problem we had letting us in was that we were "red flagged" for coming to the border one year and not having our covid test result sent to us yet from the pharmacy so they sent us back to the US!!!

We drove till Deep River, Ontario and then the next day made it here to Charette!!!

The Bellerives are busy with business lunches and dinners today so we will see them tomorrow!!

We had a quick hello with Claude yesterday because he was at the barn to train some dogs before the race this weekend!! 

We trained all of our dogs today and they all looked good - we also trained 3 of Claudes old dogs - don't know if he is thinking of us getting them or what..............

I was doing great until I just fell on the ice and tweaked my back............just a bit of rest and it will be fine!!!!! 

Not as great as we hoped but good!!!

We got to the race site fine and found our parking spot and had a great spaghetti dinner for the prelude to the race meeting at the golf course in Iron River Wisconsin - good friends there, Moe and Lydia and the Beabers and next morning Lori and Ken Chezik - you all probably (that care) know the race results from the one day race - Randy came in 4th after having about 20 4 second or more problems that kept him from getting 3rd or 2nd!  it was close!!!  One of them in particular was a confrontation with a mid-distance driver that he passed (part of the trail there were both mid-distance and unlimited teams running on the same section) and then she wanted to re-pass him right away without giving him the chance to pull away again - some trail help difficulty and etc.........  All in all if was a great fun race for us with lots of people we enjoy!!

This morning on Sunday we left the race site and made it all the way to Sault Ste. Marie Michingan and in the morning we will cross the bridge to Canada on our way to Quebec and the 2 final races in their season - it may sound crazy but you gotta do it while you can still do it!!!!

Will let you know what happens next when I have service!!!

Yay we are in Wisconsin!!! And no problems!!!!!

 After recovering (my back and arms took notice!!) from the day that will go down in infamy-----"The Bad Training Day/Valentines Day" it was time to head for the race in Wisconsin.  We had a goodbye dinner with Jan and Lynn Witte and Stan Bontrager on Wednesday nite and I took a long-awaited shower!!!!!  (Thank you Jan!!!!) We left Deer Park about noon yesterday and went to Newberry and got fuel and some groceries and got rid of our trash and then took off for Iron River - I thought I had heard that it was 10 hours because I ususally think of the UP taking 7 hours to cross but I was thinking wrong as our "stalker/tour guide" daughter, Amy, pointed out!!!  It was only 5 and change! But that would be if we actually drove the speed limit and never stopped!!  

We had every kind of winter weather imaginable --- dry roads, snow covered, icy, sunshine......We took a short cut around Marquette and  saw a sign for a stop sign, and slowed way down as it looked like the stop sign was at the bottom of the hill - well we finally did stop at the sign............after sliding about 20 feet!!!  It was that fine coating of snow that turns to ice thing going on..................

So we ended up getting as far as Ashland, and sure enough there is a Walmart!!!  So we found a good place in the parking lot and settled in.  Randy took a nap and I went in and got some things I had forgotten just that morning shopping!!!! Shopping twice in one day and I still forgot some things!!!!!! Must be "senior-itis"!

We had a comfortable quiet nite and awoke at the crack of dawn.............10am!!  (Us old dog mushers like to sleep in!!!)  Only 8 degrees!!  We must be pretty used to the cold because it didn't really seem that cold. We watered and are than going to drop and head for the race site - should be about 45 minutes,  Once there I can't remember for sure if we had any cell service so you may or may not hear from us until Sunday or Monday - and then maybe you and I will know where we are going next!!  On bad days, Randy says we are going to our "real home" and on good days it's out to do the last 3 races in Quebec!!  So we will see how the dogs do this weekend!

On a "tour guide" note,  yesterday we saw an eagle, then while I was pointing to another eagle and saying "look at that" Randy was thinking that I saw the moose he was seeing!!!  Pretty fun!!

Mored info!!

 

Happy Valentines everyone !!!!!

We have been here at Deer Park for about five days and have trained three times and because it rained last night what was a beautiful training trail probably isn’t as beautiful anymore.

We trained yesterday and if I hadn’t been there I would’ve thought Randy had made the whole thing up because we had so many things happen bed in the course of an hour it doesn’t even seem possible!!!! first of all a dog ate his harness then we got them all hooked up into the lines and we’re ready to go and Randy couldn’t get the stick to move to release him and the 14 dog team from the truck – then when he did get going the front end of the team wasn’t ready and they got balled up. While I was trying to untangle them another dog bit the tug line into. Then he got going again and two females in the team started fighting. So I had to move one of the two girls into another place to prevent them from fighting again then he finally left and I got on the snowmachine and followed him. Then while we are about halfway done with the training run the snow machine quit. I tried to figure out what was wrong did not and walked back to where I knew Randy would becoming back on the trail after going around the circle. I told him I didn’t know what was wrong he thought maybe it was the choke. So she told me to get on and go back with him on the sled and I did not want to do they’re going over a very hilly section of trail with 14 dogs. So I stayed at the snowmobile and waited for someone to come and help me. And that time I made a snow gnome and even laid down on the snowmobile for a little while. So Ken Chezik came to my aid and by that time I had looked at the gas cap and it sure looked like it was on empty to me! So Ken told me and the snowmobile and the drag back to our truck and then when I got there I found out that in just the blink of an eye one of the dogs had gotten loose and bread one of the other females! These things only happen in the movies!

So tomorrow morning we’re getting up early-ish and going to take off for iron River Wisconsin. We hope to be there some time midday on Friday. They’re having a dinner writing night and drivers meeting so we want to be sure and be there by then. Then Saturday and Sunday hopefully I’ll be able to write to you and let you know how Randy’s done and the race and after this weekend we don’t know where we’re going for sure so you and I will find out at the same time!

Well it's Thursday,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

We ended up making it as far as South Haven on Tuesday nite and stayed at a gas station - Wednesday as far as Baldwin and found out the race was cancelled for sure and then made our way up to Newberry to be able to train the dogs after another week of traveling!!  So tomorrow we will drive up to Deer Park and try and get the kids in shape for racing in a week in Wisconsis at the Northern Pines race - Ken adn Lori Chezik are also up her and it will be great to see all the people we left up here 3 weeks ago!  It sounds like there is still a decent trail here and they got more snow talk later - update when I have either wifi or cell service again - we will be living in the trailer  whiler we are here so not opening the handlers quarter that we rent at all

Talk soon!!!!

CATCH UP WITH WIFI FINALLY!!!

 

I will be brief--- it’s been so long since I have had good cell service and/or a place to actually type without bumpiness!

Last we talked it was Thursday =

We made it back to Alpine on Thursday nite – went to the race/training site in town at the trail head of the Snake River canyon- we did pick up our snow machine at the close-by fix it shop and for only 100 dollars they cleaned the cabruetor by running it down the road at 45 mph!!!! and did adjust it so it would run best going only 20mph which is as fast as we ever go with it whether grooming trails of running dogs.

The next morning on Friday was the race leg of the stage stop at Alpine and so we were parked just beside where everyone still racing was……….it was very bittersweet to see everyone and not be a part of the group any more   we did thank yous and goodbyes and felt like good sportsmen even though we were pretty downhearted and disappointed!  They did say we could come to the awards banquet but that would have been even more difficult and it was a 1/2 days drive in the wrong direction-

At present we are just outside of South Haven, back in our own state!!  The trip so far has been so much better than the way out - but it still takes us a day per state to cross - so we left on Saturday (Wyoming) Sunday(Sidney Nebraska at the original Cabelas) MOnday (Iowa) and today almost home!!  Actually we are going to Baldwin because we want to be there to help Lydia and Moe put on their race if they still have snow!!

2023 racers, handlers and committe

they have these snow stoppers all over Wyoming and Nebraska - they make a beautiful snow drift!!

many many cabins and fences like this and always horses and cattle

training at the Alpine course on the snake river - 25 yards down to the river from the trail with little stopping you from going over!!

We gave a presentation to most of these kids at Afton - so when Randy walked up to the starting line he was surprised to see thay had posters saying "go Randy" and were shouting it at the top of their lungs to all the mushers!!

the bridge they have for the range animals to cross the road!

my favorite fencing!!

Hard day!!!

the people in Pinedale are soooooo friendly - in fact all of Wyoming is so friendly!!!!

Big day in Pinedale!!!  Went shopping at Family Dollar!!!  Saw the guy we bought the delicious pork ribs from 2 days ago at the meet and greet here in Pinedale and he remembered us!!!!!!

We got the truck back late Wednesday afternoon and sure enough it was all fuel system related including the fuel gelling – even with the block heater on it all nite!!!  So $869 lighter in the wallet and we are ready to head out to Alpine to see if our snow machine is fixed to run optimally at 20 mph – they were going to adjust the carburetor to make that happen.

We don’t feel like the dogs would have a fair chance of succeeding if we went to the Yellowstone race next weekend what with all the down days from training they have had so who knows where for sure we will be heading next!!!  Will keep in touch!!!!  PS-------please tell Murphy to leave us alone now,  we are quite humbled but live by the philosophy that if things don’t work out the way we planned them, God has a reason to prevent something worse from happening!!!!!

Just a funny note= yesterday Randy walked to the post office to mail birthday cards for Bec and Luke and our fine for losing the trailer and when he walked in a guy with a cowboy hat, bandana and boots opened the door for him and said “I’ll let you break trail for me…..”  Cool, huh?

As I told Mitzi, I think that Murphy has taken up residence in our trailer..............

 

I know you will all be shocked to hear that we are in the middle of a valley, with no cell service, at the race site that they cancelled the race for because it’s too cold………..we have been here 36 hours without a soul except 2 people from the wrecker service to come and try for 2 hours to figure out what is wrong so that the truck won’t start =  I have to tell you it’s a pretty weird feeling to go into your trailer and the next time you look out the window ever single vehicle in a huge parking area filled with trucks trailers and cars is empty in this desolate valley!!!!

So let me go back to where the last time I think I wrote in the blog…………..Saturday I think…………..We drove from Teton (where I think you know Randy ended up about 5^th from the bottom of 18 drivers) to Lander – the drive was supposed to be a 2 hour enjoyable trip through the pass…which turned out to be over 4 hours and in a lot of snow on the road!  We let Aeja our granddaughter (who is going to college in Lander at the Wyoming Catholic College) know that we were  in town and she came to see us in downtown where we were parked to be able to show the townspeople what sled dogs and drivers look like………..she brought 2 friends and we had a short but wonderful visit!

Next morning , Sunday, we had already driven to the race start site and Aeja and 4 different friends arrived to help us get Grandpa started!!!  They all helped with everything and from Aeja’s last year’s racing experience she was a huge help and knew what to do before we could even ask!!!  Grandpa went out 5^th (they reversed finishing order from the day before) and the teams started coming in……………and coming in…………and coming in…………..and coming in…………and finally after over 3 hours he finished – with a dog with a sore shoulder in the bag and one that had had a seizure on the race trail……….

There was a lot of vet attention and conversation – they disqualified the 3  year old dog that had never had a problem before and gave advice about the sore shoulder .  we said goodbye to Aeja and headed for the next race site, Pinedale .  This was no small accomplishment……….the road we took was closed beacause it was too dangerous……….they have us special permission to use the road and we drove over in a caravan!!  Most was okay but slippery.

They gave us free tickets for a food concession trailer in Pinedale and we enjoyed a delicious dinner of pork ribs – then set off for the race site following Bruce because I couldn’t get the instructions on my phone for some reason! 

We still don’t know the actual temperature or the wind chill temperature ………….but first they delayed the race until 10……….then 11………….then 11:30 and then decided it was too cold for dogs and mushers------ and then that’s when everybody left us, because we couldn’t get the truck to start !!!  So it wasn’t total abandonment – they have a guy named Bob who took most of the day to find a wrecker/fixit service to help us and they did come last evening and in 2 hours didn’t figure it out .  Now I said it was cold – the day before at Lander Randy frostbit 3 fingers and his ears and the guy parked next to us frostbit his hands………..so this was worse here than it was there!

Today we kept warm in the trailer, fed and watered dogs in the boxes and let them run around the parking lot for fun!!!

It’’s 5:30 and within the hour there will be a semi wrecker here to pull us back into Pinedale and figure out our problem – so will let you know more when I do!!!

Needless to say, we missed the starting chute time today so we are out of the race………

It’s Wednesday morning and we just had breakfast in the restaurant they brought us to and unhooked from the truck and then took the truck to be fixed – don’t know for sure what’s wrong = it was 11 oclock last nite when we got here so they are just now at 9 am starting to look at it.  The thoughts so far are fuel pump, geled diesel fuel or fuel filter – we shall see!!!!