Unguided Missiles

Martin Buser said that one of the nice things about running dogs is that you can pretend you are in control. With the holiday season we have missed a couple of runs. Combine that with below zero for a week (the dogs really love to run at -10) and the dogs are pumped. Our club has outgoing and incoming trails so we don’t have head-to-head passes during races. Normally I park lined up with the outgoing trail, but last night there was a gentle breeze carrying exhaust from a running truck in that direction. No problem, I just moved to the other side.

I’ve got Rosemary and Ginger in lead and when I pull the hook they have a bad case of the “I’ve got to run”s and take off like their tails were on fire. I call “gee” to the outgoing trail. Heads flicker right, but they run straight to the incoming side. Platinum tries to go right from behind swing, but is quickly over ruled and goes along as a matter of survival. I’m on the brake for all I’m worth, but the dogs don’t even notice. “Whoa!” “Whoa, you mangy curs!” I might as well be telling the earth to move over under their feet. They charge on with great glee, running the trail backwards. Not really a problem, unless you meet some poor novice. Imagine cruising the trail with your 6 dog team, minding your own business when a 16 dog freight train comes at you head on at a dead run…

Three miles down the trail there is a cross over that I use – luckily the dogs listen this time and take the turn. Now we are running the normal direction, but control is a fragile illusion. I ride the drag the entire 20 miles. Going up the steep hills it almost works. This is a fun ride, but if it was the Iditarod start we would have burned energy we would really want when we got to the coast.

But it is way too convenient having the Beach Lake Trails in my backyard (well almost – it’s only 5 miles away). This is a nice trail system, but a little short for long runs (only 25 miles at best) and after 15 years you start naming the trees. It isn’t too bad until Fred the birch at the 6 mile turn asks to say “hi” to Steve the Spruce up at 8 mile. At some point you have got to travel and see new stuff.

The Willow community maintains a multi-use trail system that the Iditarod uses for the restart (http://www.willowdogmushers.com/files/West_Gateway_Trails.pdf). It is a marvelous way to get to the Susitna River and from there to the Yentna. Great for long trips. The Willow restart is at the red dot in the upper right. Follow the trail across Willow Lake, through the swamp, down Long Lake to Crystal Lake across the road to Vera Lake to the Willow Swamp Trail, around to Corral Hill Trail and down to the Susitna for the restart route. On Crystal Lake there is another red circle, which is a parking lot for snow machines and dog teams to access the trails. About 3 weeks ago I took as 12 dog team to check out the trails – magnificent! The best early season snow we’ve had for a long time. Monday I loaded all 16 dogs; put Lycos in lead (he hadn’t run here since last year) with Dash who had run Saturday. There is a back door out of the parking lot to Crystal Lake, but the angle is wrong for a 16 dog team so I just run down the road and hang a right where the trail crosses it. There isn’t much traffic and little risk.

I’m stuffing the snub line in the sled bag when Dash tries to turn right, Lycos looks at the plowed road and insists we go straight, my belated “gee” notwithstanding. Now what!?! There is no way to stop – my brake just bounces off the hard frozen plowed dirt road. I see a right turn and take it hoping to either find a loop back or a trail to the Swamp Loop. Luckily a car came by with a nice understanding driver who helped me turn the team around (actually he stood on the brake while turned the team, untangled them, and prayed they didn’t take him to Nome instead of me). I love living in Alaska! The driver was very great, but can you imagine what he thought?

A week later I’m back for more. It is snowing and I can’t seem to get here for a daylight start. Ok, the short days and the 1 ½ hour drive helps, but even so… Lycos is in lead again, takes the gee onto Vera Lake just fine, and off we go. In the snow I can’t really see the trail and trust his instincts to find it in the failing light. Next thing I know there are houses just off to my right. The trail goes down the middle of the lake, not the shore, so I haw Lycos over. We find a trail and off he goes.

Wait a minute, this doesn’t look quite right. I’m puzzling over the narrow trail through the trees when a road crossing comes up. Wrong trail! Turn the 16 dog team around, praying the snow hook holds. Undo the tangle and pray some more as the untangled dogs slam their harnesses frustration at sitting so long this early in the run. Once more we avoid disaster, run back to the lake, find the desired trail, and proceed into the storm. Wow! So much for Lycos good sense of direction and trail memory – I’ll remember that for Iditarod.

Keep ‘em Northbound

Eric