The long overdue Yukon Quest recap

We have been home and getting life back to ‘normal’ for a few days. The dogs are all happy and healthy, and Dan and I are getting back onto a regular sleep schedule. Lets face it after going on 3 hour naps and having days blend together for 1000 miles your just not used to a regular bed time and full nights sleep. I (Jodi) wanted to share with you some of my thoughts and impressions about my rookie run in the Yukon Quest, and need to get it done now. As very soon I will be beginning my next challenge, the Iditarod. The paperwork and logistics are already upon me. So while it is all fresh in my mind here are some of the moments and experiences from my race.

First I have to take a minute and thank our sponsors, because a small kennel like ours could not even dream of taking part in world class events like the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod without the very generous support of sponsors like: Halliburton, Usibelli Coal Mine, Fort Knox – Kinross, and TJ’s Landclearing.  Also our kennel was greatly helped by Bailey’s Farms who provided excellent quality freeze dried meats for our race team. And Tanka Bars who’s delicious natural snacks were a staple of our trail diet.
Lastly I have to say once again THANK YOU to the many friends and family who were so supportive and encouraged us along the way.

I apologize if this is not a play by play chronological journey. Sleep deprivation, and nights blending into days into nights have gotten the better of my memory. What remains are the vivid images that burned themselves into my brain. And to be fair, so much of the trail is just quite beauty, and the privilege of having nothing in the world to worry about then 14 tails and the next mile of trail. The dog’s steady gait can be hypnotic, and the quite relaxing. I didn’t use my iPod, and ended up leaving it at the Pelly checkpoint, preferring instead the inner ramblings of my own mind. But I will share with you what I can. Knowing that words do not so it justice. Like so many things in life, the Yukon Quest has to be experienced. And I count myself very lucky to have been able to do just that.

I can honestly say that I do not remember much about the actual start; it was a blur of excitement and nerves for me. Even with all my careful preparation I managed to forget one thing; people food. There I was at the start with all my gear, dog food, everything I needed to take off except any food for me. Which I would need as my race planned called for me and the dogs to take a short camping break on our first run to Braeburn. I was very lucky our Whitehorse hosts, Bill and Sue, were there and willing to run to the grocery for some trail snacks. We have stayed with Bill and Sue every time Dan has run, and this year we descended on them with 2 full teams. They welcomed us, had the guest room and hot tub ready, and even had a wonderful huge meal for the night before the race. We are lucky to have such good friends in Whitehorse.

My race plan was pretty conservative. I had planned on breaking up most of the runs with camping stops. And lucky for me Dan had the knowledge of the trail I needed and helped me to make intelligent choices about when and where to rest. To be fair as the race progressed, the temperature plummeted, and the leaders pulled farther and father away from the middle of the pack, I did allow myself the luxury of extra long rests at checkpoints. This gave me a chance to spend extra time caring for my team. And most importantly to give them extra meals. Keeping weight on a working team when the temp is -40F and lower can be hard, and hydration becomes something you need to be really aware of as well. So the extra warm wet meals helped me make sure my team was hydrated and healthy.

One incident I know people are wondering about is my return to Dawson. I had left on time after my 36 hour break with a team that was happy and rejuvenated. With some wonderful help from Kyla, Madeline, Alyson, Tom, and Joel, I felt like I was ready to tackle the second half of the race. I had eaten well and gotten good rest, while the dogs had been well fed, walked and massaged. Leaving Dawson the wind had picked up and snow was blowing. The team before me Josh Cadzow was almost 3 hours earlier, and his tracks in the snow were long gone. I was making my way down the river, trying to follow markers on the blow in trail. I managed to see a set of markers at the head of a land trail, looking like many of the earlier portages had been marked I assumed it was a short overland section. (oh how wrong I was) An additional marker after I got onto the trail convinced me I was OK. (oh still wrong) But after some time on the land trail I knew something was not right. I eventually ended up in someone’s dog yard, where I camped the dogs for a short time, and did a little recon. I did find a trail leading out of the yard back to the river, and could even see trail markers on the river. So after a brief rest I headed out that way. Sadly I had gotten disorientated and when I got back to the river I made a turn that had me headed back to Dawson. Returning to Dawson was demoralizing, to be sure. But I had to make the best of it. As it turned out I returned just as Mike Ellis and Dave Dalton were preparing to leave. I decided to take advantage of the situation and follow these two seasoned veterans back out.

I am glad I did, as trail conditions had deteriorated greatly, there was no trail to be seen and many of the markers had blow away. We three traveled together until we reached the 40 mile cabin hospitality stop. It was a long and difficult run, and I had spent over 13 hours on the trail.

40 mile cabin is a wonderful place, cozy and welcoming. And I was happy to spend the extra time there giving the dogs the rest the deserved after the major long run from Dawson. I was also happy for the excellent stew and homemade cookie that refueled me while the dogs rested. This stop, and Sebastian the host there has always been one of Dan’s favorites. And it was especially nice to see it first hand and spend time getting to talk with Sebastian. It turns out the extra rest at 40 mile was well worth it. As the next section of trail up the 40 mile river had also blown in and would prove to be slow and difficult. But my dogs were still doing well and made the run in good spirits.

As it turned out Dave, Mike and I were on a similar schedule for a large part of the second half of the race. And I could not have asked for better company. They were generous with their friendship and advice. I had, as a nervous rookie, over packed human food and snacks. And it turned out well, as I had some nice baked goods and treats to share with them at checkpoints as we thawed our gear.

Now a word about the hospitality stops, they were a special part of the trail for me. Tucked away from roads and crowds. Staffed by hard core fans and bush folks. And home to some of the best cookies ever. Trout Creek, like 40 mile, had stew and delicious cookies, I stopped counting after eating 6. I am now 100% sure food tastes better in a bush cabin after a long run.  Slavins was another favorite stop. Slavins is a Parks Service cabin, run by volunteers who made me a huge breakfast and had the woodstove roaring warm and welcoming. . Like so many of the places on the trail, away from the roads, I had only heard the storied, and now I was having the opportunity to experience and see them for myself.

Another section people often ask about is Eagle Summit, and YES it is steep and a bit intimidating. As luck would have it Mike Ellis was traveling right behind me. And when it came to the final 100 yard near vertical push we were able to work together to get both teams up to the top. You see it was so steep that if you let go of your sled for a minute it would slide backwards, taking the team with it. My team had stalled on the slope when they came across a pile of food an earlier team had lost, that was still on the trail. And that little stop was all it took for the sled to loose momentum. But with Mike right behind me, we could have one person push the sled and the other take the team and lead them right up. With my team on top we ran down and repeated the same procedure with his team. Considering how much heart break Eagle Summit caused this year out little hiccup was nothing, and our fast run times to 101 were something to be proud of. Plus I think it is another great example of the type of friendship and sportsmanship that is so common among Quest mushers.

Interview at 101 checkpoint

After Eagle Summit you travel over Rosebud, another summit knows for being long and hard. But I have to tell you it might be one of, if not my very favorite part of the trail. Let me set the scene. Yes the climb up is long, and it is hard, and when you get on top you travel around the ridgeline and saddle of the mountains. But here is where things gone insanely beautiful for me. Picture this: Night time, full moon, above tree line, with a team of dogs you love all working smoothly together, and a 360 moonlight view of the world around you. It was amazing, so beautiful I thought my heart would explode!! At one point I stopped to snack the team, and after I fed them I was checking booties and giving everyone a little love when they broke out in a beautiful howl! Heads thrown back to the moon, beautiful howl. I just had to join in, and there we were all singing on top of the world. It is a memory I will cherish forever.

My dogs are actually prone to singing, and left the Eagle checkpoint after giving the volunteers there a nice chorus of the Dew Claw howl. And I was treated to their song many times on the trail. I must say I was continually impressed with the attitude and good spirits my team showed. It is pretty hard to be down when your team is so happy.

One other Summit of note, American Summit. I really really thought to myself at one point in time: “do not mess this up Jodi, cause you will fall off the face of the earth”. It was steep drop off if you didn’t make it, and I was working hard to make sure I made it. Once I was on the other side Dave and Mike told me that actually it was not as bad this year as it had been in the past!

Other random thoughts.
I am very thankful for the army of volunteers, officials, and vets who were there every step of the way. Along with the service they provide they are a friendly face offering encouragement. Often when I got into checkpoints after being out alone with my dogs for so long I felt overwhelmed. All I wanted to do was feed and care for my team. People, with questions and conversations were hard to adjust too. And I may not have taken the time to thank the many many people who were there waiting at checkpoints to provide food and information, but please know how much I appreciated you all; even if I was a bit sleep deprived and glassy eyed.

The cold; wow did it get cold. And I have never been so thankful for the wonderful beaver mitts Dan got me then I was on the Yukon Quest trail. Not often at -50F do we hook up a team and go out, so this was a real test for my gear. I am happy to report it did a great job of keeping me safe and warm.

Time; takes on a whole new meaning, sometimes plodding often passing without your being aware. More then once I had to ask what day it was, as they all managed to blur into one long progression. You measured time in blocks, 7 hour run, 6 hour rest, 2 hour nap. Mileages can be deceiving, and you do not get the traveling speeds you would on a single training run. Again thanks to Dan I was prepared for that. At every checkpoint there is a board, listing everyone’s times and standing, and I made a point of not paying attention to it. It was important to me to run my own race. And as a handler I had seen too many people get sucked into other people’s races. Reacting instead of acting and it tends to have a negative effect. It was hard not to want to get caught up in the bigger race, but in the end I am glad I ran the way I did.

Things I learned; well you really learn how to pack your sled on the Quest. Sometimes I would leave a checkpoint knowing I would stop and camp 2-4 times before reaching another. That means a lot of food for the dogs, and you have to be sure you have everything you need. Not to mention keep track of all your mandatory gear, and personal stuff. I learned about what I really needed and what was extra weight. And again can’t tell you how much I loved Bailey’s Farms freeze dried meat, lightweight and the dogs loved it and always ate it up. I learned how to keep organized. My first checkpoint I was a total ‘gear explosion’ everything coming out of the sled, but by the end I was more organized and able to get through my checkpoint routine without as much fuss. Which was a good thing because as you get more tired it is harder and harder to focus. A simple question: “do you want moose stew or chicken soup?” felt like it required more brain power then I had; being since all available brain power was going into one question: “what do I need to do for my dogs?”

Mistakes; Oh Yeah, but why dwell on those. Of course I made some, but I tried as best I could not to let them define or ruin my race. I do hope to have learned from them, and hope to be able to use that knowledge in future races.

The finish; I was not ready for it all to end, and was not kidding in the radio interview when I said I was considering stopping the team on the Chena River and not going to the finish line. After days of quality time alone with my dogs all of a sudden you know it is going to end, and you will be back to your regular life. I just did not want the trail time to end.
But at the finish I was surrounded by dear friends cheering me on, and Dan who brought me roses. And the knowledge that I had just done something very few people will ever attempt, let alone finish.

Thank you to everyone who believed in me and helped make this possible.

Mush Love,
Jodi