Preparations

The time has come for the racers to leave for Alaska. Bill will be taking 19 dogs to Homer, Alaska where they will begin long distance training. The week leading up to this departure has been frought with anxiety and excitement.
The dogs weren't quite sure what was up until yesterday when we packed four sleds onto the top of the dog truck. The dog truck is a massive structure containing twenty cubbies for the racers. In between the cubbies, we have packed food, meat, harnesses, rope, plastic sled runners, lead lines, ice hooks, and all manners of other gear. The amount of equipment that goes into sledding is boggling. For instance, for the past three nights, I have been wrapping booties. The dogs wear booties on their feet to prevent ice cuts and to help keep them warm. Thousands upon thousands of booties are needed, as they can quickly get torn up or wet. Therefore, I have spent countless hours packaging them into sets of four. The small details can go a long way in the Iditarod.
Along with packing, we have been training at an accelerated pace. We are going longer distances, in shorter amounts of time, and at twice a day. The dogs need to get used to running 125 miles a day, so might as well start now. Unfortunately, since we've upped the training, we've also increased the room for error.
Running the ATV a few days ago, I had a large tangle that required a lot of work to get loose; thankfully, no one got hurt. On my next lap, the ATV shifted out of gear and refused to go back in, so I was forced to help push it back the mile home. With all of the running, it is also inevitable that we're getting some sore doggies. Osiris has a tense left shoulder muscle that has required us to give him a few days off; likewise, Oly has had some chafing from his harness that requires a few days rest. Thankfully, it's still the beginning of the season and nothing serious has happened. They're all still crazy about running and it'll only get better once they get to Alaska!
The preparations continue. We have to strap down the sleds tonight and put fresh straw in all the dog boxes. Then, tomorrow morning, they'll hit the road! Au revoir, mes chiens!