UP200!

Rob and I are vegging out in our cabin today, while Mark rests up. And here's why....

Yesterday was our mock UP200 check point day! About a week or two ago Mark made a huge troft(I'm not sure on how to spell that, so we're going with it for the rest of the post) in the snow in the front yard. It is about a 2 feet deep and resembles a check point troft. The plan for the check point practice was for Mark and 14 of the Varsity team dogs to do a 60 mile run, come back to the house and rest in the troft for about 6 hours, and then do another 60 mile run.

Mark and the dogs left around 12:00 yesterday afternoon to do their 60 miles. While they were gone, Rob and I got straw, coats, and foot ointment ready. As it got dark and close to their expected arrival, we waited. We waited for about an hour outside, as we didn't want to miss them coming in. They arrived in the dog yard around 6:30-7:00 ish. Rob was in charge of leading the dogs into the troft, and away from their usual "runway".

Once they were in the troft, we set snow hooks and tied the sled to a snowmobile, just in case. Then we fed them, put goop on their feet, and put jackets on them to keep them dry and warm. Next we unhooked their tug lines so that they could move around freely. Their neck lines stay on so that they don't wander away, or visit with their front and back neighbors. We laid straw out for every dog, so that they could make a bed and go to sleep. After the straw went down, Mark stopped at each dog and checked their shoulders and wrists for soreness. He rubbed every ones wrists with a high powered dog version of flex all, and wrapped them with neoprene and felt wraps.

The trick is getting the dogs to rest. These guys looked like pros. Within minutes most of them had spun around and nosed the straw and were resting away. I even heard a couple of snores. Some of the younger dogs, that maybe haven't been in many races, took a while to get comfy and go to bed. I think Elbrus fell asleep standing up a couple of times. I would look down the line with my headlamp occasionally, and only see one or two heads peeking up.

I kept having to flip my headlamp on because I would hear Noodle grumbling/growling. I can't fully commit to the word growling, because that sounds mean, and Noodle isn't a mean growler. He often growls while not only waggin his tail, but his whole body is wagging. You may have to see it to understand it. Anyhow, I looked at him and his eyes were cosed. Mark says he thinks he growls in his sleep. To anyone that knows Noodle, that's not surprising at all.

While I kept watch on the dogs, Mark grabbed a really quick nap, and Rob took the snowmobile out to groom the trails. 12:00 AM came pretty quickly. As soon as we were milling about, the dogs knew it was time to get going. The dogs all stretched and shook off. It's funny because dogs wake up just like people do. Some look bright eyed and wide awake, others look like they need coffee and a newspaper before they want to do anything. We took their wrist wraps, and coats off, and put booties on.

Then it was time to go. Mark got on the sled and Rob kept an eye out for arguments between dogs, while I ran the leaders out of the dog yard and around the corner. We stopped and put every ones tug lines back on. You would think after 60 long miles, on a not so great trail, resting in a place that isn't their own bed, and being woken up in the middle of that crappy rest, the dogs wouldn't be very excited to get going. It was the TOTAL opposite! All the dogs were barking and screaming to go, pulling like crazy as soon as their tug lines were on. I guess that's a really good sign:).

So off they went, into the darkness, and drizzle. Rob and I hung up their jacktes and put a couple of logs on the fire, and off to bed we went. While we slept, Mark was awake, and standing for another 60 miles.

We were expecting the dogs and Mark to arrive around 7am ish. And that's about what time they came stroling in. The dogs looked great! Mark didn't look too bad either, considering at that point he'd only had about an hour of sleep in the last 24 hours. We gave the dogs a little bit of beaver soup (yep, beaver soup), and then off to their houses they went.

We gave the rest of the dog yard their chicken soup a couple of hours later, and then it was off to bed for Mark. I popped my head in the house to see if he might want breakfast before he went to bed, and his bedroom door was already shut. Sleep took pressident over food.

Now it's late in the afternoon, and I'm pretty sure I just heard the dogs, so Mark must be up and at em'. We better go see if there's anything that needs to get done.

ONE LAST THING!!! MUSH FOR A CURE!! PLEASE OH, PLEASE GO TO www.mushforacure.com to find out how to help out, or make a donation!!! Even if you can't make a donation, if you want to volunteer, the more the merrier! Come on up and stay the weekend!! Gunflint Pines would love to have you! There will be all kinds of fun activities!!