Ceremonial Start - 2nd Sled Driver
Dear news
group,
(Posted to North
Wapiti Yahoo News Group - Join us if you like!)
How I wish
you could all be here. It's been such a phenomenal experience to
hang out with Karen and Mark this year! From meeting them out on the
trails, to dinner with stories, to listening to Natalie Norris tell
tales, to being a part of the Norris family, including celebrating
the grandkids birthdays. Paul Norris's birthday party usually is
postponed a week so that they can get the Iditarod well under way
before stopping for birthday cake. This year his 17th was just
included in the festivities!
In a way,
you all are with Karen, you know. She wouldn't be out there on the
trail without your best wishes and help. I can't think of anyone
more deserving. She thinks of everyone of you as a personal friend.
I must
start my story with riding Karen's second sled down 4th street for
the ceremonial start. Several people asked why I was asked to have
this honor. I have 3 ideas. Since Jamie Nelson did this last year,
I've decided that Karen must like the name Jamie. The 2nd was she
needed my extra ballast, yet someone who can make those corners
without crashing too bad. Besides, I bounce! The other is that Karen
is one of the warmest, most genuine people I know and she is
rewarding me for doing what I can, when I can, toward her Iditarod commitment.
Karen's mother Morna and Jamie West,
Karen's tag (2nd) sled during the Ceremonial Start.
There are
not too many events that I want to roll out of bed for at 4am after
3 hours of sleep. This was definitely one of which I didn't want to
miss the truck. No problem getting up! Off to the Norris's and
grabbed a cup of last nights coffee on my way into the truck for
Anchorage and breakfast after parking in our Iditarod line-up. Then,
there was plenty of time for visiting friends and neighbors out on
the streets. It's amazing over the years how many mushing friends
one does accumulate!
Before
time for hookup I got a few instructions on when to break and how to
be a good 2nd sled driver. The rules are don't run into the musher
and don't break before turning a sharp corner (it pulls the 1st sled
into the snow berm) and don't fall over. The only time I've ever 2nd
sledded was with Karen last year. I ran into her AND fell over when
I did.
A rescue
group had sent Karen a backpack to take to Nome. It was my pleasure
to have the little husky backpack as my Idita-rider. He (or she)
peeked out from the top pocket in my sledbag and got lots of giggles
and laughs as we went by. I swear, he looked like he was waving.
Special rider in the Tag (2nd) sled
© SunHusky
We talked
of Orion as if he were still here. "Don't put a dog in that dog
box. Orion is in there." It was actually his ashes in a small
metal box. But, he was definitely with us. And, "Ok, where does
Orion go?" He went into the sled with Iditarider Liz, before
she was given booties filled with gold wrapped "loonies"
to toss to the children in the crowd.
The 2nd
sled ride was one of THE best "life" experiences. It'll
certainly be the closest I'll ever come to running in a significant
race! I hope it was as fun for our Iditarider, Liz, as it was for
me. We shot down the downtown streets and I got to slide around the
corner on the way to Cordova Hill.
Down we
went the previous teams groves. I saw Karen wobble a bit as one of
her runners went into a groove and the other didn't. It's just about
impossible to break on this steep hill. She was under control in a
split second. I steeled myself to "loose" it, but didn't
find the same groove. Thank goodness.
The dogs
loped and trotted past the downtown crowds and the smaller groups of
folks along the bike paths toward the parking lot of the BLM (Bureau
of Land Management) building which is nestled next to the trails of
the Tozier dog sled trails in Anchorage. The bike paths wander along
wilderness strips within the city and connect with multi-use walking
and cross country skiing trails and then finally into the Tozier dog
sled trail system. The trails were beautiful and the crowds
complimentary how beautiful the dog team is. The crowds along the
way have their race schedules from the Anchorage paper and identify
the mushers as they pass. Almost every group we passed gave us a
personal greeting of "Go Karen!!!" or "Beautiful
team, Karen".
Karen and Jamie West
Somewhere
along the path was the "muffin lady" who gave out muffins
to passing mushers and riders. I heard this morning that one of the
mushers had stopped for a hotdog along the way! A couple of miles
from the BLM building mushers seemed to be closing the gaps between
teams. They had left the starting line at 2 minute intervals. Karen
had asked one musher that followed us for miles if he would like to
pass. He said no thanks, he'd like to follow her all the way to
Nome. Good luck keeping up!
The race
could not be held without the hundreds of volunteers! They act as
trail guards and crossing guards and crowd control. Thank you
wonderful volunteers! And, thank you for designing the trail so that
a "rookie" like me can have a clean and memorable run.
The trails
were perfect and fun to negotiate. Neither of us crashed. Our 12 dog
team was steady and trotted tirelessly. I was sorry to see the run
end. I wish the conditions had been good enough to go to Eagle
River. When we arrived at the parking lot, Mark, Karen, and Janet
unhooked dogs while I stood on the brake. No way to hook down the
team here. We watered and loaded dogs and sleds, then, off to lunch
and back to the Norris's.
Thanks
again, Karen, for including me in this wondrous adventure of yours.
Jamie West
Karen and Janet Yeager at the Restart
Our thanks to Janet for use of the photos
on this page, unless otherwise noted.
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