Long, Dark Training Run!

So we did a training run yesterday. We were not able to run on the race trail but they had a seperate training trail set up for us to use. First Greg took out his skijor team and I followed with a 4 dog team. Then I went out with a 6 dog team and that`s where things got interesting. We were having a great run when my leaders decided to take the 26k trail. It was hard ice at the turn and I couldn`t hook down. After several attemps at getting the leaders and alomost loosing my sled I decided that it was safest to just head up the trail to see where I could get them turned around. No luck, the trail got very skinny with tall sides. We went till the trail disappeared and I turned them around. The hook woudn`t stay it, it was upside down and the dogs were tangled and I was in the middle of no where! I let them rest and then got them going back toward home. As I watched the sun go down I was wondering what the guys were thinking back at the truck. I knew that they were getting worried. As we made it back to the spot where we took the wrong turn I called the dogs the correct direction and they started to take it. Then I think they could smell their old trail and wanted to take me backwards on the original trail. I hooked down, ran up, poped the hook, drug them the right way and caught the sled on the way by...then they pulled me back the wrong way! I couldn`t hookin so I waited, gave them a rest and hoped that someone was comming in our direction. That didn`t last too long and they wanted to go again, so we just backtracked. Now it was nearly completely dark and I was really worried about what the guys were going thru.

As we backtracked inthe complete darkness, not even moon light, I rode the sled from memory, backwards. We were finally able to get back on the main trail and we were headed in the direction of home. In the darkness ahead I could hear Greg, he was on skis with 4 dogs comming to look for me.

We made it back and got the dogs back in the truck. Amazingly everyone was in very good spirits and still had lots of energy (maybe this means I can run the ONAC with them :) ).

Brian and Ed went to look for a snowmachine and came back about 10 min after we pulled in. We hurried and went backto the Daaquam village to let them know that I was fine and they can call off the "search party". When we pulled into the yard the guy that was supposed tobe getting the snowmachine was walking in the parking lot. We told him that they didn`t need to get the machine. He actually said that they weren`t able to come look for me because his foreman said that they couldn`t use the machines after a certain hour. I said not even for a Search and Rescue!!??!! and he said no!!!!! can you believe that! I wasn`t too happy about that, but hey leasons learned.

So the dogs look great, I am fine no frost bite or anything and we don`t need to do any more training runs.

Thanks to the guys for looking for me and thanks to someone up there who was looking out for me last night!

Jennifer