I raced in both the 6 and 8 dog class. With 3 dogs on the "injured" list for the weekend we used our entire race kennel and even had to borrow one and lent one out.
In the 6 dog class I had a pretty good run on the first day and was surprised to see that I was in first with a 1+ min lead. Unfortunately we were not able to hang on to that lead on day 2. About a mile into the race I had to move dogs around and team 2 (Kris Racy) caught and passed me. My new leaders got tangled in the process so I had to hook down yet again and fix the problem. We were off and running again. About 2 miles from the finish we caught back up to her and passed. I was really proud of my yearling leader that finished both days in lead and stayed focused even after he passed a team. And proud of my old fat guy who was my replacement leader, he enjoyed being back up there in lead. So I ended up in 3rd overall with more lessons learned and ready to regroup before Exxon this next weekend.
In the 8 dog class we went out behind Brenda Burge the first day. We were supposed to be running 10 miles but when we got to the 8 mile turn the fence was up and we were headed on the same trail that the 6 dog teams went on earlier that day. I thought that possibly we were going to do Hood Loop, but nope, we were just going 8 miles. I caught site of Brenda about 3 miles from the finish. The dogs were charged and steadily walked her down. It was just about perfect timing since we didn't have to pass her, we just chased her right in across the finish line. Later on Lena Gladh, Buddy's fiance', commented on my performance. She wanted to know how I did it, I was 1:05 ahead of her and she said that she had a good run. Buddy asked me how much I paid the kid to keep the fence up at the 8 mile turn, after day 1 I had a 3 min lead on Buddy :). I had Oscar and Diamond in lead, Jose and Lucky ( yearling) in swing, Sally and Gurdey in the team and Moose and Will ( yearling) in the wheel. I must say I was pretty happy after day 1 and was looking forward to day 2, even if they fixed the fence and we ran 10 miles, I was confident in my dogs.
So day 2 of the 8 dog class...we went out on a "cold trail" and made it past the 8 mile trail no problem. 1 stop shortly after for a leader to poop and we we back off and running. They all looked great. When we got back they were still ready to go for more. We maintained our lead running 40 seconds faster than the next team. Our overall lead after 2 days of racing was a little over 2 minutes. And did I mention the field of racers that I was up against???? Lena Gladh (Buddy's fince') Buddy Streeper, Egil Ellis, Helen Lunberg, Greg Sellentin, Wendy Callis, Brenda Burge, Evelyn Beeter, Amanda Byrd, Deb McGrath and Kati Wood. These are some of the best mushers out there and to be ahead of even just one of these names is a great accomplishment....but all in the same race is like a dream come true! So yes I guess we can run 10 miles :) .
After the race they had an awards ceremony. They gave out dog food as well as these beautiful hand made mugs to the top 3 places. The Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association has done and excellent job all year to put on not only the preliminary races, but 2 championship races as well. The club consists primarily of people who are also racing. Greg, Helen, Egil and Bill are all part of the club and run the races while running in the races. It's tough enough doing just one or the other, but to do both all year is outstanding and my hat goes off to you guys. Also very appreciative of the timers, trail blockers, treasurer and everyone else who makes the races run smoothly and safely for all of us mushers.
We stopped in a local restaraunt to catch the end of the Super Bowl then off to Greg and Jane Sellentin's place for dinner. WOW what can I say, Greg is a pretty good cook. We had curry and chicken followed up with a berry cobbler hot out of the oven. A beautiful house with a warm fire place, delicious food topped off with great company made for a very nice evening. Thanks to Greg and Jane for their superb hospitality.
Check out the Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association web site for full race results.
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