I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

Now please do not mistake my affinity with this quote and the iconic film scene where the fading and shaken Blanche DuBois, played by the beautiful and talented Vivien Leigh, utters those immortal words, as any indication that I feel myself a fading beauty in a cruel world. It is just that the words were forever burnt in my memory.

They ring to mind as I watch the community that has formed out of concern and to search for missing Talkeetna resident, and Iditarod musher Melanie Gould. You can read more about the situation in the Alaska Dispatch. Her unexplained absence has yet to be explained or her location discovered. But what is clear is that people have come together because they care. Local Talkeetna residents spearheaded a Facebook group “Have you seen Melanie Gould?” which now has over 3,100 concerned members. Along with sharing information and moral support the site is now a communication central as volunteers continue the search and begin to request help with their efforts.

This coming together of a community in concern is  no surprise really to those of us who live in Alaska. Here there are still small towns where you know all your neighbors, and can walk from end to end and greet everyone you pass by name. But the far reaching impact and awareness of this situation. The obvious willingness to help and desire to find Melanie has spread far beyond simple small town boundaries.  Technology allows us to reach out to people farther away then ever and through common bonds and interests come to see in many ways we are really quite close. Strangers coming together to help someone in a  time of need. Please join me in my sincere hope she will be found soon.

The kindness of strangers~ the words come back to me again, as I sit in my pen with the four footed kids at the Yukon Quest office, downtown Fairbanks. They have a small kennel in back where I can bring dogs for the day to meet visitors and answer questions about the sport of mushing and running the Yukon Quest.  I am one of a group of area mushers who have volunteered to do this. People come during the day, often not even sure what the Yukon Quest is, and when you tell them it is a 1000 mile dog sled race you frequently get a look that says “Really? Are you serious?” You can see the expression change as you talk about the trail, the schedule you keep, the work that goes into it, and the amazing athletic ability and capacity of the Alaskan Husky. The interest grows, and you can see in their eyes that they are trying to imagine what it would feel like to be outside at -55 F, or run under a sky full of northern lights. To imagine the connection you must feel with your team as you travel a thousand miles together. Some look at me quizzically thinking, she did what? Why?

People are surprised by the dogs. They expect them to be bigger. I personally blame the Walt Disney company and there use of canine ‘actors’ in place of real sled dogs for the movies. Our dogs are the marathoners of the animal world, so picture in your mind what the men and women who placed top 3 in the Boston marathon looked like, these are their canine counterparts. (just google “Olympic marathon runners ” , choose images, and this is what you get). You let them pet a dog like Loben and then tell them, “That little female and I raced 2600 miles together this past winter”.  It is eye opening for many visitors. Yes these dogs are amazing, they are Alaskan Huskies.

Loben and Jake in lead, on the last run from Two Rivers to the Fairbanks finish line of the 2011 Yukon Quest. Photo (c) Helen Hegener: www.northernlightmedia.com

They expect the dogs to be crazier; you know the wild sled dogs of Jack London literature. What they find are relaxed, well mannered dogs that have seen way more action then a crowd of people in downtown Fairbanks. Dogs that are happy to wander around the pen accepting attention or just stretch out and lay in the straw on a warm afternoon. With more then one of the young visitors it is apparent they could care less what words come out of my mouth; they just really want to pet the dogs. Bringing them onto the pen is a fun way to entertain the dogs, they soak up the extra attention of dog loving kids.

Here at Dew Claw we know first hand the kindness of strangers, as mushing fans from around the world have reached out to help us in our racing goals, with donations and kind words of support. Visitors to the Yukon Quest often contribute to the kennel bootie fund. In some small way being able to share the sport and the dogs I love with visitors can help me pay back that kindness. And in doing so help share information about sled dogs and racing in Alaska. And it dawns on me that I could be using this blog for the same purpose. I hope to post answers to some of the most common questions I get asked. In no way am I an expert or leading authority, but I can try to connect readers with information of interest to help them better understand this crazy addiction we call mushing and the canine super athletes that make it possible. Look for the Q&A category, or check out the links in my posts to more information. And if you make it to Fairbanks this summer swing by the Yukon Quest Office downtown, you might just catch me, get to meet some of the real athletes and ask me some questions in person.

The last run to the finish line, Yukon Quest 2011. Photo (c) Helen Hegener: www.northernlightmedia.com