Shake your Bootie & Crunch Time

The madness of Drop Bags has begun,
and it starts with a crash.

First Booties…

Right now is the big push to get all my gear ready to send out for the 2012 Iditarod. Working at home, with frequent breaks as I watch the online trackers to follow my friends on the Yukon Quest (join me in wishing them all a safe and fun journey). There are a lot of things that go into a thousand mile race, the mere though of planning, prepping and packing drop bags for 1000 miles still makes my head spin. I will be trying to find time to share the insanity with you over this next week as I get my gear and my head together.

To get off on the right foot for a 1000 mile dog sled race takes booties, lots and lots of booties! We purchase most of our booties from Anchorage based Kipmik Products, John Cooper is a long time supporter of mushing in Alaska. He is at every race, donating prizes. Happy to help support his locally owned business. But we also get booties from a very special source; Paw Partners. I have been lucky enough to work with Paw Partners for 2 years now. Connie Lynkins and Linda Kurtis made me booties for the trail again this year and I want to thanks them. They come complete with motivational messages that bring a smile to my face, and help keep my spirits up. This year Connie worked with a group of students who wrote great messages on the booties for me, love them, thanks!

 

And now the crash…

I have jokingly called drop bag preparation “crunch time” in the past but this year that term takes on a whole new meaning. Unfortunately while driving to town on Wednesday Feb. 1st I hit a moose on the highway. I had made every attempt to avoid it, but on our icy roads it is unwise to slam on your breaks, so I was slowing as best I could in the conditions. Often moose move out of the way, this one was not so obliging. Luckily I am 100% fine, not a scratch. The moose and the truck were not as lucky. As Dan says, nobody wins in a headbutt contest.

In many ways the crash was mentally devastating, becuase a major truck repair was not in the plan or budget. There is so much work ahead for drop bags, meat to be purchased and cut, kibble to be measured and packaged, an entire race’s worth of supplies and gear organized and packaged to be sent to the checkpoints along the Northern Route of the Iditarod Trail. I had planned to accomplish so much this week, the crash could not have come at a worse time.

But if I really think about it, I realize how very fortunate I am to have not been injured or worse. However, my friends, in light of all that has happened, if you have ever thought about getting involved and helping Team Dew Claw, now would be a great time. Your donation would be greatly appreciated and put to good use. We have a convenient PayPal button on our website: www.dewclawkennel.com
This is just another challenge I will face this winter, like so many challenges; one I hope will not get the better of me.

I have received so much encouragement this winter, and kindness from the wonderful members of Team Dew Claw. And today I was even thinking. You know some days are hard, you don’t feel good, things are not going right, you just want to crawl back into bed, and giving up would be easy. But today, as I was facing one of those really horrible no good rotten days it also became clear to me. That the obstacles in front of me pale in comparison to the wonderful people standing with me.
Thank you all so much!!!