Welcome to Happy Trails Kennels:
Home of four-time Iditarod Champion
Martin Buser, and family!

Check out

http://newsminer.com/photos/galleries/yukon-quest-2009/1796/

to see a glimpse of Martin's ascent of Eagle Summit. This was on the front page of the February 24 issue. Looks like the dogs are wondering what's going on with the guy.

Ever wonder why the dogs love to hang out in their boxes in the truck. Check out Jefferson.
Jefferson can really stretch out and get needed rest!
Martin goes on a run down the Chena River. He took out two small teams and everyone seemed to have a good time getting to stretch out.

Lance gives himself a face rub after the run.

I found this photo on the internet. Martin coming into Carmacks.

We tried to get a video of our cool light system on our truck but it was too dark. Diversified Tire got the truck ready for the 3,000 mile trip with a new front mount spare tire, special moose lights, gigantic mud flaps and rope lights around the top edge of the dog box that can be set to blink, run, or just be on. We did have red running lights under the truck but Martin is the only one who knew how to operate those. B- Original Signs in Wasilla did all the reflective signage. Lots of people all over took photos of the truck. While Fairbanks and the Yukon are big on dog sledding and you see lots of dog trucks, our rig stood out like Mardi Gras float!!!

Nancy on the last poop patrol.
Jim and Pat bag the straw to get ready to take it to the dump!!!

The team departs Twin Bears gearing up for the face against Michelle Phillips.

We emptied the entire truck, restrawed the dog boxes and repacked at Twin Bears.

Channel 2 on the scene!!!
Mile 101 is not a checkpoint where teams can resupply, rather it is a "Dog Drop" where any dogs that need extra care can be turned over to handlers. Mushers can also pick up straw. Mile 101 is after the steep ascent of Eagle Summit and before the steep ascent of Rosebud, sort of a harbor in the storm. Because it's not a food drop, dog teams must haul food and supplies (probably 150 lbs) for a 130 mile run up and down these high points on the trail. Martin planned to stop further down the trail from 101 so he was in and out of there like a flash.
We lounge and chat with John Carpenter of Channel 2 news, while Martin climbs Eagle Summit somewhere out there.

Jumbo and Herakles looking for pets from someone.
lance pulls Jim around.
Deville loves Jim.

Some folks have been wondering about the 4 dogs dropped from the team so here's the report~

When a dog is dropped he comes directly to the handlers. If the checkpoint is inaccessible, Quest personnel get the dog to the closest road accessible checkpoint. We got our dogs quickly and tended to any problems right away. Jumbo didn't really need much care since he was dropped mostly for his attitude. Lance had a pulled right rear leg with tendonitis and Nancy massaged him regularly. He's definitely raring to go right now. Herakles and Deville had minor ailments that were cured with a few days rest. Those 4 actually had a blast on the Road Trip! Sometimes we'd open the dog box to get them out and Deville would be totally stretched out in a lounging position. They were in and out of the truck on approximately 4 hour intervals. They would get water, eat, get snacks and then they'd be looking to jump back in their dog box. We walked them occasionally but lately they have been dragging us around. Not sure what they think of their team members being back on the scene.

The finishers are enjoying being in the truck. At Twin Bears, when Martin was taking his mandatory 8 hour layover, we cleaned the truck. Everything came out. Old straw was raked out of the dog boxes and each dog got a huge chunk of fresh, dry straw, kind of like doing a change of sheets on your bed. Jim and Pat worked hard on arranging all the gear that Martin didn't use and Nancy sorted and repacked various items. Since all unused supplies are returned to the handlers, we ended up with a ton of supplies and dog food. Since it wasn't a cold race, he didn't need near as much food as he packed so we are a traveling dog deli! He hardly ate any of the "people" food that I made, since he got fed like a king by the checkpoint folks, so we snacked on a few things and plan to have some pretty good meals at home. One of our dinner nights in Nome will be Martin's leftover checkpoint food ~ a pretty tasty menu of spaghetti/shrimp/mongolian beef/tenderloin/fresh peas/lots of Swiss chocolate.

Our plan for the next few days is for Martin and the team to eat and sleep and recharge!

We are all enjoying sleeping in clean beds and resting for Round 2, after all we are really only halfway there!!!!!!

We are so proud of our 11 incredible athletes. Caribou and Roy commanded the team into Fairbanks. Martin said Caribou can be stubborn and they finally got on the same page. Sam, Frodo, Angel, Elk, Jefferson, Orion, Celine, Lionel and Martin rounded out a healthy and happy crew!! Frodo seems to have even gained weight and Martin was amazed that in the last couple of days they started eating so much, he could feel them getting a bit more meaty.

Some of Martin's comments about his team:

Roy - what a dedicated guy, he has a skin problem but he doesn't let it bother him. Put him in lead after leaving Twin Bears because he needed a speedy leader. Also has feet issues that benefit from regular maintenance.

Caribou - my old go to leader, kicked it in high gear at the end, lowered his standards and started listening to Martin and implemented Martin's plan rather than his own. He carries his tail high, like a monkey tail, has expressions on the end of the tail, I'm in charge, when working tail is down low but shows his prowess but raising it in the air. Thinks he's smarter than Martin.

Elk - Led quite a bit, hard worker & tough, dedicated and unfazed by anything.

Angel - named for a Quest checkpoint, named after Angel Creek, never thought he'd be on the Quest. Helped drag the heavy load up and over Eagle Summit because he understood the stop and go of that climb. Put him in lead then. Otherwise he ran mid team to lead. Martin had him lead out of Twin Bears since it was near the old Angel Creek checkpoint.

Sam - new main man, Rohn finished training Sam in last year's Idit so Martin feels a special connection but he's not the smartest guy, no nonsense, led some of the time.

Lionel - up and coming star!!! Great dog to have in lead when leaving a checkpoint because of his enthusiasm to get going, put in lead for that lots and he is still learning. Young but gained maturity on this race. Has one foot that needs maintenance.


Frodo - greatly benefited from the warm race, has a two year old frostbite issue that will have to dealt with his whole life, happy go lucky, great eater, can be in lead with anybody, big strong puller in wheel as well. Growly but gets along,the talker of the team.

Jefferson - up and coming good all around. Got a little thin so was never put in lead. Hard worker and got better as the race progressed.

Orion - At home a good leader, but had a few health issues, hind leg tendonitis, then needed massaging. Didn't want to ask more so kept him in the middle of the team and kept him next to Jefferson a lot. One of those dogs that you respect because he works through his issues. Amazing characteristics to power through that kind of thing mentally.

Celine - only girl! Went from moments of great to good. She was a bit moody and actually got a stronger head toward the end of the race. Last 150 miles she became more focused on her job, ate lots and gained weight.

Martin - in great spirits, thinking about Iditarod and rest/run schedules, very happy with the 10 dogs that he finished with, a little sore and thinner - definitely down to fighting weight. Stronger and tougher now than when he left!

More photos from previous days coming.

Martin came in 4th place in his Rookie Quest. He and Michelle Phillps gave the crowd quite a show at the finish line. Martin was only 2-3 seconds ahead of her. People screamed, " There's a headlight," and then they started cheering ferociously when everyone realized there were two headlights coming nearly side by side. Martin's lead dogs, Caribou and Roy, charged right to the line and inched out Michelle's team. They had been going back and forth taking turns in lead but neither was ever able to shake the other. Martin kept looking for a sign announcing "No Man's Land" where you are not obliged to yield trail to another team. He also had no idea where the finish line was so he was wary of which moment he really needed to be ahead. But it all worked out and both teams looked great at the finish. It was so exciting and we are thrilled that Martin's strategy of doing right by his dogs worked out to gain him a very respectable finish.

Trail Talk has it that William Kleedan had a rough time getting up Eagle Summit as did some of the other front running teams. Hugh Neff was assessed a penalty for traveling on the road for 5 miles coming into Central. Here's the story ~ the trail parallels the road for quite a way and it seems Hugh caught up to William but William was on the side trail(the marked trail) and Hugh passed him during that run. Quest rules state that teams must travel on the marked trail. Hence the penalty. 2 hours is heartbreaking any time, but especially in this situation! Then our most recent news shows Sebastian Schnuelle making a gigantic move to the very front!!! Long time Quest race watchers say the typical run over Eagle Summit is 4-5 hours but the runs have been 12+ so we have no idea what's happening up there. It's abut 35 miles from here so when we get packed up we'll head down the road to get our own eyewitness report.

Martin takes a minute to pose with the school kids in Central.
Steak & egg dinner at 6:30 am at the Steese Roadhouse in Central

Robert Service Cabin in it's original location
Community Hall
Bank where Robert Service was a teller
Church built in 1902
I didn't get a chance to post, before we left, the photos of some of the unique buildings in Dawson.
Firehall

We arrived in the remote town of Circle abut 10 minutes before Martin drove a happy dog team into the checkpoint. The dogs ate ravenously and spent a few minutes turning round and round arranging their straw to make the perfect bed. The headquarters is in the building with the fire truck and the local folks have big long tables set up with moose stew and all kinds of other food. One of the ladies made Martin two big cheeseburgers and fresh hash browns before he went to take a nap. We raided his swiss chocolate bar and are now hanging out in the checkpoint.

The drive over on the Steese Highway was spectacularly surprising. The road snakes around and up to Eagle Summit where in every direction you can see rolling hills of high tundra ~ huge white windblown bulges as far as the eye can see. None of us have ever traveled in this part of Alaska so we were pretty awestruck. Evidently, this area of the state was gold mining country before the Klondike Gold Rush. Since Circle sits on the banks of the Yukon River, it was a common supply point for miners. There are still some operational mines. In fact, Fort Knox Gold Mine, the largest operational gold mine in the U.S. is located right off the Steese Highway.

Everyone warned us to travel here in the daylight and we were happy we listened. Even in daylight, I closed my eyes to avoid looking over the narrow shoulders to the tundra far below. Luckily when we leave here we will be on the land side of the winding, curving road.

Just an aside: We are 149 miles from Fairbanks in a tiny town of 98 people with no cell phone service and I am writing this using a wireless internet connection.

Friday was an all day driving day. Dawson to Haines Junction approx 400 miles. From Carmacks to Haines we encountered snow making visibility challenging.

We are in an information vacuum at the current time. The internet is down in Haines Junction and the dog teams are running through long stretches with little communication.

We had a fun chat with Hans Gatt at our cinnamon roll stop in Braeburn. He was headed home and indeed, is saving his team for Iditarod.

Today was another driving day ~ all day. The roads were relatively clear with blowing snow part of the way.

In Tok, we witnessed a hit and run of a local dog. Nancy and Pat ran and picked up the hurt dog and we put it in my car and drove back to the restaurant (Fast Freddy’s) where we had just eaten. The waitresses knew the dog and called the owner. The dog was pretty alert and seemed happy to be reunited with a familiar face. We arrived in Fairbanks late tonight.

From the little that we can tell, Martin’s travels are going well. We’ll head out to Circle in the morning.

All the handler help in Dawson made Martin's departure very smooth. Jim made fresh coffee for his thermos, Nancy gave the final rub downs and Pat and Sue dealt with all the logisitcs of washing dog blankets, drying the sled in the Mountie garage then getting it back to camp. Honestly, this would be an entirely different race without our professionals.
Lionel woke up the entire campground with his screaming to go. What a cheerleader!!!
Pat was keeping the lead dog brothers, Elk and Caribou, calm until it was the exact minute to leave. Those brothers love to be with each other, in lead, sleeping and walking. They are very grumpy to any other dog that comes near them.

Most people's dog camps have some sort of sign or banner to identify the musher. Since we did not know about this, we decided to decorate with one of our dog food bags. Pretty bright and most people recognize it's Martin's spot because of his long history with Eagle.
Jim and Nancy spent the night with the dogs and had a roaring campfire going when we got there this morning.Martin feels like he's in a very strange time warp, sleeping all night in a comfy bed, having a steak dinner at Dawson's famous Drunken Goat, then taking a nap in the middle of the day before he gets ready for departure tonight. Surreal racing.
Our team passed their mandatory vet check with flying colors!!! After the Quest vets checked them they were off for a long walk to the breath analysis by Dr. Mike and his crew. I think they are measuring CO2 output or something like that.
As you can see, Celine is dragging me down the road. She is obviously ready to go. All the dogs were having a blast pulling us around and looking in all the other dog camps. I think they will be more than ready to go tonight.
The dogs have been eating and drinking lots. Nancy made sure they were all tucked in with blankets last night. Then this morning when she and Jim got them up for their early feeding, she put the blankets in her heated tent so when they were covered after breakfast the blankets would be warm. She is definitely spoiling those guys.

Martin's arrival as posted on Yukon Quest Official Site on Facebook: It was Martin that just came in. I've decided to stop saying 'Team looked great' and be more descriptive. You could tell he had a team of professionals. His sysno neck lines and their short harnesses and tug lines, the dogs took advantage of the freedom to roll in the snow and wipe the frost off their faces. All dogs looked hydrated (from the yellow snow I saw) and I didn't see much sign of the diarrhea that we heard has plagued many teams. Hopefully he is on the other side of that one.

Warren Palfrey came in a few minutes ahead of him. Dogs trotting nicely. Warren bought many of Iditarod champ Doug Swingley's dogs a few years ago. It is a nice looking team. Michelle Phillips came in just before I arrived. I'm not sure how she was, although she always seems to be chipper so that's my guess. She told folks she saw Warren and Martin camping together on the trail.

It will be interesting to hear more from these two after they take care of their dogs and rest up.
Report Elk and Caribou are in lead!
Our camp met with Martin's approval. He said he may not have the fastest team but we do have the best camp. We are lobbying Quest Officials for an award for the best camp.
Martin gives Nancy the scoop on the dogs since she is their professional massage girl. She has gone over every dog and is amazed by the superb condition of their feet.

Hahn/Davis Architects and Builders
Nancy and Frank (our new friend from Pennsylvania) - Laborers
Sue and Kathy - Landscaping

We made it to Dawson at about 5:00 pm yesterday and went directly to the "campground" to pick a camp spot for the team. Dawson City clings to an atmosphere of the gold rush and you do feel somewhat like you have stepped back in time here with storefront type buildings and shoveled wooden boardwalks. The Yukon River narrows here with a sort of cliff on the side opposite the city.

The Dog parking area is a campground that is probably full every single night in the summer but to get there in winter you have to drive across an ice bridge on the Yukon. Not as scary as it sounds. In Dawson, mushers have a mandatory 36 hour layover. Handlers are allowed to set up camp and take care of the dogs. Mushers are really free to do whatever. Jim and Pat selected our campsite based on their tarp hanging, camp making expertise. We left our precut spruce poles, lawnchairs, and other gear to stake our claim.

We in the 4 wheeled team were exhausted by evening. Yep, I know. Sounds ridiculous when the man is out there in the cold climbing hills, taking care of dogs and dealing with below zero temps. But we were so tired. We checked into our respective hotels. I have a room at Bombay Peggy's and the real handlers are at the El Dorado, due to lack of availability at Bombay Peggy's. After checking in I promised those guys if we ever come back here, I'd get them rooms here. http://www.bombaypeggys.com/ You'll know why if you check out the website.

Sleeping on gym floors and running cars is not the healthiest for 50+ year olds, so we were ecstatic to take a shower and get into a bed. This morning we head out to build camp!!! More like the guys tell us what to do and we help.

OK, Martin may or may not be in Stepping Stone this morning as indicated on the Quest Website. If he is, he has a good reason. I have learned, after all these years of being a bystander to the trail action, to trust his judgment. All the race and strategy talk is secondary to him doing what he calls, "Right by his dogs." What's right for our team based on their previous training and what lies ahead is his game plan. Sometimes that yields first place and sometimes it doesn't. Dawson is not even halfway in this particular race route and there is a long way to go.

Many people say, this race is as grueling for handlers as mushers. I doubt that but this is a LOT of work for the support crew. I would still be back in Braeburn if it wasn't for Pat and Sue and Nancy and Jim. They are taking care of dropped dogs, planning what's next, etc. Nancy is now dubbed the energizer bunny and has logged the most AWAKE hours so far. Sue is the expert with the RAKE. Jim, besides all the doggie stuff, makes the best coffee in the Yukon! Pat is the READY man, anticipating and jumping in on the next move. I am keeping you guys informed, driving and keeping the credit card handy.

We got this great email from a Whitehorse fan, Lynn Alfino( who I've never met) that I have to quote,

"Don't worry too much about Martin not knowing where the secret rest stops
are...he has one thing the other Quest mushers don't - acumen. He knows his
dogs, knows his game, and can out-race anybody when push comes to shove.
This is like Quest Baptism By Fire...a reconnaisance trip, if you will.
He'll finish in the money and next year will breeze through in record time!"

That kind of faith is so reassuring. Send good vibes. We are lucky that it's not TOO cold and the days are so sunny and country is so spectacularly gorgeous!!

FIND Martin heading onto the Yukon River
Heading down the trail
Waving goodbye for a day or two
Pelly Checkpoint

Martin headed out in good spirits leaving Lance behind because of a swollen wrist.

Pelly Crossing is a very small town on the banks for the Yukon. The checkpoint is set up in the Rec Center and once again there's space for sleeping and eating and indoor bathrooms. Pancakes, bacon, sausages, toast, hashbrowns and scrabbled eggs for $5. Quite a deal and the proceeds support community activities.

Martin arrived at about 8:30 am and decided to give the dogs another break. They all ate well and settled quickly into their straw. Jon Little is on an 8 hour run/rest schedule. Locals Hans Gatt, William Kleedan and Hugh Neff are on more of a 4 hour run/rest schedule. They know where the unofficial cabins to rest in are scattered along the trail. Martin will take advantage of the places he knows about and plan his race accordingly.

He came into the checkpoint to eat the big breakfast then took a nap. He's getting ready to leave as I write this. Jon Little, who left the checkpoint around 9:30, came back shortly there after to drop a dog. We'll get into our clean up mode and rake all the straw, bag it up in garbage bags and figure out where to dump it. If we were down south, we could have a gigantic hayride in the truck.

Then we move up the road to Dawson where our first order of business is to make a dog camp for the team for their 36 hour layover. Jim precut spruce poles in Palmer and we have lots of ropes and a large tarp to make a semi enclosed area for the dogs to rest. Camps are set up in a campground across the Yukon from town. We are looking forward to seeing what kinds of camps people set up.

The next stretch is very long for mushers, 200+ miles so we won't see Martin again for a while. We be waiting in Dawson, clean and well rested.

McCabe is not an official checkpoint but rather called a "dog drop." There are officials there and mushers can rest with dogs getting straw.

Nancy, Jim, Pat and Sue made the trek to the little cabin checkpoint at about 11:30 pm. I opted to stay with the car and the truck on the highway. My backseat nest was calling. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't do very well without sleep so I had to get some rest. 4 hours in 2 days is NOT my style. You may wonder how a person can sleep in a car at -14, easy ~ leave the car running. Most cars and trucks following along on this race keep the engines going 16 of 24 hours in the day.

I did happen to wake up and start the truck so it wouldn't sit cold for two long. We are traveling in 2 vehicles, dog truck and Explorer. Since we have to collect straw and all of Martin's belongings from each checkpoint we need the space. My car is full of people gear, sleeping bags, etc.

So I'm sitting in my car at 5:00 am gazing at the mountain in the foreground and all of a sudden it takes on a glow. Not seeing any moon, I soon realize it's a musher's head light casting a wide beam. So I watched 5 teams glide silently in the dark. Martin winked at me with his headlamp as he passed.

The professionals (that's the nickname for professional handlers-Nancy, Jim, Pat and Sue) strolled backed from McCabe and talked about how much fun it was to see the racers crowded in a little cabin, each with his own race face. Nancy brought me a cinnamon roll and raved about the stew they had.

There has been good food available everywhere so far!

Martin is adjusting his schedule based on his lack of trail intelligence and dog's spirits. The "regulars" know exactly where to blow through and exactly where they can stop at the next little cabin. No way to find all that out except travel down the trail.

Actual time out was 8:20. He dropped Jumbo because he was just not working hard and didn't seem into the race. Angel had a bit of a sore wrist but he worked through it on the layover and he seemed good to go. He left town with Lionel in single lead screaming to go. We had several fun chats in the headquarters here. Several of us took naps on the gym floor here in the town Rec Center. Mushers were segregated in a quiet, dark room. After we had made ourselves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Martin came in and gave his left over mongolian beef, shrimp and pasta and tenderloin. Frozen dinners for us at the next stop.

Now the cleanup begins and we head down the road to McCabe Creek where we have to park on the highway and walk 20 minutes to the checkpoint. It will be about 11:00, 1 above zero!!!

Out times from a check point may not be what they seem. A Quest rule requires mushers to sign out of checkpoints however, once they sign out they have 59 minutes to leave. So a team signing out at 4:00 am may have left at 4:30. We watched Jon Little leave first and Martin was not far behind him. Hugh Neff actually left at least 10-15 minutes after Martin, setting off an entire train of teams moving down the trail.

Obviously, as in anything, there is a distinct advantage to being a veteran of this race. We are all on a very steep learning curve. Handlers have several responsibilities and limitations. Handlers can go in front of the team to help teams into a checkpoint. They can stand at the leaders or the sled and watch over the team while the musher rests inside but the handler cannot talk to the dogs.

Last night, when Martin came in to Braeburn, he parked his team and did his typical chores, ate his premade shrimp and pasta then went to the musher sleeping area for a nap. Pat, Nancy and Jim held the vigil in the very cold with the dogs. Martin came in to the lodge for a bit of visiting. He did not want to lead out of the checkpoint so he hung around watching and waiting. Because of his early arrival and not wanting to leave first, the dogs got a substantial rest and were screaming to go. The Northern lights circled around as he headed off into the dark.

When the team leaves, the job of clean up falls to the handler. Even though we have several handler designees, there is only one handler ID so one person at a time does the job. Nancy was the clean up at this stop. She raked the straw the dogs had slept on, bagged it and took it to an appointed location. She then gathered up all Martin's leftover belongings and she and Jim loaded them in the truck. Pat and Sue napped to be ready for next checkpoint duties. I slept for a while in the nest in the backseat. Nancy drove to Carmacks. Pat drove the dog truck.

Daylight and a tiny bit warmer temperature, makes a huge difference in a day. We are now in Carmacks at the rec-center checkpoint. We are not quite sure where the food drop bags (food and supplies Martin had shipped out) or straw for dogs is located and people seem to be setting up the checkpoint around now. Teams are expected within 45 minutes to an hour. We hear that teams don't stay here since it's a sort of a spartan area so we'll see what happens.

Martin was in great spirits leaving Braeburn and happy with the guys and Celine.

More as the day shapes up.

Braeburn Lodge is world famous for their gigantic cinnamon rolls and they are surely not a disappointment being as delicious as they look. Great thing to indulge in while waiting for mushers.
Dog racing is always a game of hurry up and wait. Lots of people hanging out and using the wireless internet made available through the Quest.
Martin does his first interview after the Whitehorse to Braeburn leg.
Martin wondered if the bike trail would last all the way to Dawson. He said it's probably the best trail he's driven dogs on, very forgiving and well groomed with gentle hills. The trail reminded him of mushing in Europe, with similar vegetation. He made several stops to snack dogs, one being about 45 minutes. The dogs were not ready for much rest so he moved on down the trail. He says he's having fun and more importantly so were the dogs.

We couldn't have asked for a smoother start to a race. The temperature was about -35 but the excitement warmed us up. The dogs were so jazzed to go. The first lesson I learned about the cold is that camera batteries die quickly, even if they are in an inside pocket so we didn't get any photos from the starting line. Luckily Lynn Alfino emailed one she took and we are so thankful.

GAME ON

ANGEL
CARIBOU
CELINE
DEVILLE
ELK
FRODO
HERAKLES
JEFFERSON
JUMBO
LANCE
LIONEL
ORION
ROY
SAM

All Iditarod Finishers except Jumbo
2009 KUSKO - Angel, Caribou, Elk, Heracles, Jefferson, Lionel, Orion, Roy, Sam

Handlers are a crucial part of the Yukon Quest. Martin's team ~ Kathy, Pat, Jim, Nancy & Sue

The start area, 1 day prior to the race.

Martin and Diane VAn Deren relax before their respective races. Diane will be running (yep, on her own feet) to Dawson in a 430 mile ULTRAMARATHON! http://www2.thenorthface.com/eu/athletes/athletes-DVD.html

The steamy Yukon River right outside town.

At the beginning!!!!!!

Martin drew #8!!!!!

We are looking forward to the QUEST START on Saturday.

Riverboats like this were frequently seen on the Yukon River during the Gold Rush.


More research~this time breath analysis. No the dogs haven't been drinking. (Pat assists)


Walking the dogs in the early crisp cold morning. (Martin & Sue)


Jim works on the sled, adding plastic to deflect ice chunks on the Yukon.

Because of perfectly clear, cold weather and great road conditions with little traffic we made it to Whitehorse in 15 hours. We made several quick stops to let the dogs out and have snacks. We played hide and seek with the full moon as we wound in and out of the mountains at about -23. A few caribou and a couple of moose crossed our path but not much else moving along the road.

We checked into the High Country Inn before midnight!

More later today as we explore the town of Whitehorse.

Mike Rowe and crew spent the day filming life around a dog kennel. While mushing isn't very dirty, some of the jobs around the kennel are. You'll have to watch the show to find out. Mike did get to experience the reward of all those chores by learning how to drive a dog team on his own.

photos by Pat Hahn

Guess Who's visiting with Roy

Pat, Nancy, Jim & I spent yesterday packing the truck with gear. We are pretty much READY to go!

2009 IditaFlight is full. We'll try to send as many messages from the trail as possible.

Before choosing the final line up for a race, we have a tradition at the kennel whereby Martin and helpers, independently of each other, make a list of who they would take. We have even evolved the tradition to using a different color pen for each person and dog's names are written on little yellow sticky notes. Magnus, Sean and Martin went through this process Thursday night and the result was pretty consistent. All three guys chose the same 12 with some discrepancy for dog number 13 and 14. They then discuss the whys. Of course, Martin makes the final picks but it sure is a fun process to go through.

Martin and Sean left for Fairbanks at 10:00PM last night for the Mandatory QUEST Vet Check. Rookies in the race must have a Yukon Quest Vet check dogs in Whitehorse or Fairbanks. The drive is a bit discouraging but it's a Quest rule and I'm sure they have a reason for it. Most Rookies have not run twenty five Iditarods. They brought 20 dogs just in case. They will turn right around after the Vet check and drive back home (six to eight hours.)

The IRON DOG Race (snowmachine race to Nome then Fairbanks) begins tomorrow so we'll go to that start right here on Big Lake and say good luck to several friends competing in that long distance race.

Mt. Redoubt can be seen from here on a very clear day, but is still quite far away. We have experienced 2 ash falls in previous years. Because of the distance and typical prevailing winds, we've never gotten a huge amount of ash. Pleasantly, right now, we have very fine snow falling.

Should Redoubt erupt, the dogs would not be exercised in any form. In the case of a major incident we have space in dog boxes on trailers and the truck to keep dogs contained. Our neighbor, Bob Jones has volunteered to help and we could use his airplane hangar to keep dogs out of direct ash fall. We also have garage space in various locations. We have an emergency power back up system and also keep a healthy supply of water on hand. We have boxes of masks on hand should people need to help move dogs.