Christmas was still in lead. Ugly was her co-leader. Nitro ran as a solo swing dog. Sky, Storm, Brownie and Tundra were in the team dog positions. Lakota and I ran the wheel.
We raced home. We were worried that Mike and Doc would be jostled in the sled basket. The mood of the team was somewhat somber. We needed Doc for the race since he was our leader, our friend, and our teammate. If Mike had a broken arm, he could not race and then we could not either. Bummer, as Christmas would say.
Mike helped Randy navigate the trails home. Randy was doing a great job running the team. We were racing very fast, faster than Randy had ever run with us. He was mushing well under pressure. I am sure he was as concerned about Mike and Doc as we were.
“Uncle Rivers.” It was Christmas. “Is Mike okay?” Christmas had become very devoted and very close to Mike, especially since the puppies were born. I know she was very concerned. While Christmas and the rest of the team were concerned about Doc, they were not saying much. Before I answered her, I got off a fast howl to Sandy, asking that both Doc and Mike would be okay.
“Mike is comfortable and talking to Randy, Christmas.” I said. “I think he will be okay. Doc is resting comfortably and his breathing sounds okay.”
“Thanks, Uncle Rivers.” Christmas sounded relieved.
When we got closer to home, Mike called Doctor Jim on the cell phone. I heard Mike tell Doctor Jim what had happened. Mike asked Doctor Jim to meet us at our home with his mobile vet office.
Randy asked Mike why he did not use the cell phone and call sooner. Mike replied that we were out of range. He had to wait until we were closer to our home for the cell phone to work.
Doctor Jim was at our home when we got there. Lakota told me Doctor Jim took Doc from Mike. “Are you okay, Uncle Doc?” It was Tundra.
“I will be okay Tunny, don't worry.” Doc had given Tundra the nickname Tunny and every time Doc called her that, you knew she felt special.
“Mike, you need to get your arm checked by a doctor. I will take care of Doc,” Doctor Jim said. I could tell Mike did not want to go, but Mary insisted and took Mike to the hospital to check out his arm. Randy took care of our equipment and us. As he fed and watered us, Randy talked to us, letting us know he was worried about Mike and Doc. We all nuzzled him to let him know that we were proud of him and the great job he did getting us home. Nitro mentioned to me that he was very impressed and proud of Randy, since he did not cave under the pressure. For a young boy, Randy handled this accident with a lot of maturity.
Ugly told me he found a tennis ball in the yard and dropped it by Randy. “You want to play Catch and Fetch, Ugly?” Randy asked. With that, Randy picked up the ball and threw it in the yard for Ugly to fetch. But instead of just Ugly chasing after the ball, all the dogs, except Lakota and I went after it. I guess it must have looked very funny since Randy started to laugh. Lakota told me that all the dogs were chasing after the ball. They would tackle the dog who had it, making the dog drop the ball. Then the dogs would chase the dog who picked it up. Lakota told me that Nitro had the ball and both Sky and Stormy were chasing him to get it. Lakota told me that both pups ran right into Nitro and bounced off him because he is so big. However, before the pups realized it, Nitro dropped the ball and pretended that they knocked him down. I heard Stormy and Sky laugh as they wrestled for the ball.
I heard a truck drive up into the driveway and Lakota told me that it was our truck with Mike and Mary. Lakota said that Doc was with them. He was walking but Lakota said you could tell he was not well.
We all gathered around the gate as Mike and Doc came by. Brownie told me that Mike had a white thing on his arm just like what Sunny had on her leg. That is not a good sign.
“Mister Mike, are you and Doc okay?” Randy asked.
“Well, Doc is a bit shaken up and needs to rest for a few weeks. Fortunately, there is no internal damage from the bear falling on him. He has no broken bones, but he is sore and tender in the hips. Me, I have a broken arm, which means I cannot race the team in the Sourdough 120,” Mike said.
Oh no, I thought, we are not going to race. It was starting to set in that all of the training and preparation for the race was over, when Mike interrupted my thoughts with, “Randy, I cannot race, but you can.”
Before Randy could answer Mike added, “We will need another dog since Doc may not be able to race. I talked to my good friend GB Jones and he told me I could borrow Fin. Rivers and Fin have run together so that should help out some.”
“Mister Mike,” Randy said, “Do you really think I can do the race?”
“Randy, it is not what I think, it is what you believe,” Mike said.
Silence. Lakota told me that all eyes were on Randy. I know what we wanted the answer to be. Even the pups were sitting watching Randy. Brownie and Ugly went over to Randy and nuzzled his hand, telling him what his answer needed to be,
“Well Randy, will you race my team in the race?”
“Yes, Mister Mike, I really want to do this,” was Randy's answer.
Racing for Randy
The time from the bear strike to the start of the race flew by. Fin joined us and meshed right in as a member of our team. Randy took us out for short runs with Mike in the basket. Randy spent a lot of time with us, practicing our setup and break-camp routines. Randy could stop the team, check our paws, then feed and water us very quickly. This is very important when racing. The more time it takes you to get back on the trail, the longer it will take you to get to the finish line.
In addition, the faster Randy could get us fed, watered, and checked would give him more time to rest. You only have so much time available in the checkpoints. A good routine does wonders to make checkpoint time go smoothly.
When we were in the kennel practicing, Doc would be on the sidelines barking encouragement to us and passing on tips to the pups. We all knew that he wanted to go, but he never showed his disappointment that he could not race with us. That is Doc, the leader, always thinking of his teammates.
Christmas told me that Tundra was sad that Doc would not be racing with us. From what Christmas told me, Doc was a major influence in Tundra's life. Doc was her hero. I told Christmas that it was great that Tundra had a hero and she could not have picked a better one.
What is that expression? Time flies when you are having fun. Yes, it sure does. While Mike did have a broken arm, he managed to do many things around the yard. One thing was to drive us to the race starting point.
Mike made a checklist of what to pack in the truck, and Randy got it all loaded, except for us.
“Okay Mister Mike, the truck is loaded,” Randy said. “I am going to start putting the dogs into their dog boxes.”
Mike answered, “Let me help you.” Mike called us and we all walked to the truck. I walked with Lakota, who guided me. As we walked, I heard footsteps lagging behind us and Lakota told me that Doc was following us and he had his harness in his mouth.
“Mister Mike, look, it is Doc walking with the team to the truck. He has his harness with him,” Randy said.
I heard Mike laugh as he walked over to where I knew Doc was. The team stopped. Lakota told me that Mike knelt next to Doc and rubbed his ears as Doc dropped his harness by Mike's feet. Doc sat as Mike talked to him.
“Doc,” Mike said, “Doctor Jim said he did not want you to run for a while. You know, to make sure you are okay, after the bear fell on you.”
Lakota told me that Doc looked at Mike. Doc licked Mike's hand that belonged to the arm in the white thing. Doc then got up, picked up his harness, walked around Mike, and got in front of the team. Lakota told me that Doc was now the lead dog in our march to the truck. He looked back at the team and barked, “Lets go team, and look sharp. We are racing for Randy and we are committed to giving him our best in this race. Let's go to the truck.”
After Doc finished talking to us, he turned and walked to the truck, right to the dog box that had his name on it. We all fell in step and followed.
“Y
ippee!” It was Tundra. “Uncle Doc is racing with us.”
“Maybe not,” Sky said. “Mike has not agreed to that yet.”
Tundra said, “Well not yet but he will.” Lakota told me that Tundra walked back to where Mike was kneeling and started to bark at him.
As Tundra barked, Mike laughed. Randy started to laugh also. Lakota told me that it was very funny watching Tundra dance around Mike barking at him. She used different tones in her barking. One tone was pleading, and another tone was debating. She was very good at this.
Soon, Lakota told me that Mike got up, gave Tundra an ear rub, and told her to get back in the line. I heard Mike walk past me to where I knew Doc was. Lakota told me that Doc was sitting very patiently by the truck.
Lakota told me that Mike opened the door and Doc jumped up. Mike helped him into the box. Randy was there also.
“Okay Doc, you can race with the team. However, I am telling you in front of Randy and the team that if you show any signs of soreness or favoring those hips, Randy will yank you out of the line and you will ride in the basket. You understand, Doc? We do not want you to be crippled. You have nothing to prove here. You are a true champion, so do not take chances that will endanger your running with your teammates again. That, my friend, would not be fair to your buddies.”
Doc barked once, agreeing to what Mike said.
“Randy, it looks like you have an 11 dog team for this race. Doc will run solo lead with Christmas and Brownie in the swing position. That will give you three lead dogs up front. Next, run Stormy and Sky then Tundra with Ugly. Nitro and Fin will run together, so that leaves Rivers and Lakota in the wheel.”
Mike kept talking as Randy worked to put us in our dog boxes. “That setup will make sure that there is very little pressure on Doc to pull. Keep in mind that he is stubborn and proud. He probably will not give you any clear sign that he hurts. Use your instincts and watch the other dogs. Both will give you a good indication if you need to pull Doc. If you do, bring him home in the basket. Do not drop him at the checkpoint. You have plenty of power to give him a free ride for the entire race. If he wants to run this one so much, then he deserves to finish it.”
“Speaking of power,” Mike said, I have never told you my magic word. If you yell the magic word at this team, they will give you a blinding burst of speed and power that you might need to get out of a jam. Use it only in an emergency. The magic word is ‘Banshee.’ For some unknown reason that word that just cranks them up. However, it does drain them so use it only in an emergency. Understand, Randy?”
“Yes Mister Mike, and thanks for letting Doc run the race with us. I was hoping he would be able to.”
“Well, Randy, you need to thank Tundra. She convinced me, when she started to bark on Doc's behalf. That surprised me.”
“Momma, did I do something wrong when I barked at Mike to let Doc race with us?” Tundra asked her mother, Christmas.
“No honey, you did a very good thing. I am proud of you,” Christmas said.
“And so am I, Tunny. Thank you,” Doc said.
“By the way, Mister Mike, what is a Banshee?” Randy asked.
“I think it is an Irish witch,” Mike replied.
“Hmmm, maybe your dogs are Irish Alaskan Huskies.” Randy said as he started to laugh.
“Now you are a comic, Randy?” Mike said as he laughed.
The talk stopped. The truck started. We were on our way.
We'll Be Home Tomorrow
It was a beautiful day for racing: great temperatures and fresh snow, which just made race day even more exciting. While my buddies and I had been through the excitement of starting before, Christmas and her pups had not. We let them jump and bark, but we did rein them in a bit, but still allowed them to enjoy these exciting moments of their first race. Running 60 miles on a trail is one thing. Racing 60 miles is another, and you need every bit of your resources to get the job done. Yes, it is a job, but one that we all love.
Randy put our harnesses on us. Lakota told me that we had changed team colors from Mike's green and gold to Randy's red and blue. Mike had also given Randy a new, smaller sled made by Mark at the Grateful Sled. While the new sled was as long as Mike's, the driving bow was shorter to accommodate Randy, who is a lot shorter than Mike. We had practiced with this sled and I can tell you it was fast and light. The shorter driving bow fit Randy perfectly and he could drive this sled very easily. Lakota told me that there was a new red and blue sled bag with Randy's name stitched in it.
After Randy put us in harness and in our team positions, Mike came to us and talked to us while Randy slipped into the truck for a few minutes.
“Team,” Mike said very softly so that only we could hear him. “I am very proud of you and the way you committed to Randy for his first race. I wish I could be driving you in this one, but it looks like our day for racing together will have to wait. Nevertheless, it will come and I promise you that we will all race together someday.” I noticed a bit of sadness in Mike's voice.
“Nitro,” Mike called out, “while you may not be the lead dog today or tomorrow, you are the one in charge of making sure that Randy is safe. I am sure some of the teams out there might not play by the rules. Your job, Nitro, is to make sure that Randy does not get hurt, and lead him out of trouble if there is any.”
Nitro barked that he understood.
“Brownie,” Mike said, “I want you to keep an eye on Doc. You and Christmas need to keep the pulling weight off him. Moreover, if you think he is hurting, let Randy know. Christmas will help you do that, but she also needs to keep watch over her pups since this is their first race.”
Brownie barked that he knew what Mike expected of him.
“Christmas, “Mike said. “I am asking a lot of you in your first race. Pull some of Doc's load, watch over your babies and help lead. I know you can do it. You, like the rest of the team, have shown me you are a true champion and a credit to your Husky heritage.”
Lakota told me that Christmas licked Mike's check. Yes, there was a special bond developing between Mike and Christmas, just as Sandy had said there would be.
“Ugly,” Mike called out. “I want you to help Christmas with the pups. Make sure that they do not get into trouble or mischief. They are good dogs, but they are young and may want to play. Help Christmas to keep them focused. Okay?”
Ugly barked. While Ugly might be the joke master among us, the pups knew that when Ugly was serious, play time was over.
I heard Mike give Fin some special encouragement also. Fin deserved it. He had worked very hard with us for this race. I hoped he would race with us again.
“Lakota,” Mike said, “I need you to help Nitro to protect Randy on the trail. I know you are shy, but I also know you are very protective of your teammates, the pups and me. I am asking you to do the same for Randy. Okay?”
Lakota barked and told me he was surprised to hear what Mike asked him to do, but he, like the rest of us, was devoted to Mike and would do whatever Mike asked. I knew that between Nitro and Lakota, no harm would come to Randy.
I heard Mike come over to me. He put his hands on each side of my face and whispered very softly that he was proud of me and to have a great time with this race. He promised me our racing day would come. Yes Mike, I know it will and I will be there for you as you have been there for me since we met.
I heard Randy come out of the truck and Lakota told me he had on a new blue and red storm suit. They were the same colors as his sled bag.
“Mister Mike,” Randy said. “Thank you for the new storm suit, but my old suit was still good. I did not need a new one.”
“Yes Randy, I know, but I wanted your first race to be special so I got you one that matches your team colors.”
Mike said, “Randy, I want to talk to you about this race before you get started. I found out that Dylan Crawford is running in this race. He is a bully and picks on the smaller racers. He likes to steal stuff while mushers are sleeping.” He has been caught several tim
es, but no one pressed the issue because Dylan's dad, Mister Crawford, is a real bad character.”
“I will be okay Mister Mike, you have no need to worry,” Randy said, but I noticed the concern in Randy's voice.
“I am sure you can take care of yourself, Randy, but I want to give you some ideas that will make taking care of yourself a bit easier. Okay?”
Mike continued, “First, try to break or rest in places where other mushers are present. I doubt if Dylan will try anything if there are a lot of others present. When you camp for the night at the checkpoint, try to bed down near GB Jones or Stan Smith. GB is the race marshal and Stan is helping with monitoring the racers. Both are friends of mine and know you are racing our team.”
“When you bed down for the night, move Nitro and Lakota together, and bed down by them. Also, move all of the equipment to one side of the sled. Let Doc sleep in the sled basket on the extra blanket. Besides helping Doc rest after the run, he will start barking if anyone comes near the basket, that is if Rivers does not hear him first and warn you and the other dogs.”
Mike told Randy, “I understand that Dylan is not too, uh, bright. So just use your wits and avoid trouble. It might be smart to let him stay ahead of you. That way you can keep an eye on him. Let him beat you to the finish line. Winning is not the most important thing here. The important thing is to run a good race by the rules, display sportsmanship and take care of your dogs and yourself.”
“Okay Mister Mike, I understand and will do as you ask,” Randy replied. His voice sounded more confident, now that he had an idea of what to do to avoid a problem with Dylan.
“Team 7, you have two minutes.” Lakota told me that seven was our number. Wow, this was going to be an interesting race after all. Bad guys on the trail, Christmas’ and the pups’ first race, Doc not up to 100 percent and Randy racing for the first time. Who knew what else we would run into.
Alaska Dogs and Iditarod Mushers Page 65