So what are you doing this weekend? By Danny For those of you who dont know, Im not racing dogs this winter. My wife, daughters, and I left Alaska last fall and have been touring the East Coast, starting in Maine and moving south as the weather gets colder. I woke up in Pensacola, Florida this morning, am currently wearing flip flops, have as much of a tan as I ever have and a pocket full of Allikzs seashells. I think Ive adapted quite well as a snowbird. We were planning on returning to Alaska this week for the Iditarod, but I can report from the warmth of the living room once there. Life was Sunny and 75, literally and figuratively. Then as I was sitting on the couch watching the Olympics with my kids Saturday night, my Siri said I had a text. One-liner from my dad. Matts foots hurt. If its broken are you ready? I dont need an explanation. Matt is Matt Giblin, one of my co-workers in the summer, and hes running the puppy team this winter for my dad. Hes been training 24 dogs all winter for his 5th Iditarod. The puppy team is a pretty integral part of the overall program, it provides dog mushings equivalent of the draft for next season. Those dogs are two-year-old superstars that are one good race away from being on the A-team next winter. But they need to race. Iditarod sign-ups ended months ago, but there is an exception for injured mushers. They can substitute an already-qualified musher with a doctors note. Thats how Nick Petit got in in 2011. So the puppy team driver is down, they may need a substitute, and the list of qualified drivers who know our dogs and arent already racing is decidedly short. Like Tyrell (my brother) and I short. Tyrell is already volunteering at Cripple checkpoint. I feel a draft in the room. Hopefully Matt will be fine. But Matts no wimp, if he says his foots hurt, it probably needs to be amputated. I sarcastically respond I would freeze, I was cold at 60 in Tampa today, kill the screen on the iPhone, respond oh, nothing, when my kids ask whats up? and return to the Olympics. My flight home was cancelled due to the storms in Atlanta. They called yesterday to tell me my vacation just got extended till the weekend. My wife was elated, but they no sooner hung up than I get another one liner. Matts withdrawing, please call. Life just got a lot colder. That was last night. Since then, Ive talked it over with my wife, Matt, and all three brothers, cancelled the original flight, paid double for 4 last minute tickets headed north, rented the last car in Pensacola, waited through an accident/man hunt on I-10, made food drop decisions via cell phone while driving 20 mph over the speed limit the rest of the way to the airport, pulled into the car rental an hour before the flight departed, and scrambled through security only to find this flight delayed too. So Im currently sitting in the New Orleans airport, blissfully ignorant kids and incredibly understanding wife by my side, waiting for the airplane to take me home. When I get there, Im going to meet 16 dogs I havent driven since I harness-broke them 18 months ago, hook up and drive a winter sled for the first time in over a year, and try to get ready for the Iditarod in 16 days, 16 hours, 48 minutes, 47 seconds according to iditarod. Snow bird or not, Im an Iditarod musher at heart. If theres a team, Im going to drive it to Nome. Ive run/finished the Iditarod twice. First in 2001, then in 2006. But I havent run a dog race since 2011. That seems like ancient history. Im trying to remember where my gear is; I dont think I have a real pair of boots, dont know where my sleeping bag is, and have never had a GPS. They say its like riding a bike. Im about to find out. Wish me luck. Ill try to keep posting. Im going to freeze my %&*# off. @dannyseavey
Posted on: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 02:26:33 +0000
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