Lost the Team......

Running the Mid Distance Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
Day 86, November 26, 2010
Team Buzzsaw / Stewart Taylor Printing

John Stetson and I hooked up 2 8-dog teams and took off down the snowy ungroomed Fox Farm trail for a 15 mile loop run. He was on the racing sled and I was driving the slower "tank". The dogs were pulling as hard as I have seen them pull all year so I helped by kicking and running when I could. After a bit, I was concerned about one of my dogs needing water so I put in the snow hook (first time ever) and went up to pour some water in my hand for the dog to drink. As I was heading back to the sled, the dogs began to bark and pull. I was not too concerned because I had the snow hook in....right? They couldn't possibly pull the snow hook out, right? The snow hook is what makes them stay in one place, right? . Well, the hook popped out of the frozen ground and through the fluffy snow and off they went. I still was not deathly concerned because I still had the snub line dragging behind the slow moving "tank" and I dove for the rope, something I wanted to practice anyway. The frozen rope slid through my gloves like the slippery icecicle that it was. I yelled "Woah" several times to no avail and then ran as hard as I could, almost catching up to the rope again befor they were gone. Gone! My worst fear about mushing came true on my first real run. Dogs running down the trail with me running after them. All at once, feelings of helplessness, despair, worry, inability and stupidity rushed over me. All of the stories of the horror of losing your team were coming true right before my eyes. This is when dogs can get hurt because they will run for 30 miles without stopping. I was extremely lucky that Stetson was 3 blocks ahead of me and grabbed my team and waited for me to catch up. I think he planned for something like this. What a great learning day for me. In the truck on the way home, he told me some simple rules to follow like: never get behind your sled when you are stopped and if the team starts to take off, run ahead with the team instead of running to get behind the sled to grab on. I promised that it would not happen again, and I honestly believe that it won't....... Dear God, please never again!