post Iditarod march 24th

The Iditarod-dogs are 150% and ready to roll again- they about turned me upside down as we left the yard today for a 16 mile run. My sled hit the post I hook down to and the thing flipped. I held on while my head ate 50 feet worth of snow. OUCH! Once we got back up, things were good again. They seem stronger and more, together. The lake ice will be solid for another month. Wind blown & heavily used by snowmachine traffic, there's not much for a trail right now. The leaders just sort things out as we go down the lake working with what we have. The days are getting longer now with sunlight to warm our faces and fill our bellies. I see a significant difference in Bongo and Naked after this race--they have more confidence and self drive.

Moving to Maclaren with 50 some dogs in about 3-4 weeks already. The move will take several trips. We haven't been home for very long at the lake house, seems too soon to move. I wish I could freeze time for about 2 weeks to just relax, paint my toenails, start my planting, work around the yard with the dogs, lounge around with my hubby and do nothing...actually we would last about 2 days doing nothing. Sounds good though. All these things happen, in moments between finsihing races, unpacking, re packing, training, organising races, preparing to move and the actual move itself.

The yearlings will start their spring running program and we'll be building again, soon. The yearlings include up and coming dogs: Cinnibar, Jon Jon, Obie, Canoe, Kayak, Diesel, Bonnie and Clyde. They are all awesome dogs! Our friend Lucas from WI will be here in 3 weeks joining our team and working with the dogs.

Tonight, after dog runs, after chores, after visiting, I decided to check out the Iditarod discussion forum; John had informed me awhile ago that I was a "hot topic".....he also warned me of the few negative posts lingering. I had forgot all about it until now. As I read on, my forehead wrinkled, my eyes narrowed and then I let out a good laugh and then I laughed some more and then I read on and laughed again so hard I almost peed my pants. entertained, yes. disappointed, a little. My first immediate thought "you really didn't think I could finish??" Cause I was a model and I like to shop and I am a total girl?? shame on you. and the 2nd thought..."who has this kind of time on their hands?" Oh well.
Thanks to all who supported me, I appreciate your sincerity and support.

march 28th
Hi all, what a whirlwind of a week. We've been in the city of Anch. for a few days too long, the must do shopping, visiting, driving, stuck in traffic (people do this everyday??), more have-to shopping, more eating, more driving, picking up Iditarod return drops/sled...and seeing my mother off to the airport. She is safe and on her way back to WI this evening. And now, more driving......to get home. We had to come early to the city for her departure.

I will begin my Iditarod journaling soon, taking you from the very start to the very finish of my Iditarod 08 experiences----right away to follow the Taiga 300.
I will also be starting a brand new journal ("life goes on"..which has been an abstract of posts really....and possibly renaming it to fit the the great and wonderful new and beautiful change in our life...make sure to check back for it...it's just super stuff and we're tickled pink to have the opportunity to share with friends, family and loyal kennel fans........:)

I am sitting in my truck as I write this quick post, john is fast asleep napping before the final leg home. We've got both trucks, loaded to the gill with supplies, cabin furnishings, dog food, people food and just town stuff.
We have many things going at the moment well beyond the Taiga 300 race and our world is busy- full. In about 3-4 weeks, we will move our operation to Maclaren River, our fourth summer season open for business; cabin rentals, kennel tours & gift shop. This will be the first summer in 5 seasons I won't be greeting buses on a daily basis. It was a tough decision for me becuause I absolutely love meeting all the wonderful people and sharing what we love best about our life with dogs--- but the need to grow our summer business and create more time to pursue other things this summer pulled hard and won hands down. Life changes and we're happily changing with it, evolving as people and growing upwards and onward.

goodnight to you, and it's back on the road for us.
zd

March 23rd 2008

I have been in high gear since we've been back, haven't slowed down much. My mother is visiting through mid week and catching up around here has been a full time job. We were thinking we would come home post - Iditarod from Nome and relax, a little. Yeah right. Spring is in the air, warmer temperatures are on the rise, stinky thawing yard to be maintained and a list of things to-do grows by the day. Thank goodness for good help. There's lots of things happening and exciting things to look forward to. Everything in the works demands our total attention. The Taiga Spring Break 300 mile sled dog race is coming up soon and we've been sorting out details; the new race route, mandatory layovers, and of course staking 109 miles of trail. The yearling dogs in the yard who need training will be back on a light schedule starting next week and the dogs for my Taiga 300 pick; will be running a longer run late in the week. We have several good dogs ready for adoption, some of these dogs are race quality, a handful are better for a recreation team and we even have a few that would make for a great house companion. Please contact us if you are interested and we will do our best to match you with the right dog.

I promise to get going soon on my Iditarod journaling soon--this is something I enjoy very much and will make time to do. My idea is that I will cover things from checkpoint to checkpoint such as trail description, team stories, camping on trail, some of the things I did that were right and some things i feel now I should have done different...(hindsight is always 20/20) and experiences that have made some kind of personal impact.

The dogs that were dropped from my Iditarod team; Mambo; in Finger Lake--she had what looked like a lame shoulder coming in due to the punchy snow conditions and trenches created from the teams and sleds ahead. She was reported to be in good shape by the time she flew back into Anchorage. I was a little concerned while sitting at Finger and didn't want to take a chance on making it worse. Galen; in Nikolai--he wasn't pulling like his normal self once we left Buffalo Camp. I couldn't pin point the problem and this bothered me. He was favoring his left side, seemed like he was stiff on the front end and after a few hrs of running--this was something that was not working itself out. Galen isn't a dog who likes to be touched, so massage was out of the question. The more I tried to confront the physical issue in Nikolia the more he seemed to stiffen up--he didn't need to continue on with the team with this mysterious physical disability. Not this year.
When he's healthy, Galen gives 150% and pulls with all he's worth.
Motta and Bligh--in Ruby.
Motta had a sore tricep and Bligh had a very sore carpus. It was tough to part with Bligh--a natural force in the team; a hard puller on the line and a good eater. This is a dog that naturally shines with enthusiasm and exuberance.
Motta had been sore running 70 miles prior and hadn't pulled much coming in.
Bongo- in Safety. He should have finished. I am still kicking myself right now. He wasn't pulling much 5 miles prior to Safety and that was it. Very bad decision. The dog is worth his weight in gold. I could have moved him back to team or wheel and he would have kicked in again. I wasn't thinking clearly and dropped him prematurely. He is a finished dog in my book. Next time--the dog will finish under the burled arch, with me and our team.

It's always tough to part with dogs on the team; they are part of the team for a good reason--with all the training over the months, these 16 dogs made it to the starting line because they all showed something special early on with both physical and mental talent.
The dogs that finished----Sebe, Bridle, Hunter, Peak, Storey, Naked, Probe, Djembe, Robin, Trapper and Dude.

more to come...stay tuned.
zd

More Iditarod 2008 pic's.........

Judy, the rock

Judy has been with us since June last year and she is the rock--- holding down the fort while we're away, caring for our home, the cabins, our dogs 24-7 each day, making sure all the dogs are healthy & happy each day keeping them entertained, fed and just plain loved. Our dogs are her #1 priority and we're so thankful for all she's done and continues to do around here. She is an amazing woman, a good friend and the best help a kennel owner could ask for. I had no worries while away on the Iditarod trail--she takes good care of everything.

Thank you Judy for just being You. zd and js

1,049 trail miles later...we're healthy, happy and back home from Nome.

Hi Everyone! We are flying high!

I had SO much fun! We worked hard, we played harder and enjoyed each day to the fullest with little to no sleep for 12 days. The Iditarod was more than just a race event for me--it was a life changing experience filled with awesome trails winding through some of the most scenic terrain, unforgettable sunsets and sunrise and some great challenges we would be determined to overcome on a day to day basis. My dogs had a good time out there and we thrived living and breathing together for 12 days. It's just you and your dogs and that's it. Simple, beautiful, tough at times when times feel tough but more than not----just unbelievable to have this experience and opportunity. The dogs make it possible and to them, I am thankful.

I felt nothing but loving support from the villages & the Iditarod crew and each day was truly a new day to look forward to as we made our way to Nome! I had some of the best days of my life on Iditarod with my dogs & traveling with other mushers, making new friends, and learning eso much about my dogs for the first time over this race course---things you just don't learn training from home or entering 200 and 300 mile races. Once you run and complete a 1000 mile journey with dogs, you will feel changed, you will be different--it changes you. You become a competent dog driver. You become solid--like a good dog. I had some little insecurities before the race, those have gone away.

The Iditarod is a trip of a lifetime and we're better for it. I will work on journaling my experiences in the next few weeks as i take time to reflect. I learned more about myself and my dogs in the last 2 weeks than in the last 6 years! We plan to return to race in the Iditarod in 2010.....we'll tell you why soon enough.

I just had the MOST amazing time of my life and feel so happy inside..the dogs were amazing, I didn't ever really see them tired, we did rest ALOT however..and this time around for me, was all about learning...from Anchorage to Nome with my 16 dog friends. In the next few weeks we'll be getting things ready for the Taiga 300 sled dog race happening April 1-5th. I have so many letters and emails to get back to and will do my best to do so in the next month--I'll slowly get back on this thing and journal as time allows.

Thank you to all who support us and we'll be in touch soon with more journaling and pictures....love xo Zoya & team

What a journey it was!

What a handsome bunch!!

Hi all!

It's me, Carrie. I just finished speaking with Zoya and she is doing FABULOUS!! She describes her time on the Trail as, "...a totally life-changing experience!" She's excited about what she's accomplished, the wealth of knowledge she has taken away from the race and is looking forward to many, exciting challenges in the future!

The dogs are in great shape, barking, happy and ready to hit the Trail... but for them, it means a flight back home for a job done superbly... giving all they had for their Musher!

As she's still in Nome & internet access at this time is sketchy, she wants everyone to know she'll be home soon and back on the Journal with all the great news about her adventures on the Iditarod, pictures and so forth! I for one, can hardly wait!

Thank you for all the love & support you've all given Zoya! She thanks you from the bottom of her heart!

Unalakleet

I arrived in Unalakleet late this afternoon. It was a trick getting out of McGrath and connecting. Flights were late though so that helped. I almost missed my flight 'cause I forgot about the ridiculous daylight savings thing. Not sure who thought that up for Alaska!
Saw Jeff and Lance leave here; both teams looked good; I thought Jeff's was a bit better. Lance has anoisy crew; Jeff's is more solid. Just after they left; 16 teams pulled in within a 4 hour period. They all looked good. If I am to guess--Swenson and Gatt look real good; I'd say that either of them has a shot at pulling off 2nd.
Zoya is in Nulato; she is running fast and resting lots. Dogs are doing good; She will move steadily from here on, I hope. She dropped Bligh with a sore tricep, and Motta. Motta wasn't eating real well--likely heat related. I also had word that she may have been a bit sore in the front end? The weather remains good at this point--it is very warm; plus 15 or so. the wind is picking up in Shaktoolik; 26 mph. It must be moving a little snow, though that hasn't been mentioned.

Rookie all gone......

"I'm loving this!" That's the first thing I heard this morning just past midnight when Zoya arrived in McGrath. She smoked down from Nikolai in just over 6 hours---one of the faster runs from there. Zoay broke her sled in the Dalzell---the product of too much rest mostly. The team was flying and that is not the place for fast travel. The left stantchion sheared at the base. She manged to glue it back together with a hockey stick, but the brake isn't working well. That is likely the reason for the long, long, long time in the burn. word from the trail was that there was a fair amount of dirt, and a few rocks. She fiddled around in McGrath looking for another sledd----decided not to switch out but use some of the equipment and parts she has with her to do a solid repair at her 24 in Takotna. the Iditarod site shows her running 47th now, but that is deceiving; she hasn't 24'd so when whe comes off from that she will be in the low 6o's. Her team looks real good though and if she should decide to race, there are a lot of teams she will pick-up by the coast. Her run to Takotna was much faster than the Idit. site shows--they show her out of there at 1:13, when she physically left the clinic yard at 1:35. She went in and out with Sebe and Bridle up front and Peak running single swing. The dogs were bouncy andthe girl focused.
Robin was doing her bounce and croak routine and all of the dogs were whining and straining to go. "They are getting stronger now." she told me with a little wonder in her voice. She hasn't seen this before because she hasn't been beyond 300 miles. She is taking excellent care of them--their weights are all like they were at the start, and I think that Peak, who is a real tough keeper, is heavier than she was. It was good to see the team in such high spirts. I even got to pet my 'baby"; Hunter. She is in Takotna for her 24---I will see about getting a ride into there this morning. later, john

You come thru the burn with minimal brakes and you no longer can call yourself "rookie"

Rainy Pass

Hi all; yesterday was a day not to repeat.....Zoya had a very good run into Finger Lk. from Skwentna---her time was around that of the leaders. Arriving there, she was experiencing the headaches and nausea she had earlier on the Tustumena 200. She sat there for hours trying to get by this. I was able to talk with her on the phone and she said the dogs were doing well and were very lively. Mambo had a shoulder cramp that she didn't feel she could get by so she dropped her. A couple of other dogs had minor dings, but all were easily cared for. She finally felt able to leave Finger just before midnight and was into Rainy Pass, (Puntilla Lk), at 2:50 am.
Fast run; to be expected with that much rest. Evidently the Happy River Steps were no big deal given her time. Reports from the trail said they were very good. She told me on the phone from Finger Lk. that when she was able to go, that she would likely rest 4 hours in Rainy Pass before heading down the Dalzell to Rohn. Here is hoping that she is feeling better and has a good run to that checkpoint.
It is raining in Wasilla and also in Rainy Pass---hence the name.....
later, john

Wellow re-start

Not sure how many people were at the restart, but my guess was 5,000 plus in view. There were more that were out of immediate view and the word from the trail was that there were hundreds of snowmobiles everywhere.
Zoya got out smoothly--she was pretty nervous all day, but settling down as the start approached. She went with the same lead set that took her out yesterday; my baby; Hunter, and Bridle. Both went out of the chute driving. The passes yesterday on the ceremonial start were very smooth and clean---the dogs are in their own world out on the trail and the presence of another team doesn't disrupt the 'pack'.
She was thru Yentna Station around 8:30 pm. (2nd), a 3-1/2 hour run. She arrived in Skwentna at a minute past midnight---pretty darn good as her schedule said midnight straight up! she will stay at Skwentna until morning and pass thru Finger Lk. before resting. You won't see her thru
Rainy Pass until late in the day. Lots of passing going on out on the trail----Zoya left 89th---she was the 34th team into Skwentna........ I'll post some start pictures later in the day---now I have to do some writing for my job.... john

update before the big day--and My Iditarod 2008 team list

It's almost 11pm and I feel pretty organised--tomorrow is the real deal--it's getting back to the dogs and the journey. The show is over and it's go time. I'll pull the hook around 5pm. I can't hardly wait to experience these trails with my team. This is a Dream come true...and we're prepared for anything. With all the articles written, images shared and personal stories concerning the Happy River Steps, Dalzell Gorge and the run from Rohn- Nokolai...I honestly can say we're looking forward to the challenge. There's so much we haven't seen and and I want to learn. I've been through all my stuff, all the details, the sled looks good, the gear bags are packed to the gills, the lists are in place and the dogs look super; strong, confident and ready to go. today was amazing-the whole thing. Being with my family, spending time with friends, meeting new people, reuniting with old friends and just all the support---wow--and there's so much of that for this event alone! The dogs--they really ran good past hundreds of people today with camera's clicking, kids shouting, fans waving and clapping and bon fires burning as we headed down and out of 5th ave for the 11 mile run. The weather was pleasant, not too warm--just right for the little run.

A quick thank you to friends--Judy Carrick for being the rock in our kennel--you are the rock and we're so grateful for you, Laura for being back at the ranch with house and doggies, Donna and Greg for your hands -on all day today, Connie (and Doug) for all your love & support, Mom and Aunt Jodi for being here for me, Theresa and John Daily for your friendship & support, Carrie Henke, Grandpa Henke and family for your constant love and "pumping me up" emails, letters and care packages......and John my super husband and friend--for driving the truck, cooking my meals, sewing my gear as needed, always looking out for my best interest and helping me gear up to have a successful race.

I would like to extend a heart felt thank you to Iditarod and Yukon Quest musher Bill Cotter (pictured with me below)...he was my mentor in 2002. I came to Alaska in May 2002 for dogs and worked for Bill that following April-April. Bill gave me the opportunity to race his dogs that first year in three mid distance races. I learned a great deal from Bill and I'll always be grateful for that 1st year here--it truly was special and magical for me. My eyes had a new landscape and I was reborn, you could say. The city girl learned to chop wood, live happily in a small cabin with no bathroom/running water....care for herself in the woods, care for and train a kennel of 75 dogs, run teams of 10 and 12 and come to the realization that " this was for me! i was happy and healthy" I had no money, but I HAD a great view, awesome -beautiful dogs to work with and train and one heck of a person to learn from who would become a dear friend. All this new opportunity, my word felt grand.
My horizons grew & I was the happiest girl to be alive in Alaska. I would sing everyday as i ran the pups a mile down a foot path to the pond and back. It was just a special time of learning dogs and learning me. Bill taught me how to run a professional kennel by example and the dedication it takes to train a team at a level where competition is possible. He's someone I have great respect for. Thank you Bill.

hey and thanks to Meg Amos and friend for coming out to see us, Streak and Henry, Gabby and Dad for all your help & support and all the tons of others!!
off to bed I go......it's late and bed is calling.
John will try his best to keep all posted. I will call him from either SKW or NIK.

zd

the Iditarod 2008
Team:

Hunter , Bridle, Sebe, Robin, Galen, Bongo, Djembe, Probe, Mambo, Peak, Bligh, Storey, Naked, Motta, Dude and Trapper.

images from Ceremonial Start

Zoya & Storey sharing a moment.... before Iditarod Ceremonial Start 2008