I can't believe I did the whole loop?!

The CB300 is far from being a distant memory as I finish up the final preparations for Yukon Quest 300 food drops that are due Saturday the 18th.  Every now and again I find myself staring off into space, reliving one of the many awesome moments from the race.

I was so excited, but terribly nervous as we left Chisto bright and early Saturday for the start in Glennallen. Once you leave the house, if you don't have it, you don't get to get it. The thought of forgetting something made me feel like I had mice scurrying in my tummy. It was a snowy drive in. Even though I was talking with Darrin the entire way in, my mind was already on the trail...crossing rivers, going over mountains, giving the dogs snacks and straw. 

We arrived and parked by number 30, my bib number. The vets came over and did a thorough vet check and gave rave reviews about the condition of the team. That made me feel good. It was also calming to drop the dogs and give each one a huge hug and belly rub. After dropping the dogs and getting the sled down, I was totally at ease. All the mice that were once scurrying in my tummy had scurried off. Two of my best buds drove all the way out from Anchorage to see me off. It was great to know that I had such support as I was about to begin one of the biggest challenges I had yet to face  

Our dog truck in position

Me!

After packing the sled, I walked around, visiting and laughing with friends, fellow mushers and chatting up strangers who were out to watch the start. Time passed quickly and soon it was time to hook up the team. The dogs were already booted and had their harnesses on. All we had to do was put them on the line. This too went by fast. Next thing I knew, Red and Heather were driving up in the side by side, taking my hook and off we went to the start line. 

The dogs are dressed and booted and ready to roll!

Our sled ready to go. Hope I didn't forget anything!!

I took some pics as I wandered around watching teams leave. This is our friend, Michelle Phillips, getting ready to hit the trail.

Michelle's team all lined out.

Time to hook up!

I had envisioned what this moment would be like for years. It was nothing like I had imagined. It was more. I have started numerous races, and his was unlike any other. From the time I pulled the quick release, I was hearing cheering, getting and giving high fives and heard my name yelled out again and again. It was wild. The closer we got to the starting chute, the louder it was. Once at the line, there was a swarm of people around the sled. Everyone shaking me and giving one armed hugs and well wishes for a safe and fun race. 

I was asked a million times if I was nervous. Nope. Not at all. Anxious to get on the trail and just happy to be there.

Stopping at the road crossing.

Waiting patiently for our turn.

Almost there!

Fozzie and Kermit

Kayak, Glacier and Zane behind them, all ready to go!!

The dogs were pros. Siscu and Mystic kept the line tight and everyone was looking down the trail, ready to get the show on the road. There was some barking and harness banging. Kisses being given to their neighbor and smiles and wagging tails for everyone. 

Then the countdown 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2..1...GOOOOOOO! 

The crowd went wild!

At least that what it seemed like to me. The screaming and yelling seemed deafening. I think I might have been the loudest as we took off like a shot. 

"Ms Heidi!" "Go Ms Heidi!" "Woohoo Ms Heidi!!"

I was the hometown girl in the hometown race. 

Pulling the hooks!

WoOOOoooOHoooOOOo!!!!!!

Off we go!

The energy from the start carried on as we zipped through town and headed for Chisto. Trucks and cars went by, honking and students' heads were hanging out the windows yelling and cheering. It was lots of fun. 

The run to Chisto was not a fast one. The trail had fallen apart and we were slogging along. There was lots of passing going on. We passed, and were passed and passed again. The game of leap frog went on for the 50 mile run to Chisto. 

Traveling down the power line in Gakona. You can see the line of teams as we make our way to Chisto.

Arriving in Chisto was a trip. Showing up in your home village while running the Copper Basin 300 was unlike any other checkpoint. "Welcome home Heidi!" I got to work and did my checkpoint routine that I had practiced to many times before. The dogs were once again pros. They ate, drank and rested. I stayed 4 hours. As I was hooking up the final dogs, the team pulled the hook. Luckily Darrin was back by the sled and caught it before they took off without me! I pulled hook and off we went, zig-zagging through the checkpoint and onto the bike path. We passed our kennel with out as much as a pause and zoomed up our home trail...the Chisto Trail. 

Chisto Checkpoint. (Darrin in the seal hat)

There was a nice bonfire by the checkers to stay warm.

It was such an awesome night. The moon was bright and the lights danced across the sky. Again there was some leap frogging going on as we made our way to Meier's Lake. I passed a team about 1/4 of a mile before dropping down into Sinona Valley. My head had been on a swivel until that point looking at the lights as they dipped and bursts in the night sky. Now, as I dropped into the valley, the lights came down to meet me. It was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed. The lights dropped to the ground, lighting up the snow on either side of us. The dogs looked all around in equal amazement of the light show. Swirling and dancing in time with their footsteps. Then, like a veil being lifted, they were back in the sky. 

We continued on, moving well. The dogs had a great rhythm going and worked as a solid cohesive unit. Through gullets and gulches we made our way towards the first major obstacle, Excelsior Creek. Excelsior Creek can fold the best of teams. Even though the water is usually only an inch deep at the most and about a yard across, dogs don't seem to care for crossing it so much. I knew where the creek was, turned my headlamp on high (I had my light off until this point due to the night moonlight) and started calling them up and moving my head side to side as if I saw a moose or something exciting to chase. Before they knew it we had passed through the creek without hesitation. 

Knowing that the Hump and an open Gakona River were ahead, waiting for us, I made short order of removing everyone's booties and stuffed them in my sled. 

The Hump was bathed in moonlight. 3 pinpricks of light from fellow mushers making their way up reminded me of the Alaska license plate with the miners going up the Chilkoot Trail. Behind me several pinpricks of light were making their way across Excelsior. The team saw the ascent and charged up the first of many pitches. It was awesome to feel such power in the team as we marched up the Hump. I have a few kicks here and there, but was unable to keep up and be of much help on the most part. It seemed to take no time at all and we were sailing on the snowy ridge. The view was jaw dropping. Northern lights all around, the Alaska Range in all it's glory, and the waiting Gakona River down below. I got goosebumps looking around and watching my amazing team as they worked as one. 

Excelsior Creek (old pic from a couple years ago that I took)

The descent was like a rollar coaster ride in a pile of feathers. The deep snow allowed me to have total control of the team's speed, ensuring that no one got hurt from going to fast down the backside of the Hump. In no time at all we and arrived at the Gakona River. Well before the race even started, it was made known that the Gakona River was going to be a wet crossing. Not just wet, but wide, deep, and flowing. It was about a team and a half wide and 8 inches deep. The current was moving pretty good, but nothing that would take you off your feet if you were just standing in it. When I arrived there were two teams in the river and one in deck, waiting to cross. As with everything, dog teams and mushers each have strengths and weaknesses. Water crossings are usually a weakness and often psychs out the musher. Wating for the teams to get through, I chatted with the musher in front of me. We made a plan. I would take his sled and he would take his leaders and together we would get his team through them get my team. As we waited more teams showed up. A friend was behind me and we chatted about what we were going to do. This became the plan for everyone else as well. I helped the guy in front of me, my friend took my sled and I ran beside my leaders as we went through the water, then the musher behind her helped her and so on. It was a great system. 

Picture from the CB300 Facebook page. Jamey at the Gakona River Crossing

Once through the water I let the dogs roll around in all the loose snow to dry off. I took walked in it to get the ice off my boots. I wore Neos over my Steger Mukluks and had warm, dry feet. They were just coated in ice. Once we were dry, we hit the trail. There were a few more open leads of water, but nothing wide or deep and the team easily made their way through. 

We arrived at Meier's Lake and parked. At this point I felt like total crap. I had come down with what was being called the Copper Basin Crud. It starts about 5 miles out of Chisto. By the time I arrived at Meier's Lake, it was full blown. I could hardly walk, breathe and was so hot I thought I was going to melt. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly efficient at Meier's. I stayed 6:30 there. I was so slow getting it together. I planed only to take my mandatory 6, but the extra half hour was just time in the bank for the dogs. I double fed them and gave them a nice broth. They were eating machines and didn't seem tired at all.

Inca at Meier's Lake

Trucks at Meier's Lake

I pulled hook and off we went. The run from Meier's to Sourdough was a blast to drive. There are hills right away as you leave. You get quick elevation and great views of the country behind you. It was somewhat flat light and there was a ton of snow, weighing the trees down. I started feeling much better about an hour out from Meier's Lake. I was relieved. 

The run to Sourdough went by in a snap! 

Going up hill leaving Meier's

There was lots of snow

I quickly fed and bedded the dogs. Sourdough is not a lodge...well, in the winter it's closed. No one lives in Sourdough in the winter. It's like a ghost town. There is a cabin that's open for the mushers during the race, but it is quite a ways away and is always loud and full. I knew this from my years of organizing, volunteering and officiating on the race. There is a,so no water for mushers. Therefore we had to melt snow. I was prepared for this as well and sent out a bag of ice. I had hot boiling water in no time. After eating my personal food and getting hydrated, I curled up in the straw with Kermit and Kayak and slept for an hour. At this point of the race I had had only 1 hour of sleep, and that was at Meier's. (We split a room with friends there and dried everything out completely before hitting the trail again) Sleep was welcomed. I woke 7 minutes before my alarm. I hopped up and started getting ready to go. My official rest time at Sourdough was 3:30. 

Sourdough Checkpoint was more like a tent city. The NPS staff who volunteered here was AWESOME! They were having a blast!

I had been warned that here was a reroute around some overflow on Fish Lake. I knew that there was water all the way around the loop and was happy to hear they routed around this section of it. We still encountered overflow on the trail, but the section we routed around a pretty long stretch. On this run Inca hurt his shoulder and needed to be loaded in the sled. Inca is not a small dog by any means. In fact, he's one of the biggest males we have. Having his extra weight in the sled didn't seem to slow us down. We crossed lakes, and went up and down the hills arriving at Lake Louise with good spirits. 

Once again I got to work doing the checkpoint routine. Once the dogs were down I fed myself and grabbed another hour nap. This time under a table. I was feeling awesome and the team was looking great. I was bummed about having to drop Inca. I was really hoping to finish with all 12 dogs. Things were very relaxed at Lake Louise. At this point I was traveling within the same group of mushers. We had been continuing our game of leap frog down the trail to Lake Louise. It was also at this post where people started to get their mean on. There was one crux left in the race. Tolsona and the loop.  

New to the CB300 this year was an out and back from Tolsona to Crosswind Lake. This meant having to come and go from the Tolsona checkpoint...twice...at the end of a race. There was mixed emotions about this from mushers. I saw it as a challenge and a learning opportunity. It was a chance for me to gain confidence in myself and my team. With my plan of running the 2016 Yukon Quest, I need to be able to drive my team in and out of checkpoints with as few hitches as possible. My plan was to run from Lake Louise to Tolsona, blow though Tolsona, do the out and back, blow through Tolsona again and run to the finish line in Glennallen. 

As I was getting ready to leave Lake Louise, I was envisioning how it was going to look going through Tolsona. What would I do if the team didn't want to go? What would I do if I thought they needed to rest? I had already thought about all of this a million times before, but it needed to be thought about again and again. 

Off we went. It was a nice run over to Tolsona. The dogs knew where we were since we had traveled the trail in March for the Sheep Mtn 300. Once again some leapfrogging with other teams. 

As we started across the Tolsona Lake into the checkpoint, I could see a friend, and nearest competition, leaving on the other side. I knew exactly how far behind him I was. I tucked this info away.  We arrived and I dropped Kermit. She had hurt her wrist and didn't need to go on any more. I checked in and out as quickly as I could, then took off for the out and back. We had also done this on the Sheep Mtn 300, so I knew where I was all along. On this part of the race, there was head on passing. This also allowed mushers to know how close, or far away, the other teams were around them. I had one head on pass going out and about 4 or more coming back. 

I knew I was getting close to the turn around and planned to snack the dogs again there. That's where I came upon friend who was leaving Tolsona as I was arriving. He had stopped to snack as well. Knowing the turn around was just a stone's throw away, I snacked with beef instated of a wet snack. Passing a snack stop can be difficult. Passing a wet snack spot can really be a pain in the arse, with dogs diving to nab left over kibble on the trail and wanting to stop and dog up the leftovers. My friend wet snacked. We chatted for a few minutes, giving the dogs time to digest some, pee and do their business as needed. Then it was time to go. His team wasn't quite finished eating yet, so I passed and  dropped down in the lake. I waited for him to come as the trail was right and was on a turn. I didn't want to have a head on there. Disaster! After about 30 seconds down he can and we left. Knowing we had to go over his snacking spot, I called the dogs up and zoomed over it. Phew! 

It was here when the team really turned it on. Our run it had been on the slower side, but we clipped right along heading back. It was light driving a freight train. (I'm sure we were only going like 8 mph, but it felt faster.). I could feel their combined power surge through the handlebow. I was on cloud 9. The closer we got to Tolsona Lake, the more I thought about running through...again. Which dogs would be where? Who would be in lead? The potential for less than awesomeness was lurking and I wanted to kick it in the butt. I knew the team could do it and wanted to set them up for success. 

On each snack break running back from Crosswind to Tolsona, I'd move a dog, or two, into the position I wanted them for the second "Tolsona Blow Thru." I did my final stop right before getting back on the lake. With Siscu and Fozzie in lead, followed by Zoee and Kayak in swing, I felt confident about the blow though. I didn't need to get into my drop bags. All I had to do was check in and out. 

The team loped down the in trail, again, and we came to a halt in front of the checkers. I said, "I'm checking in and out."  The checker seemed surprise. I was sure it was because I was so far back in the pack that he was wondering why I'd blow through. I did my gear check, signed in both places. And looked for the out trail. That's when I saw it. A HUGE pile of straw as well as straw that a team had just left...all laid out across the out trail. "Awesome," I thought. "You have to be freaking kidding me!!" I pulled hooks, and, using my big doggie voice, I gave the command to go. I gee-hawed the team around the straw and we shot up the ramp and dove behind the lodge, making our way to the finish line. 

I wanted to cry. The team executed the "Tolsona Blow Thru" perfectly. 

We climbed up a twisting fun trail, came out to the section line and then finally into the ditch. I stopped the team, rubbed heads, have hugs to everyone and did a happy jig. After all that, I moved dogs around, throwing Scooter and Zoee up front for the final leg in. 

The team moved well and we had no issues coming into Glennallen. 

Once at the Brown Bear, the trail went left and this began our unguided tour of the underbelly of Glennallen. We went every which way back there. When we finally popped out into yet another ditch, which was the out from Glennallen for the start, the team took off in a full lope. We were about a mile or more from the finish line. I had Kayak in lead with Scooter. Zoee is shy of crowds, so she was now in swing driving hard. The sled got air as we jumped driveways, clanging as we landed. The team knew they were headed "home." I didn't call them up until the final stretch by the fireworks stand. Man, they kicked into a whole new gear. 

As we rounded the final corner, the lights of the Old Paths Chruch and the Copper Basin 300 sign came into view. We were a freight train headed for the promised land! 

We came rolling across the finish line. I yelled whoa! And threw down the hooks. Suddenly, I was mobbed by all sorts of people. I was completely overwhelmed. Handshakes and hugs. I did my final gear check of the race and signed in one final time. It was surreal. I got a huge embrass from Darrin, him telling me how proud he was of me. I almost lost it at that point, but I managed to keep it together. 

All the while the dogs were wagging their tails and smiling. They looked like they could run all the way back to Chisto! I was so proud of them. They're amazing group of dogs. 

I ran the team to the truck where the crowd followed us to. After a meat snack to each dog, I started taking booties off and doing dog chores. Darrin said I could take a break and visit. That he had it. It had become such a habit over the past few days, that I didn't think anyone of it. He and a super good friend of ours took the remainder of the booties off and took care of the dogs as I chatted with folks. 

There was a small mob of children who were eager to visit the dogs. I told them about each one and let them pat them. I don't think I ever stopped smiling. I was so full of happiness and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. About 10-15 minutes after I had finished, someone said something that I didn't quite catch but made me ask, "What position did I finish in?"  I had no idea and figured I was between like 28-36. I was told during an interview with KCAM in Meier's that I was 24. But a lot had happened since then. 

"You came in 12th!"

Huh? 12th?! No way!! 

I about tipped over! I found out later that I had passed a bunch of teams when I blew through Tolsona. I also found out that I was only one of four mushers that had run all the way in to Glennallen from Lake Louise, blowing through Tolsona twice. This was a lot for me to process. 

Thank you AP&T for your support!

After sometime of visiting and answering questions about the river crossing and more, the dogs, Darrin and I headed home to Chisto. I was pretty amped up and didn't sleep right away, even though I had only slept for 3 hours the entire race. 

Tuesday night was the finish banquet. Most of the mushers had already left. The CB300 only pays out to the top 4. I didn't win any money, but I did win 100 booties that were donated by John Cooper of Kipmik!! That was exciting. 

Finish banquet (photo courtesy Brad Henspeter)

After the banquet, it was time to say bye to everyone. Time for all of us to head back to our different parts of the world. Until the next race anyways. 

Mushing is an amazing sport. It brings together so many people from so many different walks of life. Friendships are formed between unlikely people. It's wonderful to see and experience. 

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