January 16, 2001

Well, I think nerves are getting to me about the Grand Portage Race that starts this coming Sunday. Here I am at 4am typing away on the computer instead of sleeping!!

Preparations for the Race are in full swing. Jamie and I each have Race plans done up. This past weekend we spent a good portion of our time standing in front of a bandsaw cutting up all the different meats and snacks that will be offered to the dogs out on the trail and in the checkpoints. . August Galloway, Joel Kersting, and Anna Chapman (running the 8-dog GP class) all made stops by the place to take advantage of the running saw. Jamie’s handlers Lori Pedretti and Terry Miller where also around being a great help.

I also cut up some of my meat snacks for Iditarod, so I had to be fairly meticulous on packaging some bags for 12 dog teams and some for 16 dog teams and marking which was which. I don’t know how I would possibly explain to 4 hungry Iditarod dogs where their snacks were!!  I got an email from Mark on Friday night and he was basically doing the same thing over the weekend, although his helpers were Grisle and Takeout (the cats), Skeeter and Libby (the house dogs) and Fly (the yard dog).

Today we are spending most of the day rounding up, cleaning and packaging odds and ends for the Race. As the area around here is swarming with logging trucks we are waiting until after dark to do our running. Hopefully, we will get 2 teams each out after dark tonight and tomorrow night and then spend Thursday packing the trucks for Grand Portage.  We will leave Friday around 10 am to make it in time for our 5pm vet checks. Saturday night is the pre – race banquet and Sunday is Race Day!

If you all don’t hear from me prior to the Race start – you can be sure I will be posting very shortly afterwards. Those who would like may follow the Race on the Internet at http://www.grandportagemn.com/passage/index.html  Don’t expect too much from our team – we are simply using this race as a warm up to Iditarod and many of the key Iditarod dogs, like Grover, won’t even be making the trip out to Grand Portage – but it should be a fun time regardless!!