Eagle Cap Extreme - Day 1 - Bet

Howdy Ho everybodies, it's me, your roving Border Collie Reporter, Bet, reporting from the Eagle Cap Extreme from the reporting nerve center... the Musher's bed.

Hey, somebodies have to keep it warm for her!

Here are some more pictures we got from the start of the race yesterday!  These exciting photos were given to us by the awesome Ken Woodard, so everyone give a thank you to Ken!

Here is the Musher with her adoring fans

Here is Helen (who smells of cookies) Handler, handling a wiggling Pretty Curly Tail... I'm pretty sure you all know who that is... eeesh, such a serious competitor.

Look at all the people required to hold back the awesome power of the Pretty Curly Tails!

Here is Helen trying to multi-task during the positioning at the start.

Once again, Helen preparing the Pretty Curly Tails for the start while she plays Angry Birds.

Here are the Pretty Curly Tails leaping forward (and if you note... on top of each other) at the start.  Simone is trying not to fall off the snow.

Here come the Pretty Curly Tails out of the start

More Pretty Curly Tails

There's the Musher and the Pretty Curly Tails

There goes the Musher and the Pretty Curly Tails

Just one last picture of the start from the Musher point of view

Then back to business of mushing for the Musher

Another day at the office

Speaking of food (ok, nobody was, but I'm gonna), we'd like to give a big ol shout out to Embers Brew House for their tasty tastiness and a sponsor of the race and so we really love them.  Check out their interwebs site and if you are in Joseph, Oregano, please go eat there.

After all of the hoopla, whooping and excitement... well...

yes Tramp, I know Tramp, shut up Tramp

There's not a whole lot of stuffs and things to do.  We're kinda... unemployed and waiting for stuffs and things to do.

We decided to go find something to eat.

I held on to Simone so she wouldn't fall out of the truck

Ate at that fantastic Embers Brew House  did I mention tasty?  Then pretty much came back to the wonderful and really cool Wallowa Lake Resort where we have a little cabin... and honestly... it's actually bigger than my house!  I think I'll try to convince the Musher and Musher Mark to just move us here, it's really nice.

Anyhoooo, we all got some sleep because it was a very busy day, but the problem was that Simone and Helen had different rooms.  I don't like peoples and Pretty Curly Tails being all scattered around, everything needs to be in one area and organized, so I spent most of the night trying to convince them that they NEEDED to be in the Musher's room with me, and that I would be nice and not make Simone sleep in the bathtub... but they totally ignored me!

Helen and Simone took care of Q and Tramp in the morning, then we had a conference call with that annoying Nyquil swilling Cartoonist.  As you can see, I was paying close attention and taking notes.

After that, Helen and Simone wanted to take Q and Tramp snow shoeing up on the trails... in the cold... with Tramp... um.

I offered to sit in the room and wait by the scanner to see if there was any exciting news from the trail... and warm my toesies by the fire.

Apparently Simone and Helen were shocked that Pretty Curly Tails don't walk well on leashes... in the snow.... at a sled dog race... go figure.

Here is Q attempting to pull Simone off a gigantic mountain cliff.  Luckily she didn't fall off.

Here is Q attempting to drag Helen (who smells of cookies) off another cliff... he's consistent at least.

Helen used the tried and true snow brake technique.  Q is looking for tasty mice goodies.

Yammer, yammer, blah blah, blah, yammer yammer... and Simone.

The weather took a turn for the worst, so they've cut the race down to 150 miles.  That means the Musher will be back sometime very late tonight.

More later, including answers to all of the questions posted on the Facebooks.

- Bet