Ceremonial Start Information

Here is the list of the Pretty Sled Dogs that ran the ceremonial start with Iditarider:

Bang and Dasher (per Karen: both were BRILLIANT (as my British handler would say)
- or 'PERFECT" (as my Swiss handler says!))
Bingo and Rocket
Wonder and Spider
Roscoe and Shooter
Runner and Wifi
Charge and Barq

The list of who will be mushing to Nome will be listed on the blog later. If you'd like to see if you can come up with who YOU think will be running under the burled arch, leave your team list in the comments section!

The official race starts at 1:45pm Alaska time (5:45 Eastern), so everyone give a big HOWL and set Karen and her team off right!

Who Will Be Racing? (The Cartoonist)

I know some of you have asked: "so which Pretty Sled Dogs will be making the trip this year"?

I don't have a list of dogs on the Iditarod team (yet) but here's the list of dogs that made the trip to Alaska. Feel free to speculate (in comments) who you think the team will be this year, or even if your favorite dog made it (or didn't make it) and why:

Crunchie,
Q,
Runner,
Wolvie,
Charge,
Roscoe,
Herman,
Barq,
Jr,
Shooter,
Irving,
Hector,
Wifi,
Dasher,
Billie,
Jinx,
Spider,
Bingo,
Bang,
Tess,
See
and Rocket

I also wanted to assure everyone that the "Musher Safety Device" was applied and should keep Karen safe from sticks and other dangerous wooden things on the race trail this year.
* Please note, she was wearing her old Anorak during this cartoon. She'll be wearing the new Anorak during the race, which has also been modified for her protection.

What's Up With The Nyquil (the cartoonist)

On the eve of the start of the Iditarod, I've made some mention of swigging NyQuil on the mail list, blog comments, and Facebook posts. The typical response has been "hope you feel better soon" or people commiserating with me about their colds, but to be honest... I'm perfectly healthy.

Back when I first started cartooning for Karen and the Pretty Sled Dogs, I did have a cold and was swigging NyQuil, quite heavily as a matter of fact. Needless to say there were some pretty wacky cartoons coming out of me (some that will NEVER be seen by anyone... no, I don't accept bribes), and generally my first Iditarod watch when I actually KNEW someone running the Iditarod was pretty nonplus and somewhat relaxing (thanks to NyQuil).

The next year I didn't have a cold and frankly it was nothing but fingernail biting, nerve wracking, freaking out every moment of the day. I can't say that I'm the biggest worrier, I think that belongs to Karen's relatives, but I'm a pretty close second when it comes to freaking out and worrying.

I realize that this is the big race for Karen and the Pretty Sled Dogs. Its what they train for all year, live and breathe for all year, this is their moment to shine and enjoy themselves on the trail... I should celebrate and dance with joy that they are doing what they love. Except I'm a loon.

Like all of you, I constantly check the Iditarod page's updates for any news. As an "insider" I get some scoops, and as Karen and her Pretty Sled Dogs are my cartoon muse, I get to share my version of her updates with all of you, in a humorous light. I know a lot of you get concerned when there aren't any updates (like a certain year where Karen seemed to drop off the face of the earth and there was much gnashing of teeth and worrying).

With the various rules on the trail that limit her contact with the outside world, we insiders try to keep all of you informed and entertained and appreciate everyone's concern and rooting for her and her team, so please leave your comments on the updates we provide to boost her spirits and let her know that you are watching over her as she does this most amazing, brave, and wonderful sport.

She is doing something that keeps me in utter awe and admiration, and yet... well... I'll be spending most of the race like this:
NyQuil in hand, waiting on the next update, hitting refresh on my browser, and wishing I had enough guts to do what she's doing, but happy to have even the smallest part in helping in any way I can.

Good Luck and Godspeed Karen and the Pretty Sled Dogs!

NorthWapiti Kennels Pre Iditarod Open House

For all those who have been asking 'YOU BET' we are having our Open House this year. The location has changed, but not the fact that there will be 'Pretty Sled Dogs", food, refreshment, GREAT souvenirs, and good times!!

Event: NORTHWAPITI KENNELS PRE IDITAROD OPEN HOUSE
Date: Friday, March 5, 2010
Location: Doug and Krista Grilliot's, Willow, Alaska (please email me privately - northwapiti@xplornet.com - for directions!)
Time: 10 am - 3 pm

We look forward to seeing you all there!!!


Karen Ramstead

'Handy' Once Again

Typing skills are back up to par - or, at the least, close, so I figured it was time for a blog entry!!!

The hand is healing relatively well. I did have to go back on another antibiotic today. Nothing to panic about, just being cautious as the edges of the wound are a bit redder then they should be and the wound is stilling draining 'serous' fluid.
Once it started to drain the swelling quickly came down and I have been back to almost full use since Monday.
I had hoped stitches would be out soon, but looks like, because it is in a area that gets alot of 'movement' they will have to be in for a while longer.

On Sunday I ran an eight dog team on a 20 mile run. I wore the brace that the doctors gave me but it caused more discomfort then running dogs did. The next day I wrapped my hand/wrist with 2 tensor bandages and that worked really well. I took 10 dogs with Jan's handler, Simone as a passenger and had a really nice run.

Today things were back to 'normal' with Mark and I each taking 10 dogs on a really nice 47 mile run.

Tomorrow we are giving the dogs a day off, which will allow us to work on a bunch of other stuff that must be done before we leave Muzzy's Place on Sunday!!

Here are a few pictures from Monday's run -

One of Simone's pictures from the sled!


This is a bit blurry, but I wanted to share as this is the simple corner that kicked my butt a little over a week ago (but coming the other direction). Right behind the first tree visible on the right is a bunch of broken branches and some blood!!


Simone!

Pictures from today's run -




Climbing Jenny M hill.


Starting downhill.


Crossing one of 'the ponds' (I don't believe they have names, everyone just refers to them as 'The Ponds")

Happy Trails again!!!!!
Karen

Photos from the Dog Yard

We all had a day 'off' today (I know - I've been 'off' since Monday) so I took a few pictures out in the dog lot this morning.


Runner - who is stepping up to be a significant leader in the team


Handsome and hardworking Q


Billie enjoying her 'down time'. She has served notice to the veterans that she doesn't want to stay in Willow while they race to Nome. She well may get her way!


Hector


Spidey - we just switched her to one of DogBooties.com short harnesses and it really seems to have made her a happier gal!


Wonder-ific!


THE MAN - Crunchie


Wi-o-wi??? Wifi


Beautiful Bingo!


Tess - who is having her best season ever. She never backs off and is stepping up as a leader!! I am so proud of her!


Jinx - she and Dasher really are THE front end around here!!


Runner - don't call him 'Jill' - the house is just a 'loaner'!!

My Version

Okay, you have heard Kara's version of the story, now time for mine.

On Monday morning Mark and I went into Fairbanks to drop off my drop bags (1455lbs - I'll do another blog on that soon). We were back home by noon. Now it was time to focus on running dogs!! I planned out a schedule for the week, wrote up a couple teams, and out the door we went.

I was in front leaving the dog yard and the dogs were traveling well. Not 1/4 mile or so down the trail I just wasn't paying good attention on one of the corners and tipped over. I run that trail almost everyday and have never had even the slightest issue on that curve. The tip was unspectacular and I just hung on waiting for everything to come to a stop so I could yard my sled back onto it's runners. But just before we came to a stop, something happened. I wasn't sure what, but I knew something was wrong. When Mark came up behind me and yelled out "Are you okay?", I replied "No", but honestly didn't know what exactly was wrong. About that time my left hand felt wet and I knew where the issue was.
"Let me see". Mark had put in his snowhooks and come up to help me. I held up my left hand. He pulled off my gloves and without emotion said "You have to go to the hospital. Put some pressure on it." Always calm, that man.
I didn't really look but caught of glimpse of wood as I stuffed my hand into a pile of snow. I choose not to process the information.
Mark wanted me to walk home and get Jan's Dad, Carl to drive me to the hospital, but I had no intention of leaving him with 2 fresh 10 dog teams. I carry my cell phone on training runs, so I called the house, let Carl know I was going to need a ride, and asked him to ask Simone to come out and give us a hand turning teams around.
Simone must have run the whole way out, as she was there in a flash. Mark already had tugs undone, so we turned everyone around and headed back to the house. Poor Simone had to run back, as I was pretty woozy and didn't feel able enough to drive a sled with a passenger back to the house.
We wrapped my hand in a towel and Carl and I headed to town. The last thing Mark said to me before I left was "It's not bad. Don't worry." Liar.
I figure he knew that it was going to involve A LOT of needles and figured running dogs was a much better idea then hanging out with me.

On the way to the hospital the shock began to wear off and the pain set in. I began to worry about nerves and tendons and was very relived to find out I could still move my fingers. I kept having waves of nausea, so didn't even think about looking at my hand, as I thought that would for sure knock me out.

Jan works at Fairbanks Urgent Care so that was where I asked to be taken to. They checked me in, looked at my hand, and took vitals while I waited to see Jan. I thought it might be worse then I imagined when they sent a nurse in to wait with me. Hmmm...

Jan came in and lifted the edge of the drape they had put over my hand. "Oh Karen" she said. "Have you looked?" I shook my head no. "You know you have a stick in your hand?" She put her hand on my wrist and said that that was were the end of the stick was. My stomach lurched and the room swayed.
Jan made it clear that this injury was beyond the scope of the facility. "You're going to the ER".
They wrapped me up and off Carl and I went but not before Jan snapped a photo. "After all is over you will want to see this".
I doubted her.

Thanks to some prodding of the staff from Carl I got into the ER in good time. The triage guy unwrapped my hand and said "Oh my". They hustled me into a room and the parade of spectators to look at the hand began. "Do you mind if I peek?" they all politely asked. I could have cared less, as long as I didn't have to.
"Never seen anything quite like this?" "How did you do this?" "That is very cool"

All the while my wonderful ER nurse Mike worked at finding a vein and getting an IV in me so they could do something about the pain. I was very grateful that I decided to ditch my phobia of needles earlier this year. It would have been a very long and stressful day if I hadn't.
I don't know what the painkiller was, but in minutes my toes were warm and fuzzy and my hand not an issue.

'Very nice to look at' Dr. Mark counted to three and out came the stick. We all agreed I needed to keep it as a souvenir.

Honestly, we laughed and joked our way through freezing and power washing.

It was really nice to be around doctors that might not have understood, but know what mushers are like. The 'Bone Doc' came in and they discussed whether to leave the wound open, close it with a drainage tube, or just close me up. The Bone Doc's thought was that I could get on the sled faster if they just closed me up. That, of course, was the decision I supported.

Nine stitches and a bunch of drugs later I was heading back to Two Rivers.

In looking at the wound now, it appears what happened is that while I was dragging to a stop my left hand that was gripping the driving bow of the sled hit a stick. The stick entered my hand at my knuckle by my middle fingers. It drove straight down to my wrist, thankfully missing major veins, nerves and tendons that are all through out the hand. I was remarkably lucky.

My thanks to the fabulous staff at the Fairbanks ER for taking such good care of me and being so nice - and of course, Carl for dropping everything and spending the day running me around!

Also thanks to Mark for running the team for me this week so I could let things heal well.And to Simone for all the help hooking up and unhooking!!!! While the pain hasn't been too bad, I have had trouble gripping things because of the swelling and fluid build up in my hand. Last night (Friday) the fluid began draining nicely and the swelling is down CONSIDERABLY this morning. The plan is for me to be back on a sled tomorrow and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Karen