March 5, 2003

Click on the Photos to see larger versions. Please visit June's site for more Iditarod 2003 Pictures. (These pictures were taken by an amateur lucky enough to be at the start of the race helping another musher. Our thanks to her for offering to share her North Wapiti photos with us!)

Karen and GB Jones were located near each other and June snagged both for a picture.  June was there to help with GB's team. Karen and Bob Ford This was Karen's Idita-rider. Isn't she darling? Karen's dog catches a nap June was not sure if this was Karen's Pirate or not but loved the picture of that stressed out sled dog waiting for the big event in her truck early in the morning. After the weekend being around so many dogs, it was tough to keep them straight but this one is special to June. Karen's Oden, aka Odie, who was about the size of one of Cym's puppies when June first met Karen and her wonderful fur kids and she considers him "her" North Wapiti dog. June had to grab Karen belatedly and ask her to put a bandana on her dogs made by Donna Finner.  Thank you, Eagle Pack, for your support of Karen. June finds it rather ironic to have a running love affair with Karen's "pedigreed" beauties as well as GB's solid working Alaskan Huskies but, states "How can you help not love 'em all?" Karen's fur kids were gorgeous according to June. Like her dogs, Karen seemed the picture of calm efficiency. This was my last pix on the street as Karen's team was about to pull out. Even though June couldn't take pictures of the team she was helping get to the starting line, it did put her in a great position to snap Karen as she came to the start line. After running GB's dogs up to the starting chute, June ran out of the chute, around a truck, then grabbed her camera to snap pictures of Karen. Mark and Karen on the way. Mark would later rescue June, helping to get GB's stuff off the river and back to a vehicle. June wanted to say, "Thanks, Mark!!! I'd probably still be standing on that dang river without your help....unless I'd fallen thru by now."

March 4, 2003

She's off!

Sunday was a travel day for us, We spent the most of the morning packing the truck in the pouring rain. Trying to keep things as dry a possible. We left at around 10:30 in the morning, the rain eventually turned into snow, then at Cantwell it stopped all together and it was clear and dry the rest of the way. We drove past Denali (Mt McKinley) but with the dense clouds we didn't see it.

Monday morning after the dogs were fed, Karen went and had her traditional pre Iditarod breakfast of steak and eggs. Then it was off too the river with 15,000 other people. We had no sooner dropped the dogs when a crew of people came over to scan the dogs microchips and another crew came over to collect urine samples. Karen packed, unpacked, and packed her sled a few times before she decided that it was just the way that she wanted it. 

When we saw team 34 leave their truck we decided that it was time to hook up our guys. We had Pam Kanzler (Pirates Mom) lead the team to the starting chute. Now leading a team to the stating chute is an honor and is usually reserved for the main handler (me). But Handler Rule #15 clearly states "Why run, when you can ride". So I rode on the back of the sled with Karen as Pam ran in front of the team.

Once Karen was gone I went back to the truck so I could repack it for the 1 hour drive to Nenana. I wasn't in much of a hurry because I knew that it would take Karen at least 6 hours to get there. I decided to pick up my pace when a kid fell through the ice on the other side of the river behind my truck and his dad had to jump in and rescue him. The water was only about 4 feet deep, which isn't bad except the kid was only 3 and half feet tall. Everyone is alright and the police flagged off the area.

I expected the drive to Nenana to be the "Dogtruck 500" but it was a very nice drive with not a lot of traffic. Once in Nenana I followed Handler Rules #5, 6 & 7. Which are "Fuel the truck up whenever possible", "Eat whenever possible" and "Sleep whenever possible". Once I woke up, I sat in the truck for a while listening to the radio and watching the other handlers frantically gathering up gear to hand over to their mushers who were not going to be showing up for at least a few more hours. 

Some mushers camped before Nenana, some in Nenana, and others camped past Nenana. Some of those who planned on camping past Nenana loaded up their sleds with what looked like enough food and straw to last a week. It looked quit humorous as these balancing acts lumbered down the trail. Karen's plan was to camp past Nenana. I know that the website shows Karen in and out of the check point, but she was probably there about 25 minutes, it seems that she really likes indoor plumbing. 

The dogs looked great, the only time that they shut up was when Karen snacked them with fish. When Karen arrived at the check point I put a neck line and leash on the leaders and Karen hooked up to a snowmachine that took us to our spot. When it was time to leave there were no snowmachines around, and we were almost at the trail and past most of the icy sections, so we decided to head out on our own. When I asked Karen to stop the team so I could take off the neck line and leash, she couldn't. So I did it on the run, it wasn't pretty but I got them off and gave Karen a high five as she went laughing down the trail.

With Karen gone, I left for Willow, a five hour drive. Once "home", I had to feed the dogs that didn't get to run. Karen must have all our head lights, so I fed the team in the dark. The Northern light were out, big time. I had to laugh to myself, whenever Karen and I run dogs and the Northern lights are out, we say that we're getting help from our dogs that have passed away. So maybe Libby was out there last night with Karen showing her "grandepups" how its done, or at least sleeping with Karen while she camps on the river.

Anyway that's all for now.

Later
Mark

March 3, 2003

Not much to report yet, but FYI - 

The Cabela's Iditarod Race Coverage section on the Iditarod home page, has a talk forum were you can cheer Karen on. I know for a fact she reads them all when she gets to Nome. Here is how you do it: Go to Cabelas's Iditarod coverage on the Iditarod home page, go to "Talk forums", go to "Root for your Musher", register, find Karen Ramstead and reply to message or create your own topic.

Anyway that's all for now.
Mark

March 1, 2003 Ceremonial Start

One half of the circus down - 1/2 to go. :) Actually, it was a whole lot of fun today at the Ceremonial Start. I got to renew a lot of friendships, make some new ones and put some faces to names.

The dogs had a WONDERFUL time smoozing with fans - especially my adorable, 6 year old Iditarider, Meagan. The dogs were totally in love with her :)

I'm going to have to cut the email short tonight, as common sense is telling me that I need to get to bed, but I did want to share with everyone the list of dogs that participated in the Ceremonial Start. They were:

Ch. NorthWapiti's Guy Smiley	NorthWapiti's Mr. Snuffleupagus - 'Gus'
NorthWapiti's Freya	NorthWapiti's Valkyrie Kara
Chuchinka's Nikolai 2nd	Chuchinka's Pathfinder - 'Chester'
Ch. Innisfree Pirate's Treasure	Ch. Kainai's Anchorman - 'Mannie'

And finally, the list of dogs that will be heading to Nome with me on Monday.

NorthWapiti's Super Grover	NorthWapiti's Draco
NorthWapiti's Orion the Hunter	NorthWapiti's Oden
NorthWapiti's Loki	NorthWapiti's Mr. Snuffleupagus - 'Gus'
Chuchinka's Nikolai 2nd	NorthWapiti's Sir Galahad - 'Surge'
Alaskan's Olena of Anadyr	NorthWapiti's Camilla
NorthWapiti's Denali	NorthWapiti's Nahanni
NorthWapiti's Valkyrie Kara	Chuchinka's Pathfinder - 'Chester'
Chuchinka's San Antonio Rose - 'Kaylinn'	NorthWapiti's Robert E. Lee - 'Squeaky'
Note: For pictures of these dogs, please visit our Sponsor-A-Dog page

The 4 dogs that were cut from the team were:

Ch. NorthWapiti's Guy Smiley - This was ABSOLUTELY the hardest cut of the season, but Smiley has a few injuries bothering him. Nothing serious, but enough to keep him from a 1200 mile race! I sure will miss you out there Smiles!

Ch. NorthWapiti's Anchorman - Another hard cut. Nothing 'wrong' with Mannie's performance this season, he was just beat out by some younger dogs in the yard. 

NorthWapiti's Freya - Freya has been having a wonderful season, but her blood work showed that she may be feeling a little under the weather, so I've decided to leave her behind this time.

and 

Ch. Innisfree Pirate's Treasure - I have to say that Pirate has performed beyond my wildest expectations this year - his first serious season in harness. I' m very pleased to announce that Kanzler's have agreed to let him hang around her for another season. Don't count out seeing this boy with the main string next season!

Anyway, I must sign off now!! Mark will be taking over my diary entries until after the Race.

Thank you all for your interest in our team and our adventures. See you when I return from NOME!

:) :)
Karen

March 1, 2003

I'll do a full diary entry later tonight, but here is the list. In no particular order - just the way they are in the yard right now!

Grover	Orion	Draco	Odie
Loki	Gus	Nik	Surge
Olena	Camilla	Kaylinn	Nahanni
Kara	Chester	Denali	Squeaky