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Geforce
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 02:19 am: | 
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Ohhh one other point here... my terminology is not anywhere near accurate. What little I did pick up, was lost in the excitement. I do plan on stopping by the Iditarod headquarters in downtown fairbanks to see if they have any info packets on this stuff as I find it extremely interesting. I know that the dogs on the guide/tow rope have specific jobs or duties. I think the wheel dogs *closest to the sled* are the ones who actually provide the torque and strength. The team dogs are right ahead of the them and provide the horsepower (dogpower) to sustain the speed of the sled. The dogs in front of them help guide the sled in turns but are not quite leaders... I guess good followers. And the leaders, either one or two, are the bread and butter of the operation. |
Sifo
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 06:55 am: |
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Funny thing about sled dogs... The view only changes for the lead dog! |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 09:16 am: |
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I have a must read book for you... will try to find it... ya took lots of photos too for spending so much time in the snowbank... the story lifted my mood when I read it last night after an otherwise unusually crappy sh*t suck a** day... |
Geforce
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 10:55 am: |
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Sifo, I hadn't thought about that... good point! The mushies did tend to get a little stinky after a couple of laps. Of course, if I were pulling a bunch of weight "for fun" around and up a steep slope I'd be just as stinky.
Thanks Char! I know your current outlook hasn't been filled with the best of news. I hope you can see the adventure in your current struggle and not the hardship. I think in the end, that's what makes us human, and also what makes us strong. For me, adventure and exploration is one of the most important things in life. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 05:07 pm: |
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Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 05:12 pm: |
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Race Across Alaska by Libby Riddles and Tom Jones
Libby was the first woman to win the Iditarod because she went out in a life threatening storm to race when no man would face the risk... |
Whatever
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 05:16 pm: |
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Ha... she was even from Madison, Wisconsin... |
Thumper74
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 - 06:50 pm: |
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Great story!
I knew a guy that worked in service at Fairbanks Imports who was always bugging me to visit Alaska. |
Bluzm2
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2010 - 11:44 am: |
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Great stuff!
Nice read sitting here in a blizzard with the temps dropping like a rock.
We'll have the fun below zero stuff tonight...
Now, where did I park that damn dog sled... Wonder if a team of Dachshunds would be up t the task.... naaaaa..
Thanks for the GREAT story.
Brad |
Geforce
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2010 - 09:41 pm: |
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Glad you got a kick out of it Brad. I did happen to swing by the Yukon Quest headquarters in Fairbanks before I left... (sitting in Salt Lake City waiting to board) I met with a veteran racer, female and she took some time to show me a sled and how things get attached to this and that. I was very interested in learning this stuff, if I ever find myself in an area that supports this type of sport, or recreation I would like to get into it.
I did learn that the optimal temperature for the mushies is around -20 F. She went over the different positions along the tow/guide rope and explained what each team does.
When asked why you would ever dream of submitting yourself to -60 F temps and potential death on a 1000 mile journey she said... "It's the adventure, and for me a tribute to those who came before us who did so much more with so much less." She showed me pictures of the pioneers who ran medical supplies, mail and general goods to the furthest ends of the territory wearing nothing more than leather wrapped "boots". They spent months and years risking their lives in order to provide hope to those out in the arctic circle.
Really cool stuff.I donated a little cash to the HQ and received a DVD on dog mushing. I plan on showing this to my wife when I get home. I think she'll like it too. |
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