Rivers Page 11

  After Doc finished talking to us, he turned and walked to the truck, right to the dog box that had his name on it. We all fell in step and followed.

  “Yippee!” It was Tundra. “Uncle Doc is racing with us.”

  “Maybe not,” Sky said. “Mike has not agreed to that yet.”

  Tundra said, “Well not yet but he will.” Lakota told me that Tundra walked back to where Mike was kneeling and started to bark at him.

  As Tundra barked, Mike laughed. Randy started to laugh also. Lakota told me that it was very funny watching Tundra dance around Mike barking at him. She used different tones in her barking. One tone was pleading, and another tone was debating. She was very good at this.

  Soon, Lakota told me that Mike got up, gave Tundra an ear rub, and told her to get back in the line. I heard Mike walk past me to where I knew Doc was. Lakota told me that Doc was sitting very patiently by the truck.

  Lakota told me that Mike opened the door and Doc jumped up. Mike helped him into the box. Randy was there also.

  “Okay Doc, you can race with the team. However, I am telling you in front of Randy and the team that if you show any signs of soreness or favoring those hips, Randy will yank you out of the line and you will ride in the basket. You understand, Doc? We do not want you to be crippled. You have nothing to prove here. You are a true champion, so do not take chances that will endanger your running with your teammates again. That, my friend, would not be fair to your buddies.”

  Doc barked once, agreeing to what Mike said.

  “Randy, it looks like you have an 11 dog team for this race. Doc will run solo lead with Christmas and Brownie in the swing position. That will give you three lead dogs up front. Next, run Stormy and Sky then Tundra with Ugly. Nitro and Fin will run together, so that leaves Rivers and Lakota in the wheel.”

  Mike kept talking as Randy worked to put us in our dog boxes. “That setup will make sure that there is very little pressure on Doc to pull. Keep in mind that he is stubborn and proud. He probably will not give you any clear sign that he hurts. Use your instincts and watch the other dogs. Both will give you a good indication if you need to pull Doc. If you do, bring him home in the basket. Do not drop him at the checkpoint. You have plenty of power to give him a free ride for the entire race. If he wants to run this one so much, then he deserves to finish it.”

  “Speaking of power,” Mike said, I have never told you my magic word. If you yell the magic word at this team, they will give you a blinding burst of speed and power that you might need to get out of a jam. Use it only in an emergency. The magic word is ‘Banshee.’ For some unknown reason that word that just cranks them up. However, it does drain them so use it only in an emergency. Understand, Randy?”

  “Yes Mister Mike, and thanks for letting Doc run the race with us. I was hoping he would be able to.”

  “Well, Randy, you need to thank Tundra. She convinced me, when she started to bark on Doc's behalf. That surprised me.”

  “Momma, did I do something wrong when I barked at Mike to let Doc race with us?” Tundra asked her mother, Christmas.

  “No honey, you did a very good thing. I am proud of you,” Christmas said.

  “And so am I, Tunny. Thank you,” Doc said.

  “By the way, Mister Mike, what is a Banshee?” Randy asked.

  “I think it is an Irish witch,” Mike replied.

  “Hmmm, maybe your dogs are Irish Alaskan Huskies.” Randy said as he started to laugh.

  “Now you are a comic, Randy?” Mike said as he laughed.

  The talk stopped. The truck started. We were on our way.

  We'll Be Home Tomorrow

  It was a beautiful day for racing: great temperatures and fresh snow, which just made race day even more exciting. While my buddies and I had been through the excitement of starting before, Christmas and her pups had not. We let them jump and bark, but we did rein them in a bit, but still allowed them to enjoy these exciting moments of their first race. Running 60 miles on a trail is one thing. Racing 60 miles is another, and you need every bit of your resources to get the job done. Yes, it is a job, but one that we all love.

  Randy put our harnesses on us. Lakota told me that we had changed team colors from Mike's green and gold to Randy's red and blue. Mike had also given Randy a new, smaller sled made by Mark at the Grateful Sled. While the new sled was as long as Mike's, the driving bow was shorter to accommodate Randy, who is a lot shorter than Mike. We had practiced with this sled and I can tell you it was fast and light. The shorter driving bow fit Randy perfectly and he could drive this sled very easily. Lakota told me that there was a new red and blue sled bag with Randy's name stitched in it.

  After Randy put us in harness and in our team positions, Mike came to us and talked to us while Randy slipped into the truck for a few minutes.

  “Team,” Mike said very softly so that only we could hear him. “I am very proud of you and the way you committed to Randy for his first race. I wish I could be driving you in this one, but it looks like our day for racing together will have to wait. Nevertheless, it will come and I promise you that we will all race together someday.” I noticed a bit of sadness in Mike's voice.

  “Nitro,” Mike called out, “while you may not be the lead dog today or tomorrow, you are the one in charge of making sure that Randy is safe. I am sure some of the teams out there might not play by the rules. Your job, Nitro, is to make sure that Randy does not get hurt, and lead him out of trouble if there is any.”

  Nitro barked that he understood.

  “Brownie,” Mike said, “I want you to keep an eye on Doc. You and Christmas need to keep the pulling weight off him. Moreover, if you think he is hurting, let Randy know. Christmas will help you do that, but she also needs to keep watch over her pups since this is their first race.”

  Brownie barked that he knew what Mike expected of him.

  “Christmas, “Mike said. “I am asking a lot of you in your first race. Pull some of Doc's load, watch over your babies and help lead. I know you can do it. You, like the rest of the team, have shown me you are a true champion and a credit to your Husky heritage.”

  Lakota told me that Christmas licked Mike's check. Yes, there was a special bond developing between Mike and Christmas, just as Sandy had said there would be.

  “Ugly,” Mike called out. “I want you to help Christmas with the pups. Make sure that they do not get into trouble or mischief. They are good dogs, but they are young and may want to play. Help Christmas to keep them focused. Okay?”

  Ugly barked. While Ugly might be the joke master among us, the pups knew that when Ugly was serious, play time was over.

  I heard Mike give Fin some special encouragement also. Fin deserved it. He had worked very hard with us for this race. I hoped he would race with us again.

  “Lakota,” Mike said, “I need you to help Nitro to protect Randy on the trail. I know you are shy, but I also know you are very protective of your teammates, the pups and me. I am asking you to do the same for Randy. Okay?”

  Lakota barked and told me he was surprised to hear what Mike asked him to do, but he, like the rest of us, was devoted to Mike and would do whatever Mike asked. I knew that between Nitro and Lakota, no harm would come to Randy.

  I heard Mike come over to me. He put his hands on each side of my face and whispered very softly that he was proud of me and to have a great time with this race. He promised me our racing day would come. Yes Mike, I know it will and I will be there for you as you have been there for me since we met.

  I heard Randy come out of the truck and Lakota told me he had on a new blue and red storm suit. They were the same colors as his sled bag.

  “Mister Mike,” Randy said. “Thank you for the new storm suit, but my old suit was still good. I did not need a new one.”

  “Yes Randy, I know, but I wanted your first race to be special so I got you one that matches your team colors.”

  Mike said, “Randy, I want to talk to you about this race before you get starte
d. I found out that Dylan Crawford is running in this race. He is a bully and picks on the smaller racers. He likes to steal stuff while mushers are sleeping.” He has been caught several times, but no one pressed the issue because Dylan's dad, Mister Crawford, is a real bad character.”

  “I will be okay Mister Mike, you have no need to worry,” Randy said, but I noticed the concern in Randy's voice.

  “I am sure you can take care of yourself, Randy, but I want to give you some ideas that will make taking care of yourself a bit easier. Okay?”

  Mike continued, “First, try to break or rest in places where other mushers are present. I doubt if Dylan will try anything if there are a lot of others present. When you camp for the night at the checkpoint, try to bed down near GB Jones or Stan Smith. GB is the race marshal and Stan is helping with monitoring the racers. Both are friends of mine and know you are racing our team.”

  “When you bed down for the night, move Nitro and Lakota together, and bed down by them. Also, move all of the equipment to one side of the sled. Let Doc sleep in the sled basket on the extra blanket. Besides helping Doc rest after the run, he will start barking if anyone comes near the basket, that is if Rivers does not hear him first and warn you and the other dogs.”

  Mike told Randy, “I understand that Dylan is not too, uh, bright. So just use your wits and avoid trouble. It might be smart to let him stay ahead of you. That way you can keep an eye on him. Let him beat you to the finish line. Winning is not the most important thing here. The important thing is to run a good race by the rules, display sportsmanship and take care of your dogs and yourself.”

  “Okay Mister Mike, I understand and will do as you ask,” Randy replied. His voice sounded more confident, now that he had an idea of what to do to avoid a problem with Dylan.

  “Team 7, you have two minutes.” Lakota told me that seven was our number. Wow, this was going to be an interesting race after all. Bad guys on the trail, Christmas’ and the pups’ first race, Doc not up to 100 percent and Randy racing for the first time. Who knew what else we would run into.

  We moved into the starting chute. Randy came by each one of us and gave us a big hug. We were ready. I heard the timekeeper say “30 seconds.” Lakota told me that Randy made a last minute check of our lines and harnesses.

  “Fifteen seconds” and I heard Randy get on the runners.

  “Five” and I heard the pups bark with excitement. They were ready to go.

  “Four” and Doc yelled that this was just like old times. He was one happy dog!

  “Three” and Lakota asked me if I was ready. “Yes,” I replied. “Let's rock!”

  “Two” and Randy yells,” Team ready!”

  “One” and then Randy's “Hike. Hike.” We all leaned into our harnesses and took off down the trail. The race was on, and so was this adventure. And the last voice I heard from the cheering crowd was Mike's: “Be safe and have fun.”

  His Time Has Come Today!

  The trail was very fast and we were making good time. Doc's strategy was to use the first few miles to get our stride and pace ourselves. He wanted to see what the other teams had. Our plan was to finish in good standing, get the pups, Christmas and Randy some race experience, and have a good time.

  After a mile or so, the pups settled down and started to work with us in the team. We talked to them and they told us they were really enjoying this. I know that Tundra was watching every move Doc made and listening to every word Doc barked. She was very intent on learning from her hero.

  The sled was a breeze to pull. It was very nimble and Randy was doing a great job of driving it. While we carried a lot more gear than was required, we had no trouble moving the sled at a very fast pace.

  The pups surprised us by how powerful they were. Lakota told me that Doc's tug lines were barely taut, meaning that he was not pulling much weight. That is what Mike wanted, but I did not think Mike expected the pups to want to pull more than their share.

  No teams passed us on the trail, which might have meant that all the other teams were holding back and would make their move tomorrow, after we had left the checkpoint. This is an experienced musher's strategy. I guessed the rookies were learning from the experienced mushers. Nitro wished he knew what position this Dylan character had started in. Was he in front of us or behind us?

  The miles glided by and before we knew it, we were at the checkpoint for the overnight stay. After we pulled off the trail, the race officials checked our gear, to make sure we had all of the required stuff, and the trail vets gave us the once-over. They told Randy we all were okay, and told him where to set up camp for the night. Randy asked them if Dylan had come into the checkpoint. No, they told Randy, Dylan had not checked in yet. That meant he was behind us. Nitro was not happy with that.

  Randy set up camp. He made a fire in the camp stove and cooked us a hot meal. Sure tasted like Mary's cooking…

  Randy said, “Ms. Mary made us some special chow for the trail. Told me to make sure you all cleaned your bowls. So, please do that so I can tell her, and make her happy. You know she loves to cook for all of us. And she made me something special also.”

  Lakota took his head out of his bowl long enough to tell me that Randy sat down near us and was really enjoying his chow. Ugly made a comment that Randy was sure enjoying his food. “You would think the kid never ate, by the way he is devouring his meal.”

  We all figured that Randy did not eat well at the foster home. We guessed that was why Mike and Mary always scheduled chow time for when Randy was with us. Christmas told me that Mary always gave Randy a basket of food before he returned to the foster home.

  After we ate, Randy gave us all a lot of individual attention and TLC. You could bet your last dog biscuit that we heaped a bunch of TLC on him also. After that, we just loafed. Ugly was telling some joke, while Nitro was telling bedtime stories to the pups, just like he used to do for Christmas.

  I heard the sled pull into the checkpoint. Then I head several voices that were arguing. I could not make out what the voices were saying at first, but it sounded like a very intense argument. It became louder and I heard Musher GB and Musher Stan. Apparently, the musher who came into the checkpoint refused to let the vets check his dogs. I heard Musher GB tell the musher that if the vets did not check his dogs, the musher would be disqualified.

  “Dylan, I am warning you for the last time. Let the vets check your dogs or else I will disqualify you from the race.” That was Musher GB.

  So, Dylan was behind us. I told Nitro and all of the dogs to keep quiet so I could hear what was going on.

  “GB.” It was Musher Stan. “These dogs have fresh welts on their rumps, and there is a jiggle stick with a strap attached to it on the top of the sled bag. These dogs have been whipped!” I could hear the anger in Musher Stan's voice.

  “Did you beat these dogs, Dylan?” Musher GB asked.

  “None of your business, they are my dogs,” Dylan replied.

  “True, but dog beating is illegal and I will report you to the State Troopers,” Musher GB added. “Consider yourself disqualified from this race. Park your sled and I will have the vets tend to your dogs.

  “No way, old man,” Dylan yelled. “Hike, Hike.” Then I heard the sled take off down the trail.

  “You want me to go after him, GB?” Musher Stan asked.

  “No, he has to show up back at the starting point in order to get home. I will call the troopers and ask them to be there in case he shows up before we do. He will have to stop to rest. By the looks of it, his team is in very bad shape and will lie down on him before long.” Musher GB continued, “Let's tell the other mushers to keep an eye out for Dylan on the trail, but also warn them that he may cause them trouble.”

  In a short while, Musher Stan and Musher GB came by our camp to tell us about Dylan. Randy thanked them and told them that he had known Dylan was on the trail. Randy told Musher GB and Musher Stan that Mike had told him what precautions to take.

  “You do what
Mike told you to do, Randy,” Musher Stan said. “But if you need any help or have any trouble, just call out. I am camped a little ways down the trail from you.”

  “Thank you Mister Stan, I will do that. Think I want to turn in now. I am kind of tired,” Randy said.

  Good night Randy,” Musher GB said. “Have a good race.” I heard their footsteps fade in the night as they walked the trail to another team.

  Bark about an interesting night. Lakota told me that Randy moved Doc into the sled basket as Mike had suggested, and then put Tundra in there also.

  “Doc,” Randy said, “you did very well today, but I know you pushed yourself the last few miles. I know you are very tired so I am putting Tundra in the basket also. You rest while she guards the gear. Besides being a great watchdog, I know Tundra will like being near you tonight. Just do not tell her too many trail stories. You need your rest.”

  Nitro told us that Randy moved the team into a circle instead of a straight line. Nitro said that Randy moved all of our gear to the center of the circle and laid out his sleeping bag by the gear. From the way Nitro described it, anyone or anything that wanted to steal our gear or bother Randy had to get through the ring of dogs. Nitro then told me that Randy took Lakota and Nitro out of the team and told them to stay by the gear and sleeping bag. That way, even if someone or something did get past the ring of dogs, they would have to deal with Nitro and Lakota, the team's biggest dogs, while still having the ring of dogs around them.

  This was very smart. I started to wonder how Randy came up with this idea. I heard Sky and Stormy talking and they said “musk ox.”

  “Musk ox?” I asked.

  “Yes, Uncle Rivers,” Sky said. “When musk ox fear they will be attacked, they stand shoulder to shoulder and form a tight circle around their young. They face out toward the attacker. Musk ox are very big, so the attacker can not get into the circle, because they can not get past the musk ox.”

  “Oh,” I said. “How did you know that?” I asked.