IditaProject Forum

There's nothing easy about hitting that help button on the tracker. Turns out I know that feeling more than most.
We learned from our mistakes in previous races and set up a schedule that included more rest and shorter runs than any race we'd done in recent memory. Everything went as planned and we had banked tons of extra rest.
Traveling up that damned Birch Creek, one of my rookie dogs, 3 year old Healy fell over on his side in mid stride without any signs or warnings. After wrapping him in my sleeping bag and loading him up, I decided I wouldn't take my planned rest just up ahead, but instead would carry him straight to Central to get him to a vet. He was alert and stable.
Twenty minutes later, his brother Caputo did exactly the same thing. I stopped the team and decided to camp there. After three hours of monitoring the brothers and looking after the others, I decided to carry them to Central.
140 pounds of dog in the bag wasn't doing it. We'd have made it, but I wanted the brothers checked out sooner than I could get them there. I hit the button. The Quest interpreted the situation perfectly and I was so relieved to see Head Vet Nina Hansen appear on a snow machine with the head trail breaker, Mike Reitz. Nina checked the dogs over, confirmed they were stable, and then carried them back to the checkpoint.
I've always believed that if you hit the button, your race is over. The Quest Race Marshal felt that the hurried attention to the dogs warranted hitting the button and urged me to run the dogs to Central so they could consider other penalty options to possibly keep us in the race. I appreciate that they were willing to consider an option that could keep a team in the race, but I couldn't accept it. I was too shook up.
Everyone who follows my kennel knows that Healy and Caputo's father, a Golden Harness winner, died suddenly and unexpectedly not too long ago. I often carry Basin's collar on my sled, he's tattooed to my chest, and his name tag is sewn to the hood of my jacket. When I saw his boys crash like that, I feared the worst. I'm thankful that they're happy and healthy today! I don't know what to think about what looks like some sort of genetic issue and the future careers of these boys and their siblings. We have a lot to figure out and I've already been in touch with some very smart vet med folks to start that process.
Sorry to everyone that we didn't get to race this one to the finish. It was shaping up to be a true classic. Best of luck to everyone still on the trail.
Until next time, be Wild and Free.