Banquet live stream!

This is a forum for general discussion of dogsled racing, with a special focus on Alaska, and is open to all. It is expected that this area will see the most activity during the months leading up to, and during the annual Iditarod sled dog race. Pictures from races can be posted here. Hosting is provided by the Bering Strait School District (BSSD), and the area is open all year. Care to be one of our volunteer moderators? Contact us!

Moderators: fladogfan, libby the lab, mira, mamamia, sc-race-fan

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:50 pm

I have to stop now and will try and do some more tomorrow night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
User avatar
elsietee
 
Posts: 3265
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Garden Valley, CA

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby fladogfan » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:53 am

As always, thank you very much elsie for your flying fingers.
All my children have four feet and fur.
User avatar
fladogfan
 
Posts: 7388
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:08 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby iditamama » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:35 am

Thank you, Elsie. I have been looking for these notes eagerly. I look forward to more when you have time.
Appreciate it very much! I love the little stories from the trail.
iditamama
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:14 pm

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:52 pm

It's actually better doing it from the video where I can start and stop it - and get the whole story. I'm not fast enough to type the stories as they were telling them that night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
User avatar
elsietee
 
Posts: 3265
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Garden Valley, CA

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:51 pm

39 - Brett Bruggeman (r) - 11d 20h 21m 8s

"Just before I left Montana - that's where I am, that's where my dog team is - my own dogs - my wife asked me "what are you most concerned about for the race?"

"I'm worried about my dogs getting sick, me getting sick, and storms"

And I got all three of those the whole time, so that was great.

I met some amazing people on the trail - I have some people to thank: my wife and my family for putting up with me and allowing me to do this; my good buddy Willy Stewart who's been with me for most of this journey; my handler Miriam Osegard (sp?) - many of you know here - and someone in particular I want to thank, who always gets the most inspirational musher award - Jessie Royer - who's my dear friend and has guided me since I first had visions of doing this, and a fellow Montanan - she played a great hand in me being here.

Very grateful to my dogs and the effort they put in, despite me being quite sick, and some of the people out on the trail:

I got to run with Aaron Peck, for the first couple of hundred miles and made a good friendship there.

And shortly after that, I ended up running with Allen Moore - all of a sudden I was "Hey! I'm running with Allen Moore, that's pretty cool!" <laughs> and then we left Don's Cabin and I was "hey, I'm *still* running with Allen Moore, this is *really* cool!" - he's a great guy and taught me a lot on the trail. When we got to Grayling and he got ill, he said "well, you're on your own" and I have to admit I was a little scared when he said that - I felt so much security with him. A great friend and a great mentor on the trail.

After that, I had the great companionship of Monica Zappa - who I spent my last 5-600 miles on the trail - provided a lot of entertainment and morale boosters when I needed them. She said my dogs got her through the race, and I say she got me through the race. Our first camp together, I looked over, and said "Hey, you can't do that standing up!?" - but she sure enough was 'doing that' standing up. <laughter>

Lev Shvarts said before the race "you're either going to love it, or you're going hate it" and I'd say yes, I agree - and I loved it and I'll be back".


* * *

38 - Monica Zappa - 11d 20h 20m 43s


"Firstly I want to cover everyone - so thanks to anyone who was involved in this amazing historic, classic Alaskan event. We love it so much and we're so lucky - I can't believe this is our fifth race. Specifically thanks to my mom who came from WI to see us finish this year; and my partner Tim Osmar, without him I def wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have the dog team I have without him. Most of you know him and he's a great guy..

A couple of quick things - another big TQ to my dog team... specifically my lead dog, Blue Steel, who maybe some of you know or have seen pictures of. He is full-time model, part-time sled dog - he definitely has left his mark on about 90% of the trail markers out there, so we had to have a little bit of patience with him - he taught me to take a deep breath - we'll get down the trail eventually.

I also thank Brett for hanging out with me, maybe inspiring my dogs to go a little faster some times.

But despite all the distractions Blue Steel had, he sure shined in the storm that we faced on the coast. When I was stopped - we came across Jim Lanier out there - we'd stopped and were helping him get his dogs untangled and try to get them going back down the trail again. And my dog team were going insane and wanting to run as fast as they could through the storm - so stopping wasn't something they were really in to at the time. What had happened was, they were going in the direction of the trail, and I was helping Jim's leaders get going, they turned and took off towards the beach and I had to run and jump onto my sled and it was literally like a millimeter away from getting away from me, and heading to the beach, and who knows what would have happened. Somehow someone was looking after me, and I was able to grab the sled and we were going towards the beach, and apparently that was the last Jim saw of me. But luckily I had a great lead dog in Blue Steel - that listened to my commands and took us off the beach and looped us around and back into the headwind on the trail. I didn't have to get off the sled, just haw-haw-haw, and he went all the way back to the trail - and at that poing I decided the safest thing to do was to try to get to Safety and get help sent back. I didn't want my dog team going into the ocean on their own - so thanks to Blue Steel.

And one more thank you to Mitch Seavey for loaning me a couple of awesome females who kept the whole spirit of my team really high and also, lastly, the fuel that the dogs eat on the trail - which for my team is mostly salmon. So as you all probably know, I've been a passionate advocate for clean water and wild salmon since I've been mushing in ID. I can tell you there were a couple of days where the dogs on my team *only* ate salmon. It really does work - it kept them going down the trail strong.

With that, I would like to let you all know how much I care about the salmon. <she picks up her award envelope and waves it> I have to assume there's some money in this - I think it's about a thousand and forty-nine dollars - I plan to donate that 100% to the Stand for Salmon campaign, which is going to be a really important campaign coming up in the state of AK.

Thank you so much - I hope that inspires you to Stand for Salmon in your own way - whether it's fishing for salmon, eating, BBQing it, sharing it with friends, feeding it to your dogs - just realise how much salmon matters to us as Alaskans and how much we can't live without it - and go out and vote for salmon this fall."


* * *

37 - Andy Pohl (r) - 11d 16h 10m 31s

"Alright. That is, was, will be quite the adventure. Parts of it were quite what I expected, and many parts were much more difficult than I expected.

I had a couple of common questions out there. One of them was 'hey, it this more difficult than biking it in the past?'. There are so many different comparisons, but what I can say is a passed some of the others who are still out there on the ITI [Iditarod Trail Invitational? Bike riders] - just about every time I passed them, they were pushing it through the soft snow and I got to say "hell, that sucks" <giggles>. I didn't envy those guys - it was much better having a dog team. But so many more logistics - taking care of all the animals, everything that goes into the Iditarod ... I'd have to say this is definitely a much harder way to do the trail.

The best part of this entire trip was travelling with my wife Kristy who I met in Ophir in 2014 just briefly for a day. We spent our 24 there in Ophir - it was great getting our picture taken in the same spot - a little crazy ghost town - a couple of reporters came out and interviewed us ... they kept saying "where do couples go on a vacation?... after they're married", trying to get us to drop certain words, so that was my second most common question "Is this a honeymoon?".

Kristy? Let's so some place where the sand is warmer and we don't have to wear as big boots? <laughs>

She def was an inspiration. Just travelling with her on the trail demonstrated how much experience, how good of a musher she really is. It was amazing to watch and to share the trail journey with her.

I'd like to thank my biggest sponsor Seeing Double Kennel - Kristy and Anna Berington, you guys provide the mentorship, the dogs, the experience, the gear - everything to help me go down this trail and share it.

Also AK Missions who are our servers tonight - clearing up after us this evening. They were the first ones on the scene to help us get off the [Bering? Glenn?] Highway after the ceremonial start when we had a little bit of an incident where we damaged our sled dog truck.

Northern Edge Physical Therapy, XXX sewing [sorry missed it and it's hard to rewind]... this has been a lifetime experience - thank you all"


* * *

36 - Kristy Berington - 11d 16h 8m 55s
9th start

"I'd also like to thank the AK Missions - we're staying in the Baptist church with them, they helped us on that Saturday - we had an awful, awful day. They helped us so much and there are so many people from all over the country that want to help and are so excited to hear our stories after the race and it's so much fun to hang out with them at the church after the race and - just good people.

Out on the trail, I had the wonderful experience of travelling with my husband. At the start of the race, Anna always says you're not just taking care of the dogs, you're taking care of 16 beating hearts - and I felt like I was taking care of 33 beating hearts <smiles> . But he did a wonderful job - he was upbeat and positive, and confident in his dog team and I didnt' really feel like I had to push him, or encourage him when it got stormy or tough, or you just wanted that extra 20 minute bump of sleep.

So I'm extremely proud of him, and I'm extremely proud of Anna who took a lot of our young dogs, and a lot of our veteran dogs, and did an amazing 22nd place finish and I hope to be chasing you down the trail next year. Thank you everybody."


* * *

35 - Charley Bejna - 11d 14h 43m 6s
6th ID

"Thanks so much to everyone attending this today - all the great vols, that put this race on.

I really wanted to finish a lot higher than I did, but it seemed like every checkpoint we left, we had a different problem. We had a couple of females come into heat, dogs chewing lines - neck lines, tug lines - and then the sled breaking several times - which got me discouraged throughout the race, because I said 'why is it getting worse and worse, every time we leave?' And then it was weather conditions, drifting and blowing snow.

My main lead dog, Brown, she led again the whole way, for the third time, she's an amazing dog - she never quits. I had 3 yr old Maple with her - she's a really really shy dog who was great on the trail, but when we got to the checkpoint, she would stop because she'd see all these people - so ti was a challenge for us to get into the checkpoints.

It was a great honor from Warren Palfrey and Terry Boyle for fixing my sled in Ophir. I pulled in there - my sled broke in the Gorge - and I had no brakes coming in there, so we were on our side, going into the trees - I couldnt' steer. So we pulled in there and said "if you guys can fix my sled, I will continue, but if not, I will have to scratch because it's impossible to keep going like this". They took their time, they fixed the sled, and without those two guys, I probably would have not finished the race.

I had a sled in McGrath, but of course, I didn't use it - I took the broken sled that we repaired and that sled made it all the way,

[I think he must have meant Nikolai, not Ophir above, since that doesn't make sense otherwise]

Want to thank my parents for supporting me and my brother Butch, for continuing to push me and try to make me do better every year. GB Jones for picking up all my dogs, I know I've been throwing a lot of pressure on him the last few days saying "you've gotta do this, you've gotta do this, you've gotta do this", so huge shout out to GB. The XXXX [?], the Cartys [?], thanks for coming up this year to the finish line and putting all the kennels together, Pete Kenifky, Rebecca who helped out there, thanks all the vets, everybody throughout the trail - I really really enjoyed getting into the check points and seeing a lot of smiling faces, and I always enjoy talking to the checkers. I really don't get much sleep there because I want to be involved with everything. My cousin Deena and her husband for helping out, Aaron Anderson who also picked up the dogs from ANC and helped me out - and pretty much helped in this race.

I dedicate this race to Deb Abrahms, she was my Iditarider a couple of years ago. I happened to have the same number 38 that I had the year she was my Iditarider, so that was special.

For all the people who have diabetes out there - I was able to get through the race, I did struggle quite a bit this year, I don't know why, but everything's levelled out now. It was a pretty rough year for me dealing with that and the trail conditions. But I didnt' give up - there were times when I wanted to <cheers from audience> and I was like, you know what, I can't, I've got to continue. <applause>

Stay strong no matter what condition you have and you'll pull through it.

I'm not going to be racing next year - I want to be a race judge, or a volunteer on the trail, or mark the trail - I want to get involved in that, I think I'd be good in that type of situation.

I'm going to keep all my dogs and do some shorter races, but looking forwards to helping out on the race next year.

Thanks everybody, I appreciate it, and thanks to my dogs for getting me to Nome. "
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
User avatar
elsietee
 
Posts: 3265
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Garden Valley, CA

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:52 pm

more tomorrow night. (gah these people talk a lot and talk fast :) )
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
User avatar
elsietee
 
Posts: 3265
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Garden Valley, CA

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby Moose » Thu Mar 22, 2018 5:39 am

Reading every word, Elsie! I watched the stream, but missed a lot. Every year, since you walked in the cabin door, I--and I dare say we ALL--appreciate the HUGE contribution of your time and talent. Warm hugs from cold Maine beaming your way this morning. <3
Wag more, bark less.
User avatar
Moose
 
Posts: 5392
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:11 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby flowerpower » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:46 am

Thank you, thank you thank you! I didn't get a chance to watch any of the end (or start for that matter)! so I really appreciate this! :D :D :D
"No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin
User avatar
flowerpower
 
Posts: 2340
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:33 pm
Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby fladogfan » Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:05 pm

I'm happy to read that GB Jones is still involved :D and that Charley is planning to volunteer, what a guy.
All my children have four feet and fur.
User avatar
fladogfan
 
Posts: 7388
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:08 am
Location: Central Florida

Re: Banquet live stream!

Postby elsietee » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:58 pm

34 - Aaron Peck - 11d 14h 42m 6s

"I'm the guy from Canada who shows up every 4-5 years to give it another crack. We hope to get back next year, if the stars align.

I want to thank god, my wife, my family, inspired me every step of the way to get to the finish line. My dogs esp, and my fellow mushers. Some of you guys and gals out there were awesome company during this year's race. There were ones who would take off when I arrived, and ones who would be arriving as I was getting ready to leave, Scott Janssen, Kristy, Andy, Noah, Brett - so many of you that kept it fun along the way. I heard lots of good one-liners out there, lots of laughs, and I won't forget it.

That's it until next year, god bless".


* * *

33 - Emily Maxwell (r) - 11d 13h 55m 56s

"I have a lot of people to thank, but I have to start with Jim Lanier, because I mush with Nic Petit and that's who changed his life - and Nic changed mine, so thank you Jim for getting Nic his start.

Jim and I ran together <looks out at audience> ... I don't know where he is - oh, he's there ... we ran together quite a bit on the trail and I was really lucky to run with him and a lot of other veterans - Allen and Scott and a lot of other people who really helped me improve my confidence and answer questions for me. And as Jim said "I have the fastest dogs, but I'm the slowest musher" <laughs>, so we kept a similar pace. I think it's pretty amazing that two days ago he was getting medevac-ed off the trail and then last night he was singing with Hobo Jim <cheers>.

Thanks to Nic - I moved up to AK two years ago and I didn't come up to be a musher, I was in love with a musher, and so I just helped him run his dogs and I think my third run ever, we hooked the dogs up around dusk to go out for a "short" run with our handler.

It *was* a short run, but it took six hours because everything that could go wrong did go wrong....I think I cried a few times ...we had to go through some bad water crossings, got tangled in trees and dogs were making love, and making more dogs...and towards the end on the way back he says "I know a short cut!" and he takes the short cut and my dogs go the other way, and the handler yelled back "It's OK, I know how to get home". Nic says "OK, I'll see you there" and as we separate, it becomes apparent that she *doesn't* know the way home...so we're running loops in Willow, trying to find our way home and we ran into Linwood's yard and I had never met Linwood and the dogs are going crazy and a handler came out to help us get turned around - I found out later she thought we were both drunk, which I was not... but I would've liked to have been by then...

...so thanks Nic for getting me from that point just two years ago, to Nome and finishing my rookie year. Thank you for the dogs, and all your lessons that you taught me.

Thanks to many of the mushing families that have helped me - Scott and Debbie Janssen have always been there for me, to all of the Redingtons who have been so helpful - Ramey wrote my rookie reference for this race - thank you for believing in me, Ramey. Eileen Myers, who gave me one of my best friends - Koi (Cory? not sure) who finished this race with me. And to Jim and Anna Lanier... and to all the other mushers.

It's funny being here, after listening to all the speeches the last couple of years, not having done the race - and now having done it, it really hits home and I understand so much more - you guys are incredible. Thanks to everyone that ran around me in the race - you really helped me.

To all the vols - I volunteered the last two year and I know you don't get a lot of sleep and you don't get paid for this, and it's cold and it's hard work, but the race couldn't be done without all the vols.

Thank you to my home town of Iowa City, who knew nothing about mushing, I think, until I started mushing, so it's been pretty cool to share that with them.

To Girdwood, AK, my adopted home, my sponsors, my mom and dad who really helped me, XXXX, XXXX and Girdwood Picnic Club, the Yoga Shack, and XXX Pilates in ANC.

And I have to thank Tyler and Kelby, and Boots, for helping so much on our middle distance races, and just in life - and now in Nome. You guys are always great to have around.

Thanks to Jessie Holmes who loaned me and Nic dogs for this race, and I really appreciate that.

And of course, thank you to my dogs. I had a pretty hard winter and I didn't always know if I was going to make it to the start line and they were my solace to go out and see them, and see their little face - to go and run them, they always made me feel better.

Thank you everybody."


* * *

32 - Tom Knolmayer - 11d 12h 20m 30s
3rd run

"Thank you to all the vols - without you none of us would be here. There are a few people without whom I also would not be here - childhood friends Diana Scott, XXXXXXX from Hungary [he's talking really softly so I can't hear] took care of all my dogs; Jen Seavey for making sure my dogs were healthy; Joar - thank you for your help in training and sharing handlers; Martin Buser - long time friend and mentor, thank you for half of my dogs; one of my best buddies Kelly Maixner and his wife Margaret, thank you for the other half of my dogs, friendship; Sue Allen one of my oldest friends and the greatest help I've had; Kristy and Anna Berington, thank you so much for managing my kennel, training my dogs, and friendship; most of all need to thank my wife Tina, my daughter XXXX <mumbles> [daughter and son are on stage with him, daughter hugs him]."


* * *

31 - Noah Pereira - 11d 11h 22m 12s

"Hi everyone, thanks for coming out today. So many thank yous to everyone. Most importantly my dogs - I've got the best team out there ... they don't have the best musher behind them, but we have a lot of fun. Of all the sponsors - esp. the ones on the wall behind me <gestures to banners behind him>, my personal sponsors - Travis and Sarah, Seward Helicopter Tours and Turning Heads Kennel - they really have a great place to work if anyone's looking. All my support crew back home - I've got the best crew around. Thanks to all the vols, the teachers on the trail - you guys do a great job teaching the kids, so keep that program going - what a wonderful thing. And thanks to everyone else involved."

* * *

30 - Andrew Nolan (r) - 11d 10h 3m 36s
"Thank you to all the sponsors who helped me get here and my family - and esp. Wade Marrs and Ray Redington for giving me a really awesome dog team to train. Thank you".

* * *
Lucy thanks shy men who have short speeches <grin>
* * *

MC: "Man, the suspense over there with that four wheeler not starting..."

More tomorrow night...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
User avatar
elsietee
 
Posts: 3265
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:46 pm
Location: Garden Valley, CA

PreviousNext

Return to Mushing Talk

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot] and 28 guests

cron