The Seeing Double team had an uneventful drive up to Fairbanks on Sunday. All 16 dogs, ganglines, harnesses, booties, food dishes, food and snacks, race sled with mandatory gear, mini tow-behind sled, 4 humans, their stuff, and possibly the kitchen sink were piled into the dog truck and trailer. Anna and Kristy were accompanied by Andy, Kristy’s husband, and Aaron, good friend of Seeing Double.
Kind friends David and Tekla Monson hosted the crew at their place in Fairbanks, and the twins and dogs couldn’t have been happier with the set up. There were pens for the dogs to free run and snow on the ground!
Everyone got out for a good meal Sunday night. Anna’s choice before hitting the trail? Nachos and fish tacos.
After a good night’s sleep, everyone was up early again Monday morning. The dogs had to get breakfast and then everything was loaded and driven to the staging area of the restart near Pike’s Landing in Fairbanks. I spoke with Anna briefly and she was in really good spirits. It was chilly, about 14F I believe she said, and with a wind, but the sun was promising to warm things up a little. The dogs prefer it cold, anyway!
And then before much longer, the dogs were harnessed up, booties were put on, 16 dogs paired 2-by-2 snapped onto the gangline, and Anna and her team made their way up the starting chute. With the sun shining and fans lining the trail, the announcer started the 10-count, Anna hopped on her sled after making a round of her dog team, Tesla - in lead with Havoc - took one last leap into the air, and they were off.
Anna pulled into the first checkpoint of Nenana, race mile 52, just before 5pm after about five and a half hours on the trail. She was reported in checkpoint in 13th place. Her plan was to rest the dogs here for a few hours before hitting the trail again. When she leaves Nenana, she will have 85 miles to mush before reaching the second checkpoint, Manley.
I think Anna’s plan was to leave Nenana well fortified, camp trailside for 4-5 hours, mush to Manley (race mile 137), make a brief stop to resupply, and then hit the trail again. Apparently there is a hospitality stop called Tolvana Roadhouse about 15 miles after Manley. It should have some nice amenities for mushers and good camping areas for the dog team. It is not an official checkpoint and no drop bags were sent here, but Anna will carry what she needs to make this a good rest stop for everyone. After leaving Tolvana, Anna will mush to Tanana (race mile 202), making that the next checkpoint she’ll spend any real time in.
After Anna left the starting line, Kristy and the crew hit the road with the dog truck and trailer and met Anna in Nenana. Kristy said it was kinda weird saying goodbye to Anna at the restart line and wishing her well, only to see her again some 6 hours later! It’s a good thing she did, though, as Anna forgot to pack a particular style of base layer shirt and Kristy was able to buy her one and deliver it. How’s that for sisterly service?!
After Anna got her shirt and they watched her get the dogs snacked and settled down in their straw beds for a little sun napping, Kristy and the crew said a final farewell and got on the road back to Knik. Kristy won’t see her twin again until Nome.
This Mad Blogger will get to work organizing all the pictures and info of Anna’s dogs and hopefully get her dog team biography posted Tuesday. And I will be back with our first official Race Update after teams have been out there a full 24 hours.
It’s only the beginning! Stay tuned.
Kind friends David and Tekla Monson hosted the crew at their place in Fairbanks, and the twins and dogs couldn’t have been happier with the set up. There were pens for the dogs to free run and snow on the ground!
Everyone got out for a good meal Sunday night. Anna’s choice before hitting the trail? Nachos and fish tacos.
After a good night’s sleep, everyone was up early again Monday morning. The dogs had to get breakfast and then everything was loaded and driven to the staging area of the restart near Pike’s Landing in Fairbanks. I spoke with Anna briefly and she was in really good spirits. It was chilly, about 14F I believe she said, and with a wind, but the sun was promising to warm things up a little. The dogs prefer it cold, anyway!
And then before much longer, the dogs were harnessed up, booties were put on, 16 dogs paired 2-by-2 snapped onto the gangline, and Anna and her team made their way up the starting chute. With the sun shining and fans lining the trail, the announcer started the 10-count, Anna hopped on her sled after making a round of her dog team, Tesla - in lead with Havoc - took one last leap into the air, and they were off.
Anna pulled into the first checkpoint of Nenana, race mile 52, just before 5pm after about five and a half hours on the trail. She was reported in checkpoint in 13th place. Her plan was to rest the dogs here for a few hours before hitting the trail again. When she leaves Nenana, she will have 85 miles to mush before reaching the second checkpoint, Manley.
I think Anna’s plan was to leave Nenana well fortified, camp trailside for 4-5 hours, mush to Manley (race mile 137), make a brief stop to resupply, and then hit the trail again. Apparently there is a hospitality stop called Tolvana Roadhouse about 15 miles after Manley. It should have some nice amenities for mushers and good camping areas for the dog team. It is not an official checkpoint and no drop bags were sent here, but Anna will carry what she needs to make this a good rest stop for everyone. After leaving Tolvana, Anna will mush to Tanana (race mile 202), making that the next checkpoint she’ll spend any real time in.
After Anna left the starting line, Kristy and the crew hit the road with the dog truck and trailer and met Anna in Nenana. Kristy said it was kinda weird saying goodbye to Anna at the restart line and wishing her well, only to see her again some 6 hours later! It’s a good thing she did, though, as Anna forgot to pack a particular style of base layer shirt and Kristy was able to buy her one and deliver it. How’s that for sisterly service?!
After Anna got her shirt and they watched her get the dogs snacked and settled down in their straw beds for a little sun napping, Kristy and the crew said a final farewell and got on the road back to Knik. Kristy won’t see her twin again until Nome.
This Mad Blogger will get to work organizing all the pictures and info of Anna’s dogs and hopefully get her dog team biography posted Tuesday. And I will be back with our first official Race Update after teams have been out there a full 24 hours.
It’s only the beginning! Stay tuned.
