Allen and the Black Team arrived into Dawson City at 3.09pm. Olivia and Quito led the team down the chute looking confident and happy to be at the front of the line. He is looking good; tired but good.
As you can see, he arrived with Scooter in the bag. She developed a bit of a sore shoulder late in the run so he gave her a ride for the last few miles – Allen said the trail was really soft leading into Dawson so he didn’t want to aggravate it by running her through the soft snow. Even after 451 miles and very, very few hours sleep he can still make a decision that puts the dogs first and keeps in mind the next 540 miles, pretty awesome huh?
Aliy mushed the team from the checkpoint over to the campsite and Ray has taken Allen to the hotel where we will feed him and put him to bed for a while.
This is where the handler crew step in and give the dogs 36 hours of TLC. Right now Aliy and Meghan will give them all a meal, a thorough rub-down then they will be left to sleep. We have a feed/massage/sleep/walk schedule mapped out for them and we will be working through that for the next day and a half. The veterinary team will do their mandatory checks on the team throughout that time and work with Allen and the crew to get everyone ready to go at 3.09am on Thursday morning.
Once Allen has rested I will talk to him more and give you some insights into the first half of the race. We are very happy to see them all safely into Dawson City!
The video is a bit wibbly-wobbly I’m sorry (you had one job Moira, one job!)
So happy to see Moore in Dawson City! I have been sitting here anxiously all day going nuts about no GPS. The dogs look absolutely great, everyone is tail wagging. Beemer is just the cutest guy. He has a fan in Ester who thinks he needs a few more pets :).
Moira, don't be so hard on yourself! You are doing great!!! We enjoy all the updates.
YoLynn
So happy you made it to Dawson safely Allen! Hope you have a good rest and build up the hype to go the rest of the race! The dogs look excellent. 🙂
I have always been in awe of how the mushers know what is going on in their team. For Allen to be so tuned into his team, at every stage of the race still impresses me, but doesn't surprise me.
When I had my lesson up on the sled, Aliy stopped at some point to give two dogs a break because they were hot. Two immediately dove into the snow bank to cool off.
I asked how she knew and she said because when Cutter looked back his lips were curled and she could see his gums and a canine tooth. That was it – that was all she needed to know where things stood.
Congrats to Allen's SPK Black Team… A fantastic race so far!… The dogs look great, especially Nacho with his always-wagging, big, bushy tail!
Have a good, long rest… Some of us will be resting with you!
Moira: I agree… Give yourself a break!… You're doing great… I love all the posts and videos… Especially the truck ride footage… Classic!
Love love love the video. God Speed.
Moira, I am so glad you are there for SPK. You have provided some very entertaining thoughts, photos, and videos. I really like how you show us the dogs and name them as you go by. It's a lot easier than me looking at their pictures and trying to figure out who is who. I liked the video in the truck.
You need to know that SPK fans love to hear about anything related to SPK. Each person has brought something different to the blog, you included. You bring a fresh perspective. What I am saying is, you are greatly appreciated. So please, keep posting, even if you think it is a little thing.
YQ You Tube video with interview of Allen:
Moira the video looks great, not very wobbly at all. I'm also sure that you have more than one job! Thanks for the great footage of Allen arriving. Go Black team!
Allen and SPK Dogs, you look absolutely fantastic. Have a great rest and we'll be watching for you in 36.
Amidst all the other details, why do you use a neckline for Willie?
Congrats and good luck.
Q&A — Neckline for Willie: I don't know the exact reason why Allen has a neckline on Willie, but it is probably just to help the lad focus… To stay close to the gang line, pulling straight ahead for maximum contribution… Rather than being distracted by the nearest bush, tree, hole, etc., and jumping sideways to check it out… If you read his team card you will see he is described as having "a mild case of attention deficit disorder that only makes him more adorable"… More adorable at the kennel, perhaps, but not on a race when every ounce of focused, straight ahead energy is vital!
The dogs are looking very good after 451 miles of exercise, Allen looks a little less perky.
Time for a good rest for all.