We were so happy to see the team trotting in to Dawson, looking great, at 12:16pm. They are currently in fourth position behind Brent Sass, Michelle Phillips and Hans Gatt. There is less than an hour separating the first four positions. Their exit time will be 12:16am on THURSDAY (edit: thanks Becky for pointing out I had the wrong day originally.)
While Allen was checking in and talking with the scrum of press, the crew snacked the dogs and removed booties in the chute. This year, as the dogs had just run past the camp ground, the officials gave teams the option of trucking the dogs back to camp, rather then turn them around to go back the way they came. We took the truck option so were able to drive them right to the camp spot and settle them straight into their inviting sleeping quarters.
They all enjoyed their warm meal and full body massage before the vets came through to do their checks. Allen waited in the heated arctic oven wall tent eating a couple of cheeseburgers until the checks were completed. I interviewed him about the run from Pelly and asked especially about the four “newbies” in his team – Chipper, Bruno, Iron and Amber.
Allen is now sleeping in his hotel room while Aliy stayed behind at camp to keep the dogs company. The rest of the crew came back to town (camp is about 10 minutes out of town) and dropped the sled and dog jackets and harnesses off at the RCMP workshop to dry. We then gave the YQ200 dogs some attention for a while, explaining and reassuring them that they are just as important as those other 14 glamour boys and gals.
Shortly, the team will get their second meal – this one full of thawed beef and soaked kibble then we will rouse Allen from his slumber to give him his second meal also. Overnight we will have at least one of the crew spending the night with the dogs to take care of their every need.
Thank you so much for the update. Was anyone else waiting anxiously for this? Yeah team and hi to the 200/300 mates!
Great update. The cold is brutal on both humans and dogs. They will come around with this
rest I’m sure. Love the interview with Allen, Thanks Moira!
Couldn’t go to sleep back east until I heard all the 2 and 4 legged SP Kennel athletes were fine and sleeping. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
What a fabulous arrival in Dawson. Wonderful to see the dogs resting under their blankets. Love Allen’s response to Ally winning YQ200. Allen looked especially tired & will get to rejuvenate in 36 hours in Dawson. Attic tent looks cozy. Will look forward to all the updates while in Dawson(& beyond). Thanks Moira.
I got a little lost in the discussion about the 100 mile run, probably because I was not able to be at the computer all the time, but I gather Allen was talking about White Horse to Braeburn rather than the long run to Stepping Stones. I wondered if the severe cold, as much as the length of the run contributed to leaching pep from the team. But truth be told, being less than an hour from the leader from a starting position of 26 makes me think they were not too far off the mark.
Sounds like Amber and Bruno are solid additions, and I am sorry to hear about Iron. Getting an injury to heal completely so that full range of motion results is a tricky business.
Ha – Margaret – isn’t that funny? The last thing I do before I go to sleep and the first thing I do when I wake up is check the SPK dog log.
To the SPK team – thank you for the interview with Allen! And thank you for taking such good care of the team and keeping us updated. Allen sounds really good….not like he’s fighting to stay awake. Hope the long rest helps the 4-leggeds get some of their pep back.
It’s interesting to hear Allen’s thoughts on the dog’s lack of pep and the first 100 miles. I heard him say in the media interview when asked about his strategy and he said “it’s a gamble”. The dogs look awesome and as always I enjoy seeing them curled up under their blankets in Dawson, a favorite post. Thanks for taking care of the dogs so well. You have a lot of dogs to see to with both teams there.
I love this: slideshow, narrative, voice interview.
Moira, you spoil us SPK fans!!!!
Evidently Iron is the one Allen was talking with Aliy about when he first arrived in Dawson. I have been so proud of Iron’s accomplishments lately. He has become a strong member of the team. I really hope this was just a snow clump in a rear bootie kind of deal. If not, I hope it’s clear before the team leaves Dawson, so Iron can recover. He’s a big guy, the kind you want pulling your sled, not riding in it, like me, lol.
After the amazing care your team gives those “14 glamour boys and gals,” and Allen gets plenty of food and rest, and gets his pep back, I’m certain the “glamour boys and gals” will have their pep back too. <3
I just compared times for the top for – and by that I mean combined trail time and checkpoint times.
Allen has the lowest combined time of 3 days, 0 hours and 1 minute. Brent who is the current leader is at 3 days, 0 hours and 18 minutes. Interesting … I do think the team is doing well. I also wonder if they may peak at the Iditarod rather than the YQ this year.
Great to see Allen and the team in DAWSON. Hopefully that `maintenance’ energy thingy will kick in, and you’ll have a super second half. Still a ways to go, but you have an awesome team !! They will show you !!!! keep talking WITH them. * Wonderful photo of Sparky, under the blue blanket. Rest hard. 12:16am Thursday will be here before you know it.
Greatest dogs ever! Thank you so much Moira for the update and excellent read.
Here it’s blowing snow and colder… ‘Am admiring the tent which the formidable SPK crew built – there is a windy spot where the camp site of the YQ was necessarily ? newly chosen. And you got creative! Please give Bruno, Iron and everybody else in the Lot an extra hug from me, as for the first time I’ll not be in Dawson for the Quest after 22 years…