The Long Preparation.

• Much preparation for the big race - starts months before even going to Alaska.
• Barely get any sleep - so much preparation/training - early mornings/late nights.
• old truck donated - 1960 Chevy, half rotted, mechanic friend rebuilt it, use steel cafeteria trays - for floor, with other donated/given objects.
• Finally, truck packed with "rookie bulge" - supplies + extra everything - food/sleeping bags/etc.
• Trailer hooked to truck, 20 dogs ready.
• Ruth worried "drive carefully" (108) - drive from Minnesota to Canada to Alaska.
• Yukon (could be -60 Celsius) - need to scrape ice off inside of car.
• Drive took 8 days, re-adjusting load, stopping every 4-5 hours - rest dogs, fix broken tires.
• Got to Alaska, truck falling apart, take off rope - door fell down.
• Everyone - nice/hospitable, didn't laugh - pathetic equipment.
• Race - all about dogs, every 1/2 hour - check feet, pad, toe, toe nail, toe web, ankle, irritation, wound, teeth, coat, rub shoulder - for every dog.
• traveled north - camped with other Iditarod mushers (in training).
• late Dec. - race starts 1st Sunday of march. - ask many for advice - feeding/snow dog boots, what the race is like. - hard to describe - sections, checkpoints, winds, colds, ice, deaths, good and bad - no exact description/word.
• "outrageous, perhaps. Staggering. Insane. Altering " (113).
• Some say - temp. drop below -65, froze off toes, sled breaking, dragging supplies back.
• Got attacked by other teams' lead dog - ask musher why keep that dog - tight tug - sled dog - all that matters - the tug, their strength in pulling their harness.
• Race - dogs snacked/booties put on/nurtured/rested every hour, fed meals every 4 hours, harness fixed, sled repaired, if injured - flown back - Anchorage.
• Food - flown in, dropped @ 18 checkpoints, with replacement gear, booties, spare harness, diff. dog foods. Paulsen ship 60 pounds - turkey gizzards - each checkpoint
• hundreds - booties sewn, vet check before race - health/illegal drug usage.
• Dogs/sled/supplies - every screw/harness hook checked, tightened/re-ightened.
• other musher told him - wear dogs out a bit, so - more control of team in Anchorage, then rest, then let them run full energy.