The Unexpected Storm

• Gary Paulsen takes his "problem dogs" (the younger, less experienced, bad-tempered members of his dog team) to a run up a mountain trail.
• He is training three months before his second Iditarod race (an annual competition that starts in Anchorage and finishes in Nome - 1, 151 miles through some of the most beautiful land in Alaska).
• The run started well, the dogs were excited, and ran well.
• They're headed for the end of the mountainous Alaska Range
• Paulsen had a headache, and became a little groggy.
• One of his dogs - Cracker is distressed - signalling storm (he smells it).
• Passes forest, could have stayed and made shelter, but because of headache, didn't think straight, kept going.
• Storm got worse - trail almost closed - horrible sleet - could barely see the dogs in front of him.
• Mainly relied on lead dog - tiny female "Duberry".
• Wind blew him off the sled, tumbling down hill (wind speed need to be 150 - 200 miles / hour) to do that.
• Hit a snow covered rock ledge, stopped tumbling, stayed there.
• Saw sled almost right in front of him - the sled anchor hooked onto a rock.
• Got the sled and dogs, made shelter under the rock ledge
• Took out sleeping bag/blankets, dogs snuggled close - fell asleep.
• Woke up - storm over, fed dogs, headed back
• Realised by close he was - to death , was "scared...[of just] life. All of it" (18).
• Could have quit, not nothing stops his passion.