Today we felt the sting of 45 below, and it will probably get even colder during our stay as the weather report is “severe clear” for the general vicinity and the foreseeable future.
These temperatures make getting the chores done around here less of an enjoyable effort, but they need to be done just the same. I went along to help get water to bring back to the cabin yesterday morning, and today our resident journalist/volunteer, Eva Holland, asked if she could take a turn. Eva is a freelance travel writer out of Whitehorse, and has been an incredibly good sport on this trip, offering with enthusiasm to help out in any way needed.
To get the water, a snowmachine (we don’t call them snowmobiles up here) would pull a sled with two containers, an auger and a shovel down the bank to the Yukon River. The hole that the set-up crew drilled when they first arrived is marked, and is covered with a thick sheet of foam board and a pile of snow to insulate it enough that it doesn’t freeze all the way down again. There is about three feet of ice on the Yukon this time of year. The ice hole (giggle – yeah, I know I’m immature) is uncovered, and the shovel is used to move the snow away. A couple of people auger the ice away that has formed on top of the hole, which is usually from a couple to a few inches thick by now. A ladle that has been fashioned from a wooden stake, a coffee can and some duct tape is used to dip water out of the hole and fill the containers, which are then lifted back on to the sled (heavy!) and driven back up to the roadhouse. This process has to be repeated at least once every couple of days, so that there is always plenty of water on hand.
One of the containers is designated for dog water, and supplies cold drinking water for the dogs as well as the heated water for their food. The woodstove is stoked at all times, and there is a large pot of heated water on it for the mushers to use for the dogs' food. This pot is to stay full, so if any of us see it getting low, we use a designated pan to dip water out the dog water container and pour it into the pot. Only one pan (ours) can be used to dip water from the pot, so that there is no cross contamination between any of the dog teams in case there are any sick dogs.
The other container is for human water, and supplies the two drip filters on the table nearby that produce water for our consumption and the mushers’.
Today Kelly Griffin and Joshua Cadzow came through Slaven’s. Wasilla’s Griffin, a veteran of the Quest, says she’s running this race in honor of her brother, who recently passed away. 23-year-old Josh Cadzow of Fort Yukon is also a veteran. He is a single father, and even at his young age is already a well-loved and respected member of his community. Last year he came in seventh place and won the Rookie of the Year award.
There are a total of four dropped dogs here presently that were left by mushers who came through previously that were concerned that they may not be 100% healthy. Three of them are sick, and one sadly has passed away. In the rare event that a dog dies on the trail, there is a methodical procedure that is strictly adhered to by all crew and volunteers, beginning with notifications. The on-site vet conducts an initial examination, and joins the race official for an interview with the musher. The dog is transported as soon as possible to a location where a thorough necropsy can be performed to rule out any signs of abuse or neglect. In this case, the dog’s death was very sudden and unexpected. The seemingly healthy dog had just eaten and rested with the rest of the team, and was showing no signs of a problem when checked by the vet earlier. According to the musher, about 12 miles before Slaven’s, after a short break, they got up and ready to go, the dog took a few steps and just dropped. The head vet will determine the exact cause later. The loss clearly took an emotional toll on the musher, and has saddened us all.
The Quest pilot came by today to pick up the dropped dogs and take them to their handlers. The crew here has taken good care of them round the clock and they are already beginning to perk up and feel better. They have nothing to be ashamed of, having helped their team travel some 711 miles of the total 1,000, over a lot of the harshest terrain they will see, through a blizzard and some brutally cold temps. Way to go guys! You are tougher than woodpecker lips!
What better way to end the day than the sight of the aurora dancing over dreaming pups and the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of ravens wings just overhead that I can only hear from the ground because this place is so absolutely still and quiet? Seriously, I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a place that was this absolutely still (in a frozen way), at least not that I can remember…
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