K300

Tonight was the start of the big sled race. Although it was cold, there was a lot of people on the river to watch the start. We were driving on the river! Seems a little crazy, but a lot of fun. One of the pharmacist's fiancee was accompanying a sled team as they took off. Conditions were not best for the race this year and so some dogs needed some extra help. They were a bit wound up and excited for the race. So to protect them, they wore little booties on their feet to keep the ice from cutting their paws and many (not all) teams tied a snowmobile/snowmachine to the sled to slow the dogs down and keep them paced. So we were able to meet the team and help a little. We were helping hold the dogs in place and keep them from getting the lines tangled. Oh wait, the dog I was asked to watch was a wheel dog, the ones directly in front of the sled who turn the team and inevitably are a bit crazy to begin with, who was in heat. That was a treat. Our musher that we assisted was Ramey Smyth. The events can be followed at: http://www.k300.org/core/kuskokwim-300/kuskokwim-300-race-updates/ which I will be helping update tonight between midnight and 4am.
Then after an extended nap, off to the Saturday market to look for some furs and crafts.