Reaching Beyond the Clouds

Today is my 53rd birthday. As I type this the Mackey dogs are singing to me. I will spend the day geetting ready for Saturday’s race: packing food, mending harnesses,, and running my team. The birthday present to myself is a shower. Water has to be trucked in from town so it is not wasted with frequent bathing. Funny I spent my 51 birthday on Everest and a shower was my present. I wonder were my next birthday will be and if there is hot water – there is here :)

I’m leaving for Alaska in the morning. I have a very difficult 300-mile race to run. My last race, the Copper Basin 300, was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions. I just checked the Fairbanks weather report and it is averaging -25ish and getting colder! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that all goes well with this race. It is the Yukon Quest 300 and starts at 5 PM on Saturday, February 4th.

After about 80 miles, I pulled into the second check point of the Copper Basin 300-Mile Race with the intention of checking in and out and continuing on to the third check point.  I was, however, informed that the race was suspended due to poor conditions. Ultimately all mushers were recalled to the second check point and the race was cancelled. The snow was to deep and the temperature was -45 degrees (F) and dropping. My team was looking stronger than they had at the start and I was disappointed but the Race Marshall had no other choice – safety always comes first.

This is my wonderful team taking off from the starting line.

About an hour before the start of the Copper Basin 300 Race I took this photo of me holding my racing banner: Vasculitis Racing for Life.