Iditarod Musher Eric Rogers - R North Bound Dogs

IDITAROD 37
March 7th, 2009

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The Journey Continues – Skwentna to Finger Lake
March 25, 2007

I finally got to see Skwentna in the daylight and it is a very pleasant little community. I had hoped to leave Skwentna between 6:30 and 7 AM but Bass got up on three legs. He was sore in the left wrist and I needed a vet to check him out. The vet thought it was a minor injury and Bass would warm out of it as we ran. If I treated it aggressively at every checkpoint (Algyval, massage, wrist wrap) he should make it to Nome. With a poor checkpoint routine and the added delay for Bass it was 8:05 when we finally left Skwentna. As soon as I pulled the snowhook Bass forgot all about the sore wrist.

We started going up river and quickly left the river for trails on the swamp showing signs that declared this to be a subdivision. I didn’t see any homes, but it was pretty country. After about an hour we crossed the Skwentna River again near an old structure I assume was the Old Skwentna Roadhouse.

Old Skwentna Roadhouse about 10 miles
down the trail from the Skwentna Checkpoint.

It was a beautiful day, not too cold (about 0) with a clear blue sky. We were in and out of the wind as the trail wound through the trees, around and over hills, and through the swamps. Every now and then we would get a great view of the Alaska Range that I intend to cross the next morning at Rainy Pass. The high winds are forecast to continue for the next couple of days and could make crossing Rainy Pass very interesting. I’m carrying an extra 8 lbs of kibble, over the 8 lbs emergency kibble I always carry, just in case we get caught in the Rainy Pass checkpoint longer than I expect. That is in addition to the 16 lbs of kibble and 8 lbs of meat I’m carrying because there are no drop bags for Finger Lake. All this makes for a heavy sled.

Great view of the Alaska Range from
the trail to Finger Lake. This sure is pretty country.

After we passed the Old Skwentna Roadhouse the trail became soft and punchy climbing small rolling hills. It was pretty, but the dogs had to work harder. Every now and then there would be a trench in the trail similar to last year. I think these must be low spots in the underlying terrain where the trail isn’t well packed. This year the trenches are only 6 inches to 1 foot deep and not a major problem, but definitely an annoyance.

About 10 AM we had been on harder packed trail for a while when the well used trail turned right and the staked trail turned left onto a soft punchy trail. There was a straw bed where a previous team had rested to the right just before the turn. Platinum was in lead and he had no desire to pull that heavy sled through the soft punchy snow so he went right instead of left. The snow was soft enough I had trouble stopping the team and setting a snowhook, but we managed and I led Platinum back to the right trail. When I got back to the sled Platinum switched back to the right. We ran this drill a couple of times and then when I got back to the sled Platinum swung the whole team off the trail further to the right and onto the straw beds. The dogs were not that tired, but were busy scarfing down left over food in the straw. I got them off the beds, but now they were pointed back down the trail we had just come up. I finally got them turned around, rolling the sled on its side and spilling much of my drink cooler in the process. We started down the left trail when I noticed my headlamp was missing from my head.

That isn’t the end of the world. I carry a spare and I could have communications in Finger Lake call Marti and ask her to mail me one in McGrath. But I use both, swapping headlamps when the batteries run out rather than swapping batteries in the dark. I didn’t trust the snowhook to hold, but managed to stop the team abeam a small tree and tie them off with the snubline. I walked back and searched the entire area, but no headlamp. I was walking back when I reached into the hood on my parka and there was the lamp. Whew.

From here the trail alternated between swamps, lakes and rolling forested country with great views of the Alaska Range. The dog team is running like Martin’s fine Swiss watch and I am very proud of them. With no further adventures we pulled into Finger Lake at 1:33 PM after a very respectable 5 ½ hour run. My plan is to take a short rest in Finger Lake so I can run the Happy River steps in the daylight and make it up to the dogs in Rainy Pass, leaving tomorrow morning to also run the Dalzel Gorge in the daylight.

Keep ‘em Northbound
Eric
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Have you ever wanted to be part of the Iditarod adventure but didn't
know how? Help support Eric Rogers Iditarod team by joining the
2006-2007 season Rogers Rangers. Just $30 buys you a bootie worn by the
team, a 2005-2006 Rookie season musher card, and a signed certificate of
membership. All funds go to support Eric's 2007 Iditarod. For your
convenience we now take credit cards through PayPal. All donations
gratefully accepted.

Thank you for your support.

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