And They're Off

I did not feel like going out with the sled today.  The conditions were going to be hard and fast.  I like fresh snow, so pretty and helps slow the team down.  A few inches of fresh snow softens the landing for any mushing mishaps.  Also a few warmer days and filling out some dog trial entries had my mind thinking stock work.  However despite thinking stock work, my pastures are still full of deep snow and ice, and my dogs had not been out for 5 days so they were getting mighty antsy.  Besides, the reason (rationalization) behind this dog sledding adventure is that it will keep my dogs in shape.  

I arrived at my chosen trail and found the conditions even harder and slicker and rougher than I expected.  Oy.  I tied the gangline off to a sturdy tree and looked over the lumpy, frozen field my dogs would soon be racing across on the way to the trail through the woods.  Oy.  As I hitched I felt the usual surge of adrenaline, fueled by the screaming and bucking dogs.  All hitched I stood on the runners, gangline still secured, and considered my fate for a few moments before reaching down to pull the release and sever my connection to that stalwart tree. 

The first stretch of this run is a slightly uphill winding trail through the woods.  I enjoy the relative silence of running the team.  Today my background music for the first mile or two was the loud grinding and scraping of the drag mat on the ice.  I relish some dare in my life, but that first strip had the adrenaline welling up through my body and sweating out any open pore.  Finally we made it to the railroad bed, straight and level.  Whew.  This route is out and back on the same trail.  I’d have to go back through those icy curves downhill on the return trip.  Not ready for another bobsled run I decided to take the dogs quite a ways, ensuring a slow and settled team for the home stretch.

We went 8.1 miles, our longest run.  We also clocked our fastest time, over 25 mph.  I’m alive and I think perhaps I should show up at church tomorrow.