Copperdog 80 leg 1 - definitely made the top 10 worst runs of my life.
To start things off, it is like a fucking hurricane driving into Calumet. All day and evening, it is snowing and blowing 30-40mph with gusts up to 55mph. At the vet check, everything is going fine until we get to Compass. The vet listened to his heart, and then a second vet and a third. They all heard a heart murmur that was pretty loud. My heart dropped into my stomach. I tried not to freak out (still trying not to) since heart murmurs can be an athletic thing and no big deal, but it means Compass isn't running this weekend. So my best dog and one of my leaders is off the team. That means Kestrel has to run in lead with Loaf. Kestrel got a really bad armpit rub at Midnight Run - I gave him a week and a half off, and then ran him and he looked fine, so I decided to bring him even though he was the "8th" dog and a bit of a question mark in case it flares up again. But now we had no choice, I didn't have any other leaders.
All afternoon and evening it was crazy windy and absolutely fucking miserable. Everything was blowing around - sled, totes, poop scoop, food bowls, buckets. It had to all be kept in the truck bed at all times. I was so close to going home because I was so miserable and did not want to run in that. But I just pushed through. Why? Who knows. Just put one foot in front of the other and didn't think more than a few tasks ahead. I do kinda wish I had just gone home.
The first hour was REALLY REALLY bad moguls. By some divine intervention I didn't tip but I was having panic attacks and strongly considering stopping at road crossings and begging the volunteers to let me leave the race course. Every road crossing, I thought about it. And there were a lot.
I knew my headlamp wasn't strong enough from Midnight Run but I didn't have time or money to get a replacement. I could BARELY see my leaders, certainly couldn't see beyond them. I just have to trust they have good enough night vision to see what's ahead. It's snowy and windy and my glasses kept fogging and icing about every 30 seconds so I was constantly wiping them just to see. About halfway in the panic attacks crescendoed to a point I felt bile coming up and like I was genuinely gonna throw up. Somehow didn't. It was still crazy windy on the trail and my fingers and cheeks were numb with cold, even though I somehow didn't get frostbit.
The dogs tipped me going off the trail on one of the turns, they went really wide and dropped me right off the trail. I tipped over instantly in the soft snow. I was way off the trail and thankfully a volunteer ran out to help, I tossed him my hook to put in the packed trail and was able to recover. But tipping always rattles me because tipping often means losing the team, which wasn't great with my current state of mind.
About 10 miles in, Kestrel started necklining bad and I knew it was his rub acting up, but because it was Kestrel I knew trying to bag him would be WAY WORSE than riding it out. Plus I didn't have any other leaders in the team with Compass down so I didn't have anyone to put with Loaf, and I didn't trust she could solo it for another 20 miles. So we just went super slow and I was babying Kestrel the whole time much to the rest of the dog's displeasure. (But frankly I didn't want to go fast anyways because I couldn't SEE.) I was on the drag mat the entire race to go at his speed, even on some uphills.
We made it to Eagle Harbor somehow. I immediately dropped Kestrel, his rub was red and angry and I put some medicated cream on it. I started this season with FIVE leaders. Now I was down to ONE. It feels like it is only my leaders that get injured.
The only other dog I could put up front that has SOME leader experience is Foucher, and by some experience I mean like 2 or 3 runs, plus she is a yearling. Sunday's run was 42 miles, 11 miles longer, plus we climb a mountain right at the beginning. I would be doing that with 6 dogs and a green leader, and we have been struggling with 40s this season.
I spent all Saturday morning and afternoon crying. I didn't want to keep going. My mind wasn't there after such a traumatic run the night before. And it felt like too much to have that on top of the leader situation. So I packed up and went home.
We worked really hard to complete the Superior Crown Series (Tahquamenon, UP200, and Copperdog) this season. We were one run shy of finishing it, and I am still trying to come to peace with my decision. The dogs probably would have been fine on that second run but I don't know if I could have made it to the start line. I spent every second of that first leg wishing it was over and regretting going out at all. It wasn't a good mindset to go into the second leg with.
This season was difficult for many reasons, but I also feel like the dogs and I as a team improved too. We got better at training up to longer runs earlier in the season. I got more confident driving large teams, even though I only got to ride the sled at races. Reflecting back, I feel confident we will be able to come back next year (with a better headlamp) and be even stronger.
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