In the midst of the Mush

We haven't posted in a couple of days because we've been in the middle of preparations for Mancos Mush IV, the annual sled dog race held in the hills above Mancos. 

I think it would be fair to say this year's event has been thrilling ... unbelievably rewarding for those of us who have worked on the preparations. It's a two-day race (30 miles each day) with the prizes going to those with the best total time. 

It's 6:30 a.m. Sunday, dawning clear and cloudless, with a temperature at home of 17 degrees. That means the temperature at the mush course (about 8200 feet at start, going up above 10,000 feet) will be lower. That should have given the snow on the groomed course a chance to harden overnight; yesterday's temperatures got above 40 degrees by midday and that's too warm for these canine athletes to be pulling a sled at 10 miles per hour.

In the pictures above, the first one shows Wendy Davis crossing the finish line Saturday morning to chalk up the fastest time for the first day's run (2:04:14 to cover the 30-mile course ... almost 15 mph!). Wendy is from Lander, WY, and she was running one of three teams entered by Lloyd Gilbertson, Caribou Creek Kennels, Chatham, MI (in da UP). 

The second picture is of Kate St. Onge, who was actually the first to cross the finish line. The mushers drew numbers Friday night, which determined their order of starting at four-minute intervals. Kate drew number 2 and Wendy drew number 6, so they started 16 minutes apart. Kate's time was 2:15:45; they both made great time on the trail, but Wendy caught up by about five minutes. Kate, a retired nurse who is moving to the Mancos Valley with her surgeon husband Rick, placed fifth on Saturday. 

Saturday's second-place finisher was Clint Hallam, third went to Ted Schanen (running another Caribou Creek Kennels team) and fourth to Jerry Bath, also of Lander, WY. Wendy got a $250 check at the banquet last night for first day fastest time and Clint takes home an Osprey pack (the famous pack manufacturer is based in Cortez).

Today's run will, of course, determine the final prize order. Today's times will be added to yesterday's and the winners will be those with the fastest times for the total, 60-mile Mancos Mush race. It should be all over but the yipping by noon. TV