Handling Sled Dogs at the UP200, Part 2

Hello! We are back with part two, continuing the story about our adventures in the UP handling sled dogs during a long distance race. If you missed part 1, check it out here.

Once Q and the team left Grand Marais and were mushing down the trail, we cleaned up the straw, loaded everything back up into the dog trailer, and headed to Wetmore to set back up and wait for their arrival. When we got there, it was maybe 11pm or so on Saturday. The Wetmore checkpoint was located at a working sawmill. I had never been to a sawmill before, let alone one of this scale.

Because the teams stopped at the sawmill over night both times, the race provided cots for mushers and their human teammates to rest on. We knew we would be busy when Q and the dogs arrived, so we tried to get a couple hours of sleep while waiting. I decided to nap on a cot with my sleeping bag inside the warm building. It was actually their kiln barn that is usually 85 degrees to help dry out freshly cut wood. Luckily, they turned the heat down for us, but it was still a nice place to warm up and rest.

Riley on the other hand chose to dive headfirst into the full musher/handler sleeping experience. Riley’s first attempt at sleep was curling up in the straw next to Blizzard, a big, fluffy, warm, gentle dog. Blizzard loved it, but maybe a little too much. Whenever Riley would stop petting him while he was sleeping, he would wake up and paw at Riley to ask for more pets. Blizzard needed rest, so Riley decided to move into the dog trailer.

His second attempt to sleep was sleeping inside the spare dog sled. He wrapped himself in extra dog blankets and brought a dog, Loonie, in the sled with him to help stay warm. He said Loonie was a great cuddler, but not the warmest of dogs.

While I was sleeping inside the sawmill, I had no cell service. I set my alarm every hour to walk outside and check Q’s tracker. I was able to get maybe an hour and a half of sleep before Q arrived at the Wetmore checkpoint around 3am, give or take. I was tired, I can’t remember. Q went inside to sleep, while we got the dogs fed and bedded down once again.

Sometime around 3:30am or 4:00am, we went back inside the sawmill. A volunteer was inside making warm food for the mushers and handlers. A kind lady asked how I wanted my eggs cooked, but I declined the eggs. I told her I’d feel bad asking someone to cook me eggs at 3:30 in the morning lol. I did end up taking some pancakes and sausages that were already cooked though. They really hit the spot, especially when you haven’t eaten in a while. After that, we all tried to get a couple more hours of sleep before getting the dogs ready for their last leg of the race.

Q and 8 dogs left the final checkpoint around 8:35am Sunday. The freezing fog made for a beautiful photo. At that point, there were still two teams behind him who had not left the checkpoint.

Once we loaded up the trailer and got on the road, we checked Q’s tracker and noticed he would be crossing a road near us within about 15 minutes. We decided to wait for him to see how the team looked and try to get some photos on the trail while I was able to.

We walked a little ways down the trail to get away from the road and snap some photos in the forest. When the team ran by us, Q exclaimed “Hey! You found us!”. He had no idea we were going to see him along the trail. After we lost sight of the team, we went back to the road crossing to ask the road crossing volunteers if they had heard about the other two teams yet. They all communicate via radio.

Unfortunately, right then, a radio call came through saying the two teams behind him had just scratched at the Wetmore checkpoint. When a team scratches, that means they are pulling themselves out of the race, and that can be for a number of reasons. We were really bummed because we had talked to them the evening before and they were having a great time. Q was really looking forward to the competition toward the finish of the race as well. We debated on if we should text Q and tell him or not, but ultimately decided not to. We wanted him to have as good of a last leg of the race as possible. (Thankfully, he later said he was glad we did not tell him.)

We made our way back to Marquette and got two or three more hours of sleep. By mid afternoon, Q and the team rounded the last corner and ran through the finish line! We caught the dogs at the finish, where a couple dozen people greeted him and the dogs, and took photos and videos. We were so proud of Q and the dogs. What an amazing feat - 228 miles in less than 48 hours! He ended up finishing 13th out of 17 after four teams scratched during the race.

When we got back to the dog trailer, we gave them all plenty of water and snacks. We removed their harnesses after they cooled down, and then let them rest in their dog boxes. While they were resting, we were able to sit down for a good hearty meal and some celebratory drinks. It was an early bedtime for everyone that night.

Monday morning, there was a breakfast banquet, where the race thanked the sponsors, volunteers, and mushers, and presented awards to all the finishers. They began with Q, who ended up being the last musher across the finish line and earned the red lantern. He gave a fantastic speech.

When the award ceremony was over, we got back in the car and made the 9 hour trek back to Indiana. We had an amazing time at the race, even though we were exhausted and sore.

If you made it this far and read both updates from the UP200, we thank you and hope you enjoyed it!

Until next time,

-Hannah, Riley, Boo, and Pence