Midnight Run Dog Sled Race 2015

 John, Joanna and I really enjoy our peaceful hideaway out here at Agimac River Outfitters during the winter months.  But after awhile, it helps to go to dog sled races down in the states to interact with people again.  Joanna’s races provide the opportunity to make that happen.  In preparation for the races, she puts on about 1000 training miles, first using a quad and then switching to a sled when snow comes.  John follows her with either a truck or a snowmobile on most all those miles to provide something heavy to anchor the sled to in case she needs to get off her sled to untangle dogs or attend to another problem, as she is usually running large teams of 12 to 16 dogs.  He’s also nearby to provide protection from moose or wolves they might encounter on the trails. 

The third week of January, Joanna raced the mid distance 106 mile Beargrease Dog Sled Race in Duluth, MN.  It is considered a challenging race with three legs of about 35 miles each that take musher and dogs up and down the steep Sawtooth Mountains.  This year she was thrilled to place third in this event. 

I go to the races with Joanna to help her care for the dogs and as the driver to get the dog trailer from checkpoint to checkpoint.  John stays home to take care of the home front. 

Recently, we just returned from Marquette, MI where Joanna raced the 90 mile Midnight Run and was it ever memorable!  Marquette also hosts the UP 200, a 240 mile race and the Jackpine 30 mile race at the same time.  It is an exciting event for the city, bringing mushers from the U.S. and Canada and spectators from surrounding states.  In a newspaper article about the races, it was stated that the city receives a 1.8 million dollar boost from these races economically.  Amazingly, there are at least five hundred people who volunteer to help bring dogs up to the starting line and stay all night at different strategic places along the trail to make sure the teams take the right turns and cross roads safely.  We are very grateful for them.

Friday night, racers for the UP 200 and Midnight Run were parked downtown near the race start which featured a log arch straddling the hauled in snow packed trail running down main street, lined with thousands of spectators.  It feels like a mini Iditarod.  The weather was a perfect 20 degrees Farenheit with a gentle snowfall.  However, the forecast was calling for a blizzard to hit the area about one o’clock in the morning.  Thankfully,  most of the Midnight Run mushers would be able to reach the checkpoint 45 miles away before it moved in. 

Over the loud speakers we heard some familiar tunes.  It was the Canadian national anthem being sung live by a small group of singers, followed by the US national anthem. Both flags were flown from the log archway since there were a good handful of Canadian mushers in the races. 

The excitement in the air was electric as each eight dog team was helped to the starting line with a group of young volunteers.   The mushers zoomed  into the night with well wishers slapping their hands along the way, ringing cowbells and even shooting fireworks. 

Meanwhile I drove our rig to the checkpoint at Chatham where the teams would be coming in.  In this race, they require the dogs to be fastened to a picket line outside, connected to the vehicle for the five and 1/2 hour mandatory rest period.  As I waited for Joanna to come in, I acquired hot water for their supper meal, and prepared a nest for them to sleep with straw and windbreaks of piled up snow to keep them as warm and comfortable as possible. 

About midnight, the teams starting coming into the checkpoint and after they were all in, we found out Joanna was in fourth place.  We fed the dogs, put on their jackets, and had the vets check them over to make sure they were in good shape to finish the race.  The most important thing for both musher and dogs is hydration because of all the energy they expend.  Joanna and I settled in the front seat of the car with the heater on to try to get her warmed up, dry her gear and get some rest ourselves.  By this time the blizzard was in full force with winds from 45 mph to 72 mph. 

It was still dark at 6:47 a.m. when Joanna left the checkpoint.  We hadn’t planned enough time for her to put on her goggles and mitts before she left, so as she pressed forward into the blustery white void attempting to find them in her sled bag, she didn’t notice that her lead dogs had suddenly stopped on the trail.  This caused her point dogs to overtake them and get tangled.  There was actually no trail to be seen in the wind blown field.  The dogs were just trying to find something solid that would indicate they were on the trail.  Joanna put her snow hook down to hold the team and ran up to untangle them but her snowhook wasn’t holding good in the soft snow so the team surged forward again before she could get the leaders straightened out.  Then along came Joann, who was in fifth place and only one minute behind Joanna.  Her team stopped beside Joanna’s unable to get by.  So she put down her snow hook and went up to the front to straighten out her team when her snow hook came loose and as the team moved forward, it hooked the ski of Joanna’s sled pulling it over and down the trail aways.  Joann managed to free her snow hook and move on down the trail, leaving Joanna behind who was now in fifth place. 

A little while later Joanna had another tangle to take care of which cost some precious time.  But her dogs put on the afterburners once they reached the woods and the curvy trails that they love to run.  Joanna does all she can to help the dogs out by using a ski pole to push and her leg to kick the sled along faster.  Soon they overtook the musher that left the checkpoint in third place.  Then just ahead she saw Joann. She caught up to her and passed her.  They ran together for about 20 miles, taking turns in the lead and then Joann was able to pull away from Joanna as her dogs settled into more of a trot. 

It was a very discouraging moment for Joanna after working so hard to catch up to Joann and try to place better.  But she knew she needed to stay positive because the dogs would pick up on her attitude, so she just kept working hard to help them out and do her best. 

Soon the team reached the final 17 mile stretch of the trail that ran right along Lake Superior and into the full force of the storm.  Several times the hurricane winds almost blew Joanna’s sled over and off the trail.  But for her it was exhilarating and as the storm grew fiercer, it seemed to enliven the dogs more.  They began loping again as Joanna simply hunkered down behind her sled in a crouched position, unable to see anything in the white out conditions and trusted her dogs to get her to the finish line.  With faces covered with snow and ice, those amazing dogs pressed on.  Suddenly, Joanna realized they had caught up to a musher.  It was Joann.  They were within three miles of the finish line. 

Joanna’s team passed Joann and she was stunned to see that the musher in second place was also just in front of her.  So they passed him too and Joanna came into the finish line in second place.  What a race!!

While Joanna was racing back to the finish line from the Chatham checkpoint, I was trying to drive in those blizzard conditions to the finish line.  I have never driven in white out conditions and it was a helpless feeling.  I was praying the whole way for Jesus to keep me on the road and keep me from having an accident.  At one point I had to literally come to a complete stop because I couldn’t see anything past the front of my car.  I crept along at an average speed of 10 mph and finally got to my destination safely.  I heard that soon after I arrived, they closed that road due to a seven car pileup.  In talking with folks who live there, they said they had never seen anything like it in their life. 

We are very thankful to be back home safely and are preparing to leave soon for our last race of the season in Calumet, MI for the Copper Dog 150 race.  Hopefully, the weather will be a bit nicer to us.  J

John Beargrease Dog Sled Race 2015

John and Joanna begin training for the dog sled races in September each year using the four wheeler.  Once we get a good solid base of snow, they switch to the sled.  There is a distinct advantage to living further north as we have had enough snow this year for Joanna to train on the sled since early December and many mushers from MN have not had enough snow to use their sleds.

In fact there was not enough snow for Joanna's first scheduled race, the Voyageur Classic in Northome, MN, so it was canceled.  She was chomping at the bit to race after putting over a thousand training miles on her team.  Because of the lack of snow around Duluth, her second scheduled race, the John Beargrease 103 mile mid distance race was also threatened to be canceled.  The race officials wisely decided to move the race trail further north to stay in the high hills of the Sawtooth Mountains where there was more snow rather than cancel the race or postpone it till possibly March.

I would have to say that the folks spearheading and running the Beargrease Race have done an EXCELLENT job in the planning and preparation for this race.  I can't imagine all the time and energy that has been freely given to make this race happen.  I also commend them on all their effort to make sure the dogs and mushers are safe throughout the trails. 

This Beargrease was more enjoyable than any of the past Beargrease races we've participated in for several reasons.  The weather was above zero with very little wind except for the blizzard conditions for about seven hours at the end.  The Black Bear Casino gave us two free nights in their spacious hotel rooms which was extremely generous.   The vet checks for the dogs, race meeting, gala banquet and bib draw were all located at the Black Bear Casino which was so convenient and relaxing.  We had two super duper dog handler helpers in Ron and Leah Bailey who were with us the whole way through the race.  Leah had a dog team of her own years ago, so knew exactly what to do to assist Joanna at the checkpoints when she came in with the dogs and when she left.  Ron graciously did all the heavy work and quickly learned how to handle the dogs as well.  We got to visit and spend time with lots of friends and the good Lord kept us safe in all our travels. 

 Two wonderful guests and friends, Cory and Nancy Prissel, who stay with us at Agimac River Outfitters in the summer to fish surprised us by coming to the Finland checkpoint.  They wanted to see Joanna come in on the trail and their timing was perfect.  About fifteen minutes before she arrived, they hiked up the trail and saw her come flying into the checkpoint.  Once all the mushers were in, we realized Joanna was in the top four.  That was exciting , but there were still two more 30-35 mile legs of the race to complete.  I realized that I hadn't brought enough food for Joanna to eat (though she typically has not felt like eating much after doing so much running up the hills) and Cory and Nancy came to the rescue.  They produced a pile of sandwiches and a bag of cheese curds for us and stayed all three and a half hours till Joanna left that checkpoint, helping us get the dogs up to the starting line.

The next checkpoint at Sawbill was more rustic.  There was no building to go into to get warm or to use a modern bathroom or purchase food as in Finland.   After feeding and bedding down the dogs, Joanna sat in the front seat of the car with the heater on to try to warm up and to get some sleep.  I stayed awake all night to keep an eye on the dogs and try to think of anything else I needed to do to help Joanna and the team.  At about 3 o'clock I walked over to the tent where the time keeper was to see what time Joanna could leave the checkpoint after figuring her start differential.  I was surprised to hear that she was in third place.

It began snowing rather heavily about 1 am and continued on till about 8 am.  Joanna took off from Sawbill with one less dog who needed to be dropped because of a mild injury and Ron and Leah and I drove our vehicles over to the finish line.  Frank Holmberg left the last checkpoint just one minute after Joanna.  He soon passed her on the trail and ended up getting second place.  Joanna also passed a girl who was in first place at the checkpoint, so she was still able to maintain the third place position which was the best she has ever done at Beargrease.  We were all very pleased with the results and are looking forward to her next race in Marquette, MI the middle of February.

Note:  Pic # 1 Start of race;  pics #2 and 3 at Finland checkpoint with Cory and Nancy Prissel; pics # 4 and 7 coming in to the finish;  pic# 5 at end of race;  pic # 6 handlers Ron and Leah Bailey; pic # 8 In this picture of Joanna holding her award, she is standing next to Mike Keyport, the great grandson of John Beargrease.  The reason the race is named after John Beargrease is because he was a native who delivered mail by dogsled along the north shore of Minnesota for almost 20 years between 1879 and 1899.   Every musher received a leather mailbag with mail and was officially sworn in as mail carriers for the race in honor of John Beargrease.

 I thought you would also enjoy Joanna's comments on her race:

I had a super fun time at Beargrease this year, the trails were fast and fun, the weather was pleasant and above zero for a change, the wonderful company and help of my super awesome handling crew of my mom, Leah and her husband Ron (they were on top of things and were a HUGE help, THANK YOU!) and I had a nice group of dogs ahead of me! Always a great time visiting with all our mushing friends before, during and after the race!! A big plus was seeing some great longtime friends show up at the first checkpoint!!! This was my best Beargrease placing ever with a 3rd place finish with seven dogs! Sure was a fun, fast and wild ride, although the last leg I felt like I was mushing blindfolded with my glasses half fogged up (I need them for seeing the turn signs long distance at night:) and the blizzard-like conditions of driving snow rather blinding in the glare of my headlamp. I have to admit its my least fav conditions to run dogs as I hate when I can't see. I focused on watching my leaders flashing red light on his collar so I could tell if he was going down I needed to get on the drag pad, or if he went up I prepared to run. Didn't even see the long branch poking out from a tree til it hit my forehead and swiped off my headlamp, leaving me in instant darkness. By the time I got the team stopped, my headlamp (still on) was too far behind me to risk leaving my team so I quick strapped on my spare and hoped someone would pick it up and return it to me at the end of the race. I had a feeling my friend Leanne would be the one to pick it up and turns out she did! She said she thought it was probably mine as we have the same headlamp:) I nominated her for the Sportsmanship award and she won it:) A big congrats to Martha and her awesome team who won and Frank for his super 2nd place finish, wonderful friends and competitors:) Thanks to my dad for all his help training and to my wonderful dogs who powered me up the hills:) Team for Beagrease this year (a couple of changes with some dogs out of the race healing up from injuries) was Hawk and Viva in lead the whole race, Vader, Vapor, Venture, Swift, Tango and Vashti. They did a super job.

Merry Christmas 2014

We want to wish all our guests and friends a very Merry Christmas and a blessed, exciting, adventurous and successful New Year.  This morning we woke up to some snowy Christmas scenery.  Lightly falling flakes lay peacefully in the tree branches and brought us another couple inches of snow on the ground. 

John asked if I wanted to go for a snowmobile ride.  It was a nostalgic moment for me as the first time we met, we took a little snowmobile ride and many more after that.  We had a double intention for this ride.  One was to enjoy a romantic ride through the woods and the other was to pack some trails for Joanna to use in training her dogs.  We accomplished both.

One thing is for sure.  We live in a peaceful environment out here in the bush.  We hope to get our new outdoor camera up and running very shortly and put it on our website so that you too can enjoy the winter scenery here at Agimac camp.  So... stay tuned.  :)

Historic Demoliton

A few years ago, John used the backhoe to bust up, smash and demolish an old two holer outhouse and then burn it to the ground to make way for our two new outhouses in the area of the campground.   There was one old outhouse remaining that needed to go.  However, there was some history to this particular outhouse. 

Several years ago in the springtime, there were two men camping here at Agimac.  We know them well and they've become like friends.  One of the guys went to use the old green outhouse.  At that time there was a bear hanging around camp and we were watching it as it would slowly amble out of the woods near the dogyard, hear the dogs barking and then decide to go back into the woods. 

Joanna grabbed her camera hoping to catch some good closeup shots the next time it appeared.  Soon we saw it come around the back side of the old green outhouse.  A group of us had gathered to see the spectacle when suddenly the bear stood up and wrapped his arms around the outhouse.   The other camper came running up to us to tell us his friend was IN the outhouse.   We all started to laugh at the predicament in which this poor man found himself. 

After awhile, the bear again walked back into the woods and the trapped camper came running out.  We soon heard HIS side of the story.  He thought his friend was playing a trick on him when he heard a scratching noise on the door of the outhouse.  He peeked out to see what was happening and came face to face with the bear.  He thought his best option was to stay put until the bear went away. 
I think it was a memorable trip for both of them. 

Now the old, green outhouse is history.  Today, John smashed it with his backhoe and burned it.  But I guess that's progress. 

Winter Is Upon Us

It comes every year, ready or not.....Winter.....that time of year where camp activities come to a standstill and dog sled training begins.  For me it's a time to catch up on paperwork, making changes to the website, emailing our guests, playing my guitar and cello, taking Joanna to dog sled races and reading a book or two.  The slower pace is welcomed, although being a Florida girl, I miss the long warm, days of sunshine.  Lately, the temps have been very mild so it's not such a shock to the system to go outside for a walk to enjoy the beauty of snow in the trees.

I thought it was time to show a few pictures of the new winter scenery we are enjoying now at camp.  I think our Wisconsin guests have had way more snow that we have already this winter.  I'd kind of like to keep it that way.  :)  

Surprise!!

Being U.S. citizens, we still feel that Thanksgiving is the last weekend of November.  We usually invite a few of our Canadian friends to come celebrate with us eating a filling turkey meal.  That was our plan this year as well until my niece, Holly Oberg, came up with a better idea.  John's brother Larry, wife Kathi and their four grown children, along with the grandchildren, all live in northern MN.  They heard about Cherish's new boyfriend Patrick and wanted to meet him.  So they invited them for Thanksgiving dinner in Chisholm, MN to meet all John's side of the family including his mother who had delayed her trip south for the winter. 

Holly called us one day to see if it were at all possible to come down for the day and surprise Patrick and Cherish as Patrick had been wanting to meet her Dad.  We knew we couldn't ALL leave because there were two house dogs to feed, an outside cat to feed and 26 sled dogs to take care of.  In addition, the generator would need to be monitored and the outside wood stove had to be fed wood.  Since I had already met Patrick and gotten to spend three weeks with Cherish in October, I felt John and Joanna should be the ones to go down for Thanksgiving, leaving Wednesday and coming back Friday.  It would be a fast trip, but well worth it since John rarely gets to leave the place at all.

For the next two weeks, John gave me detailed instructions on how to deal with the generator, having me practice starting and stopping it and reading the gauges.  He taught me how to best load the outdoor woodstove and when to check it.  Joanna gave me a long list of instructions on how to feed her sled dogs day and night and what to do in case of any emergencies or problems.  I was well ready for them to go and allow me to do my jobs.  :)

We were all so excited about the surprise, we could hardly wait for the day to come.  Finally, John and Joanna drove down on Wednesday, taking care of lots of other business on the way, and arrived at  the relative's house that evening.  The next morning, I quickly completed my chores and turned on my computer as they had arranged for me to be on Skype on their computer so I could also watch Cherish and Patrick walk through the door and be surprised.  It was like I was really there.  I kept laughing and crying as I listened to Cherish exclaim over and over how shocked and surprised she was to see her Dad and her sister.  I believe Patrick had a good time too as he spent time with each of the members of Larry's family and John and Joanna.  I just LOVE surprises.  

Dad's 90th Birthday

Wow!  It's been a month already since I last posted on Our Blog.  There's a good reason for that, however.  After hurrying to finish up all the projects I could, I left October 8th for Ely to meet up with Cherish and then head on down to Minneapolis.  We were to fly out early in the morning of the 9th for Asheville, NC.  My sister Wendy and my brother Ron picked us up at the airport and we four went out for a nice lunch together.  It was great fun and we polished off our lunch with a fancy yogurt dessert.

Many preparations had been made by Wendy and her family for Dad's 90th birthday celebration.  Her daughter and son-in-law had spent ceaseless hours putting together a video which included over 300 pictures of Dad from his youth to the present along with videos from each of the family members (including those who were not able to be there for the party) had sent wishing Dad a Happy Birthday.  There were hilarious ones, serious ones, witty ones, and very sincere videos.  About fifty guests were present to help Dad celebrate and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the presentation along with hours and hours of visiting and eating and visiting and eating and laughing.   Dad has five children, twelve grandchildren and seven great grand children who all had a wonderful time interacting and playing together.

The theme of the party was Dad's love for football, especially the FSU seminoles of Florida.  He was one of the first quarterbacks chosen to be on the team and was one of three classmates who chose the name Seminoles for the college.  Plus he met his wife( my mother) at the same school.  Maroon and gold balloons decorated the head table with paper footballs propped beside them.  To top it off, FSU was playing a football game that very day, so Dad and I watched part of that exciting game at his party too.

I so appreciated having lots of time to mix and mingle with older and younger relatives that I had not seen in a long time and whom I had never really talked with in great depth.  Some will even be coming to see us at camp here next summer. 

One of the hot topics of discussion with everyone was Cherish's newly acquired boyfriend, Patrick.  She had met him at a church in southwestern Minnesota where she spoke and led worship at a conference.  It really took her by surprise that her heart opened to him as she has been waiting a long time for the right man to come along for marriage.  It appears that the relationship is budding beautifully and we may have another son in the family before too very long.  I met Patrick  a week ago when I attended a meeting that Cherish's church from Ely was sponsoring.  What a terrific young man he is and their lives seem to match quite well.  It's great to see our daughter so happily enjoying the courtship.  We'll keep you posted about any future exciting events in this relationship.

(Top picture- place of celebration; second picture-banner for Dad; third picture-inside lodge; fifth picture-my sister Wendy and myself; sixth picture-daughter Cherish , Dad and I; seventh picture-Wendy, Dad, myself and brother Ron; ninth picture- Cherish and Patrick)