Alaska Days 1 and 2 Friday and Saturday, Feb 23, 24 , 2007

The best news is THE AIRLINE FOUND MY SUITCASE!!!! I was beginning to get an ulcer, the suitcase which had all of my cold weather gear decided to take an extended vacation in Phoenix. It came this afternoon. What that meant was the last (actually my first) two days here was COLD. I did have minimum clothing so I would not freeze and had one pair of boots so I was able to get out and about, but not as comfortably as I wanted.

Yesterday we were pleasantly surprised to find the window on our hotel room looks out on the first turn of the race course. For those of you who know Anchorage, the Races start at 4th and C and we are at 4th and Cordova where the race trail takes the turn to leave the downtown area. Yesterday was the first day of the 3 days/3heats of the World Sprint Race Championship. Teams of 13 to 20 dogs run a 25 mile course. Most of the dogs running sprints at this level are definitely Alaskan Huskies, mostly crossed with hounds and German Short Hair Pointers. They are really leggy houndy looking dogs, but there was one team of Sibes running.

Today was Heat #2 of the sprints and also was the World Championship Weight Pull, sponsored by the St. Bernard Club of AK. That is where we went today. Lots of Mals there. David Britz had 3 of his kennel there. Two dogs in the 85 to 120 lb class, and a young bitch in the 65-85 class. There was one HUGE Wakon dog at 165lbs and a love. You have not had a Malamute Lean until you have received one from a 165 pounder!!! Nor have you lived until you have had to clean frozen dog spit from your glasses where the dog gave you a big Mally kiss across the face. The TV news tonight covered the Weight Pull and all but one of the dogs shown were Mals!

Tomorrow --now I have clothes I will not freeze in -- I am going for a sled ride offered by one of the Rookies who had to withdraw from the Iditarod because he was in Canada running the Yukon 300 when the food drops were to have been done for the Iditarod. I will be sitting behind his racing team! YEEEEHAAAAAW.

Photos and further info on the trip are being posted to Roland's Blog http://Alaska2007.rsbworld.com pictures are being posted there.

Off to dinner, and further adventures which may not include anything more than WATER, Carmex for my lips, and sleep!

B