March 6 Ruby—Sorlie arrives the Yukon

Since we don’t have the internet at the checkpoint we discover our primitive roots. We have to rely on snowmachiner reports to advise us of an incoming musher rather than refer to the very practical InsiderGPS tracker.  It’s painful to be pretending 1970 when I know the Insider GPS tracker would tell us the exact location of a musher and would allow us to drink coffee inside the community hall.  Instead, some rumor originating from an unidentified snowmachiner who claims to have seen Sorlie six miles out has created a fervor in the checkpoint. “Sorlie is arriving!”  We all dress in gear suitable for -20F and stand around outside waiting for Sorlie. The wind begins to penetrate winter gear, people stomp their feet. False Alarm.  

I think this is the same snowmachiner  that has started several world wars with misinformation about mushers arriving.  Where is that guy?  I want him sentenced to do public service work picking up plastic bags near a Walmart.

Meanwhile, I return to the checkpoint where its warm and join several phlegmatic Norwegians who must experience the same thing in Norway  and are sulking.   Suddenly, we think we have a creditable report of a musher incoming on the trail to Ruby in the dark night.

There he is, “It’s Sorlie at 10:02pm” exactly as we predicted.  Ten hours to Ruby which qualifies him as amongst the fastest on the trail.  He has committed to an 8 hour mandatory rest in Ruby.

Note:   a musher must take an eight hour rest on the Yukon.  This is a mechanism to allow the vets to do a thorough exam. Sorlie parks his dogs and attends to the minutiae of team care, I want to see the female leader named “Gumla.”  This female is an exceptional leader.  Furthermore, this dog was identified in the Iditarod ECG scans has having an exceptionally large heart.

Interestingly, Robert Sorlie and his team partner, Thomas Waerner, have recognized this dog’s exceptional qualities and already raised two litters from her.  The ECG information only confirms what they have suspected.

Gumla, which means “Oldie” in Norwegian, was always grey in the face since a pup.  I find her lying down at the front of the team and next time will try to get a photo of her standing, because she has an alert and powerful disposition.

Sorlie stretched out his team next to Buser’s resting outfit.  He broke open a bag labelled “beef fat” and began distributing snacks.   All the dogs enthusiastically grabbed for the snacks from Sorlie, a couple even looking like they might take his hand with the snack.  Some of them like to make impressive catches.  They were hungry, animated, and very interested in eating.

Meanwhile, I want to know what’s happening in Tore’s life.  The reader may remember that he is the big black male leader Robert recognized as very special for him.  He was already lounging on his straw bed in the middle of the team.  This is a protected spot, kind of forgotten, where a sled dog can relax and enjoy the scenery.  Half the race remains.  He will see duty.

The Ruby school is our internet hub—about a mile walk from the checkpoint.

Late at night.  Mushers and dogs will toil on the trail while we sleep.    Buser to the Yukon River leading the pack.