Paws Along the Trail with Musher Stories

Being in White Mountain gave me extra opportunities to talk with the otherwise busy mushers.  Since they hang out for eight hours, I could ask a few questions and overhear some conversations.  Much of the trail the weather was warm with lots of snow.  Coming into White Mountain, it turned pretty chilly, especially when the sun went down.

Emily Maxwell came in with a huge ruff around her face as well as a gator.  Even with the protective gear, she and Noah Pereira came in with some frostbite on their upper cheeks, which looked red to me.  I asked Emily how it felt.  She said it made her skin feel dry and raw.  The men at the checkpoint said, “Oh, skin with frostbite will make you look more rugged.”  She didn’t want to look rugged and was comforted when Kristy Berington said she’d had frostbite.  Emily thought, “I’ll be OK. Kristy’s face still looks nice.”  Later, she came out of the sleeping room with silver cream on her cheeks.  Silver is apparently a healing agent.  She said she didn’t mind a photo and her face was feeling a lot better. 

Charley Bejna said because of the condensation from his breath, his neck/face gator was frozen stiff and he couldn’t get it off his head.  He had to let it thaw a little to pull it off.

Larry Daughtery came into White Mountain in the sunshine and said, “Now it’s FUN mushing again!”  It had been rough for them with wind and snow for many miles. 

Rick Casillo was enthusiastically prepping his dogs to leave.  “Ready to go to Nome?! You know the way!  We’re going to Nome!!”  He did share that it had been a rough race and when he was feeling really low, he looked at the Battle Dawgs patch on his sled; thinking about the veterans who have given so much to serve in our military gave him the strength to go on. 

Noah Pereira was eating a piece of pizza in the checkpoint kitchen and talking about how another musher had McDonalds food!  Cody Strathe came in and asked if anyone had any extra food they didn’t want because he was tired of his own food.  Noah gave him frozen biscuits with moose sausage and gravy.

Reading these musher stories, can you locate some causes and effects?  These mushers and their dogs have either come into Nome or will shortly.  They are heroes in my eyes, enduring so much to finish the Last Great Race™.