Kevin Harper left Yentna Station ten minutes behind Jimmy Lanier but passed Jimmy on the trail. Harper was became aware of a pair of dogs approaching him from behind. The pair of footloose dogs were connected by their tugs to a very short piece of gangline. Without the resistance of the sled, this pair was speeding right along.  Harper stopped the wayward pair and by the tags attached to their collars realized they belonged to Jimmy. Kevin secured the fancy-free dogs then turned his sled and team around and mushed back to Jimmy to return the wayward leaders. That accomplished, Kevin again turned his sled and team around.  Turning a team of ten dogs around is challenging at best.  Now facing the finishing line he continued the race back to Happy Trails. Jimmy fixed his gangline and resumed his run to the finish. How did those leaders gain their freedom? Seems the swing dogs had a little time to pass perhaps back at Yentna or on a snack break on the trail so they chose to entertain themselves by chewing on the gangline. With the pull exerted on the compromised line, it just gave way.  Imagine the look on Jimmy’s face as he realized the distance between his lead dogs and swing dogs was expanding and then the reality came to him.  For his unselfish act of aiding a fellow competitor, Kevin received a $2,000 Scholarship from Lynden. Kevin also claimed rookie of the year honors for the race and received a snow hook made by Mark Couch who ran in the first Junior Iditarod.

Born to Run,

Sanka