Gerry Willomitzer's
Blackjack Racing Kennel
August 5, 2006
Iditarod & Quest sign-up,
and the new line-up for 07
Welcome back everyone!. This is the first newsletter in over a year. A lot of things have happened since July 05, including a 1000-miler that did not go as well as planned, several thousand training and racing miles, another building season in the Yukon, and some very satisfying race results. I am just now finding time to put down a few lines. Maybe I can keep this up, and bring you up to speed on what happened in detail. Maybe not. I am a musher, not a journalist.
Jack & Ruby, three time Quest finishers, training on the Denali
Highway in December 2005
(photo: Gerry W)
Iditarod sign-up
Let's look ahead. March 2007, Iditarod. This time it's for real. After
signing up for the 06 Iditarod and withdrawing due to lack of dogs,
finances and time for preparation the "Big I" will have top
priority on my list of things to do for 2007. I went to Wasilla for the
June 24 sign-up and met many old and new friends there (details at http://www.cabelasiditarod.com/coverage_2007/cov07_june26_01.html).
It was a memorable trip: Sebastian S. peed on my truck, I blew a fuel line
and almost did not make it there, got a $50 ticket for a burnt out light
bulb from a friendly trooper somewhere between Glennallen and Palmer where
you don't expect anyone to look at your light bulbs, and covered 3500 kilometers in 4 days. What
else can you expect from your summer vacation? I signed up as the 24th
musher to do so, so I won't have to leave more than 48 minutes behind the
first team. I was also the first rookie to sign up, does that make me
rookie of the year? I guess not. But I am a veteran of the 2006 rookie
meeting. So do I have to go the 07 rookie meeting? I guess so. Ah well...
Four desperados from the Yukon Territory made the
long ride west across the Alaska state line to sign up
for the Iditarod: Sebastian Schnuelle (when are you going to start wearing
ballcaps?), William Kleedehn, Hans Gatt, and myself
(photo copyright: Jon Little)
Jon Little at work
(photo: Gerry W)
See his excellent Iditarod coverage at
www.cabelasiditarod.com
Quest sign-up
It's been a habit for the last three years, and a real gas: the Yukon
Quest. This is a race beyond comparison. I absolutely love running this
trail and recommend it to (almost) anyone. In 2006 things went well except
having a sick team and tearing a muscle in my thigh, so my dogs and myself
were not able to run too well. Running is one of the key requisites for
participation in this ultra-marathon. But what the hey... 2007 will be
another chance for us to show what we can do, and visit places like Kandik,
Eagle, Trout Creek, and the infamous black hole of Scroggie (remember the
smell of dog pee dripping from drying dog coats onto the wood stove in
that smoked out wall tent, Sebastian? "Aromatherapy for mushers!")
I can't wait to be there again. Unfortunately the finances for this race
are not secured yet ("So what?" is what all the other mushers
say.), so it is not certain yet if Jack, Johnny and the rest of the gang
will be at the start line.
Sebastian S. and vet Nene Wolfe inspect Dave D's drying boots in the
"smoke house" in Scroggie - 2006 Yukon Quest
(photo: Gerry W)
The young guys
I've been feeding and training a
bunch of dogs during the last two years, but hardly anyone has seen them
on a race trail. This winter I will introduce a new generation of canine
athletes to long distance racing. They will be just under three years old
by the time the Iditarod comes around, and they look like they could eat
up the Bering Sea coast. I hope they will, the sure look like they could.
Here comes Wrangell, Sanford, Drum, Blackburn, Marquis and Nissan (she
goes like a Porsche!). TRAIL!
Sanford and Drum on the Denali Highway in
December 2005
(photo: Gerry W)
Cassius goes into early retirement
Here is to a dog who won't be part of my 07 line-up, unless there are
miracles. Cassius, who finished every race I put him into since he was a
yearling (all races from 2002 on, see "race history") stopped
eating sometime in June from one day to the other. He was diagnosed with
Addison's disease, an imbalance of certain hormone levels. He is on
steroids now and doing fine, but won't be fit to run long-distance races.
I will start training him for 07, but might have to pass him on to a
recreational team. He was famous for his growling matches with his brother
Mohammed before "take-off" of each run, which I called
"idling". In 07 Mohammed will have to idle on his own and pull
for two. I'll miss him on the trail, and he will miss being with us.
Cassius resting in Central - Yukon Quest
2005
Photo: www.carstenthies.com