Brent's Blog

It's 5:30am. The Dude jumps on me and starts yelling then comes Busta and he shoves his face in mine Leer comes in and starts howling, it's time to get up. I role out of bed try and make my way to the door through the dog traffic, I make it and open the door as 8 dogs fight to get out first to pee!!! We've got 24 of them trained and their really good but only for 5 hours max!! Which means I get five hours of sleep a night if I'm lucky. But it seems to be working! They all run around pee and line back up at the door waiting for me. We run back in because it's cold standing outside when it's -5 and the wind is blowing 40 mph. I stoke the fire and jump back in bed with at least 3 dogs on or around me for my 45 min feel good laying in bed time. Then at 625am the alarm goes. This time the dogs don't move but I have to. I jump up and start getting dressed I light the propane light because it is pitch black out, about that time Kyla come stumbling out of her corner and I mean stumbling, I say good morning she says something like usgyesauhxjj.( Not sure on the spelling). I head out to our entryway/feed room where all the dog food is stored dump a couple kibbles and some meat ( about 10 pounds) in a few buckets and head out, Kyla follows with her bucket, to water the dogs. This is where it all begins I am imediatly looking for who's already out of their house who is watching for me and jumps out when I get to them and who doesn't move at all, I water everybody, then grab my shovel and sled and go shoveling s**t. After that we head in for some breakfast with what to do today on my mind. Last night we got back at 1130pm from a 60 mile run, today I planned on a 30 mile run, as all this passes through my head I devour a bowl of outmeal packed with peanut butter, honey, syrup, brown sugar and rasins. As I sit and think outloud Kyla sits in anticipation for what's come. Let's do 30, but all the dogs were out and excited today maybe we should do another 60, that might be to much, a soak in the springs would me nice how about a 45 mile run with a 5 hour rest at the Hoot (hot springs where we have a camp all set up with a wall tent with a wood stove, lots of straw and all the hot water we need for the dogs) Kyla perks up a Little and the thought of a soak sounds great, that way the dogs get a good run, a good rest on straw which is great for training and we get a bath!! The Hoot it is!!! "As long as you don't change your mind" says Kyla. But were not ready yet I still have to make the teams up so I stare at the whiteboard with all of our dogs and there progress reports for what seems like hours but by 8 am kyla has Her list I have mine and we head out with are headlamps, because it's still dark) 7 layers of clothes to protect us from the 40 mph wind that is still wiping and a harness and dog booties for our respective teams. I'll take 12, Kyla will hook up 10 and one hour later after harnessing putting on foot ointment, on dogs that need it, booting all 88 feet it's" ok guys let's go" and were off. As we battle the wind and even a little snow and notice that
niether one is bothering the dogs I just dream of a Quest filled with, wind, snow (lots of it) and frigid temps, because that is a Quest the Wild and Free team will excel in!!! After 4 hours of climbing mountains, breaking trail through 5 inches of new snow and facing that ever present wind we drop into the Hoot valley go down some famous switchbacks on tight trails, we arrive at the Hoot, park next to a river that is running and a wall tent covered in frost. Next we tie the sled of to a tree, take of booties,start a fire in the tent, grab some hot water from the springs, water and straw the dogs and we are off duty for 3 hours. To the nice warm wall tent for a freeze dried mountain house meal (beef strog. Is my chose) and some water. Then it's strip down and run the 100 yards to the springs NAKED!! I ya forgot to say we are protected from most of the wind but the temp has now dropped to -20. And it's cold, but then it's hot not too hot just perfect as we sit in a pool of hot water in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. We are the only sign of man around there is nothing but trees, snow and water. After 2 hours of relaxation it is time for the 100 yard dash back to the warm tent. Dry off get dressed water the dogs and prepare for the next 30 mile run. At 7pm we pull the hook with the temp at -22 ( I know this because I have a thermometer mounted on my sled) under what is now clear sky filled with the light from a full moon. For the next three hours we navigate our waydown a tight trail in the woods as I watch the dogs and try and figure out what we are going to do tomorrow. At 10 pm we pull into the yard take all the booties off water and unhook the dogs and get the sleds turned around and ready for the next run. It's now time to stoke the fire split some wood, feed and shovel the dogs. At 1130 pm we are eating my specialty moose and potatoes. Then the lucky 8-10 dogs get let in, they all get a good rub down assume their sleeping preference some like to lay on Kyla some on me and others on the couch or floor but rest assured nobody moves until 530 AM!!!! Just a look into a typical day for the Wild and Free Gang. This is my crazy life and Kyla choses to live it with me and is becoming a great musher, just being able to live this life can be tough and she doing an awesome job. So everyone in Fairbanks Please let her know that if you ever see her, She deserves allot of credit!! Ok I better get going my fingers are beginning to freeze and the battery on the iPhone is getting low!! Sorry for all the typos but I just types all this on my iPhone sitting on my sled bag on the top of Eureka Dome!! It is amazing up here tonight we are being rewarded with calm clear full moon skies after a week of crazy wind and snow. There is too much to update you on right now but I'll be back to town this weekend for the first race of the season the Solstice 100 in Two Rivers. This is a big one because it's Kylas first race. She has come a long way and deserves to hit the race trail. So wish her some good luck!!! I'll be in touch. Signing off from Paradise

Brent and 12 resting Wild and Free Huskies