Mistaken Identity

Ripple

Ocean

It is the time of year when we start spending hours and hours behind a team of dogs in preparation of races ahead.  With much time to think I start to wander down memory lane recalling past race mistakes that I hope to avoid this year.  I laugh to think about some of the odd things we do after being sleep deprived and past worn out.  On the Kobuk 440 this year I had the pleasure to run two liter mates:  Ocean and Ripple.  Both are this rare blue color with similar builds but that is where the resemblance really stops-one is male the other female.  Once we got to Ambler after a long night on the trail I decided to switch up leaders thinking that Ripple might have some spunk to get us to the next check point.  I was way happy to arrive as the first female into Ambler which came with this phenomenal fur hat as a prize.  Anyway, I start having some really odd issues with Ripple-she is not quite acting herself.  The line is loose and she is messing around with Velvet-the other leader.  As we get into Shungnak I begin to get a little concerned.  There is a photographer kneeling off of the ground about 15 yards away from the trail.  Ripple decides to take off AFTER THE PHOTOGRAPHER.  We are on ice and there was no stopping this team.  I start waving my hands to get the attention of the photographer then thankfully came across some snow  which allowed me to stop the team and refocus Ripple.  As we get on through a couple more checkpoints I am having more trouble with this Ripple who is not listening at all getting through these checkpoints.  But while she isn't listening all that well-she is driving the team at a great pace and I am eager to keep that up.  After chasing down some kids with hot dogs I finally have to get her out of there and put Summit in lead (her father).  It is then that I realize, the SHE is instead a HE, and Ocean has been in lead for basically the first time of his life!

This is story that I will not live down for a while I think...  It goes to show the importance of double and triple checking your actions as well as having great checklists with a really good headlamp!

Fall time training taken 10-25-13 by Katherine Keith