This was our third year at Femunden in February, in connection with the annual NSHK race. We came up on Tuesday, 3 days before the actual races, and had a great time driving the young dogs and skiing in this pleasant landscape. As the week proceeded more and more people arrived, and warmer weather unfortunately….On Thursday, the snow was melting and we were afraid the trail would be nothing but plunchy at the race-start on Friday morning. But, the cold weather re-appeared the night before the race leaving the trails all glazed at the race-start. This wouldn’t have bothered me much, if Ulf was the one to drive, but this was my racing debut. Since we didn’t have enough adult dogs to go for the longer distances my only option was the 8km sprint race.
“Just go for it. No need to use the brake or the drag brake on such a short race”, was my husband’s advice as I made myself and the dogs ready. On the short distance from our car to the starting-line I could remember noticing that the drag brake was a lot narrower than on our training sled. But, what a heck, - I shouldn’t use it any way. We managed a good and fast start and the dogs were eager to perform. I had chosen to drive with Bosse and Yippi in lead. Bosse had never been used in lead before, but likes speed, so I hoped that would make him perform. It did.
A couple of kilometers into the race the trail became pretty narrow and with some sharp turns. I held onto the sled for my bare life (the so-called foot pad on the runners had by now become all icy in the mild weather), since Ulf had told me not to use the brake or the drag. The fact was that I HAD tried to use the drag, but since it was practically only half the size of a normal one, my feet didn’t reach it from the runners…The feeling of not being in control crossed my mind (but who likes to be looked upon as a chicken??), and in a downhill ending in a sharp bend, I got my suspicions of not being in control confirmed. The dogs went through the bend perfectly, but I headed straight into a tree. I came to my senses, watching the dogs disappear down the trail…I tried to shout “Staaay”, but I couldn’t have been very convincing….What to do? I was about halfway through my first race and had lost my team. Great! My head filled itself with a lot of disastrous thoughts about the dogs getting hurt by chocking lines, destroying other teams’ races and my self-esteem had felt better. I just had to head for the finish-line. I started to run, and could only hope that the dogs had chosen the right trail (others are crossing).
After about one kilometer I came over a little hilltop and there was my team! They sat looking at me in an offended way: “You took your time,” I could read from their eyes. I nearly cried in relief. The snow hook had fallen off and fastened in the snow and not a line was out of place. All I had to do was to loosen the snow hook and continue towards the finish-line. …well as I simultaneously hang onto the sled. It was with mixed feelings I finished the first day of the race. “Did anything happen out there?” my husband asked back at the car. “Yes”, I said with clenched teeth, “I lost the team”. “You what!?, he said. “Keep your voice down”, I said. “I need some better foot pads for tomorrow, and I think I will use the drag brake. To go full throttle was not a good idea for me. Call me a chicken if you want!”
After I had recovered from the dreadful experience (let’s say 15 minutes…) I started to mingle and talk with the other mushers. Slowly, I realized that I was not the only one finding the trail icy and difficult to drive. As I was telling on of the more experienced musher in a lame way that I hadn’t made use of the drag brake, he looked at me and said: “Didn’t you use it? I had it down the whole time, and even my heels got worn by that trail”. I was about to embrace him then and there, but since I don’t know him very well, he might have felt that a bit awkward. Anyway, talking to the others made me realize that I had taken my husband’s advice a bit too literally. We went back to were we stayed and did the necessary changes to the sled. I thereby went for a trip with the young dogs to test it, and better foot pads and the drag brake from the training-sled made the sled function well for me. I used the rest of the evening to tell my husband that the next race-day should work as a boost for my self-esteem and my wish to continue racing dogs.
Well, not the entire evening; the children and the recruits also had their races that day, together with other fun activities. After a successful children’s race(many children participated)Tuva and her friends went around the place with her sled, borrowing dogs and taking them for short runs. Hein has also made good friends and roams the place together with them, coming in to our apartment from time to time to get something to eat….or getting it somewhere else. The evening was rounded off with stories and pictures from this year’s Femundrace.
On the starting-line the next day the starters made me promise to keep ON the runners during the whole race (news travels fast in this little mushing-community). The trail seemed less glazed and my spirit rose a bit. I even managed to smile back at the starter….but when my husband said that I really shouldn’t use the drag brake that much, I only looked at him(read: no smile!). And how fun it turned out to be! The word control again felt as a natural part of my vocabulary, and our pace wasn’t too slow either. We passed a team (well, to be honest after we had passed it, me and the dogs disagreed a bit at a place where the trail split, but soon were on our way again). We had fun, I was now able to help the dogs, not hinder them as the day before. What joy! A ptarmigan suddenly flew up in front of us: “Did you see that boys?” I shouted in pure delight, maybe I should be glad nobody else was out there…. Suddenly, I saw another team in front of me. Ok, let’s go for it!”, I thought, but then……there is a reason why we so far haven’t used Bosse in lead. He is very much like the bull Ferdinand, easily distracted. In my try to close the gap to the team in front of us, he suddenly makes a big jump out in the snow beside the trail, starting to roll around in it. I can’t do anything but laugh. I fasten the snow hook to get him back on the trail again. He comes to his senses before I get off the sled and continues towards the finish. We didn’t catch the other team, but that honestly didn’t matter. Bosse did an outstanding job as a first-time leader, the rest of the dogs too of course and my self-esteem and joy of running dogs got a real boost, compared to the day before.
The rest of the day was used to go for a trip with the rest of our dogs, friendly chitchat and just hanging around. Saturday evening was traditional in ways of celebrating both young and adult mushers, dinner and lottery. Hein fell asleep in the reception, totally exhausted after an eventful day, so we went to bed pretty early. Sunday for us means, get up early, get all the gear in the car, and go home. Looking forward to next year!
