8:30 am. 20 degrees.

The day started out warm at twenty degrees and cloudy with hints of snow. As we started harnessing dogs, the winds picked up so I grabbed a face warmer and goggles. By the time we headed out of the kennel the snow was coming in sideways. The dogs were working hard and warming up, but on the fourwheeler, I started losing heat.

At the first stop I had to help Beagle change leaders as Pedra was being a little flaky because of the rough weather and running with a female in heat. Pedra is only a couple of years old and would have been better running with an older leader. We put Houston up front and I lost a little more heat in my fingers having taken the gloves off to get the dogs switched.

Coming down the big downhill, Beagle’s dogs didn’t want to make the turn to the right but wanted to stay on the road. I couldn’t hold my team with both brakes on as I had fourteen dogs. They started to pass Sara’s team so I yelled at her to go as her team was headed the right way. We passed Beagle and his team followed us.

At the halfway point the dogs started pulling forward again with both brakes set. We didn’t switch leaders but headed down into the meadow. The meadow, as wide open as it is usually stays 10-25 degrees colder than anywhere else on the tour. My hands were beginning to feel like two stumps at the end of my wrists. I had them balled up in my mittens, but the mittens weren’t warm enough. I tried pressing them to the side of the engine for a little heat but that didn’t help for long. The only thought running through my head was I f***in hate winter.

By the time we got back to the kennel, I couldn’t even set the brakes properly. My hands wouldn’t grip anything. I gave the dogs a quick pet then headed into the warming hut to de-frost. The tips of two of my fingers had turned grey. I stayed back from the heater to warm them a little slowly and jumped up and down.

I was finally warm enough to help get dogs put away, but still couldn’t use my fingers that well. At least we got some snow so we can move to sleds instead of fourwheelers. On a sled, you’re moving around and can run up the hills with the dogs to warm up. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.