December, Not our Plan, Or His

Well, December did not turn out exactly the way we planned.  We had intended to run the Sheep Mountain 150 the second weekend of the month; but it was cancelled. Then we thought we might run the Solstice 100, afterall, it starts a mile from our house; but it was cancelled.  So then we started planning for January races and intended to enter two teams in the Copper Basin 300, Devan running the one team, me another.  Well, the race was not cancelled but Devan as a driver was when he fractured his fibula and badly sprained his ankle on on a run with his team.  He will be fine but needs time to heal, so we are working on training/racing plan #4 for the season which has Reto and I running the Knik 200 and then Louis (2008/2009 handler) and Reto running the Klondike 300 in February.

I should elaborate a bit more on the events of the past week and the reason we wish to run the Knik 200.  When we lived in Knik we were fortunate to become friends with Bruce and Kit Braden.  They had a small kennel of sleddogs like us and operated a landscape business.   When the Knik 200 race organization appeared to be dissolving shortly before the 2002 race, Bruce, Kit, myself and others in the neighborhood jumped in to put the race on.  It was a bonding, fun experience.  When Devan and I moved north to Fairbanks that spring, I knew the race was in good hands with Bruce and Kit who adopted it as their own and nurtured it well.

Two nights ago Bruce and Kit's home burned to the ground; Kit escaped but Bruce did not.  There is nothing more tragic I can imagine and my heart aches for Bruce and for Kit in her loss.  Bruce was a good person, honest and giving  and I know the world looks dimmer today.  I have not run the race since 1999 and almost every year I would call or email Kit and Bruce to inquire about the race, threaten to make the long journey south.  This year I will do it because I know Bruce will be watching.