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Melanie Gould-Iditarod Dog Musher
"In wildness is the preservation of the
world.....life consists of wildness. The most alive is the wildest.
In short, all good things are wild and free."
- Henry David Thoreau -

Photo by Doug Gualtieri
News - January,
2008 - Melanie Gould withdraws from
'08 Iditarod
Mel and the dogs have decided to take a break from
racing this year to focus on some other aspects of their lives. They may well
return in the future, but for now they will be enjoying the peace of their
cabin in the mountains...
News from the Dogstead, Spring,
2007
The story of Iditarod 2007 - what happened at
Rainy Pass...
Spring is here and with the new green growth and long
daylight hours, I reflect on the long, eventful winter. The dogs and I placed
1st, 4th, and 5th in our mid-distance races and we were looking forward to a
great run to Nome. Well, the Iditarod had a surprise in store for us. Two miles
out of Finger Lake, my left runner snapped in half. I hadn't hit anything - I
guess the metal was just cold and fatigued. (I had used this same sled for my
last three Iditarods.) Using my hose clamps, tuna line (a small strong rope used
for lashing), and even duct tape, I did
everything possible to keep the broken piece from sliding completely off.
Nothing worked, and I lost the entire thing.
Steering a sled pulled by fifteen
dogs, on one foot, one runner, through the windy, steep treacherous trail to
Rainy Pass was the roughest, worst and wildest ride of my life. In many spots it
was impossible to steer around steep downhill corners and the sled and I crashed
numerous times. There was very little snow, so there was sidehill glaciation and
stumps and trees sticking out everywhere. I used my left leg as a ski and ran on
the left side where the runner was supposed to be. This proved to be the best
way to keep some control.
After 30 miles of crashing and running behind the team, I was completely
exhausted when we reached Rainy Pass. My body was numb, not from cold, but from
over-exertion. The adrenaline hid the pain and kept me from sleeping for days
after. Discouraged, I watched the hours tick by as I tried to clear my head and
focus on getting another sled to keep going. Two other mushers had injured
themselves on the way and decided to scratch. Neither one of them wanted me to
take their sled. This didn't help my spirits. My other two racing sleds were on
their way to McGrath and Unalakleet. After 24 hours with no sleep, no sled,
and little
food, my motivation to keep racing had dwindled. Scratching from a race had
never before entered my mind. At this moment it seemed like the logical option.
Suddenly, there I was, driving my howling, unbeatable strong dog team to the
airplane who was to take us home. It was only then that the tears came. The
reality of leaving too soon our beloved trail, this premature ending to our
journey, struck my core. I apologized to the pilot for the tears I could not
hide.
I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, so this experience
held its own lessons to learn from. In my 8 years of mushing and racing, I have
been incredibly lucky. I guess a little bad luck was due!
It didn't take long for my race spirit to be rekindled and a few weeks later we
flew to Kotzebue to run the Kobuk 440. We took 8th place in a very competitive
field and had a wonderful time doing so. Now we are looking towards next year.
A few words about the treatment of Iditarod sled dogs... for PETA and
others concerned...
Over the years, the Iditarod and sport of dug mushing has been controversial.
Some people question the care and conduct between mushers and their dogs. As
someone who cherishes my dogs and enjoys racing, I feel it is my responsibility
to address these concerns. Just as parents have different ways of parenting, so
mushers choose to train their dogs differently. Most of us dedicate our entire
lives to caring for these sled dogs. As for myself, there is no greater bond
that exists than that of my dogs and I, who I've raised since birth. Their well-being is my highest concern - always above
winning a race. To those of
you who question the integrity of this sport - especially PETA - remember there
are "bad apples" in all walks of life. And until you truly understand something,
you cannot fairly judge it. If you are sincerely concerned, then please, I
invite you to meet my yard full of happy, exuberant dogs and we'll go for a
ride. You may then judge for yourself!
I believe that beyond the competitive aspect, beyond the egos and dollar signs exist the
deeper values that embody the Iditarod experience. Humility, Compassion,
Perseverance, Foresight, Honesty, and Trust should be leading the teams who
participate in the Last Great Race. These values should be leading us as a human race as well.
Planetary change is born within each one of us and the choices we make everyday.
Maintaining integrity and balance in our personal lives is the greatest
contribution we can make towards a stable and peaceful world.
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Photo courtesy of Jeff Schultz, www.alaskastock.com |
In our hungry quest for money and power, I think that we as a society have forgotten the
fundamental necessities of life and the connection that exists between all
things living. Without the respect and protection of each other and all the life
on this planet, there can be no safe future for our children, or their
children's children.
These are the reflections I ponder as I turn the soil in my garden, as I run
through moonlit mountains with the dogs. Everyday I wake
with the desire to nurture some small
piece of earth, or the living beings around me. I want to dedicate my life to
experiencing and living the laws of Nature. Only here can peace be found. May
we all take more responsibility in all that we do!
Happy Trails from Mel, Jerome and the Dogs
Past
"News From The Dogstead" writings and past Iditarod photos available
here.
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THANK YOU!

Dr. Tim Hunt and Momentum
Premium Athletic Dog Food
Thanks to Momentum dog food for keeping the dogs so healthy on
such a cold, tough race in 2006. The dogs performed better than ever!
We sincerely and enthusiastically offer the highest recommendations for
Momentum Dog Food.
And to all of you who have helped
make 5 Iditarods a reality; our sincerest thanks:
Mom
The Gould Family
My Aunts Sarah, Katharine, Jean and Annie
The Longo Family
Quick Heat
Handwarmers
Tod Marder
Nils Hahn
Barbara Wolak
Dr. Stan Swierzewski
Ray and Carla Lang
Steve Carr
Tom Shepski
Anya Fein
Jane and Michael Schneider
Doug Gualtieri
Friends of Talkeetna - Mountain
Massage
Listeners of Whole
Wheat Radio webcast
Mike Williams
Esther and Jim
Our '74 Ford
Diane's Yoga Class
and of course the one man who truly understands my dog insanity... Jerome
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CONTRIBUTIONS
to Melanie Gould’s effort in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race:
You can donate online using Paypal by clicking on the button
above, or
send a check payable to Melanie Gould at the following address:
Melanie Gould
LongAgo Kennel
PO Box 451
Talkeetna, AK 99676
Thank you! We couldn't do it without you!
If you have any questions please feel free to send an email to melanie@melaniegould.org
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Qualify and Run the Iditarod
Available for lease 2005-2006 race season
Iditarod Racing Team, Cabin, Equipment, Trails.
Serious Inquiries only.
jeromelongo@hotmail.com |
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