Both Solaris and his brother Kallisto had just returned from a long outing after making a supplies delivery to another town and they had heard their owners talking about the team having new recruits added, so they both decided to head over to the facility and meet their new teammates and show them around. When they got there they found this rather unusually blonde colored malamute, he seemed to be about their age, maybe a bit younger then them. Solaris was the first one to speak up
"Hiya, you must be one of the new guys our musher was talking about, My name is Solaris, I'm one of the leaders on the team, I can help with your tour of our facilities if you would like?" he said in a cheerful manner "Oh and this here is my brother Kallisto, He will also help you with learning the equipment we use here and about your other teammates" he added
"Yes it is nice to meet you" Kallisto added to his statement to break his silence
Yukon smiled, his stance strong, but his voice a little timid. "Oh, great!" He said, his tail wagging a bit, though held lower than is normal for a husky. "I've been through training, but I've never run in a real race before... OH, and it's nice to meet you too. My name is Yukon." The young dog smiled As he looked at the two brothers. Yukon had the wide shoulders and thick legs characteristic of his breed, but he was of a bit smaller stature, slimmer as well. His markings were pretty straight forward, knee high white socks, a blonde over coat and white Belly chest and neck. His face was white, with two blonde markings that almost looked like thick eyebrows over each eye, and a downward pointed triangle between his eyes.
"The season starts in a few weeks so its good to know that you've already gotten the tricky stuff out of the way. So where we are right now is where we will spend a lot of our downtime during the season and also where you can find most of us hanging out after races too when we return to town, I really can't explain the racing itself. its a rush I can't positively define and the reward that winning brings is incredible and it makes all the hard work seem like nothing at all, Trust me kid once you start you'll never want to give it up" Solaris said practically glowing. He loved this sport and his job so much. Ok maybe a bit too much because he almost sounded a bit like a starstruck pup there but it was so worth it because the joy that living his dream job brought him was indescribable. He didn't mind though. He enjoyed working with the new guys and meeting all these cool guys that regularly got to. This new kid was no exception. He already liked him a lot
Yukon smiled. "You make it sound like the best job in the world Sir. The only thing I've ever pulled was a big metal contraption.. I've never been hooked up to an actual sled. That thing was super heavy. How far do you all usually run?" He asked, his tail beginning to rise a bit and wag slowly side to side.
"The sleds themselves with all the equipment and musher are about the same weight so its accurate but you'll have lots of help this time so it won't be quite as hard to pull. The races themselves typically average a few days to a weeks time depending on what event it is, Our longest is close to 1,000 miles start to finish but its only once a year we do one like it. But like my brother Solaris said we'll help you be prepared for the longer hauls as we know its your first run with them all" Kallisto said kindly 'I love this kid's energy, he's going to really brighten the team up for the long hauls' he thought
Yukon's eyes went wide. "A thousand miles? ..h...how? That's... that's a long ways, wow. I've never run over fifty in a day... how can you do that?" He looks around him and realizes this was going to be much harder than he'd thought.
"It sounds daunting but the reward of finishing and the determination to win will drown the length out. Also we don't do but roughly about 100 miles a stage or day. We typically stop and setup camp at the checkpoints between stages and wait until the next morning before continuing. The conditions are too rough to race in through the night and only the bold try it, and 9 times out of 10 they fail at it, Our musher is old school and he likes to race fairly and safely so we stop" Kallisto reassured him
"Yeah he's right, it sounds tough, believe me I thought I'd never survive that many miles but the very first time I ran one of these endurance races our team won it by almost a full day on second place, it was what sold me that is where I belong. Take it from me, your in great company here with us" Solaris added to his brother's reassurance
Yukon nods. "Still, all I've ever wanted to be was a sled dog, but.. I have a lot of work to do. I don't want to drag the team down. Will you help me Sir?" He asks.
"Hey it's our job man, We'll make sure it's all as easy as possible but first we have to get out on the trails together" Solaris said "We're a tough bunch, it takes a lot to hold us down, We win as a team and we lose as a team and that's never going to change, We'll always be there for one another no matter situations what may come in between us" he added
Yukon smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, you ll sound fantastic. I'm honored to be a part of your team. I'll work hard, I promise!"
"Now lets talk a bit about the equipment that we use, I'll take any questions you might have about it and how it works and try and help you understand how everything functions on race day and on other runs too." Kallisto stepped up to play tour guide now "Follow me whenever you are ready and I'll show you the room we keep it all in" he added
Yukon smiled and took a position behind the other dog. "I was born ready Sir. My whole life has been nothing but waiting for this, lead on."
After a minute or two they reached the back of the compound. This is where they kept all the racing equipment. This was different then the equipment they used on utility runs because it was lighter and stronger than the regular rigs and for a good reason Kallisto was about to explain
"This is our race equipment here, As you can see it's construction is a lot lighter than the rigs we normally use on more causal runs like the one we just came home from, The straps are thicker construction wise but are made of a cotton covered steel cable. they are a lot lighter and more comfortable for long periods of high speed and tension running unlike the leather ones we use for short runs like you are used to, Those are much more bulky and have more slack in the lines, they also have less than half the durability that the race ones do. Any questions about them before we move on to the guidelines, collar riggings and sled?" Kallisto explained and asked
Yukon's eyes drifted over the hanging equipment, picturing it stretched out behind him. "Wow, this is much nicer stuff than we ever trained with..." He said in a hushed tone.
"Yeah this stuff is not cheap for sure, it's like the Rolls Royce of sled gear figuratively speaking" Kallisto replied "We're very thankful to have such amazing equipment to race with, Not all of the teams we compete againist are as fortunate as we are as to have such nice gear. This is an expensive business and this is what winners get to race with" he added in a serious but friendly tone
They moved to the next section which was the main riggings that linked stuff together "Ok these here are the guidelines. The racing ones are made of high gauge Steel and are virtually unbreakable and in the rare instance they do they can be easily repared, Now I do have to warn you and stress that if they do ever snap look out because they are very sharp when they whip back. We had one break last season and it almost cost one of our guys a limb or two. My general rule is to keep one eye on the trail and one on your guideline for your personal safety in the event of an incident." he said. "Now as for the difference in these and the standard ones. the standard use ones are made of a nylon rope and are far more prone to damage but are much safer and less risky to use. But due to this they are not safe for racing at high speeds and therefor we use the high tech stuff to race" he added "any questions about them or the way we rig them before we move to the next item set?"
Yukon smiled. "I'm honored to have been chosen for this team. I don't know why. I never saw myself as a "champion" but I will try very hard, I promise. You'll get all I've got to give." He shook his head. "No, you're explaining quite well sir, thank you. Please continue." His tail now curled over his back as a malmute's should, wagging quickly back and forth as the excitement in the young dog built with every word.
"Glad to hear it and we're glad to have you join us" Kallisto replied kindly "Next we have something very important for safety as well, these are the collar rigs we use in races. They are made of a double ply leather construction with steel rivots for durability. The hoops which we tie the front guidelines to are made of a high gauge steel reinforced with a fiberglass resin on them for increased durability. This is the mose vital piece of gear we wear because it is quite literally what keeps slack on the guidelines for us, Oh I forgot to mention. The harness rings are also made the same way because they carry most of the sled's load as well. The leather construction is great for the tension these lines put on these and have proven to be a life saver before in a crash. We unfortunately lost someone a few seasons back from an incident in the mountains involving one of these breaking for not being durable enough and cost us a lot of money and ended our season three races early. As soon as the season ended we went out and bought these and we have not had a single fatality or big incident since then involving one of the riggings cracking, tearing or breaking on trail and that we are very thankful for" he added
'Man I still miss that guy, that was a terrible way to end a season' he thought silently as he ended his comment on the rigs. It was something he still hated talking about. But that was behind them for now and he'd discuss it later if he got asked again...
"Yukon's eyes widened. "Someone died?" He asked in a hushed tone. "I mean... I knew it could be dangerous, but..."
"Racing is a very dangerous sport. Believe me I thought we were invincible out there too, then it happened, One second everything was fine and then...well you get it. I still think about what happened every single day, We were rounding a really sharp set of corners in the mountains and the main guideline snapped and as it did we lost all the weight in the rear and lost full control. The next thing I know we're barreling down the side of a mountain. In the end we lost one teammate and had three others that were seriously injured. Our musher was Ok because he jumped off and rolled down the mountain..." Kallisto said. he hoped it didn't scare the poor kid but their sport did in fact have an unglamorous side to it as well and eventually it was going to come up.
"Anyways now we get to go look at the big and fun stuff next" he added trying to change the topic nervously that he'd already scared the kid off...
Yukon smiled. "Sir, I knew it was dangerous, not quite that dangerous, but it doesn't change a thing. Racing is in my blood Sir. I won't let you down... it was just a shock to hear. I am sorry for your loss."
"Aye I'm glad you asked kid. It's better I tell you now than later during the season" Kallisto said as they stepped back outdoors.
"Ok so this is the most important and big piece of equipment. This is the racing purpose built sled we use during the season. We have two of these and there's three differences in these from the standard ones you see everywhere right now. First thing is these are constructed of white oak which is a very dense but lightweight wood that is ideal for racing purposes as it can take a pounding for thousands of miles. Secondly. the runners are built in a vertical configuration for maximum traction and speed on any type of terrain, and third they have oversized brakes to help the musher control speed through rough terrain and for rounding corners with ease and to reduce the workload on us in doing so. These run roughly about $4,500 a piece and are made of the best woods, nuts and bolts available for the purpose. It also features two mounting points for a main guideline and as of last season we run two guidelines in the endurance races. So far this one right here, which we will also use this season is our most winningest piece. it has won 17 races for us since it was brought into our arsenal" He said proudly. This piece was the heart of their team. Without it they'd be nothing.
Yukon nodded. "It's beautiful." He said. "Sir, can I ask a question?" He said, turning to the other dog.
"Yes what would it be?" Kallisto replied
Yukon looked around the shed. "The one who was lost last season... am I taking their place?" He asked.
"No not really, We just had a guy retire last year from the team and we needed a new guy. We could never replace anyone we've lost as it would be disrespectful and wrong for us to tarnish our friend's legacies like that" He said sadly
nods. "I... well I didn't mean to say that... um..." The dog stumbles over his words.
"It was a good question son, don't worry" Kallisto said reassuringly.
Yukon nodded, but remained quiet.
Shortly after Solaris returned to see how the tour was going for Kallisto and their new friend
"So how's the tour been so far and do you like what we have to offer for you?" Solaris asks the new kid
"I take the silence as a good thing correct?" he asks and adds
Yukon smiled. "Oh I am so happy to have been selected to be a part of this team... a part of me is worried that I am not good enough, but I will try my best Mr. Solaris Sir."
Solaris chuckles at the kid's nervousness"Just call me Solaris kid, you're one of us now, no need for the formalities, we're all one big family here" he says lightheartedly
Yukon smiled and wagged his tail. "I understand MR... I mean, Solaris." He said. "Do we live here? In the barn I mean?"
"Yeah this is our humble home now and we'll often hang out here with some of our local friends after races and whatnot too. It's quite the hotspot here in town for the locals on weekends, We have lots of friends that hang out here with us on the evenings. Tonight we'll introduce you to the rest of our team here. I'm sure you've heard of us before but now you'll get to know us up close and personal here tonight." Solaris answered with a grin.
Yukon grinned. "I can't wait. I love making new friends. I've never even been to this town before."
"Everyone knows everyone here in this town so soon you'll know everyone by name and they'll know you by name too soon. I've lived here forever so I would know" Kallisto said
"What he said, for sure" Solaris said because he had nothing to add
Yukon looked around him at the dogs in the barn. They were all talking, and the newest member to the team was doing his best not to get in anyone's way. He's snuggled into the furthest stall from the door and the hay had been soft and warm. now though he stood outside the stall, hay still clinging to his fur as he searched the barn for a familiar face. Hoping he wouldn't get chewed out for sleeping during the day. It had been a long trip to Nome.
Yukon yawned. "...is it evening already?" He asked.
"Yeah it's about 7pm. this is when everyone normally starts showing up for the evening hangouts each night" Solaris replied "It's already quite active in the break room if you'd like to join us there" he added quick.
Yukon turned his head to the familiar voice and smiled, shaking the hay out of his fur. "Can you show me?" He asked.
"Absolutely, No problem" Solaris replied. This was going to be a fun night for them both
Yukon followed Solaris as he started off toward another part of the barn. "So, when will I be able to race Solaris?" He asked.
"In a few weeks when the season starts" replied Solaris
"Perhaps you'll meet me and Kallisto's other and more famous brother here tonight as well" Solaris added
Yukon smiled. "Famous? and your brother? Who are you talking about, what's his name?" The young dog asked as they kept walking.
"It's a long story but his name is Balto and he saved our entire town about two and a half years ago from a crippling epidemic in the middle of a huge snowstorm after Steele and his team got lost in the storm he went out into the wilderness, found them and led them back home with the antitoxin the doctor needed to save the entire town, he's also the lead dog on our team too" Solaris said with a grin reminiscing of his brother's amazing accomplishment.
Yukon's eyes lit up and he darted in circles around Solars. "BALTO! Holy Crap, really?! I don't think there's a dog alive that doesn't know who he is. He's really on your team? and your brother? and... and HERE?!"
"Yes indeed he is the one and only and he's a teammate of ours to so why wouldn't he be here" Solaris said with a hearty chuckle at the pup's energetic reaction 'Man I wish I was still that hyper' he thought to himself amusedly.
Yukon froze in his tracks. "What am I going to say to him?" He asked aloud.
"Whatever you want I guess. it's your call bud, not mine" Solaris said. "If only I was a starstruck kid again like that, He has no idea how cool it is having such an amazing brother like mine are..." he said to himself below his breathe
Yukon was even more excited than before now as they neared their destination, trying hard to control himself, but almost hopping from paw to paw, side to side with anticipation. "I can't believe he's here..." Yukon said quietly, his voice trembling slightly.
"Well we are all going to be racing together this year so it's a good time for this as ever. He is an important member of this team and probably the most genuine, hospitable, down to earth guy on the face of this earth. I swear sometimes I don't know how he does it with all the fame and glory and somehow still stays so humbled and down to earth like he always has been. Maybe the gods only know" Solaris added to what he'd already said.
Yukon was so excited he could hardly breathe as they walked up to the door and on the other side in the next room stood... stood... he couldn't even think straight. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would be on a team with his childhood hero.
"Well lets not just stand here, let's go. We're already five minutes late. Follow me" Solaris said
in like a minute or two they moved to the back of the compound where at this point almost half the town had gathered for the nightly get together they did. "Welcome to the hottest hangout in town kid. You'll get to enjoy this at least four nights a week regularly" Solaris said as they made their way in, and as if on que he was being swarmed by people with questions just like his other brother "This is nothing unusal as you work your way through the ranks he said aloud through the swarm of reporters and fans
"OK guys seriously now back off before you scare our new teammate off. This is his first time here. Talk to me later, thank you!" Solaris barked out as the swarm broke up a bit and gave them both some room to move around.
"Don't worry, we'll help you deal with them as you move up" he added to his new friend and teammate. Kallisto added as he made his way over to where they were.
Yukon backed away a bit at the unexpected rush. "This must be what it is like to be a star." He said softly to himself. Just as soon as the crowd backed off though, his tail started to wag again as he saw the unmistakable figure of Balto standing nearby, surrounded by other dogs. He wanted to run over but did not, holding himself back and instead trying to catch a glimpse of someone through the dogs crowding around him.
"Once you've done this as long as we have its just another day in the office bud" Kallisto said in response "I'm not quite as famous as my two brothers here because I came along a little later but I've had my share for sure, Once you get used to it it's not that bad anymore because you actually get to meet some very cool folks from time to time. I've met several folks I consider good friends through it all, So don't let this intimidate you man. Things will only get better from here" he added 'Damn that sounded so teachy" he cringed inwardly at his own advice 'Maybe I should take my own advice and stop preaching' he thought
Yukon looked at Kallisto and nodded. "Good advice Sir." He said. "I'd... I'd like to meet Balto, is he um.. busy?"
"Not for team personnel no at all. I already mentioned we'd have a new teammate attending tonight so it shouldn't be too long before stuff settles down here, We try to calm it down on nights where we have new recruits, students or team members in for the evening. Just give it like a half hour and you'll get plenty of time to do so" Solaris said with a grin "I know how these things go. I've been to about oh, only a thousand of these it seems like" he added.
'I really really do like this guy, he is so much like I was when I was younger. he has a bright future for sure' he thought
"We wait" Solaris said "Just let it clear out a bit, trust me" he added.
Yukon nodded and kept close to Solaris' side, afraid he might lose him in the crowd. "I do Sir." He said.
"And what do you know. good things come to those that wait" Solaris said as the crowd finally dissipated "You alright up there bro?" He shot the question in a lighthearted manner to his overly famous brother's direction.
Balto walked over to his brother. "I am now. Funny, I used to sit outside the Boiler Room when the other dogs were getting together and wish I could be in there with them. He turned and looked at Jenna with a grin. "More one that others ha ha. But now I just wish I could be outside again ha ha." He grinned. "How was your day Sol?" He asked Yukon couldn't contain himself any longer. "You're... you're Balto..." He said. His ears lowering a bit.
Balto chuckled. "...yes?" He said.
Yukon's face split into a grin and his ears sprung back up as he cheered. "Whoo-hoo! Oh my gosh! I used to play like I was on your team when I was growing up then I got to training and I just only dreamed I would be on your team and- and- and YOU'RE BALTO!" He said.
Balto chuckled a little nervously and looked to Solaris as if to ask "what?".
"Eh he is a new guy here bro. and young. You should remember me being young because I was the same way. Look I really like this kid already. He seems to be a very bright kid. Just let him have his five minutes of starstruck banter and we should be fine" Solaris said with a nervous grin. 'Yikes this is going really well' he sighed inwardly. "
Yukon suddenly realized what he was doing. "oh! oh my gosh I'm so stupid..." He said. "Sorry Sir, I don't mean to... well be like... that, but... it's just, you've been my hero my whole life, and now I'm on a team with you? I never ever could have dreamed anything as fantastic." He stopped and took a moment to gather himself. "What I mean is... it's an honor to be able to run with you Sir."
Balto chuckled. "Don't worry about it kid, just caught me off guard is all hehe. It's good to have you. If you put as much energy into your running as you did when you met me you'll do just fine."
Yukon beamed. "Yes Sir, I will Sir."
Balto laughed. "Just call me Balto kid, what's your name?"
Yukon smiled. "It's Yukon Si... I mean Balto." He said. "...but I like Kid better."
Balto chuckled. "Kid it is then hehe." He said.
He looked to Solaris. "So, everything ready for training to begin?" He asked.
"The kid says he is familiar with what we do for it so I don't see why not" Solaris said "I personally am ready to throwdown myself with it. So yeah lets do this" he added with a grin. Ready and willing to kill it like they did every time.
Balto smiled. "So, first race a sprint, two days, 200 miles. What's your thought on our strategy? It's not a hard one, but those can sometimes be tricky." He asked his brother.
"We can't be too conservative but can't be too aggressive early either. I was taught to save my stuff for the end and in the case of these short ones like this I like conserving for stages one thru three but when we get to the end I go wide open all the way to the end, I don't know how the rest of you were taught but that's what I was taught and brought up through the ranks with" Solaris replied
"I have to say I agree with Solaris on this one. The only way I foresee that changing is if the weather gets bad. otherwise I say we do things the same as always. It's never failed on us before" Kallisto said to add to what Solaris offered.
"So if the weather gets too bad. We should probably slow down and take it easy until we see clear skies ahead, We don't need a repeat of the storm a few years ago we pushed too hard through and almost killed half the team in" Solaris added.
"I for one learned my lesson in that incident and know not to try too hard or beat myself in that scenario again" he added
Balto nodded. "I agree, that's what I was thinking." He looked at the new dog and then back to his brothers. "Have you seen him run yet?"
"He just got here a few hours ago bro, I think we're gonna find out soon enough. I doubt our musher would have brought this guy on from a few hundred miles away if he wasn't good at this stuff, We'll find out soon enough, I think he'll do just fine" Kallisto said with some confidence.
BAlto chuckled. "Relax Kallisto, you act like I'm benching the kid hehe. I just want to see what he can do, without the team, then we'll know how he stands when he's added to the team. If things go the way they have in the past Anton won't hook us up for a few days. Just get an idea of what he can do hehe. As lead I need to know these things." He said with a friendly smile. "I'm sure the kid will be fine, but I'd rather know for sure, right?"
The next morning came quick and it was finally time for preseason training to start. As expected today everyone would be doing solo runs to see how the team would be structured for the season ahead "Good morning everyone, as you all know this is the big day and the season begins right here, Today we'll of course be starting out with solo time trials for everyone to figure out how this team will be structured for our long season ahead. We'll set it from fastest to slower and more precise to ensure a strong and safe infrastructure for the season is in place. Each competitor will take 3 timed laps on the course Andy has set up for us here in the back of the compound that is 2 and a half miles long per lap. it has many elevation changes and cornering types. as well as obstacles to avoid to test your agility. Trials will start in about 15 minutes from right now. Any questions about the course this year feel free to ask me or Solaris and we'll be glad to help" Kallisto announced.
This was a very exiting day for the team as this was the beginning of what was sure to be another amazing season of racing and good times for them all. This is what they waited all spring and summer for and now the day had come yet again...
Yukon shifted nervously from paw to paw, then stretched as he'd been taught, trying to clear his mind. "I'm not here." He said softly. "Balto is not watching me, my new team is not watching me... I just have to run." He took a deep breath. "...run."
"Just relax kid. this is actually probably the easiest of all the things we'll be doing this week and one of the most fun ones too" Kallisto said "Just enjoy the moment and go for it" he added. 'I remember my first go around well, was so fun and rewarding' he thought silently.
Yukon sighed and swallowed hard. "Alright." He said, I'll try. I just don't want to fail."
"Don't worry about failure, it happens to even the best of us. I was terrible on this test the first time I tried it but I'm one of the best on the team at this stuff normally, it's only natural that you won't be perfect on everything your first time. We all believe in you and I think you're gonna do just fine. Just relax and have fun. As long as you enjoy it the rest will all come to you easy" Kallisto assured him before taking off on his run. "Now just sit back and watch a master work" he added before he took off on his trial
The course this year was a tricky one but it was a fast one too as Kallisto had found. It actually reminded of one of his favorite trails in the world finals each year so he was having fun with the various changing terrains out there. there was also a section this time with patch ice which he flew through effortlessly and flawlessly. The elevation changes were tricky and the banked turns within them were tough to navigate but he made look easy even though it wasn't even for a veteran like he was. within 15 minutes he had completed his laps and returned to the sidelines. Next in line was their new teammate and he looked nervous as to be expected.
"Just remember, live in the moment and take it one obstacle at a time out there and you'll be just fine kid" he said to him before he took off onto the course
Yukon nodded. "Yes Sir." He said, forgetting himself in his nervousness. He stepped up to the block and then took off. After he was running he got into the swing of it and he was doing well. As he neared the patch ice he wasn't prepared and his paws slipped. He stumbled, one leg locking against it's brother and sending him tumbling into the deep snow off the trail head over tail in a shower of powder. He laid there for a moment, breathing hard. "what happened?" He asked himself.
Kallisto cringed at the incident that he had just saw. He himself actually made the same mistake the first time he did this challenge as well so he knew well what that kid must be thinking right now. He took off to see what happened and to encourage his friend to not quit now like Solaris had done for him a few years back
"I saw what just happened. Look don't let it get you down man. I also failed at this section the very first time I did it and if it is any consolation I almost wiped out right here on my very first lap this year. You can recover and finish well. It's only your first lap. Don't beat yourself just keep your head up and focus and nothing can stop you" he said as encouragement before returning to the sideline.
He knew how bad it sucked to fail like that on your first lap all too well and he wasn't about to give up on this guy yet.
Yukon had stood and was shaking the snow out of his fur when Kallisto reached him. He nodded, breathing hard. "Yes Sir." He said, then took off again, even with the time wasted addled he didn't do bad at 20 minutes for a first run of the course.
"Hmm, Sweet recovery. under 20 minutes is spectacular for the fact he wiped out on his very first lap" Kallisto said to his bro Solaris when he completed his own run
"Yeah I was very impressed with what I saw for sure. That kid's got incredible potential for sure" Solaris replied.
Now it was time for the master to show everyone how it was done. this was going to be a treat for everyone to sit back and enjoy for sure.
"Well done kid. that was a really fast time for a wipeout on the first lap. Congrats man. We're all really impressed for sure. You're doing awesome so far. now sit back and watch the king at work" Kallisto said cheerfully to their new team member
Balto stepped up to the line and grinned. "This is what I live for." He said softly. THen the signal was given and Balto was off. You'd have thought this was the middle of the season instead of just a warm up. Balto took off and cleared the eight foot section of ice in one leap. He made it look easy and came in far under time at 14 minutes. Yukon stood shocked as he watched Balto run. He almost couldn't believe it. "He is amazing..." Yukon said to Solaris and Kallisto who he was standing beside.
"That's how we do it around here guys. No nonsense. only domination and determination" Solaris said "Man that was so fun to watch right there, what a show. 14 minutes is incredible as expected" he added
"Only keeps getting more entertaining each year, That was the best one yet since I've joined this team. Super cool stuff for sure" Kallisto added.
Yukon smiled as Balto walked toward them. "That was incredible!" He said. "You are so amazing!" Balto chuckled. "It's just fun kid, just have fun out there." Yukon turned to the two brothers. "Come on guys, tell your brother he was awesome hehe."
"Oh we do all the time bud don't worry. We've raced with him for years and he still blows us all away even now" Solaris said
"I'd say that was a successful day. Top three times. Balto at 14 flat, Solaris second 14 and a half and my time of 15 was third. other positions were 4th with a time of 20 flat, 5th 21:50, 6th 22 flat, seventh 24 and a half and last 25." Kallisto announced to wrap the day up.
It had been a great and fun day for everyone involved. This weekend was the beginning of the season and they were all very fired up and ready to go. it had been a long off season and their everyday playground was open for business and waiting this weekend for them.
Yukon stood hooked to a sled and 7 other dogs. His legs were shaking. This time it wasn't so much from his nerves, but excitement. HE couldn't wait to take off. Every moment of his life had come down to this. Snow drifted slowly from the skies and a chilly breeze blew through his fur. He looked down at the snow and took a deep breath. "Just remember what you've learned Yukon." He said. "Just do this."
"Alright guys this where it all starts right here, Lets go out there and start this long and always wild ride with a win" Andy said to his team, he was very confident in what they had all displayed in training over the week and was looking forward to another amazing season of racing
"You guys heard him, I couldn't have said it much better myself" Balto said to his teammates. "This is no different than any other season, lets go out there and have a blast and get us another one guys" he said confidently to his guys
Just then one of the local reporters for the starting line asked the team's front line for a moment or two for a few questions
"Sure man, we got some time to kill" Solaris said
"So what is your strategy for today's stage and the event in general?" the interviewer asked
"It's a pretty basic one actually, probably no different than anyone else but we'll take it easy the first two stages and days of the race and then after that its all bets off and full speed ahead, We won't exactly be sandbagging on the easy stages either so you're still gonna have to catch us if you wanna pass or beat us. We won't be making it easy no matter how fast we decide to push it" Balto replied
"Yes I've always encouraged the conservative approach. We've won more of them than we've lost this way, I don't think this one will be any different unless the weather acts up but according to reports we should be in the clear so I'm confident we'll be fine with this strategy" Solaris added
The reporter smiled. "Oh I see, well we'll hope for good weather." She laughed. "What about the fact that you have a new team member, recently added if I'm not mistaken, will that effect the team's performance?"
"I don't think so actually. Not at all. He performed really really well in all of the training tests we did last week and we were all very impressed with how he dealt with adversity when he had an incident in time trials. That's why he's so far up in the team ranks already" Solaris said "I'm confident he'll make a great addition to the team for many years to come" he added
"The reporter's eyes grew large. An incident, oh no, what happened?" She asked.
"Oh it was nothing huge, just hit a soft spot in a slope and had a bit of a spill. it's happened to every single one on this team before but he still posted a 20 minute flat time in 3 laps on an almost 3 mile obsticle course we had on our compound. I was very impressed at how he recovered to post a 4th fastest time like he did, I think it surprised most of the team at how talented he was with everything right out of the gate like that" Solaris said in reply with a grin directed at his bud and their new teammate
"3 minute warning. All teams report to the starting line area!" sounded in the background
"Thank you for your time guys" the reporter said.
"Anytime, our pleasure ma'am" Solaris replied back as his team geared up for the start
Yukon smiled.
So did the reporter. "Well, sounds like he will do just fine." She turned toward Balto. "Oh Balto, what do you plan on doing after the race?" She asked, a sly grin on her face.
"Probably will be spend hours doing interviews, dealing with crazy fans as I do after every big win and then running for cover and trying to get a shred of sanity for a moment with my team" he said uneasily but jokingly trying not to say anything he'd regret
'Wow, ok what an awkward question that was, Jen would kill me if I really spoke my mind here' he thought nervously
"Oh and no offense of course, I just hate the fame" he added because it had nothing againist the interviewer even if she was acting a bit childish.
"What the hell was that all about?" Solaris asked his brother curiously
"Your guess is as good as mine Sol. I really don't know what she was trying to ask there. I tried to be polite but its hard when you're back's against a wall like that. One wrong word and my mate would have my head for it" he said in reply still weirded out by the end of that interview
The reporter smiled. "You can be sure this reporter will look you up, I wouldn't turn down a "private interview" after the win I bet you'll pull off." She giggled knowing she'd made the hero uneasy again. The announcer sounded again. "All teams to the starting line. THe reporter smiled at the team as they moved off. "Good Luck!" SHe called.
The team was at the starting line within a minute. and on a gunshot they were off faster than greased lighting out of a cannon. The day's first 50 miles were somewhat uneventful save for a few small slides here and there but otherwise smooth sailing so far. within about an two hours of racing they'd reached the first checkpoint and were a good 30 minutes up on second place.
"I think we can afford to slow the pace down a little bit here and buy our time a little bit here. We have a 30 minute lead and can afford to kill some time, we're not in any hurry because we still have a little over 200 miles to go." Balto said to his team as they pulled into the race's first checkpoint.
Yukon trotted to a stop into the checkpoint as the musher gave the command "Whoa there" to signal the dogs to stop. He got out and started to inspect his gear and make sure it was good to go on. Yukon looked beside him and smiled. "That was amazing!" He told Kallisto. The sled feels like it weighs nothing with all of us on it."
"See I told you this equipment is a godsend for us all" Kallisto said in reply. "It's so much lighter and more comfortable than the usual stuff And yeah and we're looking really good so far speed wise so keep the good work up kid"
Back at the front of the line "Yeah I think we could slow the pace down a little bit. It never hurts to save our stuff for the finish does it?" Solaris said in response
"No but those black clouds in the distance are really beginning to worry me a little bit" Balto said. He'd noticed them first as they'd pulled into this checkpoint. "I surely hope that's not a snowstorm headed towards us because we're supposed to head through those mountains tomorrow for the finish" he added 'Those clouds don't look good, I really don't want a repeat of last year' he thought silently
"No but look off in the distance. There's a storm somewhere in those mountains and we all have to pass through there tomorrow to make the finish, That means there will be ice everywhere and low visibility. I also don't want to have an accident or to lose you either to that storm, I've already lost two teammates to storms in the past, I don't think I can take a third time, Not this soon at least..." Balto trailed off. Indeed it was still a very emotional and touchy subject for him as a lead dog in this sport, He'd lost more friends to bad weather than he could count be it out here on the trail or otherwise and he'd be damned if he'd lose another tomorrow.
"Guys I really really don't like the looks of this at all, We're really going to have to bring our A game tomorrow through this storm we'll be racing through. It's in the mountains and does not appear to be moving out anytime soon. Please be careful and watch your lines and look out for white ice at all times. I don't want nothing happening to any of you guys again. Are we clear?"
"10-4!" the whole team pretty much said in unison...
"Alright guys, lets hit the trail again, time to go!" Andy commanded and within seconds they were back off
The trail conditions had gotten absolutely miserable the closer they'd gotten to the mountains and they had slowed their pace by half to keep up with it. But there was one problem, Andy had forgotten to bring the alternate blades for bad weather with him on this run so they'd have to run flat blades for smooth terrain in soft snow and it was a real workout. By the time they had reached checkin for day one they'd lost 20 minutes to second place and barely held on to the lead at this point. when they pulled into to the rest area and stopped the whole team all but passed out right where they all stood from exaustion. This weather sucked and tomorrow was not looking any better.
"That was rough guys" Balto said exaustedly to his team "Andy forgetting the alternate blades is really going to be tricky tomorrow so we really have to be careful through those mountains" he added
And no sooner than he could finish saying that the second place team arrived in to check in for the long night ahead.
Krystal's team ran up alongside Balto's and stopped. Even though she was panting from pulling the sled she chuckled. "Better watch yourself Balto, we're edging up on you." Jenna smiled from her place beside Krystal on 1st string. "Wouldn't want my hero to be beat first time out this season hm?" She said.
"we'll see about that, You're talking to a two time overall champion after all, If you wanna beat me in this storm you're gonna have to try harder" he said "And me, lose to a new team in my first outing of a season? you are kidding right?" he added.
"Guys its 2 am. don't you think we should shut up and get some rest with what little time we have. we're supposed to resume in 5 hours from now and we have a storm to race through afterall" Solaris interjected
Jenna chuckled. "Alright Mr Serious. When we get unhitched you want to take a walk, stretch a bit?" She asked.
"Maybe for a few minutes" he responded. "How can I say no to that?"
"Guys just chill I got this. when I have ever failed you guys?" he said to his team
Krystal shook her head. "I give up." She said with a sigh. "Just make sure you're back on time." She said. Jenna smiled. "OF course. We still have to beat these old veterans." She said with a sassy grin.
Yukon looked to Solaris who was in front of him. "So what now?" He asked.
"We wait until morning and we finish this off then, I don't like this weather no more than my brother does but its part of the job and its a risk we have to take to win and winning is not always safe. But we'll make it through. We have the best leader a team could ever ask for" Solaris answered quietly.
The next morning came quick and the weather had unfortunately gotten even worse. The terrain was absolutely atrocious and the sleds were sinking into the soft powder the terrain had become overnight. To make matters worse the temperature had dropped below zero and ice was everywhere under the powder which left Balto's team at a severe disadvantage to their rival team in second because they had the alternates on and were much faster than them. When they reached the mountain summit the terrain had pretty much turned into pure white ice so they had to decrease their speed drastically to not make any mistakes. The flats they had on were killing them because of the pure lack of mechanical grip they were enduring...
"I'm sorry I forgot the alternates guys. I know you all are probably miserable by now but I'll make it up to you soon enough I promise" Andy shouted to his team from out back. The view from out there was a white wash. He could barely see his team in front of him much less the trail ahead or any of the drop off areas surrounding them. They were sliding all over the place at this point and they were dangerously close to the edge but it was the only trail groove with any grip at all. "Be extremely careful here guys, its getting slick fast" Solaris said to his other teammates because Balto was too focused on not making a mistake again...
Yukon ran through the blinding snow. He couldn't believe how fast the storm had come up on them. One minute it was fine, the next it was almost a complete whiteout. He couldn't see anything in front of the team, but he trusted his leader and just ran, following his direction. The young dog felt the sled shift and slide on the snow that was quickly freezing and as they rounded a bend in the trail a blast of wind shot out from behind the bluff they'd been running alongside. Yukon felt his body twist and then lift completely off the ground with that gust, sending him sideways. He kicked and prepared to hit the snow, knowledgeable that as far as he knew a steep cliff lay not far from the side of the trail.
The wind had gotten crazy up there for sure. The whole team was being thrown in every direction but somehow they kept pressing onward. Then as luck would have it history repeated itself once again as the strain on the equipment finally caused the main line to snap and on its recoil it just came within mere inches of taking Andy's head off had he not bailed when he seen it breaking. The team on the other hand was less fortunate as it threw them all violently into the side of the mountain to their right.
Andy whom after catching his breath and standing up said "That was too close right there" and then came across his scattered team. It looked like a war zone in front of him..."Not this again..." he said to himself since no one else seemed to be paying attention.
"What the hell just happened?" Solaris asked as stood back up and shook the excess snow from his coat. They'd just hit something and hit it hard that's all he knew so far from what he could gather "Did something just break because this stuff seems awful light right now?" he asked hoping to piece together what the hell had just happened to them.
Yukon stood up and stumbled sideways. His ears were ringing, his head was spinning and he felt like he was going to fall. "I... I think we hit.. .the wall." He yelled into the wind. "Wha... what happened?"
"Hey guys, over here...It looks like we just got incredibly lucky, It appears the main guideline snapped when the wind picked up, We should be lucky we didn't all just go splat at the bottom of this cliff and hit the wall instead" Kallisto said to his team. The line had somehow gotten frayed entering the mountains and when it finally broke they got slammed into the mountainside "I'll take being slammed into the mountainside any day over going off that drop" he added
"All I know is that was way too close to the edge right there, That probably couldn't happen twice like that if we tried to. I bet if it did again we'd all be over the edge in pieces instead of in one piece here on the trail still" Solaris said back
"It looks like we're going have to wait for help here for a bit, We don't appear to have a spare line so it looks it's all over for us unless someone can lend us one" Andy said to his team relieved to find them all in one piece.
Within about 20 minutes of the incidents help arrived with a spare line for them to be able to continue on with the race. there was still almost 100 miles to go left so there was time to make their defecit in lost time up on the leaders
"Thank you for the help. We're in eternal debt now" Andy said to the other team's musher that gave them the parts they needed to continue
"Aw it was nothing, Anything to help a fellow competitor" he said back kindly before he and his team took off again Within about 20 minutes of the incidents help arrived with a spare line for them to be able to continue on with the race. there was still almost 100 miles to go left so there was time to make their depecit in lost time up on the leaders
"Thank you for the help. We're in eternal debt now" Andy said to the other team's musher that gave them the parts they needed to continue
"Aw it was nothing, Anything to help a fellow competitor" he said back kindly before he and his team took off again
"Guys as much as I hate to say this we're going to really have to push it from this point on, We can't afford to lose anymore time in these mountains with another crash or problem, We're really going to have to focus here and hope this damn weather cuts us a break for a bit until we're on the other side of these mountains, there's about another 25 miles of this before we're in the clear. I'm already not liking these conditions at all, the last 15 miles have been pure sheet ice for terrain. We still have to deal with that as well and these mountains only get rougher and more rugged in the next 10 miles or so. We really have to keep our guard up. Just one mistake and we're all done for" Balto said to his team
"Also I'm glad everyone is ok as far as I can see, That was entirely too close of a call for us all back there" he added before focusing on the task before them again.
And with that they got the command from Andy and were off again and hopefully without incident again.
Yukon nodded, but his ears still rang from being slammed into the bluff. He waited to be hooked up and then took off at the first command. His paws were little unsteady, his vision a little shaky, but he was determined not to let his team down. He ran hard. Even though he felt a wet patch on the side of his head, he said nothing, just wanting to pull his weight and do his team and their leader, his hero, proud.
30 miles later they finally reached the summit again and had made into the clear. At the bottom of it was the next stopping point and boy were they glad to see it "Guys look we're finally free of these bloody mountains, There's the next checkpoint just ahead" Solaris said somewhat exaustedly, his voice cracking a bit from weariness after a sketchy day in the mountains.
When they got there they saw two other teams had already made it in and settled for the night, The mountains combined with the weather and equipment issues had cost them almost two hours of time on the trail. They were really going to have to go all out tomorrow to win this thing somehow and even so it was probably going to take a miracle to do so.
'Wow that line failure really killed us on time out there, These mountains seem to be cursed for us' Balto thought to himself as they pulled to a stop in the checkpoint for the night "Guys thank you for pulling so hard today. That was truely a team effort for sure, I'm so thankful to have such a good group of guys at my back in events like this. Thank you" he said to his team as reassurance when they stopped.
Kallisto noticed something very alarming on the ground next to him, He saw some red spots in the snow where their new friend and team member was just standing "Uh kid, are you alright, I just saw some red stains in your spot where we stopped" and when he looked to ask he confirmed his concerns, he had a pretty ugly gash to the side of his head "I think we need to get you some attention for that soon" he added
Andy heard the commotion and saw that his new dog appeared to have suffered a minor head injury "Sorry for not seeing that buddy, I guess I got a little too caught up in the action. Let's have a look at that shall we" he said to him and started to patch it up the best he could with what he had "Sorry buddy I'll get you to a vet soon as we get back but it's all I can do for now" Andy said after a few minutes of working on him.
Yukon smiled and licked Andy's hand. He appreciated the care. He'd known that he was hurt, but not anything about how badly, and just to know the human cared enough to stop and take care of him made him feel even better about his new team. Yukon shook his head and stepped sideways a bit. "I... I think I'll be alright guys. I'm not going to quit on you, not now." He said to the team.
The night was a long, cold, snowy, miserable mess as only one could expect from an Alaskan snowstorm. This race was turning out to be a really oddessy for our team out there. The were out of the weeds with the mountains behind them but they weren't out of the woods just quite yet. not with this weather sticking around. That was for sure
"Rest up everyone. Tomorrow is the last 50 mile home stretch. I need you all 110% tomorrow if we're gonna win this thing" Balto said to his team "Remember we win and lose as a team so it's no one in particular's fault if we come up short but I still want us to be able give it our best" he added
"I know we can do this, It wouldn't be the first time we've overcome a defecit late to win" Solaris said reassuring his team they had a shot still.
It was a long shot, but right now nothing could kill this teams determination to win after all they had endured today. They'd be damned if they'd be quitting now
In spite of the miserable conditions the morning came bright and early and our team was one of the first out of the compound, The trail conditions had improved a little bit from the mountains as they were back on mostly hard packed snow. Things were going well. They'd made back to within about 2 minutes of the leader after 45 miles of the 50 scheduled miles left. Their chances looking good and they'd pushed harder than any of them could ever remember doing so.
"Almost home free guys, just five more miles into town and we're done" shouted Andy from the back.
A minute or two more and there it was. The two mile marker was fired and there THEY were. The leaders. with sights locked on their opponents they hit the afterburners. These last two miles were gonna be rough and raw and the best team victorious
"Guys let's show these rookies what just what we're made of, This is our race to lose" Balto encouraged his team to cut loose
"Yeah lets show them how it's done" Solaris replied back concentration never wavering from the trail once
They reached the final mile and were right on top of their rival's team and it was a straight line the rest of the way so it was going to be one hell of a drag race to the line, The scene in town was absolutely electric and probably the whole town was at the line "This is what it's all about now guys lets finish this" Andy shouted to his team as they got side by side. To make it fair and entertaining for all the gathered fans the two mushers agreed to stop on the last half mile and drag race it out to the win...
"Good luck" Andy said to the other team's musher "Same to you he replied back.
"Alright guys let's take this one to the house" he said to his team
And with that both teams streaked across that final half mile neck and neck all the way to the line. The finish was so close that it took the race officials at the line 30 minutes to figure out who won by photo review...
After a few more tense moments at the line the line official announced that Andy's team had won by 3 1000th's of a second over their rivals team. An incredible turn of events considering everything they'd been through. Unfortunately the victory thrill would be short lived as two of their team members were looking very very unwell as they slowed down and in need of immediate veterinary care. So Andy took off straight to the vet's office as soon as he knew he'd won...This didn't look or sound good.
Yukon groaned and rolled over. He opened his eyes and found that one of them was covered by something. He raised his paw and discovered it was a bandage, and one that wrapped all the way around his head. The young dog lay his head back and sighed. "First time out and I get hurt." He couldn't remember much about the finish. His vision had started to blur by then and it was only because he had a leader to follow that he was able to finish it out. He'd heard voices, but they were garbled, as if under water. He'd walked forward a few steps, been stopped by the guideline and fell to the snow. Then he woke up here. "Must be in docs," he said softly. A kind looking older man walked up to him then. "Easy there boy, you've had a busy day." He said. "That knock in the head was pretty good. Wonder you were able to finish at all." He patted the dog on the head and then walked out of the room.
"Hey kid, we just want to say thank you so much for toughing it out like that, You've more than proven to us over the last two days that you belong here with us. We couldn't have won that race without a team effort like that. We actually were in 4th place when the day started today. We made up three spots to win in 50 miles. That's incredible. Needlessly said well done and we couldn't be more proud to call you a teammate or a friend" Solaris said to his friend "And I probably speak for us all when I say that too" he added.
Yukon smiled. "Thank you Solaris. You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that. I didn't even know we won. the end is just a huge blur."
"Oh it was a blur for me too. I was so focused I barely remember any of the last 20 miles so not surprised at that" Solaris said
"And your very much welcome kid. We all appreciate the effort so much you really have no idea how proud we are" he added
Unfortunately unbeknownst to them in the other room adjacent to them one of their other teammates was just barely holding on to dear life as he had some serious internal post-mortem trauma that had struck from the crash in the mountains and the doc was really really unsure he'd be able to do anything for him at this point
"So what's wrong with him doc, I got here as fast as I could after the race?" Andy asked preparing for the ineviable worst.
"I've done everything I can, it looks like this poor guy's suffered some severe internal trauma and its lead to some severe internal bleeding as well. He's probably got a 20% chance of ever recovering and if he does he'll probably never race again because his organs are just too weak for the strain any longer. I hate to say this as its one of the worst parts of my job but I'd say the kindest thing you can do for him at this point is to humanely euthanize this poor guy. I think it would be your best option" he said with a sigh. he hated doing this to anyone but it was just another day in the office.
"Thank you for at least trying doc. It's not your fault. I had a major equipment malfunction, it was out of either of our control. I think we should probably do that then. I can't blame you for hating it. No one likes the thought of doing something that's going to kill someone or thing" Andy replied after a few moments of silence for reflection. "Now I guess I have to go tell my team the unfortunate news" he added with an exhausted sigh
Back at the team's compound later that night, Andy decided now was a good time to tell everyone the bad news. He hated doing this after such a huge team effort but it would be wrong to hide it any longer and he couldn't bring himself to do it any longer
"Guys I have some really bad news. The one teammate we had that was seriously injured last night in the storm, well I'm never good at this but the doc did everything he could for him today but he told me there wasn't much he could do and recommended I put him down because of the extent of his condition. I'm so sorry I didn't say it sooner but I was tied up at the vet's office. Your other teammate is doing just fine and will be released from the doc's tomorrow. So don't worry about him. Andy said to his team dejectedly as he hung his head.
"But I do want to also say thank you all so much for that miraculous effort earlier today to bring that win home for us. Now I can afford to buy us safer and more durable riggings for next time out so this won't happen again. You all get the rest you need now. It's been a long week" he added as he walked out of the room to leave them all to their thoughts 'actually I should take my own advice when I get home too' he thought as he walked back to his house at the front of the compound for the night. This had been a night from hell for them all.