Morning arrived and we had a plan to meet at the Eldorado for breakfast. They had the best eggs benny there, and what my hangover needed was definitely eggs benny. So I had thought Josh and Sam had said they would wake me up on their way by. In fact, I specifically remember telling them to do so, but there was some sort of communication breakdown – and it wouldn't be the first of the day. Anyway, Sam and Josh skipped off for breakfast, leaving me to sleep. The two of them ate with Jason, none of them particularily worried that I was not there.
Finally my internal clock kicked in and I woke up – about 45 minutes late for breakfast. Great. I knocked on Sam and Josh's door. No answer. Then I packed up my room and wandered across the street to the Eldo, so find the three of them scraping the last bits of food off their plates and happily sipping coffee. Thanks guys! The suggestion of me skipping breakfast came up, but by the look in my eyes, all the men decided to let the lone woman in the group eat for the love of sweet jesus, and I was allowed my delicious eggs benny – alone.
While eating, as Sam, Josh and Jason packed their rooms up and loaded the very small rental car, I glanced out the window and noticed Gerry Willomitzer walk by my window. Strange, I thought to myself. Even the Red Lantern carriers had left early this morning. Willomitzer walked down the board walk and hopped into Hans Gatt's truck with his partner Susie.
Meh, I thought to myself. My benny called to me and I was soon lost in the sweet hollandaisey-goodness. My god that was good.
Sam and Josh also noticed Willomitzer. They bid the tall musher good morning, and carried on with the packing. I finished up my benny and happily trounced out of the Eldo and plopped into the front seat. About 10 kilometres down the road I mentioned seeing Willomitzer to the group. Sam said yea, I saw him too. We all went silent. It took about thirty seconds before Sam said wait, We have to turn around.
Turns out Willomitzer had still been in town because he had scratched. We returned to the checkpoint, and of coure he was already headed for Pelly. But we got what we needed just in case we didn't run into him and headed off down the highway, feeling like idiots.
To be honest, the next checkpoint was fairly uneventful. We did catch up with Willomitzer, nearly the second we got out of the car. He scratched because as he headed out of Dawson he had the wrong tracking on his sled, and it was dragging. This caused him to slow down. He turned around, then changed his mind, then turned around again before finally deciding to quit all together.
The teams came in throughout the night. We slept inside a buidling on another hard gym-like floor. I remember chatting with Josh till neither of us could keep out eyes open. I went and brushed my teeth and by the time I got back he was passed clean out, still in his Carharts with his bunny boots sticking up like ears on top of his sleeping bag. I thought about waking him up because it couldn't have been comfortable, but instead I went to sleep in my very uncomfortable sleeping bag. At one point I woke up sleeping on top of my laptop charger – a large black box.
In the morning Jason kicked me to wak me up and I grunted back at him. I don't think I have ever hated a messenger more than that morning. I was tired, uncomfortable and just plain unpleasant. I'm sure everyone noticed. That day we carried on through Carmacks. The leaders were already through, they had passed early morning, but an executive decision made without me decided we would not chase them at like 4 a.m. I was happy with it. I would have voted in favour.
That brought us to just before Braeburn, when we stopped at hospitality spot at the Kruz family's home. Last year it burnt down just after the Quest. They had been welcoming mushers there since the first one. We did a cool story about them getting their feet back under them after the fire. Josh and I tag teamed the interview. I like that tactic. Then neither of us forgets anything. It's great.
While Sam and Jason were out getting photos, I hung with the litter of puppies they had. I nearly adopted an adorable black little girl.
Then we were on to Braeburn, home of the world's largest cinnamon buns. Josh insisted on getting one, and to be honest, they weren't that great. The guy who runs the store was a bit creepy. We hung out there for probably eight hours, and through the course of that time I clung to Josh a lot to try to show that I was not interested in old men with biker beards. Although to be honest, Josh's bush man beard didn't really prove my point.
Josh and Sam had to stay late because they had deadline. While we waited for more mushers to come in, we talked with Peter Kamper again, the crazy german videographer. I told him I hadn't seen the northern lights since I was a kid, and little did I know he set out on a mission to find me some. Once it was thooroughly dark, Peter came up to Josh and I as we worked away and told us to come outside. Sure enough the sky was beginning to fill with what looked like a faded green mist. I said to Peter, "Well...they're not that bright." Peter looked at me like I had just said something utterly ridiculous. "Now there are northern lights, and they are not good enough for you?" He turned around muttering something in German and left Josh and I to watch them.
We walked out across the highway to get away from the light pollution from the checkpoint, and they did get a lot brighter. It was Valentines Day, and I have to say, spending it underneath the northern lights with Josh was the best one I've ever had.
We finally left Braeburn about 1 or 2 a.m. for Whitehorse. I opted for the backseat and quickly fell asleep as the stars got brighter. I imagined the mushers out there. It was cold outside, but such a clear night. I couldn't wait to spend the night in my own bed after about 10 crazy nights sleeping on whatever gym floor the checkpoints had to offer.
Annalee.
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