Yukon Quest - Part two
The race started on the 6 of february, but a few days before the race there was meeting we had to go to.
First meeting was for the rookies, talking about what to expect on the race and the rules.
Second was the handlers meeting on what they can and cannot do.
and third was the mushers meeting, close to the public, they talked about the trail condition, checkpoints, meeting the veterinarians, the race officials, the media etc....
The thursday night was for the yukon Quest fans to meet the mushers and for us to sign hundreds of posters, talk to the media. I wanted to hide that evening, I am just not use to the attention. Ah well suck it up I told myself, hehe!!!!
Friday before the big day was the day to get ready, relax, have a last shower, eat lots.
Saturday was the day where I was the crying/giggling/hickupping freak from Whitehorse, and I was sign up to this insane race, Jocelyne! I was telling myself this is an oppurtunity of a lifetime, this is a dream of yours, get out there and kick some snow, and after me talking to myself I would feel like pucking. Leave to Joce to entertain you all.
Cynthia and Deborah my dear handlers, actually Cynthia got the crying/giggling/hickpping to. Deborah was starting to get worried about us I think.
The emotions I went trough leading to the start of the Quest I cannot explain.
So my start number was 8, meening I was leeving at 11:16am.
Anyway at the start line was crazy so many people, oh my!!!!!
The star is on the Chena river, there was not much snow on the river so I bolted out of the shoot, my knee caps where shaking, I was out of the Yukon Quest, I was now a Yukon Quest musher, what the heck. Anyway along the river there is people giving you hotdogs, cookies, juice, pretty neet.

Finally of the Chena River inthe trees for a bit until we reached our first Checkpoint, Two rivers(45miles) so I decided to stay there for 6hours. My lead dog Gray was not tired, she was howling, making me nervous, I wanted to get out of there and go camp in the bush, it was to busy for me. I dropped King here because of a shoulder injury.
Finally got going and the trail out of Two rivers, well it was horrible, ping!pong! We where flying hitting trees, stumps, I cannot tell you the words that where coming out of my mouth.

We are on our way to Checkpoint Mile 101, the trail was interesting lets just say, going up Rosebud Summit was easy, coming down was not fun. Beeing one of the last team on the trail doesn't leave much snow to break on, at one point I thought my break was gone. Anyway finally made it to 101

to be continued......

Yukon Quest 2010- Thank you Part one

Hello everybody, this is sunday, I am in a hotel room tonight, Thanks to the Gold Rush Inn for putting me in a jacuzzi suite. Well it's done, the race is done, people ask me will you do this again and my simple answer is No thank you. I say no, not because the race was horrible, it does has it's up and down I learned lot's . I say no cause it's alot of time and a lot of work to just get to the start line. I have to thank so many people. I gotta start with my two big sponsors
Sky High Wilderness Ranch and the Chocolate Claim Cafe.
The Sky High Team , Ian(trail breaker extraordinaire),Valerie and Laird(both of them trained my dogs in september while I went to a Yoga retreat in the Bahamas for 2 weeks), Marianne and Guillaume who helped me with my food drop that was a big job. And Fabian who would always ask me Joce are you ok(cause I was kinda grumpy, stressed,) Keri for coming to the rescue for last minute guiding so I wouldn't have to do it.
Gary and Trudy for beeing there for all my stress's of money, organizing all the sponsors. Stefan for the beautiful web site. Thank You
Michelle Phillips for beeing my coach, for laughing at me when I got stressed, answering my millions questions, telling me I would be fine. Michelle is a great dog musher, her dog care is out of this world, from making her own massage oils, foot care cream etc.... Thank You
Deborah Bicknell for jumping in at the last minute, coming with her truck to Fairbanks kicking me in the bum to the startline. Thank you.
Cynthia Corriveau, handler extraordinaire, She helped me trained my dogs since September all the way through, we got the most amazing giggles out there on the trail. Thank You Cynthia for beeing there for my me and the dogs.
Maren, Christine, Stephanie and Cynthia's dad Francois for coming all the way from Quebec. They where my Dawson crew , they put a really nice camp for me. When I got to the Dawson my sled was broken, my snow pants where ripped shredded, and I was sick, I couldn't believe it I am never sick and there Iwas arriving in Dawson with some kind of virus, flu type thing. I left Dawson with a fixed sled, snow pants, a betterfeeling about the race. actually still ill but in better spirits.

My home town Bouctouche, New Brunswick for all the cheers, Bouctouche is maybe on the other side of the country but I could feel that acadian energy, so powerful. Thank You. Merci a tout le monde de par che nous, je vous aime beaucoup, l'energie Acadienne que j'ai recu pendant la course etait exceptionnel. J'ai hate a ouere tout le monde au mois d'Aout. Vive l'Acadie.

To the race organizers, for putting on a great race. To the race officials, they where great for rookies, motivating, well kicking us out of the check point and pretty much telling us to stop whinning at get going. The Veterinary team, teaching us to work with our dogs, to work with them, there is vets from around the world that comes for the Yukon Quest. Especially Jaime from Spain and June from Fairbanks, who where always there at the checkpoints, I felt like I had my personel vets.

I have so many names to write down and I don't have the list with me, I will have them up next blog update.