Hardcore Huskies Fan Blog.
This is where you can check for updates and status reports from our adventures. Frequent updates are made so make sure to check back often! | Hardcore Huskies Newsletters
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Hardcore Huskies Newsletter 08 Race Edition.pdf [ Archive ] |
| Hardcore Fundraiser Held in Wing, ND | Mon, Feb. 18th, 2008 | |
Family and friends of Heather braved the elements and gathered in Wing, North Dakota, Sunday evening and had an old fashioned Finnish Dinner/Fundraiser for Heather and the Hardcore Team. KFYR-TV from Bismarck, ND covered the event. CLICK HERE
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| Training Update - Sunday Feb 17th | Mon, Feb. 18th, 2008 | |
Heather says it is raining outside right now in Talkeetna!
She describes the weather in one word "Yuck!"
Jerry Sousa, owner and operator of Sundog Kennel in Talkeetna and also Heather`s landlord, just groomed over 65 miles of trail today.
"I want to personally thank Jerry because he has put in serious time to ensure we have good trails to train our teams on this year as well as the past few years," Heather said. Jerry served as Heathers mentor. When Heather first came to Alaska, Jerry is the one who taught her about mushing.
Heather says that another musher, Katrina Deloach, is coming here tonight and tomarrow to help run the Hardcore teams with her. She says they we will be going on an 8 hour run with the dogs on Monday, rain snow or shine.
The forecast in the Talkeetna area for Monday is partly cloudy and temp should be near 38 degrees. In contrast, at the finish line for the Iditarod in Nome the temperature will be minus 5 with blowing snow!
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| Bismarck Tribune | Sat, Feb. 16th, 2008 | |
Siirtola prepares for Iditarod
By TONY SPILDE
Bismarck Tribune
The moose charged.
It ran right at her through the snow, a flailing bundle of legs and antlers. Mean.
Sixteen barking dogs, mad as hell, couldn’t derail the big fella as he bore down on Heather Siirtola with singular purpose.
Snap your fingers.
To read the rest of the story CLICK HERE
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| Team Takes Day Off while Heather Roots for Mackey | Sat, Feb. 16th, 2008 | |
Friday, 2-15-2008:
Today was the dogs first of two days off. Heather plans on a long run Sunday and Monday. According to Heather, Saturday will be a long day. She is going down to Wasilla to pick up odds and ends for the race along with helping a friend, Julie Deloach, at a race in Knik, AK. Heather is driving Julie`s truck back to Talkeetna for her while she does the 120 mile long race. Heather then has to go to work at the West Rib in Talkeetna, then driving 60 miles to pick Julie up and then end the day by going for a long run with the Hardcore Team.
Heather says she spent time on Friday paying bills, making lists for the race and making her run/rest schedule for the Iditarod. She says she has also made progress on writing back to people who have helped her out.
"I hope people understand how busy things are right now and don`t think I am ignoring them," says Heather. "I want everyone to know I understand that without the help and support I have received from folks around the country, and especially in North Dakota, I would not be racing again this year. The Team and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Heather says she has also made last minute orders for gangline sections that the dogs have chewed up. Other than that she says she has been follwing the Yukon Quest dog sled race rooting for defending Quest champion and last years Iditarod winner Lance Mackey.
"Go Lance!"
Keep checking this website becasue there`s more to come...
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| Hardcore Team Nearly Set for 2008 Iditarod | Fri, Feb. 15th, 2008 | |
Heather reports that the food drops are done! Fellow musher Matt Calore drove her food drops down to Anchorage Tuesday, 2-12-08 along with his own. There was a mound of bags in the back of his truck and he did end up getting a flat tire in Eagle River, which is about 15 miles north of Anchorage, so the drops didn`t actully make it until Wednesday morning.
CLICK HERE to see some photos of the food drop unfolding.
The tempertures were at hovered around zero or below during food drop preparation. Heathers says that was a blessing becasue she did`t have enough freezer space for the 2,000 lbs of meat she prepared for the race, She says she ended up not sending it all to the checkpoints but will continue to use it for training.
Next week members of the Iditarod Air Force, bush pilots from across Alaska, will fly the food and other supplies to the various race checkpoints. That way when the mushers arrive, their food and other stuff is there just waiting for them.
Heather says she is now just doing runs with the dogs and making it a weekly habit of visiting the vet`s office. She says with the race so close she is micro managing small problems by taking the dogs directly to Dr. Chillcoot`s office to help diagnose problems, She says that way the team will avoid any last minute problems.
Heather was interviewed by reporter Tony Splide from the Bismarck Tribune. She says the interview went well and that Tony asked good questions for which she says she hopes she gave good answers. Rumor has it that the article will be in the Bismarck Tribune on Sunday, 2-17. Check back here and we`ll provide a link.
The weather for these last weeks of training has not been so great. A few days ago it warmed up incredibly along with some new snow. This makes the trails soft and punchy which is not good for the dogs shoulders. Heather is taking the rest of their training slow to ensure safety of the Hardcore Team.
Lots of folks have been asking which dogs will make the final 16 and be in this years race. As of Feb 14th, the team this year are the following:
FAST EDDY is doing great, Dexter, Kitty, Dolly, Wyatt, Earp, Shadow, Piggy, Lyra, Cal, Dixie, Bruner, Pluto, Colvin, and the other 2 are still pending. Lyra is a dog that Heather borrwed from mushers, Julie & katrina Deloach. She says the Deloach`s have helped her a lot this year. When Heathers arm was in a sling the Deloach`s came over and did maintinance runs with her dogs, Another friend from Talkeetna, Heather High, has also been a great big help, always there when Hardcore Heather needs help, feeding, running, driving to pick up dropped dogs, she`s been there.
Heather wanted to personally and publicly thank a few more folks on this blog:
"Al Werneburg for cutting all of my meat for me, all 2,000 lbs of it.
Heather Zimmerman for again arranging for me to be able to eat very heartily along the trail by making me great food.
All of the help I got with the food drops this year, a thank you goes out to Greta, Shane, Jamie, Seal, Jacob High, Laurie Stec, Mindy, Josh, Carolyn Reitter always a great big help.
Also thank you Matt for running my food drops down to Anchorage and sorry about the flat tire.
I also want to thank everyone back in North Dakota again this year for your great efforts. Without you none of this would be possible. My dad Jim, will be here soon and will join me at the musher banquet in Anchorage before the race."
Finally,if you haven`t got your Hardcore Huskies tee-shirt yet, Heathers dad and her grandpa Dale are selling them in the Bismarck area. Her sister Dusty is also selling them at the Colonial Bar in Mandan. T-shirts will also be available in Wing, ND this Sunday during a fundraiser. A traditional Alaskan supper will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Wing fire hall. The menu includes mojakka (beef stew), kallamojakka (fish soup), flat bread, hard tack, bars and lingonberry jelly. The cost is a freewill donation.
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