Rosie Milligan

It’s 6 a.m., 30-below zero, and I’m in the middle of nowhere at the North Pole checkpoint. All that exists in this desolate location is a tent set up that’s manned by Eielson Air Force Base volunteers. They baked cookies and kept coffee hot. A large, loud generator was set up to heat this large army-style tent There wasn’t enough heat produced to take your coat off upon entering, but it was still a relief from the harsh outside.

I was waiting for Lance Mackey, the front-runner, to pass through on his way to the Fairbanks finish line. The tent held two veterinarians that were waiting to greet Mackey’s dogs. I kept my batteries inside my jacket to ensure they would work when Mackey showed up. Periodically I would take them out and warm them with my hands and hot breath, just to be on the safe side. But, every time I stepped outside and used my camera or tape recorder the batteries would lose their chemical charge due to the cold weather. Then I would have to heat them up again.

The biggest problem, however, was personal, my feet. They were freezing and I would say they were numb, but the truth was they hurt way too much to call them numb.

Mackey flew by in mere minutes and luckily all my gear worked, my truck was idling, warm, to greet my feet.
Chena Hot Springs was even colder. It was reported to be around 40-below and there was also a wind chill. It was cold. I was wearing four pairs of pants and my thighs could still feel the outside elements. That doesn’t happen in normal places. That night I wore bunny boots and eliminated the issue of painful throbbing feet.

It was dark and my camera would not focus. When I put my face up to the viewfinder my breath would leave a frosty edge where the moisture had frozen. The camera could not think when it was that cold. The chemicals in the batteries were delayed and the shutter speed couldn’t operate fast enough.

The dogs at Chena Hot Springs proved to be the toughest. They’re amazing athletes. It was so cold and everyone was bitching about how cold it is and meanwhile these dog teams are sleeping in a windy field, cuddled in straw, trying to sleep. They don’t get shelter from the elements. For the entire race they are left vulnerable, open to the harsh elements. And then they get up and have so much personality, like they can’t wait to race again, rearing to run. They were amazing.

The biggest problem I had was my truck. Keeping it warm was almost impossible. I pulled it in next to the Chena Hot Springs lodge when I got there and started it 30 minutes before leaving, but still when I tried to drive away the transmission fluid was the texture of peanut butter. It would stall every time I tried to get it going and the four-wheel-drive kept slipping out of gear. It was really embarrassing. I could get it to idle right and then I would stall and spin out on the ice because I couldn’t get it to stay in four-wheel. I eventually got out of the parking lot, turned up the heat and made it home.