Fjestad's Insight

I am back in my den of poetry in Neiden, after a stop in the big town Kirkenes.

Who can do what and why?

Out on the field by the mountain lodge three dog teams are resting. While Inger Marie is feeding her dogs for the second time during her 16-hour rest, Robert and Harald arrives with only minutes between them. Inger Marie was caring for her dogs like a mother, Robert was on a trip with the boys and Harald acted as if he was the fast and effective foreman. All dogs in all teams were eating well. Inger Marie cannot leave before 1.30am (my numbers may not be accurate). She had a significantly easier trip than the boys pursuing her. Robert and Harald may in principal leave whenever they like to, but has had a hard trip, and used one and a half hour longer than Inger Marie, even after a 16-hour rest.

It has been snowing 15 cm, and it is still snowing and the wind I blowing. Not so much as to blow the dogs of the trail, but the snow is blown around and the trail is whipped out. One has to follow the marking poles. Large parts of the trail to Varangerbotn are in the mountains and are more than 80 km long. To look for making poles takes time. In front of the first team a scooter patrol drives.

At 11pm the boys (Robert) and the foreman’s crew (Harald) have rested five hours. I believe Harald will leave first with Robert following not so far behind. In front of them the scooters patrol. No scooter in Finnmark drives at 12 km/h, so they will swiftly drive over to Varangerbotn when the thirst for coffee gets the better of them. In other words, the scooter is not just in front of the first team, and so the trail will be whipped out again. Two hand a half hour later Inger Marie is coming. Then her team is well rested and they have the scent of  the two other teams. With a better rested team, Inger Marie may cut down on the distance to the front, and I expect all three of them will arrive within an hour in Varangerbotn, as long as no one gets lost.

I was out on the trail with a scooter today. The photographer Jørn Losvar gave me a lift. Out on a lake on the flat ice, I thought we would turn over. In great speed the scooter tilted over to one side. Far over. I have to admit it, I screamed like a woman! Soon we tilted the other way. After a while he slowed down, turned towards me and smiled. How could I know he was World Champion in drag racing with snow-scooter in 1995.

This became a bit of Meta journalism. If they read this before they leave, they may act on it, or just leave it. Anyhow, it is hard to predict anything, especially about the future. Hindsight is, as I have mentioned before, a more accurate science.

Here is an explanation to my quote of the day earlier today. Breeding as we go. Puppies are born, grow up, becomes sleddogs and becomes a part of the team and the race goes on with new generations. That what I call real long distance!

Stein Håvard

 

Harald Tunheim på Neiden 2. 

Inger Marie Haaland ved sjekkpunkt Neiden 2. Foto: Mina Sveen

Robert Sørlie på Neiden 2