Skrevet av: Stein Håvard Fjestad/AM Bjøru (transl.)
Dato: 15.03.2012 23:56
What for some is a little delay - that brings them home four hours later - is to long-distance fundamentalists is an existential problem. The day took a different turn than many, including myself, had expected.
Many took a break at the Tana river to see if the fish would bite. So many that the staff in charge thought that an eight hour break should become twelve. The official version is that the teams were so spread and far apart on the trails that the veterinarians did not have enough time to check each dog on each check point. But the truth is most likely that many have mushed their teams so hard that the people in charge think that they have to protect the mushers against themselves. I believe that they are fully capable of taking care of themselves. Maybe the longer break does not mean anything, or maybe it means that we'll get a different winner - but we'll never know.
There has also been a search today. I do not think that the one they were searching had any worries, but the handlers had not heard from him in a while and the snowmobile drivers felt like going for a ride. So then. Awesome with GPSs and cellphones, so that we can start to worry immediately if we are not constantly updates. Rumours has it that the wind was blowing also there. Imagine that.
An old reindeer herder was asked whether he had ever gotten lost. ”No, never” he said, ”..but once I did not know exactly where I was for about 4-5 days”.
Show respect for the mountains, but no fear.
Greetings Stein Håvard
Tunheim in Karasjok
photo: Geir Stian Altmann Larsen