MARCH 20, 2022 CONT'D

 MARCH 20, 2022 CONT'D

Photo's of GERHARDT THIART and BRIDGETT WATKINS and their story of survival, with their dog team, out in the brutal weather ALASKA can be known for:

GERHARDT THIART said this was a humbling experience in so many ways. He felt how small we humans are---its Mother Nature!! His goal was to give his young, 2 year old dogs, the best experience and he felt that responsibility.

 Going into ROHN he had an entirely different idea of what he would find. There was JUSTa little cabin, mushers around heating up water, lot of yelping dogs and a bison coming in on the trail???? Is that it?THAT "WOKE" him up. He thought hey just look around you--the beauty of this land, beautiful dogs and people and a serene quiet. It's not the facilities. STOP and look around you!!! That was a wake up call for him, many more would come.

From RUBY he left at 4 AM and to see the sun come up over this VAST body of water--water from side to side, as he explained it,WHAT on earth could be as magnificent and stimulating as this. On the YUKON it was -40 and with all this "beauty" on his mind, he didn't even feel cold. It just felt very powerful and a bit scary in the middle of the sea, on ice--just him and his dogs--ooh and utter peace--his dream.  On the ice and during the day the dogs seemed to get a bit bored---couldn't see where they were going to, is there an end? Yet, on the ice they would go a little faster, for some reason, faster  than they did on the snow.

 From KALTAG to UNALAKLEET it is known as a favorite part of the experience and he felt all the beauty nature had to share. It was his BIRTHDAY when he got to UNALAKLEET. There were showers , good food, warm, great people. Nice place to rest for your B'day!! THEN_---to SHATOOLIK with the wind. It just seemed to go on forever!There was a storm on the Bering Sea that was a bit scary. He treated it with respect!! Then in to KOYUK and relief from that weather. On to WHITE MOUNTAIN. The hills were tough as was the mountain pass. Coming down the mountain it was clear ice. He had to slow the dogs down and put changes on his runners. When they got to WHITE MOUNTAIN it was not as cold and no wind at all. They had a mandatory 8 hour rest there and left in the morning. The wind was still calm UNTIL mile 911. That's when the wind started blowing very  hard!! BRIDGETT was behind him. She said one minute she could see his hat and then within seconds he FLEW, literally, off to the right of her about 50'. The wind was flipping the sleds and soon you couldn't go straight into the wind, it would just pick you up and toss you!!! The dogs were getting flipped as well. Also GERHARDT got his foot caught in the lines and he felt he either broke his leg or his ankle. BRIDGETT knew she had to get to him. He was on his stomach, crawling on the ground as he couldn't stand up, wind was too strong.  She got low and tried to help him. Once up they had to dig a trench for a snow cave. She had an ax. She used that to chop at the ice and then a dog bowl for a shovel. They got the dogs (all 19) bundled up and got it dug . They tried to shelter themselves and the dogs behind their sleds they turned sideways and would wait this out. They then realized, the waiting out could be 10- 12 hours and they were concerned for the dogs and for GERHARDT's possible broken bone. Nature had won out!GERHARDT said he wasn't going to set his dogs up for failure and their health was most important.  GERHARDT was becoming hypodermic. He wasn't tired but kept falling asleep. He was in trouble. He had ice chunks on his face and some frost bite. You couldn't expose your skin, in danger of frost bite. They decided that the finish to NOME was certainly not worth putting themselves and their dogs in any more danger. It was at that point GERHARDT said I am going to push the RED BUTTON. That meant HELP, NOW!! They agreed. That also meant out of the race. It seemed like forever when a snow machine came by. It was Ed the Dentist from one of the villages. He asked what they needed and their reply "we need help". He knew GERHARDT needed medical care. Knowing the area, he 1st took 5 dogs at a time to an area with some shelter. He realized he had to get GERHARDT to medical care so he got him on the snow machine and took off for WHITE MOUNTAIN. It was then that BRIDGETT realized hey its me and the dogs--help may never come!!ON TO BRIDGETT'S STORY: