Via Larry Katz, New York Ultrarunning

Hello Friends,

After 50 minutes of flying on a small plane from the winter Lodge on the Finger Lake to Anchorage, I was back to the civilization and to a medical help that I thought I did not need. From the Best Western Hotel, I took a taxi to the Medical Park Family Care where I was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection. It was this nasty bacteria that pulled me out from the race. Not the Arctic winter, the 40 mph wind from the Bearing Sea, nor the -30F on the Yentna River but a little creature, a little bug that infected my tummy and stopped me from exploring life of the last frontier. I was fighting and trying not to give up. I fought as much as I could. But two nights and two days spent in a cabin without water, toilet, with a fever and uncontrolled severe diarrhea defeated me! Now, I am resting in the hotel as I need to regain a strength to travel back home.

Last Saturday, we started the race in Knik in a heavy snowfall. Quickly the icy trail was covered with several inches of the white fluff. It was not easy to run as our feet were sliding in all directions. Bikers took off using a different route which was a little longer but easier to peddle on. I kept on the trail that rest of runners and skiers took. I ran with Tim Hewitt and Tom Jarding. 30 miles into the race, the Red Bull tent on Flat Horn Lake was a blessing from the sky. A big bonfire glow the sky and two bowls of warm jambalaya warmed our getting cold body. I took off all my upper clothing as all got wet in this heavy snow fall. I was prepared for a very cold weather and didn't think to bring something for a wet snow. It was a good thing that I had brought extra clothing.

From that point we had another 20 miles to Luce's Lodge, the first check point. On this stretch I got lost for a few hours last year. I was worried that I might make the same mistake so I kept close to Tim and Tom. I was in front and followed the bikers trucks.’ We saw same snowmobile coming from right to left in a near distance but we still continued straight. Suddenly Tom said, "Hey guys, we are going in the wrong direction". I replied; 'That can't be. Look at the bike trucks and that one skier..... they can't possibly be all going in the wrong direction". However, Tom insisted that we should go back and check
the trail where the snowmobiles came from. Sure enough, it was the right thing to do and we were safe by Tom. Most of the bikers were lost and they made extra miles finally realizing that they were on a wrong trail.

Unfortunately, this mistake caused Cloe Lanthier-Brander a case of hypothermia and she
couldn't make it on her own to the Luce's lodge. She was saved by two doctors who coincidentally were traveling on a snowmobile, and they gave her a ride to the lodge. When I got to the Luce's Lodge she was laying down in a bad shape and Jeff, (her husband), was looking after her. They planned to take her out by a small plane at daybreak.

I left ahead Tom and Tim, as I needed to make an extra stop at Slim's Lodge where they have a dryer to dry my wet clothing.

At Slim's I spent four hours as the first 2 hours were the shivering stage and the next two were just resting time. Sandy, (the lodge owner), dried my clothing and I fed myself with a bowl of veggy soup. Ray Mollina was here resting too. I left before 7PM followed by
Sandy's two dogs. They didn't want to turn back and I was worried that they would get lost or I would've needed to take care of them also. Finally, after several stops and telling them it is nice that they kept me company, but they should return home as it was dark now and the wolves may have an open eye on them. When I mentioned wolves, they got the hint and stopped following me.

I reached the Skwentna River and I knew only three more miles separated me from the warm room of the Skwentna Road House check point. I planned to sleep there for four hours, but at night navigation is not easy. I saw good tracks of the bikers and a skier and
footprints of Tom and Tim who passed me while I was at Slim's, but all these tracks disappeared. I did remember that I had to make a left turn to the Skwentna, but it was not there. I was going back and forward on the few miles stretch. It was dark and cold and crunchy snow and I couldn't find the Skwentna check point! One snowmobile trail took me to the area with a few log cabins. I knocked on each of them. One had a snowmobile in front. That was an excellent sign for me. While I was knocking, I was calling… “Don’t
shout...I am lost....I am looking for the Skwentna Road House”. A older scrawny man, who didn’t understand my accent came out and gave me the directions, I was so thankful for him doing giving me those directions that I almost gave him a hug, but I held back my
emotions. I didn't know that there were two entrances to the Skwentna: one from the Skwentna River and one from the leg of the river. This year we came from the side that I was not familiar and the tracks of my friends vanished under a snowmobile which had probably passed not long ago. I was very unhappy entering the Skwentna. Why they
didn't put a sign that this is the way to the check point, was beyond me. From 10:30PM until 2:45AM I was searching for this lodge!

Tom and Tim were already rested and ready to leave. I needed to rest a little. Ray Mollina was getting ready but he said he will wait for me. I sat down on the couch and set my watch for one hour. It rung immediately! With Ray we left the lodge at 4:30AM. Of course biking can be very easy when the snow is well packed. Soon Ray vanished in the darkness. A few miles away I found him sleeping in the middle of the trail and telling me that we are probably on the wrong trail! I replied; 'Impossible, we always take the first trail to the right'. For the next several hours we were not sure if we were on the right or
wrong trail as the GPS is good for a direct line but not for a zigzagging trail. Finally, we realized that we are on the wrong trail and we will continue as it is pointless to go back. We should reach the Historic Iditarod Trail, (not in use now by the dog races) and
we should get above the Shallow Lake Lodge were we planned to stop for a hot meal. We moved like two turtles on this zigzagging up and down narrow trail. We even lost our faith that we’d ever reach the Historic trail when God sent us two snowmobiles and
they delivered us the good news; we are not lost, we were on the right trail, and to Shallow Lake is another five miles. Yippy!

At Shallow Lake lodge, it wasn't the official check point but most races stop her for a hot meal. I ate two eggs, bacon, and a pancake. At 1:15PM I left the lodge with Ray sleeping inside. Now I got two more dogs that followed me. I had to do the same exercise as with the previous dogs at Slim's. Finally, these dogs stopped following me, although one of them I liked very much and I wouldn't have minded to adopt him. Shortly after, I saw a wolf running on the path in front of me. He ran, turned his head back, ran more, again turned his head back, then he got off the trail to the right but there was to much snow so he ran more in front of me and finally he turned left and disappeared behind the trees. Seeing him I wasn't afraid, and still when I think I am not afraid, it seemed so natural… he was the part of Alaskan nature. With my speed level down to zero, it took me a long
time to get to the Finger Lake. With the sun going down, the wind started picking up and soon blew in a full speed of 40 mph, blowing the snow across the swamps and filling up the trail. Now the walking was down to strolling, several bad steps and I was in the
snow up to my waist. When I saw the lights of the airstrip runway on the Finger Lake, I knew it was fine.

I reached the lodge a few minutes before 9PM, on Monday. I ate rice with beans and salsa. With Tom (who came shortly after), we decided to sleep for four hours and hit the trail again. We claimed our drop off bags (the 2nd is in Rohn), and went to the cabin. In the cabin were Alan Tilling and J.Rajko Podgornik who pulled out from the race due to Achilles problem (Alan), and knee problem (Rajko). After two hours of sleeping I woke up with an urge to vomit. (I woke up all of them as I couldn't open the stupid door). Then
one hour later I started a shivering and uncontrolled diarrhea. Other racers came, rested and left but I was kept by this unfriendly Salmonella that doesn't have even a slight idea how much time I spent on preparation of this race, how much money I spent on this race. How many people I betrayed because I didn't finish and they donated money to the Alzheimer's Memory4Life fund raiser. I apologize to all whom I betrayed. At the end I feel betrayed too..... Would I do this again? I can tell you now, I am bringing my sled home but not my poles, so it is 50:50 for now.

Big hug to all of you. As always, I tried my best.

Alicja