Everything was going pretty well coming into Whitetail and the dogs rested well. Leaving the checkpoint, however, Summer managed to grab Sweetwater's leg and start a fight. Although I was able to pull them apart, and no damage was visible, as we neared Seeley it became clear that Sweetwater would have to be dropped - she began to limp and her leg had begun to swell from the small puncture wound.
The hard part about mushing is the ability to dwell on this for several miles (and many long minutes) as we came into Seeley. I didn't see Laura ahead of me - who later informed me she kept looking back and seeing us get closer!
When we came into Seeley the vets came right over and we got Sweetwater dropped and on meds right away. Now I dreaded going to Owl Creek without my main leader...but being tired, hungry and distraught is never a good time to make a decision so I went in to the checkpoint and ate some wonderful chili my handler (mom!) had made and got some sleep. Needless to say, I felt much better thanks to the food and rest - and a pep talk from Brett Bruggeman.
We rested through the heat of the day and got ready to set out for Owl Creek when it cooled.
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