The Widows Lamp is Extinguished

The 2010 Iditarod is in the History Books now. Celeste Davis drove her Team of 9 dogs under the Burled Arch and extinguished the Widows Lamp, putting an end to Iditarod 38. She will be known as the fastest Red Lantern Finisher in Iditarod History! All the Mushers will be at the Banquet tonight to feast on an 8 course meal (the same meal that was served to Jeff King in Ruby), and also all the other awards won on the trail will be presented again, this time in front of family, fans, friends and their musher colleagues.

I thank you all for following the Last Great Race on Earth with me on my Rookie Year as a Blogger! See you next year here at Iditadacks...the best place for Iditarod Race Coverage from the Adirondacks!!!

The Home Stretch to Nome

Well, the last 14 teams are making their way to Nome, with the furthest one (Celeste Davis) into Elim on the coast. The Jamaican Team (Wade Newton) is in White Mountain...word has it he did not enjoy the minus 40 temperatures of the Alaskan Interior...can't blame him there!

So, the Widows Lamps will remain burning until Celeste Davis blows it out...hope she can make the Banquet on Sunday. This will be the first time in a long time that no Mushers will be out on the trail while the banquet is going on! The trail was certainly fast this year!

The Insider Scoop

I watched all the "Insider" videos last night...very insightful! I now know why Gebhardt had not made it into the top ten. Apparently, his Team picked up a virus in Cripple...for the next 5 days he could not run them very long in an effort to get them back on track. He will be back next year for sure...lets hope Paul's Team stays healthy because we all know Gebhardt has a Team that could not only come into the Top Ten, but could very well win this race.


Sven Haltmann was not even on my radar. But this Musher from Switzerland not only busted into the top 20, but he challenged a lot of the "regular" players early on in the race. And I could tell this guy LOVES his dogs...he kissed and loved on his leader, then stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes. He truly loves his Team, and he is one to watch in the future!


Sebastian Schnuelle crossed the finish line, and cheerily announced this was his last Iditarod...when asked what he will do next...he said "I don't know...maybe sailing...I will think of something". Sebastian...I'm going to miss this guy...always happy and smiling!

Mitch Seavey, a favorite in this race, came in 10th, and was not happy of his performance. This is his sons second race, and Dallas Seavey finished in 8th place this year!!! Son beats Father for the first time. I tell ya, BOTH Seaveys are definite contenders...that is IF Mitch runs again...I know Dallas definitely will and predict he will someday be the winningest musher in Iditarod history...mark my words...he is only 19, and is already showing up in the top ten...and he has at least 20 years of mushing to break the record of 5 wins by Rick Swenson. Dallas Seavey...I'm very impressed!

Tomorrow I'll report on the Red Lantern Mushers progress....its still a long way to Nome for these folks!

After the Big Finish

OK...back to Blogging...the race ISN'T really over until the last Musher is off the trail! So, in true Iditarod fashion, I'm going to continue to Blog until the Widows Lamp is extinguished in Nome and all mushers are safely off the trail for another year.

To round out our top 1o, we had Gatt come in 2nd, then King, Anderson, Baker, Ramey Smyth, Schnuelle, Dallas Seavey, Hugh Neff and Mitch Seavey as #10. Its interesting to note that just like Schnuelle last year, this years 2nd place Musher was also winner of the Yukon Quest. Mackey continues to be the only Musher in history to win both races...and he did it back to back (2007 and 2008, aka the Mackey Idita-Quest Years)! Im still basking in the Mackey 4 straight win glow...what an awesome Team!!!

Speaking of awesome...Dee Dee Jonrowe is schedule to glide into Nome around 9 - 9:30 tonight (EST). Dee Dee has had quite the emotional race...she found out her 80 year old mother has breast cancer. For those of you who dont know, Dee Dee is a breast cancer survivor. Before her battle with cancer, she use to be decked out in powder blue...then, after she beat down her cancer she became a spokeswoman for breast cancer awareness, and now is always decked out in pink, the color of the fight against breast cancer. Dee Dee is a fighter, AND an excellent musher...with 30 years of Iditarod experience and 14 top ten finishes from 1988 - 2009! In 1998 and 1993 she finished in 2nd place. She has never claimed the #1 spot, but she is #1 in many peoples hearts each year as she mushers her beloved Team across Alaska. I cant wait to see Dee Dee cross the finish line this year with a small Team of 8 dogs. She has been down to 8 dogs since March 13th!! She knew then, that making it to Nome would be against the odds...and once again, she is beating the odds! She is only 5 miles outside of Nome right now...go Dee Dee go!

Iditarod History - 4 Straight wins!

Mackey has made the Iditarod Race History Books with 4 straight wins!!! His Team pulled into Nome with his Leader, a female named Maple in the Lead. He stopped just outside of town to congratulate and thank his Team one by one...those dogs are amazing!!! His bold move back on Saturday of cutting rest and making a monster haul to Unalakleet was the tipping point. He put on a 3 hour lead that the chasers (Gatt and King) nipped at, but couldn't seem to over take him. Lance is now the only Iditarod Musher who can claim 4 straight wins...an amazing feat!

I will be logging in the Top 10 as they find their way to Nome. It will be Gatt coming in 2nd and King 3rd. I have 3 Boards to fill for the prized Iditarod Mug...Mackey may get some good sleep tonight, but I still got some work to do!

Mackeys about 4 miles outside of NOME!!!

Its gonna happen...Mackey is going to win yet another Iditarod Championship....and will forever be known as the only musher to ever win 4 Iditarod Races IN A ROW!!! I got my Homebrew...and my tissues...gather around folks....history is going to happen SOON!!!

Mackey Out Of Safety!!!

We are in the home stretch now...Mackey arrived in the Saftey checkpoint moments ago...stayed for 4 minutes and was back on the trail towards Nome!! Gatt still trails Lance by 10 miles...less than 22 miles to go...GO MACKEY!!!

A Perfect Day

Im home from work...the sun is shining, the back deck is finally shoveled from all snow, the storm door is off the back door, the lawn chairs are out in the sun on the deck, Elizabeth just came home, Trico, Shanti and Schnitzel are here with me hanging out, and Im sippin on a Ice Out IPA Home Brew watching the last 30 miles or so of the of Iditarod 38...life could NOT be better!

OK...this is what I'm seeing on the GPS Tracker: Unfortunately, Mackeys GPS seems to be either not working, or he has shifted things around in his sled so the receiver can not transmitting ...it has not moved in an hour, and it shows Gatt is closing in on him BUT this is just an illusion cuz I know Mackey has to be moving! I will have to wait for the stats to update once he is in Safety. Please stay tuned!

Mackey has a 2 Hour Lead!!! He is gonna do it!!!

Its official...Mackey has a 2 hour lead over Gatt coming into White Mountain. Which means he will have a 2 hour lead heading out to Nome tomorrow morning!! A 2 hour lead can not be overcome...barring any unforeseen situations, Mackey will be the Iditarod Champion...he will be the first ever 4 in a row winner of the Last Great Race On Earth!!!! Amazing....simply amazing!!! He will be pulling the snow hook outta White Mountain at 8:40 am our time....watch for him to cross under the burled arches anytime after 3:30. Its 77 miles to Nome from White Mountain...with the checkpoint of Safety 55 miles out, then Nome another 22 miles down the trail. I'm beginning to get weepy already!

Second place will be a battle down the coast! Gatt only has a 25 minute lead over Jeff King...which could be overcome by King. The race for second has only just begun!

Anderson, Neff, Baker, Ramey Smyth, Mitch Seavey, Schnuelle and Dallas Seavey round out the rest of the top ten still out on the trail making their way to White Mountain. There may still be some jockeying of position on these, so the order is certainly not set yet. Stay tuned...I will be giving updates as things unfold later on today...I'm gonna leave work around 1, head home, grab a Homebrew and some tissues and watch Lance Mackey win this race and make Iditarod history!!!! This win has so much emotion tied to it...Mackey and his Team from the Come Back Kennel are truly amazing.

Mackey In and Out of Golovin!

Mackey is on his way to White Mountain for a well deserved mandatory 8 hour rest! Just moments ago he checked in and out of Golovin and should be into White Mountain in approximately 2 hours. Gatt is still 14 miles away from Mackey, and King is still 4 miles away from Gatt. This is Mackey's race to loose...if he pulls this off he will go down in Iditarod History as the only Musher to EVER win the Iditarod 4 years in a row!!! GO MACKEY!!!!!

New Trail Location Over Sea Ice

Well, that explains it!! They relocated the trail over the sea ice...it looked as though Mackey and everyone else was drifting off to the west...BUT in reality they were on the new trail, which added 5 to 6 miles to the trek from Shatoolik to Koyuk. Reports out of that check point described the mushers as exhausted and mentally whipped due to the longer run over the sea ice. Mackey pushed on and is on his way to Golovin. King decided to rest his dogs in Elim...but it was Hans Gatt this time taking chase after Mackey. Gatt is posting faster speed than Mackey...you got to wonder if this years Yukon Quest Champion can over take Lance. Time will tell. It looks as though King JUST took chase after Gatt...he is trailing him by about 4 miles now....all on their way to Golovin. From Golovin its another 18 miles to White Mountain where all Mushers will take their mandatory 8 hour rest. Usually, the way they file into White Mountain is the way they finish in Nome...that is IF you have a nice lead. There is no telling who is going to win this race...Mackey has a 14 mile lead over Gatt...Gatt has a 4 mile lead over King...what a race!!!

Drifting off the Trail

OMG...by the looks of the GPS Tracker, Mackey has drifted way to the west on the seas ice and will miss the checkpoint of Koyuk by about 10 miles. King is following his trail....oh no!!!! About 20 minutes ago Mackey was at a stand still...maybe realizing he is off course. Now it looks as though he will continue on until he hits the trail, then he will have to back track to the east to check in at Koyuk...or he may do a course correction on the sea ice....I cant tell at this point. I worry about open water...I hope they will be ok...and that he realizes he has to go back east a bit to hit the check point! He has a 14 mile lead over King right now, who is also off course. I wonder if he can see the lights of Koyuk???

Mackey ahead by just 40 minutes!

I don't mean to sound like a broken record here...but when King cut his rest at Unalakleet to chase Mackey up the coast, it turned Mackeys 3 hour lead into only 40 minutes...this is a VERY CLOSE RACE!!! Yeah, Mackeys dogs may be a little more rested, but at this stage in the game as long as the Team is eating well and ready to go, rest becomes, well...almost wasteful when you are trying to catch another Team! Both Mackey and King are in Shatoolik...presumably resting. The next leg is across the sea ice of Norton Sound....once you hit the sea, there is literally no place to seek shelter. Last year the race was won and lost here...and a group of mushers were holed up in a small shack by the sea shore waiting the storm out. It was Mackey and Schnuelle who made it across before the storm hit full force. But this year there is no storm, just 2 strong dog Teams battling for the lead...with Neff and Gatt nipping at their heals. The race to Nome is ON like never before! Who will be the first to try crossing the sea ice to Koyuk???

Mackey On the Move...King Chases After Him

Mackey has left Unalakleet around 2:30 our time, after a good 6 hours of rest. The next checkpoint is in Shaktoolik, which should take 4 to 6 hours. The weather is good, no wind to speak of, so this part of the trail should be no problem for Mackey! I will have to wait until the Iditarod Web site posts his stats to see how many dogs he left with. Hmm...I just peeked at the GPS Tracker...looks like King may be taking chase after Mackey. King got into Unakaleet only about 3 hours ago...looks like they are going to battle it out on the coast...what a dog race!!!

Mackey Has Solid 3 Hour Lead

When Mackey blew through the Kaltag checkpoint yesterday he basically went "all in" on this race....and it paid off! Not only did he reach the Bering Seas Coast first, winning $2,500 in gold nuggets, but he also put 3 hours of time between his Team and Kings Team, who just now pulled into Unalakleet. Hugn Neff will be pulling in any time now too, followed by Hans Gatt, Mitch Seavey and John Baker. When will Lance pull his snow hook and continue on to Shatoolik...45 miles up the coast? I will be watching closely for him to do so...and with how many dogs? He came into Unalakleet with 12 strong dogs...barring any injuries I'm betting he will stick with this dynamic dozen. King has 13 dogs, but his times and speed from Kaltag were nearly identical to Mackeys...and his dogs had more rest in Kaltag. No doubt about it...Mackeys Team is peaking...with the coast ahead of them. Last I looked, the weather from Unalakaleet to Nome is good through Tuesday, no storms or big winds to deal with. So weather this year will not be a factor. Look for Mackey to pull out of Unalakleet soon to play the role of the rabbit...will anyone bolt out and chase him?

The Deck Has Been Shuffled

This is where the leaders will try to switch up their rest run ratios. Mackey bolted out of Kaltag first, down the ancient portage trail from the Yukon to the Bering Sea Coast. The GPS Tracker shows Mackey moving at 6 mph with King 17 miles behind him. This is a 90 mile run from Kaltag to Unalakleet, with 2 nice BLM Cabins to hole up in to rest. Gatt is in one now, with King coming up on him moving 7 mph. It will be interesting to see how Mackey's jump to the front will play out. Its midnight here in the North East....and we are having a bit of a wind storm. If I don't post anything first thing in the am it means we lost power again. Which will really suck cuz this is a hell of a race!!! Lets hope Mackey makes it in first, AND I have power so I can see him glide in there! As much as Id love to see King win his 5th Title....I want Mackey to shatter Iditarod Records with 4 straight wins...he only has one chance to do that...and I believe he and his Team are giving it all they have!

Teams Arrive in Nulato

Looks like Mackey has posted the fastest time into Nulato with just 12 dogs. He is definitely nipping at Kings heels....and Neff is certainly nipping on Mackeys heels! Gatt is not in yet, but he really put on some speed down the Yukon...it will be interesting to see his stats once he arrives. The next checkpoint is Kaltag...this will be the last checkpoint on the Yukon. The trail into Kaltag should be pretty packed down since it is a snow machine thruway of sorts. I believe it is just a 40 mile or so trek to Kaltag from Nulato...an easy one hop for any of these Teams. The long trek to the coast from Katag over the old portage trail is quite another story....should make for an interesting night!

Same Players Heading into Nulato

It looks as though the same players, in the same order, and about the same distance from each other are making their way to Nulato. King has about a 10 mile lead over Mackey, who has a 3 mile lead over Neff, who has a 5 mile lead over Seavey, who has a 2 mile lead over Gatt. A very tight race for these 5! The Iditarod web site once again is not being very "current" with their standings, so I don't know how many dogs are making up the Teams. Their stats are still showing the same info I went to bed looking at 5 and a half hours ago! They must be really short staffed! Maybe later this morning some information will trickle out! As for what I'm seeing on the GPS Tracker...everyone is still within striking distance of King....a little change up in routine and King could get thrown off his game. Who has the Team to do it?

King is in Galena

King has cruised into Galena...Mackey was about 11 miles back when he arrived...Neff is still closing in on Mackey, then Seavey and Gatt. King typically likes to rest at a checkpoint...Mackey might blow through, grab a bale of straw and put a few miles between him and King before he gives his Team a break. Or he may rest in Galena too...we will have to wait and see! Its guaranteed that someone from the lead pack will blow though Galena and move on towards Nulato. Its another 4 to 6 hour trek to Nulato on the Yukon...King may even move on...again, time will tell!

Its gonna be another long and exciting night watching the race!

The Chase Pack is Formed

We have Mackey about 10 miles behind King, followed closely by Neff, Mitch Seavey and Gatt. Mackey has 12 dogs, King has 14. This race is far from over...the chase pack just needs to cut rest to make up time...but the test will be WHEN to cut the rest...when and how...because if you rob your Team of rest too much, they will simply run out of gas on the trail. Strategy, strategy, strategy! Jeff Kings Team is really strong...he described them as work horses just marching with confidence down the trail. Mackeys Team was devouring their meals...a sign of a good, strong team. Mackey remarked he has 12 dogs that will find a higher gear if he gives the word. Neff, Mitch Seavey and Gatt are also within striking distance...its an amazing race! I'll report again as soon as I see the first Teams into Galena.

Mackey Takes Chase!!!!

This JUST in on the GPS Tracker...Mackey has left Ruby to chase King up the Yukon!!! And just like that, the race is back ON!

The Run from Ruby to Galena

This run should take between 5 and 8 hours, depending upon trail conditions and snacking time. The trail is pretty much all on the frozen Yukon River and usually pretty hard packed due to the snow machine traffic. King is traveling 9 mph according to the GPS...his dogs are healthy and happy...and so is King. I saw a few videos clips of him in Ruby...and I'll just say this...it was nice to see Jeff smile while on the Iditarod Trail...its been quite some time since I have seen him this happy! I'm still a die hard Mackey Fan...but if King wins this, it would be his 5th win. Rick Swenson would FINALLY have to share that title with someone else...which makes me REALLY happy! So go King....go Mackey and the rest of the Teams...I am so loving this race!

King Leaves Ruby First

Again, if you can believe the GPS Tracker...King just left Ruby! Who will chase the rabbit out on the Yukon? Once they update the stats we can see how many dogs he left with!

King into Ruby!

If one can believe the GPS Tracker....its going to be King into Ruby first, followed by Mackey, Neff, Mitch Seavey and Gatt,Lindner, Schnuelle, Anderson and Haltman. The chase group is very tight. Cant wait to see the official standings update to look at the times in! Will King stay long enough to eat his gourmet meal? Its on to the Yukon River!

27 miles of Separation

Wow...there are only 27 miles separating the front runner (King) from the next 10 mushers. Mackey is now 5 miles behind him, and they are peppered by 2 to 5 miles all the way down the line heading towards Ruby. Kings speed is impressive...he is having the ride of his life...things are really coming together for him. He is the only one up there who has 15 dogs.

I FINALLY Understand!!

Remember back in 2008...when everyone thought Gebhardt was going to pull into Cripple first....and then he didn't because he took a wrong turn just outside of "town"? Then, BAM...Dee Dee Jonrowe rolled on into the checkpoint...and to every ones surprise, including Dee Dee's, SHE was awarded the Dorthy Page Half Way Award? Well, that is kind of what happened to John Baker. Everyone, including me, thought HE was guaranteed the Cripple Half Way Award....but if you look back, I said iF HE DOESN'T do anything stupid....well, he did...he took a wrong turn, costing him 4 to 5 hours, not to mention a bunch of gold nuggets!! This little mistake may have cost Baker the race. Will he rebound? Time will tell!

Two and a Half Hours

Yep...we got ourselves a Dog Sled Race!

As the first Teams into Cripple rest for their 24 hour (more about that later)...the rested Pack, lead by King is arriving into the Cripple Checkpoint. There is only 2.5 hours separating the front runner from 5 hungry Iditarod favorites...Neff, Mitch Seavey, Mackey, Schnuelle and Sven Haltman (Val...how did you know???). Who will be the rabbit now?

I will blog ALL NIGHT to get us through this...please stay tuned!!!

Now Im Confused??

Last night I reported the Tracker clearly showed John Baker went beyond Cripple...Dallas Seavey was about 20 miles behind him. then, in the night...it became apparent to the Iditarod Race Officials that Baker missed the check point....then it looked like Seavey did the same thing. The current standings on the site were just updated...showing Dallas Seavey in first at 1:26, and Baker in at Cripple at 1:37...that would be about 5:30 our time. But the GPS tracker has them a good 20 miles beyond Cripple...so I'm not sure what is going on???? Bruce Lee just reported Dallas has won the half way award....so that makes it official....maybe Seavey hit the checkpoint and got the award, but Baker was clearly beyond it last night. Must be you cant claim the award without actually passing through the checkpoint. I never seen this done before. Very interesting.

Anyhow, it looks like Seavey and Baker are still resting on the trail, and Buser, who has not taken his 24 hour yet, is past Cripple and in pursuit. As for the well rested pack back in Tacotna, the 24 hour rest is over, and they are moving fast with rested Teams. Dallas Seavey, John Baker and Buser will take their 24 in Ruby...but who will get the dinner once they arrive???

Damn...I got to go to work...I might slip out early to come home and Blog....what a race!!!

Baker and Seavey Miss Cripple Check Point!

The GPS tracker last night showed Baker clearly had been in and out of Cripple...but here it is over 5 hours later and he has not reported in! There was a video clip on the Insiders stating it is unclear as to where Baker actually is....it appeared he had taken another trail mistakenly around the checkpoint...which is easy to do since the checkpoint at Cripple is a mere ghost town, built on a swamp and the few tent structures they have there are brought in by the Race. According to the GPS Tracker....Dallas Seavey has followed whatever trail John Baler took around the checkpoint too, and also shows Baker stopped on the trail 23 miles beyond Cripple, with Dallas 4 miles behind him moving 4 mph. John is probably wondering where the hell is the check point. The video showed Baker did have a drop of dog food at Cripple...but with him missing the check point there is no way for him to get it now...which is ok because each musher is required to carry a certain amount of dog food with them just in case something happens. The only thing that might screw John and Dallas up is if he planned to take his 24 hour rest in Cripple...now its Ruby or bust for both of them. Whoever gets there first can at least be consoled by a 5 course gourmet meal as first Musher on the Yukon!

Buser has taken chase to Dallas Seavey and John Baker after busting out of Ophir with nearly 3 ours of sleep. Right now, the rest of the lead pack (the Smyth Brothers and Hans Gatt) have yet to leave Ophir, possibly declaring their 24 hour rest...time will tell!

Baker in and out of Cripple

According to the GPS Tracker, Baker has blown through Cripple, capturing the Half Way Prize! Way to go John!!!! Now he makes his way towards Ruby, the first checkpoint on the Yukon. There he will take his 24 hour rest...but first he will enjoy a full blown gourmet dinner that awaits the first musher onto the Yukon. And as you can only imagine, this dinner must taste wonderful after 4 straight days on the runners of a sled! Will this massive run of Bakers be enough to put distance between him and the rested teams in Tacotna? They will blow right past him tomorrow...and he will just have to sit back and watch them...but then, when his 24 hours are up, he will enjoy the strength and pull of a well rested Team. This strategy has worked many times before, by the likes of Lance Mackey, Martin Buser and Doug Swingley to name just a few. Dallas Seavey is about 4 hours behind Baker...so, unless something foolish happens to John, like falling off his sled, he will be the one to sit at the table in Ruby. Dallas has not taken his 24 hour rest either, and will probably do so in Cripple or possibly Ruby. It is customary for the winner of the gourmet meal to share his good fortune with other chosen Mushers and people from the Village of Ruby. If Dallas does push on to Ruby, I'm sure John would share his bounty with this young Musher! This is a hell of a run for Dallas - his second Iditarod at the age of 19!

LOTS to Get Updated On!!!

Unlike Monday and Tuesday, I had to go to work today. Special thanks to Karen and Carrie for shooting me a couple of texts and emails regarding the race! When I left this morning, Hans Gatt was the only one who left Tacotna. I didn't learn until later that Baker and Cim Smyth took pursuit, and that once in Ophir, Baker, pushed on! He should be in Cripple soon to claim the halfway prize. This is also the first bonus points to be awarded in my Arm Chair Iditarod Boards!
I got LOTS to catch up on tonight....and I'll be blogging through the night. It will be interesting to see the race quicken once the pack in Tacotna takes off after their 24 hour rest. King was doing REALLY well, as was Mackey, Neff, Steer, Schnuelle and the rest of them! I don't believe they will be able to pull their snow hooks until around 5 or so. Remember...its 24 hours PLUS the 2 minute differential time depending upon their bib number (71 (total mushers) minus the bib number multiplied by 2 minutes = the added time the musher must wait onto the 24 hours. Its going to be quite the interesting day tomorrow for sure! It will also be interesting to see if Baker decides to take his 24 in Cripple, or will he push on to Ruby to relax and take his 24 hour rest after he consumes a well deserved 5 course gourmet dinner for being the first on the Yukon. Ah.....strategy is the name of the game!!!

King in the Lead by +/- an Hour

Jeff King, Mitch Seavey, Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker have all made it into Takotna....with Jeff leading the way. When you do the math, King (Bib #15) is just about an hour ahead of Sebastion (Bib #35) , as well as an hour ahead of Mitch Seavey (Bib #19). The GPS Tracker shows Neff just pulled into Takotna, with Gatt, Willomitzer and Mackey just a few miles to go before they get there as well.

Its time the Teams start taking their 24 hour mandatory rest...Takotna is one of the favorite places to take it. BUT, if a musher pushes forward to Ophir, then onto Cripple, they could claim the prize for being the first one to the half way mark! Who will that be? Who will rest and who will push on? The 24 hour rest MUST be taken soon, with the last option being on the Yukon in Ruby. The mushers are also required to take a mandatory 8 hour rest ON the Yukon as well...so to spread out the mandatory rest, you will see most mushers taking their 24 hour rest before Ruby...but if your Team is moving well, its hard to stop them for rest. Strategy, strategy, strategy!

King of the Rabbits

Well, someone has to be the rabbit...and out of Nikolai it was King who bolted first, followed closely by Schnuelle, Baker and Mitch Seavey. Who will also cut rest and run after the rabbits?? This will be an interesting night...I'll be keeping an eye on the trail all night!

Some news has come out about the Dallzell Gorge...and for the most part, the trail was in good shape, and the new snow (measured in feet, not inches) acted as a cushion for the teams as they rode down the gorge. The Farewell Burn was also not as bad as everyone thought it would be...so far there are no horror stories to tell...only hopes of having the winning strategy to catch the lead rabbit!

Close Race!!!

I did the math for you regarding the 2 minute start time differential...Schnuelle is definitely in first...by about an hour and 10 minutes, give or take a minute. His closest competitors right now? They would be Mackey, Zirkle, Willomitzer, Mitch Seavey, Neff, King and Steer. This could all change depending on who cuts rest and bolts from Nikolai first...and who decides to chase. The plot thickens!

The Race in and out of Nikolai

Hello IditaFans! Here is the latest on the race via the GPS Tracker: Schnuelle, Mitch Seavey, Baker Gatt and King are now spread apart by a mere 13 miles. Willimitzer, Zirkle, Steer and Mackey are only 16 miles from the front runner Schnuelle. They will be passing through the Nikolai checkpoint soon. Hopefully the race status will update on the Iditarod site soon so we can see how many dogs the Teams left with. I'll report again as soon as a full update is done by the Iditarod web crew. From what I heard, the Iditarod Insiders have set up in Nikolai and will be giving a full report soon!

The Pack Pursues

In the night, I reported Gebhardt bolted out in front by leaving Rohn shortly after arriving. The GPS Tracker now shows Gebhardt resting at mile 176, with Schnuelle now out in front at mile 189, Neff at 183, Mitch Seavey, Baker and Palfrey at mile 179. Looking further down the trail we have King and Mackey 20 miles behind the front runner Schnuelle.

Gebhardt Makes a Move

Sebastian Schnuelle was the first one out of the Dalzell Gorge and into Rohn, followed by a tight group of Baker, Gatt, King, Haltmann, Steer and Gebhardt. But its Gebhardt who only stays 17 minutes before getting back on the trail.....the rest stay in Rohn to give their dogs rest. Mackey is also there, about 2 hours behind Sebastian Schnuelle. According to one of the Insider videos, the weather is really snowy in Rohn...hopefully tomorrow morning they will post some stories regarding the trip down the Dalzell Gorge. Beyond Rohn is the Farewell Burn, and last report said it was lacking of snow. Maybe this last snow event changed matters there...lets hope!

Even though Gebhardt is physically in the lead, when they sync the clock when he takes his mandatory 24 rest he could fall further back in the rankings due to the 2 minute differential start time. You see, Gebhardt is Bib number 7. To compute his real differential you have to take another bib number higher than 7, subtract 7 from it and then multiply by 2 minutes.....this is the time that will be ADDED to Gerhardt's 24 hour rest to sync the clock. This gives a little perspective to the leaders of the race...the ones with high bib numbers are actually higher in the standings then they appear...mushers with low bib numbers are actually further down in the standings according to the simple calculation. Once all mushers take their mandatory 24 hour rest we can then take the standings for face value. OK....its 2:35 am....I got to get back to sleep!

Five Mushers Leave Rainy Pass

Schnuelle, Baker, Palfrey, Ray Redington and Zack Steer have all left Rainy Pass within an hour of each other. The next 10 mushers are presently resting in Rainy Pass, and they all arrived there within 3 hours of each other. Lets just say its a close beginning of the race! Trail reports say the trail is soft with a lot of newly fallen snow making travel a bit slower than some have hoped. The BIG question is...out of the all the mushers resting in Rainy Pass, like King, Mackey, and Neff, which ones will cut rest to go out after the others out in front. Its all strategy and head games at this point...AND knowing when you can push your Team, and when you have to rest them! This is about to get really interesting!

GPS Tracker Update

The GPS Tracker, shows Gebhardt has moved out in front, and Baker and Schnuelle are resting on the trail. They are followed closely by Mitch Seavey, Hans Gatt and Jesse Royer.

Tips for Race Watchers

You folks are lucky...I'm off today and tomorrow, so I have the time the next 2 days to keep you informed about the race. Unfortunately, our friends at Iditarod.com are not doing so good getting good info to folks...their site is a bit misleading. If you go to this site to get a quick look at the Current Standings, DON'T take their Home Page at face value...its not up to date...be sure to click on the "Full View of Current Standings" to get the real stats. I don't know why their front page does not update when they update their Full View Standings. For now be sure to use the full view. It shows Sebastian Schnuelle and Paul Gebhardt out in front. Linwood Fieldler is actually falling back in the pack.

Schnuelle and Gebhardt Jump in Front

According to the GPS Tracker...Sebastian Schnuelle and Paul Gebhardt have up and left the pack and are now out in front. The Iditarod Stats are a bit misleading....they are not being updated quickly...but rest assured...Mackey and the rest of them are not too far behind. This is the beginning of the race...LOTS of jockeying being done...I try not to get too excited about where "my"mushers are right now...but I am certainly glad to see them on the tracker closer to the front then way behind! Stay tuned!

And They're Off to Nome!

Its Official...the race has begun! The re-start in Willow ended about an hour ago...71 Teams on the way to Nome. In the next few days the Teams will be jockeying for position as they make their way towards the first big challenge...the Happy Valley Steps and then the Dalzell Gorge. I'll be keeping my eye on the GPS Tracker MANY times a day and posting at LEAST once a day as the race moves on.

Mush On my Friends...the fun has just begun!

Happy IditaDay!!!!

Its here...the start of Iditarod 2010 is here!!!!

This is the most exciting day of the winter for me and LOTS of other Iditarod Fans! The big questions for this years race are: Will Lance Mackey be able to make Iditarod history and win this Last Great Race on Earth once again to make it 4 in a row? Will Jeff King be a fierce competitor, or just take a victory lap like Doug Swingley did on his last Iditarod? How will the trail conditions be? Will the Dalzell Gorge bust sleds up as it has done in the past? Will the 90 mile stretch through the Farewell Burn have snow on it? How about the Coast....will a storm swoop in and change everything like it did last year? All these questions will be answered in due time....and it starts today, with the Ceremonial Race....1:30 Eastern Time. If you are an Iditarod Insider on the Official Iditarod Website, you will be able to see the race start. Its a tradition up here at Cabin in the Woods (the unofficial Adirondack Iditarod Headquarters) to drink a toast to the mushers as they head on down the chute! Its time for me to break out the Official Iditarod shot glasses...here's to all the Mushers in this years Iditarod...may the trail be kind, your dogs be strong, and your feet be warm for the next 9 plus days...adventures are waiting to be unfolded, out on the Iditarod Sled Dog Trail.

Old Man Time

I can't believe this....2 days after I made a list of "Young Mushers" versus "Experienced Mushers" (over 50 years of age) to help me organize my top 10, Jeff King announces at age 54 that this will be his last Iditarod!!!!! And Mitch Seavey too admits "old man time" is knocking at the door!!! Wow...I can't imagine an Iditarod without these folks running, but the Iditarod takes so much energy out of a musher....the "young ones" jump off the sled numerous times a day to run behind their sled up a mountanside or glacier....they don't hesitate to go out onto the sea ice in a storm (like last year)....they have no fear....or experience has not put the fear in them...BUT this makes them more competitive....because in this race, nothing seems to go off without a hitch....weather and trail conditions being 2 of the wild cards. Youth IS a factor....King (54), Seavey (49), Jonrowe(56), Buser (52), Swenson (59), Gebhardt (53)...I have been following these mushers for 10 years.....they are always competitive....but now you got mushers in the 30' and 40's like Neff, Steer, Anderson, Schnuelle, Barron, Royer, Dallas Seavey and a handfull of others consistently showing up in the top ten. Mackey is 39, and this year is going for his 4th Iditarod win IN A ROW!!! The winds are changing, things are shifting....and now many "older" mushers are wondering...how do you out run youth?
As King said, and I quote "I have seen mushers that look like they should have stayed home...and I don't want to be one of them".