Baker, with Velvet and Snickers INTO NOME

Baker has WON the 39th IDITAROD!!! Congrats to John!!! We watched the live finish....he is such a gracious winner. It was REALLY cool hearing the native drums in the back ground as he made his way to the finish! He is actually signing "drums" as I write this. His lead dogs Velvet and Snickers were with him on the stage to recieve the ceremonial roses. He is one happy Musher!!! CONGRATS JOHN BAKER....WINNER OF THE LAST GREAT RACE ON EARTH!!!!

Baker 10 miles outside of NOME!!!

Baker is going to do it....he is going to WIN the 2011 39th running of the Iditarod!!! Its been years since a Native Alaskan won the Last Great Race...its been a long time coming.

If you want to watch a live feed and dont have an Inditarod Insider subscription...the iditablog.com site (link above) has a free video feed of the finish...they are set to go on the air around 12:45! Hurry up, the show is about to start!!!!

Baker Still Ahead on the Trail

The GPS tracker is showing Baker ahead by 9 miles! Ramey seems to be slowing...or going uphill....stay tuned!

Its a Nail Biter!!!!

Two Teams, Two Men, and 21 dogs.....after 925 miles, it has come to a differential of only 51 minutes. The best finish ever for Baker has been 3rd..the best finish ever for Ramey has been third...looking at the old stats, Baker typically does this 77 mile of trail in about 10 hours...Ramey typically does it in 9. Ramey packed white mukluks in his food drop bags....just for this leg of the race. What are white mukluks? They are the equivalent of Alaskan running shoes. Yes, the reason Ramey always does good on this part of the trail is becasue he runs behind his sled...yeah, he RUNS to Nome with his dog. How I wish I could be on Front Street to watch the finish of this Historically FAST race.....the record is about to be broken, and we might well have a foot race down Front Street in the end! Needless to say Im leaving work early to see the finish from here!

Iditafans...We got A RACE TO NOME!!!

This is simply amazing! Ramey Smyth...on a little over 2 hours of sleep, took off after Baker from Koyuk earlier today, and chased him right on into White Mountain!!! Fifty one minutes after Baker pulled into White Mountain, Ramey Smyth pulled in....and as I said before, he is KNOWN for his fast runs to Nome from White Mountain! Now both Teams have to rest for 8 hours....Baker will leave White Mountain at 5:03 our time....Ramey will leave at 5:54....may the swiftest Musher win!!!

Baker Just Outside of White Mountain!

Wow...what a day! John Baker looks like he may clinch his first Iditarod Win tomorrow...but first he has to get to White Mountain. There will be a mandatory 8 hour rest for all Mushers in this checkpoint 77 miles from the finish line in Nome. So, the way they file into White Mountain, will be the order they leave White Mountin tomorrow. Right now, Ramey Smyth is just 4 miles behind Baker...and Ramey is KNOWN for his fast runs into Nome from White Mountain. It will be a good race to watch for sure!

Baker is about 13 miles outside of White Mountain right now, and it looks as though Ramey is traveling slightly faster 4 miles behind him. The closer Ramey can close the gap in the next few hours will be critical for his chances to overtake Baker tomorrow on their mad dash to Nome!

A Face of a New Race

Even though Baker slipped out of Shaktoolik before the pack came in....it didnt take too long for the pack to take chase. Instead of resting in Shaktoolik as Baker did, Gatt, Smyth, Neff and Schnuelle ran right through the checkpoint cutting Bakers lead to 4 miles! Dallas Seavey also broke away from the pack he was running with to try to push the leaders along, and maybe pick up some places. Gatt was first off the ice after Baker, followed closely by Smyth. Right now both Schnuelle and Neff are approaching the checkpoint of Koyuk. Will Baker bolt out of there soon? Why didnt he already leave? He has 3 hours more rest than the chase pack...they will have to rest in Koyuk for sure. Could this be a turning point in the race? Will that 3 hour rest in Shaktoolik cost Baker the race? Or will that rest reserve give his Team the edge?

Wish I didnt have to go to work today...this is going to be a great day to watch this race unfold. Before the race to Nome, there is a race into White Mountain first, where each Team will have to take an 8 hour rest.....setting up the 77 mile sprint to Nome. Stay Tuned!

Gatt comes In, Baker goes Out

Its time for some hide and seek...an old school demoralizing tactic is a lead Team leaving a checkpoint a few moments before the chasing Team pulls in. This is what Baker has done to Gatt. Baker is now headed to Reindeer Cove and out onto the sea ice....its one of those nights Im going to keep the lap top within reach to watch the race into the night!

Baker in Shaktoolik!

Baker is in Shaktoolik!! Its actually suprising no one is really challanging his 2 hour lead over the rest of the pack. Gatt and Ramey Smyth have been the most aggressive thus far...the tracker shows Gatt now in second and Ramey Smyth 4 miles behind him...Neff and Schnuelle are just 3 miles behind Ramey...but that could just be a matter of stopping on the trail to snack the dogs on the trek over to Shaktoolik. As Baker rests, the pack gets closer.....and the next section of trail beyond Shaktoolik takes the Teams onto the sea ice of Norton Sound. This can be trecherous during storm events, such in the 1991 Iditarod. BUT not this year...not a storm in sight. It should be a nice run into Koyuk through the night. It will be interesting to see who rests in Shaktoolik, and for how long, before venturing out on the ice.

Baker with 24 mile lead!

The race continues up the coast, lead by John Baker! John arrived at the coast first, and was awarded the Gold Coast Award and $2,500 of gold nuggets. John is very well known here in Unalakleet...and there is much pride in town seeing one of their own leading the race! But John has to be smart...he has got a BUNCH of Teams behind him just waiting for him to make a mistake. Right now, the tracker is showing Gatt 24 miles behind Baker, followed by Ramey Smyth only 3 miles behind Gatt, then Sebastian Schnuelle a few miles behind Ramey, Hugh Neff only a mile behind Schnuelle! Dallas Seavey, Sonny Lindner and Dee Dee Jonrowe have not left Unalakleet yet, and Royer, Mackey and Sven Haltman are making their way into Unalakleet right now. The race up the coast will continue through the night!

Baker Into Kaltag!!

Wow....long run into Kaltag. They moved the Eagle Island Checkpoint about 9 miles south...so the trek into Kaltag was LONG to say the least. BUT, the race is really developing. Baker is IN Kaltag, with a good lead over Ramey Smyth,Schnuelle, Neff, Redington, Gatt, Linder, Jonrowe, Buser and Mackey....in that order according to the GPS. Royer is in the mix too, but according to the Stats she has not taken her 8 hour rest on the Yukon yet. If that is true (the Stats are REALLY behind, GPS is on demand and shows her progress) she will drop in the rankings as she rests. If she has already taken her 8 hr, then she is in a race for a top ten spot.

The Pack Takes Chase

Well...it too 2.5 hours after Baker left...but now a pack of Teams have taken chase! Led by Schnuelle, followed by Neff and Ramey Smyth a minute later, with Gatt finishing out the Pack. Redington and Sonny Linder have also left Eagle Island about a half hour after Gatt. Most of those Teams, including Baker rested in Eagle Island for 4 hours.....Neff, Lindner and Redington rested an hour or 2 more than the others....we will see if that helps them with speed along the trail. Oh, and I cant help but notice Mackey is still in Eagle Island...there was rumor he would be dropping his leader there, but maybe he is hoping the extra rest will allow him to leave with at least 9 dogs. We shall see what he does very soon!

BAKER leaves Eagle Island!

Jonny Baker just left Eagle Island....who will jump out and take chase first?

Rounding Out the Top 9 into Eagle Island

I just checked the stats myself, and Sonny Lindner is in 5th, with Hans Gatt coming in 15 minutes later, Schnuelle coming in 7 minutes after, then Ramey Smyth 2 mintes after Sebastian, and then Martin Buser in 9th coming in 7 minutes after Ramey.

I call that a RACE!

Amazing Race

Amazing...this is so close, with a lot of trail yet to go. John Baker is in first by only a half hour...Neff is in second, with Mackey a half hour behind him, and Ray Redington Jr. only 15 minutes behind Mackey and posting a slightly faster speed.

The next section of the race will continue on the Yukon River...its a 65 mile trek up into Kaltag and should take 6 to 8 hours. So far none of the leaders have left Eagle Island Checkpoint.

There are reports that Mackey may have to drop his Leader....that would put him down to 8 dogs. He simply does not have the dogs to compete for a 5th win...and right now he said he will be happy to be somewhere in the top ten. His dogs are eating well, and are healthy and happy...if he had 12 of them he would probably be in the lead!

Baker is in his home territory. He mentioned earlier he would wait until the Yukon to "start racing". If you remember last year he was in the lead headng into Iditarod when he thought he was on the wrong trail and stopped. Dallas Seavey came along and passed him, but at that point Baker knew he WAS on the trail...this cost him 5 hours and the lead last year...maybe even a win. BUT its a new year, and he has one of the best looking Teams...could this be the year Baker wins his first Iditarod?

Then there is Hugh Neff. Hugh was first onto the Yukon, but is sitting in second right now. Reports are his Team just doesnt look as strong as Bakers...and Hugh even admitted at his Avik dinner that he has problems on the coast. Last month he was leading the Yukon Quest for most of the race, then towards the end of that race his Team had trouble and he had to scratch. Dallas Seavey went on to win that race!

Its funny that in both these instances, it was young Dallas Seavey who picked up the "ball" and ran with it!

Ray Redington Jr has a very strong Team as well, and is picking up on the Leaders. Watch for him to ease into the top 3 positions soon.

Buser is in 5th right now, posting some slow speeds. Just a few short days ago he was in the lead...his Team just seems to be losing speed. Rumor has it Martin fell asleep on his sled from Shaguluk to Anvik. I wonder if that is true.

So my fellow Arm Chair Mushers...keep and eye on the stats and check in often through the day....because ANYTHING can happen....ANYTHING...just ask Mitch Seavey who is recovering from a 2 hour surgery to attach his finger back onto his hand!

Race Up the Yukon!

And their off....AGAIN! Neff, Baker and Mackey all waited out their 8 hour and left...Neff first, Baker 15 minutes later, and Mackey about 45 minutes behind Neff. 20 miles later they checked into Grayling...Baker and Mackey are closing in on Neff....Baker was just 5 minutes behind him and Mackey was about a half hour behind him! Now I check the tracker....Baker has passed Neff and now is a mile ahead of him...and Mackey is a mere 4 miles behind Neff......5 behind Baker! They are racing up the Yukon......Eagle Island is next...about 50 more miles down the trail....its going to be a long night....for ME! Is this exciting or what?????

Baker and Schnuelle into Grayling

As the other leaders spend their 8 hour rest in Anvik...and Hugh Neff also gets to eat his HUGE meal, Sebastian and Hans Gatt went through to Grayling...where they sit right now. The trail from Iditarod to Shag was perfect, inspite of all the talk of a sugar soft trail! Rumor has it that Gatt and Baker have very good looking Teams, and Neffs Team was eating very good too...always a good sound of a well tuned and happy team! As soo as there is some movement on the trail, I'll post again!

Schnuelle in and OUT of Anvik!

As all the other lead mushers take a break in Anvik...Sebastian and his Team of "elderly" dogs (thats how he described them in an interview) rested a whole 4 minutes before heading down the trail. He is now a mile outside of the checkpoint going about 7 mph. I wonder if he is going to stop and rest further down the trail? Grayling is 18 miles away.....could he be going all the way there? Very interesting Mr. Schnuelle!

Neff First into Anvik on the Yukon!!!

Congrats go out to Hugh Neff, who reached the Yukon first in Anvik...he will be rewarded with an 8 course gourmet dinner!!!! Well deserved Hugh! Not only will he be well fed, but he will also recieve the "after dinner mint" of $3,500 in one dollar bills!

Baker and Mackey rolled in shortly after along with Buser. Redington and the rest of them are on their way as well.

Its looking like everyone is resting up now...I believe Baker may have even claimed his 8 hour mandatory stay (it MUST be taken on the Yukon....Anvik is the 1st checkpoint on the Yukon the 8 hour can be claimed, and Kaltag is the last checkpoint where it can be claimed(there is about 150 miles of trail on the Yukon from Anvik to Kaltag). The southern route goes UP the Yukon, typically into the wind, so that may affect mushers as they trek up the river.

It will be interesting to see who cuts rest first to continue up the Yukon to Grayling. I dont remember a race with so many Teams in a position to take the lead. This certainly is an amazing race!

Id also like to take a moment and aknowledge Trent Herbst....who was the first Musher into Iditarod. Trent was not technically in the lead for the race, BUT he was in the lead to get to Iditarod first while others were breaking for their 24 hour rest back in Takotna. Trent is a 4th grade teacher in Idaho...and his students actually helped him pack his food bags for the Team! I can imagine his class telling friends and family "my Teacher got to the the halfway point FIRST with his dog team...and I helped him feed his dogs"!

Neff, Baker and Mackey on way to Anvik!

Gatt and Redington have opted to rest a bit in Shag....BUT both Lance and Buser have taken pursuit after Baker and Neff! Mackey came into Shag 2 minutes ahead of Buser....Mackey came in with 9 dogs and left with 9 dogs...Buser came in with 14 and left with 14. Mackey is posting a better average speed than Buser, even though Buser has 5 more dogs in harness....picking up 21 minutes on Buser! Anyhow, its an easy 25 mile run on a good snowmobile trail to Anvik....usually done in 2 to 3 hours. There is a total spread of 40 minutes on the "time out" of Shag between the first to leave (Neff) and the last to leave (Buser). At an average sped of 7 mph, look for them to be ringing the bell in Avik when the first musher arrive on the Yukon around 9:00-9:30!!! POST SCRIPT: Redington sat in Shageluk checkpoint for 17 minutes, then changed his mind and is now off to Anvik along with Neff, Baker, Mackey and Buser! Neff is 13 miles outside of Anvik, with Baker only a few miles back...WHAT A RACE!!!!

Teams File into Shageluk!

I for one have had a WONDERFUL morning…up at 4 am and was glued to the GPS Tracker, watching the jockeying of positions from Iditarod to Shageluk! The trail is reportedly soft and punchy…Sebastion was the first out of Iditarod, but I have learned via the Podcast on www.iditablog.com ,that Schnuelle has a “elderly” Team. 8 yrs old is considered old for a sled dog….but Sebastian has one 12 year old…and 2 - 10 year olds!!! So, in order for them to run slow (they will have more muscle issues if they run fast) he purposely gives them shorter breaks to maintain just one speed. Sebastian has been known to put rescue dogs on his Team….he is an all around “dog person” for sure! Go Sebastian!!

So, as they made their way to Shageluk, it became apparent that some teams do better in poor trail conditions. Namely Neff (first into Shageluk), Baker (second), Gatt (third)….and get this…MACKEY is 4th into Shageluk….followed VERY closely by Buser! Hugh dropped a dog and left for Anvik with 12 in harness…Baker took pursuit after Neff a mere 30 minutes later with 13 dogs. As I write this, the GPS Tracker shows Gatt is signing in right now, Mackey is next in line followed by Buser and Ray Reddington Jr. It might take a little time for the official race standings to show the stats on Gatt, Mackey, Buser and Reddington….but its DEFINITELY a tight race and it looks as though some of the Teams that had troubles in the beginning of the race are finding their groove on their way to the Yukon! Who will rest in Shagleluk, and who will race on into Anvik, where an 8 course meal awaits the 1st Team onto the Yukon!

The Trek to Shageluk

The Checkpoint of Shageluk is at mile marker 461....right now the tracker is showing Neff at mile 444, Baker at 443, Buser at 441, Mackey at 439 Redington at 438, Schnuelle at 433, Williams at 432, Lindner at 431, Dallas Seavey at 429 and Raymey Smyth at 425. Its like a march...a parade of Sled Dog Teams making their way towards Shageluk. With approximately 20 miles to go, and most lead teams moving at 8 or 9 mph, we should have someone making it to the checkpoint around 6-6:30 am or so. Now the Tracker is showing Neff and Schnuelle have stopped. Maybe Neffs shift for breaking trail has ended and he is ging to let someone else do some work? I believe it was Schnuelle who ventured onto the trail first out of Iditarod.....maybe he lead to mile 433...where he is still sitting right now. I cant wait to hear how the trail conditions were!!! Since I am off of work today, I should be able to post with more updates...so check back here aound 8 for an update!

After You.....

As of just a few moments ago, no one has ventured out on the trail towards Shageluk. Reports say the trail is deep and soft...because this part of the trail is only used for this race...it doesnt have the snow machines use to pack it down....so the hard and fast trail that the Mushers have gotten use to, is now a deep wallow of snow. The first few Teams may be able to stay on top of the crust, but with each Team that follows, the trail can turn into a sugar bowl real quick.

Mitch Seavey Scratches!!!

Mitch Seavey slices his fingers wide open in Takotna while opening a bale of straw....he is listed as Withdrawn, which according to the official rules means the Race Marshalls had to step in and make the decision for Mitch. Mitch is being air lifted out to Anchorage, where I am sure he will need to be stitched up. Mitch leaves the race many believe he had a chance to actually win.

Race To Iditarod

It looks as though 3 Teams have left Ophir on their way to Iditarod....these Mushers would be Kelly Griffin, Trent Herbst and Cim Smyth...right now they are about 30 miles out from Iditarod, the halfway point and some gold nugget prizes! BUT, remember, none of these Teams have taken their 24, so they may look like they are in the lead, but really they are just in the lead to the halfway point. Buser bolted from Takatoa after his 24 hour (plus time differential from the start) and he is pulling a blistering pace through Ophir on his way to Iditarod. Mackey, Neff, Schnuelle and Seavey are between 14 to 20 miles behind Buser as of 5:30 this am (EST). Someone is going to have to cut rest to take the lead from Buser....but again, there is a lot of trail yet to cover....lots of places to play hide and seek...catch Buser if you can!

The Long Wait

Well...its been quite an uneventful day with the lead mushers taking their 24 hour layover in Takotna. There have been a handful of Mushers who pushed further into the next checkpoint of Ophir...probably just to get away of all the parked Teams in Takotna! No one took their 24 in McGrath...very unusual. The trail is so fast this year it seemed to push Mushers further along to their 24 hour layovers. The next question will be - who will get to Iditarod first and claim the halfway prize...and who will get to Anvik on the Yukon and claim that 8 course meal? Then on to the Coast in Unalakleet...and finally Nome. Yeah, there is A LOT more racing to be done...and there are many Teams in good positions. Like the lead Mushers, I also took my "24" today and celebrated Elizabeths birthday....but tomorrow, I'll once again hit the trail, finding out all I can about this Last Great Race On Earth!

Willomitzer Scratches

A bout of Kennel Cough has parked Willimitzers Team for this years Iditarod. Better luck next year Gerry!

Time for a 24 Hour Rest

Buser is in Takotna, along with Mackey and the rest of them. Go to the Iditarod link above to see the present standings. Lance is approximately 1.5 hours behind Buser, and others, like Neff and Sebastian have higher bib numbers, so Mushers like Mackey and Buser will have to wait out the 24 a little longer. Where to take the 24 hours is always a strategy. Many will take it here in Takotna...the up coming checkpoints are a little less hospitable for a 24. In the past, some have pushed onwards, but its a good bet many will be staying here in Takotna. The race has been fast thus far, and as such, you will see a slow down startng as Mushers drop dogs. Busers dogs are reported as being very energetic...and Mackeys dogs not so much. If any of you have watched previous races, Mackey can not be counted out quite yet...maybe they can find a 5th gear once they get a good 24 hour rest! Time will tell! Stay tuned!!!

Gebhardt Scratches!

Wow...Paul Gebhardt made the decision to scratch from the race...he says it was in the best interest of his Team. Better luck next year Paul!!!

We got ourselves a Sled Dawg Race!!!

Wow…a lot can happen in 24 hours! The Teams are moving well…and the Dallzell Gorge and infamous Steps are behind most of the favored Mushers. I watched a video of 3 crashes on the Steps…all I can say is OMG! Amazing…simply amazing! Buser was the first into Nikolai with 16 happy sled dogs! He rested for around 4.5 hours and he is back on the trail…again, with 16 happy and healthy dogs!

Lance Mackey isn’t as fortunate. He rode into the Nikolai Checkpoint with 2 dogs in his sled. And he actually had another tucked into his sled before reaching the checkpoint. He admits, he has a young team…not quite up to the task. Its ok Lance…take care of your Team first…you don’t need to win all 5 in a row! He left Nikolai with only 12 dogs. Go Mackey Go…safe travels to you and your dozen furry Team Mates!

As for the others who left Nikolai…there is Schnuelle, Neff (looking good Hugh!!), Bundtzen, Mitch Seavey, and Redington to name a few. And who the hell is Bundtzen??? This 61 year old Doctor is having a most amazing run…right up there with the “Big Boys”. I got to hand it to this guy…his interview was so honest you gotta love him! He says “the real strategy is on the coast…and I just don’t know how to do that”. Hey…at least he is honest! Again, you gotta love this guy! Hats off to you Dr Robert Bundtzen! Can I call you Bob?

Soon it will be time for the Mushers to take their 24 hour layovers (note to self…on my dream vacation, after all the hoopla of the start, restart, and fly in to Rainy Pass Checkpoint, it would be good to plan my return to the Dacks during the time most lead Mushers will take their 24 hour rest….hey…its good to plan ahead!!!)

Stories out of Rainy Pass and Rohn

Some stories are begining to trickle out of Rainy Pass and Rohn of TOUGH trail conditions on the Happy River Steps.. Rick Sweson has reportedly broke his collar bone, while Buser gets separated from 5 of his dogs (dont worry, they are ok and now back on Busers Team). The trail in this area is described as huge potholes, and Im sure there will be many broken sleds before its over! BUT....it looks as though Lance Mackey has made his way in and now OUT of Rohn, heading to the Farewell Burn out in front. I will be getting up in the middle of the night to check on his progress via GPS. Damn I love this race!

Rainy Pass and Beyond

Wow...what a day into Rainy Pass (note to self...on my dream Iditarod Vacation I MUST fly to Rainy Pass for the day!) where mushers filed in one by one...starting with 4 time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey...followed 20 minutes later by Ray Reddington Jr...two iconic names in Iditarod History. I would have loved to be there watching the dogs sleep on a bed of straw in the strong Alaskan sun. I hear it got up into the 20's today...good time to rest your Team! The leaders are back out on the trail right now...running at 8 to 10 mph...how long can they keep up this pace? Historically, it takes an average of 20 hours to get from Willow to Rainly Pass...but the first group into the check point did it about 2 hours faster!!??? Can this pace get any faster? Also, a group of Mushers took the wrong trail for a short bit, Dee Dee was one of them, and had to turn back and rest at Finger Lake Checkpoint. Poor Dee Dee!!! The next check point is Rohn...and the plot thickens!

And They're Off to Nome!

Hey Race Fans! Well, today is THE day the race actually begins. The mushers went out of the starting chute a few hours ago....took them about 2 hours to get all the mushers out on the trail, staggered at 2 minute intervals. Right now, the mushers will just get settled into a run/rest schedule....they typically wont make any big moves or go too fast too soon. Mackey and Gatt are both reporting they have really good teams this year..."the best ever". Mackey did mention he has 9 new dogs on his Team...thats a little different for Lance. Many of these dogs were on his puppy Team last year, so they do know the trail. Some of the real technical parts of the trail, like the Dalzall Gorge and the Happy Valley Steps will be coming up in the next few days. Lots of night running will be done, and they say it could be windy...but as long as the temps stay above zero it shouldnt be much of a factor...but if it drops it can get brutal real quick...like it was on the Yukon Quest just a few weeks back. I'll keep an eye on the Mushers via the GPS/Insider link and give updates as I see them. Probably not much to report until they get a few check points into the race and begin to pass through some of the notoriously difficult parts of the trail. Stay tuned...we should have a winner in about 9 days!!!!