Mitch Now is Passing Baker!

In a dramatic fight for 7th place, it looks as though Mitch and Baker are passing each other once an hour. Mitch is now trying to take the lead! Williams is one mile behind the battling Teams!

Baker and Mitch Battle it Out into Nome!

At 4 am....Mitch was in front of Baker....now, at 5:30 am, it looks like Baker has passed Mitch. They are both about 8 miles outside of Nome!

Aliy Holds onto 2nd Place!

She did it! Aliy comes in 2nd place, staying ahead of Ramey Smyth! Way to go Aliy! She said during an interview that from Kaltag to Unalakleet, her Team experienced a "hiccup"...and that was when Dallas made his move and won the race. She was amazed at his run, and felt he actually had it won all the way back in Tacotna just in the way he would think and stratigize...he did a great job. Aliy was clearly disappointed she did not "get the truck", but then again, there is always next year! We are proud of you Aliy!!!

Aliy SHOULD be the next Team into Nome

Aliy is 5 miles outside Nome....Ramey is still chasing her, but I think Aliy will hold onto 2nd! We will know within the hour!

Dallas Crosses under the Burled Arch

Congrats to Dallas!!! Youngest Iditarod Champion ever!

Alaska IditaBlog Website Down

If you are trying to access the Free live feed, it looks like their web site crashed! Too bad....there is less than a mile to go and its fun to watch the 1st team in! If you have an Insider Account, the Official Iditarod site is doing an awesome job with the coverage!

Aliy Staying Ahead of Ramey So Far

Aliy is about 4 miles ahead of Ramey....he is shortening the gap, but with each moment he is running out of time to catch her. This is a tremendous race for her, and now she is hopefully going to finish in 2nd place...I say hopefully, because Ramey Smyth is still on he prowl.

Nome Prepares for Dallas Seavey

Im wathing the Insider coverage of the race right now. Dallas is 5 miles outside the finish line...they just put a microphone on him. Nome is a bustle of activity right now. And it has been confirmed, Dallas will be the youngest Iditarod Champion ever, at age 25!

UPDATE - Leaders Progress

Nome @ Mile marker 908

Dallas @ Mile Marker 901, traveling at 5.3 mph

Aliy @ Mile Marker 895, traveling at 4.0 mph

Ramey @ Mile Marker 892, traveling at 5.5 mph

WATCH OUT ALIY.....here comes Ramey!!!!

UPDATE - Leaders Progress

Nome Mile Marker 908

Dallas - At Mile Marker 897, going 5.5 mph

Aliy - At Mile Marker 892, going 4.9 mph

Ramey - At Mile Marker 886, going 7.1 mph

FINISH coming SOON. For those who do not have an Insiders account, click on Josh, Loren and Glens Iditablog from Alaska link at the top of the page. They will be posting a live stream of the finish FREE!

UPDATE - Leaders Progress

Nome - Mile Marker 908

Dallas - Mile Marker 893, going 5.4 mph

Aliy - Mile Marker 885, going 6.1 mph

Ramey - Mile Marker 879, going 6.8 mph

Given the present speed, Dallas will be in NOME around 10:30 - 11:00 pm EST. If you want to access a FREE live feed, go to the link a the top of the page (Josh, Loren and Gregs Blog from Alaska)They will probably start broad casting when the leader is just outside of Nome!

UPDATE - Leaders Progress

Nome - Mile Marker 908

Dallas - Mile Marker 884, going 6.2 mph

Aliy - Mile Marker 874, going 7.5 mph

Ramey - Mile marker 869, going 4.9 mph

Burmiester Heads Out Towards Nome

Aaron Burmiester, powered by Schnuelle and Royer Dogs, take off from White Mountain towards Nome. Aaron was hounded by Ramey last night, and has been quoted as saying "Ramey past my Team last night, Im glad I don't have to worry about him anymore". Everyone knows, when Ramey is in the chute after you....watch out...ALIY!!!

UPDATE - Leaders Progress

Nome - mile marker 908

Dallas - Mile marker 868, going 7.3 mph

Aliy - Mile Marker 861, going 6.6 mph

Ramey - Mile Marker 855, going 6 mph

Three Mushers On Their Way to Nome

Nome - Mile Marker 908

Dallas - Mile Marker 862, going 6.9 mph

Aliy - Mile Marker 855, going 7.8 mph

Ramey - Mile Marker 851, going 6.6 mph

As per GPS Tracker

Aliy is on her way to NOME

Aliy has left White Mountain to Nome. She knows it would be a hell of a triumph to beat Dallas, but she is motivated to keep on racing....especially since she has her friend Ramey Smyth about to set out to steal second place from her! She is pressured to race from both directions! Go Aliy...whatever the outcome, you did your Team proud!!

Dee Dee closing in on Ekran

Dee Dee is only a mile from Sigrid, and trying her best to position herself for a top ten finish. As it is right now, she is running in 11th place on her way to White Mountain!

After an 8 hour, 8 minute rest, Dallas is off to Nome!

There he goes....not sure what the delay was, but the stats show he stayed an extra 8 minutes. Good thing Aily is not that close to him! An 8 minute delay on a restart with Ramey Smyth next in the chute could cost you the race!

Aily is set to leave White Mountain at 1:25 EST heading to Nome, with Ramey some 40 minutes behind her, scheduled to leave at 2:17.

Minutes DO matter!

Redington Passes Mitch and Baker!

Redington passed Baker and Mitch.....looks like he will slip in and take the 6th slot. We shall have to wait to see where Baker and Mitch actually end up! In 8 hours it will be a whole new race for them anyhow. Baker is not known for speed...more known for not needing a lot of rest.

I don't mean to be an alarmist, but Dallas was suppose to be able to leave White Mountain at 8:14 am Alaskan time, that would be 12:14 EST, which was 15 minutes ago.....WTF? Hope its just a glitch in the GPS Tracker. I'll keep ya posted!

Redington Closes Gap on Baker and Mitch!

With Burmiester now in White Mountain in fourth place, Kaiser is about to claim the 5th slot and should be there in moments. I noticed Redington is now just a mile behind Baker and Mitch, who have been traveling together for hours now. This will be interesting to watch if Redington will be able to pass these 2 formidable competitors. I heard Mitch is not in very good spirits....disappointed in his Teams demeanor. Im sure they can feel his disappointment. But his son IS posed to win this thing...c'mon Mitch...you got something to cheer about!

Ramey Going to TRY to Catch Aliy!

Its going to be VERY close....Ramey even predicts it will be "by minutes" that he either catches Aliy or comes into Nome right on the heels of her sled runners. Both Aliy and Ramey concede that Dallas is going to win this...but the race for second is definitely ON. Aliy will start out around 1:25 EST, and Ramey about 52 minutes later. I will be literally glued to the GPS tracker as these two set out for Nome this afternoon. I REALLY wanted Aliy to win this race, so now that the best she can do is second place, I start to turn my attention to the 2012 Iditarod Mug Board, and on my Office board I have Zirkle coming in 3rd....5 points for me if that happens! NOT that Im going to root for Ramey to pass her...but IF he is able to catch her, at least I can get some points on my board for her efforts!

Top ten headed to White Mountain

OK....we got Dallas, followed by Aily....that is set. Then there is Ramey now 4 miles out. The nearest Team from him is Kaiser, 27 miles behind, and then both Baker and Mitch 9 miles behind Kaiser, and then Burmiester is only a mile behind them! As you can see, the top ten will be hard to predict into White Mountain, and then again to Nome later on today. 1,049 miles, and it will come to minutes, maybe even seconds, to separate out the Teams into finishing places!

Dallas and Aliy into White Mountain!

At 4:14, EST, Dallas and his Team of lively huskies slid into White Mountain. At age 25, he is on the edge of winning the 40th running of the Iditarod! Aliy JUST came in as well....so it looks as though Dallas has a little over an hour onto her. Aliy will have to keep a fast pace into Nome to defend a 2nd place finish after her 8 hour rest, because Ramey Smyth is now only just 5 miles out. Smyths Team is FAST....yes, he fell off his sled early on, and he was hanging back the whole time, but here is when Ramey really excels. He came in 2nd last year. Watch out Aliy...this guy is going to hunt you down on those last 77 miles to Nome!

Zirkle and Seavey 1 mile Apart - Ramey Smyth Comes Outta Nowhere

Aily, as predicted, stays at Elim exactly 2 hours....Dallas's also has rested some, but we dont know exactly when on the sea ice he bootied up, because his GPS Tracker signal was hidden for a bit....but now we have them 1 mile apart. Ramey Smyth blew through Elim now too, and appears to be parked on the sea ice for a rest about 8 miles back. Ramey is a power house, and is known to excel on this last part of the race at blistering fast speeds. He may challenge them both once he gets 8 hrs rest under his belt! Aaron Burmiester, 2 miles behind Ramey, has also gone through Elim and is now also on his way to White Mountain.

Remember...White Mountain is where they all must stop for an 8 hour rest. The order the file in, is the order they file out to Nome. Its important to push as hard as you can on this 47 mile leg into White Mountain to better your chances to catch the leader into Nome.

This rae is amazing!

Aliy Parks it in Elim

Aliy is taking advantage of the warm water and heated sleeping quarters at the Checkpoint. I did some research, and apparently Dallas often slips into a checkpoint, grabs some straw, and travels out onto the trail to camp. Still though, I think Aliy made a smart move here and stayed where the water is heated so she can catch some sleep. Its just going to be a short stay....i bet she will pull out at around 10:00 EST. Id love to see her pull the hook earlier, but I bet she will stay at least 2 hours.

Last look at the GPS, has Dallas still parked a mile outside town. The rabbit and the hound chase has turned into a cat and the mouse head game.

Interesting Choice by Dallas

Dallas got to Elim Checkpoint, grabbed some straw, and traveled just a mile before stopping to rest. Now, it is customary to stop in Elim and hydrate the dogs...2, 3 hour tops. Musher sleep deprivation is at its height...a checkpoint at the very least has water and a place to sleep...if even for 15 minutes between tending to your dogs with some hot gruel of kibble and meat for a full 2 hour rest for them. I have never seen a musher doing this at this stage...passing by the hospitality of a checkpoint to go essentially camping for a few hours? Its more effort to do that...thats why most mushers stay at the checkpoint. Now Dallas has done this too in Shaktoolik....one advantage is your competition doesn't know when you leave....you can slip into the night unannounced. So advantage Dallas. But, as Bruce Lee said in his commentary, this race will come down to efficiency in the rest periods...how long does it take to bed them down and feed them...and possibly get a cat nap yourself. Sleep deprivation can only be tamed by a 15 - 20 minute nap when you can catch one. If you need to feed and tend to your dogs, I'd think you would want a little shelter from the cold...some heated water at the very least provided by the check point. Lets see what Aily does.

Dallas Has the Edge

Heading into Elim, Dallas is now 2 to 3 miles ahead of Aliy according the GPS tracker. The rabbit Dallas has control of the hound...but what will happen at the next checkpoint in Elim. Elim is only 3 miles in front of Dallas, and TYPICALLY, mushers take a little break to hydrate the dogs with a soup of kibbles and meat. ...it takes about 2 hours to feed and rest your dogs. Then its a 47 trek over to White Mountain for an 8 hour rest. Aliy is running out of options. She is 2 to 3 miles behind Dallas. Its now or never...got to think outside of the box. IF Aliy feels her team is up to it, she will cut rest to the point SHE is comfortable. Its the spirit of her Team who will actually make the decision....if her Team NEEDS rest, she will rest them, and settle for a comfortable 2nd place finish. IF her Team IS up to it...watch for Aliy to cut rest, and become the rabbit, if even for a short time. What does she have to loose? Once in White Mountain, the clocks will be reset...EVERYONE gets an 8 hour rest before dashing 77 miles to Nome to win the race. This is a tight race...and decisions in Elim will essentially define the race to Nome.

BTW....it feels like -30 out on the ice

Yeah...with a light breeze out on the Norton Sound....it feels like MINUS 30 out there. No horizon, no shelter....just ice and the Teams.

Dallas and Aliy on the ice!

Aliy rested for 2 hours in Shaktoolik, Burmiester rested for 4 hours....Dallas stopped for only minutes, but then rested his dog outside of the checkpoint. Right now, at 4:30 am EST, both Dallas and Aliy are out on the ice. Dallas in the lead by about 7 miles, while Aily is driving at a good clip behind him. Burmiester is a few miles from the ice about 8 miles behind Aliy.

Baker and then Mitch left Shaktoolik, both had 2 hours rest.

I wish I didnt have to go to work today!

King Scratches

King Scratches due to sickness in his Team. They didnt eat well in Kaltag...the first sign of a problem. He pulled over to rest his team, when the "violent" bouts of diarrhea began. He will be getting his Team to Nome by plane, and watch the rest of the race from the sidelines.

Mitch and Kaiser Join the Chase

Mitch Seavey and then Pete Kaiser have taken to the trail...so now we have 6 Teams heading to Shaktoolik. The 3 front runners, Dallas, Burmiester and Aily, have made it over the Blueberry Hills and are now in the flats heading to the checkpoint about 7 miles away. Dallas has a 4 mile lead over Aily, and a 2 mile lead over Burmiester.

What is King up to?

Jeff King has spent many hours today parked 11 miles just outside of checking in at Unalakleet. It looks as though he is taking rest at one of the cabins along this ancient portage trail, and will quite likely check in and out if UnK in one swift move. His times have been really good when he has been on the move. Wonder what he has planned for the run over the ice???

The race to Shaktoolik

Dallas is in front, but Burmiester is right behind him...it looks like less than a mile. Aily is bringing up the "rear", and is now only 2 miles behind. This is anyone's race...even though I have Dallas to win on one of my boards....I'd love for Aily to win, especially since this is the 25th anniversary of Susan Butchers first win. Guess I'm a bit nostalgic. Baker and Mitch have also taken chase, and are about 19 miles behind the leader Dallas. Watch for Dallas, Burmiester and Aily to check into Shaktoolic around 10 - 10:30 tonight. Often times the musher will stay long enough to hydrate the dogs with some gravy kibble with meat, before heading out onto the sea ice of Norton Sound. Its about 50 miles on the ice before they reach the safety of Koyuk. Stay tuned!

And Their Off!

Burmiester went first at 4:30 with 14 dogs, followed at 4:45 by Dallas Seavey with 11 dogs, and followed at 5:01 by Aliy with 12 dogs. The race up the coast is ON! I'll report on their way to Shaktoolik, 45 miles to that checkpoint!

The Next Leg of the Race

Lets break down the last third of this race....its all along the Bering Sea Coast, and there is one section when the musher has to go across the frozen Norton Sound. Even a light 10 or 15 mph wind, can make it feel like 50 below out there...and that is what is forecast for the next few days. The mushers will be exhausted at this point, and many will tell stories of hallucinations as they make their way across the frozen expanse, with only their Team to keep them in touch with reality. If the wind picks up too much, ground blizzards can occur in a heart beat. In 1991, 2 mushers, Atkins and Wittemore, were trapped by a blizzard out on the ice. They spent the whole night out there in gale force winds. There is a great documentary on the 1991 Iditarod called "Expeditions to the Edge". Its a good reminder of how dangerous this portion of trail can be!

Back to the 2012 Race...Dallas shaved near 2 hours off of Aily's lead in this run. His Team may be peaking. It will be interesting to see if he will be the first one out of Unalakleet, and thus capturing the lead of this race...or will he prefer to continue to play the hound, and make the leaders push themselves to a slower and slower pace? This race is still wide open when it comes to the lead pack....but after seeing Dallas shave off 2 hours in this run alone, one has to wonder what else his Team is capable of doing as they run down the coast!

Aliy Arrives on The Gold Coast First!!

Aliy holds onto a 7 mile lead into Unalakleet, capturing the Gold Coast award as her nearest competitor, Dallas Seavey, who has already passed Baker, Burmiester, and his Dad Mitch on the 90 mile trek over from Kaltag, tries to chase her down. There is no doubt about it...watch for Dallas to make a move in this next leg of the race. An hour isn't much of a lead. I would think all the Teams will stop at Unalakleet for a bit.....first one that cuts race will take the lead in this Great Race to Nome!

Way to go Aliy!!!

Dallas Seavey is Picking Up Speed

The GPS Tracker is showing Burmiester is now 6 miles behind Zirkle, and Dallas is a mile behind Burmiester, passing Baker on he trail. King is 15 miles behind Zirkle, and cruising at a speed of 7 mph. Mitch Seavey is stopped at the moment. Its minus 31 degrees out....making it very uncomfortable for the Mushers. The dogs typically do good in 20 to 25 below....30 below isn't that much different for them I would think. The good thing for dogs AND mushers, is the winds are calm..right now. If you didn't know the 30-30-30 rule..its a fact that when its 30 below, and the wind is blowing at 30 mph, exposed skin freezes in 30 seconds. A calm wind is a blessing at this point in the race!

Its also worthy to note Ken Anderson hopped through Kaltag, only saying for a few moments, and is now in the leader pack in 7th place. He is running a different rest run schedule, which may play out for him as the get to the last leg of this race. This is very typical for Anderson....he comes outta no where!

I am eager to hear all the talk once the Teams make it into Unalakleet. I believe Dallas, King and Burmiester have the strongest teams, and even if Baker is slower....he has the tendency to stay consistent...a consistent march to Nome, a tactic that won him last years race.

Zirkle may be in a bit of trouble here. I was hoping she would have slipped out with 4 hours rest from Kaltag, playing mind games with the hounds by leaving before they could see her.. This is an old school move. But Zirkle's team must have needed the rest.....its a 90 mile haul to the coast from Kaltag, and Zirkle stated she needed to put some gas, ie rest, in her team before moving on. This was not a tactical move...but rather a necessary one. It was the first sign of weakness in her team, because at that point in the race, if you could jump out in front of the chasers like that, you would have done it. But instead, she traded her lead in for rest. And at the moment, that exchange may not equate into a win for her. But it was probably the best move for the health of her Team. Teams that win the Iditarod, tend to rise to the occasion....Mushers have described this like being on a magic carpet ride...their teams find another gear late in the race, and the drive to get to Nome is instinctive. If Aily's Team can not find this higher gear, then she may fall back some, and become one of the hounds in the pack, chasing after a new rabbit!

9 miles to Unalakleet....an hour and a half...look for Aily to arrive at the Coast around noon EST. She will be awarded the Gold Coast Award for being the first musher there!

Race Tightening

The GPS shows Aliy now only 7 miles ahead of the chase pack, lead by Aaron Burmiester. She is about 17 miles away from the Bering sea coast village of Unnalakleet. At her present speed, she is still 3 hours away from reaching the checkpoint. watch for the lead teams to be filing into Unalakleet around noon today (BTW... don't forget to move your clocks forward for DST!).

Mackey and his Team

Folks may be wondering what happened to 4 time Iditarod Champion Mackey. Well, poor Lance has once again, for 2 years running, had troubles with his Team. There is a video on the Insiders that shows his frustration by saying "we haven't run anywhere....but we will walk forever". And "is it possible to win the Iditarod AND win the Red Lantern....seriously?" He is totally frustrated having his team blow up like this 2 years in a row...he is being passed by dogs who did not make the cut onto his Team....its really sad. Mackey is going to have to rebuild his program, do something different. Because whatever he has been doing for the past 2 years, ain't working!

Aliy Still in Lead to Kaltag!

GPS shows Aliy holding her 9 mile lead on the 90 mile trek from the Yukon river Village of Kaltag, to the Bering Seas Coast checkpoint of Unalakleet. Baker has been passed by Aaron Burmiester, and Dallas and Mitch are riding together behind them...the chasers are all in a very tight group. Remember....Aliy has more rest than the chasers got, and right now she is just over halfway to Kaltag. Lets hope she can maintain the lead. Burmiester is making a move...one of which has been calculated from way back. For the entire race, he has held his team to no faster than 8.5 mph....they can go under, but no running wide open....Dallas may be doing the same. These Teams have a lot in reserve, and it will show on this run and along the coast. Aliy is putting up a good fight, but will her 1 hour lead be enough to sustain a win? Time will tell, with 300 miles of race yet to go!

The Rabbit Leaves Kaltag, and the Hounds Take Chase

After resting her Team for nearly 5 hours, Aily is once again on the trail, followed closely by Baker and Mitch, now just 10 miles behind. Aily has dropped 2 dogs and is now down to 12. Baker had 12 when he came into Kaltag, but the stats have not yet updated for his departure. Talk on the forums no longer give the edge to Zirkle....its back to a wide open race...they say. Why? One reason is John Baker...he trains in this area....the sea coast is his home, and his dogs typically excel in this part of the race. Dallas and King also both have very strong looking Teams...Aily is going to have to work hard to keep in front...she came into Kaltag with a 3 hour lead....but she traded in some of that lead for rest. We have yet to see if that gamble will pay out in her favor. As she said in an interview...she can't make a 100 mile trek to the coast without a rested Team. So, while others cut rest to take chase, she hopes her Team will out run the hounds on the way to the coast! Go Aily!!!

Aily arrives in Kaltag!

Aily is the first musher to arrive in Kaltag!! She has about 3 hours on the nearest Musher...John Baker and Mitch. Baker is running right in front of Mitch, and right behind them is Burmiester. Dallas and King have also left Nulato, and Mitch dropped back and is now are 28 miles from Kaltag! Aily is probably settling in for some rest and hot meals for her Team in Kaltag, they deserve it by just finishing an incredible 135 mile run from their 8 hour rest in Galena! Will she slip out right before the next Musher arrives? Some of these Teams rested in Nulato...like Dallas, King and Dee Dee...they all rested 2 to 4 hours before hitting the trail to Kaltag. Mitch rested earlier on the Yukon, so he blew right through. Burmiester and Baker seem to have a lot of reserves, and are showing their Teams strengths...its a long way yet to go. It will be interesting to see if Aily cuts out before they get there, or shortly after they arrive.

Aily Zirkle In Control of Race

When asked if she is going to stay in Nulato, Aily replys with a laugh "No, Im trying to win this thing". Her dogs were perky and eating well on salmon snacks as the vets checked them over....then she was over the bank and back onyo the river. If all goes well, she will be in Kaltag by Noon (Alaskan time), which she can then rest her Team in the "heat" of the day....my bet is she will rest in Kaltag for 4 hours, and then set out on the trail at the "turn of light", which is the time of day which the dogs have instinct to run into the coming night. OR, she may opt to grab some straw and head to a BLM cabin to keep her chasers guessing. Who knows....but one thing is for sure...she is in control and her Team is doing great! Aily's Team makes a great "rabbit" for the hounds to chase!

Zirkle Blows Through Nulato on her way to Kaltag

As expected, Aily only spent a few moments in Nulato, and then her and her Team of 14 dogs continued out of Nulato towards Kaltag, 35 miles away. It should take her between about 5 hours to cover that distance, maybe longer if she stops to snack her dogs. Dallas is set to arrive in Nulato in about an hour given his present speed. He too, would quite likely blow right through since he rested some back in Galena. He is about 11 miles back from Zirkle right now. King is back behind Dallas, followed closely now by Mitch Seaveys Team, then Baker and Burmiester rounding out the chase pack. A good question is whats going to happen once in Kaltag? Most mushers will stop here for a rest after covering the 135 miles from their last real rest in Galena. But Mitch may make a move out of Kaltag early since he is the only musher who rested on the way. It will be interesting to hear how his team is looking as he goes through Nulato. Some Iditarods have been won or lost as to when to cut rest in Kaltag, and head to Unlakleet 90 miles away on the coast of the Bering Sea. A prize of $ 2,500 in Gold awaits the first musher to the Coast! There are 2 BLM Cabins on route to Unalakleet to also rest your Team comfortably.

No 7 course Dinner in Ruby this Year???

I just heard on Greg and Lorens Iditablog that the Millennium Hotel DID NOT sponsor the first to the Yukon award this year, which TYPICALLY is a 7 course meal with a "after dinner mint" of 3,000 crisp One dollar bills. Wow...no meal... that's incredible...its been a long standing award, and kind of a fun one at that! BUT, when the "Mushing Mortician" Scott Janssen (running in the 42nd spot) heard of the lack of award to the first musher on the Yukon, he quickly put up $ 3,000 of his own money to award Mitch for a job well done!

King Leaves Galena

King just left Galena with 14 dogs, the GPS has him clocked at 9.9 mph after 2:45 hours of rest. Look out Ailey and the Seaveys....the King is on the trail!

Zirkle passes Mitch on the Yukon!

Ailey JUST passed a resting Mitch Seavey Team on the Yukon....Ailey is driving about 7 mph. Dallas Seavey has taken chase from Galena, and is now about 11 miles behind Zirkle having rested his Team for almost 4 hours. He is traveling about 8 mph. No others from the Lead Pack have left Galena to chase after them. It has been Aileys BOLD move to shake things up a bit....up till this point the race commentators have only given her a polite "nod" to her advances....concentrating on the Seaveys, King, Backer and Burmiester as the Teams to "really" beat. But when Zirkle rested her Team outside of Ruby, allowing her to blow through Ruby and on to Galena with a strong Team, it was definitely a bold move AND it is a physiological move....everyone has now taken notice, and some folks are saying she can actually win this race, but its still to early to tell. Without resting in Ruby, she took away any chance her competitors had of sizing up her Team...if you want to see how Aileys Team is doing...your going to have to chase her out onto the trail. As Zirkle stopped for her 8 hr rest in Galena....Mitch took the lead, but he still had to stop on the river to rest. Report are its 22 below in Galena, probably a bit colder on the river...it has been said you don't want to camp on the river if its too cold....its best to keep moving. So, Mitch, being a Veteran Musher, must have really had to stop due to his Team running out of gas, not because he wanted to rest...they needed it. The trick is to rest your Team before they really NEED to. With 135 miles between Galena and Kaltag, with Nulato as a check point halfway, it makes more since to rest at the check points instead of in the wilds of the river. It must be brutal out there.....hopefully Mitch and his Team are sheltered from any wind blowing in their face on the Yukon. Weather reports are winds a calm in Galena, so that's a good thing for the Teams! Watch for Aily to make it into Nulato somewhere between 10 to 11 am EST. If Dallas keeps on traveling 8 mph all the way to Nulato, he will get there in about 5 hours....give or take, depending if he can hold an 8 mph pace. Wow...lots can happen here....many possibilities, one being once King hits the trail, look for a blistering pace to be set on his way towards Galena!!! And then there is the 2011 Champ Baker...like I said, SO many things can happen, with still nearly 500 miles to go!!!

Race on the Mighty Yukon!

Its 4:45 am here...Mitch checked in and out of Galena...it took him about 20 minutes longer for him to make the 50 mile run from Ruby with a well rested Team. Could this be a sign his Team is slowing? Dallas came into Galena about 16 minutes later, and is still in Galena. Baker came in about an hour and half behind Dallas, and both Burmiester and King pulled in about a half hour behind Baker. Right now, in Galena, King (the last in the "Lead Pack"), is running about 2 hours and 45 minutes behind Mitch, and made the run the fastest, shaving an hour off of Zirkles run and about an hour and a half off of Mitch's run. Everyone had a faster time than Mitch. Remember though, Zirkle was completing a long run from outside Ruby, on no rest, where Kings Team was fresh off of an 8 hour rest. The GPS shows Mitch now stopped on the Yukon at mile marker 531. Ailey has left Galena fresh off of her 8 hour rest...and is now moving at 7 mph at mile marker 520...a mere 11 miles behind Mitch. no one, at this point, has left Galena. The race on the Yukon has begun!

Ailey Declares 8 hour in Galena

Aileys Team slid into Galena looking perky and happy! She seemed in as good of spirits as her dogs! She did say that for the last few hours her team did slow down...she thought it was from the punchiness of the trail. She will take a rest there in Galena for 8 hours, and the rest of the Lead pack is already over halfway to her checkpoint. Its only a 50 mile run form Ruby to Galena, and quite likely the front runners won't be staying too long, if at all in Galena. IF Mitch makes it over in 6 hours, Ailey will still have to stay 4 hours before taking rest....and the leap frogging continues. Ailey will have to work hard to get back into the mix after her 8 hour rest.

Zirkle makes her Move

Lets see...where did I leave off...oh yes...the Seaveys along with the other top ten are waiting their 8 hour rest in Ruby, as expected. Ailey, also as expected, is trying to make a move now, by blowing by Ruby, and right now she is 4 miles outside of the Galena checkpoint....physically in first place, but technically already 8 hours to make up with the Leader Pack. Somewhere, in the next 150 miles....Ailey HAS to take an 8 hour break. I believe this is how Mackey won once...its a gamble, but can pay off. If you see Ailey rest just a bit in Galena....then jump back out to hold the lead...watch out...she will make it really interesting. If, however she drops stays, and lets the pack drive past as she takes her 8 hr...then watch for Baker to make a move on the Seaveys....and reports are that Burmiesters Team is the strongest looking Team parked in Ruby! Check in often...and when you go to bed....do the math and set the alarm...your musher might be checking in as the LEAD TEAM in the Great Race!!

BTW....Mitch is on the move....the race to catch the rabbit is ON!!!

Both Seaveys in Ruby!

As anticipated, Mitch Seavey makes it into Ruby first...its 25 BELOW zero, and he looked pretty cold and tired. His Team looked a bit worse for the wear as well. Mitch was followed in by his son Dallas just over an hour later. Dallas looked cold, but his dogs looked perky and fit. According to Bruce Lee, Iditarod commentator, this is perfect weather conditions for a sled dog race...for the dogs that is. They like it this cold as long as there is not a lot of wind. The musher however is a human...they are NOT comfortable in this kind of weather, definitely a weak link. So far, its just the Seaveys now in Ruby....but coming down the trail only 3 miles out is John Baker....then it looks as though Ailey is coming off her trail rest at 7.5 mph, passing Burmiester and is now only 7 miles outside of Ruby. It will be interesting to see if she stops at Ruby, or continues on down the Yukon before taking her next break...and thus taking the lead in this race on the Yukon River. The trail along the Yukon is a literal snow machine highway between river villages, thus connecting the villages along the way. So unlike the interior trail from McGrath to Ruby, all Teams will have a pretty good trail to move along on no matter where they are in the pack.

Is Anyone Hungry?

As the Lead Pack heads to Ruby on the Yukon, a 7 course gourmet meal awaits the first arrival (a shout out to my Office Arm Chair Musher co-workers....I'll bring the bagels on Monday to commemorate the first musher onto the Yukon!). It looks as though Mitch Seavey will be the first one into Ruby...with his son Dallas only back 9 miles from Dad! Next in will be Baker, right now about 11 miles behind Mitch. Mitch is still 12 miles outside of Ruby, but I think its safe to say a Seavey will be sitting at the Head Table in Ruby! I'll report later on the meal...all mushers will be able to enjoy the meal, which is served again in Nome at the Mushers Banquet.

What about Zirkle? She is parked at mile marker 439, and has been resting there for some time now. Chances are, she will blow right thru Ruby...right about when Mitch is enjoying his 6th course of his meal....watch for Ailey to take the lead down the Yukon. This is all speculation, but ever since Ailey stopped to rest on the way to Cripple, her Teams schedule is on a different run/rest schedule from the rest of the lead pack. Its leap frogging at its best! Oh, one more thing...all mushers are required to take an 8 hour rest somewhere along the 200 miles on the Yukon. So again...keep on eye on the stats, and if you see your favorite musher drop down, it could be they are just taking their 8 hour rest. It is possible many mushers will do this in Ruby....and if Zirkle takes her 8 hour rest beyond Ruby, watch for her to try to put enough space in between her team and her competitors before she stops for her 8 hour rest.

I am SO glad I DON'T have to work today...this weekend is Iditaweekend!!! I LOVE THIS RACE!!!!

Lanier Takes the Halfway Award!

Its official, Jim Lanier made it here to Cripple first, claiming the $3,000 prize by out running Trent Herbst and the Leaders off their 24 in Takotna. Just 20 minutes after Lanier arrived, Mitch Seavey pulled in. Herbst and Lanier will take their 24 hour rest here....the other Leaders will rest as well, but Im sure they will be on their way to Ruby after 4 or 5 hours. It was fun watching it all unfold on the GPS Tracker. I got company tonight, so I'm a little distracted...but I'll report when I see movement on the trail towards Ruby 70 miles up the trail, where a gourmet 7 course meal awaits the first onto the Yukon. Reports are Mitch Seavey has a really nice Team this year....and its showing in the standings. People describe his team as a "Champion" Team....will he hold that title all the way to Nome? Remember, only half the the race is done...now its on to the Yukon and a run to the Coast! Go Mitch! Zirkle remains out on the trail. She did rest some, but I'm concerned her team is wearing down. But since she has rested before reaching Cripple, she can actually blow through Cripple and on to Ruby. Lets see if this strategy works for her! Mackey made up some time from the long run from McGrath, and is now running with the leaders into Cripple. What a difference a day makes!

And Their Off!

Out of McGrath we have Mackey, moving 9 to 10 mph to make up time to cover the 18 miles he is behind. The Leaders are also hitting the trail out of Takotna, Mitch first, with a 15 minute head start over Zirkle....Dallas, Baker and King will take chase at their release times off their 24 shortly. No one has a insurmountable lead at this point! While Lanier and Herbst battle it out on little rest to get to Cripple first....I got to wonder if they know the lead pack has been unleashed, and actually has a chance to get there ahead of them. Teams off their 24 can run fast....but the Musher has to be disciplined....they don't want to burn their Team out...there still is 600 miles of trail left! Strategy really kicks in here. Burmiester, who is in the top 10 out of Takotna, has a GPS strapped to his handlebar...keeping the Team no faster than 8.5 mph. As Teams fluctuate between 5 and 10 mph, he hopes to hold a steady 8.5 all the way to Nome. Baker, winner of the 2011 Iditarod has been quoted as saying "we have not even begun to race". This is an amazing race....and its about to get a whole lot more competitive!

I REALLY have to get to work now!

Lanier Leaves Ophir First

Its Lanier as the first out onto the trail from Ophir on his way to the halfway mark of Cripple! Herbst has not yet left, but we can anticipate his move in the same direction soon. Meanwhile, back at Takotna, the leaders are preparing for their "restart" after a nice 24 hour rest. I am not sure of trail conditions, other than a lot of powder snow. The trail breakers are now ahead of Lanier and will not be returning. Its an 80 mile run from Ophir to Cripple.....the GPS has him running about 6.5 mph...we can anticipate his, or maybe even Herbst, stop into Cripple in about 11 to 12 hours. The Leaders out of Takotna should be running about 8 to 9 mph, covering the 100 miles to Cripple in about 11 to 12 hours IF the trail is good.....longer if not....plus you got to snack your dogs along the way. Depending upon how well rested the short stop in Ophir was for Laniers and Herbst's Teams, it could be a tight race to grab the $ 3,000 in Cripple!

And once again I have to go to work....damn!

Race to the Halfway Checkpoint of Cripple

Jim Lanier blew through Takotna, followed by Trent Herbst, the 2011 recipient of the Dorthy Page Halfway Award. There is $ 3,000 worth of gold nuggets waiting for the first Musher to check in! A Race inside the race! Lanier seems to be holding the lead thus far!

Lets do the numbers, shall we?

OK...Mitch Seavey will break his mandatory rest first because they are syncing the 2 minute staggered start. So it will be Mitch hitting the trail at 5 am EST, followed by Aily at 5:15, Dallas at 5:21, Baker at 6 am and King at 6:05. I won't bore you with the math....but as you can see this is a real tight race. Now...the way I figure it, the lead pack will be passing through Ophir around 8 am. If the Busers are putting in their 24, they wont be able to take chase until 5 pm.... that's 9 hours later! The prize in Cripple is still up for grabs! But wait....whats this...71 year old Jim Lanier making a move outta Tacotna! Is he going for halfway gold in Cripple??? If he passes by Ophir...he is going for the gold nuggets that await the first team to Cripple!!!

Have I mentioned I LOVE this race????

Everybodies Sleeping!

Wow...another day on the trail...most mushers are staying for their 24 hour in Takotna...as Mackey slid into McGrath, Ailey Zirkle and the rest of the lead pack, 18 miles ahead, were signing into Takotna. Most all mushers are on their 24 hour rests now. When they break their rest in the am, Mackey will be about 2.5 - 3 hours behind the front runners. But its early yet. Mackey pulled in with 2 dogs in the basket....it will be interesting to see how many dogs he leaves McGrath with. Martin Buser and son Rohn Buser surprised everyone by blowing right past Takotna on the way to Ophir. At first I was like....Wow...Father and Son making a bold move...but the Iditarod Insider narratives just say Buser always prefers to do his 24 hour rest in Ophir. And Rohn followed suit...like father, like son. I shall keep an eye on them through the night to see if either one of them makes a move to Cripple, 80 miles away. Or they may opt to sit out the 24 hour right there in Ophir. Cripple marks the halfway point.

Takotna, and some rest....maybe?

Looks like Ailey made it into Takotna first...Baker and her are already sitting there, but the stats have not yet been updated. As I sit here, Takotna is about to get a whole lot smaller with the rest of the lead pack filing in.....King and the Seaveys are just a mile outta town. Redington, Gebhardt, Neff and Burmiester will be there soon, now trailing 8 to 12 miles behind. I wish I didn't have to run off to work...because a huge strategy play is about to unfold....the 24 hour mandatory rest. Takotna has some nice things about it for a musher to sit back and rest the team, AND themselves...literally an army of volunteers have descended upon the small village and has been cooking up a storm in preparation for the layovers. Can you say Roast Beast and all the fixings? Anyhow, if that doesn't get a musher to stop for a 24 hour rest, maybe the fact the trail heading out of Takotna and into the heart of the race has a a bit of new snowfall....and by a bit I mean 2 feet of fresh white stuff. Now remember, if a Team rests for just a bit in Takatna, not declaring their 24, they could venture out onto the trail while everyone who did claim their 24 can only wave goodbye to them! Hey...a couple of roast beast samiches in the ole sled is good...right? And besides, there is a halfway prize at Cripple only 100 miles out...PLUS, the Iditarod Trail Committee will break a trail for you, and they only do that for the first Team. So when all the other mushers are sleeping, someone, I don't know who, could conceivably slip away from the pack. Of course they eventually will have to take their 24 hour rest somewhere down the trail, maybe at Cripple itself, or Ruby, where a 7 course meal waits the first musher! Many mushers have done this.....namely Mackey and Gebhardt, who went on to win the race. If the trail snows in behind the leader, that will only put more distance in between the rabbit and the hounds. Now...Mackey.....whats up with him? He is still in McGrath.....possibly taking his 24? Many mushers do that as well, which I think may be happening because his GPS is zero mph in McGrath. If he is taking his 24, he will slip on past the other mushers in Takotna as they finish their 24. But remember, a Team coming off their 24 is usually pretty fast....they could take Mackey pretty quick, this is far from over. And there is one more huge wild card, and not a really good one...this year there is a group of snowmobilers on vacation following the race. They have been approached and asked if they are going to break trail for the following pack, thus possibly changing the outcome (its been the custom that the Iditarod Sled Dog Committee breaks the trail for the lead team only). They say they won't, and everyone is hoping they stay true to their word. Because if they did decide to break the trail for the chasing teams, it would give an unfair advantage to the following pack, and totally mess with a bold move for any musher to take the lead out of Takotna. I sure hope they don't interfere with the race....let the Teams do the strategizing and may the best Team make it to Nome 1st! I got to head to work...ugggh!

The Pack Leaves Nikoli

Ailey Zirkle was the first out of Nikoli...but soon after she left, Baker took after her. Zirkles Team is much smaller and lighter than Bakers...her sled dogs are 40 to 50 pounds, as compared to Bakers 65 to 75 pound monsters....what does this mean? One word....Power. They still have 750 miles to go....and Bakers is steady....a steady trot to Nome. Ailey, in the past, has surged early, and then faded....but maybe this year is different. Go Ailey!!!! Mitch Seavey, Neff and King have also taken pursuit...5 miles behind Baker and Zirkle. No doubt Mackey will join the pack of hounds, in search of the rabbits being Zirkle and Baker. The race is on to the 24 hour layover...McGrath or Takotna.....or maybe Ophir or the halfway point of Cripple. Typically, Teams do their 24 in the bigger checkpoints of Takotna or McGrath....but some push on into Cripple to capture the halfway prize. We shall see. This race is just warming up! I hope to get up in the night for another report! Stay tuned and thanks for checking in!

On Past Rohn!

Looks like the head of the pack made it through the Dallzel Gorge just fine! Reports have been that both the Happy River Steps and the Gorge were no problem this year! This race is getting interesting. Neff, Mackey and Baker all rested about 4 to 4.5 hours in Rohn, and 9 other mushers blew right through! The GPS shows Zirkle Mitch, King and Cym Smyth all resting at mile 170, while Michelle Phillips, Ramey Smyth and Dallas are running about 8.5 mph, now 2 miles from the resting front runners. About 3 miles from the second moving pack, we have a surprise group of Mushers....the Iditarod current standings have not refreshed, but it looks like Tom Thurston, Brent Sass and Jodi Bailey are also on the move out of Rohn, now at miles 165 - 166! One can only assume they did not rest in Rohn very long, or at all. Kelley Griffin is at rest at mile 165.5, and Mackey is about to run right over her with a rested Team from Rohn....he is clocked at 9.3 mph, followed closely by rested Teams Neff and Baker. The GPS Tracker also now shows Redington, Gebhardt and Burmiester have just left Rohn...we can assume they also rested a bit in Rohn. Aily Zirkle was the first out of Rohn by about 45 minutes. It will be interesting to see how long the head pack rests, as Neff, Baker and Mackey will undoubtedly pass them all by. Interesting race thus far, with a lot of new names in the front of the pack! Wish I didn't have to go to work!

Cold Temps, Sleepy Musher, and Fast Trails!

Iditarod 40 is off to a fast start. Trail conditions thus far are perfect, but by mid morning the clouds came in and it began to snow. Reports say that on the west side of the Alaskan Range there is 4 to 6 inches of new snow. This could slow the Teams down a bit. With the sub zero (minus 25 - 15 degrees) temps, the trail has set up nice, but the new snow could put some drag onto the sleds. Veteran and 2nd place finisher in the 2011 Iditarod Ramey Smyth, pulled a Iditarod classic "oops" and fell asleep on the runner....falls off the sled, and has to chase his team down for 45 minutes. Lucky for Ramey, the dogs stayed on the trail and met up with Rohn Buser. Smyth caught a ride with another musher and within minutes of being picked up found his Team with Rohn. Lucky indeed! The standings on the Iditarod web site have been SLOW coming...but the GPS tracking is live...and right now we have Hugh Neff, bib number 23 out in front by less than a mile ahead of Redington, Bib #2, and Mackey, Bib #18. Zirkle, Bib 14, and Burmiester, Bib 44, are a few more miles back, with Baker, Bib #11 trailing them by 4 miles. Bib numbers are important at this point in the race for any kind of analysis...the higher the bib number the less time is tacked onto the mandatory 24 hour rest. Burmiester with Bib 44 is looking really good at this point...not physically in front, but by the numbers he is right up there. Burmiester is running with Schnuelle and Royer dogs...that Team is full of Veterans. The front runners will be heading down the Dalzell Gorge tonight and into Rohn. Trail conditions are good and hopefully it will be a smooth ride down this treacherous part of the trail!

2012 Iditarod has BEGUN!

I'm sitting here watching the 2012 restart.....this is when it gets real. Yesterday's Ceremonial Start was the fun part, but today the Mushers and dogs are all business. Trail conditions are varied, depending upon what part of this 1,000 mile trail you want to talk about. There are reports of 18 feet...yes, that's 18 FEET of snow fallen on the trail in sections up to Rohn. Then, there are even reports of NO SNOW in the Farewell Burn....but many don't believe that...they have heard that before and when they arrive on the Burn they have snow. Who knows until the first Musher gets there. Sigrid Ekran from Norway is one of the women who they say will break into the top 20...and Aily Zirkle is one they say just may break into the top FIVE! I'd love nothing more than to see a woman win this race again!!! Ramey Smyth, who came in 2nd last year, is running this year without his top lead dog Bishop.....but this Veteran Musher from Willow said he has 2 other dogs in his Team who can step up to the task. Dee Dee and Mackey when out back to back with bibs 17 and 18....and now Neff is starting his Trek...and yes, he is wearing his Cat n the Hat hat...Neff is fresh off his 26 second Yukon Quest win a few weeks ago...Neff is definitely one to keep an eye on! I got about another hour or so to watch the rest of the restart....then ALL WEEK I will be checking stats and blogging....so stay tuned. The Restart of the race is really JUST the beginning....many "tails from the trails" yet to be told as things unfold during the race. Stop back here often for full summaries and commentary....IditaDacks....the ONLY place you can get Iditarod coverage from the Adirondack Wilderness!