Dallas Wins Iditarod 2014

Here he comes.....Dallas has won Iditarod 42!  Aliy put in a great finish a mere 2 minutes after Dallas arrived!!   King scratched...his dogs got pinned down in the wind....what a race....what an amazing finish!  Congrats to Dallas and especially Aliy....you ran a great race girl!  That's got to be a record....3 second place finishes in a row!  And this one came down to 2 minutes....amazing!  As for Dallas.....I think he is just getting started on the number of wins he will string together in his career!  Congrats to both Aliy and Dallas for finishing such a tough race and breaking a race speed record!

Within a Mile of Each other!!

Dallas still leads by a mile.....we will have a winner within an hour!

20 Miles Of Drama

Dallas in front by a mile with 7 dogs and no rest....Aliy in chase mode a mile behind him with over a 2 hour rest back at the Safety Checkpoint....she has 10 dogs.

Typically the time it takes to travel from Safety to Nome is between 2 to 3 hours.  This is coming down to the wire!

Aliy Takes Chase!

Aliy is on the move with a rested Team and Dallas is laying the scent trail down out ahead about 2 miles.   22 miles left to Nome....we shall see how this plays out!

King Scratches - Dallas takes Lead

This is quite the dramatic finish.  King scratches outside of Safety, and Dallas makes a bold move and blows through the Safety Checkpoint taking the lead in the last 22 miles.  Aliy is still holed up at the Safety Checkpoint.

Dallas Still moving - Passes King

Who knows if Dallas realizes he just passed King.....he is about 4 miles outside the Safety checkpoint.  Aliy still has not ventured into the wind out of the Safety Checkpoint.  No telling what will be happening next!

Life Threatening Wind Locks Down Teams

According to the Iditarod Website, the wind is so brutal between Safety and Nome that it is imperative the mushers either seek shelter,mor at least stop for fear of being lost in the storm.  Aliy is reported to be in the Safety Shelter.....while King is holed up on the trail.  He and his team were blown off the trail when Aliy passed him.  She didn't even know he was there.  Information coming out of the official site is sporadic.  They are saying this race is essentially shut down.  I just hope all the teams on the trail choose safety first over trying to win this race.

Confirmed - Aliy is into Safety Checkpoint in First Place!!

It has been just posted on the Iditarod Website....Aliy is into Safety Checkpoint first!!  I'm a little worried about Jeff....he isn't moving out there, now about 5 mils behind Aliy.  The wind is bad and reportedly there is a ground blizzard with the little snow that is on the ground.  I wonder if Aliy didn't know she even passed King.  If he was off the trail she may not have seen him like when she unknowingly passed Buser coming into Unalakleet!  It looks like Aliy is snacking her dogs outside of Safety right now!

Aliy PASSES King!

Yeah baby....go, go, go!!  Aliy is into the Safety checkpoint FIRST.  Jeff looks to be about 2 miles behind now. Don't know what happened out there but Aliy would have stopped if Jeff was in distress. Now she is in the lead with 22 miles left to go!

King stopped just outside of Safety.....Aliy within a mile now!

I went to bed after seeing Aliy off to Nome from White Mountain.....set the alarm for 2 am figuring Id watch the tracker for the last 25 miles or so.  There are ground blizzards happening right now as seen on Sebastian's blog....visibility is near zero.  Jeff appears to be stopped....Aliy is within a mile of him.  He may be in trouble.  Aliy will help if he is in distress of any sort.  I'm making coffee.....a strong one....espresso....it's now 2:30 am and I don't want to miss a minute of this!

King to White Mountain First!

King pulls into White Mountain about an hour ahead of 2012 and 2013 runner up Aliy Zirkle.  The conditions were horrible, and Kings larger dogs had a better time of it on the glare ice...and the wind...the 40 mph wind was simply unyielding.  Followed about 2 hours behind Aliy was Dallas Seavey, then his father Mitch.  Buser had slowed and is still out there.  According to the tracker the Norwegian Joar Ulsom is going to arrive to a White Mt in 5th position, then 64 year old Sonny Lindner in 6th, THEN Buser in 7th.  There is then a bit of a gap and we have Burmiester in 8th with his blown ACL making his way to a well deserved 8 hour rest in White Mountain.   There is a long gap and Kelly Maixiner comes into view then Hugh Neff rounding out the top 9.  There is a battle for the 10th position in a little cluster of Reddington, Royer and Hans Gatt.  That will be interesting to watch all the way into Nome!

Race to White Mountain

This is it...the race to White Mountain and the set up for Nome is on!  Both King and Aliy have taken to the trail....according to the tracker Aliy is a mere one mile behind King!  Also, Dallas has indeed passed Buser en route to Elim!  The trail is reported to be ice and minimal if any snow cover.  Winds are estimated to be 20 to 30 mph....that's sustained wind, not gusts.  In what they call the "blow holes" along the coast the wind will be even higher.  Races have been won and lost here along the coast. Ground blizzards could eliminate the trail...however this year with nominal snow cover this may not be a problem...but you need a leader who will put his or her nose into the wind and march on towards Nome!

We shall know the order of departure to Nome once these 2 get to White Mountain for a mandatory 8 hour rest.  That should be around 9 or 10 our time.

King Leads into Elim by 20 Minutes

King put 20 minutes between Aliy and him with this run.....he reported left Koyuk one minute ahead of her.  The tracker shows Dallas just passed Buser on the trail and he left. Good 20 minutes behind Buser, so Dallas is smoking the trail for sure!  Most Mushers don't linger in Elim long.  It's only 4 to 5 hours further to White Mountain where 8 hour rest awaits the musher, but more importantly White Mountain sets the schedule of departures to Nome 8 hours later.  Basically they Order they come into White Mountain is the way the leave for the last 77 miles of the race.  Last year Aliy passed King in this section and it was her best run of the race.  This year King is guarding against this, and shows no sign of slowing.  Aliy and her Teams average speed from Koyuk was 8.09.  King was 8.55.....and Id be willing to bet Dallas average speed will top Kings.

Will King claim an elusive 5th win?
Will Aliy finally win her first Iditarod, or accept a 3 year in a row 2nd placing finish?
Will Dallas be the spoiler in it all and pass them both to claim his second victory?

Only time will tell!  I'm going  to work today BUT will blog through the night as they leave White Mountain towards the Burled Arch in Nome.

As for the rest of the chase pack......I expect Mitch of over take Sonny any time now...they left Koyuk a mere 2 minutes from eachother and I'm sure Mitch will put it in high gear here pretty soon.

King and Aliy just about tied....Buser next into Koyuk

King left an hour after Aliy, but then made that hour up on the run over to Koyuk....that is significant gains in a sled dog race.  Rumor is in Koyuk that King has the stronger Team....but if you recall he did last year at this time too.....then they slowed.  Next in is Buser about 2 hours after King.  Sonny appears to have just been passed by Dallas Seavey and is really making a charge.  He has had the fastest team over the last 24 hours!  The Seaveys are known for their surge on the coast....and Dallas is certainly making it happen.  There is a bit of a gap in the "parade" after Sonny, and then we have Mitch Seavey gobbling up the trail in late race Seavey fashion.  Burmiester has been passed by both Seaveys in this run to Koyuk.  Joar Ulsom is a ways behind Burmeister but running well.  That rounds out all the Ream who have left Shaktoolik for the run to Koyuk.  Next up, the checkpoint of Elim.  But first the Teams will rest....but just for a bit!  

Now Im confused.....King Didn't Pass Aliy?

Not sure if the GPS tracker is working properly.....now it has Aliy still leading by a smidge.  Perhaps it didn't refresh Aliys tracker like it should have.  Regardless.....this is a tight first and second placing into Koyuk.  Once the stats are in I'll post the run times. No doubt King made some time on Aliy.

Race Over the Sea Ice

We have King and Aliy....then the next would be Buser running around 6 mph, Sonny right behind him running at 7 mph, and it appears Dallas, who is reportedly running with running shoes on, has passed Burmiester on the ice and is running down Sonny and Buser at 8 mph.  His Dad Mitch is also about to pass Burmiester....Mitch is also going 8 mph and Burmiester is holding (and being passed) around 6.5 mph.

The Seaveys are strong.....they have been banking their rest all through this race and are now making a move on the coast.  Mitch was 4 hours behind the Leader before heading out.....he and his son will take turns nipping at the leads of Zirkle, King, Buser and Sonny.  It really is too close to call......Sled Dog Racing at its finest!

King Passes Aliy

After drafting behind her for hours, King has finally done the deed and passed Aliy Zirkle.  I would bet Aliy welcomed the pass since he literally has been stalking behind her on the ice.  They just made it off the ice and now have to travel by land, which I will assume is in horrendous conditions as the approach from Shaktoolic was to the sea.  Let King lay down a scent for the chasers for once.  Like I said, I'm bet Aliy welcomed the pass.....it has to be annoying having a team lurking behind you.  Mackey hated King doing that to him....that was the year he gave him the slip in Elim.  So, in short, King is now in the lead....but don't count Aliy out, or any of the other competitors in hot pursuit.  It's still anyone's race!

Halfway to Koyuk - Very Close Race

Aliy still out in front by about 4 miles.  King follows....Buser and Sonny are just getting out onto the ice now.  Dallas and Burmiester have left Shaktoolik....only 3.5 miles separate the first 6 mushers out of Shaktoolik.  This is one nail biter of a race!

Lol....bet King will be sleeping with one eye open.  This stretch coming up is where Lance Mackey in 2008 faked setting up for a long stay at a checkpoint, and then when he heard King snoring he slipped out and ended up winning the race! I don't expect Aliy to pull any old school schemes....but it's got to haunt King to this day!

Ok...time to break out my full on Aliy Zirkle support.....C'mon Aliy.......you can do this.....Quito, her leader is a fantastic dog....smart, athletic, ambitious and deserving of a win....just like Aliy!  

Aliy first to leave Shaktoolik....pack sure to follow!

As Aliy leaves, I'm sure the rest of the pack will follow soon enough.....there is only 3 hours separating the top 5 leaders!

Aliy reported a bit of a snafu in the run into Shaktoolik....she said the trail was horrible and at one point her foot fell through the ice and halted the team like a snow hook!  Sebastian reported she is visibly limping.  I hope it doesn't come down to a foot race down Front Street!  Aliy, Buser and Burmiester might be at a disadvantage with now two hurt ankles, a bruised hip, a dislocated pinky and of course  Burmiesters blown ACL!

Race up the Coast

Now for the last 300 miles of the race!  Aliy is first out of Unalakleet bound for Shaktoolik.  King is right behind her and makes the run into Shak 14 minutes faster than Aliy.  He has one more dog on the Team than she has.  Buser left next and he is still en route to Shak.  It looks like a string of pearls along the coast.....mushers lined up like a parade!  Sonny is behind Buser, then there is a small gap with Dallas coming in from behind...another small gap and we have Mitch and Burmiester right on top of eachother.....then another small gap with Sorlie the last of the front pack out of Unalakleet! The race to nome is kicking up to high gear!

Petit has scratched!!  I don't know what the story is yet but he slowed on route to the coast.....for a while yesterday it looked like he may pass Aliy while she was resting, but like I said he slowed and apparently was having difficulty of some sort.  Once I find out Ill post an update.  I really like Petit....sorry to see him leave.  He was doing so well!

Aliy First to the Coast!

Awesome!!  Aliy and the Red Team are the first into Unalakleet on the coast!!  She gets $2,500 in gold nuggets and some good rest!  I believe our Sponsor Dog got dropped back in Nulato because we don't see him in the pictures...but that means he raced 582 miles and that is definitely a contribution to the Team.

Next in will be Buser, then Sonny Lindner because Nick Petit pulled into Old Woman Cabin to rest.....so look for him to possibly leap frog into the lead later tonight if the front runners in Unalakleet stay put.   King, Burmiester and Sorlie will be passing by the resting Petit soon.....along with a string of other high caliber mushers such as both Seaveys (they seem to be traveling together), Redington, Maixner and Neff.  Seriously, they are literally lined up on the trail leading from Kaltag to Unalakleet.  This next 300 miles to the finish to Nome is going to be very interesting!  Typically, Teams that have been holding in reserve are going to put the foot on the gas now....but it seems like the gas has been floored all along!  They are predicting we will have a winner by 10 am on Tuesday!!

Oh My! What a Race!!

Over the day, I have watched Aliy put on a lead of about 35 miles, then she rested, and as I forecasted earlier Buser took the lead....then when he stopped for a snack, Aliy retook the lead!  This is a game of Leap Frog!!  She has maintained that lead now and is about 2 miles ahead of Buser and about 25 miles still outside of Kaltag.  The lead might swap again before someone reaches Unalakleet to claim the Gold Coast Award!  I'm GLUED to the GPS....check in later....Ill be sure to report updates in about 10 miles which should be about an hour or so.....check back often....this is going to be a nail biter!

Petit is running  a close 3rd....running fast and may even overtake them!  Like I said above....STAY TUNED!!

And Buser JUST passed a resting Aliy Zirkle Team!

Remember  I told you to look for some "leap frogging".....well here it is.....Buser JUST passed a camped out Aliy on the trial.....I believe she is at the Tripod BLM cabin waiting out the "heat" of the day.  Dogs run best at Dawn and Dusk....the turn of the light is magical to a Sled Dog!

Rounding out the Top 11 as of Sat Morning

So, we know Aliy is out in front and has a little over an hour lead over Busers leave time from the Kaltag Checkpoint.  Aliy is right now in 1st place with the "traditional" strategy, and Martin Buser is in 2nd place with the new monster opening run strategy.....but it has done him well.  If Aliy rests he will no doubt leap frog over her on his way to Unalakleet.  Then we have Burmiester poised to leave Kaltag at a time of his choosing since he has completed his mandatory 8 hour rest.  Petit is next en route to Kaltag traveling 9.3 mph at this time down the Yukon, followed by the Norweigen Robert Sorlie.  Further back closer to Nulato is Jeff King fresh off his 8 hour rest followed then by the Dentist Kelly Maixiner and last years champ Mitch Seavey.  Another hot shot Norweigen Joar Ulsom is barreling down the Yukon out of Nulato, followed closely by Hugh Neff.  Hugh has a small team of 8 right now.....so he must be careful.....and the team with the most dogs is Sorlie with15 in harness.

I did skip over Dallas, who is stuck in Kaltag doing his mandatory 8 hour rest....physically he reached Kaltag in 3rd place but as you can see that was just a facade since he had to stop for 8 hours.  While he has to rest, the other Teams rounding out the order will continue to pass him.

Hang with me.....there really is no more "math" to do with all the mandatory rests accounted for...so we can now compare apples to apples from here on out!

Buser leaves Kaltag as Aliy reaches Tripod BLM Cabin

Looks like Buser and his well rested Team is leaving Kaltag in pursuit of Aliy!  We don't know yet if Aliy will stop at the BLM Shelter cabin at a Tripod Flats or continue on for a bigger haul to a old Woman Cabin or even Unalakleet.  That would be a monster haul for her and typically not her style.  But the odd thing is she didn't take straw with her leaving Kaltag....if she did take straw that would be a sure sign of a camping stop along the way.  She may have stashed some straw in an inside pocket of her sled during her 8 hour break way back in Nulato, but again not typical to haul straw that far.  So it begs to question if she is planning on stopping for a few hours rest somewhere....or will she simply snack rest her Team all the way to Unalakleet.  I would bet for a real rest stop but the fact she didn't pack straw (that we know of) is perplexing.  I guess I will just have to stay here at IditaDacks Armchair Musher Headquarters a bit longer till I see her GPS tracker stop moving to indicate a rest stop on the trail.  Right now she is traveling at 8 mph, and Martin Buser is just starting down the trail from a good 3.5 hour rest in Kaltag.

Stats for Aliy's 7 minute stop in Kaltag

Aliy went in and out of Kaltag in 7 minutes....dropping a dog in the process.  I watched the video of her arriving.....our boy Chemo is still on the a team coming in, but don't know for sure if he left with the team out of the checkpoint.  We will have to wait for a picture of the Team over the next 85 miles to Unalakleet.  You are only as fast as your slowest dog, and right now Aliy needs speed!  We are about 650 miles into this race with a lot of trail yet to go. Any dog that made it this far certainly has done their part!  They are all superstars in my mind!

At this point in time, Martin Buser has not taken chase after Aliy....so for now, she is in the lead!

Aliy Blows Through Kaltag and Takes the Lead......For Now!

Yeah Baby.....she did it...she blew through Kaltag and now becomes the rabbit for the hounds to chase!  It's a LONG way to the coast in Unalakleet from here....so she will definitely be making a camping spot at least once, maybe twice along the way.  Buser will no doubt take chase....so look for some leap frogging to be done over the long portage haul from the interior of Alaska to the Coast in Unakaleet!!

I'm hoping they will post some pictures of Aliys Team as she moved through Kaltag to see what dogs she dropped.  Being a sponsor to a sled dog really puts more pressure on an Arm Chair Musher like me.  Plus, I feel the whole SP Kennel Crew and all the dogs are a kind of like a cyber family to me.....so not only am I concerned about "my" dog Chemo.....but also the rest of the Team!

Buser in Kaltag - Aliy Close Behind

When Aliy pulled into Nulato, she was 3 hours behind the 4 time Iditarod Champ Martin Buser.  When Buser left Nulato, Aliy cut his lead by 1 hour, leaving to the chase only 2 hours from his departure.

And this is how you "reel in" a front runner.

I'm not sure if the rest in Nulato was a planned stop.....her dogs were doing great speed wise, and reported to be animated and banging to leave....but she dropped 2 dogs and rested 3 hours before going after Buser.  I am beginning to think she meant to do that.....not drop dogs of course but rest.  Her 2012 run had a problem in this section of trail.   The long run from Kaltag to Unalakleet was difficult mentally, so last year taking the southern route she also approached  Kaltag differently by resting on the Yukon then blowing through.  This year perhaps with that rest in Nulato she can again will blow through Kaltag, where Buser appears to be stopped right now.  We will know shortly!

I have no idea if my sponsor dog Chemo is still on the team or one she had dropped.  As soon as I know I'll make a post.

I need to do some research on the rest of the pack....I know Dallas and Burmiester are right behind Aliy but they will be required to rest for 8 hours in Kaltag.  Right now, out of the lead pack who have left Nulato, only Aliy, Buser and Petit will be free to move out of Kaltag.

Time for some coffee!!

Aliy will rest in Nulato

After pulling into Nulato...I thought Aliy would blow through like she did in 2012....but unfortunately she has to drop two dogs.  As Sebastian said that is a definitely a decrease in pulling power.  I'm guessing once King gets to Nulato he will declare his 8 hour mandatory rest....OR he could take it at Kaltag...these are the last 2 checkpoints that he has to choose from....after Kaltag they are off the Yukon River and running 100 miles to the Golden Sea Coast at Unalakleet....another pot of gold is waiting there for the first Team to reach this checkpoint and claim it!  Then, it's on to the last leg and NOME!

Buser and Lindner into Nulato Checkpoint....Aliy soon to join them!

As expected, Martin Buser rolled on into Nulato, followed by Sonny Lindner.  Sonny declared his mandatory 8 hour rest, and Buser has still not yet left Nulato.  It will be interesting to see what Aily does. She was in the exact position in 2012....and just like 2 years ago King was behind her....but unlike 2012 Buser is in the picture right there in Nulato....and he is her nearest competition.  In 2012 she stopped at the check point for just a few minutes, then went onward to Kaltag another 40 miles away. She should get into Nulato around 8 pm Alaskan time.....dogs love to run at night, I bet she goes for Kaltag if her dogs are up to the task.  In any event, if she does blow through the checkpoint she could always run 3 hours or so and shut them down and camp....or go all the way into Kaltag.  However Buser may be ready to roll soon after she arrives....or perhaps he will leave the check point right before she gets there....let the head games begin!!

I know one thing for sure....I ain't going to bed quite yet!!

Race Down the Yukon!

Here we go!!  Buser is in front....not posting as fast run times but still holding a lead over Aliy, Sorlie and Petit!  Sorlie and Petit are still resting in Galena when Aliy completed her mandatory rest and took to the trail!  The way I see it, Buser is running in first place, followed by Aliy and then the resting teams of Petit and Sorlie back in Galena.  These are the only ones in the front 9 who have taken both their 8 hour and 24 hour rests.  Mitch, Sonny, Dallas, King and Burmiester have yet to take their 8 hour rest on the Yukon.....so I'm not putting them in contention right now.  Once they take that 8 hour rest they can be added to the bushel of apples for comparison!  For some reason the pundants on Iditarod.com are really giving a nod to Sonny, King and Burmeister....probably because they see the power in the Teams....I only have stats to look at, and it's hard to give any nod to these 3 until they take their rest.

It's going to be a long night for us Armchair Mushers!

Zirkle First Out of Ruby - Buser in Pursuit off an 8 hr Rest

Aliy Zirkle and her a Team of 15 dogs (my sponsor dog Chemo is still in there!) have passed out of a Ruby and is now on the Yukon heading for Galena.  Most other a Teams opted to take their mandatory 8 hour rest in a Ruby.....the first one to complete his 8 hour rest is Martin Buser....he left about 2 and a half hours after Aliy passed through, however Aliy hasn't taken her 8 hour rest yet, so technically speaking, Buser is leading this race even though Aliy is physically in front of him. I know....more math....right?  We only had an "apples to apples" comparison for a short time....as soon as the rest of them come off their 8 hour rest we can see what kind of time Aliy has made on them...or if she is still in 3rd place as she was before they started taking the 8 in Ruby.  My bet is she stops in Galena or perhaps even pushes to Nulato...it all depends on how her Team is doing when she reaches Galena.  The trail on the Yukon is a hard packed Snowmobile route between villages.  No hills or technical challenges....it's actually a bit monotonous.  But one can make good time if the conditions are right. Buser is coming off of a good 8 hour rest, let's see if his Team sets some blistering speeds coming into Galena.  Some say that since he and others pushed their teams hard in the beginning, they do run the risks of a slower second half of the race....the dogs simply say "I don't want to run that fast anymore".....they don't flat out quit but they can slow down.  If too much energy was "paid up front" it could backfire on them.  This happened to Buser last year and to King in the end out of Koyuk.  Aliy has ran the same schedule as her 2012 2nd place finish.....and you will notice Mitch and Dallas are also running a conservative race relatively speaking.  They are banking on the other teams balking at the speed at some point....plus they are running their own schedule, their own plan, and sticking with it.  The second half of this race will be interesting because really no foregone front runner has emerged....yet.  Look for this to begin to unfold.....it may be a 5 way sprint to the finish if this keeps going this way!  We still have half a race to go......get comfortable.....I know what I'll be doing all weekend!

King enjoys his meal in Ruby - Lead Pack Descends onto the Yukon

It's no surprise 4 time Champ Jeff King got to Ruby first and claimed the gourmet dinner prize and after dinner "mint" of some crisp one dollar bills.  He didn't share the money but he did take a plate and a bottle of wine to share with 64 year old Sonny Lindner who chased King into Ruby,  just goes to show you  the comaraderie between mushers is still there even in a heated race.

As for the chase pack, Buser is first into a Ruby after a long nonstop haul from Cripple.  Sorlie will be the next in.  Both of these Teams will quite likely rest up in Ruby before leaving (King and Lindner have to stay in Ruby for their 24 hour rest).  Aliy Zirkle however has just pulled the hook out on the trail to Ruby....she was camped about 3 hours on the trail and probably will low through Ruby without staying.  This will put her in the lead...but for how long is yet to be seen.  The chase pack is full of capable Teams....with no one dominating this race which is now more than half over, it's  anyone's guess who will lead down the Yukon to Kaltag.  Many Teams, such as the Seaveys and Baker, claim they don't START to race until Kaltag.  Their strategy is to build a monster Team through the race to Kaltag, then they unleash the true power of their Teams that up to this point has been held in reserve.  Watch for this to happen once they reach Kaltag.....but first the Yukon River stretch of the trail.

Race to Ruby on the Yukon...Lead Pack takes chase!

King is in the lead over Sonny right now, but not by much as they race towards Ruby for their mandatory 24 hour rest....first one there gets a 7 course meal and an after dinner mint of crisp one dollar bills (I forget the amount, but it's well worth the extra effort!). Meanwhile, back in the pack of Teams who have already taken their 24 we have quite a race going on with no true leader taking the spot light. Well....then again there is Buser.....he is making his way towards Ruby too and is truly in the lead by about 45 to 50 miles.  So far he has not shown any signs of weakness after his monster run in the beginning and taking his mandatory rest early in Nikolia.  Kelly Maixner is an anomaly...his best finish was 30th in his rookie year and he is holding his own right now with his monster run to Rohn and very early 24 hour rest.   Technically he is in second place behind Buser but looks like Neff is about to pass him.  Then there is my girl (and my sponsor dog Chemo) running fast in 4th place right now fresh off of her 24 hour rest in Tacotna.  The tracker has her stopped right now...probably snacking her dogs.  But look out....Petit and Sorlie are also fresh out of their 24 and look to be about to pass her.  This is a game of leap frog now with this bunch.  While Buser is well on his way to Ruby, this chase pack will leap frog along as they rest and run their teams through some of the most remote areas of Alaska.  It's about 77 miles to Cripple, and another 60 miles to Ruby.  No way can any of the Teams do this without resting.  Buser took about a 5 and a half hour rest in Ophir before heading to Cripple.  Look for Aliy to perhaps do her resting on the trail....she and her dogs rest better away from the checkpoint activity.  It's 30 to 40 below here in the interior....so all I got to say is Brrrrrr!!  But the trail is reported in excellent condition....hard and fast and more importantly sufficiently covered with snow!  Oh, I got to mention....maybe this is where Sorlie will make a move??  Perhaps he will rest only minimally and make a monster run to Ruby?  He is known to do this.....long marches and short rests.  It may be time for him to unleash the power of his Team....we shall see!  Also, the Seavey are both done with their 24 hour rest....look for them to possible move closer to the front.....but that may be a bit un-Seavey-ish.....they tend to hide their strength in the pack and then make a move to the very front sometime after Kaltag.  There is a lot of trail yet before they get there...but who knows, they may not want to lose sight of Sorlie...he no doubt will push the pace.

Once again, I unfortunately have to go to work!  But look for updates tonight!  It's going to be quite the racing day out on the Iditarod Trail!

Lets Do the Math!

Ok....remember that clock way back at the start....each musher hit the trail in 2 minute intervals....doesn't sound like much BUT it adds up.  Take King with the bib number of 17.  There are 70 mushers who left Willow on Sunday, all 2 minutes apart.  So it's time to even up the clock...and that's done at the 24 hour mandatory rest.  So, 70 total mushers minus Bib #17 = 53 * 2 minutes each= 106 minutes that must be added to the 24 hour rest....get it?  Now take Sonny Lindner...he drew bib #70....so his rest will be truly only 24 hours....because everyone else's time has to be lengthened  to "make up" for the basic head start they all got over the bigger bib numbers.  Once all mushers take their 24, we can then compare apples to apples without doing this crazy math thing!  How far ahead or behind Sonny or King is will be figured out after their 24 hour rest.

Math...it's a wonderful thing!

Burmiester Grabs the Gold at Halfway Cripple Checkpoint!

It was quite the race to watch.....love these races within the race.  This time there was $3,000 of gold on the line, and Burmiester, ACL injury and all, made it there first to claim the prize!

Wow.....and it sounds like perhaps 64 year old Sonny Lindner may push on to Ruby for the next prize....some cash and a 7 course gourmet dinner!  But he will have to work for it....there are some mushers on his tail...namely King, Gebhardt, Ramey and of course Buser.  Buser is the only one who has taken his 24 hour rest....so he is in the lead for sure.  Aliy will be the next to break her rest way back in Tacotna....and she no doubt will be eating up the trail passing all of the sleeping Teams to get as close as she can to Buser.  Sorlie and both Seaveys will be done with their 24 hour rest shortly after Aliy hits the trail.

10 Mushers Scratch from Trail Injuries

As reported earlier, the trail through the  Dalzell Gorge and through the Farewell Burn was snowless and dangerous.  If the Iditarod Trail Committee realized how dangerous they would have re routed the trail, but it is what it is.  It was sad to watch Dee Dee Jonrowe talk about why she was scratching....her wounds were not viewable but she said she was beat up in the gorge pretty bad....and that she knew she was not strong enough to handle her Team with what she now heard was in front of her.  Berkowitz scratched as well when his sled was busted beyond repair.  Scott Janssen reported broke his leg.  Burmiester is continuing with a brace on his blown acl knee.  74 year old Jim Lanier who was wearing a helmet with "for Brent" written on the sides said he was being dragged by his Team when his head hit a stump hard.  He was thankful for the helmet and scratched in Rohn after being terrified in the gorge.  Hans Gatt kissed a tree and slashed his face.....the first aid technicians in Nikolia used glue and a butterfly bandage to put him back together.  Terrified and dangerous were two words mushers were using to describe their ordeal.  Even 2 time champ Sorlie said the trail was too dangerous to run, and feels lucky he came through with only bruises.  His sled broken in places.....but most mushers have replacement sleds strategically placed at checkpoints right outside the Alaskan Range....but the trick was to survive to this point to switch up!  This Iditarod will go down to the most dangerous running of the Alaskan range ever.  Now with that part of the trail behind. The front runners, they can enjoy a snow covered fast trail to Nome.  I'm still waiting to hear what the trail along the Yukon looks like.  Let's hope for safe ice with only some overflow on top.  The Yukon is where Busers Team slowed to a crawl last year  it will be interesting to see what happens this year....but we will have to wait till the weekend to find out!

Time to take the 24 hour rest and recouperate!

Aliy was the first into Tacotna last night around 11 our time, where she declared her 24 hour rest, and then immediately asked for some Advil.  Her hip took a beating on numerous flips on the rough trail.  Buser will be coming off his 24 this morning and will sling shot past many of the Teams as they sleep off their 24 hour rest.  The question becomes, after the front pack comes off their 24, will they slingshot by Buser, or will the 4.5 hour lead he made on them with the monster run in the beginning of the race be enough to hold them back. It all depends on how Busers Team performs....will the 24 hour rest rejuvenate them enough from their long haul to Nikolai?  Petit has blown past Tacotna and is resting in Ophir at this time.  It's unclear if he has declared his 24 hour rest there or if he will make the trek to Cripple for the halfway prize of gold nuggets?  And what about Sonny Lindner and Jeff King?  When I went to bed I thought they declared their 24 hour rest in Tacotna, but according to the GPS and stats they both left Tacotna after resting just 2 hours...perhaps they have their sights on the halfway prize?  But all these Teams....King, Lindner and Petit MUST also stop for 24 hours somewhere between here and the Yukon.  It's interesting to note that last years champ Mitch Seavey is posting the fastest times between checkpoints at this time. Aliy Zirkle and Sorlie, our Norweigen musher is also posting top average speeds into Tacotna.  Both these Teams are taking their 24 hour rest.  Around 11 pm eastern time tonight, Aliy will pull the hook in pursuit of Buser.....followed by the other Teams in the lead pack.  Then, and only then will we see how much of a lead Buser had created with the monster opening run!

64 Year Old Sonny Lindner 1st to McGrath!

That was a nice friendly race to watch between neighbors Sonny Lindner and Aliy Zirkle!  Congrats to Sonny for being the recipient to the Spirit of Iditarod Award!  Aliy gave him a good race for it and actually ran this leg faster than Sonny.....Aliy blew right through the checkpoint and is now on her way to Takotna followed closely by King!

Spirit Award in McGrath

Sonny Lindner, Aliy Zirkle and King are racing towards McGrath where one of the first race within the race awards are given!  I'm of course rooting for Aliy.....she is a mile away from Lindner right now...C'mon Aliy!!  

Time for some strategy talk

Ok...Buser is taking his 24 hour rest as the others (with rest built into their team with planned rest stops along the way) blow right through Nikolai and will be taking their 24 further down the trail.  So once they are sleeping, Martin will hit the trail with a fresh team....making a blistering run to get ahead of the sleeping pack!  How for will he get time will tell.  Right now they say he is about 4.5 hours ahead with his monster run to Nikolai.  But will that hold once he is let loose to chase down the pack?  Petit says he may push to Cripple or even Ruby before taking his 24.  Aliy will probably take hers in Takota.....along with King.  Once the 24s are all done it will be easier to see where everyone stands....compare apples to apples!

Trail takes it's toll on Mushers and equipment....but the dogs are happy!

It started with a sprained ankle of Busers, then news of Burmiester dislocating his knee, then Petit with one banged up knee and one hurt knee....and a badly bruised Aliy Zirkle hip....Hans Gatt hit a tree but is shaking it off.  Both King and Sorlie told stories of sleds tumbling over a half dozen times. Aliy sent word to Dee Dee....."don't even attempt it...live to race another year"....she heeds the advice and scratches in Rohn along with Jim Lanier.  The Farewell Burn is filled with holes, it's like the moon out there says Hugh Neff.  I got one question.....why did the Iditarod Trail Committee not reroute the trail to the north and come into Ruby by way of the Yukon River from Fairbanks?  That was their back up plan after all.  This much destruction, injury and loss of property is insane!  King reports there is debris all over the trail....he lost equipment out of his caboose trailer.  Over 100 miles of snowless moon terrain, remains of a million and a half acre fire years ago. Stumps, holes and no snow......for hours on end.

But the saving grace......the dogs loved it! They had traction, they were happy, RUN because why not, their mushers brake pad broke off we are free to go!  Gang lines broke, dogs ran loose until caught.....crazy times indeed.  It was a fun time for the dogs!

Next up....as Martin Buser sleeps and ices his ankle, Lindner, Zirkle, King, Sorlie, Neff and yes even Petit and Burmiester are making their way to McGrath where the Spirit Award awaits the first a musher to this interior Alaskan Villiage.  The technical part of the trail is done...it's now snowing in Nikolai......and there is snow on the trail....the crazy no snow trail is done.  It's been survival for many of the Teams up to this point.....now it's time to race!

Buser says snowless trail worse he has seen!

Not only is the dirt trail difficult on dogs, but on mushers and sleds too!  Martin pulled into Nikolai and after he got his dogs fed, watered and bedded, he sat down to take his sock off to find a very swollen ankle.  He commented that if he known the trail was going to be this difficult he would have sent his son instead of himself!  He then claimed he had a day to get it nursed back to health....so Martin has declared his 24 hour rest in Nikolai. Physically he is in first place, but he has a group of very competitive mushers about to join him in Nikolai.  Petit, Neff and Zirkle are approximately 30 miles back traversing the burn....all traveling about 7 to 8 mph.  They must stop and water their dogs constantly to avoid dehydration since the dogs can not "dip" for a bite of snow.  Martin who has completed 30 plus Iditarods says this is the toughest trail he has encountered on the race!  Hopefully for Martin that ankle heals in the next 24 hours.....because we have over 700 miles yet to go!  And hopefully from here on out there will be some snow to run on!

Buser first into Nikolai

Buser burned a dirt trail through the Farewell burn from Rohn to Nikolai to be the first musher into that checkpoint.  Aliy took an early lead out of Rohn in pursuit, but then rested on the trail.  The rest of the chase pack is now traveling with her.....with Petit and Neff now in 2nd and 3rd, Gebhardt in 4th, then Burmiester in 5th....once again Aliy on th move in 6th.

Got Snow? Nope!

I can't believe the pictures I have been seeing......sure we expect no snow in the Farewell Burn.....but there may be more miles of dirt trail than snow covered trail in this first third of the race! And there is a fire hazard too....inconceivable!  I'm simply amazed at the lack of snow.....hope there is enough bison around to keep the dogs pulling hard.  Broken sleds are another hazard mushers will have to contend with.  Sebastian Schnuelle is covering the race by snow machine....he reports the glaciers having plenty of rocks and dirt on them for safer traversing for sled dogs.  His machine along with 4 Norweigen sledders (scouting for Sorlie)  had to winch their sleds up the glaciers.  Sorlie broke the seat completely off his sled....King was behind him and may have actually captured it on his go pro camera!  This is a wild ride....hold on!

Buser and Aliy!

Aliy has left Rohn and is in pursuit of Buser!  Go Aliy!  She took over 5 hours rest in Rainy Pass...so unlike Neff and the others she blew right through!  At least we know the Dalzell wasn't a problem for her! This has been an interesting start for sure!  Now it's an 80 mile trek through the Farewell Burn....this stretch is notorious for bare ground!  The teams that arrive in Nikolai with a healthy team are setting up for a real nice race!

I'm not a big fan of the caboose!

I don't know about you...but what's with all the dog kennel carriers hitched onto the sleds?  King introduced this years ago...but have you seen his caboose this race?  Its like the size of his sled!!  Many years ago the Iditarod Race rules did not have a limit on how many dogs you could run.  Then one race day a musher shows up with a team in harness....and another entire team in a freight tag sled.   It was ridiculous.  So they made a rule...no more than 16 dogs at the start.  But now they seem to be building in rest while on the trail...instead of resting the entire team just drag a kennel behind ya!  Well.......I'm not liking it.  Not one bit.  I can see ONE small caboose....but some of these sleds have a caboose that can fit 4 dogs!  Nope, not liking it....seems a bit on the cheating side of the trail!  But that's just my humble opinion.  I never thought of myself as a purest...but.....

Run to Rohn and Beyond

Yep.....Martin Buser said last year that it was going to be a "watershed" race...and it was.  His 24 hour push into Rohn is now expected this year...by him and others!  Kelly Maixiner, a pediatric dentist with 3 Iditarods under his belt with a 30, 31, and 32nd finish....ran to Rohn first, out "Busering" Buser!  Maixiner was followed in by Petit, Williams and Gebhardt.  But, a few hours ago, Buser LEFT Rohn, not opting to take his 24 hour rest, and is traveling on.  This is a deviation to last years run where he did his 24 in Rohn.

The next batch of core front runners are now on their way to Rohn....namely King, Burmeister, Zirkle, Sorlie with Neff leading the charge.  Some say it's this pack to watch.

But it's EARLY!!!  There are some very respectable Teams as far back as 25 and 26 place....both Seaveys are taking it a bit slower....building that monster team as Dallas likes to say.  Expect these two along with others to not really start racing until lets say Kaltag.  Their strategy revolves around keeping as many healthy dogs on the Team and banking rest.  It's an old strategy but a true and tried strategy.  Will it hold up to the test of time....or will the monster long runs begin to change the race...like I said, Buser was right....his decision to pull off the run to Rohn last year got people thinking...and here we are!

Buser and others making a run!

Just like last year, Buser is making a long monster run as his opening move...but this time he has company....Robert Sorlie, known for his long slow runs is running both long, and fast.  Neff looks like he is pulling fast and now is running in the front of the pack with a bib number in the sixties!  It's so hard and icy that they have to drill holes in the ice to set a snow hook at the checkpoints!  Most of the time out on the lakes you wouldn't dare step off the trail or risk wallowing in deep snow.  Not this year....hard packed snow and ice everywhere!  The Iditarod web site reported one could walk in the woods with tennis shoes on!  That's unheard of this time of year!  It will be an interesting 24 hours as the leaders of the pack go up and over the Alaskan Range....with hardly any snow and ice and perhaps even some open water in the passes!!  I'll wrap of the days events tonight as well as report on happenings in the evening hours.....but right now I gotta go to work!

Ready to Race!!

Here we go.....the restart is today, the clock starts ticking.....and they are all off to Nome!  In the next 24 hours we will see IF and WHO will be making a monster 24 hour run up and over the Alaskan Mountain Range and into Rohn....will anyone try that again?  It's all the talk on strategy right now....who will follow Martin Busers bold move last year....anyone?

Watch for the more experianced mushers sticking to their plan of banking rest on their Teams, going slow and steady....keeping their Team safe from injuries that come with running too fast.  Mitch and Aliy will be employing this type of strategy...no need for them to shake up their winning strategies from last year!  The first 3 or 4 days of the race can be confusing for Rookie Armchair Mushers....so keep your eye right here on IditaDacks...Ill be posting all sorts of racing updates and info over the next 9 days!!  Will the Norwegians dominate?   That seems to be a big question right now...and only time will tell.  So sit back and hold on, the trail is reported to be hard and fast....the Last Great Race is about to begin!!

Iditarod Pre Race Info

Well, it sounds as though the trail got a little more snow in the past week or so, and is all groomed up and ready!  That's awesome news for sure!  As for the mushers, we got some really good teams and a few wild cards for this years Iditarod....the Norwegians are coming, the Norwegians are coming!!  Sorlie is back, and brought along some friends!  It is said he has combined his Kennel with another of the best kennels in Norway and basically has a super talented Team!  Sorlie is one to watch for sure!  But there has been some combining going on in Alaska too.....I just heard 3 dogs from Sass's Team are now running on Neff's Team!  So part of Brent's Team will be running the race with Hugh.....he is there in spirit!

I of course want Aliy Zirkle to win....SPK is said to be the best in Alaska right now and Aliy is definitely due for a win!!  The Seaveys will be in the hunt along with King and Buser.....it's going to be some fierce competition!  I kind of hope Buser makes the move to Rohn again and this time have him place in the top 5...thus giving everyone some pause to his bold strategy.  Time will tell and there is plenty of speculation out there!  So pull up your Armchair, get comfy....do a weeks worth of chores as to not distract from your passion.....it's Sled Dog racing at its best....and may the best Team Win!!

Congrats to Allen and the SPK Black Team - Yukon Quest Champs

Allen and his team won the race early this am, EST.  His a team looked great...and Allen appeared to be happy with his Team.  There is a nice picture of him hugging his great lead dog Quito.....she is an outstanding Sled Dog with a very impressive resume!  Congratulations to SPK...both 300 mile and 900 mile 2014 YQ Champions!!!

Brent Sass Out of Hospital!

Brent Sass is on the mend in a Whitehorse Hotel....and dogs are reported to be in excellent condition! Brent will have a tale to tell....but first some rest and recouperation!  Hugh Neff was the first Musher onto the scene and is no stranger to having a race slip away after one mistake....as Hugh said "Brent pulled a Neff"....and also remarked how Brent often times has been the savior to a team in trouble, and this time Brent was the one needing saving....Neff was glad he was there to help!  "What goes around, comes around" Hugh exclaimed!

Brent Sass Injured - Yukon Quest Stalls For a Moment

Wow....what drama unfolded on the Yukon Quest in the past 24 hours.  last I knew I was headed to bed at 11 pm eastern standard time....Allen and Brent met up on the trail and were about to battle it out for 50 miles or so to the last checkpoint of Braeburn.....a mandatory 8 hour rest was required there.  so I went to sleep knowing the race would still be on come morning.  After mushers and a Teams are through with their 8 hour rests, us Armchair Mushers would be treated to yet another 65 mile racing to the finish.....or so we thought.

Instead, when I checked into the web at 4:30 I saw Allen ahead by a mile or so.....I thought cool!  Go SPK!  Then after some chores, I checked again to find Allen into Braeburn....again, I thought Excellent.....this is too cool!  When I got home from my chores I saw Brent parked about 15 miles out of Braeburn according to his GPS a tracker.  The SPK Dog Log confirmed my concern.....what was Brent doing parked a mere 15 miles from a mandatory 8 hour rest area.....it didn't make sense.  So I go to the Yukon Quest Facebook page....and the story started to unfold there.....first with a post from the YQ stating they sent out snow machines to check on Brent to see if he needs help.  Then a tweet.....cryptically saying his Team will be brought by officials to the Braeburn Checkpoint....more news later.  A few minutes more and we know the whole story.  Brent had a fall of some sort, and had to be rescued by the snow machines.  His team is fine....but he needed medical attention.  Allen and the rest of the SPK Crew found this out real time.....and in true form, Allen waited to see Brent before he set out on the trail to win his second YQ Championship.  An Epic battle for 1st place disappears in an instant with an accident.  Allen was ahead in the race, with no idea what was happening behind him....if he knew he would have surely helped.  An Anonymous post on the SPK Dog Log said it best " Heal well Brent....Finish with Honors Allen!

This is truly a bitter sweet win for SPK.....Allen ran a perfect race....and so did Brent...until the accident.  I will post more when more is known of Brent's condition...and what happened leading up to the fall.

Team Norway - The Return of Robert Sorlie!

Did you notice.....Robert Sorlie is back!!  Wow....this guy is an incredible Musher.....he has ran the Iditarod 3 times.....took 9th in his Rookie year, and the two other years he ran he won them both!  That was back in 2003 and 2005.  I'm looking forward to seeing what new style and strategy Sorlie will bring to the race this year.  Remember he was the one who really pushed the long run concept years ago.  Mackey was so impressed with this guy he started training the same....and winning races. Team Norway is definitely one to watch this year!!  

No Lance Mackey for 2014 Iditarod!

This news really bummed me out, but I totally understand why Lance bowed out of this years races.  He has undergone extensive surgery to remove all his teeth in preparation for implants.  He JUST announced he will be running the Fur a Rondy sprint race this year though!!  YOU GO LANCE!!  This guy is simply amazing!  I just finished reading his book this winter and wow....I have always been a fan of Lance's, but after reading the book you really get an understanding of this guys challenges through life.  It really is quite the inspirational book and I highly recommend it!  And that from someone who doesn't even like to read!

Full Discloser - I'm a SP Kennel Fan!

Ok....might as well come clean with this...I will try not to let my bias interfere with my race coverage....but I am Sponsoring a Dog from Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore's kennel.  His name is Chemo and I can't believe how attached I am to him being so far away!  He was chosen for Allen's Quest Team, but unfortunately had to be dropped just over 600 miles into the race due to a sore shoulder.  Bummer!  But that's Sled Dog a Racing for ya!  I hope Allen and his Team can stay happy and healthy for the rest of the trip to the finish!  Go Allen and SPK Black team!!

Potential Iditarod Restart in Fairbanks

I heard yesterday the Iditarod may have to relocate the beginning of the race to Fairbanks.  I remember when they did this before...I think it was in 2003.  Anyhow....keep your eyes on this....it's so sad we here in the Adirondacks have more snow than parts of Alaska!!  Crazy!

2014 - Yukon Quest Update

Hey Folks! Most of you know I have been following the Yukon Quest this year as well as the Iditarod. And what a race we have going on!  I felt instead of emailing everyone separately Id spark up the ole Blog for the year....IditaDacks is back for the 2014 season!

Ok...quite the epic battle happening out there on the Yukon.  Returning Champ Allen Moore and Veteran YQ Musher Brent Sass are neck and neck on the run into Braeburn where both Teams will be required to rest 8 hours for the last 100 mile trek to the finish!  It's an awesome race to watch! Some of the a Teams will be in the Iditarod too....like Sass, Neff and Moore(SP Kennel)...so think of this as an Iditarod warm up!