Just a heads up for folks looking for insight right from the Mushers....you got to check out the official Iditarod Facebook Page.....awesome and insightful interviews from Petit, Mitch, Aliy and DeeDee to name a few....they will probably keep on posting more as we get into the weekend. Mushers will be in Nome for the Banquet Sunday night, so I suspect they will be posting new interviews as they entice Mushers to step on into the Studio for interviews.
Thank you ITC Facebook!!
Friday, March 16, 2018
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Rounding out the Top 10!
Ray Redington Jr. finished the race in 4th place...the best placed Redington EVER! His Grandfather couldn't seem to get past placing 5th!
Kaiser followed Ray in a respectable 5th place! His buddy Richie Dielh was 6th...they ran the race mostly together as the "Kuskokwim Two" as they got to be known on the Trail.
7th in was Rookie of the Year Jessie Holmes, beating out Veteran YQ 1,000 mile 2017 Champ Matt Hall in a bit of an upset. Jessie was red hot in the beginning and the end of the race, and seemed to pack in rest in the middle for that strong finish.
Ramey Smyth left White Mountain in 9th place, but passed Travis Beals on his way to Nome, thus capturing the 8th placement! Ramey is known for his speed in this stretch! Travis took a respectable 9th place, with Lindwood Fiedler with an awesome race in 10th place!
Well done Teams!
Kaiser followed Ray in a respectable 5th place! His buddy Richie Dielh was 6th...they ran the race mostly together as the "Kuskokwim Two" as they got to be known on the Trail.
7th in was Rookie of the Year Jessie Holmes, beating out Veteran YQ 1,000 mile 2017 Champ Matt Hall in a bit of an upset. Jessie was red hot in the beginning and the end of the race, and seemed to pack in rest in the middle for that strong finish.
Ramey Smyth left White Mountain in 9th place, but passed Travis Beals on his way to Nome, thus capturing the 8th placement! Ramey is known for his speed in this stretch! Travis took a respectable 9th place, with Lindwood Fiedler with an awesome race in 10th place!
Well done Teams!
Mitch in 3rd - Rest of Top 10 Coming on Strong!
Mitch rolled in under the Burled Arch in 3rd, as expected....no surprise there. Mitch admits he trained for a totally different kind of race.....a hard fast trail so he could carry dogs to save them for later. That didn't pan out so well and he had to race like everyone else, with all his dogs on the gang line. This took a toll on his dogs and he had a lot of dogs benched for injuries early on....but held his small squad of 10 together and finished with 9 on the line. So for having to totally scrap his race plan, 3rd place isn't so bad. It will be interesting to see if he trains once again for a hard, fast trail for his dog carrying strategy....because if he does, its definitely a gamble....that strategy doesn't work for a soft snowy trail. But then again, 3rd isn't bad...so perhaps its a gamble worth taking? Time will tell!
Here is a screen shot of the next slug of Teams making their way to Nome.....as you can see, there are some tight races going on out there....especially for the 8th, 9th and 10th spots!
Here is a screen shot of the next slug of Teams making their way to Nome.....as you can see, there are some tight races going on out there....especially for the 8th, 9th and 10th spots!
Nic Petit Comes Flying Into Nome!
Nic's Team came barreling into Nome, tails up and loping to a strong finish, doing the run from Safety to Nome (22 miles) in just over 2 hours, whereas Joar took a little over 3 hours to cover that same section of trail. But with Joar's 3.5 hour lead into White Mountain, Nic had no chance to catch him in the last 77 miles to Nome.
Nic's Team is awesome....fast, wild, full of energy.....just like their Musher. Joar's Team is equally awesome, but in a totally different way....quiet, driven and tame....much like their Musher! These 2 Teams took different strategies....Joar most likely had a strategy, a plan....and he stuck with the plan (like going all the way to Iditarod for his 24 hour rest), whereas Nic boasts about no plan....his plan is whatever his dogs are feeling at the time. So instead of him managing his Team to fit the plan, his Team dictates all the decisions and Nic is essentially accommodating them on the fly. Most competitive Mushers have a A, B and C Plan...and then shift to each plan based on their dogs needs. So its the Musher making the plan that is then customized to the dogs needs, instead of the other way around.
You have to wonder....if Nic had a plan with options...would he have done better? Maybe he wouldn't have fallen asleep so soundly on the trail outside of Grayling when Mitch passed him by, unnoticed. Maybe he would not have spent so much time in the Shelter Cabin on the edge of the seas ice if he had a plan? Maybe he would have studied a map more closely before leaving Shaktoolik so he knew better as to where the trail was relocated? I bet Nic will be asking himself these types of questions all year....but get ready, because next year he will be wiser, more cautious, and perhaps more disciplined in his race "plan", if he so chooses to formulate one. He no doubt will win this race someday....so look out 2019...Nic will be back with winning on his mind!
Mitch will be next under the Burled Arch in Nome...presently 11 miles outside of Nome going about 8 mph.
Nic's Team is awesome....fast, wild, full of energy.....just like their Musher. Joar's Team is equally awesome, but in a totally different way....quiet, driven and tame....much like their Musher! These 2 Teams took different strategies....Joar most likely had a strategy, a plan....and he stuck with the plan (like going all the way to Iditarod for his 24 hour rest), whereas Nic boasts about no plan....his plan is whatever his dogs are feeling at the time. So instead of him managing his Team to fit the plan, his Team dictates all the decisions and Nic is essentially accommodating them on the fly. Most competitive Mushers have a A, B and C Plan...and then shift to each plan based on their dogs needs. So its the Musher making the plan that is then customized to the dogs needs, instead of the other way around.
You have to wonder....if Nic had a plan with options...would he have done better? Maybe he wouldn't have fallen asleep so soundly on the trail outside of Grayling when Mitch passed him by, unnoticed. Maybe he would not have spent so much time in the Shelter Cabin on the edge of the seas ice if he had a plan? Maybe he would have studied a map more closely before leaving Shaktoolik so he knew better as to where the trail was relocated? I bet Nic will be asking himself these types of questions all year....but get ready, because next year he will be wiser, more cautious, and perhaps more disciplined in his race "plan", if he so chooses to formulate one. He no doubt will win this race someday....so look out 2019...Nic will be back with winning on his mind!
Mitch will be next under the Burled Arch in Nome...presently 11 miles outside of Nome going about 8 mph.
Joar Ulson WINS Iditarod 2018!!!
Congrats to Joar Ulsom, who just won 2018 Iditarod!!! YAHOO! We got up and watched it live...along with Chemo, who has been under the Burled Arch in past races with Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore since 2013! This is his first time seeing it from the couch, but I think he enjoyed the festivities!
Joar overcame some Leader issues and still was able to pull this win off....HOPEFULLY this will not be the first time Joar wins this race...he is young, wise, confident and humble...a winning combination for many future wins!
He seemed most excited (its hard to tell when Joar is actually excited, he is always as cool as a cucumber!) about winning the new truck, as his old truck has been having issues. LOVE seeing this guy win the race....congrats to Joar from Team Adirondack here at IditaDacks Central!
Here we are watching Joar under the Burled Arch in Nome! Happy IditaDay!
Joar overcame some Leader issues and still was able to pull this win off....HOPEFULLY this will not be the first time Joar wins this race...he is young, wise, confident and humble...a winning combination for many future wins!
He seemed most excited (its hard to tell when Joar is actually excited, he is always as cool as a cucumber!) about winning the new truck, as his old truck has been having issues. LOVE seeing this guy win the race....congrats to Joar from Team Adirondack here at IditaDacks Central!
Here we are watching Joar under the Burled Arch in Nome! Happy IditaDay!
Here he Comes.....8 miles from Nome - Joar Ulsom!!!
Joar is 8 miles out Folks.....we should have a new Champion in about an hour!
Here is the way it looks right not....Bib 33 is Ulsom.....46 is Nic just leaving White Mountain....bib 13 is Mitch not able to leave White Mountain yet. Redington and Kaiser are now both in White Mountain....and look at the parade coming into the checkpoint! THAT is the rest of the top ten!
Jessie Holmes, in his Rookie year may be in the top ten....and may beat Yukon Quest 2017 Champ Matt Hall who is also an Iditarod Rookie but obviously no rookie to a 1,000 mile race. Right now in this screen shot he is running neck in neck with Ramey Smyth. Who will win that little challenge? The Veteran speedster or a rookie with a lot of talent and grit!
I'm going to have a fun day off tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Nic is on his way to Nome!
Nic just left Nome! According to the tracker, Joar Ulsom has a 24 mile head start.....it took him about 3.5 hours to travel 24 miles....so that is an average of 6.8 mph. He is just about to come down onto the sea ice. It is flurrying and windy....so far Mother Nature has not blown hard enough for a ground blizzard. We will keep our eye out for that!
Mitch out in a few more hours!
Mitch out in a few more hours!
Joar is on his way to Nome!
The quiet Viking is on his way....traveling about 7 mph! Joar "benched" 2 of his dogs for this last leg, knowing it was going to be a fast sprint as conditions allow. I'm sure his Team Mates will be flown out to Nome as soon as possible. Maybe they will even beat him there!
I have tomorrow off so I'm staying up to watch this race and give some commentary through the top 10 finishers! I LOVE watching the live feed of the finish....I'm excited to see Joar under the Burled Arch in first place....I may even shed some tears of happiness!
We did have a front runner scratch today...Wade Marrs scratched in Koyuk earlier today...this will break some of your Top 10 Boards out there...yikes!
I have tomorrow off so I'm staying up to watch this race and give some commentary through the top 10 finishers! I LOVE watching the live feed of the finish....I'm excited to see Joar under the Burled Arch in first place....I may even shed some tears of happiness!
We did have a front runner scratch today...Wade Marrs scratched in Koyuk earlier today...this will break some of your Top 10 Boards out there...yikes!
The Field Is Set....Ulsom, Petit, and Seavey to Nome!
So....we have the first 3 into White Mountain....Joar has about a 3.5 hours ahead of Nic Petit, and Mitch is another couple of hours behind Nic. Barring any winds that might pin anyone down in a ground blizzard, early tomorrow we will have a winner to the 2018 Iditarod that is NOT named Seavey!!!! YEAH!!!!!! Go Norway!
The real race will be for the rest of the top 10.....here is what things look like right now:
The real race will be for the rest of the top 10.....here is what things look like right now:
Joar Ulsom - In and Out of Elim!
Looks like speeds along the coast are back to normal, so the wind must not be too bad. Joar spent 7 minutes checking in and out of Elim and is heading to White Mountain!
I suspect Nic will be in and out as well.....Nic is just approaching Elim now!
I suspect Nic will be in and out as well.....Nic is just approaching Elim now!
Joar and Nic Battle it Out
Nic is presently 4 miles behind Joar.....Mitch is a few hours off the pace but reportedly his small squad of 9 dogs is more peppy than both the other front runners. I don't think there is enough trail for Mitch to really make a threat, but with Mother Nature as the great equalizer anything can happen. Ray Redington just left Koyuk and may actually be more of a threat to Mitch than Mitch is of Joar and Nic.
The other teams are either resting in Koyuk and preparing for the run to Elim, or they are still coming across the ice to Koyuk, as seen on the below screen shot.
Typically, the run to Elim is about 6 hours, and then on the White Mountain another 6 hours...and Teams will either stop for a short break to snack their dogs in Elim and do it in one longish run, but Bruce Lee from Iditarod Insider says with the wind still howling, he expects the Teams to stop in Elim for some rest before pushing on into White Mountain. Time will tell.
Interesting to note the Rookie of the Year Race is heating up again, with Jessie Holmes making some blistering fast runs and now has passed Matt Hall heading into Koyuk! Check out the map below!
The other teams are either resting in Koyuk and preparing for the run to Elim, or they are still coming across the ice to Koyuk, as seen on the below screen shot.
Typically, the run to Elim is about 6 hours, and then on the White Mountain another 6 hours...and Teams will either stop for a short break to snack their dogs in Elim and do it in one longish run, but Bruce Lee from Iditarod Insider says with the wind still howling, he expects the Teams to stop in Elim for some rest before pushing on into White Mountain. Time will tell.
Interesting to note the Rookie of the Year Race is heating up again, with Jessie Holmes making some blistering fast runs and now has passed Matt Hall heading into Koyuk! Check out the map below!
Monday, March 12, 2018
Joar First to leave Koyuk!
Joar just left Koyuk!! Im guessing Petit wont let him get too much of a jump start.....Nic mentioned he wouldnt mind someone else setting the trail for once out of a checkpoint....so have at it Joar!
The battle between these 2 will continue all the way to White Mountain.....should be an interesting night of race watching!
Winds dont seem to bad in Elim....here is the weather report:
Tonight:
Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 11F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday:
Cloudy with snow showers becoming a steady light snow later. High 24F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
I would venture to guess Teams DONT want to be out on the sea ice when it is 24 degrees tomorrow....so most of them will quite likey make a move tonight to get over there in the relative cold of the night.
The battle between these 2 will continue all the way to White Mountain.....should be an interesting night of race watching!
Winds dont seem to bad in Elim....here is the weather report:
Tonight:
Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 11F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday:
Cloudy with snow showers becoming a steady light snow later. High 24F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
I would venture to guess Teams DONT want to be out on the sea ice when it is 24 degrees tomorrow....so most of them will quite likey make a move tonight to get over there in the relative cold of the night.
So we have Redington, Kaiser, Beals, Marrs, Smyth, Fiedler, Diehl, Hall, Burmeister and Failor at this hour making their way to Koyuk as you can see on the map. Everyone else is resting in Shaktoolik, hoping the winds will die down a bit.
Once Again, What a Differance a Day Makes!
Jeezum Crow...right when you think there is a clear lead, something happens!
Mitch is reporting his dogs are down ever since the Yukon River.....their speed is slow, and seem to labor going uphill.....when its level, hard and fast, they are ok.....but climbing or deep snow....no go.
Joar is doing great, his dogs still have pep and he is also in high spirits.
Petit is the star of the show in Unalakleet.....and for most of the morning (EST) he spent in a shelter cabin on the edge Norton Sound....there is a great video of him bedding down his dogs using the cabin as a wind break, and then going inside and eating trail food with a wooden stake since he lost his spoon! He has been writing messages on trail markers to encourage his fellow mushers along. Nic is a bit of an anomaly....he appears playful and non-chalant....you cant help but like this guy!
Then it happened.....Nic left the shelter cabin after Mitch arrived there....and took his rested Team down the trail, taking a hard right towards the shore......did I mention the wind was howling.....hard! After Nic leaves the shelter cabin, Joar arrives....and tries to sneak past the shelter cabin without being noticed, but someone (Mitch) shines a headlamp onto him....shucks, so much for a stealth passing!
Meanwhile Nic is out on the ice, finding the shoreline to take the over land trail....but the thing is....he is off the trail.....so he doubles back and finally finds the trail....it has been written that he lost 1.5 hours in this critical mistake in the ground blizard conditions. Videos from Koyuk tonight show a Nic Petit that is upset with himself....for letting his dogs down.
As Nic was lost on the ice, Joar, not knowing Petit is confused and lost, passes him as he follows the marked trail. The going is hard for Joar too, but when he pulls into Koyuk he has no idea he is first, thinking Petit is far ahead of him! What a surprise!
As of 7:40 pm (EST), Joar and Nic rest up in Kaltag, and Mitch is only 1 mile out of the checkpoint, no doubt ready for a big rest!
Mitch is reporting his dogs are down ever since the Yukon River.....their speed is slow, and seem to labor going uphill.....when its level, hard and fast, they are ok.....but climbing or deep snow....no go.
Joar is doing great, his dogs still have pep and he is also in high spirits.
Petit is the star of the show in Unalakleet.....and for most of the morning (EST) he spent in a shelter cabin on the edge Norton Sound....there is a great video of him bedding down his dogs using the cabin as a wind break, and then going inside and eating trail food with a wooden stake since he lost his spoon! He has been writing messages on trail markers to encourage his fellow mushers along. Nic is a bit of an anomaly....he appears playful and non-chalant....you cant help but like this guy!
Then it happened.....Nic left the shelter cabin after Mitch arrived there....and took his rested Team down the trail, taking a hard right towards the shore......did I mention the wind was howling.....hard! After Nic leaves the shelter cabin, Joar arrives....and tries to sneak past the shelter cabin without being noticed, but someone (Mitch) shines a headlamp onto him....shucks, so much for a stealth passing!
Meanwhile Nic is out on the ice, finding the shoreline to take the over land trail....but the thing is....he is off the trail.....so he doubles back and finally finds the trail....it has been written that he lost 1.5 hours in this critical mistake in the ground blizard conditions. Videos from Koyuk tonight show a Nic Petit that is upset with himself....for letting his dogs down.
As Nic was lost on the ice, Joar, not knowing Petit is confused and lost, passes him as he follows the marked trail. The going is hard for Joar too, but when he pulls into Koyuk he has no idea he is first, thinking Petit is far ahead of him! What a surprise!
As of 7:40 pm (EST), Joar and Nic rest up in Kaltag, and Mitch is only 1 mile out of the checkpoint, no doubt ready for a big rest!
Trail WILL NOT go over the Sea Ice to Koyuk
Just in, the trail will not go over the sea ice this year. As mentioned before the wind blew the sea ice away from shore, so it is NOT safe. The village trail moved inland and the locals have been using it much of the late winter. This adds about 5 or 6 miles to the trail....and its a little rough. I recall this happening in the past so it is not that uncommon.
Going over the sea ice can be quite monotonous, and many Mushers will catch some sleep on that portion of the run as long as they have a good lead dog and a safe place to prop themselves up without falling off the sled. This land trail I'm assuming will be a little more interactive, so no snoozing!
I got to go to work today.....I'll post more tonight. I intend to take the day off as the top ten rolls into Nome....which sounds like it may be on Wednesday.
Going over the sea ice can be quite monotonous, and many Mushers will catch some sleep on that portion of the run as long as they have a good lead dog and a safe place to prop themselves up without falling off the sled. This land trail I'm assuming will be a little more interactive, so no snoozing!
I got to go to work today.....I'll post more tonight. I intend to take the day off as the top ten rolls into Nome....which sounds like it may be on Wednesday.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Update from the Insider Videos
The Insider Crew caught up with Mitch at Old Woman Cabin....he said the team is slowing, so instead of running a tired team he rather give them extra rest....so he pulled over to give them some rest and relaxation. They are not eating as well anymore, which is also a sign of a slowing team. If they don't want to take in the fuel to get them down the road they will no doubt slow down or even stop. So before that happens Mitch is thinking of his dogs first and competition second...time to rest and give them the time to rejuvenate.
They also interviewed Joar.....Joar dropped his main leader back in Grayling and he really doesn't have another solid leader to step up to the job. He is making due, but its been a struggle.
On the flip side Nic Petit is on the magic carpet ride (a term coined by Martin Buser years ago). His dogs are eating well and doing great. He will probably drop a dog or two before leaving Unalakleet....but he is giving them a big long and well earned rest right now. Nic has run such a good race....he is by no means the clear winner.....a lot can happen on the coast.....but he is in a really good and strategically strong position right now.
The trail up the coast can be tricky....for a while I have been hearing the pack ice is not safe in Norton Sound, and that the teams will have to traverse the land trail to the east. But then I heard today that the ice has formed and they will be going the traditional route over the ice. I don't know....I am an ice fisher and if the lake is open on one day and ice forms over a few cold nights I'm still not comfortable going out on the ice! Maybe sea ice forms differently?? We shall see what route they take tomorrow.
This is what the tracker is showing right now heading into Unalakleet:
Petit resting in Unalakleet, mile 737
Mitch running at mile 729
Joar running at mile 725
Ray Redington resting at mile 719
Marrs resting at miule 716
Kaiser and Diehl both resting at mile 712
Aliy Zirkle resting at mile 699
Burmeister resting at mile 699
Fiedler, Smyth running at mile 698
They also interviewed Joar.....Joar dropped his main leader back in Grayling and he really doesn't have another solid leader to step up to the job. He is making due, but its been a struggle.
On the flip side Nic Petit is on the magic carpet ride (a term coined by Martin Buser years ago). His dogs are eating well and doing great. He will probably drop a dog or two before leaving Unalakleet....but he is giving them a big long and well earned rest right now. Nic has run such a good race....he is by no means the clear winner.....a lot can happen on the coast.....but he is in a really good and strategically strong position right now.
The trail up the coast can be tricky....for a while I have been hearing the pack ice is not safe in Norton Sound, and that the teams will have to traverse the land trail to the east. But then I heard today that the ice has formed and they will be going the traditional route over the ice. I don't know....I am an ice fisher and if the lake is open on one day and ice forms over a few cold nights I'm still not comfortable going out on the ice! Maybe sea ice forms differently?? We shall see what route they take tomorrow.
This is what the tracker is showing right now heading into Unalakleet:
Petit resting in Unalakleet, mile 737
Mitch running at mile 729
Joar running at mile 725
Ray Redington resting at mile 719
Marrs resting at miule 716
Kaiser and Diehl both resting at mile 712
Aliy Zirkle resting at mile 699
Burmeister resting at mile 699
Fiedler, Smyth running at mile 698
Nic Petit First to the Bering Sea Coast!
Here is the 2018 winner of the Golden Coast Award....Nic Petit!
Nic did this run on minimum rest....only stopping for short snack breaks. Joar has opted to rest on the way, and is still stopped....and Mitch stopped earlier in the day and is now back on the runners. This is how the standings look right now:
Ulsom is bib 33 and is presently resting (orange is the color of a resting Team), Mitch is bib 13, and as you can see the chase pack is about to overtake Mitch. Redington, Kaiser and Diehl are only 3 miles behind Mitch.
The standings coming into Unalakleet will be interesting! Right now, the only thing that is for sure, is Nic Petit is the first to the coast! Well done Nic!
Nic did this run on minimum rest....only stopping for short snack breaks. Joar has opted to rest on the way, and is still stopped....and Mitch stopped earlier in the day and is now back on the runners. This is how the standings look right now:
The standings coming into Unalakleet will be interesting! Right now, the only thing that is for sure, is Nic Petit is the first to the coast! Well done Nic!
Mitch Stops to Rest.....Joar pursues Petit
Nic running at mile 722
Joar running at mile 715
Mitch resting at mile 699
Redington running at mile 687, along with Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl...the 3 Musketeers!
Wade Marrs running at mile 684
Travis Beals running at mile 681
Matt Failor also running at mile 681
Matt Hall (Rookie) running at mile 667
Burmeister running at mile 664
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 663
Ramey Smyth running at mile 659
Kelly Maxiner also running at mile 659
A look from the GPS Tracker
As you can see by this screenshot, in the lower left is Nic Petit....he is presently at mile 700 and may be getting ready to rest, as his bib number just turned orange, which means he has stopped. Nic has no idea how close Joar and Mitch are.....and they are both presently only 6 miles behind him, as seen in the second green blob in the lower left of the screen shot.
Further back up the trail is the first group of chasers....Diehl at mile 667, Redington at mile 666 along with Kaiser at mile 666. Then just a little ways back from them is Wade Marrs at mile 662 and Matt Failor at 660. Everyone else is still in Kaltag as noted in the upper right by the grouping of orange bib numbers.
Pretty exciting.....as I write this Nic is still at mile 700 resting....wonder if he will be letting them pass?
Mitch and Joar closing in on Petit!
Tracker shows Mitch and Joar are now within 6 and 7 miles from Nic. This stretch is pretty long between checkpoints....85 or 90 miles....with chelter cabins most teams rest at. We shall see of Nic cuts rest and makes a monster run, like he did earlier running to Anik, or if he will need to stop and rest. I suspect Mitch and Joar are also contemplating the same thing....with Mitch banking a half hour more rest than Joar back at Kaltag. Nic took the biggest rest back in Kaltag, which makes me think he will make one long push....if his dogs are up to it!
No one else has left Kaltag....all resting either because the need the rest and/or they are mandated to rest due to serving out their 8 hour rest on the Yukon.
No one else has left Kaltag....all resting either because the need the rest and/or they are mandated to rest due to serving out their 8 hour rest on the Yukon.
The Chase is ON - Mitch and Joar Leave Kaltag!
After a 4 hour rest by Joar, and a 4.5 hour rest by Mitch, they hit the trail to chase Nic Petit to Unalakleet! Joar still has 13 dogs, Mitch dropped another one in Kaltag and is now down to 12 dogs.
These 2 left within minutes of each other, and are presently 15 miles behind Nic. They all seem to be traveling about the same speed, 6-7 mph. I believe the trail goes uphill out of Kaltag, so that might explain the speed.
The trail from Kaltag to Unalakleet is an ancient portage route, linking the interior with the Bering Sea Coast. The Alaskan Natives on the coast are Inupuit (Eskimo), while the interior Alaskan Natives are Athabaskan (Indians). For hundreds of years these 2 Native peoples used the portage route for trading. Seal skins, seal oil, walrus skin rope and ivory were traded for furs from the interior. Sidney Huntingtons book "Shadows on the Koyukuk" is a must read for anyone intrigued by this area. Its a true story, and one of the best books I have ever read.
These 2 left within minutes of each other, and are presently 15 miles behind Nic. They all seem to be traveling about the same speed, 6-7 mph. I believe the trail goes uphill out of Kaltag, so that might explain the speed.
The trail from Kaltag to Unalakleet is an ancient portage route, linking the interior with the Bering Sea Coast. The Alaskan Natives on the coast are Inupuit (Eskimo), while the interior Alaskan Natives are Athabaskan (Indians). For hundreds of years these 2 Native peoples used the portage route for trading. Seal skins, seal oil, walrus skin rope and ivory were traded for furs from the interior. Sidney Huntingtons book "Shadows on the Koyukuk" is a must read for anyone intrigued by this area. Its a true story, and one of the best books I have ever read.
Nic Leaves Kaltag First!
Nic was the first into Kaltag with a very animated team! He stayed just under 6 hours and is now on his way to Unalakleet and the Bering Seas Coast! He left with 13 dogs and is presently at mile 656 running 7 mph.
They interviewed Nic in Kaltag, and for the second time he mentioned running about 12 miles outside Grayling and then laying down for a nap with his lead dog. He didn't even know Mitch passed him while he was sleeping...it was Joar who woke him up. In this interview he said he stopped because he felt it was not wise to run in the heat of the day....so he pulled over and what is unclear is did he mean to stay that long? He basically gave up his 4-5 hour lead to Mitch and Joar with this extended nap. In any event, he doesn't appear to be kicking himself at all about it. He just feels the Team enjoyed the rest and he did to, and guess what, he is still first into Kaltag!
Then Mitch came in just short of 2 hours after Nic. Mitch just looks tired, forever hunched over his sled handlebars. You could tell he didn't like talking to the camera....and scurried off to fetch water for his dogs away from the camera. Mitch's Team looked good, but not as animated and jumping and barking like Nic's was.
Joar followed Mitch in almost 20 minutes later, and his Team seemed to have some more spunk compared to Mitch's Team....barking and screaming. Joar signed in and got the dogs bedded down. He is so soft spoken it hard to tell what he is saying sometimes in the interview....but I'm sure Joar is pleased with his Team.
Next into the checkpoint was Richie Diehl, Pete Kaiser and Ray Redington.According to the stats, this trio has not taken their 8 hour rest.....I dont think that is the case....I believe they took their 8 and the stats have not been updated. Its a totally voluntary crew for this race, and sometimes in the night things get missed....cant blame them....but Im pretty sure they already served out their 8.
The rest of the chase pack is still out on the Yukon. Its hard to say what Teams will do when they arrive at Kaltag, as the wind has been difficult on the Yukon and its been a while to be at a checkpoint. Might be hard to pass up a checkpoing and camp again down the trail. At the checkpoints there is hot water and maybe a hot meal. I'm not sure what Kaltag has to offer but its more than what a shelter cabin has. BUT, then again, it will be quieter away from the checkpoint, which will result in better rest for the dogs.
OK.....so the tracker is showing:
Travis Beals just getting to the checkpoint of Kaltag, mile 652
Wade Marrs right behind Travis into Kaltag
Burmeister running at mile 649
Ramey Smyth runnng at mile 644
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 639
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 637
Hugh Neff running at mile 634
Mats Petterson running at mile 630
Ketil Reitan running at mile 630
Matt Hall resting at mile 629 (Rookie) - FYI nearest Rookie to Matt is Jessie Holmes resting at mile 585
Royer running at mile 629
They interviewed Nic in Kaltag, and for the second time he mentioned running about 12 miles outside Grayling and then laying down for a nap with his lead dog. He didn't even know Mitch passed him while he was sleeping...it was Joar who woke him up. In this interview he said he stopped because he felt it was not wise to run in the heat of the day....so he pulled over and what is unclear is did he mean to stay that long? He basically gave up his 4-5 hour lead to Mitch and Joar with this extended nap. In any event, he doesn't appear to be kicking himself at all about it. He just feels the Team enjoyed the rest and he did to, and guess what, he is still first into Kaltag!
Then Mitch came in just short of 2 hours after Nic. Mitch just looks tired, forever hunched over his sled handlebars. You could tell he didn't like talking to the camera....and scurried off to fetch water for his dogs away from the camera. Mitch's Team looked good, but not as animated and jumping and barking like Nic's was.
Joar followed Mitch in almost 20 minutes later, and his Team seemed to have some more spunk compared to Mitch's Team....barking and screaming. Joar signed in and got the dogs bedded down. He is so soft spoken it hard to tell what he is saying sometimes in the interview....but I'm sure Joar is pleased with his Team.
Next into the checkpoint was Richie Diehl, Pete Kaiser and Ray Redington.According to the stats, this trio has not taken their 8 hour rest.....I dont think that is the case....I believe they took their 8 and the stats have not been updated. Its a totally voluntary crew for this race, and sometimes in the night things get missed....cant blame them....but Im pretty sure they already served out their 8.
The rest of the chase pack is still out on the Yukon. Its hard to say what Teams will do when they arrive at Kaltag, as the wind has been difficult on the Yukon and its been a while to be at a checkpoint. Might be hard to pass up a checkpoing and camp again down the trail. At the checkpoints there is hot water and maybe a hot meal. I'm not sure what Kaltag has to offer but its more than what a shelter cabin has. BUT, then again, it will be quieter away from the checkpoint, which will result in better rest for the dogs.
OK.....so the tracker is showing:
Travis Beals just getting to the checkpoint of Kaltag, mile 652
Wade Marrs right behind Travis into Kaltag
Burmeister running at mile 649
Ramey Smyth runnng at mile 644
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 639
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 637
Hugh Neff running at mile 634
Mats Petterson running at mile 630
Ketil Reitan running at mile 630
Matt Hall resting at mile 629 (Rookie) - FYI nearest Rookie to Matt is Jessie Holmes resting at mile 585
Royer running at mile 629
Nic First into Kaltag!
Nic is off the river, and will enjoy a few hours gain over Mitch and Joar, who are presently at mile 642 and 640 respectively. Kaltag is at mile 652.
Nic says he stopped outside of Grayling to camp and Mitch passed him as he slept with one of his lead dogs.....he woke when Joar came by....so he set out to chase and passed Mitch shortly after, saying that was fun! In any event, the 5 hour lead Nic once held has shrunk...he still has a good lead but we still have to coast yet to deal with, and Mitch is a force to be reckoned with on the coast...at least he is when its been a hard and fast trail.....not sure how the soft trail will impact Mitch's typical performance...we already know he is no longer carrying dogs....so it will be interesting to see how he does.....but heck, that's another 90 miles down the trail....first things first!
Here is the tracker showing the chase pack:
Redington at mile 617
Kaiser at mile 617
Diehl at mile 616
Burmeister at mile 612
Royer at mile 609
Beals at mile 609
Marrs as mile 608
Zirkle resting at mile 607
Smyth at mile 606
Failor at mile 603
Hall at mile 597
Fiedler at mile 597
Neff as mile 596
Nic says he stopped outside of Grayling to camp and Mitch passed him as he slept with one of his lead dogs.....he woke when Joar came by....so he set out to chase and passed Mitch shortly after, saying that was fun! In any event, the 5 hour lead Nic once held has shrunk...he still has a good lead but we still have to coast yet to deal with, and Mitch is a force to be reckoned with on the coast...at least he is when its been a hard and fast trail.....not sure how the soft trail will impact Mitch's typical performance...we already know he is no longer carrying dogs....so it will be interesting to see how he does.....but heck, that's another 90 miles down the trail....first things first!
Here is the tracker showing the chase pack:
Redington at mile 617
Kaiser at mile 617
Diehl at mile 616
Burmeister at mile 612
Royer at mile 609
Beals at mile 609
Marrs as mile 608
Zirkle resting at mile 607
Smyth at mile 606
Failor at mile 603
Hall at mile 597
Fiedler at mile 597
Neff as mile 596
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Mother Nature is Relentless!
Mother Nature wants to make her mark on this race. WOW, the wind is wicked on the Yukon...the top 3 Teams battling it out at the front, and that wind just makes me cold! The chase pack is shuffling like crazy....this is how it looks at 9 pm, EST.
Petit running at mile 631
Joar Ulsom resting at mile 629
Mitch resting at mile 625
Ray Redington running at mile 591
Pete Kaiser running at mile 591
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 591
Burmeister running at mile 590
Richie Diehl running at mile 589
Jessie Royer running at mile 588
Lindwood Fiedler, Wade Marrs, Ramey Smyth, Ketil Reitan, Travis Beals resting at mile 585
Videos show wind is just howling.....teams are running 6, maybe 7 mph tops. Its a slog up to Kaltag, at mile 652. Still about 20 miles to go....around 3 more hours of battling the wind if they don't rest more. Its probably hard to find a place out of the wind on the river. Brrrrrr!
Petit running at mile 631
Joar Ulsom resting at mile 629
Mitch resting at mile 625
Ray Redington running at mile 591
Pete Kaiser running at mile 591
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 591
Burmeister running at mile 590
Richie Diehl running at mile 589
Jessie Royer running at mile 588
Lindwood Fiedler, Wade Marrs, Ramey Smyth, Ketil Reitan, Travis Beals resting at mile 585
Videos show wind is just howling.....teams are running 6, maybe 7 mph tops. Its a slog up to Kaltag, at mile 652. Still about 20 miles to go....around 3 more hours of battling the wind if they don't rest more. Its probably hard to find a place out of the wind on the river. Brrrrrr!
Next Stop....Kaltag!
Kaltag is at mile 652...this is the next checkpoint everyone is heading to.
Nic is holding the lead thus far...here is the run down from the Tracker as of 5:45 pm Eastern Standard Time:
Nic Petit at mile 619, going 8.6 mph
Mitch at mile 607, going 8 mph
Joar at mile 606, going 7 mph
Chase Pack....talk about a wad of Teams lined out on the Yukon:
Ray Redington resting at mile 585
Burmeister running at 585
Pete Kaiser resting at mile 585
Richie Siehl resting at mile 585
Travis Beals resting at mile 585
Wade Marrs resting at mile 585
Ramey Smyth running at mile 584
Lindwood Fiedler resting at 579
Mats Petterson running at mile 575
Hugh Neff, Matt Hall, Ketil Reitan resting at 574
Aliy Zirkle and Matt Failor resting at mile 572
Jessie Royer resting at mile 570
Nic is holding the lead thus far...here is the run down from the Tracker as of 5:45 pm Eastern Standard Time:
Nic Petit at mile 619, going 8.6 mph
Mitch at mile 607, going 8 mph
Joar at mile 606, going 7 mph
Chase Pack....talk about a wad of Teams lined out on the Yukon:
Ray Redington resting at mile 585
Burmeister running at 585
Pete Kaiser resting at mile 585
Richie Siehl resting at mile 585
Travis Beals resting at mile 585
Wade Marrs resting at mile 585
Ramey Smyth running at mile 584
Lindwood Fiedler resting at 579
Mats Petterson running at mile 575
Hugh Neff, Matt Hall, Ketil Reitan resting at 574
Aliy Zirkle and Matt Failor resting at mile 572
Jessie Royer resting at mile 570
Quick Update of the Tracker
All 3 front runners have been resting...both Joar and Mitch are at what would have been Eagle Island Checkpoint, and Nic 6 miles further up the Yukon.
The chase pack is closing in....with:
Ray Redington at mile 561
Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl at mile 560
Burmeister and Travis Beals at mile 555
Wade Marrs at mile 549
Jessie Royer at mile 548
Aliy Zirkle at mile 547
Ramey Smyth (his tracker has not been working) at mile 541
Matt Hall at mile 539
Hugh Neff at mile 538
Lindwood Fiedler at mile 534
Mats Petterson at mile 532
For those of you wondering where Jessie Holmes of Life Below Zero fame is....he is running at mile 525. Him and Matt Hall are the 2 top Rookies in the mix.
The chase pack is closing in....with:
Ray Redington at mile 561
Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl at mile 560
Burmeister and Travis Beals at mile 555
Wade Marrs at mile 549
Jessie Royer at mile 548
Aliy Zirkle at mile 547
Ramey Smyth (his tracker has not been working) at mile 541
Matt Hall at mile 539
Hugh Neff at mile 538
Lindwood Fiedler at mile 534
Mats Petterson at mile 532
For those of you wondering where Jessie Holmes of Life Below Zero fame is....he is running at mile 525. Him and Matt Hall are the 2 top Rookies in the mix.
Iditarod Trail Official Trail Report from Bruce Lee
The Iditarod "Insiders" crew finally got a flight out of the ghost town of Iditarod and flew up the Trail to Kaltag, which is the next checkpoint after the grueling mush up the Yukon River. Here is what Bruce Lee (Iditarod Veteran - best finish 10th in 1993) has to say about the sights from up high:
As we flew over to Kaltag a few hours ago I was surprised to actually see a clearly defined trail along the Yukon River as we passed over the trail from Iditarod. With all the snow and wind we have been getting in this part of Alaska I expected the trail to be totally blown in. I met up with the Iditarod trailbreakers on snowmachines here in Kaltag and they reported that the trail was drifted and soft but that the mushers shouldn’t have trouble finding the actual trail. They did think it was going to be slow going for the teams as they make their way up the Yukon River. The trailbreakers also reported were a few portions of the trail on the river that had wind blowing in their faces as they made their way to Kaltag.
Of course the big change on this section of the trail is going to be the lack of food drops at Eagle Island and the added weight the mushers are going to have to carry in their sleds in dog food from the checkpoint of Grayling. All in all this is going to be a one of the toughest runs of the entire trail this year. The Yukon is always a challenge for mushers on many levels but with this added snow and wind storms moving one after another through the area this trail is going to be a lot of work for every team headed to Nome.
As of 9 am eastern standard time, the GPS tracker looks like this:
Nic Petit running at 7.4 mph/mile 584
Mitch Seavey running at 7.7 mph/mile 581
Joar Ulsom running at 6.8 mph/mile 580
Chase Pack out of Grayling:
Ray Redington at mile 535
Pete Kaiser at mile 534
Richie Diehl at mile 534
Aaron Burmeister at mile 532
Everyone else is still resting at Grayling, mile 530. Kaltag, where Bruce Lee flew and where the Teams come off the Yukon is a mile 652.
As we flew over to Kaltag a few hours ago I was surprised to actually see a clearly defined trail along the Yukon River as we passed over the trail from Iditarod. With all the snow and wind we have been getting in this part of Alaska I expected the trail to be totally blown in. I met up with the Iditarod trailbreakers on snowmachines here in Kaltag and they reported that the trail was drifted and soft but that the mushers shouldn’t have trouble finding the actual trail. They did think it was going to be slow going for the teams as they make their way up the Yukon River. The trailbreakers also reported were a few portions of the trail on the river that had wind blowing in their faces as they made their way to Kaltag.
Of course the big change on this section of the trail is going to be the lack of food drops at Eagle Island and the added weight the mushers are going to have to carry in their sleds in dog food from the checkpoint of Grayling. All in all this is going to be a one of the toughest runs of the entire trail this year. The Yukon is always a challenge for mushers on many levels but with this added snow and wind storms moving one after another through the area this trail is going to be a lot of work for every team headed to Nome.
As of 9 am eastern standard time, the GPS tracker looks like this:
Nic Petit running at 7.4 mph/mile 584
Mitch Seavey running at 7.7 mph/mile 581
Joar Ulsom running at 6.8 mph/mile 580
Chase Pack out of Grayling:
Ray Redington at mile 535
Pete Kaiser at mile 534
Richie Diehl at mile 534
Aaron Burmeister at mile 532
Everyone else is still resting at Grayling, mile 530. Kaltag, where Bruce Lee flew and where the Teams come off the Yukon is a mile 652.
122 Miles with NO Checkpoints!
Nic only stopped in at Grayling for a little over a half hour, but then just went up the river a ways and rested for 5 hours, essentially giving back the 5 hour lead he had over both Joar and Mitch. Not sure why he did this...according to the GPS Tracker, Mitch actually passed by the resting Nic Team. Joar came up and then both Nic and Joar started moving and caught back up to Mitch....they are all traveling within a mile of each other now. Not sure if it is the wind that caught Nic, or a blown in trail, or maybe he just overslept....but whatever it is, the 3 front runners are now all together and by the looks of the tracker, Mitch is breaking the trail, which I find odd because I thought he would NOT want to be in front breaking trail with just 12 dogs. Joar dropped 2 dogs in Grayling and Nic is still 14 dogs strong.
The GPS has:
Mitch and Nic are at mile 562, with Nics speed around 9 and Mitch's speed around 8 (that is just a "ping" in time for speed, but Nic is pinging consistently faster than Mitch)
Joar is right behind them at mile 561, pinging at a speed of 7.5 mph
The rest of the pack is resting in Grayling (mile 530) with everyone already serving out their 8 hour rest back in Shageluk. These Teams are repacking their sled for the unexpected 122 mile haul up to Kaltag without a checkpoint.
The GPS has:
Mitch and Nic are at mile 562, with Nics speed around 9 and Mitch's speed around 8 (that is just a "ping" in time for speed, but Nic is pinging consistently faster than Mitch)
Joar is right behind them at mile 561, pinging at a speed of 7.5 mph
The rest of the pack is resting in Grayling (mile 530) with everyone already serving out their 8 hour rest back in Shageluk. These Teams are repacking their sled for the unexpected 122 mile haul up to Kaltag without a checkpoint.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Its About to Get REAL Interesting!
Well.....as expected, Mitch and Joar blew threw Anvik as Nic was serving out his 8 hour rest....but what was NOT expected is the news that the weather has shut down the Iditarod Airforce, which means drop bags filled with food and supplies that was shipped out from all the race kennels to be available to them at the Eagle Island Checkpoint can NOT get there! That means from the Grayling checkpoint (where Mitch and Joar are now resting....Nic just got there) all Teams, from the front runners to the back of the pack will have to CARRY all of their needed food and gear 120 miles to the next checkpoint of Kaltag!
Now, any Teams that have run the Yukon Quest will have no problem doing this....as some of those check points on that (more difficult) race are over 200 miles apart.....but for these Iditarod racers, they have not planned to carry everything they may need for 120 miles! But they have to adapt. There is no choice in the matter. This will no doubt bust everyones schedule all to hell.
Right now the 3 front runners are in Grayling....I would think Nic would be the first to venture out. Its been snowing (just like here in the Adirondacks) all day and night. Whoever goes out first will have to break trail, AND carry an extra heavy load! Mitch has the least in dog power right now....so I suspect he will opt to sit back and let Nic and Joar do the heavy lifting. OR, do they all wait for the following chase pack to catch up and help? That is probably not an option for Nic, as he has already served out his 8 hour rest, he has to go out and face the trail....unbroken as it is....maybe pray for a snowmachine to show up as they often times do! I bet both Mitch and Joar will serve out their 8 hour rest and let this chase pack get closer, and maybe one of them will lead out so they can easily follow??? No one has moved out of Grayling....yet. What a dilemma for Mitch, Joar and Nic!
But wait....Nic has left....he is on the 120 mile trek to Kaltag....go Nic!! His goal will be to not let the chasers catch up with him WHILE also breaking trail and bucking the wind.....you go Nic....you GO!
As for the chase pack....here is the run down:
Nic running at mile 531
Mitch, Joar resting in Grayling, mile 530...probably serving out their 8 hour rest on the Yukon
Pete Kaiser running at mile 497
Richie Diehl running at mile 496
Ray Redington running at mile 495
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 492
Jessie Royer running at mile 492
Wade Marrs running at mile 492
Aaron Burmeister running at mile 490
Everyone else is pretty much serving out the rest of their 8 hour mandatory rest in Shageluk at mile 487.
This is about to get REALLY interesting!! Who will lead out of Grayling? Will Nic's speedy team be up for the task? Will Mitch hang back and let all the young guns wear out their Teams breaking trail so he can have his ride to victory along the coast? This is going to be messy....and perhaps even someone with a team slower right now could actually rise up and win this thing as these front teams slow down due to the weight they will now have to carry, and a trail they will now have to break for everyone else??? Time will tell....this is Iditarod....old school! No nice neat trail to follow...this will take guts to get the glory!
As a fan, I got to admit, I like it!
Now, any Teams that have run the Yukon Quest will have no problem doing this....as some of those check points on that (more difficult) race are over 200 miles apart.....but for these Iditarod racers, they have not planned to carry everything they may need for 120 miles! But they have to adapt. There is no choice in the matter. This will no doubt bust everyones schedule all to hell.
Right now the 3 front runners are in Grayling....I would think Nic would be the first to venture out. Its been snowing (just like here in the Adirondacks) all day and night. Whoever goes out first will have to break trail, AND carry an extra heavy load! Mitch has the least in dog power right now....so I suspect he will opt to sit back and let Nic and Joar do the heavy lifting. OR, do they all wait for the following chase pack to catch up and help? That is probably not an option for Nic, as he has already served out his 8 hour rest, he has to go out and face the trail....unbroken as it is....maybe pray for a snowmachine to show up as they often times do! I bet both Mitch and Joar will serve out their 8 hour rest and let this chase pack get closer, and maybe one of them will lead out so they can easily follow??? No one has moved out of Grayling....yet. What a dilemma for Mitch, Joar and Nic!
But wait....Nic has left....he is on the 120 mile trek to Kaltag....go Nic!! His goal will be to not let the chasers catch up with him WHILE also breaking trail and bucking the wind.....you go Nic....you GO!
As for the chase pack....here is the run down:
Nic running at mile 531
Mitch, Joar resting in Grayling, mile 530...probably serving out their 8 hour rest on the Yukon
Pete Kaiser running at mile 497
Richie Diehl running at mile 496
Ray Redington running at mile 495
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 492
Jessie Royer running at mile 492
Wade Marrs running at mile 492
Aaron Burmeister running at mile 490
Everyone else is pretty much serving out the rest of their 8 hour mandatory rest in Shageluk at mile 487.
This is about to get REALLY interesting!! Who will lead out of Grayling? Will Nic's speedy team be up for the task? Will Mitch hang back and let all the young guns wear out their Teams breaking trail so he can have his ride to victory along the coast? This is going to be messy....and perhaps even someone with a team slower right now could actually rise up and win this thing as these front teams slow down due to the weight they will now have to carry, and a trail they will now have to break for everyone else??? Time will tell....this is Iditarod....old school! No nice neat trail to follow...this will take guts to get the glory!
As a fan, I got to admit, I like it!
Nic Petit - First to the Yukon - Whats for Dinner?
For the secnd year in a row, Nic Petit is the first on the Yukon River, this year its the village of Anvik that gets to greet the first Musher with church bells ringing to celebrate this "race within the race". Nic gets a wonderful 5 course gourmet meal, which consisted of a cocunut and Curry pork tenderloin soup served in a bread bowl, then on to a mandarin salad, followed by stuffed jumbo shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, then on to pan-seared and flambeed bison tenderloin and completing the meal with a warm citris dessert medley...and of course 3,500 crisp 1 dollar bills as the "after dinner mint! Sure beats trail food!
I suspect Nic will be settled in for his mandatory rest here in Anvik, not only to digest but to allow his dogs to rest after the 80 mile run from Iditarod. Mitch stopped for a rest in Shageluk 26 miles back from Anvik....I see he just left that checkpoint after a 4.5 hour rest with 13 dogs. Joar I see is also moving out of the checkpoint right behind him....the stats have not updated for him yet, but he had a shorter rest than Mitch.
It was a bit of a surprise Joar stopped in Shageluk since he just came off his 24 hour rest only 55 miles back, but in a video clip Joar says the Team looked great, they are eating well, and he just didn't want to push them so soon after the 24 hour break...which may be a little different than the conventional thinking, but Joar knows his Team best and wanted to stop in for a short rest. Mitch in another interview basically said the same thing...his Team looks good, is doing well, and felt since the trail conditions are so difficult he felt it better to stop and rest them BEFORE they actually got tired. Nic opted to make a monster 80 mile run, and his Team loped into the check point in Anvik looking alert and animated. Right now Petits Team is the one to beat....but we still got 480 miles yet to get to Nome....this is far from over!
The rest of the chase pack looks like this:
Petit resting in Anvik at mile 513
Mitch now running at mile 489
Joar right behind Mitch at mile 488
Richie Diehl and Pete Kaiser resting in Shageluk at mile 487
Jessie Royer and Wade Mars running at mile 486 and about to reach Shageluk
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 485
Aaron Burmeister running at mile 484
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 480
Hugh Neff running at mile 475
Matt Hall running at mile 465
I suspect Nic will be settled in for his mandatory rest here in Anvik, not only to digest but to allow his dogs to rest after the 80 mile run from Iditarod. Mitch stopped for a rest in Shageluk 26 miles back from Anvik....I see he just left that checkpoint after a 4.5 hour rest with 13 dogs. Joar I see is also moving out of the checkpoint right behind him....the stats have not updated for him yet, but he had a shorter rest than Mitch.
It was a bit of a surprise Joar stopped in Shageluk since he just came off his 24 hour rest only 55 miles back, but in a video clip Joar says the Team looked great, they are eating well, and he just didn't want to push them so soon after the 24 hour break...which may be a little different than the conventional thinking, but Joar knows his Team best and wanted to stop in for a short rest. Mitch in another interview basically said the same thing...his Team looks good, is doing well, and felt since the trail conditions are so difficult he felt it better to stop and rest them BEFORE they actually got tired. Nic opted to make a monster 80 mile run, and his Team loped into the check point in Anvik looking alert and animated. Right now Petits Team is the one to beat....but we still got 480 miles yet to get to Nome....this is far from over!
The rest of the chase pack looks like this:
Petit resting in Anvik at mile 513
Mitch now running at mile 489
Joar right behind Mitch at mile 488
Richie Diehl and Pete Kaiser resting in Shageluk at mile 487
Jessie Royer and Wade Mars running at mile 486 and about to reach Shageluk
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 485
Aaron Burmeister running at mile 484
Aliy Zirkle running at mile 480
Hugh Neff running at mile 475
Matt Hall running at mile 465
A Classic Move by Nic Petit!
Right after I hit the "publish" button for that last post I see Nic is back on the trail heading to Anvik, RIGHT when Mitch was coming into the Shageluk checkpoint! This is a classic move, leave the checkpoint moments before your nearest competitor arrives, robbing them of a chance to look at your Team! I'm sure Mitch just shrugged that off....he has been in this race for a long, long, time...and can expect the head games to be played. Mitch has said he planned on "giving up the lead" anyhow....his end game is the coast....getting his Team to the coast and coming from behind, where in Unalakleet he can unleash the full power of his Team and pass everyone in sight. This strategy has worked for Mitch in the past, and no doubt is his game plan once again. The trick for the other Teams is putting as much distance between them and Mitch by the time they hit the coast, so that his wave of speed cant quite catch them! And Mother Nature can be a spoiler for Mitch, as the soft trail is not allowing him to pack as many dogs in his sled as he would like. He switched up to a smaller sled back in Tacotna, but he can still pack away 2 dogs without any issue...that big monster of a sled allowed him to pack away 4 dogs at a time. The soft snow requires all his dogs to be on the line...so when he finally reaches the coast, it is yet to see what "reserved power" he actually has in his "rested" Team via rides in the sled bag. I myself hope the strategy fails, as I'm a firm believer of a Team of dogs on the gang line, and only injured or fatigued dogs in the sled bag. But hey, I don't make the rules....Mitch is playing by the rules as presently written, but it is a gamble with the soft trail....with more fresh snow in the extended forecasted each day.
It is worthy to note Mitch won the 2013 race, which was the last time the race was ran on the southern route. Back in 2013, he was 4 hours behind the front runner in Iditarod. I do not believe he was hauling dogs back then....So LOTS can happen, and will happen, as the Teams push on to Nome!
It is worthy to note Mitch won the 2013 race, which was the last time the race was ran on the southern route. Back in 2013, he was 4 hours behind the front runner in Iditarod. I do not believe he was hauling dogs back then....So LOTS can happen, and will happen, as the Teams push on to Nome!
Entering the 2nd Half!
I wake this am to find Nic in the lead, and after I did my morning Idita-News gathering ritual I see he just pulled into Shageluk Checkpoint at mile 487. Mitch is chasing him and is presently at mile 480.
If you recall, Joar couldnt leave Iditarod Checkpoint until his 24 hour (plus start differential) was served, and when I watched the video of his 15 string of dogs leave (he only dropped one in Iditarod), all I can say is Mitch and Nic better watch their backs....these dogs were literally screaming to go! As the sled passed the camera man Joar let out a "yahoo!" What a sight heading out of the checkpoint!
Forecast is for snow all day.....they didn't say how much accumulation, as I think the wind blows it around pretty good. King and Larry Daughtery both reported blizzard like conditions on the trail to Iditarod....so much so that King had thoughts of meeting his demise on this section of trail...quite the statement knowing of all the weather he has mushed through in his career as a Musher!
Besides the wind and the snow, there was one other common thread in the discussion with Mushers....snow machines....lots of snow machine traffic. The dog team could be making 7 or 8 mph on the trail, and then a half dozen snow machines come by and churns up the crust, slowing the dog team down to 5 or 6 mph just like that! Too bad they can not control the machine traffic...it really is impacting the speed of the Teams. The Mushers seem to accept this as something they have to deal with, just like the weather. Once they get out onto the Yukon River it wont be so bad as its a wider trail out there...but in the interior, where no trail has been traveled and packed down except for this race makes for a fragile trail, and just can't handle the heavy machines with no real developed solid base under it.
So here is a rundown of the Teams as shown on the GPS Tracker:
Nic at Shageluk, resting at mile 487
Mitch running at mile 482
Joar coming on strong at mile 467
Richie Diehl running at mile 450
Pete Kaiser running at mile 450
Ray Redington at mile 449
Jessie Royer at mile 448
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 446 with Wade Marrs and Aaron Burmeister
Aliy Zirkle at mile 443
Hugh Neff at mile 442
Travis Beals at mile 438
Kelly Maxiner at mile 436
Michelle Phillips at mile 434
Mats Petterson at mile 433
Everyone else is resting in Iditarod at mile 432.
If you recall, Joar couldnt leave Iditarod Checkpoint until his 24 hour (plus start differential) was served, and when I watched the video of his 15 string of dogs leave (he only dropped one in Iditarod), all I can say is Mitch and Nic better watch their backs....these dogs were literally screaming to go! As the sled passed the camera man Joar let out a "yahoo!" What a sight heading out of the checkpoint!
Forecast is for snow all day.....they didn't say how much accumulation, as I think the wind blows it around pretty good. King and Larry Daughtery both reported blizzard like conditions on the trail to Iditarod....so much so that King had thoughts of meeting his demise on this section of trail...quite the statement knowing of all the weather he has mushed through in his career as a Musher!
Besides the wind and the snow, there was one other common thread in the discussion with Mushers....snow machines....lots of snow machine traffic. The dog team could be making 7 or 8 mph on the trail, and then a half dozen snow machines come by and churns up the crust, slowing the dog team down to 5 or 6 mph just like that! Too bad they can not control the machine traffic...it really is impacting the speed of the Teams. The Mushers seem to accept this as something they have to deal with, just like the weather. Once they get out onto the Yukon River it wont be so bad as its a wider trail out there...but in the interior, where no trail has been traveled and packed down except for this race makes for a fragile trail, and just can't handle the heavy machines with no real developed solid base under it.
So here is a rundown of the Teams as shown on the GPS Tracker:
Nic at Shageluk, resting at mile 487
Mitch running at mile 482
Joar coming on strong at mile 467
Richie Diehl running at mile 450
Pete Kaiser running at mile 450
Ray Redington at mile 449
Jessie Royer at mile 448
Lindwood Fiedler running at mile 446 with Wade Marrs and Aaron Burmeister
Aliy Zirkle at mile 443
Hugh Neff at mile 442
Travis Beals at mile 438
Kelly Maxiner at mile 436
Michelle Phillips at mile 434
Mats Petterson at mile 433
Everyone else is resting in Iditarod at mile 432.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
The Front Runners are IN Iditarod....now what?
OK....after a day a work with one eye on the Tracker, we have Nic arriving at Iditarod first, and Mitch about 45 minutes later. The trail was much faster for the pack Team than it was for Joar, who was also fighting some wind and snow! In any event, the next thing to watch for is who will leave Iditarod first? Nic or Mitch? Joar cant leave until 12:30 am (EST), so I'm sure these 2 will want to get as much distance between Joar and his string of 16 dogs that have had all they can eat and as much sleep as they want during their 24 hour rest. I may have to get up in the middle of the night to watch this next phase unfold.
So who is in Iditarod with Joar, Nic and Mitch? We have a few others, and MANY more on the way. Here is the rundown.
Resting in Iditarod at mile 432 is Joar (cant leave until 12:30 am EST), Nic and Mitch. Lars Monson, another Norwegian actually joined Joar today, but had yet to take his 24 hour rest....so he is taking it now and wont be able to leave until around 9:15 am EST tomorrow. Then there is King, who made it into Iditarod about 50 after Mitch....but remember, King is already a day behind because he needs to serve out his 24 hour rest....so he isn't really a threat to the front. So that is who is at mile 432 right now.
Out on the trail to Iditarod we have:
Lindwood Fiedler at mile 415
Ray Redington at mile 415
Jessie Royer at mile 412
Aaron Burmeister at mile 411
Richie Diehl at mile 411
Hugh Neff at mile 408
Pete Kaiser at mile 408
Aily Zirkle at mile 407
Wade Marrs at mile 406
Mats Petterson at mile 402
Michelle Phillips at mile 395
Travis Beals at mile 393
Matt Hall at mile 392
Rick Casillo at mile 390
My next post will be after the lead pack leaves Iditarod! Stay tuned!
So who is in Iditarod with Joar, Nic and Mitch? We have a few others, and MANY more on the way. Here is the rundown.
Resting in Iditarod at mile 432 is Joar (cant leave until 12:30 am EST), Nic and Mitch. Lars Monson, another Norwegian actually joined Joar today, but had yet to take his 24 hour rest....so he is taking it now and wont be able to leave until around 9:15 am EST tomorrow. Then there is King, who made it into Iditarod about 50 after Mitch....but remember, King is already a day behind because he needs to serve out his 24 hour rest....so he isn't really a threat to the front. So that is who is at mile 432 right now.
Out on the trail to Iditarod we have:
Lindwood Fiedler at mile 415
Ray Redington at mile 415
Jessie Royer at mile 412
Aaron Burmeister at mile 411
Richie Diehl at mile 411
Hugh Neff at mile 408
Pete Kaiser at mile 408
Aily Zirkle at mile 407
Wade Marrs at mile 406
Mats Petterson at mile 402
Michelle Phillips at mile 395
Travis Beals at mile 393
Matt Hall at mile 392
Rick Casillo at mile 390
My next post will be after the lead pack leaves Iditarod! Stay tuned!
Halftime is Over! Back to the Trail!
The front Teams are coming off their 24 hour rests in McGrath and Takotna, as Joar pulls up in Iditarod for his 24 hour rest. The speeds (caution, the GPS speeds are just "pings" in time, but if they are consistantly around a certain speed, you can bet that is about the average they are traveling) are pretty impressive, which could indicate the trail has set up and developed a crust as several Teams have already packed it in ahead of them. Joar is not the only one who pushed forward into Iditarod...he is the only one there now, but there are several Teams who opted not to take their 24 in any of the previous checkpoints...some may be out of contention but there are some that are definately positioning themselves in the money. Here is a rundown of where Teams are at:
Joar - resting in Iditarod at mile 432.....he got into there at 12:30 am (est).
Lars Monson at mile 400
Jeff King moving at 6 mph at mile 388
Larry Daughtery moving at 7 mph at mile 377
Several Teams are in Ophir Checkpoint (mile 352) serving out their 24 hour rest....they are:
Hugh Neff
Ketil Reitan
Martin Buser
Jessie Holmes
There are 3 more Teams there, but they just arrived. So there are several Teams, some in contention and some not in contention that have packed down the trail, which appears to be in good condition for those who are now chasing. Here is the lead chase pack:
Mitch Seavey - moving at a blistering 10.2 mph at mile 342 (24 hour rest done)
Nic Petit - moving at 8.2 mph at mile 338 (24 hour rest done)
Aaron Burmeister - moving at 7 mph at mile 333 (24 hour rest done)
The following Teams are serving out their 24 hour rest (plus start differential, I forgot to mention that previously) and many of them like Jessie Royer and Aily Zirkle will be leaving soon.....so the Teams in Takotna are:
Ray Redington
Jessie Royer
Lindwood Fiedler
Aliy Zirkle
Richie Diehl
Peter Kaiser
Mats Patterson
Michelle Phillips
Kelly Maxiner
Matt Hall
Ramey Smyth
Michi Konno
Cody Strathe
There are more, but these folks just got in, so I will leave them off my list as I need to get to work (its Idita-Bagel Day!)
And dont forget, there are some lead Teams wh pulled up in McGrath (mile 311). These Teams served out their 24 hour rest in McGrath and are again on the move....they include:
Wade Marrs - moving at a blistering 10.3 mph at mile 329
Ryan Redington - moving at 6 mph at mile 324
So that about does it for the lead pack and the trail conditions set up. Im not sure at this time if trail conditions are hard enough for Mitch to be able to go back to carrying dogs in his oversized sled....I will keep an eye out for that. Iditarod.com put out a nice video of Aliy and Mitch talking about Mitch's sled and the hard work Mitch has to put into rotating his dogs around. Aliy is a bit mystified with the strategy....she keeps on saying "thats a lot of work", and "you mean you can carry 250 pounds of dog in that sled", with Mitch saying "yes, while also keeping my speed:", which is impressive IF trail conditions allow. Im still a bit old school and rather see dogs experiancing the trail from the outside of the sled, but again, just my opinion. Im sure some see this as a awesome strategy, while people like me see it as a gimic.....just Mush for goodness sakes.....its a sled DOG race, not a race in how to keep your dogs from running! But as Aliy said "its a lot of work, and you are in the lead", and with that she patted Mitch on the back and walked off saying "and winning takes a lot of work".
Joar - resting in Iditarod at mile 432.....he got into there at 12:30 am (est).
Lars Monson at mile 400
Jeff King moving at 6 mph at mile 388
Larry Daughtery moving at 7 mph at mile 377
Several Teams are in Ophir Checkpoint (mile 352) serving out their 24 hour rest....they are:
Hugh Neff
Ketil Reitan
Martin Buser
Jessie Holmes
There are 3 more Teams there, but they just arrived. So there are several Teams, some in contention and some not in contention that have packed down the trail, which appears to be in good condition for those who are now chasing. Here is the lead chase pack:
Mitch Seavey - moving at a blistering 10.2 mph at mile 342 (24 hour rest done)
Nic Petit - moving at 8.2 mph at mile 338 (24 hour rest done)
Aaron Burmeister - moving at 7 mph at mile 333 (24 hour rest done)
The following Teams are serving out their 24 hour rest (plus start differential, I forgot to mention that previously) and many of them like Jessie Royer and Aily Zirkle will be leaving soon.....so the Teams in Takotna are:
Ray Redington
Jessie Royer
Lindwood Fiedler
Aliy Zirkle
Richie Diehl
Peter Kaiser
Mats Patterson
Michelle Phillips
Kelly Maxiner
Matt Hall
Ramey Smyth
Michi Konno
Cody Strathe
There are more, but these folks just got in, so I will leave them off my list as I need to get to work (its Idita-Bagel Day!)
And dont forget, there are some lead Teams wh pulled up in McGrath (mile 311). These Teams served out their 24 hour rest in McGrath and are again on the move....they include:
Wade Marrs - moving at a blistering 10.3 mph at mile 329
Ryan Redington - moving at 6 mph at mile 324
So that about does it for the lead pack and the trail conditions set up. Im not sure at this time if trail conditions are hard enough for Mitch to be able to go back to carrying dogs in his oversized sled....I will keep an eye out for that. Iditarod.com put out a nice video of Aliy and Mitch talking about Mitch's sled and the hard work Mitch has to put into rotating his dogs around. Aliy is a bit mystified with the strategy....she keeps on saying "thats a lot of work", and "you mean you can carry 250 pounds of dog in that sled", with Mitch saying "yes, while also keeping my speed:", which is impressive IF trail conditions allow. Im still a bit old school and rather see dogs experiancing the trail from the outside of the sled, but again, just my opinion. Im sure some see this as a awesome strategy, while people like me see it as a gimic.....just Mush for goodness sakes.....its a sled DOG race, not a race in how to keep your dogs from running! But as Aliy said "its a lot of work, and you are in the lead", and with that she patted Mitch on the back and walked off saying "and winning takes a lot of work".
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Winter Weather Advisory - Joar Heads Into the Storm!
Joar Leifseth Ulsom is the rabbit of the race! He bolted out of Ophir and camped a ways outside of the checkpoint.....then resumed his march towards the checkpoint of Iditarod...the halfway point! Right now he is about 20 miles from the halfway prize, and according to the weather is bucking a bit of a winter storm! Yes, they area is getting winds up to 40 mph, and its suppose to snow another 2 to 4"! But he is moving along somewhat slowly.....averaging around 6 mph. If this works, and the chase pack also has to break trail and fight the storm, this bold move of Joars may prove to be a pivotal moment in this race! And he is doing it with 16 dogs....we shall soon see how his Team looks coming into Iditarod (if the Iditarod crew made it there for a photo op). Joar will be able to leave Iditaorod at 12:30 am (EST) Friday.
Mitch is seeing his 24 hours over in Takotna, about 100 miles behind where Ulsom is resting in Iditarod. Its been storming, and Mitch is about to head straight into it with a rested Team. Unlike past years, the trail is reportedly soft and slow, enough to make Mitch abandon his tactic of carrying dogs in his specially made sled. The trail is just too soft for the dogs to pull that extra weight, so he has resorted to Mushing with all of his dogs on the gang line....hmmm, what a concept! The problem is his specially made sled is heavier than a conventional sled, so not only do all his dogs have to be on the line, but they have to haul a heavier sled. Sometimes Mushers have lighter sleds stashed at the checkpoints in case the Alaska Range busted a sled up....at this point its unclear if Mitch has such a sled to switch into. No doubt he has a sled on the coast where he intended to finally run all his dogs at once....but here in Takotna he may be SOL unless he has one specially flown in....which might be impossible with the weather that has set in. Mitch could rest a total of 7 hours and still be able to leave the Iditarod checkpoint about an hour before Joar can...but that is a big IF....if the trail is bad, then he would have to cut rest...and if he cuts rest his speed will diminish....its all such a delicate balance.
Nic Petit is back in McGrath a mere 18 miles behind where Mitch is...and I suspect he will be on fire when he comes off his 24. He may even get to Takotna just when Mitch is released from his 24 hour rest (plus start differential). He will either run through Takotna and Ophir, and rest on his way to Iditarod, like Ulsom did, OR he could stay in Ophir for a rest and make one big push (80 miles) to Iditarod....thus seeing Ulsom before he finishes his 24 hour rest.....the wild card is the weather.
Now that's just the top 3 teams...there are plenty of other Teams hawking over these 3 front runners, and if breaking trail is hard, they will gladly stay behind them. If the trail is soft and punchy it will be interesting to see if its better to be in front breaking trail, or behind on a punched up trail? My guess is there is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle....it will be interesting to watch what happens next!
Mitch is seeing his 24 hours over in Takotna, about 100 miles behind where Ulsom is resting in Iditarod. Its been storming, and Mitch is about to head straight into it with a rested Team. Unlike past years, the trail is reportedly soft and slow, enough to make Mitch abandon his tactic of carrying dogs in his specially made sled. The trail is just too soft for the dogs to pull that extra weight, so he has resorted to Mushing with all of his dogs on the gang line....hmmm, what a concept! The problem is his specially made sled is heavier than a conventional sled, so not only do all his dogs have to be on the line, but they have to haul a heavier sled. Sometimes Mushers have lighter sleds stashed at the checkpoints in case the Alaska Range busted a sled up....at this point its unclear if Mitch has such a sled to switch into. No doubt he has a sled on the coast where he intended to finally run all his dogs at once....but here in Takotna he may be SOL unless he has one specially flown in....which might be impossible with the weather that has set in. Mitch could rest a total of 7 hours and still be able to leave the Iditarod checkpoint about an hour before Joar can...but that is a big IF....if the trail is bad, then he would have to cut rest...and if he cuts rest his speed will diminish....its all such a delicate balance.
Nic Petit is back in McGrath a mere 18 miles behind where Mitch is...and I suspect he will be on fire when he comes off his 24. He may even get to Takotna just when Mitch is released from his 24 hour rest (plus start differential). He will either run through Takotna and Ophir, and rest on his way to Iditarod, like Ulsom did, OR he could stay in Ophir for a rest and make one big push (80 miles) to Iditarod....thus seeing Ulsom before he finishes his 24 hour rest.....the wild card is the weather.
Now that's just the top 3 teams...there are plenty of other Teams hawking over these 3 front runners, and if breaking trail is hard, they will gladly stay behind them. If the trail is soft and punchy it will be interesting to see if its better to be in front breaking trail, or behind on a punched up trail? My guess is there is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle....it will be interesting to watch what happens next!
Settling Down for the 24 Hour Rest
Everyone will be settling down for the 24 hour rest now. Except for Joar Ulsom.....he left Takotna with all 16 dogs and will be heading to Ophir...maybe beyond for his 24 hour rest! That is a bit of a surprise move by Joar.....but go Norway!!!
Looks like Mitch, Jessie, Fiedler and Aliy are settling down for their 24 hours in Takotna. Nic Petit, Wade Marrs and both the Redingtons shut it down in McGrath last night for their 24 hour rest.
Well at least I have Joar to watch today......he is presently at mile 334, and the next checkpoint is at 353...where he presumably will be taking his 24....unless he pushes on to the halfway point of Iditarod. Who knows??? Joar is a quiet guy......he has never won a race in Alaska, but has always been a front runner. Maybe this is his year....that would be SO cool! Go Joar!
Looks like Mitch, Jessie, Fiedler and Aliy are settling down for their 24 hours in Takotna. Nic Petit, Wade Marrs and both the Redingtons shut it down in McGrath last night for their 24 hour rest.
Well at least I have Joar to watch today......he is presently at mile 334, and the next checkpoint is at 353...where he presumably will be taking his 24....unless he pushes on to the halfway point of Iditarod. Who knows??? Joar is a quiet guy......he has never won a race in Alaska, but has always been a front runner. Maybe this is his year....that would be SO cool! Go Joar!
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Into McGrath - SLOW Going
The slog into McGrath was slow going....I know the tracker "pings" just a snapshot in time of the speed they are traveling, but Id say the average was 6.5 - 7 mph.....thats fairly slow! The trail is reportedly snow covered and the dogs will need to break trail a bit, with Mitch leading the charge on this section of trail.He is about 3 miles out from McGrath right now at mile 307, followed closely by Joar Ulsom with 16 dogs at mile 302....Nic Petit is nipping at both of their heels at mule 299, Wade Marrs at mile 297, Ryan Redington at mile 296, with brother Ray at mile 295. Jessie Royer, Aliy Zirkle and Lindwood Fiedler are just a little ways back at mile 289, 287 and 285 respectively.
By morning I will be able to tell who out of this group will be taking their 24 hour break in McGrath, and who may venture further down the trail to Tacotna for their long mandatory break. It was a long trek in soft snow....I bet most will stay here for now in hopes the trail sets up!
By morning I will be able to tell who out of this group will be taking their 24 hour break in McGrath, and who may venture further down the trail to Tacotna for their long mandatory break. It was a long trek in soft snow....I bet most will stay here for now in hopes the trail sets up!
End of an Era - Legendary DeeDee Jonrowe Scratches
2018 was going to be her last Iditarod anyways, but DeeDee decided it was time to bow our gracefully today in Rainy Pass. She says it was time, and she seemed calm and clear in her decision. She was struggling to continue this race, and for the safety of her dogs, she called it quits.
This 64 year old woman is AMAZING...and I was lucky enough to meet her in 2015. When I got to speak with her I said "I was a fan of yours when you were powder blue.....but I think you are pretty in pink". DeeDee, a breast cancer survivor, changed her signature color from powder blue to pink after she survived breast cancer in 2002. When I said this she smiled and thanked me for my support and admiration. Latter that year, DeeDee lost her entire kennel in the Sockeye Fire....she did save the dogs, but everything else burned to the ground. Then shortly after the fire her Mother died from her long battle with cancer. DeeDee ran the 2016 and 2017 Iditarods, but this 2018 was to be her last.
DeeDee has finished the Iditarod 32 times, with 16 top ten finishes! She came in 2nd twice...once in 1993 and again in 1998. From 1988 to 1998, for a full decade she finished every race in the top ten. That was DeeDee in her prime!
She is truly happy to start her new life away from competitive Mushing....but she will always compete in something.....training dogs in canine agility, running with her dogs in canicross, dry land mushing and bike joring with her dogs. DeeDee in a way is just getting started....again!
We wish you well DeeDee....I'm sure you will enjoy this new trail of adventures!
As we head into day two.....
This am I wake to find several Teams camped at mile 209, about halfway to Nikolia from the Rohn Checkpoint. When I went to bed last night the lead pack was heading down the Dalzell Gorge in a string of endless Mushers.....it was actually hard to tell where the lead pack ended! HOWEVER....this group camping at mile 209 was clearly a lead pack, consisting of both Redingtons, Mitch, Aliy, Jessie Royer and Richie Diehl. Joar was camped one mile behind them. As I write this Michele Philips has passed Joar and is reaching the resting Teams at mile 209, with Ryan Redinton being the first of the lead pack to break away and head on down the trail. A few more Mushers are just 4 miles behind Joar at mile 205, consisting of Wade Marrs, Ramey Smyth and Ketil Reitan. Marrs must have heard me talking about him because he is now on the move. Behind them, just a mere 2 miles is Nic Petit, Rick Casillo, Martin Buser and Matt Hall. I can assume Nic has been there a while and has been joined recently by the others.
No sooner that I write all that and Nic now is moving, as is Mitch towards the front of the pack. I suspect others will soon follow the parade to Nikolai. They say the winner of the race is always one of the top ten teams into Nik.....but with this being so close its hard to tell....perhaps the first 15 into the checkpoint may be more like it.
The trail conditions are reported as better than it has been in years....so as long as you are on the trail you don't have to deal with wallowing in deep snow. 2 feet of snow has fallen in this area since the Iron Dog Race several weeks ago. Wade Marrs says he has to constantly man handle the sled to keep it on the trail, and one video of him coming into a checkpoint had him sitting down on his sled, which I thought odd at this stage in the game. Come to find out Wade is battling a bad lower back. He says bending over is easy, but standing straight up takes him time. I can only hope there is a Chiropractor in one of the villages for poor Wade. I know how that feels, and there is nothing like a good ole re-alignment to make you feel like new!
For those of you watching the Rookie of the year race, after a blistering hot first day, Jessie Holmes has backed off a bit and is resting at mile 188. Matt Hall, who was playing it more conservative is presently resting at mile 203. Matt is a Yukon Quest 2017 Champion and grew up in bush Alaska on the YQ Trail in Eagle....he knows how to pace himself. Jessie has won many a mid distance race, but this is his first 1,000 miler. He had to pull back the reins a bit in the Alaska Range.
Now its just a matter of seeing how they file into Nikolia at mile 263. Teams will then be setting up runs into their 24 hour rest...many of whom will take it at Takotna, at mile 329. Others will push on to Ophir, mile 352 or Iditarod at mile 432. BUT Takatna by far has the amenities and creature comforts most Mushers enjoy...and pies....many, many homemade pies. Ophir and Iditarod are ghost towns, population 0.....quiet rest will be had but that is about it. Last year, some like Dallas pushed into Ophir for his 24 hour rest. We shall see what will happen here in 2018!
No sooner that I write all that and Nic now is moving, as is Mitch towards the front of the pack. I suspect others will soon follow the parade to Nikolai. They say the winner of the race is always one of the top ten teams into Nik.....but with this being so close its hard to tell....perhaps the first 15 into the checkpoint may be more like it.
The trail conditions are reported as better than it has been in years....so as long as you are on the trail you don't have to deal with wallowing in deep snow. 2 feet of snow has fallen in this area since the Iron Dog Race several weeks ago. Wade Marrs says he has to constantly man handle the sled to keep it on the trail, and one video of him coming into a checkpoint had him sitting down on his sled, which I thought odd at this stage in the game. Come to find out Wade is battling a bad lower back. He says bending over is easy, but standing straight up takes him time. I can only hope there is a Chiropractor in one of the villages for poor Wade. I know how that feels, and there is nothing like a good ole re-alignment to make you feel like new!
For those of you watching the Rookie of the year race, after a blistering hot first day, Jessie Holmes has backed off a bit and is resting at mile 188. Matt Hall, who was playing it more conservative is presently resting at mile 203. Matt is a Yukon Quest 2017 Champion and grew up in bush Alaska on the YQ Trail in Eagle....he knows how to pace himself. Jessie has won many a mid distance race, but this is his first 1,000 miler. He had to pull back the reins a bit in the Alaska Range.
Now its just a matter of seeing how they file into Nikolia at mile 263. Teams will then be setting up runs into their 24 hour rest...many of whom will take it at Takotna, at mile 329. Others will push on to Ophir, mile 352 or Iditarod at mile 432. BUT Takatna by far has the amenities and creature comforts most Mushers enjoy...and pies....many, many homemade pies. Ophir and Iditarod are ghost towns, population 0.....quiet rest will be had but that is about it. Last year, some like Dallas pushed into Ophir for his 24 hour rest. We shall see what will happen here in 2018!
Monday, March 5, 2018
First full day out on the Iditarod Trail
The first full day is coming to a close for the racers. Some notable things have happened. For one, around 80 miles into the race Mitch had to drop his Golden Harness prized lead dog Pilot. The Seaveys are saying Mitch emotionally must be feeling that. He has other leaders....but when you have to drop your #1 leader it has to rock your world. He pulled into Rainy Pass with 15 dogs on the line, but I noticed one dog had a harness rub and I'm going to assume that is the dog he dropped because he left with 14. There are reports he still has been carrying dogs in his sled....sometimes up to 3 at a time, but he had them all on the line coming into Rainy Pass Checkpoint. There is no rule against carrying dogs...you just cant haul them behind you.
Both Ryan and Ray Redington are running a great race thus far....Ryan presently in the lead with Wade Marrs at mile 169 and Ray at mile 165. The top 12 mushers are spread out between mile 169 and Burmeister at mile 155.
Jessie Holmes is resting just a few miles outside of Rainy Pass Checkpoint, and there are a boat load of Teams still resting in the checkpoint. Jessie is having a hell of a race and is pushing for a finish in the top ten, if not in the top, then he would like Rookie of the Year. Matt Hall, who is no stranger to winning a 1,000 mile race is running conservatively....but is now in Rainy Pass resting. Its still too early to tell how these two will fight it out for Rookie of the Year. As the tracker just updated, Jessie is back on the runners and now running with Burmeister.
On another note, Rob Cooke had a close encounter with 2 moose yesterday outside of Willow....WOW....and someone caught it on video!
The front running Teams will be heading down the Dalzell Gorge tonight....always a fun time....should be a fairly tame ride with snow this year, but there are some nasty twists and turns and ice bridges to make as they traverse down the gorge and on into the Rohn Checkpoint. I hope the Iditarod Insiders post some videos soon....its been radio silence for a while now.
Both Ryan and Ray Redington are running a great race thus far....Ryan presently in the lead with Wade Marrs at mile 169 and Ray at mile 165. The top 12 mushers are spread out between mile 169 and Burmeister at mile 155.
Jessie Holmes is resting just a few miles outside of Rainy Pass Checkpoint, and there are a boat load of Teams still resting in the checkpoint. Jessie is having a hell of a race and is pushing for a finish in the top ten, if not in the top, then he would like Rookie of the Year. Matt Hall, who is no stranger to winning a 1,000 mile race is running conservatively....but is now in Rainy Pass resting. Its still too early to tell how these two will fight it out for Rookie of the Year. As the tracker just updated, Jessie is back on the runners and now running with Burmeister.
On another note, Rob Cooke had a close encounter with 2 moose yesterday outside of Willow....WOW....and someone caught it on video!
The front running Teams will be heading down the Dalzell Gorge tonight....always a fun time....should be a fairly tame ride with snow this year, but there are some nasty twists and turns and ice bridges to make as they traverse down the gorge and on into the Rohn Checkpoint. I hope the Iditarod Insiders post some videos soon....its been radio silence for a while now.
Mass Exodus from Skwentna
Its like an alarm clock just went off and we have a dozen or so Teams heading to Finger Lake from Skwentna (mile 83)......notable Teams to mention are Richie Diel at mile 89, Wade Marrs at mile 89, Joar at mile 87, Michelle Philips at mile 85, and Mitch Seavey at mile 84.
The Teams who left earlier are Fiedler at mile 107, Petit at mile 104, Kaiser at mile 98 and Strathe at mile 93.
Right now, as I write this there are 15 Teams on the trail running to Finger Lake. My guess are ones that did not rest long will stop in Finger Lake....others who are banking up rest might blow right thru and tackle the Steps before camping out or pushing on the Rainy Pass.
The Teams who left earlier are Fiedler at mile 107, Petit at mile 104, Kaiser at mile 98 and Strathe at mile 93.
Right now, as I write this there are 15 Teams on the trail running to Finger Lake. My guess are ones that did not rest long will stop in Finger Lake....others who are banking up rest might blow right thru and tackle the Steps before camping out or pushing on the Rainy Pass.
Delicate Trail and a Race To the Front
Here on Monday morning (EST) I find the checkpoint of Skwentna looking like a literal parking lot on the tracker, with only Fiedler, Petit, Kaiser and Cody Strathe heading to the next checkpoint of Finger Lake. Looking at the analytical graphs on the tracker, Nic has opted to take only 2 short breaks, whereas the other teams here shut it down for a 3 or 4 hour rest on their way to Skwentna.
According to the Insider Videos, the trail is a bit delicate, with a thin crust that after 15 or so Teams run on it starts to break down into a deeper snow, which could be a slog for following Teams, and there are many! Sebastian Schnuelle is commentating for the Insiders, and says if it were him, he would like to be the 10th or so through the trail, and feels bad for the Mushers who have started towards the back of the pack. From Finger Lake, the Teams start heading up into the Alaska Range, with the first obstacle being the Happy River Steps....a series of abrupt drops that can be like a bobsled run at best, and an all out harrowing experience at the worst if there is no braking to be had. The first Teams will have a chance to brake, but quickly a trough develops from all the braking and try as they might there is nothing for the brake to bite into anymore....so hold on!
It will be interesting to see who breaks from Skwenta next, given the trail conditions and knowing what is coming up next. At this point the front runners dont really mean a whole lot, except they have the best oppertunitities for a nicer trail. Its a short little 45 mile trek from here to Finger Lake....Teams who rest up well in Skwenta will likely push on through Finger Lake to tackle the Steps.
According to the Insider Videos, the trail is a bit delicate, with a thin crust that after 15 or so Teams run on it starts to break down into a deeper snow, which could be a slog for following Teams, and there are many! Sebastian Schnuelle is commentating for the Insiders, and says if it were him, he would like to be the 10th or so through the trail, and feels bad for the Mushers who have started towards the back of the pack. From Finger Lake, the Teams start heading up into the Alaska Range, with the first obstacle being the Happy River Steps....a series of abrupt drops that can be like a bobsled run at best, and an all out harrowing experience at the worst if there is no braking to be had. The first Teams will have a chance to brake, but quickly a trough develops from all the braking and try as they might there is nothing for the brake to bite into anymore....so hold on!
It will be interesting to see who breaks from Skwenta next, given the trail conditions and knowing what is coming up next. At this point the front runners dont really mean a whole lot, except they have the best oppertunitities for a nicer trail. Its a short little 45 mile trek from here to Finger Lake....Teams who rest up well in Skwenta will likely push on through Finger Lake to tackle the Steps.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Game Day!
Saturdays Ceremonial Start is over and done.....everything went without a hitch....complete with a few spills on the Cordova Street turn, which Jeff King for the second year in a row wiped out along with a few others! Its a tough corner to make, even for a Veteran like Jeff! Now all the Teams are treking north to Willow for the re-start...which will begin at 6 PM eastern standard time. I will fill out my "top ten" while I watch and ponder about the next 8 or 9 days. The weather is a bit warm....actually its a lot like our Adirondack weather in March.....upper 20's/lower 30's during the day, with upper teens to lower 20's during the evening hours. That is somewhat warm considering its Alaska....but then its predicted to become much colder starting Thursday.
There is plenty of snow in the interior....making for perhaps a slower, softer trail. Teams who have only been training on hard fast trails may have a bit of a hiccup on this race as they adjust to the conditions. I am curious of what Mitch's sled is going to look like, as for several years now he has been hauling dogs behind him in a special trailer, which is no longer allowed. I also learned this am that Joar Ulsom has never won a race in Alaska.....wow, I guess I never thought of that being a factor....but some think he doesnt feel comfortable in the lead. Then there is Ray Redington who has combined kennels with Paul Gebhardt since Paul is sitting this race out as he battles bone cancer. Gebhardt had a great run last year (10th) and Im sure some of his best dogs will be on Ray's Team. Aliy will be my favorite to watch (and will be my #1 pick) as she is running with 13 Yukon Quest Champions from Allens First Place Team last month. Jessie Royer is in the mix along with young Wade Marrs and "4Pete" Kaiser. Nic Petit, who has won every race he has entered all year atually had to borrow a few dogs from Jesse Holmes to fill out his Team, which I find odd. Nic has a small kennel, so if some of his prime dogs tweaked a muscle or something he would have had to borrow dogs to fill out an Iditarod Team. Nic is very bonded to his dogs, so having a few "stranger" dogs in there might disrupt his Zen out on the trail.....just speculation but something to consider as I make my wild guesses for my picks.
Here at the Adirondack Homestead we just wrapped up our 10th annual IditaParty. What a blast! We watched the Ceremonial Start and toasted all of our favorite Mushers.....needless to say there was a lot of toasting going on! It was Chemo's first IditaParty so the theme was celebrating his awesome career as an SP Kennel Sled Dog! He was pretty pumped up for the event, as seen in this picture!
Check back daily for race updates....I'll be posting all the highlights as I find them....now lets get this party started!
There is plenty of snow in the interior....making for perhaps a slower, softer trail. Teams who have only been training on hard fast trails may have a bit of a hiccup on this race as they adjust to the conditions. I am curious of what Mitch's sled is going to look like, as for several years now he has been hauling dogs behind him in a special trailer, which is no longer allowed. I also learned this am that Joar Ulsom has never won a race in Alaska.....wow, I guess I never thought of that being a factor....but some think he doesnt feel comfortable in the lead. Then there is Ray Redington who has combined kennels with Paul Gebhardt since Paul is sitting this race out as he battles bone cancer. Gebhardt had a great run last year (10th) and Im sure some of his best dogs will be on Ray's Team. Aliy will be my favorite to watch (and will be my #1 pick) as she is running with 13 Yukon Quest Champions from Allens First Place Team last month. Jessie Royer is in the mix along with young Wade Marrs and "4Pete" Kaiser. Nic Petit, who has won every race he has entered all year atually had to borrow a few dogs from Jesse Holmes to fill out his Team, which I find odd. Nic has a small kennel, so if some of his prime dogs tweaked a muscle or something he would have had to borrow dogs to fill out an Iditarod Team. Nic is very bonded to his dogs, so having a few "stranger" dogs in there might disrupt his Zen out on the trail.....just speculation but something to consider as I make my wild guesses for my picks.
Here at the Adirondack Homestead we just wrapped up our 10th annual IditaParty. What a blast! We watched the Ceremonial Start and toasted all of our favorite Mushers.....needless to say there was a lot of toasting going on! It was Chemo's first IditaParty so the theme was celebrating his awesome career as an SP Kennel Sled Dog! He was pretty pumped up for the event, as seen in this picture!
Check back daily for race updates....I'll be posting all the highlights as I find them....now lets get this party started!
Friday, March 2, 2018
The "Dark Cloud" with Clearing Skies on the Horizon
I watched the live stream of the bib draw last night....gotta love the Internet! I must say, the Iditarod did a decent job with addressing the scandals that are hovering over this Great Race. They acknowledged them, and then focused on the dogs, the Alaskan wilderness, the lore of the trail, and the start of Iditarod 46. The message was, "we shall endure". I must say well done!!! And I'm going to do the same right now.
As anyone who reads my blog knows, I'm not a Seavey Fan.....Mitch or Dallas, I'm not a fan because of their dog hauling tactics. HOWEVER, the Iditarod Trail Committee banned the tactic of hauling dogs behind the Musher in any way.....you may carry dogs in the sled in front of you....which has been and will always be legal to do. I applaud the ITC for stepping up and making this rule change before a dog got seriously injured being hauled behind the sled! Score one for the dogs!
Then there is the doping scandal swirling around Dallas, and he immediately withdrew from the race in protest. No one is saying he drugged his dogs....the only fact the ITC has is a positive drug test from 4 of his dogs....but no proof how it got there. I wish he stayed in the race....show us all what he can do without hauling dogs and coming out with a clean drug test throughout. Dallas could have raced, he was not banned or punished in any way because of the way the rule was written....but instead he picked up his toys and ran off to Norway to compete in a race there....while still hurling accusations and spinning theories using a high end "fix it" PR firm from San Francisco. Just my opinion, but if Dallas wanted to clear the cloud around him he should have competed, shown the world what he can do with a clean test in the end and no gimmick of hauling dogs. I believe he would have done well, but he chose another path....somewhat destructive to the race but that was his choice.
Moving on to PETA. They have been dogging the Iditarod for years, and this year hit hard and peeled away some big Sponsors of the race. All I have to say is yes, this sport needs to clean up its act....just like horse racing and dog racing it needs to set some stricter standards that reach into the Kennels all year round and not just for 2 weeks during the race. Again, I applaud the ITC for enacting (for 2019) a Best Kennel Certification for all kennels competing in the race. I see this similar to the "Dairy of Distinction" certifications on NY Dairy Farms. When you pull into one of those farms and you see that sign you know its a well run farm that takes pride in their operation. A Best Kennel Certification will let the public know the standards for dog care has been met, and if you don't want to get Certified, then don't compete in this Great Race! This is definitely a step in the right direction and I'm excited to see the final framework a committee of Mushers will draft for the program.
Then there is the ITC.....did they handle things badly....maybe. Do they need to make some changes....I don't claim to know the inner workings of the Committee but I'm thinking change is good, and I believe the ITC is committed to taking steps to clear some of the perceived conflict of interest that have been identified. This summer is going to be a watershed moment for the ITC....but for now they want to concentrate on putting on an awesome 2018 race....so lets give them the room to do that.
So this is why there is a "dark cloud" hanging over the race right now. But last night, during the Annual Bib Draw Banquet I felt the cloud began to lift a little....and when defending champ Mitch Seavey got up and drew Bib #13 he made a short speech, then pulled out a note from Dallas that was not defensive or rude....the message was a good one about the inspiration he gets from his dogs. Well said Dallas....lets all concentrate on that and put the destructive drama away....lets follow those dogs....care for them, love them, and honor them. This race....this sport will endure if we do just that!
Now lets get this party started! Cody Strathe will lead the field out (after Honorary Musher Joee and Pam Redington).....and Hugh Neff will be bringing up the rear! Look out southern route....here they come!
As anyone who reads my blog knows, I'm not a Seavey Fan.....Mitch or Dallas, I'm not a fan because of their dog hauling tactics. HOWEVER, the Iditarod Trail Committee banned the tactic of hauling dogs behind the Musher in any way.....you may carry dogs in the sled in front of you....which has been and will always be legal to do. I applaud the ITC for stepping up and making this rule change before a dog got seriously injured being hauled behind the sled! Score one for the dogs!
Then there is the doping scandal swirling around Dallas, and he immediately withdrew from the race in protest. No one is saying he drugged his dogs....the only fact the ITC has is a positive drug test from 4 of his dogs....but no proof how it got there. I wish he stayed in the race....show us all what he can do without hauling dogs and coming out with a clean drug test throughout. Dallas could have raced, he was not banned or punished in any way because of the way the rule was written....but instead he picked up his toys and ran off to Norway to compete in a race there....while still hurling accusations and spinning theories using a high end "fix it" PR firm from San Francisco. Just my opinion, but if Dallas wanted to clear the cloud around him he should have competed, shown the world what he can do with a clean test in the end and no gimmick of hauling dogs. I believe he would have done well, but he chose another path....somewhat destructive to the race but that was his choice.
Moving on to PETA. They have been dogging the Iditarod for years, and this year hit hard and peeled away some big Sponsors of the race. All I have to say is yes, this sport needs to clean up its act....just like horse racing and dog racing it needs to set some stricter standards that reach into the Kennels all year round and not just for 2 weeks during the race. Again, I applaud the ITC for enacting (for 2019) a Best Kennel Certification for all kennels competing in the race. I see this similar to the "Dairy of Distinction" certifications on NY Dairy Farms. When you pull into one of those farms and you see that sign you know its a well run farm that takes pride in their operation. A Best Kennel Certification will let the public know the standards for dog care has been met, and if you don't want to get Certified, then don't compete in this Great Race! This is definitely a step in the right direction and I'm excited to see the final framework a committee of Mushers will draft for the program.
Then there is the ITC.....did they handle things badly....maybe. Do they need to make some changes....I don't claim to know the inner workings of the Committee but I'm thinking change is good, and I believe the ITC is committed to taking steps to clear some of the perceived conflict of interest that have been identified. This summer is going to be a watershed moment for the ITC....but for now they want to concentrate on putting on an awesome 2018 race....so lets give them the room to do that.
So this is why there is a "dark cloud" hanging over the race right now. But last night, during the Annual Bib Draw Banquet I felt the cloud began to lift a little....and when defending champ Mitch Seavey got up and drew Bib #13 he made a short speech, then pulled out a note from Dallas that was not defensive or rude....the message was a good one about the inspiration he gets from his dogs. Well said Dallas....lets all concentrate on that and put the destructive drama away....lets follow those dogs....care for them, love them, and honor them. This race....this sport will endure if we do just that!
Now lets get this party started! Cody Strathe will lead the field out (after Honorary Musher Joee and Pam Redington).....and Hugh Neff will be bringing up the rear! Look out southern route....here they come!
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