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!