Top Ten IN (FINALLY!)

SO....we have our top ten finally in.....it was a little crazy there at the end with the Blow Hole, but Aliy was able to stay on track for 4 place!  Matt Hall and Paige Drobney switched up positions a few times during this last leg, but Matt was able to pass her just a few miles outside of Nome for 6th, with Paige at a respectable 7th.  Mitch finished strong even after all the issues he had after Shaktoolik coming in at 9th place.  And Ramey Smyth, who also appears out of nowhere come in at 8th.  Here the all are, in order:

1.   Pete Kaiser
2.   Joar Ulsom
3.   Jessie Royer
4.   Aliy Zirkle
5.   Travis Beals
6.   Matt Hall
7.   PaigeDrobney
8.   Ramey Smyth
9.   Mitch Seavey
10.  Aaron Burmeister


A Few Take Aways:  

I cant help but notice we have 2 women in the top 5, and a total of 3 in the top ten...that is AWESOME!  Always nice to see more women entering in this somewhat male dominated sport!

I certainly hope they keep the 14 dog rule this year, as it did save on flying dropped dogs out and kept Mushers from using their dogs as weight through the Alaska Range (yes, I'm talking to you Mitch).  The strategy did give an advantage to a whole new way of running the race, but in my humble opinion whenever you alter the dogs purpose of RUNNING the trail and instead use them as as blast and weight early in the race is taking away from the dogs experience.  This rule made that tactic unattractive....especially when on a soft trail.  The Mushers get to vote on this rule change after this race.....I hope it stays permanently.  Hopfully the "returned dog" logistics of this race proves far fewer dogs had to be flown off the trail because less dogs were dropped overall. 

Climate Change.....with no sea ice, LOTS of wet snow, rain on the trail and 30 miles of overflow, even the most skeptic among us must now truly feel climate change is real.  I'm sure this will be all to common going forward.  It does put a damper on the sport....we might be at the new normal....years with low snow, or years with deep snow but no ice, and warm temperatures....that was crazy!  Lets continue to enjoy this sport while its possible to still have races, weather permitting!
 
Dallas Seavey, who was NOT running the Iditarod again this year has scratched from the Finnmarkenslopet in Norway.  He came in 3rd last year and now this year has scratched.  Look for Dallas to return to the Iditarod next year, since he has "kissed and made up" with the
Iditarod about the doping scandal a few years ago.

For you Jesse Holmes "Life Below Zero" Fans.....don't worry, Jesse has already said he will be back....hopefully without having his dogs catch a nasty stomach bug.  He did the right thing by stopping for very long periods of rest to nurse them back to health. 

Mitch Seavey I believe has been humbled by this finish...we can only hope. I'm just glad Aliy finally got to beat him after all these years!

Until next year.....On By!
 

Blow Hole is the Trail Boss

Do you remember the Blow Hole....you know, the wind funnel that basically starts at the base of Topkok hill and is about 7 miles long....well, today the wind was blowing in the hole!

For a while Paige Drobney and Matt Hall were pinned down in it.  Travis Beals passed Matt, not sure if he even saw him....anyhow, Beals made it to the Safety checkpoint.  Aliy was 11 miles ahead of everyone leaving White Mountain, and spent 20 some odd minutes in the checkpoint.  You only do that if its bad. 

Jessie Royer, who came in 3rd place and is probably showered and sleeping soundly right now, said its was the worse she has ever traveled into Nome....a slog....white out....she was glad to have good leaders who could find the trail. 

Aily seems to be moving well now, at mile 898 along the beach

Travis Beals is at mile 893 about to ascend Cape Nome

Paige Drobney and Matt Hall are sticking close together, both at mile 965

Ramey Smyth is entering the Blow Hole at mile 954...traveling well, so maybe the wind did indeed die down to tolerable speeds.

It appears Mitch has passed Burmeister and is running at mile 948.  Danny Seavey reports that his Dad is just in it to finish this year....he stopped trying to win some time ago and just wants to finish.  This is a change for Mitch, who has been recently quoted as "I need to win". Perhaps Mitch did some soul searching on this trail and maybe, just maybe, he realized winning isn't everything.  Losing actually builds charactor. 

Burmeister is at mile 946...if the Blow Hole is blowing....I can see Mitch and Aaron switching up again. Time will tell.

Richie Diehl is at mile 937....again, the Blow Hole can shake things up in these last 3.....I'll keep an eye on it.

Travis Beals and former Yukon Quest Champ Matt Hall battle for 5th!

Matt Hall and Travis Beals are at mile 961.....both of them.....battling it out!  WOW!!! 

Aliy Zirkle is still 11 miles ahead of that race, solidly in 4th place at mile 972 approaching the checkpoint of Safety!

Jesse "Hollywood" Holmes is back on the runners headed to Elim....Mitch is about to leave White Mountain. 

Still lots of racing yet to be enjoyed!

Jessie Royer 10 miles from NOME....Jesse Holmes Stalled AGAIN!

As Jessie Royer is about to finish her best Iditarod in 3rd place, Jesse Holmes (aka Hollywood Holmes) appears to be stalled again in between Koyuk and Elim.  Matt Failor is about to come upon him....he was the Musher stalled out on the shelter cabin at the edge of the ice yesterday, but after several hours was able to get his Team going.  As I wrote earlier Mitch too was stalled on the ice and got them going...then gave them a long rest in Koyuk before going to Elim.  Then he TRIED to leave Elim after a 3.5 hour rest, just to have his dogs say NO and he turned around and rested more in Elim.  He did make it to White Mountain and will rest for 8 hours before going to Nome....but now that I see Hollywood is stalled even after a super long rest in Koyuk its a possibility Mitch could stall again.  If his Team holds together he is bound for a 10th place finish.  Hollywood on the other hand should really think about pulling the plug.  OR perhaps it makes for good TV.....whatever the case may be Mushers are sure having a difficult time of it. 

Here is a run down:

Nome is at mile 998

Jessie Royer is on the Beach running at mile 989 now

Aliy will be next....she is running at mile 944 coming down Topkok to the sea coast and infamous Blow Hole

Matt Hall is behind her at mile 933

Travis Beals is hot on his heels at mile 930!

Paige Drobney is a mere 4 miles behind Beals.....these last 3 are in the battle for 5th, 6th and 7th! 

Kaiser is the 2019 Iditarod CHAMP!!!

And we have a winner.....Pete Kaiser of Bethel Alaska....a Yupik Alaskan Native and 4 time Kusko 300 Champ!  He know now add an Iditarod Championship to his resume!  Well done Pete!

Joar came in about 12 minute later in 2nd place.  These 2 are good friends and have great respect for eachother....well done Joar, yet another top 10 to your racing resume!

Jessie Royer is presently on her way to the Safety checkpoint....right now running at 967.

Aliy was just released from her 8 hour mandatory rest in White Mountain and is now heading to Nome, 77 miles away.  She is presently running at mile 923.

Matt Hall will be the next to leave after Aliy....but unless something terrible happens on the Trail Aliy will capture 4th!

For the first time in Iditarod History, there will be 2 women Mushers in the top 5! 

8 Miles to go.....3 miles of separation!

Kaiser is still holding the lead by about 3 miles......only 7 more miles of trail left.....Joar is posting faster times as they head down the beach!

Heading to the Beach....and the winner is.....

Nome....the prize, the truck, the accolades, the celebration is awaiting its 2019 Champion at mile 998.  As the crowd gathers, the 2 Teams are battling it out.  Kaiser had approximately a 45 minute head start from White Mountain, with his small squad of 8 dogs.  Joar, last years Champion with also 8 dogs took chase, and through the night they have been racing and chasing.....up and over TopKok, through the infamous Blow Hole, through the checkpoint of Safety, and now down Cape Nome to the Beach. 

Kaiser is running at mile 986 and is nearly at the beach at 6.5 mph......
Joar is currently climbing Cape Nome going 5.4 mph at mile 983.....his GPS has not "pinged in" in 12 minutes, so probably is a little closer. 

As the 2 sprint to the finish, Jessie Royer, in her best place ever in the Iditarod, is just coming down off of Topkok and now on the beach entering the Blow Hole at mile 951 going 6.2 mph.

Coffee is ON, Live Feed is on the screen.....

Update - Mitch Seavey

Whats up with Mitch?  He left Elim, got to the end of town and turned around and went back....he is still there.  Another Mutney? 

Jesse Holmes is still in Koyuk too....some call him Hollywood Holmes due to "Life Below Zero" TV fame.  This fall from 5th or 6th place will be "must see TV" ...but it is a good lesson.  As DeeDee says, its a delicate balance.

So, as some Teams stall and sputter, we have Kaiser running at mile 942, and Joar running at mile 937 battling it out for 1st place.

Jessie Royer is waiting out her 8 hour rest in White Mountain

Aliy is almost to White Mountain  (mile 921), solidly in 4th place to take her 8 hour rest.

Matt Hall is at mile 902

Beals is running at mile 900

Drobney is running at mile 897

Smyth is running at mile 878

Where are the other Teams you ask?

Well, now that we have the lead teams off to Nome...lets look back....we have Mitch Seavey in Elim.....as you know he was a little battered by the wind on the ice, and had that unexpected 4.5 hour camp out before the Team was ready to bring him into Koyuk.  It appears Mitch did pull it together and made it to Elim.  I suspect he wont be pushing them that hard going forward. I should be the next out of Elim to White Mountain. 

Burmeister is resting in Elim, and got in there about 3.5 hours after Mitch. 

Ramey Smyth is in Elim and is posting FAST times as usual.  He was 10th into Elim only 20 minutes behind Burmeister.  If I were Burmeister, Id be a little nervous about Ramey behind me....he is known to be quick on the coast.  If I were to bet, Id have Ramey beating him to White Mountain, and if not, beating him to Nome! 

Richie Diehl is still on his way into Elim at mile 872
Jeff King is running at mile 857
Lindwood Fiedler is running at mile 854
Mats Pettersen is running at mile 848
Wade Marrs is running at mile 836

Jesse Holmes is still in Koyuk.....he tried leaving this am, but then turned around and went back.  I half expect a scratch from him, but no word yet.  Matt Failor did make it into Koyuk after being stalled out on the spit for a very long time....but then did move on and is resting in Koyuk. 

Dee Dee Jonrowe reports the sea ice is actually shifting, and that is what is freaking out the dogs.  That and the wind.  I can only imagine.  My retired sled dog Chemo freaks out on the lake ice when it moans when making ice....I can not imagine if it was shifting!  I give credit for all the teams for making it across the ice, and don't blame dogs for balking, like Nics, Matts and yes even Mitch.  I read on a blog Jesse Holmes was having leader problems....so I'm not sure how he is going to continue if that is indeed the case. 

The Race to the Burled Arch in NOME

Sorry for the radio silence...I had to work today and came home to company....but now the race to Nome is on, and you all know this last 77 miles ANYTHING can happen....Im off tomorrow so you can count on IditaDacks to keep you in the loop between checkpoints.

As I write this post, Kaiser has just set out from White Mountain....he has about a 40 minute lead over Joar....who is also now on the trail.....they BOTH have 8 dogs on their Teams....Kaiser is at mile 930 and Joar is five miles behind him.

Jessie Royer will be next to leave White Mountain....she will leave around 4 hours after Joar in a solid 3rd place.  But again, some strong winds and snow can make everything change.  You can bet Jessie will be going all out on this last run. 

My friend Aliy is still on the way to White Mountain....at mile 907....Go Aliy and the Red Team!
Matt Hall, another Two Rivers Musher is chasing after Aliy at mile 892
Travis Beals is at mile 888
Paige Drobney who is running her best Iditarod yet is running at mile 884

All the rest of the chase pack is resting in Elim.

The weather is suppose to be a bit windy.  Joar and Pete both said it was really windy and snowy on the trail into White Mountain...and the infamous Blow Hole is coming up....so say tuned!  

Kaiser and Joar onward to White Mountain!

Kaiser left Elim first, followed by Joar, a mere 5 minutes later.  It has been snowing...I'm not sure if there is trail to break, but if there is , advantage to Joar, who has a small 8 dog Team, but posted a faster run between Koyuk and Elim over Kaiser by 10 minutes.  Kaiser left a dog in Elim so they are both 8 dog Teams, running to White Mountain for a mandatory 8 hour rest.  Kaiser had 44 more minutes of rest on Joar....a little more "gas in the tank over Ulsom.....this is going to be an epic battle.....first to White Mountain, and then tomorrow after the 8 hour rest, on into Nome. 

Jessie Royer arrived into Elim exactly 3 hours after Joar and is presently resting.  The trail must have been slow, as she with her 11 dog team took 20 minutes longer to get to Elim as compared to Joar.  Its possible she can cut rest here and go after Kaiser and Joar, but with 2 good Mushers already stalled, with one scratching (Nic Petit) and the other stalled for 4.5 hours on the ice before continuing (Mitch) is a constant reminder this run/rest schedule is a delicate balance indeed.  A sleep deprivated Musher must make good decisions....Nic and Mitch asked too much and at the wrong time. At least Mitch was able to wait it out....Nic, not so much. 

As I have always said, you can not make a poodle walk to the mailbox if it doesn't want to.  These dogs have the ultimate option to run or not.  Sometimes it takes just one Team Member to say "that's enough" and the rest will follow.  Its very wolf pack like....yes, the Musher is the decision maker....but the dogs do have veto power.  Also, these dogs can be very sensitive.....Nic had to break up a fight in the line when an alpha male started picking on a younger dog ahead of him....Nic raised his voice and yelled....that essentially had a domino effect.....dogs are very in tune with their Musher....if "daddy" isn't happy they pick up on it and they become unhappy.  In Nics case they were also probably freaked by the sea ice too.  In any event they are safely off the trail, and Mitch worked through it with his Team. He is still in Koyuk and will probably baby the team to the finish.  That is if he can baby them....he really isn't that kind of guy.  We shall see if Mitch can rise to the occasion and give his dogs some TLC.

Aliy and Jesse Holmes have left Koyuk.....Aliy first and Jesse after....stats are not posted yet.  Id say Aliy has about a 20 minute head start or so.  These 2 travels across the ice together last night....I was happy Aliy had company.

Here is the run down on the Tracker:

Kaiser at mile 880
Joar at mile 878
Jessie Royer resting at Elim, mile 875
Aliy running at mile 833
Jesse Holmes just leaving Koyuk at mile 827

The rest of the main chase pack is stll resting in Koyuk, including Mitch Seavey

 

Race along the Coast

It certainly looks like Petit has scratched.  His bib number is going back to Shaktoolik according to the GPS.  Everyone else, including Mitch are making slow progress....this is the run down:

Kaiser running at mile 859
Joar running at mile 854
Royer running at mile 844
Aliy Zirkle into Koyuk!
Jesse Holmes just getting into Koyuk
Mitch Seavey at mile 809
Matt Hall at mile 805
Travis Beals at mule 805
Paige Drobney at mile 803
Burmeister at mile 800
Rayme Smyth at mile 780

Everyone else still in Shaktoolik
Failor at mile 793

Koyuk has completely lost Internet connection...so there are no live reports or videos or explanations.  We will have to find out details later. 

Well, well....

So....as most of you know, Petit ran into a little snag just outside of the shelter cabin on the spit...after several attempts, his Team is saying NO....we would like to stay here.  Nic's team has had some issues out on the ice before....but this time its the Team who is saying NO.  For what ever reason, they want to rest some more.....so Nic has just got to sit tight, and entertain their needs....as Teams pass him by at mile 793. 

As they say, this was Nics race to lose...and apparently he is doing just that.

SO...Kaiser has gone by, and is now on his way to Elim at mile 838

Joar has followed him out and is at mile 832

Both are slogging away at 4 to 5 mph.....that is difficult to say the least.  This will  make for a long way to Elim.

Jessie Royer is still at Koyuk, banking rest.  She took more rest in Shaktoolik too....rest is gas in the tank.  Jessie has dogs that can do deep snow....in my book SHE is in the drivers seat.  I suspect Jessie is going to put on a monster run all the way to White Mountain from Koyuk.  BUT....did anyone check in with Mother Nature?  I did.....radar shows snow, heavy at times through the night.  Wow....this IS interesting isn't it! 

Wait, theres more!

Mitch Seavey, who left Shaktoolik solidly in 5th place as ALSO stalled on the ice...beyond Nic (who is a shelter cabin) but several miles short of Koyuk.  When I say several, its only because the GPS mileage is a bit skewed for the ground trail.....he is slightly closer to Nic at the spit than he is Koyuk.  At first I was alarmed....was he OK, was the ice weak...and most importantly are his dogs OK....enter Jesse Holmes and my friend Aliy....here they come, from behind.  They left Shaktoolik approximately 3 hours after Mitch left, traveling together...on about an hour less of rest compared to Mitch...and they got to a stalled Mitch on the ice and passed him.  That not only made me smirk....but more importantly it told me Mitch's Team was not on danger....so that is AWESOME!

Aliy and Jessie Holmes are both about to make land fall in their approach to Koyuk.  

Others out of Shaktoolic and just making it out on the ice past a stalled Nic is Matt Hall at mile 795, Travis Beals at mile 795, Matt Failor at mile 792.  Paige Drobny is a little futher back at mile 781 along with Aaron Burmeister.  Everyone else is safely at Shaktoolik. 

Safety in numbers across the ice.  My goodness this is interesting.  I will report more as things shake out.  

Nic May Have Asked Too Much?

Its true...Sebastian Schnuelle just reported Nic is ok, and has been passed by Kaiser, Ulsom and Royer! Kaiser is leading the way into Koyuk....Mitch is resting in Shaktoolik as Jessie Holmes and Aliy are just miles apart, heading into Shaktoolik.

Nic....Whatcha Doin?

As I am just about to head out the door the tracker is showing Nic still resting at the shelter cabin on the spit.  Kaiser and Joar are on route....only 8 miles away from Nic now.  Did he oversleep?  Maybe his tracker fell off?  This is just odd....but then again so is Nic.  

I hope Nic is OK.....keep an eye on this....I got to get to work!

The Coast

I woke this am to find Nic Petit resting at the spit of land at the edge of the ocean where there is a shelter cabin....he has been there for nearly 3 hours.  This year, instead of venturing out onto the ice, the trail will go to the east and go overland to Koyuk, as the Bering Sea has no ice this year.  Can you say Climate Change? This will add about 12 miles to the trip to Koyuk. Maybe Nic likes this, as it was out on the sea ice last year he took a right and actually got to the shore and had to backtrack back onto the ice to go north to Koyuk, allowing Joar to slip past him.  Anyhow, this year everyone will be on the land route. 

Weather forecast in Shaktoolik is 31 degrees.....still quite warm, with occasional snow showers.  Low of 29.  Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.  So today, Mother Nature is being nice.

With the warmer than normal temperatures, Teams appear to be resting and hydrating their Teams more.  As always, if you push too much your Team could revolt, or worse yet get dehydrated.  But with these temps you have to allow extra time to feed and water to assure that does not happen.  Alaskan Huskies typically will only drink water that is offered to them by mixing it with kibble or other foods.  Our retired AP Kennel (Aliy Zirkle/Allen Moore Kennel) Chemo rarely drinks water, whereas Outlaw drinks a lot of water....but typically they are more like Chemo.  They do eat snow however, and can hydrate that way too. 

So, the GPS looks like this:

Nic Petit still resting at mile 791
Joar, Jessie and Kaiser all resting at Shaktoolik
Mitch Seavey running at mile 767
Jessie Holmes running at mile 741
Aliy Zirkle looks to be heading out of Unalakleet now at mile 737
Failor, Hall, Beals, Drobny, Redington, and Burmeister still all resting at Unalakleet

I filled out the Top Ten spreadsheet last night.....many of you had Nic first to the Coast, so Bonus Points are on the board!  It looks like the absence of Wade Marrs in the top ten is going to break a lot of boards, as he is presently in 20th position with breaking a sled runner early on in the race.  King is another favorite who is now in 19th position. Buser us a sentimental favorite in 31st place, and of course everyone wants to know where Lance is....I believe his goal is just to finish, and he is currently in 28th place.

Aliy had a nice "pick me up" at Unalakleet, where her Husband Allen and her Dad flew out to see her on the trail.  SP Kennel is not running a B Team this year so Allen could come out and visit...and I'm sure they will also be in Nome to see her in.  I know that must have been a nice visit, and even though Aliy had to leave a Team Mate behind (she now has 12 dogs) she is probably looking forward to being up in the Blueberry Hills this morning, which is her favorite part of the trail.   With lots of snow cover this year the trail thus far on the coast has been nice! 

Petit Wins First to the Coast Award!

Nic is now in Unalakleet and enjoyed getting some gold for being there first.  At this point in time he is still resting, but I suspect he will get moving again soon as the chase pack closes in.

There are several areas Teams can stop and rest along the ancient portage route connecting interior Alaska to the Bering Sea Coast.  Tripod Cabin is about 3 hours from Kaltag, and Old Woman Cabin is about halfway to Unalakleet.  Old Woman Cabin was a favorite place of the late Susan Butcher....and some of her ashes have been spread there.  It is also famous for being a time suck....Dee Dee Jonrowe once said she lost a day there and didn't know where it went.  Others report hearing wailing from Old Woman Mountain, or whispers in the wind from days gone by.  Probably more due to sleep deprivation than anything else, but the lure of Old Woman makes this part of the trail special.  I believe several Teams are parked there right now.

Here is the Rundown according to the GPS:

Nic is still resting in Unalakleet, mile 737

Kaiser is running at mile 720
Jessie Royer is running at mile 719
Joar Ulsom is also running at mile 719

Needless to say Kaiser, Royer and Ulsom are pretty well matched up in speed.

Mitch Seavey is resting at mile 718
Failor just left Old Woman Cabin and is now running at mile 701
Jesse Holmes and Aliy are resting at Old Woman Cabin
Paige Drobny is running at mile 693
Reddington is running at mile 684
Matt Hall is resting at mile 681

Sebastian Schnuelle reports Nome is getting hammered with snow....another 6 inches has piled up.  No real talk of wind...and its still warm.  Tomorrow is suppose to be about 10 degrees cooler, but still warm in Alaskan standards.  It can get cold with a wind chill, but with the snow being so heavy maybe ground blizzards like 2014 wont be an issue?  Time will tell!

Petit is in the drivers seat....but anything can happen, and usually does on the coast.  The race between Royer, Joar and Kaiser will be fun to watch as they chase Petit to the finish. 

Update - Race to the Coast

The Live stream shows Aliy getting ready to go in about an hour....and I think I can see Jesse Holmes putting booties on his dogs.  Soon these 2 teams will be back out on the trail.

Nic Petit is holding the lead at mile 711
Jessie Royer and Joar are right together at mile 694
Pete Kaiser fresh off of his 8 hour rest is at mile 687
Mitch Seavey is at mile 672

Matt Hall just left Kaltag and is at mile 654

There is a nice Gold Coast Award awaiting the first Musher to Unalakleet...from what I understand the trail to get there is about 3 miles longer due to a detour around a waist deep flowing stream....so everyone will have a little longer to go to get to Unalakleet.  It appears Teams are moving right along...typically between 7 or 8 mph. 

Race to the Coast is on!

As expected, Nic was the first out of the Kaltag (mile 652) checkpoint and is presently at mile 688.  He switched to a lighter sled he had stashed away in Kaltag....he seemed happy to make the switch.

Joar was the next one out. He had to drop his Leader which no doubt is a blow to him....heading out to the coast and beyond you need a good leader, but I presume he has others on the Team who can rise to that role.  He is presently at mile 671. 

Jessie Royer followed Joar within minutes out of Kaltag, and is also at mile 671.  She has 13 dogs and during an interview earlier yesterday explained that she has a female leader tucked into her Team who is a good leader for the Coast.  It will be interesting to see how she does.....I would love to see Jessie win this race! 


Pete Kaiser left after serving his 8 hours....a random 3 minutes also shows up on his standings....jeez Pete....hope you don't lose a placement by 3 minutes!  He is running at mile 664.

Mitch Seavey looks like he may be getting ready to leave......his tracker just turned green but doesn't show a mph speed yet.

Aliy can not leave Kaltag until 11:30 Adirondack time (includes the 1 hour spring forward on the clock).  From this point on, there are no more mandatory breaks until White Mountain.  We got lots of miles left.....with Nic leading the way so far...expect some leap frogging yet.....and don't forget the weather.....deep snow on the portage run... and as they get closer to the coast wicked wind! 

After You....

The 4 top contenders are in Kaltag.....no one has left yet.  Nic has been there for about 4 hours, and will quite likely be the first to leave.....Joar got into Kaltag 2 hours afrer Nic.  Jessie Royer got in about 20 minutes after Joar.....the only one who cant leave when he wants to is Pete....he has to stay for 8 hours and made it into Kaltag first. 

Kaltag is where they Teams leave the Yukon behind and head down the ancient portage trail to the coast in Unalakleet.   Reportedly there is 45 inches of snow on the trail and if it doesn't set up right it will be a slog.  Remember, the trail these Teams just came across for Eagle to Kaltag was a mess due to them freighting all the food drop bags from Kaltag to Eagle Island by snow machine.  They said there were deep holes of overflow everywhere.  Jessie did have waders and stayed dry...but others really got wet.  Snow machines have also traveled from Unk to Kaltag, like Sebastian Schnuelle, and her reported that he often times had to dig his snow machine out of the deep snow.  So I suspect whoever is out front leading the pack is going to have a harder time of it.  we shall soon see who leaves first. 

Still making their way into Kaltag (mile 652) is Mitch and Aliy....they are right outside of town.  Remember, Aliy will still have to serve out her 8 hour rest....but I suspect Mitch will rest too, after the horrible trail in from Eagle Island.  

Mother Nature - The Great Equializer

The trail up the Yukon has been pretty slow.  Rain has turned to snaow, which is great, but it has made the slog up the river slow.  Sebastian Schnuelle has reported on his way TO Kaltag from Unalakleet, that there is an insane amount of snow, spoken from experience of digging out his stuck snow machine several times on his travel.  This will breath life into Teams that have been chasing after Joar and Nic.....this is really anyones race. Front runners appear to be Nic and Joar of course, but also Jesse Royer, Mitch and Pete Kaiser.  Aliy and Pete have to stop for 8 hours in Kaltag, but the other Teams need to give their Teams rest too....probably 4 hoursm but could be more. 

Being in front has its downside.....perhaps being behind is actually a plus at this point. There is a small typhoon just off the coast, packing 30 to 40 mph winds that could be troublesome.  The saving grace is the snow is not light powder snow...it is wet granular snow so it is not likely to be blown around.  The other issue is overflow.....each stream they cross has water flowing on top of the snow, making crossings wet and treacherous.  Aliy was packing waders earlier for this exact issue, but I'm not sure she still has them.  Pete Kaiser, the first into Kaltag says the depth of snow was real inconsistent due to the snowmobile traffic.....picture the dogs pulling along, only sinking in an inch or two, then breaking through the crust and wallowing in 2' of snow.  Snowmobiles would try going around such spots, making the trail wider and wider, and the dogs don't know what trail has a good bottom, so the start following one, go a bit, sink in and jump over to another trail.  It makes for slow going.  I think everyone will sigh a breath of relief when they get into Kaltag.  But whats ahead? 

Here is the run down according to the Tracker and the Standings

Pete Kaiser into Kaltag (mile 652) to do his 8 hour break
Nic came in just minutes behind him

Still on the march to Kaltag is:

Joar at mile 645
Jessie Royer at mile 643
Mitch Seavey at mile 629
Aliy at mile 626 (mandatory 8 hour rest in Kaltag)
Jesse Holmes at mile 625
Redington at mile 620
Richie Diehl at mile 619
Failor at mile 616
Matt Hall at mile 611
Paige Drobny at mile 611
Travis Beals at mile 595

Race into Kaltag

Just a quick update....Nic Petit, first out (and only) Team out of Eagle Island on the way to Kaltag is now resting on the trail at mile 610.  Joar has been resting at Eagle Island (mile 592) for 4 hours and 45 minutes and still has not left. 

Aliy just got into Eagle Island....Kaiser is there too, but these 2 still have yet to take their 8 hour rest. 

Mitch and Richie Diehl are in Eagle too (mile 592)....but they have both taken their 8 hour rest. 

Redington heading towards Eagle, at mile 590, followed by Jessie Royer at mile 584, Failor at mile 576, Jesse Holmes at mile 573, Paige Drobny at mile 571 and Matt Hall at mile 566. 

It will be interesting to see when Joar takes chase after Nic.....and what are the trail conditions on the upper reaches of the Yukon in this warmer that ever Iditarod. 

Rain, Snow and Snowmachines impact the Trail

Nic Petit ran into Grayling breaking trail and it took him 40 minutes longer to get there than Joar....in fact all of the chase pack ran the run faster than Nic by at least 20 minutes.  Apparently it has rained on the Mighty Yukon, and then turned into a wet granular snow, that once packs down is hard and slick....that certainly helped Joar when a few snow machines went past him and hard packed the trail to Grayling, whereas Nic didn't have the luck of a recreational snow machine to pack down the trail ahead of him.  Nic pulled over in Graying to serve out his 8 hour rest. Joar went through after 5 hours of rest as he already did his back in Shageluk....so we can now start comparing apples to apples since many Teams (except for Aliy and Pete Kaiser) have taken their 8 hour rest.  Here is the run down from the GPS Tracker:

Joar at mile 585
Pete Kaiser at mile 582 (still has to take 8 hour rest....probably in Kaltag where he can dry gear)
Nic Petit at mile 581
Jessie Royer at mile 561
Mitch Seavey at mile 552
Richie Diehl at mile 547
Aliy Zirkle at mile 546 (Like Pete, will probably take 8 hour rest in Kaltag to dry out....she HATES rain and was wearing a garbage bag to stay as dry as possible)
Redington at mile 538

All other front running Teams at this time are in Grayling serving out their 8 hour rest.

One more thing, the weather shut down bush plane traffic, so the drop bags can not get to the next checkpoint of Eagle Island for some of the front runners.  They will still try to get the drop bags up there as the Checkpoint is built and ready, but it could not be guaranteed to be there in time for the front pack....meaning they would have to carry their needed food there as they had to last year.  At this time I am not sure if they got the supplies in, but they were still hoping the snow would stop so they could get the drop bags up there.  

Jessie Royer.....watch this cowgirl!

Jessie Royer from the State of Montana is one to keep an eye on this race.  She is a talented Musher, photographer, and sharp shooter on the rodeo circuit!  Jessie has been running this race since 2001, when she finished 14th and was awarded Rookie of the Year.  She has positioned herself into 3rd place thus far by blowing through Shageluk and on into Anvik!  Go Jessie!   She is currently in Grayling....probably serving out her 8 hour rest like several other teams.  Aliy is closing in on Graying and is currently at mile 522 (Grayling is at mile 530).

After front runner Nic Petit ate his meal in Anvik and spent some 4 hours there, he hit the Yukon and ran into Grayling, where he is currently serving out his 8 hour rest.  It appears Kaiser and Mitch are also in Grayling, and Joar just arrived....but he could leave if he wants, as he has already served his 8 hour break back in Shageluk. 

Its been snowing a very fine granular snow all day on the Yukon, and may mix with freezing rain at times.  Miserable Mushing conditions, but better than plain old rain...but that could happen soon too.  It appears Mother Nature is laying a hand on the scale now....making the trail miserable for those out in front.....look for a lot of "after you" kind of racing to start happening, as people don't want to break trail for everyone behind them.  Swenson was famous for this....stalking behind the front runner, and when he would catch up to them he would set the snow hook and wait some more. Only when the front runner was worn down enough he would pass them....many would see this as strategy, but I see it as just plain rude.  Everyone should help break trail....take turns and then race....but it is a competition....maybe this is why I don't race....I don't have that competitive instinct. But I DO like watching a good race....and here we have one! 

Once the 8 hour rests are taken we will see who is in front....and then there is always Mother Nature.....a storm on the coast to mix it up??  Anything can happen!

Nic Petit - First to the Yukon!

Nic certainly likes to get to the Yukon FIRST.....for the gourmet meal and some cash to go along with the prize!  His dogs are amazingly upbeat and energetic, even this far into the race....all 14 of them too!  Congrats Nic! Not sure if he will stick around to eat it....if the winner of this award is in a hurry they will typically give it to them "to go", and then the rest is shared with the village.  The same meal is served at the Banquet in Nome, so if they do miss out in it, they will have a chance once again to enjoy the feast!

SO....where is everyone at?  It does appear that Nic is on the move again....here is the run down:

Nic Petit....running at mile 513

Joar, still resting at Shageluk at mile 487....he has been there for 4.5 hours, I would think he should be pulling the hook soon, or maybe he will take his 8 hour res there?  Seems early to do that so I'll report back once Iditarod starts to post some commentary this am.

Jessie Royer is also resting in Shageluk, mile 487

Pete Kaiser and Mitch Seavey just got into Shageluk.....I will keep an eye on if they will be coming or going

Richie Diehl is running into Shageluk at mile 484

Redington is running at mile 476

Failor is running at mile 464

Paige Drobny is running at mile 463

Matt Hall is running at mile 460

Jesse Holmes (Hollywood) is running at mile 459

Mats Peterson is running at mile 450

Aliy is off her 24 hour rest and is running at mile 450 right now. 

It will be interesting to see who stops and who goes on into Anvik from Shageluk....I suspect Aliy will not, since she just got off her 24 hour rest in Iditarod and has plenty if fuel (rest) in the tank to continue on.

Im off work til Monday......so check in more often as I will be posting more through the day (and night) as the race continues and strategies play out!

Rain? Snow? Wind?

I just got done listening to Heister and Lee.....these guys are the Iditarod Insider commentators and they are up in Grayling on the Yukon River, about 100 miles from the front runners Joar and Nic Petitt.....they said it RAINED there yesterday.....interior Alaska in March and it rained!  This has happened before, but it always make me go Hmmmm.  Climate change is definitely real, alive and well in Alaska. 

With rain comes warmth, relatively speaking...in the 30s.  Its colder here in the Adirondacks than in Alaska right now.  Apparently there is lots of snow on the Yukon, but I feel it shouldn't be an issue as there are a lot of snow machines using the river as a highway, and wet snow packs well.  They were talking wind on the coast could be an issue too creating ground blizzards, but wet heavy snow wont really make much of a ground blizzard.  We will have to wait to see what the next several days bring in regards to weather.  But right now, we have Teams making their way west to the Yukon....first checkpoint where they can opt to take their 8 hour mandatory rest is in Shageluk...last checkpoint to take it is in Kaltag.  But for the in between times where no one is taking it we can at least compare apples to apples in regard to speed and position.  Here is were they are at right now as they head over from Iditarod to Shageluk:

Joar at mile 477
Nic Petit at mile 471
Jessie Royer at mile 451
Pete Kaiser at mile 442
Mitch Seavey at mile 442
Richie Diehl at mile 441
Redington at mile 435

Aliy is still waiting out her mandatory 24 hour rest in Iditarod, mile 432...she will be able to leave around 6:46 our time...2:46 Alaska time.  We will see how the fresh Team does to catch back up to the chase pack. The Teams did that run to Iditarod several hours faster than Aliy.  I thought I saw her Team pushing snow as they came in but they must have been going through a drift, as there was actually grass showing in the last 10 miles into Iditarod, making the travel difficult through the tussocks.  It was odd there was little snow cover there, because back in Takotna there was a lot of snow.   Right now they are calling for 4 to 7 inches of snow to fall along the Yukon.....lets just hope it doesn't turn to rain like it did yesterday. 

Towards the Yukon!

As Aliy is waiting out her 24 hour rest....the rest of the Teams are turning the corner towards the Yukon.  The trail must have hardened up and was perfect running for the Teams from Ophir to Iditarod.  Damn.....I was hoping Aliy would have caught a break there!  Oh well....she gets an A for effort....and I bet her Team will be smoking tomorrow morning when they come off their 24 hour!

So, the battle continues between Joar and Petit.....Petit blew through the Iditarod Checkpoint, and Joar stayed for 4 hours and 15 minutes.  Right now, Nic is still resting at mile 443, as Joar is creeping towards him at mile 440.  Cat and mouse games on the Iditarod Trail! These 2 are the only ones out of Iditarod heading towards the Yukon.

Many are resting in Iditarod right now...basically the rest of the chase pack.  Aliy will break from her rest in about 8 hours....many of these Teams with her in Iditarod will be gone as she takes chase with a very rested team. 

Aliy ARRIVES at the Iditarod Checkpoint!!!!

Aliy just came in and the Team looked GREAT!  You can see they were in about 4 to 6 inches of snow, kicking it up as they motored on in....so that is why the speed was down a bit....it was a bit of a slog I'm sure. 

No interviews yet.....so I don't know how the trail was...but man, the Team looked good!  Welcome to Iditarod Aliy!

SO....it was a gamble....now it will be interesting to see how her move plays out as the front runners come through and beyond as she serves out her 24 hour rest.  Remember, it will be Aliy who as the fresh Team in 24 hours....while the Teams ahead of her are grinding it out on 4 to 6 hour rests depending upon the run/rest schedule their Musher sets for them.  So 2 things to watch, how many miles ahead will the Chase pack get ahead of her, and then how fast can she catch up with them with a fresh Team after she pulls the hook in 24 hours.

Yeah....another day of IditaDistractions at work!  And its IditaBagel Day....the Office just loves this annual event!  30 people are in the running for the IditaMug....I need to check who had Aliy in for the halfway bonus points!!!!

Aliy Just Miles Out From Iditarod

As I write this, Aliy will be making her way into the remote checkpoint of Iditarod, where she will be greeted with the Dorothy Page (Mother of the Iditarod) Halfway Award!  They have the live feed up so I am eager to see how her Team looks after the long trek over from Ophir.  She will get a welcomed long 24 hour rest once she gets settled in.  I can hear some wind on the live feed, so I will be curious to hear how the trail was!

Meanwhile, behind her all sorts of awakenings are happening....Teams are getting off their 24 hour rest and taking chase.  In a surprise move yesterday, Martin Buser blew through Takotna instead of declaring his 24 hour rest, and looks as though he too will be taking his 24 in Iditarod with Aliy.  All the other front runners that are on the trail now have taken their 24 hour break, and will pass Aliy and Buser as they rest in Iditarod....but at least Aliy will have some time to herself here before the chase pack comes in. 

Here is the breakdown in the parade of Teams that are moving:

Aliy at mile 429, about to reach the Iditarod Checkpoint any moment now to take her 24 hour rest
Buser at mile 392, will take his 24 hour rest in Iditarod
Joar Ulsom at mile 368
Pete Kaiser at mile 343
Richie Diehl at mile 336
Redington at mile 334
Mitch Seavey at mile 332
Matt Hall at mile 331

There are several front running Teams still waiting out their 24 hour rest in Ophir at mile 352. Nic Petit will be the first to break from that checkpoint very soon.  Others serving their 24 hour rest in Ophir are Jesse Holmes, Burmeister and Jessie Royer.  

Speed.....if the GPS mph is somewhat correct, it looks as though Aliy is keeping a steady 5 to 6 mile out in front presumably breaking trail.  Martins speed is 4 to 5 mph right now.  Neither of the Teams have rested for a long period.  Aliy did stop at the cabin for 2.5 hours, but other than stopping and snacking dogs this is all the rest they have gotten on the 80 mile remote run from Ophir to Iditarod.  Joar is posting speeds that are 8 mph.  He is fresh off of his 24 hour rest and is just entering the long remote stretch from Ophir to Iditarod.....so is his speed due to a fresh Team, or does the trail get progressively softer as it reaches Iditarod and slowing Teams like Aliy and Buser down?  As soon as I get some insider info on the trail I will pass it along. 

Awesome Aliy!

Aliy Zirkle made a bold move....she didn't stop in Ophir....she is going all the way to Iditarod for her 24 hour rest!  Everyone is talking about all the snow coming down, and that the trail is really going to be a slog....but so far that hasn't been the case, and Aliy wasn't put off by the reports....commonly you will hear her say "its the Iditarod, what do you expect!" She is no stranger to tough trails! 

Currently, Aliy is resting at a BLM Cabin at mile 388, even equipped with an outhouse!!!  This cabin is located 44 miles from Iditarod....so she will no doubt rest here for 3 hours or so before making her last push into her 24 hour rest.  As I write this she has been there for a little over 2 hours. 

Nic Petit decided to 24 back in Ophir and can set out again in about 8 and a half hours.....Joar is back one checkpoint in Takotna and will soon pull the hook in about 2.5 hours to start the chase....expect some leap frogging to happen still with these two.  The big question is, how will the trail be to Iditarod....will it set up over night, or will it be bottomless sugar snow?  If the wind picks up it could create a ground blizzard.  Aliy wasn't afraid to venture forth and find out, and right now she is the only one who knows the answer to that question....soon the chase pack will have to find out too.  Last year Joar got ahead of a ground blizzard doing exactly what Aliy is doing now....so Mother Nature can be a player in the game too.

The rest of the chasers are serving their 24 hour rest in either Takotna or Ophir..once everyone gets back out on the trail after their 24 hour rest we can talk "apples to apples" about Mushers and their placement. 

For now Id like to give a HUGE shout out to Aliy and her Team.....you go girl....get as much time and space in between you and that chase pack....rest up and enjoy all the quiet in the Alaskan wilderness....just you and your Team! 

Its Snowing!!! Time to rest for 24 hours!

Takotna has the best pies on the trail, and is a great place for a 24 hour rest, especially when its snowing!

Joar Ulsom was the first into Takotna around 7:00 pm Alaska time and appears to be taking is 24 hour rest...probably not for the pies, but rather due to the snow.  Its snowing out, making the trail a bit slower.  Joar did the run in 2 hours and 19 minutes from McGrath, where he did not stop to rest, rather pushing on for the big rest in Takotna.

Nic Petit was resting in McGrath as Joar blew through, making it into Takotna 3 hours after Joar and taking a little longer to get there in 2 hours and 31 minutes.  That was AFTER resting in McGrath, so Joar beat that time, out in front, on no rest in McGrath.  Interesting.

Before Nic got in, Jessie Royer came in 2 hours and 15 minutes after Joar, doing the run in the same time as Nic, followed by Pete Kaiser coming in in about 3 hours after Joar, doing the run just minutes longer than Nic.  Needless to say, Joar has the fastest team out there right now. 

As of right now, Nic is the only one who has left Takotna, and is going to reach Ophir any moment.  My guess is he will 24 hour there.....but it probably depends on his dogs (as it should)....but there is a chance he may push on to the remote checkpoint of Iditarod.....trail conditions would also come into play, as mentioned before this section of trail between Ophir and Iditarod is seldom used except for this race.  There is a halfway prize waiting in Iditarod for the first Musher there....typically $3,000 worth of god, but last I heard the sponsors are still trying to figure out what the prize will be this year.  I highly doubt prize money will lure Nic out if things are not perfect otherwise. 

So, it looks as though several of the chase pack are now holed up in Takotna....eating pies and feeding dogs no doubt.  Aliy took a rest in McGrath and I thought perhaps she was doing her 24 hour rest there, but I now see she is on the move towards Takotna after a 4 hour and 11 minute stay in the checkpont.  This is a bit of a deviation for Aliy, as she typically 24s in Takotna and blows through McGrath.....I was a bit surprised to see her there when I woke up and now I am again surprised to see she is not doing her 24 in McGrath and quite likely is setting up her 24 hour beyond Takotna, which is only 2 to 3 hours down the trail....again....interesting.  I'm now faced with being distracted at work as I watch her make her move.  As noted above, Nic rested in McGrath and blew through Takotna and is resting in Ophir....looks like Aliy may do the same, which is a change from her "normal" routine. 

Jesse Holmes had a little mishap when he was traveling to Nikolai....the back of his sled fell off at a creek crossing and he didn't realize it for a few miles down the trail, adding a total of 4 miles to his trip.  He still did the run quite fast while also doing an "extra long" run compared to everyone else. 

The biggest heartfelt story of the day is hearing Linwood Fieldler tell about traversing the Buffalo Chutes in the dark, when all of a sudden his sled hit a stump and the caribiner popped on the gangline, separating his sled from 13 Alaskan sled dogs who continued down the trail without him.  He was horrified at the sight of his dogs disappearing into the night.  He got emotional just reliving the story.  He tried to haul his sled on his own, but that was futile.  Along comes Matts Peterson and Matts hooked Lindwoods sled to his and the Team trotted along pulling both sleds for several more miles.  At one of the creek crossings Lindwood shown his headlamp up and down the creek, and caught a glimpse of eyes staring back at him, far off the trail but out on the ice.  It was glare ice, but Linwood had spikes on his boots, and he rescued the tangle of dogs out on the creek ice.  He says if it wasn't for the night he may not have even seen them they were so far off the trail.  Lucky for him and his dogs the mishap only resulted in a few minor injuries. Lindwood is currently on the trail at mile 312 with 13 Team mates just out of McGrath on the way to Takotna.

More to come as Mushers hunker down for that much needed rest!    

Heading into the 24

Teams are beginning to think about where are they going to take their mandatory 24 hour break.  Many Teams have a schedule, and send out food drop bags for a 24 hour rest for their A plan, B plan and C plan.  Now they need to decide where their Team needs that rest.  Petit and Joar seem to go long....go into Ophir or even Iditarod to take their long rest.  Others tend to prefer the human creature comforts of Takotna or McGrath.  Petit is the first person to pull into McGrath, and is still there as I write this. Joar, who rested some back in Nikolai has blown threw McGrath and is now in the lead heading towards Takotna at mile 316.  Other Teams are making their way into McGrath.....like Jessie Royer at mile 303, Kaiser at mile 301, Aliy at mile 298, and Matt Hall at mile 295.  I suspect since all of these Team rested back in Nikolai they will follow Joars lead out towards Takotna. The question remains where will Teams take their 24.....who will be the first into the halfway checkpoint of Iditarod....and what will be the trail conditions in this little used portion of trail?   

Chase Pack on the Move!

Pete Kaiser has passed Nic Petit, but only went a few miles further up the trail and is now resting at mile at mile 232.  Meanwhile, Joar was the first to break camp and is currently running at mile 221 at a good clip! Jessie Royer and Aliy are running together at mile 213 while the rest of the chasing Teams remain at rest, stretched out from mile 210 to 208. 

Although Nic and Kaiser have taken the role of the rabbits to chase, there is a whole lot of miles yet to go and this is still a wide open race. Mitch is reportedly carrying dogs, and his run times are a bit longer due to the fact he is loading and unloading dogs on each run....fingers crossed that strategy will have diminishing returns so he just starts to mush like everyone else!  There are a lot of teams banking rest and will no doubt catapult forward once their strategies start to play out. 

There is unbroken trail of deep powder between Ophir and Iditarod that will be worked on by the trail breakers soon.  This section of trail is not traveled at all in the winter because there are no year round residents in this area.  Will any Teams run all the way to Iditarod or Ophir to take their 24 hour rest?  Time will tell!  

Through the Gorge and on to Nikolai

The trail from Rohn to Nikolai is 75 miles long with a lot of rolling hills.  This is where the buffalo chutes are located with a local herd roaming free through the area.  The only front running Team who rested in Rohn was Pete Kaiser....and he was there for about 3 hours....everyone else moved through with a quick stop to reorganize their sled and grab some supplies from their drop bags if they intend to camp once along the way to Nikilia.  Mitch Seavey appears to be pressing the pace of his Team after holding them back a bit to this point. 

Nic is currently resting at mile 230 and Pete appears to be making a long run after his rest in Rohn and is currently running at mile 225 and will quite likely pass Nic soon.  Most other Teams who blew through Rohn have camped out along the trail just shy of half way through the 75 mile run.  According to the tracker, Teams started to take their rest around 10 pm Alaska time, and as I write this it appears Joar is back on the trail running at mile 215....so it looks like Teams are taking about a 3 hour or so rest on the trail to break it up into 2 runs.  Redington, Hall, Aliy, Beals, Drobny, Failor, Diehl, Royer and Seavey are all camped out from mile 209 to 208.

Returned dogs....that is the term they are now using to describe a dog that has been left at a Checkpoint to be "returned" to Anchorage.  Most Teams still have their full compliment of 14, the only Teams out in front who have returned a dog and are down to 13 are Joar and Mitch.  Being down 1 dog doesn't really impact a Team too much....sure they miss them, but if a dog was in need of more rest and TLC it is the right choice to make. 

Now on to Nikolai......soon after, Teams will start taking their 24 hour rests to recharge, regroup, and relax!  

Come on UP and OVER the Alaska Range!

Looks like we got ourselves a Sled Dog Race! 

The top competitors (minus a few "regulars", I'll get to that later) Have been making their way to Rainy Pass and beyond.  Earlier today (eastern time) Nic Petit blew through the Rainy Pass checkpoint and camped out for some time at mile 163.  Kaiser was next into Rainy Pass and when he heard Nic went through he did the same, and camped out about 7 miles behind Nic as the "heat of the day" was bearing down.  Nothing better than resting your Team in the sunshine as opposed to slogging and zapping their strength to get further down the trail.  The chase pack stopped at Rainy Pass for 3 or 4 hours to rest there....no doubt bothered by several bush planes that have been making a tour business out of the race.  Why not....right?  Anyhow...EVERYONE up front is now back out on the trail, taking advantage of night time temps as they head down Dalzell Gorge on their way to Rohn Checkpoint, some 30 miles down the trail.  For those of you who don't have access to the GPS tracking...here is your snapshot in time at 8:00 pm eastern time:

Petit at mile 169
Kaiser at mile 164
Joar at mile 161
Ryan Redington at mile 157
Aliy at mile 157

There are several contenders still "tucked back" into the middle of the pack, I'm sure at this stage in the race they might just be pacing themselves....so far trail conditions have been fantastic and don't seem to be impacted by the warmer temps.  Snow machines have been packing it down and the consistency has not turned it into a churning mess.  My guess is there is enough moisture in the snow to pack instead of becoming sand like.  That is the kind of snow we have here....I groom my trails with 3 to 5 passes with a SnowDog groomer and it really becomes solid....no crust to break.  Alaska might be use to a drier snow that is fragile and doesn't set up hard.  Welcome to my world.....with 20 to 30 degree temps it packs hard and fast no problem.

Enjoy the ride down the Dalzell Iditarod Mushers! 

Settling In

Teams are now for the most part through the first checkpoint of Yentna Station.  The GPS is showing the regular suspects out in front....Nic Petit, who had to borrow a dog trailer in Anchorage just to get to the starting line in Willow is presently out in front at mile 106 and appears to be resting.  Pete Kaiser and Lindwood Fiedler are running 4 miles from him, Aliy is running smoothly at mile 91with a string of Teams right behind her.  We are only in the first 100 miles thus far, this is just a snap shot in time.

Weather....the snow was falling in big flakes on Willow Lake during the re-start....this part of Alaska has been getting lots of snow, and everyone is talking about how this will definitely slow the race down.  The other thing is ice on lakes and rivers.....it is thinner than in the past, in fact the moved the re-start off of Willow Lake because the earth quake had damaged some of the early ice and is not safe for 50+ dog trucks to park on. Reports from the Bering Sea area along the coast is the ice is acting more like May instead of March....Yikes!  Climate Change is definitely being felt up there in the 49th state! 

More to come.....Mush On! 

Iditarod 2019 begins TODAY!!!

Here we go again!!!  Happy IditaDay!!!  Its been a week of Iditarod preparations....here in the Adirondacks we held our annual IditaLunch at work and I suspect there will be a stack of Top 10 picks on my desk when I get in on Monday.  I figure there is about 20 Teams that have a good possibility to land in the top 10 this year.....so many caliber Teams to choose from! I of course am a little biased and will be rooting for Aliy....this will be her 19th Iditarod and she is Bib 19....Chemo and Outlaw will be watching their former Team mates from the comfort of the couch this year......go Aliy! 

If I were to put in my 2 cents, I think the weather could play a big part in this years race.  When I look at the 7 day forecast for the Trail, it actually looks like Adirondack weather.....maybe even a little warmer??  Dogs like to run in temps below 0, so I would think Teams will want to set up a run/rest schedule where they are resting in the heat of the day, and moving at night.  Mitch is up to his dog carrying tricks again with a sled that can house 2 dogs in it.  I was really hoping Mitch would ditch the gimmicks and just mush, but apparently not.  Will Jesse Holmes be able to follow up his Rookie run last year with another stellar performance?  Can Joar make it 2 in a row....and of course can Nic Petit stay on the right trail this time???  We will just have to watch how it all unfolds....but my biggest question and concern is Mother Nature.  She had been blowing a lot of storms into the coast....and dumping a lot of snow on the interior.....just like here in the Dacks!  I think she is the wild card for 2019.  I think Teams with several veteran Iditarod dogs will be a key asset if trails are blown in or visibility gets difficult....they can feel the trail, find it, and most importantly stay on it.  In 2014 Aliy's fantastic leader Quito found the checkpoint of Safety in a severe ground blizzard.....its that kind of dog you want on your Team when Mother Nature throws down. 

A few rule changes this year...the big one is 14 dogs maximum instead of 16.  I like that change.  Now if they would just get rid of that rule about allowing multiple sleds (I think up to 3) to be used that would definately level the playing field a bit. If you have enough money you can fly a lighter sled to the coast, and stash another one after the Alaska Range....that rule seems to favor the big kennels for sure.  I like the Yukon Quest rule of one sled and 14 dogs.  At least the Iditarod has it half right!

So starting tonight....check into IditaDacks early and often, as I will be blogging my way through the race, getting up at all hours of the night to check the Tracker and reporting what I see and hear along the way! 

Lets get this race started....6 pm Adirondack time!