Three weeks ago I changed venue from home to Anchorage, for some work related training. Then I changed venues from the Anchorage class room to my regular work station here on the Pipeline. Today I'm winding down my regular work duties in preparation for a trip Outside, where I'll spend the week doing clinical training and visiting friends in Kentucky. It's all part of the "break-up" routine for me, I guess.
I try to schedule my required training for the warm weather months, to concentrate my truly free time during winter's dog mushing season. It usually works out reasonably well through winter, but makes for a very busy period during spring. For example, I'll be spending half of this R&R Outside before getting one week off, then after my next 2 week work rotation I'll have to spend a few days of that next R&R doing more work related training, this time in relation to my duties as a security officer versus my medical duties.
If it seems like a lot of my "off duty" time is spent doing work related training it is because it IS spend doing work related training. About 170 hours per year for medical related training, and about 24 to 36 hours of security training. Those figures do not include the time spent traveling, or the time spent at the reading and computer based training that I can do during my normal duty shifts. Considerably more than half of my life is spent away from home on behalf of my employer.
My job isn't particularly demanding. Most of the time it is very routine. When it does become demanding the consequences of failure are extreme, so the company requires that I spend a heck of lot of time learning and practicing the skills required to achieve a less than fatal outcome.
So, when I leave here in the morning I'll stop at the house long enough to set one suitcase aside, toss a few last-minute sundries into another, grab a way-too-short nap, and head for the airport. It's all part of working for a living, and in America there are very few things more "old school" than working for one's resources. One thing for sure - between my job and my dogs I don't have to worry about spending too much time or money in the bars. My lifestyle doesn't offer enough free time nor enough money to squander in such a wasteful manner.
Once in a while I get to wondering what it would be like to have a normal 40 hour per week with weekends, holidays and vacations off type of job. When other dog mushers complain about their work schedules all I can do is just smile and nod. Yep, I truly understand that employment is indeed the curse of the leisure class.
At least I get to choose the venue for my clinical training, and the venue I've chosen allows me to visit with dear friends I otherwise not see very often at all. It will also allow me to enjoy some nice, warm weather, smell some flowers, maybe even walk barefoot in the grass before returning home just in time for mud season.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Price of a Good Dog
Oscar Wilde wrote that "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." I must not be so cynical as I sometimes feel, as it occurred to me that when people ask me the price of a sled dog from top-of-the game lines, I don't have a clue how to answer. All of my dogs came to me as rescues, as gifts or as the progeny from my own breeding, so I've never had to pay a direct price to purchase a sled dog.
I'm not a racer and in all truth I'm a relatively casual recreational musher. I run sled dogs because I love spending time in the woods with dogs, and I love training and working with the dogs. As far as I'm concerned every dog in my team is priceless, even those who are retired. As far as I'm concerned, for the purpose of cruising around in the woods every single one of my dogs is perfect. We are well suited for each other.
Racing, especially in this modern day and age, is a highly competitive game in which success demands the best possible dogs, trained to the highest possible degree by a musher who has the closest possible bond with his or her team. One can't compete against the likes of Lance Mackey, Hans Gatt, Mitch Seavey, Martin Buser or many others at the peak of their game unless everything about your team is just perfect - including the genetics of your dogs.
Of course, Jeff King has been competing rather successfully at that level, and he's well noted for breeding, raising and training truly exceptional racing sled dogs. Now, with the end of the season combined with his announced retirement, we have an opportunity to learn the price of top-of-the-line sled dogs. Jeff is offering several of his dogs for sale, advertising them on his Husky Homestead blog.
At the top of his page is a dog named Call, a 6 1/2 year old "A" team Iditarod finisher, who sold for $2,000.00. Proven performers from Dave DeCaro's "B" team are running between $750.00 and $1,000.00 each. The best deal of the bunch is a pregnant female named Schilling. Jeff is asking $1500.00 for her AND her entire litter, but notes that he would prefer to keep her until she has whelped and the puppies are roughly 8 to 9 weeks old. If I were interested in racing long distances competitively I think I'd probably have to jump all over that deal. It shows that Jeff is concerned about proper puppy rearing, even for puppies he doesn't plan to keep.
There is a fun note for a young pup named Ringer (aka "Snowflake"). Apparently Ringer was trained with Donna's border collies to run agility, at the age of 10 weeks. Talk about bringing along a puppy mentally and psychologically as well as physically - there's a good example.
I enjoyed reading Jeff's blog post this evening. I learned some things and saw some photos of some great looking canine athletes. I hope you enjoy it as well.
I'm not a racer and in all truth I'm a relatively casual recreational musher. I run sled dogs because I love spending time in the woods with dogs, and I love training and working with the dogs. As far as I'm concerned every dog in my team is priceless, even those who are retired. As far as I'm concerned, for the purpose of cruising around in the woods every single one of my dogs is perfect. We are well suited for each other.
Racing, especially in this modern day and age, is a highly competitive game in which success demands the best possible dogs, trained to the highest possible degree by a musher who has the closest possible bond with his or her team. One can't compete against the likes of Lance Mackey, Hans Gatt, Mitch Seavey, Martin Buser or many others at the peak of their game unless everything about your team is just perfect - including the genetics of your dogs.
Of course, Jeff King has been competing rather successfully at that level, and he's well noted for breeding, raising and training truly exceptional racing sled dogs. Now, with the end of the season combined with his announced retirement, we have an opportunity to learn the price of top-of-the-line sled dogs. Jeff is offering several of his dogs for sale, advertising them on his Husky Homestead blog.
At the top of his page is a dog named Call, a 6 1/2 year old "A" team Iditarod finisher, who sold for $2,000.00. Proven performers from Dave DeCaro's "B" team are running between $750.00 and $1,000.00 each. The best deal of the bunch is a pregnant female named Schilling. Jeff is asking $1500.00 for her AND her entire litter, but notes that he would prefer to keep her until she has whelped and the puppies are roughly 8 to 9 weeks old. If I were interested in racing long distances competitively I think I'd probably have to jump all over that deal. It shows that Jeff is concerned about proper puppy rearing, even for puppies he doesn't plan to keep.
There is a fun note for a young pup named Ringer (aka "Snowflake"). Apparently Ringer was trained with Donna's border collies to run agility, at the age of 10 weeks. Talk about bringing along a puppy mentally and psychologically as well as physically - there's a good example.
I enjoyed reading Jeff's blog post this evening. I learned some things and saw some photos of some great looking canine athletes. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Abner in the News!
News Miner Article Features Tri-pawed Abner
Fairbanks Daily News Miner intern Reba Lean wrote a nice story about Abner, which appeared in today's paper. It's a pretty straight-forward, inspirational account of his recent progress that will leave you feeling good. You can read the story by clicking HERE.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Medred Exploring I'rod Issues
Reporter Gred Medred's opinions have become a lot more interesting, or at least more relevant, now that he is writing for the on-line newspaper "The Alaska Dispatch". When he was writing for the printed Alaska Daily News many of his Iditarod pieces struck me as "fluffy". His work for the Alaskan Dispatch is considerably more pointed. For example, his article on rookie Hank Debruin's "scratch" broke a story that has garnered a lot of interest in dog mushing circles.
Today I was referred to another article he wrote that is equally relevant and pointed, and one that I hope will get some attention down at ITC headquarters. Posted on March 25th, Medred wrote "Iditarod in Danger of Losing Bush Alaska." The headline accurately describes the premise of the story and the article makes a strong case for that premise. "The Iditarod used to belong to Bush Alaska. One of Joe Redington's dreams in founding the race was to keep the dog mushing tradition out there alive. When I covered my first Iditarod in 1983, I sometimes scrounged up dog teams in villages so I could go run dogs in my free time. Now you can't find enough dogs in many villages to put together a team."
In my opinion, the most damning point made by Medred is the alleged slighting of a former Iditarod Champion. Medred wrote "Athabascan Emmit Peters from Ruby, one of the greatest champions the Iditarod has ever known, couldn't get into the Iditarod Banquet in Anchorage this year. There weren't any tickets left. Someone did finally find him one, but the next day he couldn't get onto Fourth Avenue downtown to say "hi" to the many Iditarod racers who remain his personal friends. Peters didn't have the right badges to hang around his neck. He tried to explain to one of the Iditarod guards charged with keeping the riffraff off the avenue clogged with riffraff that he was a past Iditarod champ, but that got him nowhere. Likewise, he was reportedly kept out of the finishers' chute in Nome when he went there to greet mushers at the end of the race."
Although the I'rod claims to commemorate the 1925 "Great Race of Mercy" today's racers have little in common with the men who risked their lives and their livelihoods to carry life-saving diphtheria serum to Nome. The majority of those men were Native Alaskans. They grew up and lived in the bush, and running sled dogs was just another part of their routine tasks of daily living. Of 71 mushers in this year's Iditarod, there were six from rural Alaska, only four of them Alaska Natives.
Some anthropologists define a frontier as a usually remote borderland in which two or more cultures compete for dominance. That is very much an accurate description of early 21st century Alaska. Those of us who are residents of "road system Alaska" have a very poor understanding of the culture and needs of "bush Alaska", and vice versa. We just don't have a whole lot in common.
One of the few things we DO have in common is our dogs. Historically dog mushing was practiced by people of all ethnic backgrounds in Alaska and in fact throughout the boreal region of North America. White, Eskimo, Indian, Metis, urbanite or bush rat - it was all the same - everyone ran sled dogs because it was the only practical way to get from one place to another.
Medred concludes his article with 10 suggestions for way the ITC can once again engage the rural residents. Most of his suggestions are practical and inexpensive. I hope someone down in Willow is reading and paying attention. The I'rod has been losing favor among dog mushers for some time now, and it's been rumored that a large proportion of the top 20 mushers who spoke at the finish banquet stated they will not be returning to the race. There are indeed other long-distance races that are perceived to be more "musher friendly" and more in keeping with the spirit of arctic adventure. It won't help the race if they also lose favor among the villages through which the race must travel. If the ITC doesn't open their eyes and gather their feces into a common location, it is quite possible the I'rod may indeed become the "last" great race.
In case you missed the link above, Medred's article can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Today I was referred to another article he wrote that is equally relevant and pointed, and one that I hope will get some attention down at ITC headquarters. Posted on March 25th, Medred wrote "Iditarod in Danger of Losing Bush Alaska." The headline accurately describes the premise of the story and the article makes a strong case for that premise. "The Iditarod used to belong to Bush Alaska. One of Joe Redington's dreams in founding the race was to keep the dog mushing tradition out there alive. When I covered my first Iditarod in 1983, I sometimes scrounged up dog teams in villages so I could go run dogs in my free time. Now you can't find enough dogs in many villages to put together a team."
In my opinion, the most damning point made by Medred is the alleged slighting of a former Iditarod Champion. Medred wrote "Athabascan Emmit Peters from Ruby, one of the greatest champions the Iditarod has ever known, couldn't get into the Iditarod Banquet in Anchorage this year. There weren't any tickets left. Someone did finally find him one, but the next day he couldn't get onto Fourth Avenue downtown to say "hi" to the many Iditarod racers who remain his personal friends. Peters didn't have the right badges to hang around his neck. He tried to explain to one of the Iditarod guards charged with keeping the riffraff off the avenue clogged with riffraff that he was a past Iditarod champ, but that got him nowhere. Likewise, he was reportedly kept out of the finishers' chute in Nome when he went there to greet mushers at the end of the race."
Although the I'rod claims to commemorate the 1925 "Great Race of Mercy" today's racers have little in common with the men who risked their lives and their livelihoods to carry life-saving diphtheria serum to Nome. The majority of those men were Native Alaskans. They grew up and lived in the bush, and running sled dogs was just another part of their routine tasks of daily living. Of 71 mushers in this year's Iditarod, there were six from rural Alaska, only four of them Alaska Natives.
Some anthropologists define a frontier as a usually remote borderland in which two or more cultures compete for dominance. That is very much an accurate description of early 21st century Alaska. Those of us who are residents of "road system Alaska" have a very poor understanding of the culture and needs of "bush Alaska", and vice versa. We just don't have a whole lot in common.
One of the few things we DO have in common is our dogs. Historically dog mushing was practiced by people of all ethnic backgrounds in Alaska and in fact throughout the boreal region of North America. White, Eskimo, Indian, Metis, urbanite or bush rat - it was all the same - everyone ran sled dogs because it was the only practical way to get from one place to another.
Medred concludes his article with 10 suggestions for way the ITC can once again engage the rural residents. Most of his suggestions are practical and inexpensive. I hope someone down in Willow is reading and paying attention. The I'rod has been losing favor among dog mushers for some time now, and it's been rumored that a large proportion of the top 20 mushers who spoke at the finish banquet stated they will not be returning to the race. There are indeed other long-distance races that are perceived to be more "musher friendly" and more in keeping with the spirit of arctic adventure. It won't help the race if they also lose favor among the villages through which the race must travel. If the ITC doesn't open their eyes and gather their feces into a common location, it is quite possible the I'rod may indeed become the "last" great race.
In case you missed the link above, Medred's article can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hitchin' 'em Up
Canadian Inuit (Eskimo) musher running a fan hitch
Dave asks such interesting questions! The other day he asked "Have you run your team single file much? What are the pros and cons of single file, side by side, we don't have to go into the fan hitch style!"
Being a living historian I feel compelled to first explain a bit of the history of different types of sled dog hitches.
Although we don't 'have' to go into the fan hitch, I feel compelled to do so anyway. The fan hitch is probably the oldest method of tying dogs to a sled simply because it was invented by the the people who were probably the first humans to routinely use sled dogs for transportation. In the fan hitch, each individual dog on the team has it's own tug-line, which is tied directly to the vehicle. Usually the lead dog was hooked up to the longest line, and the others were hooked up to shorter lines so that when running over a smooth surface they tended to fan out.
The advantage of a fan hitch is that each individual dog can pick his or her own path. When running over sea ice that is impacted by large tidal fluctuations, pressure ridges and other irregularities in the ice can make for rough footing. Dogs that are not overly restrained by a more restrictive rig are less likely to become injured. A fan hitch is only efficient when all the dogs are running in more or less the same direction, preferably the same direction as the sled. The more angle between a dog and sled, the less efficient the hitch will be.
Running a team in single file is probably the most efficient of the sled dog hitches. Since each dog is pulling in the same direction, directly in front of the sled, they can apply maximum thrust to the vehicle. The single file rig was well suited to travel in the boreal forests, where trails were very narrow in order to pass through thick growths of timber.
The single-file method was probably introduced by early French fur-traders, as the best available evidence suggests that Native American and First Nations people in boreal regions did not routinely use dogs to pull sleds until after the introduction of the fur-trade. By the middle of the 19th century teams of two to six dogs were routinely drawing surprisingly heavy loads throughout the boreal regions of North America.
119th Century Musher Running Team in a Single File Hitch
A single file hitch allows the musher to take advantage of the full strength of his or her dogs, making it possible to use a smaller team than would be necessary using other hitches. It also allows the team to travel over a very narrow trail, no wider than the path left by a person hiking on snow shoes. The primary disadvantage to a single file hitch is that it is only useful with relatively small teams. If more than six dogs are hooked up in single file, the 'string' of dogs becomes longer than is easily managed. This was especially true back in the days when mushers relied more on the whip than on training to control their teams.
I have run dogs single file, with very good results. The season of 2006 - 07 I had only 4 dogs, yet was able to travel pretty much anywhere I wished when running that small time in single file.
Stardancer Team in Single File
The Alaskan Hitch, also called the Nome Hitch, is the most common modern method used by mushers today. In the Alaskan hitch, dogs are hooked in pairs to a single gang line (main line). It apparently was introduced in Alaska by Russian fur traders in the early 19th century, but the image below shows that a version of the Alaskan hitch was being used in Siberia in the 18th century, and probably earlier.
18th Century Image of a sled dog team in Siberia
The primary advantage of the Alaskan hitch is that one can run twice as many dogs in the same space as a single file rig, yet the width of the team is still narrow enough to fit within a reasonable back country trail. The disadvantage is that the dogs are pulling at an angle to the gang line, so individual dogs can't exert as much pulling force on the sled as they could if pulling straight ahead.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Day of Rest
The Widow's Light Has Been Extinguished
Historically, road house operators would leave a red lantern lighted to help guide teams that were out on the trail. When the last musher arrived at the road house he would blow out the lantern, signifying that everyone was in safe shelter. This year, Iditarod rookie Celeste Davis of Deer Lodge, Montana did the honors as she passed under the burled arch at Nome at 8:06 pm last night.
As I write, the racers are gathered at the finish banquet. This is the first time in many years that all the mushers were in before the start of the banquet. There are usually a few stragglers remaining out on the trail. Tonight they gather for a feast, regale their fans with tales of the challenges, adventures and misadventures of the race trail. Prize money and trophies will be awarded. Once I know who has won the special awards I'll try to post an update here on the blog.
The end of this year's Iditarod will, in some respects, mark the end of an era. Jeff King has vowed to retire from "serious" long-distance racing though his future almost certainly includes driving sled dogs in some endeavor or another.
It may be a while before we see another "Idita-Quest" champion. Lance Mackey has stated that he can no longer endure the rigors of back-to-back long distance races. He'll have to choose one race over the other, and I'm betting he'll choose the larger paycheck of the Iditarod. Hans Gatt has also vowed to retire after this season, and even promised his significant other that he will do so. Sebastian Schnuelle also seems to be winding down his career.
A few venerable old-timers will no doubt persist. Such is the lure of the long trails that men and women of action find them difficult to resist. Nonetheless, I think it safe to say that some doors are opening for the new class of champions to come into their own.
Make no mistake, there are some great young mushers out there who will be delighted to add their names to the short lists of long-distance mushing greats. Ken Anderson, Ramey Smyth and Dallas Seavey are all young guys with proven abilities. At 47, John Baker still has a lot of years left to make his mark. Ray Redington Jr and Zach Steer are a couple more young mushers who will likely give us years of entertainment. Josh Cadzow gave a great performance in his rookie run on the Yukon Quest as did Abbie West.
It's been a while since a woman musher has won either of the big long distance races, but there are some very talented ladies out there working hard to become the next. Aliy Zirkle may be the most well known, but Jessica Royer has been racing dogs a good long while and she knows what she's about.
As we watch some of the old timers retire or scale back their racing endeavors it's tempting to claim that the "glory days are over". I'd say it's a little bit early to make such predictions. From the looks of the young talent out there running sled dogs, I'm willing to claim that the glory days are yet to come.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Marching On
Marching Toward the Finish Line
The widow's lamp continues to burn in Nome as the last mushers in this years race work their way toward the burled arch. Scott White and Ross Adams are out of safety, and the race for the red lantern is being run by Jane Faulkner and Celeste Davis, both out of Safety. Faulkner and Davis are on a pace to establish history's fastest red-lantern finish. With only 7 dogs remaining in his team at White Mountain, Scots musher John Stewart scratched at White Mountain.
If I'm the world's biggest long-distance sled dog racing fan, my friend Dave Lukosik is probably the second biggest. Yesterday he posted a comment reminding me that Hank DeBruin, a highly respected Siberian husky musher from Ontario, was given the "scratch or be withdrawn" speech by race marshal Mark Nordman, citing the so-called competitiveness rule. Rule #36 states "
"A team may be withdrawn that is out of the competition and is not in position to make a valid effort to compete. If a team has not reached McGrath in 72 hours of the leader, Galena within 96 hours of the leader or, Unalakleet within 120 hours of the leader, it may be presumed that a team is not competitive. A musher whose conduct constitutes an unreasonable risk of harm to his/her dogs or other persons may also be withdrawn."
This is the second year in a row in which the rule has been imposed to eliminate the probably red-lantern team from the I'rod. Rob Loveman, who was withdrawn last year under the year, has filed suit against the Iditarod Trail Committee to challenge the imposition of the rule. That case currently is making it's way through the system.
The situation regarding Hank DeBruin is explained very well in an Alaskan Dispatch article by Craig Medred - "DeBruin Told He's Not Going Fast Enough and Must Quit" In his article Medred speculates that costs may be the driving force behind strict enforcement of the rule. "There appears little doubt now that the financially strapped race is trying to wrap things up as quickly as possible. It is costly to maintain checkpoints for late mushers, and even more costly to launch searches for overdue travelers, if that becomes necessary. (The federal permit under which the Iditarod is operating this year requires such searches, and the race has big financial troubles.)"
Supporting the ITC's position, some top mushers have pointed out that the Iditarod is a race, not a camping trip. That noted, it's no secret that many of the back-of-the-pack teams are not seriously competing. They are training teams for future races, are out solely for the experience of the event and in some cases are indeed out for a well supported camping trip across Alaska. How, or even whether the ITC should support such non-competitive endeavors is the heart of the controversy.
Friday, March 19, 2010
TGIF
Correction
In a comment on yesterday's post, my friend Dave Lukosik pointed out that Iditarod rookie Wattie McDonald, who is currently out of safety with a full team of 16 dogs, is not running his own team of Siberians. Wattie, who hails from Scotland, is running a team of Alaskan huskies leased from mushing veteran Tim Osmar. There is a very nice article about Mr. McDonald on the Iditarod Official Website. The article notes that McDonald completed both of his Iditarod qualifier races with full teams. That speaks very highly of his dedication to good dog care while on the trail.
Iditarod is Winding Down
Wattie is at the front of a group that includes the last 10 mushers remaining in the race. A lot of these "back of the pack" teams are puppy teams belonging to serious long distance competitors, who are being driven by musher's handlers. In mushing terminology, a "handler" is a person who helps the musher care for and train the dogs in the kennel. The role is similar to a 'hired hand' on a farm or ranch, except the pay is less and expectations are generally higher.
'Puppy teams' consist mostly of yearlings and two year old dogs who are in training for their future racing careers. The role of the puppy musher is to get as many dogs as safely possible while making it as much fun as possible for their young charges. Personally, I think the puppy musher has a more challenging job than the 'boss' who is seriously racing for prize money. The puppy musher must be acutely attuned not only to each dog's physical performance, but also to their emotional state and must be willing to drop a dog BEFORE the young one gets burned out with the game.
There are couple of good examples of puppy teams running back in the pack in this year's Iditarod. The SP Kennel has Aliy Zirkle running the race team, and Aliy's husband, Allen Moore, mushing the puppy team. Their relationship is fascinating to me - Allen is the "A-team" racer in middle distance races, at which he is brilliant. When the miles stretch out beyond 500 they switch roles, with Aliy running the primary race team and Allen taking charge of training the younguns.
Dave DeCaro, who is currently in 52nd place, is a long time handler of third place finisher Jeff King.
Speaking of Handlers...
Plans are on track for the construction of a handler's cabin on my property, and I've already started putting 'feelers' out for people interested in the job. A couple of very good candidates have already expressed an interest in the gig. This will be a straight forward trade of labor in exchange for rent. The handler will be expected to provide up to 50 hours of work each month in exchange for rent on a new 12X16 square foot cabin with sleeping loft. Heat, electricity and wireless DSL internet will be provided, along with shower and laundry privileges in the main house. Of course pets are welcome .
If you would like to add your name to the list of candidates, just click on my profile and send me an Email. I'll send a copy of the job description and details in a return Email.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
News from the Trails
Tri-pawed Abner Struts his Stuff
Yesterday Abner had the opportunity to show what he is about at the Jeff Studdert Invitational Passenger Race in Fairbanks. "Jeff's Race" is a passenger race in which the time draws 2 mushers, a driver and a passenger, around the 7.7 mile track. At the half-way point the team must stop while passenger and driver swap roles.
I wasn't able to be at Jeff's Race this year, as I'm stuck at work. Tri-pawed Abner ran lead in the team of Lynn Orbison and Penny Parker. Lynn reported, "Thanks to all who helped pull the Jeff Studdert Race together. Edie and I were the only competitive entries, all the other teams were donated to sponsors! A good time was had by all. Who knows if anyone will post results---we're all rather busy! In the competitive division, Edie and her 15-year-old friend Austin won, you can decide if Abner, Lynn and Penny lost or came in second...I personally think the whole event was a WIN/WIN!!!"
Photographer Scott Chesney captured some nice images of Abner and has posted them under the headline "Abner the Three-Legged Sled Dog Shows His Stuff." My favorite is one that demonstrates his professionalism. Even though distracted by activity around him, Abner is shown keeping the gang-line taught while Lynn is hooking up dogs further back down the gang line. There are also a pair of great images showing Abner's huge grin as he leads the team down the trail.
More I'rod Mushers Finishing Up
Of course some of the slower Iditarod mushers will be crossing the finish line over the next couple of days. Dan Kaduce, from Chatanika, finished in 21st position to earn the Rookie of the Year award. He was traveling in some prestigious company, as he followed Rick Swenson, and was followed by Dee Dee Jonrowe.
Although he's well back in the pack, many eyes are on Scotsman Wattie McDonald, who still has a full team of 16 Siberian huskies in route to White Mountain. It's relatively rare for any musher to finish with a full team, and virtually unheard of for a rookie to do so.
16 Mushers Signed Up for ONAC
The GCI Open North American Championship will begin three days of racing tomorrow, starting and finishing at the Jeff Studdert Race Grounds on Farmer's Loop Road.
1 Jack Berry, Homer/Salcha, AK
2 Eddie Dayton, Big Lake, AK
3 Ken Chezik, Fife Lake, MI
4 Mark Hartum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
5 Randy DeKuiper, Hesporia, MI (Rookie)
6 Jeff Conn, Ester, AK
7 Jason Dunlap, Salcha, AK
8 Marvin Kokrine, North Pole, AK
9 Mike Stephens, Fairbanks, AK
10 Egil Ellis, Willow, AK
11 Heather Hardy, Wasilla, AK
12 Arleigh Reynolds, Salcha, AK
13 Curtis Erhart, Fairbanks, AK
14 Clifton Carroll, Fort Yukon, AK (Rookie)
15 Gary Markley, Salcha, AK
16 Beth Manning, Fairbanks, AK (Rookie)
Low snow conditions have forced ADMA to modify the route of the 2010 race. A map of this year's race course can be downloaded from the ADMA site at http://www.sleddog.org/races/2009-2010-race-schedule/. Just scroll down toward the bottom of the page.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Top 10
The "Top Ten" 2010 Iditarod mushers are in Nome, some with names etched deeply into the history of the race. Lance Mackey won the race, becoming the first in history to win four straight years in a row and becoming the second musher in history to break the 9-day barrier. Martin Buser still holds the record for the fastest ever win. Given his phenomenal success in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod, his name will forever be spoken with the same reverence as those of Leonard Seppala, George Attla and Doc Lombard. It is said that he is already planning to run again next year, with hopes of tying Rick Swenson's record of 5 wins.
Hans Gatt arrived in second place, gaining ground on the leader up until Front Street. He just didn't have enough trail to catch him. Jeff King took third place, which ain't too shabby given the level of competition he faced. Ken Anderson surged ahead of John Baker to take fourth. Ramey Smyth prevailed in over Sebastian Schnuelle to claim the sixth place money. In the race between father and son Seavey the Younger (Dallas) gained ground over Dear Ol' Dad to claim 7th. Hugh Neff, who kept pace with the top three racers until late in the race, dropped all the way back to 9th and was chased into Nome by Mitch Seavey.
The race isn't over yet. There are still 46 other teams out on the trail, each engaged in their own personal challenges vying to improve their positions.
Hans Gatt arrived in second place, gaining ground on the leader up until Front Street. He just didn't have enough trail to catch him. Jeff King took third place, which ain't too shabby given the level of competition he faced. Ken Anderson surged ahead of John Baker to take fourth. Ramey Smyth prevailed in over Sebastian Schnuelle to claim the sixth place money. In the race between father and son Seavey the Younger (Dallas) gained ground over Dear Ol' Dad to claim 7th. Hugh Neff, who kept pace with the top three racers until late in the race, dropped all the way back to 9th and was chased into Nome by Mitch Seavey.
The race isn't over yet. There are still 46 other teams out on the trail, each engaged in their own personal challenges vying to improve their positions.
Tri-pawed Abner to Run in Jeff's Race
Jeff's Race is more formally referred as the Jeff Studdert Invitational, and is a unique fun race that marks the start of the Open North American Championship festivities. Jeff's Race is a passenger race. The size of the team is determined by the combined weight of the two humans on the sled, who are allowed 1 dog per 40 pounds. "Moneyed" dogs, those that have been on teams that have won money during the regular season, are not permitted. To add even more excitement to the format, driver and passenger must switch places half-way through the race. Since most teams consist of an experienced racer carrying an inexperienced passenger, it is usually the newbie who drives the team across the finish line.
This year Lynn Orbison's team will include Abner. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him running in lead. Jeff's race will be held at the Jeff Studdert Race Ground on Farmer's Loop Road today (Wednesday).
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Racing Toward the Finish Line
While I was finishing up my annual medic refresher, flying home and doing laundry in preparation for work yesterday, things got VERY interesting out on the Iditarod trail. Somewhere between Koyuk and Elim Jeff King blinked, and Hans Gatt's team of speedsters ran past him and gave chase to leader Lance Mackey. All three mushers blew through Golovin like a Bering Sea wind racing toward the 8 hour mandatory layover in White Mountain.
Mackey started his layover in White Mountain with only a 2 hour lead over Gatt. With only 60 miles to the finish line, Lance's team of young dogs needs to run like the wind. because Hans has proved consistently in both the Yukon Quest and in this race that his team has about a 1/2 mile per hour speed advantage. It's roughly 7 to 8 hours from White Mountain to Nome, if no one stops to rest. There is no doubt that Gatt will cut that lead considerably but the math alone tells us that Lance will probably prevail, and may even shave some time off Martin Buser's record for the fastest ever Iditarod finish.
Jeff King isn't out of the race. Although it's unlikely that he might catch Mackey, his team has been holding it's own, following Gatt into White Mountain by only 26 minutes, and posting a faster run time. That's interesting to me because up until now King's team has been slightly slower than Gatt's. It appears the two mean are driving more or less equally fast teams and half an hour of separation equates to only 3 or four miles on the trail.
All three men are highly motivated. Mackey has an opportunity to be the first musher in history to win the I'rod four times in a row. Gatt would love to retire with the high point of an Iditarod victory, and King would be delighted to match tie Rick Swenson's record of 5 Iditarod wins. There is going to be some serious excitement on Front Street sometime this afternoon.
There is also a very exciting race for fourth. Ken Anderson arrived in White Mountain at 2:58 and John Baker pulled in at 3:16. Baker was just smokin' down the trail from Elim, running at an astounding average of 8.3 miles per hour. Although probably not sustainable, it shows that Baker's 10 dog team is considerably faster than Anderson's 11 at this stage of the race.
Hugh Neff and Ramey Smyth are racing for sixth place. Hugh's team were practically slogging into White Mountain, giving him only a 20 minute lead over Smyth. Hugh dropped two dogs back in Koyuk, and from the looks of his speed into White Mountain probably had another riding in the sled bag there. If he isn't careful he could run out of dogs, meaning he could end up reducing his team to a less than optimal number, and end up falling behind his nearest opponent.
Whether or not others could also pass him by depends upon what's happening out on the trail. As I write Sebastian Schnelle has apparently just arrived in White Mountain. It appears that Dallas Seavey is about an hour or so out, followed by no more than 2 miles by his father, Mitch. There is nothing like a father/son rivalry to produce a lovingly lively competition. It is the way of young men to want to prove they can kick their Daddy's ass, and the way of men to prove they brought the kid into the world, and can still take them out.
I'm truly sorry that I can't linger in front of the computer today. I have to make at least three stops in town before heading up the haul road to my jobsite today and before doing that I have to pack two suitcases. By the time I get back on line I will be at work, stuck with the world's slowest dial-up connection. I'll try to get another entry posted sometime before midnight, Alaska day-light savings time.
Mackey started his layover in White Mountain with only a 2 hour lead over Gatt. With only 60 miles to the finish line, Lance's team of young dogs needs to run like the wind. because Hans has proved consistently in both the Yukon Quest and in this race that his team has about a 1/2 mile per hour speed advantage. It's roughly 7 to 8 hours from White Mountain to Nome, if no one stops to rest. There is no doubt that Gatt will cut that lead considerably but the math alone tells us that Lance will probably prevail, and may even shave some time off Martin Buser's record for the fastest ever Iditarod finish.
Jeff King isn't out of the race. Although it's unlikely that he might catch Mackey, his team has been holding it's own, following Gatt into White Mountain by only 26 minutes, and posting a faster run time. That's interesting to me because up until now King's team has been slightly slower than Gatt's. It appears the two mean are driving more or less equally fast teams and half an hour of separation equates to only 3 or four miles on the trail.
All three men are highly motivated. Mackey has an opportunity to be the first musher in history to win the I'rod four times in a row. Gatt would love to retire with the high point of an Iditarod victory, and King would be delighted to match tie Rick Swenson's record of 5 Iditarod wins. There is going to be some serious excitement on Front Street sometime this afternoon.
There is also a very exciting race for fourth. Ken Anderson arrived in White Mountain at 2:58 and John Baker pulled in at 3:16. Baker was just smokin' down the trail from Elim, running at an astounding average of 8.3 miles per hour. Although probably not sustainable, it shows that Baker's 10 dog team is considerably faster than Anderson's 11 at this stage of the race.
Hugh Neff and Ramey Smyth are racing for sixth place. Hugh's team were practically slogging into White Mountain, giving him only a 20 minute lead over Smyth. Hugh dropped two dogs back in Koyuk, and from the looks of his speed into White Mountain probably had another riding in the sled bag there. If he isn't careful he could run out of dogs, meaning he could end up reducing his team to a less than optimal number, and end up falling behind his nearest opponent.
Whether or not others could also pass him by depends upon what's happening out on the trail. As I write Sebastian Schnelle has apparently just arrived in White Mountain. It appears that Dallas Seavey is about an hour or so out, followed by no more than 2 miles by his father, Mitch. There is nothing like a father/son rivalry to produce a lovingly lively competition. It is the way of young men to want to prove they can kick their Daddy's ass, and the way of men to prove they brought the kid into the world, and can still take them out.
I'm truly sorry that I can't linger in front of the computer today. I have to make at least three stops in town before heading up the haul road to my jobsite today and before doing that I have to pack two suitcases. By the time I get back on line I will be at work, stuck with the world's slowest dial-up connection. I'll try to get another entry posted sometime before midnight, Alaska day-light savings time.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Happy Monday
I'm up an hour before the alarm this morning. I'll be in class until noon, and will then dash to the airport to catch my flight home. I'll try to plug in a couple of errands before leaving town for the house. Tomorrow I have to drive to my "home away from home" on the pipeline for two weeks of work. I'll be on night shift during this up-coming tour.
In the race, it appears that Lance Mackey has extended his lead over Jeff King a little bit. Lance arrived in the checkpoint village of Koyuk at 2:48 this morning, followed by King at 4:02. Mackey's average speed over the ice was 6.15 mph compared to King's 5.98. That's not a huge differential but at this point Lance will probably be happy to gain every second that he can.
There is some confusion with the GPS tracking system this morning. Apparently the trail was moved a bit to west which confuses the computer into thinking that incoming mushers are actually outbound. As nearly as I can make it out, Hans Gatt is apparently also in Koyuk and Ken Anderson is rapidly approaching, followed by Hugh Neff, John Baker and Mitch Seavey. Rounding out the current "Top-10", Ramey Smith, Sebastian Schnuelle, Dallas Seavey and Aliy Zirkle are all in Shaktoolik.
It's time for me to grab some chow and then check out of the hotel. I'll try to post some more this evening.
Swanny
In the race, it appears that Lance Mackey has extended his lead over Jeff King a little bit. Lance arrived in the checkpoint village of Koyuk at 2:48 this morning, followed by King at 4:02. Mackey's average speed over the ice was 6.15 mph compared to King's 5.98. That's not a huge differential but at this point Lance will probably be happy to gain every second that he can.
There is some confusion with the GPS tracking system this morning. Apparently the trail was moved a bit to west which confuses the computer into thinking that incoming mushers are actually outbound. As nearly as I can make it out, Hans Gatt is apparently also in Koyuk and Ken Anderson is rapidly approaching, followed by Hugh Neff, John Baker and Mitch Seavey. Rounding out the current "Top-10", Ramey Smith, Sebastian Schnuelle, Dallas Seavey and Aliy Zirkle are all in Shaktoolik.
It's time for me to grab some chow and then check out of the hotel. I'll try to post some more this evening.
Swanny
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Catch the Rascal...
In an interview at Unalakleet Jeff King vowed to "Catch the rascal and make this ... a race to remember." The rascal King was referring to is race leader Lance Mackey, and thus far Lance has thwarted King's attempts to make good on his vow. As I write the GPS tracker show Lance Mackey traveling 7 miles north of the checkpoint at Shaktoolik, six miles ahead of his rival. Hans Gatt and Hugh Neff both appear to be resting in Shaktoolik. Approaching the checkpoint are John Baker, Mitch Seavey, Ken Anderson, Sebastian Schnuelle, and Aliy Zirkle. Behind Aliy there are 10 other mushers resting at Unalakleet.
The trail between Shaktoolik and Koyuk crosses the sea ice of Norton Bay, and is considered to be a particularly treacherous leg of the trail. The weather forecast for that region remains quite reasonable, so I'm confident the four leading teams will enjoy fast trails under clear or nearly clear skies. I have no idea what the ice conditions are on the trail.
While I've been stuck in training and the I'rod mushers have been clocking the long miles, the ultra-fast spring dogs ran the Limited North American Championship race in Fairbanks. Here are the three highest placing teams in each class. The full results can be seen on the ADMA Website.
The trail between Shaktoolik and Koyuk crosses the sea ice of Norton Bay, and is considered to be a particularly treacherous leg of the trail. The weather forecast for that region remains quite reasonable, so I'm confident the four leading teams will enjoy fast trails under clear or nearly clear skies. I have no idea what the ice conditions are on the trail.
LNAC Results
While I've been stuck in training and the I'rod mushers have been clocking the long miles, the ultra-fast spring dogs ran the Limited North American Championship race in Fairbanks. Here are the three highest placing teams in each class. The full results can be seen on the ADMA Website.
| SKIJORING | 4.5 MILES | TEMP: 3 | TRAIL: Good | |||||||||
| Day | ||||||||||||
| 201 | Rebecca Knight | 43:33.7 | 1 | |||||||||
| 202 | Greg Jurek | 44:42.5 | 2 | |||||||||
| 203 | Becky Voris | 47:23.0 | 3 | |||||||||
| 4-DOG | 4.5 MILES | TEMP: 5 | TRAIL: Good | ||||||
| 401 | Jennifer Sterling | 42:38.9 | 1 | ||||||
| 403 | Mari Hoe-Raitto | 43:11.0 | 2 | ||||||
| 404 | Stacy Lanser | 43:14.4 | 3 | ||||||
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| On Wednesday, ADMA will be sponsoring the Jeff Studdert Initational passenger race out at the race grounds. "Jeff's Race" is a prelude to the world famous ONAC - Open North American Championship. If you are in the Fairbanks area these races are WELL worth checking out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday Morning
Good morning. I trust you slept well and long. Of course if you forgot to set your clocks ahead last night you may have slept longer than you should have. It's too early for me to come up with a cute segue into the topic of the day, so I'll just start typing and we'll see what falls off of my fingertips.
Apparently the volunteer(s) responsible for updating the Iditarod leader-board waited for the first place team to arrive in Unalakleet and then decided it was time for some shuteye. Since that was Lance Mackey, and he arrived at 3:30 in the morning, one can't blame him (or her) for dozing off for a few hours. According to the GPS tracker Jeff King is also in the checkpoint, and Hugh Neff is about four miles out with Hans Gatt only a couple of miles behind. Mitch Seavey and John Baker appear to be traveling together a couple of hours behind Gatt. Ken Anderson, Sebastian Schnuelle, Sonny Lindner, Gerry Willomitzer, Aliy Zirkle and Jessie Royer are all also on the trail out of Kaltag.
The weather forecast along the coast is pretty darned nice for this time of year. According to weather underground the racers will face clear skies, only moderate winds, and temperatures ranging from lows of - 20 to high's in the low +20s. Although sudden storms can blow in at any second out there, the forecast is pretty favorable.
Back in the early 1980s there was a popular bumper stickers, seen everywhere in America, that simply read "Sh*t Happens". Sh*t happens anytime, any place. Back near McGrath rookie Justin Savidis lost a dog, Whitey, from his team. He is still there, looking for Whitey and has officially scratched from the race to focus on the search. There is more to the story, though. Apparently Justin didn't just loose Whitey, he lost his entire team for a while. In a video posted on the SP Kennel Blog, Allen Moore tells the story of catching the lost team.
I've been given the morning off, so in a bit I'll head down to the restaurant for breakfast and then ease into the afternoon of medical training. I believe the schedule for today includes some emergency dental procedures and some wound care stuff. It will almost certainly involve some case reviews as well. I expect it to be a pretty laid back day today.
If things go according to schedule I'll be home late Monday afternoon, but only long enough to unpack my suitcase, do a load of laundry and repack for the trip to work on Tuesday and simultaneously start packing the big suitcase for a week of clinical training Outside. It's a busy time with work related stuff for me at the moment and I'm afraid that when I'm finally finished my mushing season will be over.
Apparently the volunteer(s) responsible for updating the Iditarod leader-board waited for the first place team to arrive in Unalakleet and then decided it was time for some shuteye. Since that was Lance Mackey, and he arrived at 3:30 in the morning, one can't blame him (or her) for dozing off for a few hours. According to the GPS tracker Jeff King is also in the checkpoint, and Hugh Neff is about four miles out with Hans Gatt only a couple of miles behind. Mitch Seavey and John Baker appear to be traveling together a couple of hours behind Gatt. Ken Anderson, Sebastian Schnuelle, Sonny Lindner, Gerry Willomitzer, Aliy Zirkle and Jessie Royer are all also on the trail out of Kaltag.
The weather forecast along the coast is pretty darned nice for this time of year. According to weather underground the racers will face clear skies, only moderate winds, and temperatures ranging from lows of - 20 to high's in the low +20s. Although sudden storms can blow in at any second out there, the forecast is pretty favorable.
Back in the early 1980s there was a popular bumper stickers, seen everywhere in America, that simply read "Sh*t Happens". Sh*t happens anytime, any place. Back near McGrath rookie Justin Savidis lost a dog, Whitey, from his team. He is still there, looking for Whitey and has officially scratched from the race to focus on the search. There is more to the story, though. Apparently Justin didn't just loose Whitey, he lost his entire team for a while. In a video posted on the SP Kennel Blog, Allen Moore tells the story of catching the lost team.
I've been given the morning off, so in a bit I'll head down to the restaurant for breakfast and then ease into the afternoon of medical training. I believe the schedule for today includes some emergency dental procedures and some wound care stuff. It will almost certainly involve some case reviews as well. I expect it to be a pretty laid back day today.
If things go according to schedule I'll be home late Monday afternoon, but only long enough to unpack my suitcase, do a load of laundry and repack for the trip to work on Tuesday and simultaneously start packing the big suitcase for a week of clinical training Outside. It's a busy time with work related stuff for me at the moment and I'm afraid that when I'm finally finished my mushing season will be over.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Government Workers Still Incompetent
Nothing new with that headline, eh?
My employer requires that I possess a Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC) card, just in case I'm ever needed to respond to an emergency at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
To acquire the card requires me to travel to the TWIC office in Anchorage to enroll, and again later to activate and pick up the card. The TWIC office is 380 miles from my home, thus each trip costs me considerable time and money.
So, this afternoon I came down to pick up my TWIC card only to be told that the microchip in the card won't work. This means I'll have to make a THIRD expensive and time consuming trip to Anchorage. Doesn't anyone think to test these things before they're shipped out?
The TWIC is supposed to show that I've passed a background check. That just adds insult to injury. As an armed security guard I'm required to undergo a background check every other year. I also own a small business as a black powder dealer, which means I'm licensed by BATF and undergo a background check every other year. On my job, I'm required to maintain my EMT-III certificate, including a back ground check every other year.
How many times do government agencies have to check my backgrounds to figure out I'm not only harmless, I'm actually doing my level best to HELP my fellow Americans. The repetitive redundancy and expense of jumping through the same hoop over and over, for different agencies is absurd.
All I want to do is earn a living - is that such a crime that I have to punished with multiple expensive trips to Anchorage to pick up a card that in all likelihood I'm never going to actually need?
My employer requires that I possess a Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC) card, just in case I'm ever needed to respond to an emergency at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
To acquire the card requires me to travel to the TWIC office in Anchorage to enroll, and again later to activate and pick up the card. The TWIC office is 380 miles from my home, thus each trip costs me considerable time and money.
So, this afternoon I came down to pick up my TWIC card only to be told that the microchip in the card won't work. This means I'll have to make a THIRD expensive and time consuming trip to Anchorage. Doesn't anyone think to test these things before they're shipped out?
The TWIC is supposed to show that I've passed a background check. That just adds insult to injury. As an armed security guard I'm required to undergo a background check every other year. I also own a small business as a black powder dealer, which means I'm licensed by BATF and undergo a background check every other year. On my job, I'm required to maintain my EMT-III certificate, including a back ground check every other year.
How many times do government agencies have to check my backgrounds to figure out I'm not only harmless, I'm actually doing my level best to HELP my fellow Americans. The repetitive redundancy and expense of jumping through the same hoop over and over, for different agencies is absurd.
All I want to do is earn a living - is that such a crime that I have to punished with multiple expensive trips to Anchorage to pick up a card that in all likelihood I'm never going to actually need?
Out on the I'Rod Trail
Jeff King was the first musher to reach the Yukon River checkpoint of Ruby, where he collected a gourmet meal and a $3,500.00 prize for his efforts. Provided by the Mellenium Hotel of Anchorage, King's early morning supper consisted of and Alaska king crab appetizer, Bison stew, Grilled halibut, Lemon sorbet, Tenderloin tournedos, Fruit and cheese and Blackberry jubilee.
Lance Mackey was the second musher to reach the river, arriving in Ruby an hour and 12 minutes after the leader. Race rules require mushers to take an 8 hour layover somewhere on the Yukon River. Both King and Mackey completed their layovers before leaving the checkpoint, and they are now racing toward Galena.
Also on the trail toward Galena are Hugh Neff, Mitch Seavey, Hans Gatt, Sonny Lindner, Sebastian Schnuelle, Ken Anderson, Sven Haltman and John Baker.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday Evening in Los Anchorage
I'm settled into the Coast Hotel in Los Anchorage for the evening. Tomorrow will be the easiest day of the weekend, I think. I have an 8:30 appointment at Alaska Native Medical Center and an afternoon appointment to pick up my Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC) card. With more than half of the State's population in or near, Anchorage truly qualifies as a "big city" by anyone's reckoning, and I don't find it to be a particularly comfortable place.
Reading some of the race commentary has been interesting this evening. It seems like some of the usual 'pundits' believe that this is Jeff's King's race, and anyone else is only racing for second place. I don't think Lance Mackey believes that, though. King left the checkpoint at Cripple at 5:21 this evening with 15 dogs. Lance left only 42 minutes behind him. Lance is down to 13 dogs, but that is more than enough dog power to keep his skinny butt moving right along.
Taking into account the 24 hour lay-overs, currently Hugh Neff is in true second place, Mitch Seavey in Third and Sebastian Schnuelle in 4th. They are followed by Sven Haltman, Sonny Lindner, Hans Gatt, Rick Swenson, Ray Redington Jr, and Cim Smyth. Smyth arrived in Cripple with 7 hours of Jeff King, so it's still safe to say that it can be anybody's race at this point. Gerry Willomitzer and Aliy Zirkle are just a few miles outside of Cripple according to the GPS tracker. Dallas Seavey and John Baker, taking their 24 hour lay-overs in Cripple, are eligible to leave shorting after 1 am, so it's possible they could be mixing it up with the top 20 teams before I awaken.
Early front runner Linwood Fiedler has scratched from the race. Although he had 11 dogs on the gang line he said he only had 9 that were truly running well. He decided to scratch for the safety and health of his team.
With so many top-class teams and mushers running so closely together at the front of the pack this is quickly becoming one of the most exciting Iditarod's in history. I've frequently said there are at least 20 teams capable of winning this race, and this year all 20 of them, plus a few more, are doing their level best to prove the point.
Reading some of the race commentary has been interesting this evening. It seems like some of the usual 'pundits' believe that this is Jeff's King's race, and anyone else is only racing for second place. I don't think Lance Mackey believes that, though. King left the checkpoint at Cripple at 5:21 this evening with 15 dogs. Lance left only 42 minutes behind him. Lance is down to 13 dogs, but that is more than enough dog power to keep his skinny butt moving right along.
Taking into account the 24 hour lay-overs, currently Hugh Neff is in true second place, Mitch Seavey in Third and Sebastian Schnuelle in 4th. They are followed by Sven Haltman, Sonny Lindner, Hans Gatt, Rick Swenson, Ray Redington Jr, and Cim Smyth. Smyth arrived in Cripple with 7 hours of Jeff King, so it's still safe to say that it can be anybody's race at this point. Gerry Willomitzer and Aliy Zirkle are just a few miles outside of Cripple according to the GPS tracker. Dallas Seavey and John Baker, taking their 24 hour lay-overs in Cripple, are eligible to leave shorting after 1 am, so it's possible they could be mixing it up with the top 20 teams before I awaken.
Early front runner Linwood Fiedler has scratched from the race. Although he had 11 dogs on the gang line he said he only had 9 that were truly running well. He decided to scratch for the safety and health of his team.
With so many top-class teams and mushers running so closely together at the front of the pack this is quickly becoming one of the most exciting Iditarod's in history. I've frequently said there are at least 20 teams capable of winning this race, and this year all 20 of them, plus a few more, are doing their level best to prove the point.
Way Too Early Thursday Morning
It's only 5 am, but I'm awake, and apparently so for the day. I crawled out of bed at 4:44 with eyes wide open. It will be another hour before the alarm clock goes off, but I don't think I could fall back asleep even that long.
I'm not the only person in Alaska who was awake early. Out on the Iditarod trail front-runners in the Last Great Race are out on the trail putting miles under paws and hopefully miles between their fellow competitors as they head into the second half of the race.
The biggest news overnight comes from the half-way point of Cripple, where Dallas Seavey pulled ahead of John Baker to win the GCI Dorothy Paige Half-Way Award. The award earns Dallas $3,000.00 in gold nuggets. Currently the GPS tracker shows the younger Seavey and John Baker traveling close together en-route for the Yukon River at Ruby. They are followed by Martin Buser, Bruce Linton, Robert Nelson and rookie Michelle Phillips. None of this leading group has yet completed their mandatory 24 hour layover.
The next group of mushers are those who left Takotna after completing their long break, and with rejuvenated teams some of them are traveling at a blistering pace. These mushers are the true leaders of the race by virtue of no longer owing a day of rest. First among them, and already on the trail between Ophir and Cripple, are Jeff King, Hugh Neff, Mitch Seavey, Sebastian Schnuelle, Lance Mackey, Gerry Willomitzer, Sven Haltman, Zach Steer, Aliy Zirkle, Sonny Lindner. Hans Gatt, Cim Smyth and Ramey Smyth are all in Ophir.
To get an idea of how much the dogs are rejuvenated by the "day of rest", we can compare "before and after" speeds of some of the front running teams. For example, Jeff's team ran the leg between McGrath and Takotna at an average of 7.94 mph, and the leg between Takotna and Ophir at 11.28. Dallas Seavey's team did the Takotna to Ophir leg at only 8.38 mph. High Neff came into Takotna with an average speed of 7.83 and into Ophir at 11.19. The elder Seavey's team averaged only 7.61 mph into Takotna, but dashed over the leg to Ophir at 11.45.
In Fairbanks, our notoriously poor snow conditions has forced the Alaska Dog Musher's Association to modify the routes raced in both the Limited North American Championship, and the Open North American Championship.
In the limited race which runs this coming weekend, the major change is that the skijoring and 4-dog classes will run the same distance all three days, 4.5 miles. This is because the turn around at the longer 5.6 mile distance has been deemed unsafe for racing.
Meanwhile, the ONAC will not be starting downtown this year at all, but rather will launch from the ADMA's Jeff Studdert Racegrounds. Low snow conditions on Noyes Slough makes it unsafe for racing such large teams of dogs.
Putting in safe trails to run even with these modifications has been a major undertaking, with many volunteers working numerous hours out on the trail, some with heavy equipment. Edie Forrest trained dogs on the 7.7 mile trail yesterday, and reported that it was much smoother than her home trail which is one of the most vigilantly groomed trails in the Two Rivers area.
I'm not the only person in Alaska who was awake early. Out on the Iditarod trail front-runners in the Last Great Race are out on the trail putting miles under paws and hopefully miles between their fellow competitors as they head into the second half of the race.
The biggest news overnight comes from the half-way point of Cripple, where Dallas Seavey pulled ahead of John Baker to win the GCI Dorothy Paige Half-Way Award. The award earns Dallas $3,000.00 in gold nuggets. Currently the GPS tracker shows the younger Seavey and John Baker traveling close together en-route for the Yukon River at Ruby. They are followed by Martin Buser, Bruce Linton, Robert Nelson and rookie Michelle Phillips. None of this leading group has yet completed their mandatory 24 hour layover.
The next group of mushers are those who left Takotna after completing their long break, and with rejuvenated teams some of them are traveling at a blistering pace. These mushers are the true leaders of the race by virtue of no longer owing a day of rest. First among them, and already on the trail between Ophir and Cripple, are Jeff King, Hugh Neff, Mitch Seavey, Sebastian Schnuelle, Lance Mackey, Gerry Willomitzer, Sven Haltman, Zach Steer, Aliy Zirkle, Sonny Lindner. Hans Gatt, Cim Smyth and Ramey Smyth are all in Ophir.
To get an idea of how much the dogs are rejuvenated by the "day of rest", we can compare "before and after" speeds of some of the front running teams. For example, Jeff's team ran the leg between McGrath and Takotna at an average of 7.94 mph, and the leg between Takotna and Ophir at 11.28. Dallas Seavey's team did the Takotna to Ophir leg at only 8.38 mph. High Neff came into Takotna with an average speed of 7.83 and into Ophir at 11.19. The elder Seavey's team averaged only 7.61 mph into Takotna, but dashed over the leg to Ophir at 11.45.
ADMA Announces LNAC and ONAC Modifications
In Fairbanks, our notoriously poor snow conditions has forced the Alaska Dog Musher's Association to modify the routes raced in both the Limited North American Championship, and the Open North American Championship.
In the limited race which runs this coming weekend, the major change is that the skijoring and 4-dog classes will run the same distance all three days, 4.5 miles. This is because the turn around at the longer 5.6 mile distance has been deemed unsafe for racing.
Meanwhile, the ONAC will not be starting downtown this year at all, but rather will launch from the ADMA's Jeff Studdert Racegrounds. Low snow conditions on Noyes Slough makes it unsafe for racing such large teams of dogs.
Putting in safe trails to run even with these modifications has been a major undertaking, with many volunteers working numerous hours out on the trail, some with heavy equipment. Edie Forrest trained dogs on the 7.7 mile trail yesterday, and reported that it was much smoother than her home trail which is one of the most vigilantly groomed trails in the Two Rivers area.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday Evening
I spent the day preparing for a trip to Anchorage over the weekend, where my brain will be re-filled with medical knowledge and my hands reminded of the skills needed to close wounds, fill teeth, and keep pipeline workers safely on the job. Now my dogs are safely over at Mike Green's place, where they will be living until I can return home. Abner is safely back with James Langston, his owner. I'm sure Abner will be returning to visit in the future. He had a GREAT time visiting with us.
Now I'm looking at spending a long period of time at work related stuff. I'll be in Anchorage through Monday for annual medical training, and when I return from Anchorage I'll have less than 24 hours to be at my regular post, and immediately following this next tour of duty I'm scheduled to fly Outside for a week of clinical training.
So, I spent the day taking care of the dogs, packing suitcases, installing some new telephones (the old ones were dying an agonizing death) and gearing up for this long haul.
Speaking of the long haul, many of the Iditarod mushers are taking their 24 hour lay-overs. In Takotna, most of the front-runners will be heading out tonight. Only a couple of them decided to push onward before stopping. Most notably is John Baker, who is now out of Ophir and on the trail out of Cripple followed by Dallas Seavey. Hans Gatt also pushed on, and is currently stopped in Ophir. Cim Smith, Ramey Smith, Martin Buser and Bruce Linton are also in the Ophir checkpoint.
Of those who stopped in Takotna, Jeff King will lead a group of 13 who are eligible to leave sometime between 10 pm and 3 am. By this time tomorrow night we should have a pretty accurate idea of who is really leading in this race, and which teams are trying to play "catch up".
Apparently the Dalzell Gorge has claimed another victim. Kathleen Frederick scratched in Rohn due to "equipment and gear problems." There is a rumor floating about that at one point her sled was trapped in water under the ice, but that has not been confirmed.
This story deserves it's own headline, and probably it's own blog post, just because if the woman truly was killed by wolves it is so rare. In a nutshell, it appears that an itinerant special education teacher working in Chignik may have been attacked and killed by wolves while running after work. I'll let you read the story in the Anchorage Daily News, and I'll keep you posted as I learn more.
Now I'm looking at spending a long period of time at work related stuff. I'll be in Anchorage through Monday for annual medical training, and when I return from Anchorage I'll have less than 24 hours to be at my regular post, and immediately following this next tour of duty I'm scheduled to fly Outside for a week of clinical training.
So, I spent the day taking care of the dogs, packing suitcases, installing some new telephones (the old ones were dying an agonizing death) and gearing up for this long haul.
Speaking of the long haul, many of the Iditarod mushers are taking their 24 hour lay-overs. In Takotna, most of the front-runners will be heading out tonight. Only a couple of them decided to push onward before stopping. Most notably is John Baker, who is now out of Ophir and on the trail out of Cripple followed by Dallas Seavey. Hans Gatt also pushed on, and is currently stopped in Ophir. Cim Smith, Ramey Smith, Martin Buser and Bruce Linton are also in the Ophir checkpoint.
Of those who stopped in Takotna, Jeff King will lead a group of 13 who are eligible to leave sometime between 10 pm and 3 am. By this time tomorrow night we should have a pretty accurate idea of who is really leading in this race, and which teams are trying to play "catch up".
Apparently the Dalzell Gorge has claimed another victim. Kathleen Frederick scratched in Rohn due to "equipment and gear problems." There is a rumor floating about that at one point her sled was trapped in water under the ice, but that has not been confirmed.
Wolves May Have Killed Teacher in Village
This story deserves it's own headline, and probably it's own blog post, just because if the woman truly was killed by wolves it is so rare. In a nutshell, it appears that an itinerant special education teacher working in Chignik may have been attacked and killed by wolves while running after work. I'll let you read the story in the Anchorage Daily News, and I'll keep you posted as I learn more.
Leaders into Takotna
Good morning. Some one from back east somewhere decided to call about a very small item I carry in my living history trade store. Unfortunately, he chose to call me at 6 am AST. I've asked him to call back later so I can at least get some coffee on board before trying to conduct business.
Out on the trail the mushers are conducting their business in good order. I'll bet some of them would also like a good cup of coffee or two. As of this writing the top 20 teams have all arrived at Takotna, and three teams have already left, pushing on. According to the current standings Hans Gatt and Cym Smith are both in Ophir right now though Smith's GPS tracker still shows him in Takotna. I'm guessing the standings are correct and that Cym saw an opportunity to make a move into the Top 10, at least for a while. John Baker left Takotna about an hour ago, putting him in third place. The GPS trackers show that Dallas Seavey may also be on the trail out of Takotna.
Hans appears to do be doing a long run in between rest breaks, which would suggest he may be planning on taking his mandatory 24 hour layover soon. It's too early to tell if any of those in Takotna are settled in for a long rest or not. It wouldn't be surprising to see some of these racers make a dash for the cash at the half-way point of Cripple, where the first musher in will earn $3,000.00 worth of gold nuggets.
Race followers will find the next couple of days a bit confusing. When taking their 24 hour layovers mushers must also make up the starting time differential. With so many mushers in the race that time differential can be substantial. The last musher out off the starting line left two and a half hours after the first and as close as this race has been thus far, even 30 or 40 minutes makes a huge difference.
Unlike the Yukon Quest, in the I'rod each musher chooses when and where to take their day. As front runners settle in for the long rest they will inevitably be passed by slower teams that still owe time. It makes it challenging to determine who is really ahead of the game versus behind the eight ball. Once they have finished their long layovers we'll have a much more accurate perspective of who is really in which position.
I'll be close to the house most of the day today. I need to do some pre-class study and pack for my trip to Anchorage for annual medical training. I asked that early morning caller to try again in an hour, but he hasn't yet done so. Maybe I missed a sale but asking me to do business at 6 am before my eyes are fully open is asking just a wee bit more than I'm willing to do.
Out on the trail the mushers are conducting their business in good order. I'll bet some of them would also like a good cup of coffee or two. As of this writing the top 20 teams have all arrived at Takotna, and three teams have already left, pushing on. According to the current standings Hans Gatt and Cym Smith are both in Ophir right now though Smith's GPS tracker still shows him in Takotna. I'm guessing the standings are correct and that Cym saw an opportunity to make a move into the Top 10, at least for a while. John Baker left Takotna about an hour ago, putting him in third place. The GPS trackers show that Dallas Seavey may also be on the trail out of Takotna.
Hans appears to do be doing a long run in between rest breaks, which would suggest he may be planning on taking his mandatory 24 hour layover soon. It's too early to tell if any of those in Takotna are settled in for a long rest or not. It wouldn't be surprising to see some of these racers make a dash for the cash at the half-way point of Cripple, where the first musher in will earn $3,000.00 worth of gold nuggets.
Race followers will find the next couple of days a bit confusing. When taking their 24 hour layovers mushers must also make up the starting time differential. With so many mushers in the race that time differential can be substantial. The last musher out off the starting line left two and a half hours after the first and as close as this race has been thus far, even 30 or 40 minutes makes a huge difference.
Unlike the Yukon Quest, in the I'rod each musher chooses when and where to take their day. As front runners settle in for the long rest they will inevitably be passed by slower teams that still owe time. It makes it challenging to determine who is really ahead of the game versus behind the eight ball. Once they have finished their long layovers we'll have a much more accurate perspective of who is really in which position.
I'll be close to the house most of the day today. I need to do some pre-class study and pack for my trip to Anchorage for annual medical training. I asked that early morning caller to try again in an hour, but he hasn't yet done so. Maybe I missed a sale but asking me to do business at 6 am before my eyes are fully open is asking just a wee bit more than I'm willing to do.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday Evening Report
I'm tired tonight, and not really sure why. It wasn't a terribly strenuous day, nor even a particularly long one. My meeting with my accountant was pretty painless and the little bit of shopping I had to do was pretty darned easy. Nonetheless, I'm already looking forward to some sack time. I'd bet the frontrunners in the I'rod are thinking the same thing about now, and I imagine some of them are looking forward to their mandatory 24 hour layover.
Tonight the leaders are out of Nickolai and headed hell-bent for McGrath and Takotna. Some of the leaders are already within a couple hours of McGrath. According to the current standings recorded at 18:56, 17 mushers have left Nickolai. Jeff King was the first out of town, followed closely by Sebastian Schnuelle, John Baker and Mitch Seavey.
Currently the GPS Tracker shows John Baker leading, followed by Sebastian Schnuelle, Mitch Seavey, Hans Gatt, Hugh Neff, Jeff King, Gerry Willomitzer, Zach Steer, Lance Mackey and Aliy Zirkle. Aliy's SP Kennel Red Team is no more than 15 miles behind Baker's crew. That so many teams are running so closely more than 250 miles into the race is a testament to the conditioning of both the dogs and their humans.
Meanwhile, way back in Rainy Pass four mushers have scratched from the race. Zoya Denure and Mike Suprenant cited personal medical problems, Karin Hendrickson withdrew due to a damaged sled and other equipment problems. Her story is well written in an article in the Alaskan Dispatch. Montana musher Ken Burnum scratched in the best interest of his team. Barnum said that he was down to twelve dogs on his team and it was evident that they were tired.
In breaking news, another musher has scratched. According to the Iditarod web-site, " Pat Moon, (Bib #17… from Chicago Illinois) scratched this afternoon after crashing his sled in the Dalzell Gorge. Belgian musher Sam Deltour came upon Moon and his team after the incident. Deltour stated that he attended to Moon who was unconscious at the time, and then checked on his team. By the time Deltour got back to Moon, he had regained consciousness. All members of Moon’s team were in good condition."
Like Ken Burnum's team, I'm tired. I still have a couple of things I must do before letting Grace and Abner in for the night, so I'll leave you to your surfing until next time.
Tonight the leaders are out of Nickolai and headed hell-bent for McGrath and Takotna. Some of the leaders are already within a couple hours of McGrath. According to the current standings recorded at 18:56, 17 mushers have left Nickolai. Jeff King was the first out of town, followed closely by Sebastian Schnuelle, John Baker and Mitch Seavey.
Currently the GPS Tracker shows John Baker leading, followed by Sebastian Schnuelle, Mitch Seavey, Hans Gatt, Hugh Neff, Jeff King, Gerry Willomitzer, Zach Steer, Lance Mackey and Aliy Zirkle. Aliy's SP Kennel Red Team is no more than 15 miles behind Baker's crew. That so many teams are running so closely more than 250 miles into the race is a testament to the conditioning of both the dogs and their humans.
Meanwhile, way back in Rainy Pass four mushers have scratched from the race. Zoya Denure and Mike Suprenant cited personal medical problems, Karin Hendrickson withdrew due to a damaged sled and other equipment problems. Her story is well written in an article in the Alaskan Dispatch. Montana musher Ken Burnum scratched in the best interest of his team. Barnum said that he was down to twelve dogs on his team and it was evident that they were tired.
In breaking news, another musher has scratched. According to the Iditarod web-site, " Pat Moon, (Bib #17… from Chicago Illinois) scratched this afternoon after crashing his sled in the Dalzell Gorge. Belgian musher Sam Deltour came upon Moon and his team after the incident. Deltour stated that he attended to Moon who was unconscious at the time, and then checked on his team. By the time Deltour got back to Moon, he had regained consciousness. All members of Moon’s team were in good condition."
Like Ken Burnum's team, I'm tired. I still have a couple of things I must do before letting Grace and Abner in for the night, so I'll leave you to your surfing until next time.
Morning Report
Happy Tuesday. Last night Grace, Abner and I fell asleep on the futon upstairs. I'm going to blame it on the dogs. It all started when Grace yawned. It was one of those big, mouth-wide-open yawns that can't be ignored. Next, Abner yawned, pointing his sleek nose at the ceiling and twisting his head to make it as obvious as possible. Next, I yawned. Pretty soon Grace was snoring, Abner was rolled over on his back with is tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, and then I was sound asleep too.
When I awakened about half an hour ago I found that Grace had been up before me, and had gotten into the kitchen garbage bin. Abner and I both slept through it (she can be a little sneak when she wishes). There wasn't too much of a mess and I can't think of anything in it that could have hurt her. It only took a bit to clean up the mess, but it is a reminder that even the very best behaved dogs are not to be trusted when faced with great temptations.
I nonetheless did my duty. As much as it pained me, I rolled up a magazine, smacked myself over the head three time saying "bad human, very bad human" and then let the dogs outside for a while. Tonight I'll make it a point to go downstairs to the "real" bed, and close the bedroom door so Grace's curiosity can't get the best of her. Of course than plan requires me to not fall prey to the dog's scheme to put me into a deep, sound slumber.
It's warm enough that I could just let this pair sleep outdoors with the rest of the team, but I won't. I won't because the house feels empty when I don't share my space with a dog or two (or three, or four).
While I enjoyed a nice, luxurious night of sound sleep the racers out on the Iditarod Trail have been busy indeed. Before I crashed last night I reported that the front runners were arriving in Rohn, having endured the notorious Dalzell Gorge. This morning the combination of the Iditarod's offical standings and the GPS Tracking system show that most took a little bit of rest at the checkpoint, though not so much as I've seen in past years.
Paul Gephardt was the first musher out of Rohn, followed within minutes by Sebastian Schnuelle. Hugh Neff left about an hour after Sebastian. Here's what the leader board looks like this morning:
The only race rookie on this list of front runners is 25 year old Michael Williams Jr. According to his bio, posted on the Iditarod website, Mike is a Yupik Eskimo who grew up running and caring for sled dogs. He's certainly hanging out with some very good company at this stage of the race and is well placed to earn the "Rookie of the Year" award.
Looking at the track speeds recorded on the official standings, it would appear the teams recognized the gravity of their situation in the gorge, and took full advantage of it.
According to the GPS Tracker, Sebastian Schnuelle has regained the lead and has a little bit of distance in front of the rest of the pack. If the scale on the tracking mark is accurate, Sebastian has as much as 10 miles on Mitch Seavey, who has moved up into the second position only a wee bit ahead of Hugh Neff. They are followed by Hans Gatt, Dallas Seavey, Gerry Willomitzer, William Palfrey, Aliy Zirkle and Lance Mackey. Lance is being chased by Zach Steer and Jeff King and
Linwood Fiedler played the rabbit for quite a long ways, but it looks he's now paying the price for doing so. He's had to drop three dogs from his team, and now has the smallest team among he front runners. I'll be surprised if he is still in the "Top-20" by the end of the day. It seems like every year someone jumps up front and runs like hell for the first couple of hundred miles only to fall back into the middle of the pack. This year was apparently Linwood's turn to do so.
When I go Outside for my work related clinical training the most common destination is Cincinnati, through which I drive as quickly as possible down to my training venue in Kentucky. I ran across a small article about Cincinnati's version of the reading the news on the CNN website this morning and deemed it cute enough to share.
The Cinciditarod is a wacky shopping cart race through the city. It's named in tribute to the Alaskan Iditarod - a brutal 1,100-mile dog-sledding race - but instead of dogs, it's people; instead of sleds, it's shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it's Cincinnati.
While physically attached to their grocery carts, teams push through a nearly five-mile course over the streets of downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and Mt Adams, picking up items on a grocery list and stopping at five mandatory checkpoints.
Grocery items benefit Cincinnati’s FreestoreFoodbank, and a challenge awaits team members at each checkpoint.
You can learn more about the Cinciditarod at www.myfountainsquare.com/cinciditarod.
When I awakened about half an hour ago I found that Grace had been up before me, and had gotten into the kitchen garbage bin. Abner and I both slept through it (she can be a little sneak when she wishes). There wasn't too much of a mess and I can't think of anything in it that could have hurt her. It only took a bit to clean up the mess, but it is a reminder that even the very best behaved dogs are not to be trusted when faced with great temptations.
I nonetheless did my duty. As much as it pained me, I rolled up a magazine, smacked myself over the head three time saying "bad human, very bad human" and then let the dogs outside for a while. Tonight I'll make it a point to go downstairs to the "real" bed, and close the bedroom door so Grace's curiosity can't get the best of her. Of course than plan requires me to not fall prey to the dog's scheme to put me into a deep, sound slumber.
It's warm enough that I could just let this pair sleep outdoors with the rest of the team, but I won't. I won't because the house feels empty when I don't share my space with a dog or two (or three, or four).
While I enjoyed a nice, luxurious night of sound sleep the racers out on the Iditarod Trail have been busy indeed. Before I crashed last night I reported that the front runners were arriving in Rohn, having endured the notorious Dalzell Gorge. This morning the combination of the Iditarod's offical standings and the GPS Tracking system show that most took a little bit of rest at the checkpoint, though not so much as I've seen in past years.
Paul Gephardt was the first musher out of Rohn, followed within minutes by Sebastian Schnuelle. Hugh Neff left about an hour after Sebastian. Here's what the leader board looks like this morning:
| Pos | Musher | Bib | Checkpoint | Time In | Dogs In | Time Out | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed (mph) | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Paul Gebhardt | 7 | Rohn | 03/08 20:15:00 | 16 | 03/08/2010 20:32:00 | 11.43 | ||||||||
| 2 | Sebastian Schnuelle | 35 | Rohn | 03/08 18:52:00 | 16 | 03/08/2010 23:39:00 | 10.51 | ||||||||
| 3 | Hugh Neff | 56 | Rohn | 03/08 20:26:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 00:35:00 | 12.15 | ||||||||
| 4 | Warren Palfrey | 27 | Rohn | 03/09 00:31:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 00:42:00 | 4.88 | ||||||||
| 5 | John Baker | 8 | Rohn | 03/08 19:21:00 | 15 | 03/09/2010 01:20:00 | 10.14 | ||||||||
| 6 | Mitch Seavey | 19 | Rohn | 03/08 20:32:00 | 15 | 03/09/2010 01:27:00 | 12.05 | ||||||||
| 7 | Hans Gatt | 20 | Rohn | 03/08 20:53:00 | 15 | 03/09/2010 02:15:00 | 11.61 | ||||||||
| 8 | Gerry Willomitzer | 55 | Rohn | 03/08 21:01:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:17:00 | 11.47 | ||||||||
| 9 | Dallas Seavey | 41 | Rohn | 03/08 21:53:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:17:00 | 11.95 | ||||||||
| 10 | Sven Haltmann | 42 | Rohn | 03/08 20:22:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:24:00 | 12.20 | ||||||||
| 11 | Jeff King | 15 | Rohn | 03/08 20:31:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:25:00 | 12.05 | ||||||||
| 12 | Zack Steer | 47 | Rohn | 03/08 19:57:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:29:00 | 10.55 | ||||||||
| 13 | Michael Williams, Jr. (r) | 59 | Rohn | 03/09 02:06:00 | 03/09/2010 02:30:00 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Aliy Zirkle | 50 | Rohn | 03/08 21:27:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 02:33:00 | 11.52 | ||||||||
| 15 | Lance Mackey | 49 | Rohn | 03/08 21:10:00 | 15 | 03/09/2010 02:40:00 | 11.43 | ||||||||
| 16 | Cim Smyth | 3 | Rohn | 03/08 21:06:00 | 15 | 03/09/2010 03:07:00 | 11.90 | ||||||||
| 17 | Sonny Lindner | 44 | Rohn | 03/08 22:12:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 03:54:00 | 11.66 | ||||||||
| 18 | Ryan Redington | 25 | Rohn | 03/08 21:50:00 | 14 | 03/09/2010 04:01:00 | 10.75 | ||||||||
| 19 | Martin Buser | 37 | Rohn | 03/08 21:39:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 04:42:00 | 11.80 | ||||||||
| 20 | Linwood Fiedler | 2 | Rohn | 03/08 21:40:00 | 13 | 03/09/2010 05:09:00 | 10.67 | ||||||||
| 21 | Jessie Royer | 6 | Rohn | 03/08 22:27:00 | 16 | 03/09/2010 05:30:00 | 10.71 | ||||||||
The only race rookie on this list of front runners is 25 year old Michael Williams Jr. According to his bio, posted on the Iditarod website, Mike is a Yupik Eskimo who grew up running and caring for sled dogs. He's certainly hanging out with some very good company at this stage of the race and is well placed to earn the "Rookie of the Year" award.
Looking at the track speeds recorded on the official standings, it would appear the teams recognized the gravity of their situation in the gorge, and took full advantage of it.
According to the GPS Tracker, Sebastian Schnuelle has regained the lead and has a little bit of distance in front of the rest of the pack. If the scale on the tracking mark is accurate, Sebastian has as much as 10 miles on Mitch Seavey, who has moved up into the second position only a wee bit ahead of Hugh Neff. They are followed by Hans Gatt, Dallas Seavey, Gerry Willomitzer, William Palfrey, Aliy Zirkle and Lance Mackey. Lance is being chased by Zach Steer and Jeff King and
Linwood Fiedler played the rabbit for quite a long ways, but it looks he's now paying the price for doing so. He's had to drop three dogs from his team, and now has the smallest team among he front runners. I'll be surprised if he is still in the "Top-20" by the end of the day. It seems like every year someone jumps up front and runs like hell for the first couple of hundred miles only to fall back into the middle of the pack. This year was apparently Linwood's turn to do so.
I'Rod in Cincinnati
When I go Outside for my work related clinical training the most common destination is Cincinnati, through which I drive as quickly as possible down to my training venue in Kentucky. I ran across a small article about Cincinnati's version of the reading the news on the CNN website this morning and deemed it cute enough to share.
The Cinciditarod is a wacky shopping cart race through the city. It's named in tribute to the Alaskan Iditarod - a brutal 1,100-mile dog-sledding race - but instead of dogs, it's people; instead of sleds, it's shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it's Cincinnati.
While physically attached to their grocery carts, teams push through a nearly five-mile course over the streets of downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and Mt Adams, picking up items on a grocery list and stopping at five mandatory checkpoints.
Grocery items benefit Cincinnati’s FreestoreFoodbank, and a challenge awaits team members at each checkpoint.
You can learn more about the Cinciditarod at www.myfountainsquare.com/cinciditarod.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Out on the Trail
I think the Iditarod mushers probably had more fun than I today. My day was pretty mundane, actually. I played with dogs in the morning after feeding and scooping (that was fun), delivered an order to black powder to a customer, picked up a check from one bank to deposit in another, and then deposited another check in a third bank. I picked up mail at the post office, groceries at Pleasant Valley Store, fluorescent tubes at Kedrick's hardware store and equipment rental place, and then fed and scooped after my dogs. Oh, I cooked and ate my supper, too.
From Rohn they face the snowless muskegs of the Farewell Burn.
According to both the I'rod official standings & the GPS tracker, Sebastian Schnuelle is already into Rohn, with some very strong competition right on his tail. That means they've survived the roller coaster ride of Dalzell Gorge. The video clip below shows some of the challenges they had to overcome.
From Rohn they face the snowless muskegs of the Farewell Burn.
Now it looks like John Baker has joined Sebastian in Rohn, with Zach Steer, Paul Gephart, Hugh Neff, Mitch Seavey and Hans Gatt fast approaching. I think it's going to take another day or two for the field to spread out enough for us to actually determine who are the true leaders of this race.
That represents about all the energy I can muster tonight. I think I'm going to let Abner and Grace into the house so they can settle in, and we'll all head to bed within the next hour or so.
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