On Friday afternoon, March 17th, we had our final two active mushers arrive in Nome. Rookie Jed Stephensen was the 28th musher to pull under the burled arch this year after 12 days, 44 minutes on the Iditarod trail. As the seventh and last rookie to arrive in Nome, he becomes the 832nd person in the Iditarod's 51 year history to successfully finish. Yes, lots of mushers - like the twins - make repeat appearances. But as for separate individuals to have done it? Yep - 832. By comparison, as of January 2023, just over 6,300 separate individuals have successfully scaled Mount Everest.*

Congrats to all 7 rookies that joined a very exclusive club this year!

Not an hour an a half after Jed, the 29th and final finisher arrived in Nome as this year's Red Lantern. Veteran Jason Mackey, brother of Iditarod legend and this year's honorary musher Lance Mackey, pulled under the burled arch just after 5pm AKST after 12 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes and 7 seconds out on the Iditarod Trail. He extinguished the Widow's Lantern, which is always left burning in the traditional fashion until the last musher and his or her dogs are safely off the trail. Jason travelled the trail this year with the ashes of both his mother and his brother Lance, so I'm sure it was an emotional journey that I'm so happy to see him successfully finish.

And with that, the 51st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race was complete.

Of course mushers are still caring for their dogs, making arrangements to fly them all home. Kristy and Anna got that all taken care of Saturday afternoon and received confirmation they're all safely and happily settled back at the kennel in Knik. And then there is the banquet this evening, Sunday March 19th. In past years, the banquet has been held when teams were still out on the trail! Organizers weren't being mean - but they also have to make sure those who have already finished can get the dogs and themselves home and back to other responsibilities. So I'm glad every finisher is able to attend, eat some good food, share some stories, celebrate award winners and take a minute to reflect on what they and their dogs just accomplished.

I did get to chat with the twins for a bit Sunday afternoon, and they both sounded great! They confirmed all the dogs were now back at the kennel, but said that before they left, you couldn't tell the dogs had just pulled a sled 998 miles across Alaska! All the dogs were "eating like pigs", playing with each other or lounging in the sunshine. I've witnessed my sisters take a couple of days to recover from a marathon. The fact that these canine athletes recover as quickly as they do from something 38 times longer is a testament to how much they're just born for it.

Kristy and Anna also confirmed the specific dogs that made it ALL THE WAY on their respective teams.

For Kristy, her eight dogs at the finish were Cassie, Wilbur, Rampage, Havoc, Ruckus, Bulleit, Mayhem, and 2Chains. Kristy was particularly proud of Wilbur and Rampage, two key leaders throughout the race. The pups she returned home along the way (for minor ailments ranging from just seeming tired to a bit of hind leg soreness or diarrhea) included Andy, Bogus, Papa Doc (or PD), Tesla, Joker, and Portau Prince (or Prince/Princeton). Each and every dog is doing great and will get just as excited to see a harness and go for a run this week as they did 10 days or 10 months ago!

For Anna, she crossed the finish line with 9 canine athletes, including Zwicklebeir, Drax, Hannah, Randy, Kevin, Margot, Susie, Rocky, and Astro. She was so proud of all of the dogs that travelled the trail with her this year! But she was most proud of the dogs that made it all the way to Nome for the first time. Zwicks, Hannah, and Margot were all Iditarod rookies, and Astro and Kevin had seen part of the trail before but not Nome. That experience is huge for these amazing dogs! Those dogs she returned home early (for minor issues similar to Kristy) included Yondu, Chaos, Fog, Forrest, and Diego. They're all doing great and will be names we'll see again out on the trail.

Aside from the dog updates and final notes, the twins also shared a fair amount from the trail. They talked about the glowing moonlight the first few nights, and the amazing aurora later. I've never, EVER heard them gush about the Gorge before, but to hear them say it, it was beautiful and amazing. To hear them say that just made me smile. Kristy commented that there was actually no open water crossings the whole race, and they were well prepared with the little rain they saw, having packed a tarp, extra dog coats, and extra fleece dog blankets. There was good snow in "all the scary spots". Mike's welding job was just the trick for their brake modifications, and they were really happy with how well they worked, along with their new race sleds.

It sounds like having fewer teams on the trail this year was beneficial, keeping checkpoints less crowded and the trail in far better condition. They said all the snow and water bridges they encountered were in good repair, so kudos to the Iditarod trail sweeps! They were happy to bring some mail to a kind lady in one of the villages that had lost her husband not terribly long ago and grateful for a warm welcome in Takotna. They were thrilled to get pizza in Unalakleet from a kind teacher and her class, so much, in fact, that they got to share pizza with others that happened to be in checkpoint! They even got some cookies when they went through Golovin when folks from the area came out to cheer them on.

They talked about various sections of trail... moguls out of Ophir; fast, icy trail from Iditarod that had them fishtailing on their dog sleds; using their athletic ability to help power sleds up hills into Shaktoolik. The coldest they saw was -36F on the way to Eagle Island. A former Seeing Double dog was adopted after retiring from racing, and after living out many more happy years, went over the Rainbow Bridge. They had Uno's ashes with them and sprinkled them at Tripod Cabin, a little dog spirit to look after the dogs on the trail, much like Susan Butcher's ashes at Old Woman Cabin see to the mushers.

Not long after that, they saw some of the only shooting stars they saw the entire race.

They also saw some amazing aurora, sometimes directly overhead. And I learned a new descriptor for snow - velcro. The kind that gets blown at you and is just wet enough to stick to anything and everything it encounters. They had this out of Shageluk.

The twins did get a little minor frostbite on their faces from colder, windier stretches later in the race, but otherwise seemed none the worse for wear. They're anxious to gather with their fellow mushers and Iditarod folk at the banquet and then head on back to the kennel and their dogs!

Anna and Kristy will be out on the trail again in a few days once they're home, and even have one more race (a spring-fling version of the ACE Race) around April 4th. But it's time for this Mad Blogger to say adieu.

On behalf of Seeing Double, thank you to everyone that made the Iditarod possible! Race officials and organizers, volunteers and veterinarians. The Iditarod Air Force and Trail Crew. Race Sponsors!! Villagers extending kindness in checkpoints. Seeing Double's own sponsors, family, and friends. Kristy's husband, Andy, and close kennel friend, Aaron. Courtney, this year's Returned Dog Correspondent caring for things back at the kennel. Everyone that read this blog, bought some merch, liked an Instagram post, or supported the race through an Iditarod Insider subscription.

You all keep this tradition, this amazing test of endurance, this bond between human and Alaska Husky, going strong.

And speaking of the Alaska Husky ~ thanks most of all to the amazing, adorable, unequivocal canine athletes, for which none of this would be worthwhile or possible.

Be kind - to yourself, others, and animals. Be well. And be sure to come on back next year!

This has been Kat ~ Anna and Kristy's "not-a-twin" sister and Mad Blogger while they're out on the Iditarod Trail. It's been fun, but Otis and I have gotta run!
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* Iditarod individual finisher count was obtained by this Mad Blogger by counting up the number of rookies that finished the Iditarod each year (with all mushers the first year in 1973 obviously rookies as well).   While believed to be accurate, this tally could be subject to human error.  Mount Everest summit information from haexpeditions.com with using data from The Himalayan Database.
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This Mad Blogger only takes so many sighs of relief when it comes to the Iditarod... once when the twins successfully leave the Ceremonial Start and Restart lines; once when they get through the first third, and highly technical portion, of the trail; again - sigh of relief amidst cheers - when they both reach Nome; and a final sigh of relief when the last musher crosses under the burled arch in Nome and the Red Lantern is claimed and extinguished.

As of this post, I'm at three of the four, with the last one coming soon!

As you've seen by now, either through Instagram posts or updates on Iditarod.com, both Kristy and Anna finished Iditarod 2023 just before 3pm AKST Thursday afternoon, March 16th.  Kristy led the way with 8 dogs, finishing in 21st place and clocking a final time on the 998 race miles of 10 days, 23 hours, 50 minutes and 50 seconds.  Anna was 16 seconds behind her with 9 dogs, claiming 22nd place after 10 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes and 6 seconds on the trail.  They looked amazingly good, first setting their snow hooks before going straight to their dog teams to hand out snacks and immense praise.

They both did their mandatory gear checks, chatted with news crews, friends, fans, and fellow mushers.  There's a video of them on Iditarod.com if you're an Insider (or considering becoming one) that is worth watching.  I love how during that interview Anna kept glancing over her shoulder to check on her dog team.  As soon as they were cleared, they mushed a couple blocks from the burled arch to the secure dog lot after the finish, where Kristy's husband Andy Pohl and close kennel friend Aaron Anderson had the dogs' sky kennels set up, with the top off, lined with fresh straw and bowls at the ready. 

The dogs would have been examined, massaged, a little ointment on the paws as needed, loved on, and fed before the twins really considered themselves done.  With the keen eyes of vets and volunteers watching the dog lot, Anna and Kristy could finally slip away for some food and some welcome sleep off the trail.

I've gotten a couple texts from the twins since they arrived in Nome, and one selfie.  Each year, I try to put together "Nome Bags" for them... goodie bags that they send on with other personal effects for when they reach Nome.  They opened them pretty promptly and just as quickly sent thank you texts to our Mom and I (as Mom helped out with them this year).  These goodie bags are nothing extravagant... some Working Hands lotion, face wipes and lotion, Burt's Bees chapstick, a new pair of Darn Tough winter socks, and an assortment of candy!  Plus a card for each from our Mom and this Mad Blogger.  A little hug from very far away to let them know we are SO PROUD of them both.

It sounds like they had a good dinner their first night off the trail, with crab legs, mashed potatoes, beans, meatballs, and apple pie on offer.  And while I know they got some good rest in the Church near the finish that graciously hosts mushers that are without other host families, I also know they would have gotten up after 4 or 5 hours, put on all their winter gear, and walked down to the dog lot to check on their pups.  These ladies love their dogs and give them exceptional care, and nothing short of a coma would prevent the instinct to check on them regularly.

This Mad Blogger doesn't want to bug the twins too much as they rest, but I am hoping to get a more thorough debrief from them over the next day or two.  Meanwhile, the twins will be resting and making arrangements to fly all their finishing dogs from Nome back to Anchorage.  Andy and Aaron will be making arrangements to fly their snow machines.  Then they will attend the finishers banquet and catch their own flights back to Anchorage and then driving home to Knik.  The very end of this journey isn't too far.

That said, can you fathom that there are still teams out on the trail?!  After the twins arrived, they were joined about 5 hours later by Michael Williams, Jr.  Then we had a break overnight before rookie Bailey Vitello and then veteran Joanna Jagow arrived Friday morning.  Friday afternoon brought the arrival of rookies Gerhardt Thiart and Bridgett Watkins, claiming a successful finish with 26th and 27th places, respectively.  It was really great to see Gerhardt in particular successfully reach Nome after a very harrowing experience in 2022 that led to him scratching early.  Congrats to you all!!

And as I post this, wearing St. Pattys green and craft beer in my hand, we have our final two mushers reported out of Safety and charging to Nome.  Rookie Jed Stephensen will hopefully arrive at the finish around 4pm AKST this afternoon with veteran Jason Mackey an hour or two behind.  We're cheering for you, guys!!

Below are a few shots from the finish and a "thank you" collage highlighting some of the twins' sponsors.  I really cannot say enough, and the twins can't either!, about the individuals and businesses that think enough about what Kristy and Anna do each year to open both their hearts and their wallets to make it all happen.  Don't take my word for it, though ... check out this article from Alaska Public Media.  It discusses Iditarod costs and features a picture and quotes from the twins.  Net net, the financial struggle is real and dog mushing is expensive, with purses barely making a dent in the costs.  Sponsors and generous private individuals - including all of you that have purchased some Seeing Double merch! - make their journey possible.  On behalf of Anna and Kristy - thank you so very much!

Kristy and Anna were reported out on Safety and on the home stretch at 11:44am AKST today! Keep an eye on Iditarod.com to see them finish… should be 3 hours or less from Safety.

Go twins and doggos, Go!!!
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Anyone else feel like the last 10 days have been twice that?  I can only imagine how the twins are feeling after just over 10 days out on the Iditarod trail.  Sure, they train like maniacs for what they do, have exceptional endurance, and they love the journey with their dogs.  But still...

I don't have any kids myself (fur-baby not withstanding), but I can't help but liken their journey a little to having a kid... you have this long period of time where some of it is great and some of it is uncomfortable - even downright nasty - and you're exhausted at the end when the whole thing is at its worst.  But when it's all said and done, you have something magical that you wouldn't trade for the world.

My last post had the twins resting in Koyuk after arriving there around 5pm Tuesday.  They pulled their snowhooks to head back out on the trail at 11:45pm Tuesday night after resting for just shy of 7 hours.  They spent a little over 6 hours overnight traveling the 48 miles from Koyuk to Elim (race mile 875), arriving there just after 6am AKST Wednesday morning.  

They rested for about six and a half hours in Elim and hit the trail around 12:30pm AKST Wednesday afternoon.  Kristy was reported out in 21st, retaining all 8 dogs, and Anna was right behind mushing a 10-dog team and out in 22nd place.  

From here, Kristy and Anna will travel the trail 28 miles to and through Golovin (more of a symbolic checkpoint than one with any amenities to speak of) and another 18 miles on to White Mountain.  There, they will take their final 8 hour mandatory rest before heading off on their final run... 55 miles to Safety (where they will grab their race bibs from officials) and the final 22-mile stretch from Safety to Nome.

When I started taking some notes a little earlier for this post, GPS had them at mile 889.  So I sharpened my pencil, got some fresh paper, scoured the Iditarod race archives, looked at their recent average moving speeds, and got to work on my prediction...

Drummers, queue the roll as I crawl out on my proverbial limb...  I put Seeing Double into Nome by 12:30pm AKST Thursday March 16th!

I'll try to post a quick blog entry and Instagram post (@SeeingDoubleSledDogRacing) when they're getting close.  But to be on the safe(ty) side, if you want to see them finish on Iditarod.com's live feed, I would check their site before noon.  And again, those are Alaska Standard Time references!  The twins have fans from Australia to California and darn near all points in between, so please adjust that for your own time zone.  I'm sure there's an app for that.

It's 8:15pm here in Wisconsin, 5:15pm AKST.  GPS has the twins at mile 905 as of 2 minutes ago with 93 miles to the finish and currently traveling at 6mph.  Feel free to do your own math if you don't want to crawl out on the same limb I'm on!

Meanwhile, we now have the top 14 teams into Nome as of this post.  Eddie Burke, Jr., took Rookie of the Year with 7 dogs in harness after 9 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes on the trail and finished in 7th place!  Mille Porsild finished in 9th as our first International Women's Month representative, Hunter Keefe was our second rookie to finish this year (in 11th place) and Jessie Royer passed under the burled arch in 14th.  I'm by no means glazing over or intentionally omitting any other finisher, but I'm kinda tired and reviewing them all is a bit beyond me at the moment.  They're all deserving of congratulations, though.  This is a very tough event... it's hard to qualify for, it's hard to finish your first time, and it doesn't get any easier after that.  

We did see Eric Kelly scratch for the race in Unalakleet with 10 dogs in harness.  Per Iditarod officials, Eric and his dogs were in good health but wanted to keep it that way and ultimately decided to opt out early.  A very tough decision but I'm sure it was made in the best interests of all.  Safe and swift travels, Eric, to you and your team as you make your way back to your home kennel.

14 teams into Nome, 4 scratched, and 15 still mushing their way to Nome.  Stay tuned on Thursday as we cheer Seeing Double onto Front Street and under the burled arch!

​A couple more pictures from the trail to tide you over...
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Ryan Redington has won the 2023 Iditarod!  After 8 days, 21 hours, 12 minutes and 58 seconds out on the trail, the grandson of one of the founders of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has pulled under the burled arch first.  Or perhaps firsts?  Ryan is the first to finish the race this year and the first in his family to become an Iditarod Champion.  He arrived with 6 dogs in harness to a Front Street in Nome bursting with people.  His two lead dogs were 6 year old Ghost and 4 year old Sven.  

On behalf of Seeing Double, I want to wish Ryan and his dogs a hearty congratulations!  

Cheers are also in order for our second place musher, Pete Kaiser.  He arrived in Nome with eight dogs only 1 hour 24 minutes after Ryan.  As the 2019 champion, I can imagine he also arrived to much fanfare.  After that, Richie Diehl pulled in with 7 dogs leading the way an hour and four minutes later.  Our fourth musher also just arrived in Nome in as I write this, so atta boy Matt Hall and his 7 dogs as well!!

We have 2 mushers racing between Safety and Nome, 4 mushers out of White Mountain on the way to Safety, and 2 mushers finishing up their 8-hours in White Mountain.  Working backward up the trail, the next four teams are reported out of Elim, one is resting in Elim, two are between Elim and Koyuk on the trail, and four are in Koyuk - race mile 827.  Which brings us to the twins!

My last post left the twins in Unalakleet, resting after their long run, on Monday afternoon.  They remained in checkpoint for just under six hours, pulling their snow hooks and hitting the trail before 8:30pm Monday evening.  Kristy returned one dog from Una (or, rather, sent it forward, as dogs from this checkpoint on will be transported on to Nome to await their teams rather than back to Anchorage).  That gives her 8 canine athletes in front of her sled.  Anna hasn't returned a dog since Grayling, giving her 10 in front of her sled.  

Anna and Kristy spent six hours mushing the 40 miles from Una to Shaktoolik, arriving at 2:25am Tuesday morning.  They planned a 5-6 hour rest here, but Mother Nature had other plans.  A nasty ground blizzard kicked up.  With temps already around -4F, a 28mph or more wind took the "feels like" down to 30 below.  Musher Deke Naabktgeboren had pulled out of Shak only a few minutes before the twins arrived, mushed 12 miles, and then spent the next 9 hours hunkered down at a shelter cabin along the trail.  Taking his circumstances into account, Kristy and Anna ultimately stayed about seven and a half hours in Shak before deciding the ground blizzard was abating and it made sense to hit the trail again.

With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, it was a very good call.  The twins spent just over 7 hours on the 50 miles between Shak and Koyuk.  Deke and his team?  They were out there for 14 hours and 50 minutes!  But that's just the thing about Iditarod... and apparently a box of chocolates?... you never know what you're gonna get.  Nor how quickly you get it!  These coastal storms can be fast and furious, and almost completely out of nowhere.  

Anna and Kristy were reported 20th and 21st, respectively, into Koyuk and we should see them take a 6 hour rest here (give or take).  That would put them back on the trail around 11pm AKST Tuesday night with 48 miles to run to the next checkpoint of Elim.  They still have 171 miles to cover once they do leave Koyuk before they reach Nome, but I'm finally consulting the last handful of checkpoints on my list!!

We still only have 3 teams scratched from the race and with 4 into Nome, we're left with 26 teams out on the trail.  There may be a champion to celebrate, and it will be fun to see the top 10 secured.  But this is never over until it's over, which means keeping an eye on the trail until the Red Lantern pulls into Nome.  

The twins had extra time in Shak and bandwidth to boot, so here are a bunch of pics, direct from Kristy and Anna, of the trail so far.  If you're anything like me, these shots will get your blood pumping enough to stick around until everyone is safely into Nome.

Kristy, Anna, and their dog teams arrived in the checkpoint of Unalakleet (race mile 737) in 22nd and 23rd place, respectively, at 2:30pm AKST Monday afternoon.  They spent seventeen and a half hours out on this long section of trail after Kaltag.  And that's after only spending about 12 minutes within the prior checkpoint itself.  Neither twin returned any dogs from Kaltag, continuing to travel with 9 (Kristy) and 10 (Anna) dog teams.  They would have pulled out of Kaltag with plenty of straw in the backs of their sleds and extra supplies to keep everyone comfortable and well fed on the trail, particularly while they took a long campout at mile 686.

I expect the twins to rest for at least 5 or 6 hours in the checkpoint of Unalakleet and should hit the trail again Monday evening.  When they do, they'll have 261 miles to mush before arriving in Nome.

Ryan Redington, grandson of the race's founder, has been at or near the front of the pack for this entire race and somewhere his grandfather must be very proud.  Ryan arrived in the checkpoint of White Mountain (race mile 921) at 4:12pm AKST Monday afternoon and is taking his final mandatory 8 hour rest before mushing the final 77 miles to Nome.  He arrived with 8 dogs in front of his sled and must finish with at least 5 dogs in harness when he pulls under the burled arch to achieve a successful finish.  Right now, it's Ryan's race to lose.

His closest competitors are 2019 Iditarod champion Pete Kaiser, also running a team of 8 dogs, and Richie Diehl, running a 7 dog team.  These two are practically mushing on top of each other at race mile 899 as I type this, clearly keen to capture 2nd place or be close enough to challenge Ryan for the win if anything slows him up.  But they, as every musher, will also have to take an 8-hour in White Mountain.  Rounding out the top 10 are Matt Hall, Jessie Holmes, Matt Failor, rookie Eddie Burke, Jr., Kelly Maxiner, rookie Hunter Keefe, and Mille Porsild.

No further teams have scratched from this year's contest and the musher currently in 30th place is Eric Kelly.  He, like the twins, is from Knik, Alaska, and this is his 2nd Iditarod appearance having successfully run to Nome in 2022.  It looks like he is getting ready to pull out of Kaltag and will be the final musher to tackle the long 85 mile run to Unalakleet.

Much further down the trail...  Ryan should pull out of White Mountain a little after midnight as Monday gives way to Tuesday.  Last year, when Ryan finished in 9th place, he took just over 6 hours to run from White Mountain to Safety, and another 3 hours 20 minutes to travel the last 22 miles to Nome.  If he has a similar pace this year, we might see our winner pull under the burled arch before 10am AKST Tuesday morning.  Keep your eyes on Iditarod.com for the latest!
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And what the heck... here's a little nod to Sunday night's Oscars!
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I found the whole thing fascinating.  And when it comes to Alaskan Husky sled dogs, my sisters had always told me that they're largely descended from a long line of arctic breeds - like the Malamute, Siberian, or even Greenland dog, with little dabs of lab, border collie, or even hound mixed in.  "Travel to an Alaskan village," they said.  "Kat... those dogs.  The best of those dogs."  Glorified mutts defined more by a desire to run and tolerance for the cold than by who they're descended from.  But what exactly were they, and where did they come from?!

So I had the bright idea of getting the twins a doggy DNA test for Christmas.  No strings attached... they were free to pick whichever dog they wanted to know more about.  A dog-father like Jonah - with Seeing Double from the beginning, or a dog they purchased, or one they bred more recently.  There was a fair bit of debate, but they ultimately chose Twister.

Twister and his litter mates ~ Atari, Tonka, Hotwheels, YoYo, Jigsaw, Slinky, and Rubiks ~ make up the Toy Litter and were born to Fog on May 31, 2021.  Momma Fog is a Seeing Double dog and is running on Anna's Iditarod team this year.  The dad of the litter is Rawhide, a dog owned by a fellow musher and friend and is also the Lead Dog champ of the Kobuk 440 sled dog race.  Kristy and Anna see a lot of potential in Fog, and Rawhide has already proven himself to be an exceptional sled dog.  By extension, their litter of pups has great promise.

Twister is now about full grown and is used to his harness, looking forward to a chance to run.  He's been on some shorter runs with veteran dogs and the twins really like what they see.  Given that the doggy DNA test this Mad Blogger chose includes a wide variety of genetic health screens, picking Twister to give a sample made good sense.  They'd learn more about him and his siblings, a group of dogs that could be like their Muppet litter, B-Squad, or Trouble litters... the next generation of amazing dogs that epitomize an Alaskan Husky with their ability and love to run.  

​The whole process was simple - nothing more than a cheek swab for Twister so-many hours after his last meal, mailing it in, and waiting.  And the results, my friends, were worth waiting for.

​Twister is an Alaskan Husky.  Any dribs or drabs of "recognized" breeds were too small to detect.  His ancestors were village dogs that gravitated to humans thousands of years ago and were subsequently brought all over the world, although his genetic heritage ties most closely to the ancient dog ancestors that first inhabited Alaska and lived with Alaskan Natives.  Twister's genes go back to "long before there were any recognized dog breeds... Twister is part of this ancient heritage, not descended from a specific breed, but continuing the ancient lineage of dogs that were our first, best friends."  (Per the Embark DNA Test Report.)

The test that was used, made by Embark, claims to have the most thorough Village Dog reference panel publicly available today, and I have no reason to doubt the results.  I only say that, as it wasn't what I was expecting.  I anticipated a chart with X% this and Y% that, with a hair of W% and a touch of Z%, with the Xs and Ys arctic breeds I had read about or seen in an AKC dog show.  Oh no.  We're going back to before... before breeds and bedazzled collars.  Before kennel clubs and doodles.  We're going back to when humans needed dogs, dogs more recently descending from wolves needed humans, and there was a long way to go in the cold.
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It may seem a cliche, but these dogs are where the phrase "born to run" came from.  Thousands of years of evolution in a partnership with humans with a goal of moving from point A to point B no matter what Mother Nature throws at you.  In the cold?  Sure.  Colder?  Even better.  Yes, they're dogs that like tasty snacks and belly rubs and butt scratch.  They take naps in the sun and when they work too hard they can get tired or sore.  But don't claim a well-cared for Iditarod dog doesn't like what he or she is doing.  If anything, they don't like it - they love it. 

This is exactly what Joe Redington Sr. was after when he worked with Dorothy G. Page to start the Iditarod in the first place.  Yes, it honors the Diphtheria Run of 1925.  But I believe the roots of their dream are as long as the ancestral trees of the Alaskan Husky.  I believe all they wanted was to see these amazing canine athletes continue to do what they love. 

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This Mad Blogger has mixed emotions about the twice yearly changing of the clocks.  I always miss the lost hour and its accompanying daylight in the fall but enjoy getting it back when we "spring forward" this time of year.  Spring was the furthest thing from my mind this morning, though, after I fixed our clocks and then went out to shovel over 6 inches of fresh powder here in northern Wisconsin.  I have a hunch the time change and thoughts of spring are also far from the minds of the mushers still out on this year's Iditarod trail.  

My last post had the twins out of Anvik and mushing their way to Grayling (race mile 530).  They arrived in Grayling around 9:30am Saturday morning and ended up staying a bit longer than I had expected with a 6 hour 20 minute rest in checkpoint.  They may have needed a little extra rest themselves or may have taken extra time to care for and assess their dog teams.  Anna did opt to return one more dog home from Grayling and Kristy returned two dogs.  They were back on the trail around 3:45pm Saturday afternoon with Kristy mushing a 9 dog team and Anna a 10 dog team.

Sixty-two miles separates Grayling from Eagle Island and the twins' race plan had them mushing about 50 miles before planning a trailside campout before Eagle.  I see now, however, that they omitted the trailside camp and instead ran straight through to Eagle, spending just over 7 hours moving along the trail and traveling at an average of 8.8mph.  Forgive my liberties, but to tweak an old saying... Woman makes plans, and Dogs laugh.  My suspicion is that the dogs were moving along really well over this stretch, showing no need for a rest or a snack.  So the twins let them do what they do best, opting to continue to Eagle and take a good rest within checkpoint.

They arrived in Eagle Island (race mile 592) just before 11pm AKST Saturday night and rested in checkpoint for about six and a half hours before getting back out on the trail around 6:15am Sunday (with my time references now adjusted for Daylight Saving).  Neither Anna nor Kristy returned any dogs and retained their 10-dog and 9-dog teams, respectively.  

As I write this post, Iditarod Insider GPS has the twins at mile 628 and mushing up the Yukon River on their way to Kaltag in 21st and 22nd place.  When they reach Kaltag, they'll have 652 race miles under their runners and 346 miles between them and Nome.  Their race plan had them running through Kaltag, but given that they have recently modified the plan, I expect them to instead rest in checkpoint for 6 hours or so.  The stretch between Kaltag and the next checkpoint of Unalakleet is the longest of the race at 85 miles, and the twins will want themselves and their dogs well rested before they embark on it.  Given the distance, it is almost certain they will stop for a campout along the way, but I am less certain on where they will do this.  I know they'll make the decision based on what their dogs are telling them.

Our mushers at the front of the pack illustrate how race strategy can really differ between teams.  Ryan Redington was the first musher into Unalakleet at 4:20am Sunday.  He spent just over 10 hours on this 85-mile stretch and then rested in checkpoint for just shy of four hours before hitting the trail again.  The two mushers chasing him, Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl, spent 14 and 15.5 hours mushing the 85 mile stretch and camped along the way, but then only spent about 5 minutes each within the checkpoint itself before resuming the race.  And now GPS shows the three within 15 miles of each other.  It will be very interesting to watch how the race and each musher's strategy pans out from here.

Unfortunately the race has ended for our 3rd team with rookie Gregg Vitello scratching after the checkpoint of Iditarod.  Details on exactly why are a little scant, but I can tell you other reports indicate he and his dogs are all in good health.  We wish them safe and swift travels off the trail!

And with that, we have 30 teams continuing their journey along the Iditarod trail with their sights set on Nome, Sweet Nome.

What a difference a week makes!  At this time last weekend, I was in Alaska helping the twins and enjoying all the excitement of the Iditarod Ceremonial Start.  Now I'm back in Wisconsin and the twins and their dogs have traveled just over 520 miles through the rugged Alaska wilderness along the Iditarod trail in just under 5 days and 20 hours.  

And as of this post, Kristy, Anna, and their dogs have another 477 miles to go.

We last left the twins on the 80-mile stretch between Ophir and Iditarod.  After a trailside campout along the way, and what amounted to over a total of 16 hours on this long section of trail, they arrived in the checkpoint of Iditarod around 4:15am Friday morning.  Anna was reported in 21st and Kristy in 22nd place.  They took a 6 hour rest in checkpoint before hitting the trail again around 10:15am.  They each pulled their snow hooks with the same 11 canine athletes in front of their sleds.

They mushed the 55 miles from Iditarod to Shageluk (race mile 487) over the day Friday, arriving around 6:15pm.  As was their plan, they took their 8 hour mandatory rest in this checkpoint, ultimately staying about 8 hours 40 minutes.  Neither twin returned any dogs home and got back out on the trail again with 11 dogs each just before 3am Saturday.  

While I'm sure most of us were sound asleep, the twins traveled 25 miles and arrived in Anvik (race mile 512) at 6:45am.  They barely stayed in checkpoint for a New York minute, clearly not needing to stop and return any dogs or even grab much of anything from their drop bags.  They were reported out in 22nd and 23rd places.  GPS has them about 7 miles outside of Grayling as I write this.  Their race plan has Anna, Kristy, and their dogs taking a 5-6 hour rest in Grayling before they embark on the 62 miles to Eagle Island.  Note, they do plan to camp out along that section of trail and we should see them make a fairly brief stop in the Eagle checkpoint itself.

BREAKING NEWS - I refreshed the current race standings while writing this and was positively flabbergasted to see last year's champion Brent Sass is now the 2nd musher to scratch from this year's race!  He scratched in Eagle Island with an 11-dog team.  Iditarod Insider posted a video and while all 11 of Brent's dogs are ok, Brent himself is dealing with an undisclosed medical issue and will be transported off the trail.  I can only begin to imagine how heartbreaking that is for Brent, but I also know he would have made the decision that was both best for himself and his dogs.  One must make hard choices along the trail of life but hopefully they are choices that allow us to mush again one day.

On behalf of Seeing Double, I wish nothing but the best for Brent and a safe, swift journey for his dogs back to Joe Bush Creek.

After that shocking development, we have 31 teams on the trail to Nome.  The top 9 are all reported out of Eagle Island with the remainder of the top 15 teams all reported into Eagle.  Three of those top 15 have yet to complete their mandatory 8 hour rest along this stretch.  Rookies Eddie Burke Jr. and Hunter Keefe were last in 9th and 10th places, respectively, and I suspect their battle for Rookie of the Year will continue for the rest of the race.  Rookie Gregg Vitello remains our Red Lantern and was last resting in the checkpoint of Iditarod.  

In other news, it was a very pleasant surprise when the phone rang last night and it was Kristy!  She happened to turn her phone on over the last few miles to Shageluk and was happy to find she had reception (Thanks, GCI!), so she lobbed a call into our Mom and this Mad Blogger.  Anna was nearby on the trail.

Both twins were mushing along when Kristy called, and a couple times she asked us to "hold on a sec, I've gotta steer!"  In between that and issuing some commands to her dogs or yelling something  to Anna, she gave us a pretty fulsome update.  Net net, it's been a good race so far.  The dogs out on the trail with them are all doing really well.  As for those that they returned home... we already knew about Tesla and Forrest thanks to our RDC Courtney.  Kristy said she returned Bogus because "he just really wasn't all that into it" by the time they reached Takotna, likening him to Sergeant Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon movie franchise ("I'm just too old for this sh*t...").  She returned Papa Doc from Nikolia after he was showing some signs of soreness in his back legs, likely from the ups and downs of the moguls earlier in the race.  Anna returned Chaos from Nikolai and Diego from Takotna for the same reason.  All three will recover from their soreness but it was a good idea to send them home before soreness turned to more serious injury.

Kristy said the Dalzell Gorge was actually FUN this year and possibly their best ride ever down the 200 foot drop.  They were well prepared for a bit of rain around McGrath, learning from prior years to pack a tarp to keep sled bags and the extra dog coats they carried dry.  Most recently they had been enjoying some hard, fast trail.  Overall they're happy with they weather they've had, although a few times it got a little too warm.  They might miss that warmth on some of the upcoming sections of trail, but at least they've got dry coats for the dogs and gear for themselves.

Kristy has been running Mayhem, Rampage, and Wilbur in lead quite a bit, and Andy even took a few turns.  Anna has relied on Drax, Yondu, Kevin and, a little to her surprise, Hannah in lead.  That's high praise for Hannah as a 2 year old Iditarod rookie.  The vets they have spoken with as they moved along the trail agree that their dogs all look really good.

I asked Kristy if she could send any pictures once they got settled in Shageluk but unfortunately there just wasn't enough bandwidth to get them through the ether.  Plus, this IS a race, and they are racing!  We may all just have to wait patiently for them to arrive in Nome before we get fresh visual aids.

I'll be back with another race update later this weekend and my next special edition... continuing the theme of genetics started with Joker's heterochromia, I'll share the details of a recent doggy DNA test done on one of the youngsters back at the kennel.  

Enjoy your weekend and check back Sunday evening for more!
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Heterochromia - from the Greek, heteros (different) and chroma (pigmentation).
Having eyes of two different colors.

Yep, that's Seeing Double's boy Joker.  He's running on Kristy's team this year.  He's 5 years old and an Iditarod veteran, although his Iditarod trail experience came before the twins welcomed him to the family.  He is a great wheel (directly in front of the sled) or team (in front of wheel, behind swing and team) dog and I know Kristy is excited to have him on the trail with her this year.

Back to his marvelous peepers.  Joker has one brown and one crystal blue eye.  This is called heterochromia and can be found in a variety of dogs, less frequently in cats and horses, and quite rarely in humans.  Joker sees just fine out of both of them.  His blue eye is courtesy of melanin, or rather a lack thereof, most likely a genetically inherited trait and not something caused by accident or injury.  Melanin is a natural skin pigment and it dials in what you see in the mirror with respect to hair, eye, and skin color.  Joker's specific type of heterochromia is considered complete or heterochromia iridis.   

Joker may look a bit fearsome in the above pic, but he's a total sweetheart.  Tail wagging, "pet-me-pet-me" wiggles.  And when he realizes he's getting a harness and gets to go for a run with his pals?  Both of those eyes light up even more!

Always remember - different isn't bad.  It's just different!
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