I’ve already mentioned “24” in earlier posts, and I know returning fans are well aware of the reference.  For new fans, I’ll elaborate briefly (or as briefly as this Mad Blogger can).  Iditarod rules include mandated rests, one of which is a full 24 hours.  Plus “starting differential”.  Here’s one of the rare instances in which life is fair.  For a minute, or two.

Teams leave the restart in 2 minute intervals.  Which gives Anna in bib #2 a 74 minute advantage over Wally Robinson in bib #39.  Bib numbers are pure luck of the draw, so to avoid unnecessarily penalizing someone in the back of the field, each musher will add 2 minutes to their mandatory 24 hour rest for each musher starting behind him or her. Wally is the only one required to stay 24 hours.  Anna will stay an extra 74 minutes.  All other mushers stay somewhere in between.

That might sound like a disadvantage, but Anna realized that is a plus to drawing the number she did.  And I can only imagine… after traveling with her dogs 352 miles in just over 3 days?  An extra hour or so probably feels pretty good.

We last left Anna pulling out of Nikolai (race mile 263) just after 7pm Alaska time Tuesday night.  She spent five and a half hours resting in checkpoint and hit the trail with her 13 dog team.  She and the dogs spent 7 hours 46 minutes mushing the 48 miles from NIK to McGrath, arriving just before 3am Wednesday morning.

The official Iditarod standings initially had her leaving McGrath at 6:10am with 13 dogs, but I didn’t see her GPS tracker moving.  After a while, standings updated slightly to show the same departure time but with 10 dogs.  Her tracker went active for as bit but then had her at mile 312, or one mile west of MCG, and resting again.  I, frankly, was perplexed.  Eventually her GPS tracker started moving down the trail again.  Until I learn more, my guess is she rested for a bit in MCG, decided to return 3 dogs home, grabbed supplies, mushed to a quite spot just outside of “town”, and gave her now 10 dog team another rest and regroup.

Whatever was going on, she pulled into the next checkpoint of Takotna before noon Wednesday afternoon.  She spent a quick 3 minutes in checkpoint and continued on the trail.  Question asked and answered on where she will be taking her 24!

Anna spent the next three and a half hours mushing the 23 miles (roughly) from TKT to Ophir, arriving just before 3:30pm Wednesday afternoon.  She was reported into checkpoint in 6th place.

Before you get too excited about her jump up in the standings, let me remind you ~ mushers can declare and take their 24 anywhere along the trail.  The former top teams aren’t just cooling (or warming?) their heels in Takotna.  They’ve been there too long for a standard layover.  They’re taking their 24s.  You just won’t see a green check mark in that column on the standings until it’s confirmed satisfied and they hit the trail again.  Others continue to blow through checkpoints (a la Dallas Seavey), but they will have to take their 24 eventually, and other teams will catch up.

This always makes for some fun jockeying in the ranks, and where a musher takes his or her 24 is a key part of race strategy.  Only time will tell how these decisions pan out.

Kristy says that Ophir is a nice checkpoint to 24 in, even if it lacks a few of the frills of Takotna.  Mushers park their sleds and get their dogs fed and set up in straw beds, and then head to a small cabin for a hot meals themselves.  Ophir is on a river, and volunteers haul water up so mushers can heat it and make stew for their dogs.  There is at least one wall tent with bunks where a weary musher can get a nap, and it is even heated by a small oil stove.  Ophir is generally far quieter than Takotna ~ it is, after all, a ghost town.  And not as many mushers will take their 24 here.  Those that do will be focused on caring for their dogs and getting some rest themselves.

It will be a solid day or so before the dust from the 24s settles and we again get a clearer picture of who is racing, and who is traveling, the trail.  Both noble endeavors, and I think the line between them is blurry.  Someone who was just traveling can all of a sudden land in a very competitive spot, while another with an eye on competitive racing realizes simply getting to Nome is the goal.

That, my friends, is the Iditarod.

With Anna having arrived in Ophir at 15:26 (3:26pm for anyone cringing at 24-hour, or military, time) on Wednesday, March 6th, watch for her to pull her snow hook and hit the trail with the pups again by 16:40 (4:40pm) Alaska time Thursday, March 7th.

We have all 38 teams on the trail, Iditarod fans.  5-time champ Dallas Seavey is leading the way, reported out of OPH with 15 dogs, early on Wednesday, Nic Petit and his 16-dog team hot on the trail after them Wednesday afternoon.  Six other mushers, including Anna, resting in OPH as of this post, another big group in TKT, and the rest of the field at minimum into MCG.  Our lead-lag spread is 114 miles.

Lots of race left, folks.  Lots of race.

Seeing Double Iditarod 2024 Playlist…
Song 6: Nite Becomes Day by Citizen Cope. 

Below:  Pictures of Seeing Double Dogs at the kennel Saturday afternoon after the C-Start, and a very short video Anna sent of her dogs snuggled up in Ophir.​

Anna pulled her snow hook and hit the trail out of Nikolai (race mile 263) Tuesday evening.  She had 13 dogs in harness.  I believe she rested a little over 5 hours in checkpoint, largely as expected, but I'm still waiting for Iditarod official standings to update with this detail.  Anna plans to travel straight through to McGrath where she’ll take another 4-5 hour rest.  Around 8:30pm Tuesday night, GPS has her traveling at nearly 8 miles an hour and 275 miles along the trail and in 18th place.

We’re two days and a few hours into the 52nd Iditarod, and we still have all 38 teams racing on the trail to Nome.  Jessie Holmes is closing in on McGrath (race mile 311), with Travis Beals, Ryan Redington, and Dallas Seavey not too far behind.  The back of the pack is all out of Rohn and is shaping up to perhaps be a race within the race.  Of our 38 teams, the last 13 out of Rohn were all rookies, and they all left within a 6 hour span.  It’s great to see so many rookies in this year’s race and the fact that they’re largely traveling together is neither surprising nor discouraging.

Kristy said that Anna called her briefly on a sat phone as she was getting ready to head out of Nikolai.  Kristy reported that Anna was feeling good, especially after getting a little bit of sleep during this last rest stop.  And knowing the Gorge and Burn are behind her!  The dogs looked good, although perhaps they’re not scarfing down food quite as aggressively as Anna would ideally want.  She may add a little bit more rest on the remaining runs to Ophir to see if that has any impact.  And she is still planning to take her 24 in OPH.

The weather conditions looks pretty mild over the next couple of days, which is always welcome news.  It’s arguably a bit warm for the dogs, with high temps in the mid 20s and lows in the single digits Fahrenheit.  Winds have been mild and precipitation low.  That looks to continue for the next day or two.  Then things are predicted to cool down a bit for Friday and Saturday, with highs in the teens, lows below zero, and winds picking up slightly.

It may be a little later in the day Wednesday before I can make my next post, so if you’re jumping out of your skin for more on the Iditarod and Seeing Double, here’s some stuff you can scour.  These are some of the primary sources I turn to (besides the twins directly) when figuring out what’s going on.

Iditarod.com
Check weather sources - use your favorites or the Iditarod Weather Center.
ADN.com
AlaskaNewsSource.com
AlaskaPublic.org

You should also definitely consider the following podcasts!
Kristy chatted with Mushing Alaska on Monday morning.
Both of the twins talked to High Quality Fun in mid January.

And take a look at the below pictures I got on Insta from a fan who was at the restart!  Great shots, Ellen!  (@ellaella20 on Instagram).

Seeing Double Iditarod 2024 Playlist…
Song 5: Jump by Van Halen. 

(This song spent 5 weeks as #1 on the charts, starting the day after they were born.  And the single was certified gold in April 1984.  It's a bit of an anthem for the twins.)

Hello my lovelies! This Mad Blogger is terribly sorry for ghosting on you for a couple days. And don’t worry, I didn’t get on the wrong plane on my way back to Wisconsin or anything! My suitcase even made it all the way home on schedule. But it was a crazy few days in Alaska followed by a long journey home, and I’ve had a lot to catch up on. This should be a novella of a blog update, though, so hopefully that will make up for it.

Teams have been out on the trail for over 1 day and 21 hours as I post this. A couple of mushers are already in and out of Nikolai while the entire field is already at least into Rohn. No mushers have scratched and we have the full field of 38 mushing along the trail.

Everything leading up to the present was a whirlwind of fun, excitement, and plenty of hard work. The Ceremonial Start on Saturday kicked everything off. We were up before dawn at the kennel and had the dogs and gear all loaded up and on the road to Anchorage while it was still dark and a gorgeous orange half moon graced the sky.

We arrived in Anchorage and got settled into our assigned parking and staging area. Vet techs came around to check microchips on Anna’s dogs, and we had some time to catch up with friends, fans, and get Anna’s Iditarider Bob ready for his ride in the sled. We connected with the great crew from NTI Boilers - Seeing Double fans and longtime sponsors. And of course there were a couple interviews by the media. Kristy accidentally grabbed and donned Anna’s nearly identical jacket when she hopped out of the truck, sparking a little confusion for both herself and one reporter...

“So Anna, how are you feeling about the race this year?”
“I’m Kristy, Anna’s over there.”
“Are you sure? The name on your jacket says Anna…?”
“Oh shoot…!”

They get mistaken for one another often enough as it is without Kristy wearing a jacked embroidered with Anna’s name!!

But I think that may have been the only real hiccup of the c-start, and a minor one at that. Yeah, I commented in an Instagram post that things felt like a “hot mess”, but I think I was still too amped up from the festivities when I wrote that. Things did go really smoothly, even if the 30 seconds of crazy rush to get all the dogs onto the gangline and leave the dog truck for the start line on time was the same level of hectic it always seems to be.

Anna was the main musher on her sled, of course, and Iditarider Bob was all smiles tucked into the sled bag. Kristy rode in the tandem spot on this particular sled as a control musher and on-the-trail handler, something required by the Iditarod for the c-start to help make sure everyone stays safe during this parade-of-sorts run. The sun was blazing and the trail was lined with enthusiastic fans, so it was reportedly a really fun run. They did see a moose in the woods along side the trail, but this is another example of how going out in bib #2 was a real plus. Eventually that moose got annoyed by all the dog teams going by and moved from the woods and stood in the middle of the trail. And allegedly it was not particularly happy. But I haven’t heard of this moose causing any further problems beyond a temporary hold up for teams farther back in the pack. And as you might already know, this will not be the last moose encounter reported during this year’s Iditarod. More on that in a bit.

After the team came racing into Campbell, we gave the dogs a snack, packed everything up, and headed back to the kennel in Knik. Saturday afternoon had a long list of tasks to accomplish. Anna’s race sled was given some final tweaks and packed up for her to hit the trail. Fresh batteries were loaded into headlamps, dog collar lights, and her handheld GPS. Her personal trail bag was packed and her Nome bag was organized so Kristy can have it ready for Anna at the finish. The dogs’ traveling dishes were washed, vet bag packed, harness sizes double checked and dog coats sorted. Baggies of booties were tucked away. And this Mad Blogger got fresh glamor shots of the dogs traveling with Anna this year for their biography. We finally sat down for a hearty meal after dark (pizza and big salads) and managed to get to bed at an unprecedented early hour (before midnight! Amazing!).

Sunday didn’t start quite as early as the previous day, which certainly helped. Along with Kristy’s husband Andy and good friend of the kennel Aaron, the twins and I got the dogs and gear loaded once again and hit the road to the restart in Willow. We ended up parked between Mats Pettersson and Ryan Redington, which certainly left us surrounded by good people and lots of eager fans. Once again, the crew from NTI was out in full force and did a great job as a big part of Anna’s handler crew getting her to the restart line. Despite all 16 dogs being on the gangline (vs the 12 dogs she ran for the c-start), their off the charts excitement, and a very icy parking lot to navigate, Anna and her team were led to the start under amazing control. Our handler crew was so good this year, they got recruited to help guide a couple more teams to the line! Great to see all the teamwork behind the scenes that helps make this dream work. And not just for Seeing Double… but for everyone.

And as the seconds ticked down to 2pm Alaska time Sunday afternoon, Anna made one final trip up and down her dog team, gave her twin and not-a-twin sis big hugs, pulled the snow hook and launched off the Iditarod restart line for the 13th time in her career.

After hitting the trail, Anna and her team ran about 35 miles, stopping for only 4 minutes in Yentna to check in and out with officials. Between Yentna and Skwentna, Anna stopped for roughly 90 minutes to give the dogs a snack and quick rest along the trail, arriving in Skwentna (race mile 83) around 10:30pm Sunday evening. She rested the dogs for 3 hours 9 minutes in SKW before hitting the trail with all 16 dogs at 1:40am Monday morning. She spent the early hours Monday traveling the 40 miles to Finger Lake (race mile 123), arriving there just after 7am. She fed the dogs and gave them a good 3 hour 15 minute rest in checkpoint before hitting the trail again before 10:30am. I have a copy of her race plan for this year, and to this point, she was sticking with the plan to within minutes.

She spent the next 3 hours and about 45 minutes mushing the roughly 34 miles from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass. This stretch got her to and through the infamous Happy River Steps. Kristy spoke with Anna early early Tuesday morning and passed along some details… The trail to this point has been good, although “fair” is probably a more accurate rating for the stretch right into Finger Lake as it was a bit drifted with snow. Dallas Seavey had encountered a moose earlier and had to dispatch the moose to protect his dog team, so while Anna didn’t deal with the live moose, she and the dogs ran through (and over!) the aftermath not too long after. The dogs handled that fine, although Anna reported it as a very eerie experience. It sounds like the Steps went ok, although Anna was one of a few mushers that had half their dog team get part way down the extreme final step before she could get them stopped and anchored. Once the team was secure, she clambered down herself and hauled everyone back up to the proper trail so they could continue on a less extreme path.

Anna made it up the eastern side of the Alaska Range to arrive in Rainy Pass, the highest point on the Iditarod trail (and race mile 153) just after 2pm Alaska time Monday afternoon. Which means she travelled 153 miles during her first 24 hours on the trail (almost to the minute). She had planned to rest within checkpoint for about 3 hours but ended up staying a little over 4 hours. She used the extra time to assess the dogs and ultimately decided to return two dogs home. Kristy reported the two dogs were Rocky and Zwickel. Both dogs had been showing signs of a little shoulder soreness, and although they were responding great to massage, heat, and rest and could have continued on the trail, Anna knew there’s some really hard and fast terrain ahead. She didn’t want to risk these minor soreness issues turning into a full blown injury. So with an abundance of caution she handed them over to vets in the checkpoint. The Iditarod Air Force will get these pups back to Anchorage soon where Kristy will pick them up and return them home to the kennel.

After getting that sorted, Anna pulled out of Rainy Pass at 6:13pm early Monday evening with 14 dogs in front of her sled. The next 35 mile stretch of trail goes down the western slope of the Alaska Range and takes teams plunging down into the Dalzell Gorge. Neither of the twins “like” the Gorge. The way they describe it, it seems like the equivalent of a rickety old wooden roller coaster that you get on with a great deal of trepidation and get off with relief as quickly as possible when the ride comes to an end. But Anna said the Gorge this year was actually pretty good and not much worse than they saw last year, which was the best they had ever seen it.

Anna pulled into Rohn (race mile 188) at 10:30pm Monday night. She had initially planned on making only a brief stop to resupply in Rohn, but she ended up staying just shy of an hour. She used that time to give the pups an extra snack and hand Anvik over to race officials to head home. Anvik was fine, no soreness or injuries or anything. But Anvik is barely 3 years old and a rookie on the Iditarod trail. They encountered some glare ice out on the trail to this point, and Anvik really didn’t like it. She didn’t like it one little bit. Anna knew they would be hitting miles of glare ice leaving Rohn and she didn’t want to give this young pup a bad experience or have her get injured on ice she isn’t as used to as the veteran dogs. So she made a solid decision and sent Anvik on home.
​
Anna and her now 13-dog team hit the trail out of Rohn around 11:30pm Monday night. And she was reported out in 13th place! I try not to give too much credence to the race standings until after the majority of mushers have completed their mandatory 24 hour rest, but I love seeing Anna holding a position in the top 20 so far this year. That should set up for really good positioning when she comes fresh off her 24 in the miles ahead.

Phew! I think that gets us fully caught up to where Anna is currently. And when she called Kristy in the wee hours Tuesday morning, she was making good progress through the Farewell Burn beyond Rohn. The Burn didn’t sound quite as bad as early reports led us to expect, and there was actually a little snow mixed in with softer loose dirt churned up by the recent Iron Dog race. That was excellent news for this Mad Blogger, as Anna had a decent amount of anxiety tied to this section of trail. I know when she gets to Nikolai, she’ll be very relieved to have the most technical portion of this trail solidly behind her.

On her way to Nikolai (race mile 263), we’ll see Anna’s GPS tracker stop for about 4 hours for a trailside camp, and then I expect her to rest for at least 5 hours within Nikolai itself. From NIK, she’ll mush to McGrath, take a planned rest within checkpoint of at least 4 hours, and then mush through Takotna to Ophir (race mile 352), where she plans to declare and take her 24 hour rest. At least, that’s Plan A. But you know what they say about “plans”… If we see her stay in TKT for much more than an hour, I’ll begin to suspect she’s shifted to Plan B and may be taking her 24 there. We’ll see what happens and I’ll pass along anything I learn from Kristy.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from so far this year.
​And a couple of additions to the playlist...

Seeing Double Iditarod 2024 Playlist…
Song 3: Centerfield by John Fogarty.
Song 4: Keep On by Portugal. The Man.

The following pictures featuring Anna are fantastic shots from Tracy Try and passed on to me by our friends at musherdog.com.
​

If you had a chance to listen to an Iditarod Insider interview with Anna from just before the race started, you heard her say for herself that this year’s dog team is the best yet from a competitive standpoint.  I agree wholeheartedly.  Not only did the dogs gets hundreds of miles of training runs, they also ran nearly 900 miles worth of mid-distances races.  Anna’s team is predominantly Seeing Double dogs (13 of the 16), most of which travelled the trail to Nome with either Kristy or Anna in recent years.  So the team is also predominantly Iditarod veterans.  Only 4 pups are Iditarod rookies.

Each dog is in peak health and fitness, and the average age of Anna’s team at 5 years puts them firmly into their strongest racing years.  She has two 3 year olds and one 4 year old as the youngest dogs, one 7 year old and one 9 year old on the other end.  All the rest are either 5 or 6.  Anna has 10 male dogs and 6 females on the trail with her this year.  They range in size from roughly 47 to 72 pounds.

This amazing pack of dogs features 6 proven leaders, and another 5 that are excellent lead copilots.  A wheel dog specialist, cheerleader, motivational eater, and poster dog for work ethic.  The goofball.  The mischievous chewer.

I think Anna is going to have a lot of fun with these dogs on the trail this year.  Keep reading to learn about all sixteen of Anna’s canine athletes.

Diego is a 5 year old male and Seeing Double dog.  He is also an Iditarod veteran who has run on Anna’s team in the past.  Anna described Diego as a bit insane ~ like a 3 year old kid running around at top speed with scissors in one hand and a very mischievous look on his face.  He’s a loud dog with plenty to say, but it’s upbeat noise coming from this wiggly, happy dog.  Despite all of that, Diego can really focus and get down to business out on the trail. Which is good, as he is one of Anna’s go-to leaders.

Shoshanna is a 7 year old female and Iditarod veteran.  She has never run the Iditarod with the twins until this year, though, as she just joined the kennel last summer.  Shoshanna fancies herself the Queen Bee on the team and has very strong opinions on who she should run with on the line, with her preference being strongly for the handsome boy dogs…!  But once paired with the right running mate, Shoshanna is a very strong lead dog.

Maverick is a 3 year old male making his rookie run to Nome.  He is also a Seeing Double dog.  Not only is he a very handsome pup, he’s super energetic, happy, and is gaining more and more confidence with each mile he runs on the trail.  He is a very promising youngster that will copilot in lead with the right seasoned veteran.

Ruckus is a 6 year old male and Iditarod veteran, having run in the Iditarod with the twins in the past.  He is a Seeing Double dog and part of the infamous “Trouble Litter”.  His siblings Mayhem, Havoc, and Rampage are all on the team this year, which goes to show these pups are all sorts of Good Trouble!  Ruckus is the hardest working dog on the team and the biggest, putting all 70+ pounds into an unparalleled work ethic.

Mayhem is a 6 year old female and Iditarod veteran.  As noted above, she is a Seeing Double dog and part of the Trouble Litter.  In Mayhem’s case, though, that really couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Anna described her as the sweetest girl on the team.  She is happy to run with anyone in the pack and is one of Anna’s bread-and-butter leaders.  She is also a great role model in lead, happy to show younger leaders-in-training the ropes.  Mayhem was in dual lead with her brother Havoc at the restart this year.

Astro is a Seeing Double dog and Iditarod veteran.  He’s 4 years old, going on 5, but that doesn’t stop him from being a bit goofy.  He often runs with his tail wagging enthusiastically in the air and is very versatile when it comes to positions he will run on the team.

Albert is a 5 year old male and Seeing Double dog.  Much like Shoshanna, Albert is an Iditarod veteran, just not with the twins.  They acquired Albert last spring and he has prior Iditarod experience with the likes of Ryan Redington and Wade Marrs.  He’s got the most adorable floppy ears and claims the best appetite award on the team.  He is, frankly, a royal pig when it comes to food and for an Iditarod dog, that is a fantastic trait to have.  Albert is also a solid lead dog copilot when paired with the right companion at the front of the line.

Platinum, as her name suggests, is certainly worth her weight in gold.  She’s a 5 year old female and Seeing Double dog.  She is also an Iditarod veteran, having run on Anna’s team last year and with Nic Petit before joining the twins.  She is the largest female on the team and has a unique voice.  If she’s doing the talking, you’ll know it.  And she talks a lot, including when she is running.  She is also a great copilot lead dog when paired with the right key leader.

Zwickelbier, or Zwickel, is a 5 year old male Seeing Double dog (he was part of the Oktoberfest litter) and an Iditarod veteran.  He made it all the way to Nome on Anna’s team last year.  He’s a larger, handsome pup who is some respects may be a little too smart for his own good.  He’s very curious, always analyzing whatever is going on around him.  And he kinda thinks everything around him is his, and marks it accordingly.  He’s got a ton of spunk and Anna says he is the best wheel dog on her team, running in a position immediately in front of her sled.  Excelling in wheel requires strength to pull the sled but also a lot of dexterity navigating around the gangline.

Havoc is a 6 year old male and Seeing Double dog, the 3rd member of the Trouble Litter to be introduced this year.  He is one of Anna’s key leaders and was paired with Mayhem at the front of the gangline leaving the restart this year.  He’s a bit more of a quiet, reserved dog who knows his job and knows his place.  He’s one of those dogs you can just let loose when you return to the dog yard after a run, and he’ll go right to his house happily.  Anna described him as quiet, confident, and honest.  He is also really great for other people to interact with, particularly the veterinarians he meets along the Iditarod trail.

Anvik is a 3 year old female on loan from Travis Beals.  She is an Iditarod rookie and is the smallest and youngest dog on Anna’s team.  She is working on overcoming some shyness and really seems to shake the  shy when she gets an opportunity to copilot in lead.  (Note:  If you’ve been following the twins for a while, the name Anvik may sound really familiar, but don’t confuse this youngster with a prior dog of the same name.  Anvik is one of the checkpoints on the southern Iditarod trail route and possibly becoming the Iditarod Dog equivalent of John Smith!)

Rampage is a 6 year old male and Seeing Double dog, the 4th and final member of the Trouble Litter on Anna’s team this year.  He’s an accomplished Iditarod veteran, most recently leading Anna all the way to Nome in 2023.  He is the best leader on Anna’s team, whether running in dual lead or leading the charge in single lead.  Rampage sets the lead dog bar.  He’s the second biggest dog on Anna’s team and the fastest.  A great guy to have as a bread-and-butter leader.

Rocky is a 9 year old male on loan from the Redingtons. He’s an Iditarod veteran, running all the way to Nome with Anna last year and with Ellen Redington’s Jr. Iditarod team this year.  While he may be the oldest dog on Anna’s team, he has never really grown into a gentleman dog.  Anna said he is finally mellowing a bit, but then only a bit.  He’s the jerky teenager with an axe to grind who spends too much time in detention.  In Rocky’s case, that would be from chewing on his neck line or the gangline when no one is looking.  And barking at the top of his lungs like a spitefully cranked stereo system (my ears are still ringing!).  Despite a few less than desirable quirks, his love to run and skill on the dog team make him well worth it.  Given all you just read, would you guess he’s a great lead dog?!

Trout is a 5 year old female on loan, also from the Redingtons.  She is an Iditarod rookie and the newest pup on Anna’s team.  Trout’s mom is a big, strong dog and seems to have passed all this potential on to her daughter. Ellen Redington ran Trout on her Jr. Iditarod team this year and was really excited by how she did.  Given all of that, Anna is happy to have Trout on the team.

Elmer is a 4 year old male and Seeing Double dog.  He is an Iditarod rookie but came very close to making Anna’s team last year.  He may seem shy, downright timid, but that’s just like some people who don’t like parties.  You get Elmer out for a run and he’s all spice on the gangline.  He is also a lead dog in progress, showing good potential as a developing leader.

Fog is a 5 year old female and Seeing Double dog.  She’s an Iditarod veteran and the mom of Seeing Doubles “Toy Litter”.  She’s a great mom and while none of her pups quite made Anna’s Iditarod team this year, they’re growing up fast and showing great potential.  One of Fog’s quirks is that she really doesn’t care for other females for whatever reason.  And she apparently can’t stand Drax (another Seeing Double dog), even though he’s a boy.  Most people can probably list a person or two that they just can’t tolerate and prefer to avoid.  I know this Mad Blogger can.  So I certainly won’t hold that against Fog.  Her other quirk is that she’s quite the cheerleader.  Anna says that Fog will be bark-bark-barking with joy and excitement after running out of a checkpoint.  And not just initially, but for upwards of 5 to 7 miles!  Maybe that’s what helps her work up such a great appetite.  Anna said she can always count on Fog to happily scarf down her meals.    

And if this isn't one of the most adorable class photos you've ever seen, may I make a suggestion?  Time for an eye doctor appointment.  

It’s still Thursday where I’m at physically, at least for the next few minutes. But mentally? I’m going on 3am and only 2 1/2 hours shy of having been up for a full 24 hours.

So when I say “easy math”, I really mean it. That’s about all I can muster at the moment.

​Here’s your easy math problem (although it’s admittedly a memory test as well): What is the difference between Kristy and Anna’s 2023 bib numbers? The answer is Anna’s 2024 bib!!

​Need a hint?
​

That’s right. Anna is the first competitive musher hitting the Iditarod trail this year. If the fact that eight minus six equals two but Anna is still the first competitive musher off the line confuses you, let me explain. (That whole sentence confused me.)

​Each year, the Iditarod nominates an honorary musher that dons bib #1 and mushes with the Jr. Iditarod winner for the Ceremonial Start portion of the Iditarod. This year, that is Wilson Hughes, a longtime Iditarod advocate. From what I’ve read, Wilson has been actively involved in both sponsorship and behind-the-scenes logistics for many years. Emily Robinson won this year’s junior, so they’ll be a noteworthy pair in #1.

Which gets us back to Anna in bib #2. It will be exciting to have her launching the main event, and probably just as hectic and stressful as any other spot. One of the pros for going out second, especially for the c-start, is that the trail won’t be all chewed up. And us handlers don’t have the chaos of racing from one twin back to the truck to get the other going.

When it comes to the restart, those pros translate nicely. One con from Anna’s perspective is that she may well get passed a lot early on, which is fine but a little disruptive to getting her early rhythm going. Don’t get me wrong - she has a fast dog team. But she’s hoping to keep their enthusiasm in check for the first few miles (this is, after all, an ultra-marathon!). Others may not be so lucky. Or will be overwhelmed by starting-line enthusiasm themselves!

It’s going to be a busy coupla days! Hopefully my suitcase catches up to me tomorrow afternoon. But at least I have a coat, hat, and pajamas on loan in the meantime. (Darn you, Delta Airlines… darn you!!).

​Back with more here and on Insta. After a good long nap!

Seeing Double Iditarod 2024 Playlist…
Song 2: Add It Up by the Violent Femmes.

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Hello Seeing Double friends and fans!  Welcome back for yet another year of our behind-the-scenes coverage of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.  My name is Kat, and I am Anna and Kristy’s “not-a-twin” sister and Mad Blogger extraordinaire.  For over a decade, I’ve made it my job to narrate the twins’ journey from Anchorage to Nome each March, doing my best to shed light on what’s happening out on the trail and bring the excitement and challenge of this epic journey to fans everywhere.  In that respect, this year is no different.

The Iditarod’s 52nd launch is only days away, and I have a lot to cover!  So let’s get right down to business, shall we?!

First and foremost on many minds, I’m sure:  Where the heck is Kristy this year?!  Maybe you thought the Iditarod roster made a mistake, or the twins were planning some sort of late-breaking surprise, but neither is the case.  For the first time since 2011, there will only be one Berington out on the Iditarod trail in 2024.  At least physically.  But mentally, emotionally, and visibly present in the health and training level of all the dogs, the Seeing Double spirit will be going strong.  And I know we will all feel it still.

The twins came into this season knowing they would have to change things up a little bit.  Nothing has changed with respect to their love of dogs and mushing!  What has continued to change are the costs associated with pursuing this passion.  And by change, I mean go up.  And up!  Dog food, veterinary costs, mushing gear, even the gas required to get to events, are all more expensive.  Unfortunately, as the expenses went up, the inflows didn’t quite keep pace.  A rainy Alaska summer limited the amount of landscaping work the twins could do to replenish their coffers, and some natural turnover in sponsors impacted cash inflows as well.  Running two Iditarod caliber teams out of the same kennel is pricey.  After doing the math, the only thing that added up for Kristy and Anna was a divide-and-conquer plan for this season.

They have both put hundreds of training and mid-distance race miles on the dogs this year, and they are equally involved in loving on, and caring for, all the pups.  They alternated time on the runners for all their mid-distance events leading up to Iditarod.  And now Anna will showcase all of that Seeing Double talent and effort in what will be her 13th Iditarod career start.

Second order of business:  What does the Iditarod look like this year?  No real surprises with respect to the trail route.  Mushers will still run the Ceremonial Start from Anchorage on Saturday and the restart from Willow on Sunday, following the historic trail over the first third of the race to Ophir.  As they’re slated to do even-numbered years, mushers will then follow the northern route to Cripple, Ruby, Galena, and Nulato.  Mushers will again pick up the annual historic trail from Kaltag and run that the rest of the way to Nome.  Total race miles are approximated at 975, also about the norm.  Alaska has had another whopper snow year, so the first third of the trail should have plenty of the white stuff.  The other side of the Alaska Range, though, could pose some challenges, especially in the notoriously windblown and battered Farewell Burn.  We’ll learn more about that section of trail, as well as conditions beyond it, in the days ahead.

So that’s the trail… What about the Iditarod field of mushers?  This has been a bit of a moving target, and I think I’ve run those numbers three or four times so far.  There have been some headlines and drama, but as none of that involves the twins directly, it is way beyond my purview to say anything more here.  What I will say about the field, at least as of this post:

Field Total:  38 mushers.
22 Iditarod Veterans, 16 Rookies.
27 of the total 38 are male (16 vets, 11 rookies).
11 of the total 38 are female (6 vets, 5 rookies).

5 Countries represented:  USA, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland.
7 US States:  Alaska, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Washington.
1 Canadian Province:  Yukon.

There is plenty of talent running in that field as well.  At least twelve of the entrants have earned a top-10 finish in a prior Iditarod, and we have three returning champions with Ryan Redington (2023), Pete Kaiser (2019), and five-time champ Dallas Seavey (he last ran the Iditarod in 2022 and last claimed the championship in 2021).

Of course the most talent, the most strength and stamina, the biggest cuteness factor in this year’s race is embodied by the 608 dogs anticipated to launch off the restart line.

Which brings me to the third order of business:  Race rules and the schedule of events.  Both of these aspects will be very familiar to returning fans of the race.  For the most part, the official rules and regs are unchanged from last year.  The aforementioned total of 608 dogs launching from the start stems from each musher being able to leave with a maximum of 16 dogs.  This is a dedicated team of dogs for each musher, whereby no dog may be traded, replaced, or left behind (except through proper channels and with officials in a checkpoint).  Mushers must check in and out of each checkpoint and the dogs will be regularly assessed by veterinarians.  Mushers must also declare and take one 24-hour mandatory rest anywhere along the race route (plus starting differential), one 8-hour rest at a checkpoint along the Yukon River, and one 8-hour rest in White Mountain.  By this point, mushers have all shipped out their Drop Bags (resupply bags) to the eligible checkpoints and also had their dog teams in for pre-race vet checks and EKGs.

Which brings us all to the final days of waiting for the actual festivities to begin.  And we don’t have to wait too long.  Leap Thursday, Feb. 29th, brings the annual Musher meet-and-greet followed by the Musher Banquet and Bib Number drawing.  Saturday, March 2nd, features the Ceremonial Start and non-competitive run through Anchorage (starting at 10am Alaska time from 4th and D streets in downtown Anchorage).  And the restart takes place Sunday, March 3rd, from Willow, with the first musher hitting the trail at 2pm Alaska time.

This Mad Blogger is heading back to Alaska for a first-hand look and will be boots on the ground not long after Anna learns her starting position for this year’s race on Thursday.  I’ll be sure to update the Blog with Anna’s full dog team biography, details on her starting position and how she feels about it, and coverage of both the Ceremonial Start and Restart.  I’ll be traveling to Alaska from Wisconsin - land of the winter that wasn’t!  We have bupkis for snow this year, and I’m struggling a bit to get into my full Iditarod spirit.  I’m looking forward to getting my boots back into the snow - not to mention rocking my absurd snow pants!

And while it will be quite bizarre to follow only one of my sisters along the trail this year, there is one huge benefit… I will have the best Seeing Double Returned Dog Correspondent yet!  I will spend most of my time following the race from back in Wisco, but at least this year I will have Kristy at the kennel giving regular updates on the squad still in Knik, any dogs Anna opts to return home during the race, and the inside-inside interpretation of what Anna is up to out on the trail.  I look forward to regularly featuring Kristy's Wisdoms in blog posts and on Insta.

Let’s Gear Up, Armchair Mushers!  Iditarod 2024 is about to begin.


Suggested Armchair Musher gear:
Internet connection and device.
Quick links to Seeing Double’s Blog, Iditarod.com, and your favorite Alaska news sources.
Print outs of the trail map, checkpoint list, and mileage.
Slippers and coffee (or preferred equivalents).
Trail snacks for yourself and any furry sidekicks.
Seeing Double annual flyer and your favorite SD Merch!

Seeing Double Iditarod 2024 Playlist…
Song 1: Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man.

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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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