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.
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.
 |  Kristy (left) and Anna at the kennel in early February. With Bogus. Photos by Brian Doben (used with permission). |
