Kristy, Anna, and 28 dogs between them are on their way down the 2021 Iditarod trail!
An hour or so before launch time, Mom and I - watching remotely from the twins' hometown in Wisconsin - got a quick phone call so we could wish everyone well. Both Anna and Kristy sounded great. It didn't sound like they got much more sleep than they normally would have the night before the big event, but they were excited and ready to hit the trail.
I had no issues technologically watching Kristy and Anna leave the start, and kudos to Iditarod staff and their local news partner for offering solid streaming, different camera angles, and interesting commentary.
Each musher, including the twins, had a face covering at the start, and the limited fans I could see lining the chute were wearing masks as well. Each musher received a Covid-19 test when they arrived at Deshka Landing today, and as far as I've heard everyone has the final all-clear to race. The sun was shining and it was balmy by Iditarod standards (+10F, not counting the toasty impact of the sun), so I am hard pressed to envision a better day to do it.
Kristy told us that her sled bag was packed to the gills, and she hopes to be able to blow through Yentna without stopping. Anna has a similar plan. Although it was quite warm and comfortable today for the race start, it promises to get near zero for camping out on the river tonight. The twins have all their gear and plenty of straw to bed down the dogs, so while you might not be able to imagine it, they should be quite comfy out there tonight.
The dogs looked really excited on the line and raring to go. Kristy said that Mayhem was so wound up early on, she was chewing at the gang line and was moved to lead. That way she didn't have anything immediately apparent to naw on! Anna's dogs also looked great and eager to get running.
I have finished the dog team bios and will be posting them shortly!
I'll let the rest of the 47 teams get on their way, and be back later with a race update and where they've gotten to on the trail. Remember - this is a long race, folks. Think marathon, not sprint!
An hour or so before launch time, Mom and I - watching remotely from the twins' hometown in Wisconsin - got a quick phone call so we could wish everyone well. Both Anna and Kristy sounded great. It didn't sound like they got much more sleep than they normally would have the night before the big event, but they were excited and ready to hit the trail.
I had no issues technologically watching Kristy and Anna leave the start, and kudos to Iditarod staff and their local news partner for offering solid streaming, different camera angles, and interesting commentary.
Each musher, including the twins, had a face covering at the start, and the limited fans I could see lining the chute were wearing masks as well. Each musher received a Covid-19 test when they arrived at Deshka Landing today, and as far as I've heard everyone has the final all-clear to race. The sun was shining and it was balmy by Iditarod standards (+10F, not counting the toasty impact of the sun), so I am hard pressed to envision a better day to do it.
Kristy told us that her sled bag was packed to the gills, and she hopes to be able to blow through Yentna without stopping. Anna has a similar plan. Although it was quite warm and comfortable today for the race start, it promises to get near zero for camping out on the river tonight. The twins have all their gear and plenty of straw to bed down the dogs, so while you might not be able to imagine it, they should be quite comfy out there tonight.
The dogs looked really excited on the line and raring to go. Kristy said that Mayhem was so wound up early on, she was chewing at the gang line and was moved to lead. That way she didn't have anything immediately apparent to naw on! Anna's dogs also looked great and eager to get running.
I have finished the dog team bios and will be posting them shortly!
I'll let the rest of the 47 teams get on their way, and be back later with a race update and where they've gotten to on the trail. Remember - this is a long race, folks. Think marathon, not sprint!
