Iditarod Update – Race Day 7
The top 6 are beyond Galena, 7-11 are in Galena, and the rest are beyond Ruby. Current standings:
1 Lance Mackey (6) +5hours
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Paul Gebhardt (69)
4 Mitch Seavey (33)
5 Rick Swenson (61)
6 Jim Lanier (4)
7 Ed Iten (32)
8 Kjetil Backen (42)
9 Hans Gatt (38)
10 John Baker (67)
11 Jessie Royer (3)
12 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
13 Ken Anderson (9)
14 Sigrid Ekran (24)
15 Martin Buser (13)
16 Zack Steer (26)
17 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
18 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
19 Aaron Burmeister (14)
20 William Kleedehn (66)rookie
The Anchorage Daily News reports on the first dog death
A dog on the team of rookie Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher John Stetson died at 1:20 a.m. today. It is the first dog death in this year’s race.
The 7-year-old male, named Zaster, was dropped at Ophir at 2 a.m. on Friday and had been transported to Anchorage. He was being treated for signs of pneumonia.
It is an unfortunate trait of sled dogs, but they are so energetic and willing that by the time they start showing signs of illness, they are seriously ill. Many times the pneumonia is triggered by inhaling food while eating, something that you would understand if you ever watched a husky eat, even when they are not on the trail.
Still in 73rd, Rachael Scdoris (55) is on the trail between Ophir and Cripple.
Melissa Owens (59) is currently in 29th place in Ruby. The rookie musher who just turned 18 on February 18th, is rushing back to high school in Nome, her hometown. The Iditarod isn’t my idea of Spring Break.
In 89th and last place,Deborah Bicknell (21) is on the trail beyond Takotna
5 comments
nice map. 🙂
Heh. I was about to comment the same thing as hipparchia. Cool map indeed… thanks. This should make following the rest of the race much easier for us less hardcore types.
Thanks for suggesting it Hipparchia with your post. There’s an embedded link to the Anchorage Daily News.
Actually, it’s easier to edit the map than build a new post.
google has been uncooperative lately about letting me into my own blog, so map away. i’m apparently not going to be able to.
looking at the standings just now, i see that stetson scratched at cripple, and ryan redington scratched at ruby.
After 7 years you get attached to a dog, and I don’t doubt Stetson thinks he should have noticed that there was a problem because he works with his dogs year round and they are part of his business. After standing up for most of seven days at the back of a sled, you are bound to miss things, and he may be worried about his remaining dogs.
I notice Ryan was down to 10 dogs and after the run into Ruby, might have felt they weren’t up to the rest of the trip. His family wouldn’t appreciate risking dogs. Mackey was concerned about his dogs at Ruby, which is why he took his 8-hour there. The weather has been a factor, with that warm front making things miserable for the dogs.