Iditarod – Day 13

by Bryan

8 comments

1 JuanitaM { 03.18.10 at 8:45 pm }

Colleen Robertia came into Nome at 2:56:10 pm Alaska time. I guess that would be about 6:56 pm our time. Good for her. Wonder if she’ll put herself through that again?

I noticed in your comments that the guy with the six-pack made it! Great news. There have been some truly interesting stories in this Iditarod. It’s the only sport to which I have given myself the luxury of becoming addicted. Come March, I’m checking the standings several times a day, and checking out your site for the details. There’s so much more to this sport than just “who’s on first”, ‘ya know?

2 Bryan { 03.18.10 at 9:23 pm }

The truth is that I have less interest in the people who run the race as a job, like Lance Mackey, and love the stories of the people who look on it as an adventure.

Colleen has run in the Quest, and I hope she continues. She does it truly from a love of the dogs, and right now she has brought more dogs to Nome than anyone else.

That said, I hope that Wattie McDonald, for whom this may be his first and last race, can bring in all 16 puppies, because I’m fairly sure he is running someone’s puppy team, just like Sam Deltour ran in his first Iditarod. Sam brought all 16 to Nome.

Jane Faulkner may be at the back of the pack, but the only reason she’s still in the race is because Sam Deltour helped her to patch her sled in early going after it got battered around Rainy Pass. Jane could have quit, but she continued, and it looks like she’ll finish.

Finishing is winning, in this race or in a marathon. Someone will come in first, but making the finish line is a victory. More people have climbed Mt. Everest than have finished the Iditarod. They still make the climb, even though they will never replace Hillary and Tenzing as the first.

3 JuanitaM { 03.18.10 at 9:57 pm }

Finishing is winning, in this race or in a marathon. Someone will come in first, but making the finish line is a victory.

Ain’t it the truth! Honestly, anyone that gets halfway through has my admiration because I’m a complete wimp when it comes to temperatures below 10 degrees. And those scary drops through Rainy Pass. Whew. How they do it is beyond me.

And, yeah, there are the MOST compelling story lines in this race. Even the dogs, or maybe more accurately I should say especially the dogs. In fact, in the early part of the race, there are certain dogs that I follow more than the humans, but as events unfold and “stuff” happens, my interest tends to branch. Teams that I knew nothing about in the beginning become ones that I closely watch toward the end.

4 Bryan { 03.18.10 at 11:19 pm }

I like the little guys.

Rachael Scdoris [legally blind musher from Oregon], Trent Herbst [teacher from Idaho always at the back but finishes], Jim Lanier [retired pathologist and older than dirt], etc.

Kim Darst, the helicopter pilot from New Jersey had to withdraw before the start of the race. She was ready to give it another try, despite being caught in a blizzard last year.

There a lot of people who scrimp and save to do it once, and they are much more interesting than people who earn their living racing.

5 RJ { 03.19.10 at 9:35 am }

I’m a little late to the party, but someone in a previous post asked about a picture of Colleen’s lead dog Penny. There’s a great one of the two of them at the finish line on her/her husband’s blog. Check out http://www.rogueskennel.com and click on “blog” on the left.

6 hipparchia { 03.19.10 at 7:01 pm }

thanks for the link, rj!

a couple of pictures of penny:

with roses
with blue blanket

7 JuanitaM { 03.19.10 at 7:49 pm }

Yes, thanks RJ. She is one good looking girl, isn’t she?

Penny is one of the few dogs that I could tell was a female just from her face. Usually, you have to look…well…elsewhere……… 😳

8 Bryan { 03.19.10 at 10:31 pm }

The Anchorage Daily News also did a piece on Penny That I may include in the wrap up, so thanks RJ.

Next time I may include mushers web sites with the initial listing.