Posts from — March 2011

About a third of the field took their 24-hour layover in Takotna and are back in the race. The top three are going for the Dorothy G. Page Award for the first team to the halfway point, Iditarod this year, and the $3,000 in gold nuggets before taking their “day off”. It would be nice to see Trent win it, after years of slogging along in the back of the pack, especially since he’s a school teacher.

[Update: He did it. Trent Herbst was first into Iditarod! A teacher wins one. His class in Ketchum, Idaho will be celebrating.]

Kelley and Lance are both down to 10 dogs with half the race to go.

Mitch Seavey (28) was withdrawn by race officials at Ophir after severely injuring his hand while slicing open a hay bale to provide bedding for his dogs. He was running 15th at the time.

Beyond Iditarod

1 Sebastian Schnuelle (31)

At Iditarod

2 Trent Herbst (4)
3 Kelley Griffin (20)
4 Martin Buser (11)
5 Hugh Neff (35)
6 Cim Smyth (59)
7 Lance Mackey (17)
8 Michael Williams, Jr. (41)
9 John Baker (53)
10 Hans Gatt (23) [Read more →]

Jessica Hendricks (36) becomes the fourth team to scratch. I mentioned yesterday that she was down to 8 puppies, and they obviously weren’t happy.

Bob Storey (15), the 65-year-old retired Army officer from New Zealand spent almost an entire day getting from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass. There is probably a story behind that involving the “steps”, because he was making good time in his rookie run prior to that. [Update: Bob decided to scratch at Rainy Pass.]

Nicolas Petit (14) is again the leading rookie. Cain Carter (48) has dropped back after a big surge yesterday.

This year’s Yukon Quest 300 winner, Gerry Willomitzer (33), has scratched at McGrath. He was down to 12 dogs, and didn’t think they were having fun.

Note: These are the official standings. That means they are official, not that they are correct. Things jump around a lot as people decide to update the standings. This problem is especially bad in the back of the pack, as no one bothers to update those standings when the lead is changing.

At Ophir

1 Robert Nelson (51)
2 Trent Herbst (4)
3 Cim Smyth (59)
4 Kelley Griffin (20)

At Takotna

5 Martin Buser (11)
6 Lance Mackey (17)
7 Sebastian Schnuelle (31)
8 Hugh Neff (35)
9 Ray Redington, Jr (3)
10 Mitch Seavey (28) [Read more →]

Where’s the response to what’s happening to the world’s chocolate supply – Gbagbo orders state cocoa control

Ivory Coast’s disputed President Laurent Gbagbo has ordered the government to take control of all cocoa purchases and exports.

A decree read out on state TV said the purchase from producers “will be undertaken exclusively by the state”.
…

Ivory Coast is the world’s biggest cocoa producer.

The country’s industry accounts for 40% of global supplies and is currently dominated by multinational companies.

The price of cocoa has been trading at its highest levels for a year, as supplies have been strangled by recent sanctions and the near collapse of the banking system.

We are talking about the loss of access to one of the basic food groups, the top of the pyramid, and where is the US response?

The ABC reports that Parts of quake-hit Christchurch to be abandoned

New Zealand’s prime minister says parts of Christchurch were so badly damaged in last month’s deadly earthquake that areas of the city will have to be abandoned.

John Key says 10,000 homes face demolition after the 6.3-magnitude tremor which is believed to have claimed more than 200 lives.

But he warns that rebuilding will not be possible in some areas.

“We simply don’t know,” he told Radio New Zealand when asked which parts of the city would be deserted.

“We know there’s been substantial liquefaction damage. It’s a statement of fact that there will be some properties that can’t be rebuilt.

I mentioned the liquefaction before. It turns the soil into quicksand, and there is no way known of putting a stable foundation on it. They are going to have to determine where the problem exists, and prohibit rebuilding on it.

The fire season is off to an early start all over the country.

CNN reports on the New Mexico fire:

(CNN) — A brush fire near Silver City, New Mexico, has burned as many as 15 buildings and forced authorities to evacuate a neighborhood threatened by flames, according to the New Mexico state forestry division.

The fire had spread across 1,770 acres as of Tuesday morning, the agency reported.

About 100 homes remained under an evacuation order Tuesday, but the agency said authorities had lifted evacuation notices for some other homes near the fire, which is burning about 230 miles south of Albuquerque.

Winds gusting up to 50 mph on Monday spread the fire from 50 acres early in the day to 500 to 1,000 acres by nightfall, according to agency spokesman Dan Ware.

At least five homes were burned in the fire, along with an unconfirmed number of barns, sheds and other structures, Ware said.

One of my great-grandfathers was stationed at an Army fort near Silver City, and my maternal grandmother traveled by train and stage couch to live there for a short time, the longest trip she made in her entire life.

The main post mentions that Melissa Owens and Zoya DeNure have scratched at Rainy Pass. These aren’t isolated problems.

Melissa’s injured leg makes standing on the runners for another week or so impossible, but Rick Swenson is going to attempt it with a broken collarbone. Rick has won 5 times, and is too old for this silliness, but he’s going to “tough it out”.

Lance Mackey made a passing comment about liking to lead so you don’t have to worry about “kennel cough”. Actually he was worrying about three of his dogs not seeming right, including Lippy, who has a 1000-mile race victory for each of her 9 years. He will be down to 12 puppies when he leaves Nikolai.

Zoya pulled out because her dogs weren’t “right”, Jessica Hendricks (36) is already down to 8 puppies and several teams are down to 13. It’s hard to say that these things are related, but it makes mushers nervous.

You will note in the listing that positions 55 and 56 are vacant. They will be assigned as people leave Rainy Pass. They represent Melissa and Zoya, and teams must go further than they did to move up.

More on the multiple problems in the ADN.

There must be good snow on the trail because the times are very fast. Because of the start time differential, Hugh was actually a few minutes ahead of Lance when they left Rohn.

Lance’s step-son, Cain Carter (48), has overtaken Nicolas Petit (14) for the rookie lead, and Yukon Quest winner, Dallas Seavey, is positioning himself for a challenge after a slow start. Jessie Royer has let her puppies run, and they want to run up front.

Update: Melissa Owens has scratched. She re-injured a leg on the run into Rainy Pass. Mellissa is the first woman musher from Nome to finish the Iditarod, and she did it on her rookie run in 2008 as the youngest woman to ever enter the race, making it home just in time to get back to high school at the end of her spring break in her senior year.

They are now reporting that Zoya DeNure (9) with her team of “runts, rejects, and strays” has also scratched at Rainy Pass. The only explanation so far is that it “was the right decision” for the dogs. A guess would be a behavior change by the team that can’t be explained. Mushers really know their dogs, and if the dogs start acting “weird”, something isn’t right, and the middle of nowhere is not the place you want to discover the reason. [Update: she reported that one of her dogs collapsed from what looked like a heart attack after she left Rainy Pass, so she loaded him in the sled and went back. The dog recovered, but there is no explanation as to what happened. (It sound like a heat stroke.)]

Paul Gebhardt (34) scratched in Nikolai when he had to leave 4 dogs. Gebhardt thinks the warmer than normal weather led to overheating and dehydration which cause cramps in the dogs and poor appetite. Ideally the dogs like the temperature to be in the plus to minus 20°F range.

Martin Buser picked up the Spirit of Alaska award as he blew through McGrath.

Note: These are the official standings. That means they are official, not that they are correct. Things jump around a lot as people decide to update the standings. This problem is especially bad in the back of the pack, as no one bothers to update those standings when the lead is changing.

Beyond McGrath

1 Martin Buser (11)

Beyond Nikolai

2 Sebastian Schnuelle (31)
3 Lance Mackey (17)
4 Hugh Neff (35) [Read more →]

The last day before the beginning of Lent on the Gulf Coast that once belonged to France, it is Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”: Laissez les bon temps rouler!

It was first celebrated in Mobile, Alabama, but the big show these days is in New Orleans, and it is a holiday in the state of Louisiana, because people wouldn’t show up for work anyway, so why fight it.

The tradition is to serve King cake, which is a circle of cinnamon bun dough with a white frosting on top sprinkled with sugar colored purple, gold, and green. If that weren’t bad enough, they put the figurine of a baby in the dough, and whoever finds it in their piece is supposed to be lucky. Actually if you find it and don’t choke on it, I guess you are lucky. You should use a small ceramic figurine, as some of the cheap plastic versions melt in the oven [Yummy! Oh, as both types are probably made in China, you will get you lifetime allowance of heavy metals regardless].

Yes, every year at this time sane and sober people need to fade into the background as the “lords of misrule” take over and display their total disrespect for the norms of society. They posture and engage in outrageous behavior in hopes of being gifted with trinkets from those they feel are their “betters”.

… What? Mardi Gras? My heavens, no! The Florida legislative session starts today. It certainly doesn’t have the sanity and decorum of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a day – this insanity goes on for two months.

The weather hasn’t been bad for the first part of the race, but after they enter the interior anything is possible.

They have started with about 11 hours of daylight, and that will increase every day. Running at night is going to require their headlamps because the moon is a waxing crescent and won’t provide much light. They need the light because you definitely don’t want to go off the trail. It runs along the side of gorges, and requires switchbacks to make it up some of the heights. A lot of mushers and their sleds get broken while crossing the mountains and the Farewell Burn [second growth as the result of a major wildfire].

The positions keep jumping around because the experienced mushers have their own run/rest schedule They will be leapfrogging each other.

The experienced teams all rested at Rainy Pass so the dogs will be alert and fed for the nasty bits just ahead of them. This is the slowest part of the trail, as a wrong move can take the team out of the race.

The first award, Spirit of Alaska Award, awaits the lead team into McGrath. PenAir gives them an original spirit mask [it is piece of handmade Native Alaskan art] and $500 in credit for air freight or travel on PenAir.

The leaders are beyond Skwentna coming into the “interesting” section of the trail – mountain climbing followed by moose and stump dodging.

Update: Beyond Rohn

1 Lance Mackey (17)
2 Hugh Neff (35)
3 Sebastian Schnuelle (31)

At Rohn

4 Robert Bundtzen (10)
5 Paul Gebhardt (34)
6 Ray Redington, Jr (3)
7 Martin Buser (11)
8 Hans Gatt (23)
9 Gerry Willomitzer (33)
10 Bruce Linton (13)

Beyond Rainy Pass

11 Mitch Seavey (28)
12 Michael Williams, Jr. (41)
13 Sonny Lindner (52)
14 Nicolas Petit (14)^R
15 John Baker (53)
16 Judy Currier (29)
17 Jessie Royer (58)
18 Ramey Smyth (30)
19 Aliy Zirkle (18)
20 Rick Swenson (49) [Read more →]

DeeDee Jonrowe (2) left the chute at 2PM AKST [5PM CST] and is headed towards Yentna. Every two minutes another team leaves, with Justin Savidis (63) leaving just after 4PM local [out at 4:02PM].

No last minute scratches were announced and no position changes will be official until the teams check in at Yentna.

The trail is good for the leaders, but there is deep snow this year and after the packed trail breaks down it will be like sledding through sand.

Update: DeeDee was first through Yentna at 8:21PM CST, but she was followed by Trent Herbst (4), the school teacher from Ketcham, Idaho. Ray Redington, Jr (3) must have had a problem.

Update: 11PM: Beyond Yentna

1 DeeDee Jonrowe (2)
2 Trent Herbst (4)
3 Robert Bundtzen (10)
4 Ray Redington, Jr (3)
5 Melissa Owens (12)
6 Martin Buser (11)
7 Kristy Berington (7)
8 Allen Moore (5)
9 Bruce Linton (13)
10 Zoya DeNure (9)
11 Lance Mackey (17)
12 Nicolas Petit (14)^R
13 Aliy Zirkle (18)
14 Paul Gebhardt (34)
15 Dallas Seavey (21)
16 Mike Santos (27)^R
17 Jodi Bailey (16)^R
18 Judy Currier (29)
19 Billy Snodgrass (24)
20 Gerry Willomitzer (33)
21 Hugh Neff (35)
[Read more →]

I’ll be throwing out things about the mushers as the race goes on, because a list of names isn’t very exciting.

First out, some of these people should have familiar names if you followed the Yukon Quest.

1 Dallas Seavey (21)
2 Sebastian Schnuelle (31)
3 Ken Anderson (43)
5 Kelley Griffin (20)
6 Allen Moore (5)
7 Jodi Bailey (16)^R

These six people just finished the Quest and those are their finishing positions.

Three others started the Quest but had to scratch:

Hans Gatt (23)
Hugh Neff (35)
Michelle Phillips (39)

Another group of three finished the Yukon Quest 300:

1 Gerry Willomitzer (33)
4 Aliy Zirkle (18)
10 Jessie Royer (58)

Jody Bailey is attempting to do something for the first time, running rookie races in the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year. Given the conditions that had to be overcome in this year’s Quest, the smart money has to be on her achieving her goal.

While Hans Gatt has the worse case of frostbite, Sebastian Schnuelle and Hugh Neff didn’t get off much better. They will definitely feel it on the trail.

The newest addition to my Iditarod “widget” on the right sidebar is the Anchorage Daily News‘s Iditarod Blog, which, among other things, is running a series on mushers and their dogs.

The multiple freezes in Florida this year have created an additional fire hazard. People put in tropical varieties of plants which die when the frost hits, providing fuel for fires. Because of the sand, the ground doesn’t retain a lot of moisture, so a couple of days of low humidity can really dry the place out. We have been under fire warnings for much of the year on days without rain. The cold fronts, and North winds produce the conditions, and our local luck ran out yesterday.

From the Local Puppy Trainer: Wildfire rages through South Walton neighborhood

POINT WASHINGTON — Flames could be seen over the tops of trees Friday afternoon as a wildfire quickly spread over 10 acres in a neighborhood north of East Point Washington Road.

The fire blazed along the McQuage Bayou north to Choctawhatchee Bay, torching docks and piers and damaging at least two homes.

More than 50 people were evacuated from their homes, but no injuries were reported.

The fire went along the shore in the next county to my East. There has been a lot of development there in the years before the Meltdown, and the county hasn’t caught up with resources. Fire units from Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, and my county had to respond because Walton county just doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with wildfires. Most of the fire departments in the county are volunteer, and the people buying waterfront property aren’t the “volunteering” type, nor do they want to pay for a fire protection district.