Posts from — March 2023

It’s that time of year. Spring arrives at 4:24PM CDT this afternoon. You could have watched it come at Archæoastronomy.

The air is already filled with pollen and the live oaks are dropping last year’s leaves. The azaleas have already peaked and the pear trees are snowy with blooms.

I would note that locally we have had 12 hours or more of daylight since before St. Patrick’s Day, and usually do.

Jason Mackey (20) only has 5 puppies in harness. I was sure that the minimum was 6. I’ll have to research it. Update the rule is now 5 puppies on the towline as a minimum. They must must have changed it when they went to 14 instead of 16 as the maximum.

Looks like The Φ (Red Lantern) will come to Nome today. Jason Mackey (20) ended the race when he brought the Red Lantern under the Burled Arch in Nome at 8:03PM tonight.

Standings at 8:03PM CDT (5:03PM AKDT):
Finished at Nome
1 Ryan Redington (5)
2 Peter Kaiser (33)
3 Richie Diehl (15)
4 Matt Hall (7)
5 Jessie Holmes (2)
6 Kelly Maixner (23)
7 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
8 Matthew Failor (16)
9 Mille Porsild (4)
10 Wade Marrs (28)
11 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Jessie Royer (26)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
17 Nicolas Petit (9)
18 Riley Dyche (21)
19 Ramey Smyth (24)
20 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
21 Kristy Berington (6)
22 Anna Berington (8)
23 Michael Williams Jr (32)
24 Bailey Vitello (3)^R
25 Joanna Jagow (25)
26 Gerhardt Thiart (22)^R
27 Bridgett Watkins (19)^R
28 Jed Stephensen (27)^R
29 Jason Mackey (20) Φ
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

Éireann go Brách!

Well everyone agrees that he died on March 17^th, but the year is subject to debate. This is his feast day on the Catholic calendar. Enjoy as you are wont.

Wikipedia has more on Saint Patrick’s Day, if you need more.

I put the Top Ten below the fold to show how the teams in the back of the pack are doing.

Standings at 9:30PM CDT (6:30PM AKDT):
Finished at Nome
11 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Jessie Royer (26)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
17 Nicolas Petit (9)
18 Riley Dyche (21)
19 Ramey Smyth (24)
20 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
21 Kristy Berington (6)
22 Anna Berington (8)
Beyond Safety
23 Michael Williams Jr (32)
At White Mountain
24 Bailey Vitello (3)^R
25 Joanna Jagow (25)
26 Gerhardt Thiart (22)^R
27 Bridgett Watkins (19)^R
Beyond Elim
28 Jason Mackey (20)
29 Jed Stephensen (27)^R
[Top 10 finishers below the fold] [Read more →]

Veteran musher Eric Kelly scratches at Shaktoolik checkpoint. He had been dropping back the last day or so. The puppies were in good health.

Standings at 9:30PM CDT (6:30PM AKDT):
Finished at Nome
1 Ryan Redington (5)
2 Peter Kaiser (33)
3 Richie Diehl (15)
4 Matt Hall (7)
5 Jessie Holmes (2)
6 Kelly Maixner (23)
7 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
8 Matthew Failor (16)
9 Mille Porsild (4)
10 Wade Marrs (28)
11 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Jessie Royer (26)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
Beyond Safety
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
Beyond White Mountain
17 Nicolas Petit (9)
At White Mountain
18 Riley Dyche (21)
19 Ramey Smyth (24)
20 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

Ryan Redington is a few miles from Safety this morning but is going carefully. There are only six puppies pulling the sled, the absolute minimum number required to be in the race. If any of the dogs is injured, the race is over for the team. He has a 4 hour advantage over Peter Kaiser but he needs to be careful.

Ryan Redington’s was the first team to Nome on 3/14 at 3:13:58PM CDT (12:13:58 AKDT) with 6 dogs after 8 days 21 hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds of racing.

Finished at Nome
1 Ryan Redington (5)
2 Peter Kaiser (33)
3 Richie Diehl (15)
4 Matt Hall (7)

Standings at 9:30PM CDT (6:30PM AKDT):
Beyond Safety
5 Kelly Maixner (23)
6 Jessie Holmes (2)
Beyond White Mountain
7 Matthew Failor (16)
8 Mille Porsild (4)
9 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
10 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
11 Wade Marrs (28)
At White Mountain
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
Beyond Elim
13 Jessie Royer (26)
14 Christian Turner (30)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
At Elim
17 Nicolas Petit (9)
Beyond Koyuk
18 Riley Dyche (21)
19 Ramey Smyth (24)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

3/14 is Albert’s birthday and

Π Day.

I assume you have all shopped for the perfect gift.

To start: Π ≅ 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399
3751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679….

Barring a major problem the first team should reach Nome early tomorrow morning. Everyone has an 8-hour rest at White Mountain, then the sprint to Nome.

Ryan Redington, first to White Mountain, wins Northrim Bank Achieve More Award

Standings at 10:00PM CDT (7:00PM AKDT):
At White Mountain
1 Ryan Redington (5)
Beyond Elim
2 Richie Diehl (15)
3 Peter Kaiser (33)
4 Matt Hall (7)
5 Kelly Maixner (23)
At Elim
6 Jessie Holmes (2)
7 Matthew Failor (16)
8 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
Beyond Koyuk
9 Mille Porsild (4)
10 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
11 Wade Marrs (28)
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
Beyond Shaktoolik
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Aaron Peck (31)
15 Jessie Royer (26)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
At Shaktoolik
17 Nicolas Petit (9)
18 Riley Dyche (21)
Beyond Unalakleet
19 Ramey Smyth (24)
20 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

[[!!Don’t forget the time change!!]]

Ryan Redington wins the Ryan Air Gold Coast Award as the first musher to reach the Unalakleet checkpoint.

Standings at 8:00PM CDT (5:00PM AKDT):
Beyond Shaktoolik
1 Ryan Redington (5)
At Shaktoolik
2 Peter Kaiser (33)
3 Richie Diehl (15)
Beyond Unalakleet
4 Matt Hall (7)
5 Kelly Maixner (23)
6 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
7 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
8 Mille Porsild (4)
At Unalakleet
9 Jessie Holmes (2)
10 Matthew Failor (16)
11 Wade Marrs (28)
Beyond Kaltag
12 Dan Kaduce (11)
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Nicolas Petit (9)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
17 Riley Dyche (21)
18 Jessie Royer (26)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

[[!!Don’t forget the time change!!]]

An amazing development: Veteran musher, Brent Sass, scratches at Eagle Island Checkpoint. Brent is the reigning winner and was running in the lead when he scratched.

Ryan Redington receives the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Fish First Award

Rookie musher Gregg Vitello scratches at Iditarod checkpoint. He called for assistance and was helped back to Iditarod. He has been falling further behind the last couple of days.

Standings at 10:00PM CST (7:00PM AKST):
Beyond Kaltag
1 Ryan Redington (5)
2 Richie Diehl (15)
3 Peter Kaiser (33)
At Kaltag
4 Jessie Holmes (2)
5 Kelly Maixner (23)
6 Mille Porsild (4)
7 Matthew Failor (16)
8 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
9 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
10 Wade Marrs (28)
11 Matt Hall (7)
Beyond Eagle Island
12 Nicolas Petit (9)
13 Christian Turner (30)
14 Aaron Peck (31)
15 Dan Kaduce (11)
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
At Eagle Island
17 Riley Dyche (21)
18 Jessie Royer (26)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

The race is on. Everyone has finished their 24-hour layover and their times have been adjusted for the Start Differential.

Jessie Holmes wins the First Musher to the Yukon Award which is a five course meal cooked by a chef.

Standings at 10:00PM CST (7:00PM AKST):
Beyond Grayling
1 Brent Sass (14)
2 Jessie Holmes (2)
3 Nicolas Petit (9)
4 Kelly Maixner (23)
5 Richie Diehl (15)
6 Mille Porsild (4)
7 Peter Kaiser (33)
At Grayling
8 Matthew Failor (16)
9 Ryan Redington (5)
10 Christian Turner (30)
11 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
12 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
Beyond Anvik
13 Matt Hall (7)
At Anvik
14 Wade Marrs (28)
15 Aaron Peck (31)
Beyond Shageluk
16 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
17 Dan Kaduce (11)
18 Riley Dyche (21)
At Shageluk
19 Jessie Royer (26)
20 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
21 Anna Berington (8)
22 Kristy Berington (6)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

Spring forward, Fall back.

Just to screw up your life, don’t forget that Congress has stolen 2:00 to 2:59AM Sunday from you. They should at least have the decency to wait until the equinoxes to do this sort of thing. There’s barely enough daylight to do what needs to be done, much less save.

It’s a government conspiracy to make you late for church 😈

He gets the gold ($3,000): Wade Marrs wins GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award

Standings at 8:30PM CST (5:30PM AKST):
Beyond Iditarod
1 Jessie Holmes (2)
2 Brent Sass (14)
At Iditarod
3 Wade Marrs (28)
4 Richie Diehl (15)
5 Ryan Redington (5)
6 Peter Kaiser (33)
7 Nicolas Petit (9)
8 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
9 Matthew Failor (16)
10 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
11 Mille Porsild (4)
Beyond Ophir
12 Kelly Maixner (23)
13 Riley Dyche (21)
14 Christian Turner (30)
15 Matt Hall (7)
16 Dan Kaduce (11)
17 Jessie Royer (26)
18 Aaron Peck (31)
19 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
20 Kristy Berington (6)
21 Anna Berington (8)
22 Michael Williams Jr (32)
23 Ramey Smyth (24)
24 Bridgett Watkins (19)^R
25 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]

By being the first into McGrath yesterday, Ryan Redington wins Alaska Air Transit Spirit of Iditarod Award

Teams are starting to take their 24-hour mandatory layovers. Takotna is traditionally a favorite stop. Nicolas Petit (9) has finished his 24-hour stop at Nikolai,

It looks like Wade Marrs (28) is going for the Half-Way Prize and will camp at Iditarod. Michael Williams Jr (32) closes Nikolai at the end of his 24-24.

Standings at 10:00PM CST (7:00PM AKST):
Beyond Ophir
1 Wade Marrs (28)
At Ophir
2 Jessie Holmes (2)
3 Brent Sass (14)
4 Aaron Peck (31)
At Takotna
5 Deke Naaktgeboren (34)
At Takotna
6 Ryan Redington (5)
7 Richie Diehl (15)
8 Peter Kaiser (33)
9 Matthew Failor (16)
10 Eddie Burke Jr (18)^R
11 Mille Porsild (4)
12 Hunter Keefe (12)^R
13 Matt Hall (7)
14 Christian Turner (30)
15 Dan Kaduce (11)
16 Jessie Royer (26)
17 KattiJo Deeter (10)^R
18 Kristy Berington (6)
19 Anna Berington (8)
20 Ramey Smyth (24)
21 Bridgett Watkins (19)^R
[continued below the fold] [Read more →]