Category — Iditarod

Nicolas has a five hour lead out of Grayling while Mitch and Joar are less than 15 minutes apart.

Because the weather prevented aircraft from landing there the ITC has removed Eagle Island as a checkpoint. It is now a dog drop, but there are no supply drop bags, so Grayling to Kaltag is now the longest run. I guess dropping the supplies at Grayling and ferrying them to Eagle Island was too complicated for the ITC.

Robert Redington scratched at Shageluk “for the good of his team”. He was down to 11 puppies after dropping one at Iditarod. His team may have been suffering from the relatively high temperatures [for sled dogs] in the upper 20s.

Standings at 9:30PM CST:

Beyond Grayling
1 Nicolas Petit (46)
2 Mitch Seavey (13)
3 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
4 Ray Redington Jr (17)
5 Peter Kaiser (30)
6 Richie Diehl (29)
7 Aaron Burmeister (64)
8 Travis Beals (60)
9 Wade Marrs (11)
10 Jessie Royer (36)
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Nicolas Petit is definitely the real leader of the race, but there is a long way to go. Having an hour lead on Mitch Seavey is not anything to make you comfortable.Joar is back on the trail with all 16 puppies rested and ready to race.

Nicholas won first to the Yukon which is a 5 course meal and $3500 in one dollar bills.

Scott White became the third team to scratch. He decided to scratch at Takotna and will run his team back to McGrath to be picked up. He was down to 10 puppies and the trail in front is isolated from civilization.

Standings at 9:30PM CST:

Beyond Grayling
1 Nicolas Petit (46)
At Grayling
2 Mitch Seavey (13)
3 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
Beyond Shageluk
4 Richie Diehl (29)
5 Peter Kaiser (30)
6 Ray Redington Jr (17)
7 Wade Marrs (11)
8 Jessie Royer (36)
9 Linwood Fiedler (8)
10 Aaron Burmeister (64)
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Joar made it to Iditarod and the Half Way prize and is settling in for a 24 hour+ layover as Nicolas, Mitch, Aaron, and Wade have finished theirs and are back in the race.

It looks like Joar’s bet isn’t going to help him much in the overall race as Nicolas and Mitch showed up while he has time to go on his layover. They can rest for 5 hours and still leave before he can.

Standings at 10:00PM CST:

At Iditarod
1 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
2 Lars Monsen (61)
3 Nicolas Petit (46)
4 Mitch Seavey (13)
5 Jeff King (40)
6 Larry Daugherty (14)
Beyond Ophir
7 Aaron Burmeister (64)
8 Ray Redington Jr (17)
9 Jessie Royer (36)
10 Aliy Zirkle (31)
[Read more →]

It looks like the flu is affecting the race. It is suspected in the early scratches of veterans DeeDee Jonrowe and possibly the cause of zoya DeNure’s early departure. Colds and the flu were rare in Alaska. The cold and isolation tended to keep them at bay. Climate change and global movement have made the spread of disease easier.

It looks like Joar is going for the Halfway money and will take his 24-hour stop at Iditarod.

Standings at 9:00PM CST:

Beyond Ophir
1 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
2 Lars Monsen (61)
At Ophir
3 Hugh Neff (68)
4 Ketil Reitan (54)
5 Martin Buser (28)
6 Jessie Holmes (41)^R
7 Tom Knolmayer (43)
8 Jeff King (40)
9 Anna Berington (4)
[Read more →]

About a third of the teams are beyond the Alaskan Range and beginning to think about their 24-hour stop. The ITC discovered Tara Cicatello in their paperwork so that team is back in the running.

DeeDee Jonrowe has said this is her last Iditarod and she is taking it easy. She may have decided to pick up the Red Lantern. Update: She decided to scratch. She didn’t feel she would be able to care for her puppies with her own health problems. Her vivid pink wardrobe will be missed.

Standings at 9:00PM CST:

Beyond Nikolai
1 Mitch Seavey (13)
2 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
3 Ryan Redington (7)
4 Nicolas Petit (46)
5 Aaron Burmeister (64)
6 Wade Marrs (11)
7 Ray Redington Jr (17)
8 Jessie Royer (36)
9 Aliy Zirkle (31)
10 Linwood Fiedler (8)
[Read more →]

The racing order is starting to sort itself out but you can’t be sure of the actual order until after the 24-hour stop when the start differential is adjusted. Aaron Burmeister has made a significant gain of 45 places while Nicolas Petit is up 43. You have to wait.

Zoya DeNure has scratched at Yentna. They don’t say why but it is probably a puppy problem. Update: It was her health that was questionable.

Tara Cicatello has been at Skwenta since 8AM CST. I wonder if they missed her leaving or scratching. Her team was moving at a respectable 8mph. This is why I have the notice that the standings are official but may not be accurate.

Standings at 9:30PM CST:

Beyond Rainy Pass
1 Jessie Holmes (41)^R
2 Richie Diehl (29)
3 Wade Marrs (11)
4 Ryan Redington (7)
5 Nicolas Petit (46)
6 Ray Redington Jr (17)
7 Mitch Seavey (13)
8 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (33)
9 Jessie Royer (36)
10 Aliy Zirkle (31)
[Read more →]

The actual racing begins at 2PM AKST [5PM CST] when Cody Strathe leaves the chute in Willow. The other teams will follow at 2 minute intervals. The time differences are adjusted at the mandatory 24-hour stop, i.e. Cody will be required to remain more than 26 hours while Hugh Neff will be the only team staying exactly 24 hours.

At 7:30PM CST everyone is on the trail.

Standings at 9:30PM CST:

Beyond Yentna
1 Cody Strathe (2)
2 Mats Pettersson (3)
3 Anna Berington (4)
At Yentna
4 Ryan Redington (7)
5 Linwood Fiedler (8)
Beyond Willow
6 Shaynee Traska (5)^R
7 Magnus Kaltenborn (6)
8 Rick Casillo (9)
9 Rob Cooke (10)
10 Wade Marrs (11)
[Read more →]

It is the first Saturday in March which is Susan Butcher Day in Alaska and marks the Iditarod ‘parade’ from Anchorage to the airport. The actual race is set to start on Sunday in Willow.

This trail is out of sequence as it is normally the odd year trail, but the warm weather and lack of snow had made it unusable after 2013.

The Alaska Dispatch covers basic questions about the race.

It’s the southern route that includes the namesake ghost-town of Iditarod as the midpoint. The Stepping Stones, the Burn, Rainy Pass, the Glacier, all of the hazards of the first half are still part of the race, as well as the long open stretch between Ophir and the Yukon. The route is normally taken in odd years, but it hasn’t been run since 2013

The day is about 10 and a half hours at Anchorage and the moon is waning from full. The temperature is in the 20s in Anchorage, which is a welcome change from recent years.

Things start off Saturday, Susan Butcher Day, with the ‘parade’ from Anchorage to the airport. The actual racing starts on Sunday at Willow.

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From the BBC – Iditarod race: Dallas Seavey named in doping scandal. The Iditarod Trail Committee is saying that several dogs on Dallas Seavey’s second place team tested positive for the painkiller Tramadol.

What would be the advantage of giving the dogs a pain killer? Tramadol can cause seizures, drowsiness, breathing issues, etc. in people and dogs. Everyone knows that the teams will be tested for drugs after they finish. Why would Dallas do something that would probably make his team slower and be detected?

The ITC didn’t ban him, but Dallas said he wouldn’t be running in next year’s race. He is not a happy musher. His Dad, Mitch, beat him in this year’s race, and the Tramadol might be the reason.

Zoya and her ‘rescues, rejects, and runts’ made it into Nome at 10:25AM CDT.

Alan Eischens left White Mountain at about the same time with all 16 still in harness. Having two intact teams in Nome is probably a unique event.

Cindy Abbott paused and got the Red Lantern back.

The race ended at 2:57:31PM AKDT [5:57:31PM CDT] when Cindy Abbott’s team passed under the Burled Arch in Nome with a race time of 12 days 2 hours 57 minutes 31 seconds. Cindy joins Ellen Halverson with having earned two Red Lanterns. Alan Eischens had arrived about 20 minutes earlier with all 16 of his puppies in harness.

Standings at 6:15PM CDT:

Finished at Nome
31 Ketil Reitan (11)
32 Martin Buser (15)
33 Melissa Stewart (56)
34 Scott Smith (69)
35 Nathan Schroeder (62)
36 Nicolas Vanier (26)^R
37 Seth Barnes (51)
38 Karin Hendrickson (20)
39 Allen Moore (36)
40 Kristy Berington (73)
41 Anna Berington (66)
42 Laura Neese (7)^Q
43 Jodi Bailey (28)
44 Larry Daugherty (71)
45 Geir Idar Hjelvik (54)
46 Charley Bejna (46)
47 DeeDee Jonrowe (22)
48 Gunnar Johnson (19)
49 Justin High (48)^R
50 Dave Delcourt (72)^R
51 Justin Stielstra (49)^R
52 Trent Herbst (67)
53 Kristin Bacon (17)
54 Misha Wiljes (4)^R
55 Joe Carson (12)^R
56 Thomas Rosenbloom (40)^R
57 Zoya DeNure (42)
58 Michael Baker (61)^R
59 Matthew Failor (55)
60 Jimmy Lebling (43)^R
61 Paul Hansen (47)^R
62 Alan Eischens (35)
63 Peter Reuter (53)^R
64 Cindy Abbott (31) Φ
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Zoya DeNure and her crew of rescues, rejects, and runts is resting in White Mountain and the Red Lantern is at Elim with Paul Hansen.

Standings at 10:10PM CDT:

Finished at Nome
21 Jason Mackey (64)
22 Robert Redington (70)^R
23 Sebastien Vergnaud (13)^R
24 Richie Diehl (21)
25 Mats Pettersson (33)
26 Lars Monsen (45)
27 Hugh Neff (50)
28 Rick Casillo (27)
29 Noah Burmeister (63)
30 Cody Strathe (5)
31 Ketil Reitan (11)
32 Martin Buser (15)
33 Melissa Stewart (56)
34 Scott Smith (69)
35 Nathan Schroeder (62)
36 Nicolas Vanier (26)^R
37 Seth Barnes (51)
38 Karin Hendrickson (20)
39 Allen Moore (36)
40 Kristy Berington (73)
41 Anna Berington (66)
42 Laura Neese (7)^Q
43 Jodi Bailey (28)
44 Larry Daugherty (71)
45 Geir Idar Hjelvik (54)
46 Charley Bejna (46)
47 DeeDee Jonrowe (22)
48 Gunnar Johnson (19)
49 Justin High (48)^R
50 Dave Delcourt (72)^R
51 Justin Stielstra (49)^R
52 Trent Herbst (67)
53 Kristin Bacon (17)
Beyond Safety
54 Misha Wiljes (4)^R
Beyond White Mountain
55 Zoya DeNure (42)
56 Joe Carson (12)^R
57 Thomas Rosenbloom (40)^R
[Read more →]

Nearly half of the teams have reached Nome by this morning and the temperatures are good for the puppies, if not so great for the mushers.

Robert Redington slipped by Sebastien Vergnaud to take Rookie honors and Roger Lee is holding the Red Lantern.

Monica Zappa scratched at Shaktoolik when her team didn’t like moving on the sea ice.

In addition to the two dogs I have already mentioned, Katherine Keith lost Flash, a 4-year-old, as she approached Koyuk, and Roger Lee lost 3-year-old Shilling just outside of Unalakleet. Not a good year for the puppies.

Roger Lee has scratched at Shaktoolik which hands the Red Lantern back to Cindy Abbott.

Standings at 9:40PM CDT:

Finished at Nome
11 Jeff King (34)
12 Ramey Smyth (44)
13 Michelle Phillips (9)
14 Ryan Redington (2)
15 Hans Gatt (32)
16 Ralph Johannessen (39)
17 Ken Anderson (59)
18 John Baker (65)
19 Katherine Keith (52)
20 Linwood Fiedler (6)
21 Jason Mackey (64)
22 Robert Redington (70)^R
23 Sebastien Vergnaud (13)^R
24 Richie Diehl (21)
25 Mats Pettersson (33)
26 Lars Monsen (45)
27 Hugh Neff (50)
28 Rick Casillo (27)
29 Noah Burmeister (63)
30 Cody Strathe (5)
31 Ketil Reitan (11)
32 Martin Buser (15)
33 Melissa Stewart (56)
34 Scott Smith (69)
35 Nathan Schroeder (62)
36 Nicolas Vanier (26)^R
37 Seth Barnes (51)
38 Karin Hendrickson (20)
39 Allen Moore (36)
40 Kristy Berington (73)
41 Anna Berington (66)
42 Laura Neese (7)^Q
[Read more →]

Jessie Royer came in 5th with her entire 16 dog team. Those puppies just finished 8th in their first Quest and now a 5th.

Everyone is at the coast with the end in sight – maybe tomorrow.

Standings at 9:30PM CDT:

Finished at Nome
1 Mitch Seavey (16)
2 Dallas Seavey (18)
3 Nicolas Petit (24)
4 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (38)
5 Jessie Royer (37)
6 Wade Marrs (29)
7 Ray Redington Jr (14)
8 Aliy Zirkle (41)
9 Peter Kaiser (25)
10 Paul Gebhardt (57)
11 Jeff King (34)
12 Ramey Smyth (44)
13 Michelle Phillips (9)
14 Ryan Redington (2)
15 Hans Gatt (32)
16 Ralph Johannessen (39)
17 Ken Anderson (59)
18 John Baker (65)
19 Katherine Keith (52)
20 Linwood Fiedler (6)
Beyond Safety
21 Jason Mackey (64)
22 Robert Redington (70)^R
23 Sebastien Vergnaud (13)^R
24 Richie Diehl (21)
Beyond White Mountain
25 Mats Pettersson (33)
26 Hugh Neff (50)
27 Lars Monsen (45)
28 Rick Casillo (27)
29 Scott Smith (69)
30 Noah Burmeister (63)
31 Martin Buser (15)
32 Cody Strathe (5)
33 Ketil Reitan (11)
[Read more →]