On-line Opinion Magazine…OK, it's a blog

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….

[[!!Don’t forget the time change!!]]

Dennis Kananowicz (8) made the decision to scratch at McGrath ‘in the best interests of his team”. Dennis was down to 11 puppies.

I’m going to shut down early because they are only interested the front of the race and that won’t change until the morning.

Dallas has a mandatory 8 hour rest before making the final run to Deshka Landing.

Standings at 7:30PM CDT (4:30PM AKDT):
At Skwenta S
1 Dallas Seavey (23)
2 Aaron Burmeister (36)
3 Brent Sass (21)
Beyond Finger Lake S
4 Mille Porsild (28)
5 Wade Marrs (25)
6 Ryan Redington (20)
7 Nicolas Petit (10)
8 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
9 Richie Diehl (6)
10 Michelle Phillips (26)
Beyond Rainy Pass S
11 Jeff Deeter (7)
12 Ramey Smyth (9)
13 Jessie Royer (24)
14 Aaron Peck (2)
Beyond Rohn S
15 Lev Shvarts (38)
At Rohn S
16 Paige Drobny (42)
17 Ryne Olson (14)
18 Dan Kaduce (40)
[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 😈

Peter Kaiser (3) made the decision to scratch at McGrath ‘in the best interests of his team”. Peter was down to 10 puppies.

Riley Dyche (16) made the decision to scratch at Iditarod ‘in the best interests of his team”. Riley was down to 9 puppies.

Standings at 10:00PM CST (7:00PM AKST):
Beyond Rohn S
1 Dallas Seavey (23)
At Rohn S
2 Aaron Burmeister (36)
3 Brent Sass (21)
4 Ryan Redington (20)
5 Wade Marrs (25)
Beyond Nikolai S
6 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
7 Richie Diehl (6)
8 Michelle Phillips (26)
9 Mille Porsild (28)
10 Jessie Royer (24)
11 Nicolas Petit (10)
12 Travis Beals (33)
13 Jeff Deeter (7)
14 Aaron Peck (2)
15 Ramey Smyth (9)
16 Jessie Holmes (44)
At Nikolai S
17 Paige Drobny (42)
18 Ryne Olson (14)
19 Lev Shvarts (38)
20 Cody Strathe (37)
[Read more →]

This morning half the field is headed South.

Rick Casillo (45) made the decision to scratch at McGrath ‘in the best interests of his team”. Rick was down to 13 puppies.

All of the teams on the trail have finished their 24-hour rest stops, but many still have to take their 8-hour stop, which must happen at or before Rohn.

Standings at 9:30PM CST (6:30PM AKST):
Beyond McGrath S
1 Dallas Seavey (23)
At McGrath S
2 Brent Sass (21)
3 Wade Marrs (25)
4 Ryan Redington (20)
5 Aaron Burmeister (36)
6 Travis Beals (33)
7 Mille Porsild (28)
8 Michelle Phillips (26)
Beyond Ophir S
9 Richie Diehl (6)
10 Peter Kaiser (3)
11 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
12 Jessie Royer (24)
13 Aaron Peck (2)
14 Jeff Deeter (7)
At Ophir S
15 Ramey Smyth (9)
16 Paige Drobny (42)
17 Ryne Olson (14)
18 Jessie Holmes (44)
19 Nicolas Petit (10)
20 Lev Shvarts (38)
21 Cody Strathe (37)
[Read more →]

Gunnar Johnson (11) was withdrawn at McGrath for a positive COVID test.

Christopher Parker (19)^R made the decision to scratch at McGrath ‘in the best interests of his team”. Christopher was down to 8 puppies.

An “S” after the checkpoint indicates the teams headed South to the finish.

Standings at 11:00PM CST (8:00PM AKST):
Beyond Iditarod S
1 Dallas Seavey (23)
2 Ryan Redington (20)
3 Richie Diehl (6)
4 Peter Kaiser (3)
5 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
6 Wade Marrs (25)
7 Aaron Burmeister (36)
8 Brent Sass (21)
9 Travis Beals (33)
At Iditarod
10 Aaron Peck (2)
11 Mille Porsild (28)
12 Jessie Royer (24)
13 Michelle Phillips (26)
14 Nicolas Petit (10)
15 Ramey Smyth (9)
Beyond Ophir
16 Jeff Deeter (7)
17 Jessie Holmes (44)
18 Lev Shvarts (38)
19 Ryne Olson (14)
20 Cody Strathe (37)
[Read more →]

Brenda Mackey (15)^R made the decision to scratch at Nikolai ‘in the best interests of her team”. Brenda was down to 9 puppies.

The run to Flat has been cancelled as all of the snow that was missing on the Burn has been dumped on the trail between Iditarod and Flat. The teams will now turn around at Iditarod.

Standings at 9:15PM CST (6:15PM AKST):
At Iditarod
1 Brent Sass (21)
Beyond Ophir
2 Aaron Peck (2)
3 Mille Porsild (28)
At Ophir
4 Ryan Redington (20)
5 Aaron Burmeister (36)
6 Ryne Olson (14)
7 Jessie Holmes (44)
8 Michelle Phillips (26)
9 Cody Strathe (37)
10 Paige Drobny (42)
11 Martin Buser (34)
Beyond McGrath
12 Dallas Seavey (23)
At McGrath
13 Peter Kaiser (3)
14 Richie Diehl (6)
15 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
16 Travis Beals (33)
17 Wade Marrs (25)
18 Jessie Royer (24)
19 Nicolas Petit (10)
20 Jeff Deeter (7)
[Read more →]

Aliy Zirkle has scratched at Rohn after an accident just outside the Rohn checkpoint. She suffered a concussion and serious upper body injuries and was medevaced to a hospital in Anchorage. She is in stable condition. Her team was not injured and is being cared for at Rohn pending transport back to Anchorage. Aliy announced her intention to retire from racing after this Iditarod.

Standings at 10:45PM CST (7:45PM AKST):
Beyond McGrath
1 Brent Sass (21)
At McGrath
2 Dallas Seavey (23)
3 Peter Kaiser (3)
4 Richie Diehl (6)
5 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
6 Travis Beals (33)
7 Ryan Redington (20)
8 Wade Marrs (25)
Beyond Nikolai
9 Matt Hall (17)
10 Mille Porsild (28)
11 Jessie Royer (24)
12 Nicolas Petit (10)
13 Aaron Burmeister (36)
14 Ryne Olson (14)
15 Jeff Deeter (7)
16 Ramey Smyth (9)
17 Lev Shvarts (38)
18 Dan Kaduce (40)
19 Martin Buser (34)
20 Cody Strathe (37)
[Read more →]

At 4:30PM CST the GPS says that Cindy Gallea is in Anchorage and the Standings say she is the last person in Skwenta. I have doubts that either are correct. The GPS can be flakey and the Standings for the back of the pack are always of dubious accuracy.

Update at 8:40PM CST: The GPS was correct about Cindy. She felt ill this morning in Skwenta and scratched, but that wasn’t reported for 12 hours.

Standings at 9:30PM CST (6:30PM AKST):
Beyond Rohn
1 Ryan Redington (20)
2 Martin Buser (34)
3 Richie Diehl (6)
4 Peter Kaiser (3)
At Rohn
5 Nicolas Petit (10)
6 Dallas Seavey (23)
7 Aaron Burmeister (36)
8 Matt Hall (17)
9 Gunnar Johnson (11)
Beyond Rainy Pass
10 Brent Sass (21)
11 Mille Porsild (28)
12 Michelle Phillips (26)
13 Jeff Deeter (7)
14 Riley Dyche (16)
15 Ryne Olson (14)
16 Joar Leifseth Ulsom (41)
17 Travis Beals (33)
18 Aaron Peck (2)
19 Matthew Failor (29)
20 Wade Marrs (25)
[Read more →]

Because of the loop I will color checkpoints grey when all of the teams have passed on the way North and then black when everyone has passed to the South. Just an indicator of where the race is behind the leaders.

Sean Williams (35)^R had to scratch this morning due to a non-COVID related family health concern. Jessie Holmes (44) is on the trail despite what the standings seem to claim.

At 10:30PM CST the teams are strung out between Yentna and Skwenta. Everyone went with 14 puppy teams and during the run today speeds of 13 mph were reached. The temperature has been in the 20sF, which is warm for sled dogs. The standings are now showing Jessie Holmes again. As I warn in the footer, the standings are official, which is not the same as accurate. They are updated by volunteers, so we shouldn’t be too critical.

Standings at 11:00PM CST (8:00PM AKST):
At Skwenta
1 Ryan Redington (20)
Beyond Deshka Landing
2 Aaron Peck (2)
3 Peter Kaiser (3)
4 Kristy Berington (4)
5 Jeremy Traska (5)^R
6 Richie Diehl (6)
7 Jeff Deeter (7)
8 Dennis Kananowicz (8)
9 Ramey Smyth (9)
10 Nicolas Petit (10)
11 Gunnar Johnson (11)
12 Hal Hanson (12)^R
13 Anna Berington (13)
14 Ryne Olson (14)
15 Brenda Mackey (15)^R
16 Riley Dyche (16)
17 Matt Hall (17)
18 Chad Stoddard (18)^R
19 Christopher Parker (19)^R
20 Brent Sass (21)
[Read more →]

It’s Susan Butcher Day in Alaska which would normally mean the parade of sled dog teams through the streets of Anchorage. Because of COVID-19 the parade and any events that might attract a crowd have been cancelled.

The 47 teams who are starting from Deshka Landing will head North to Flat and then reverse course and head South back to the Landing. Passing could get “exciting” as sled dogs often have issues with other sled dogs. Things get underway on Sunday at 5PM CST. The last quarter of the moon is today and the new moon is on the 13th, so it isn’t going to be much help at night. There’s more than 12 hours of visible light and it is increasing by about 6 minutes a day.

At Deshka Landing
1 Aaron Peck (2)
2 Peter Kaiser (3)
3 Kristy Berington (4)
4 Jeremy Traska (5)^R
5 Richie Diehl (6)
6 Jeff Deeter (7)
7 Dennis Kananowicz (8)
8 Ramey Smyth (9)
9 Nicolas Petit (10)
10 Gunnar Johnson (11)
11 Hal Hanson (12)^R
12 Anna Berington (13)
13 Ryne Olson (14)
14 Brenda Mackey (15)^R
15 Riley Dyche (16)
16 Matt Hall (17)
17 Chad Stoddard (18)^R
18 Christopher Parker (19)^R
19 Ryan Redington (20)
20 Brent Sass (21)
[Read more →]

While the trail runs by Yentna and Takotna, they will not be checkpoints due to COVID-19 concerns. Using Deshka Landing as the start/finish, rather than the nearby Willow is for the same reason. The final 8-hour stop is at Skwentna on the run South. The other 8-hour stop has to be taken in the loop from Rohn to Rohn. The 24-hour stop must be take on the run North at or before Iditarod.

The Dalzell Gorge and Stepping Stones on the way South should be “interesting”.

Anchorage & Campbell Airstrip
Willow
Skwentna & Yentna, Finger Lake, Rainy Pass, Rohn
McGrath & Nikolai, Takotna, Ophir
Shageluk & Iditarod

It’s Saint David’s Day, and, as he is their patron saint, it is a national holiday in Wales. The Welsh wear leeks or daffodils [called Peter’s leek in Welsh] on this day.