MARCH 7, 2017

FIRST DAY OF THE RACE

It is generally an 8 hour dog sled trip from FAIRBANKS TO NENANA, the first checkpoint.
At each checkpoint the dogs are checked by a Vet and then they move on. ALIY ZIRKLE was first to NENANA with all but 10 mushers at this site.
SADLY our ELLEN HALVERSON ,that I am following, is again last. Don't know any more than that.

Today at 9am in TANANA the volunteer trail breakers left on their snowmobiles and headed down the Yukon River setting the trail for the teams. Prep work starts in January getting the equipment ready, getting supplies together, tools ready etc.
Last year the trail breakers placed 15,000 lath trail markers and 8 volunteers built 32 ice bridges over the span of about 10 miles. They stay 24 hours ahead of the mushers. Important and huge job.

In Nenana and in the order they arrived: These have already left NENANA for MANLEY HOT SPRINGS, the next checkpoint.
#1 ALIY ZIRKLE
#13 MARTIN BUSER- remember him from last year. He ALSO has four wins under his belt so the tie for the fifth would be wonderful for MARTIN.
#20 JEFF KING
#21 MITCH SEAVEY
#22 DALLAS SEAVEY - Don't let him fool you. His strength is usually at the end. He seems to have
the energy and dog power to pull in front.

ELLEN HALVERSON is one of 10 still in NENANA

I am not writing much as my computer is acting up. Everytime I try to put a picture up it crashes!
Working on it......