MARCH 18th IDITAROD

MARCH 18, 2018

All the teams are in and tonight is the BANQUET to honor all the mushers. Awards are given, musher bibs sold with other items, a great dinner prepared by the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage.
Lots of "country" music, chatter and relaxing. Zoar and his dogs (1 or 2 at least) will have top honors bestowed on them. Its a fun night and afterwards the town is "hopping" to say the least. The bars will be full and partying all around, although events like the wet shirt contest, arm wrestlers, golfing on the frozen Bering Sea ,to mention a few, will have happened this past week.
Wonder if my parka, that I donated, is still in the Nome Museum. Just sayin..........



         HERE THEY ARE: THE 2018 IDITAROD MUSHERS--ALL WINNERS!!!👏👏

  A FOND GOODBYE FROM THE ATHLETES

      THANKS FOR WATCHING AND READING -
                                                                             SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR👋👋
                                                         

MARCH 17, IDITAROD

MARCH 17, 2018

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY💚

MAGNUS KALTENBORN came in last place, 52nd, and received the RED LANTERN. The red lantern stays lighted until the last musher has arrived in NOME. He turns off the lamp, the signal everyone is "home" safely. This was at 11:13 Alaska Time. The weather in NOME was snowy with a temp of 21 degrees (with wind chill of 5) with 23 mph winds.
MAGNUS is 26 years old and has been interested in mushing since he was 14 when ROBERT SORLIE won the 2003 Iditarod. He moved to Alaska in 2008 and learned about mushing from MARTIN BUSER. He stayed with Martin for 3 years. He earned a diploma from a Yukon College.

SHAYNEE  came in 48th and said when she went through the area of the "blowhole" she admits she had never seen wind like that. She said it felt like a life or death situation but gives credit to her dogs for bringing her in safely and unharmed.

Prize money for the mushers:
lst prize                         $50,612
2nd                                  42,462
3rd                                   39,112
and reduced amounts  up to the 20th musher.
The total for the 20 finishers= $466,432

From 20-52 each finisher receives $1,049 = total $33,568

TOTAL for the mushers = $500,00

It costs each musher approximately $20,000  that includes the $4,000 entrance fee.

Volunteers have each mushers bib autographed by all the mushers. You can then place a bid and the highest gets the prize at the BANQUET, tomorrow afternoon.

 SHAYNEE TRASKA after her finish in NOME

                               

           
                                                    OK NOW CAN WE TAKE A REST

one more note for MARCH 16th

continued from MARCH 16th:





MONICA ZAPPA ARRIVES IN NOME: CAN'T MISS HER ON THE TRAIL

THIS IS STEVE WATKINS, 41 years old, went to West Point and excelled in engineering, student gov't and football. He is an Airborne Ranger and was stationed in ALASKA in 2000. This is when he ran his 1st dog sled. He has been to Afghanistan, Pakistan border and Khout defending our country. He climbed Mt Everest and was up to 19,200 feet when a 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal. 22 people died on Everest that day 6 were members of his team. He has advanced degrees from West Point, MIT and Harvard. He is running for US Congrees in 2018 in the state of Kansas. WOW--some musher!!!

There are so many great stories and so much history here when you dig a little.

MARCH 16, IDITAROD

MARCH 16, 2018

Few tidbits before we start:  Last night when STEVE and TARA were withdrawn from the race (all explained yesterday) they were in UNALAKLEET.  The people of UNALAKLEET decided that these two dedicated racers deserved a "finishers" (even though it was early) banquet in their honor.
Well they had it last night and all went well. Thank you UNALAKLEET community. You're the best. Nothing holds STEVE and TARA back from continuing on. There won't be anyone at the checkpoints etc and I understand that they are back on the trail. I don't know more than that.

Today another happening:
JIM LANIER had been reported sick on the trail but he was still traveling. Before he reached  the SAFETY checkpoint SCOTT JANSSEN came upon JIM and stayed with him. They had requested emergency assistance due to the weather conditions at the area known as the "Blowhole". A search team was immediately notified and then a plan was put in place to safely extract both dog teams and both mushers. Both race teams are currently being mushed to NOME. JIM and SCOTT arrived by helicopter and are now with their loved ones in NOME. ALSO, a step back,
 JESSIE ROYER, was at SAFETY this morning at the time of the notificatioin. She was asked to go out for a welfare check and she was able to transport JIM and SCOTT back to the SAFETY checkpoint by snowmachine. They then were helicoptered to NOME.
JIM LANIER had 13 dogs in his teams and SCOTT JANSSEN had 11 dogs in his team at the time they scratched.
This is a prime example of mushers taking care of one another---a family!!

Speaking of the "Blowhole", an area between WHITE MOUNTAIN and SAFETY
LEV SHVARTS , after coming in 41st, was tearyeyed speaking of his travel through this area.He said it was -10 degree with 70 MPH winds!!! I think he just couldn't believe he actually came through it.

At the moment 10 PM EST there are

7 rookies in a row from WHITE MOUNTAIN to ELIM, although last place MAGNUS KALTENBORN is a vetern and still in ELIM.

LARRY DAUGHERTY came in 40th. He is a radiation oncologiest physician at the Alaska Hospital Center in Anchorage. In past years, as well as this year, he has prayer flags on his sled honoring cancer patients.

NOTE: PAUL GEBHARDT a well known musher to all has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He finished the race in 2017 and later that year was the diagnosis. Prayers for you PAUL.

HERE'S LARRY DAUGHERTY FINISHING THE RACE IN NOME--GOOD SPECTS

NEWS REPORT: MARCH !5th

NEWS REPORT:  MARCH 15th

STEVE WATKINS, from Kansas and TARA CICATELLO a rookie from Buffalo, NY were in last place(s). When they reached UNALAKLEET they wished to continue the race but the race marshal made a decision based on rule 36??? of the official IDITAROD race rules regarding competitiveness. They were withdrawn from the race.
Both mushers and dogs were in good health.
Both STEVE and TARA faced very difficult conditions along the YUKON RIVER and got so far behind that it unfortunately wasn't feasible to keep the infrastructure in place to support their race efforts going forward.
They are both in UNALAKLEET overnight and the community of Unalakleet are taking very good care of them and their dogs.
Just so sad but congratulations to them on their incredible effort and success up to this point.

MARCH 15, IDITAROD

MARCH 15, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEEDEE LUMB (not JONDROW).

As of 11PM EST

ALAN EISCHENS scratched in KOYUK and
MARCELLE FRESSINEAU scratched in SHAKTOOLIK

As of now:
25 mushers have reached NOME---0 degrees no wind

1  musher is in SAFETY--0 degrees  no wind

16  mushers in WHITE MOUNTAIN ---   -3 degrees clear skies

5 mushers in KOYUK---   -1 degree with snow

2 mushers in UNALAKLEET (final two)  ---  4 degrees with snow and 6 mph winds

Sadly KATHERINE KIETH'S dog died. He was being treated for pneumonia.

    ALIY ZIRKLE FINISHING RACE IN NOME--LOOKIN PRETTY HAPPY

 ALIY IS ONE WHO STAYS TO MINGLE IN THE CROWDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE KIDS.
                  I SAW THE LIVE VIEW OF HER ARRIVAL AND WHAT A CROWD. THEY LOVE
                           HER. HER HUSBAND, ALAN, THERE TO GREET HER AS WELL.

 VIEW OF THE FINISH LINE---BURLED ARCH---IN NOME ( BERING SEA IN BACKGD)

   NOT SURE WHO THIS IS--SORRY---

 HERE'S NIC PETIT AT THE FINISH LINE WITH HIS LEAD DOG.

 NIC PETIT AFTER THE FINISH. LITTLE BIT DISCOURAGED HE DIDN'T WIN BUT......

 SUNSET ON THE BERING SEA---COMING INTO NOME AREA

 DEEDEE JONDROWE IN NOME TO GREET THE WINNERS

 DEEDEE AND MISS ALASKA IN NOME---EVERYONES HERE!!!

CONT'D PICTUES MARCH 14TH

CONTINUED PICTURES MARCH 14TH
                  MITCH SEAVEY COMING IN UNDER THE BURLED ARCH -- IN 2ND

 MITCH SEAVEY WITH HIS DAD, DAN SEAVEY (OLD TIME MUSHER) BEHIND HIM--

 TRAVIS BEALS AFTER COMING IN TO NOME

 MARTIN BUSER COMING INTO UNALAKLEET --LOW VISIBILITY AND SNOWING

 ANNA BERINGTON IN UNALAKLEET

 (out of place but..) CHURCH IN ANVIK--WAS A SCHOOL

 REST WHEN YOU CAN........BEAUTIFUL DOGS

A LEAD DOG ALWAYS SEEMS ALERT AND LOOKING OVER THE SITUATION

MARCH 14th continued

MARCH 14, 2018 continued

As of 10PM EST :

10 mushers into NOME
  You know the first 3
   4. RAY REDINGTON JR  4 hours from MITCH SEAVEY--
   5. PETE KAISER
   6. RICHIE DIEHL
   7. JESSIE HOLMES (r)

2 into SAFETY

9 into WHITE MOUNTAIN
     15. ALIY ZIRKLE
   
8 into ELIM
       24. JEFF KING
       26. MARTIN BUSER

12 into KOYUK

9 into SHAKTOOLIK
        50. SHAYNEE TRASKA

5 in UNALAKLEET

1 in KALTAG

2 in GRAYLING

Depending on when you "hit" the trail weather conditons are constantly changing. Ex. MITCH
SEAVEY came in 3rd and said the trail from WHITE MOUNTAIN was whiteout conditions and sometimes difficult to stay on the wind swept trail. Then RAY REDINGTON 4 hours later said
the best trail he experienced was from WHITE MOUNTAIN to NOME.

                    JOAR ULSOM WINNER 2018 IDITAROD - 9 days 12 hours CONGRATS

       JOAR SHARING HIS JOY WITH THE CROWD IN NOME

     JOAR PICKING UP THE WINNINGS --TRUCK AND $ (DON'T KNOW AMT YET)

   JOAR AND SHAYNEE TRASKA AFTER WINNING FREE ENTRY TO THE 2018 IDITAROD

 JESSIE HOLMES WON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR--CAME IN 7th 11 HOURS FROM JOAR--WOW SOME HONOR FOR A ROOKIE--CONGRATULATIONS JESSIE

MARCH 14 IDITAROD

MARCH 14, 2018


WE HAVE A WINNER:  JOAR LEIFSETH ULSOM #33, from Norway,  came under the burled arch at 6:15 PST. with his 8 dogs .His partner there to greet him, Mille, said it means so much to him. She knew how thrilled he would be.
JOAR is 31 years old and the fastest rookie to ever have won the race. He
is only 1 of 2 mushers to place in the top 7 five times in as many Iditarod starts. He "got the bug" watching Iditarod movies and at a young age he borrowed his neighbors 2 house dogs to pull him on skis. He has been mushing since 2007. He has a degree from an Agricultural College in Norway. He worked as a cowboy.

SECOND PLACE: NIC PETIT-- 2 hours later, with his 10 dogs, he came under the burled arch.
He has quite a fan club that wanted to see him win but think that when he got lost in the whiteout conditions he lost too much time. Second place is not so bad!!! He ran a great race.

THIRD PLACE: MITCH SEAVEY--5 hours after JOAR with his 9 dogs, came under the burled arch.
He was pleased with his team and how everything went. The last part of it was difficult, he said. The snow was deep and the winds howling. The trail was not always visible with all the blowing snow.
He is another real WINNER!!

I have to go to a meeting right now so I'll be back, in awhile,to report on all the others.

MARCH 14 IDITAROD

MARCH 14, 2018

This isn't my usual day report. Its midnight EST and I have been on my live Iditarod chat with people from all over the country following the race and have some "extra" info.

WADE MARRS  scratched in KOYUK--he has pneumonia.
ALLEN MOORE scratched in KALTAG--he has an infection.
So sad to see health reasons take the mushers out after going this far.
ALLEN MOORE is ALIY ZIRKLE'S husband. He is usually way behind her as he sometimes
takes the young and inexperienced dogs to get them ready for the "big time". Not sure if this was the team he took this year.

THE BIG NEWS IS: JOAR ULSOM is out of WHITE MOUNTAIN and this is the last leg of the race. Next checkpoint is SAFETY. They stop there, get there numbered bibs on, rest awhile and get ready for their debut in NOME.

The estimate is that JOAR may be in NOME tonight by 4am PST---thats 8am EST. I might miss that one. I'm sure we will see it repeated many times. Its not a sure thing he will win- I believe NIC is about 3 hours behind him. There are challenges on the trail from WHITE MT. to NOME--when you get to the ice you may find blowholes and that can present problems--then there's the weather, unpredictable for sure.

Sad for NIC PETIT. He was a sure winner until he got lost and took the wrong turn. Seems like that shouldn't matter--what is an hour or so--BUT in the long run thats what wins the race.

TO THE FINISH LINE..........

PICTURES MARCH 13, 2018

 COMING INTO UNALAKLEET--OOOH SO DESOLATE

DEEDEE JONDROW ENJOYING UNALAKLEET WHERE THEY LOVE HER

JOAR ULSOM'S LEAD DOG

 SUNSET ON THE BERING SEA IN UNALAKLEET

TEACHER ON THE TRAIL AND ONE OF THE REPORTERS FILMING MUSHERS COMING INTO UNALAKLEET

Pictures

MARCH 13, 2018
                              CHECKPOINT AT UNALAKLEET

MARCH 13 IDITAROD

MARCH 13, 2018

As of 7PM EST standings are:

(3) into WHITE MOUNTAIN
l. JOAR ULSOM --LEADER
2. NIC PETIT
3. MITCH SEAVEY

(7) INTO ELIM

(12) into KOYUK
16. ALIY ZIRKLE
20. HUGH NEFF

(11) into SHAKOOLIK
25. JEFF KING
28. MARTIN BUSER

(11) into UNALAKLEET
35. JIM LANIER
38. KRISTY BERINGTON
39. ANDY POHL (r)

(14) in KALTAG

(2) in GRAYLING

TOM SCHONBERGER (r) was pulling up at the end of the pack scratched between
GRAYLING and EAGLE ISLAND checkpoints, in the best interest of the team. He will be
travelling, with his 11 dogs, back to GRAYLING with support from the IDITAROD trail sweeps.

JOAR ULSOM said he was practically walking with the dogs out of GOLOVIN it was so slow.
After going over the hills and closer to WHITE MOUNTAIN the dogs started rolling and picked up the pace.

Couple tidbits:
Hank and I spent some time in UNALAKLEET and loved it. One of the only businesses in the village
is PIECE ON EARTH--pizza place. The owner Bret and Davida Hanson were great. Initially when we got there we were going to have to sleep on the floor in the pizza place as he only had one place for anyone to stay--NO HOTELS THERE!!! We were game. That day the place he owned freed up and we stayed there with a few other people. It was wonderful. Right on the Bering Coast!! Good view.  Bret sends pizzas down to mushers that are not stopping just travelling thru and some to those resting at the checkpoint. When we left, by plane, he sent a pizza with us!! His wife works at the pizza place and then later in the day works at the airport reservations!! You see her everywhere.
Fun place to be. They are famous for their sourdough pancakes. JOAR ULSOM loved them so much he asked to have the sourdough starter sent to him.
* Note: CHECHAKO in Alaska means a newcomer.
             SOURDOUGH refers to someone who has spent at least one winter in Alaska and survived!!

They say DEEDEE JONDROWE  has "a heart as big as Alaska" and were throwing her a retirement party in UNALAKLEET (I bet pizza was involved!!)

KRISTY BERINGTON and ANNA are twins and both in the race. KRISTY is running with her husband ,9 years older than she is, ANDY POHL, a rookie on paper but not in knowledge and ability. He has been on the trail twice before riding his IDIDABIKE!! He is also a bike racer. He has been studying the trail for a few years. He met KRISTY in 2015, when he was IDIDABIKING at the OPHIR checkpoint.
They all own a kennel and their families help with the work there. KRISTY has run 9 IDITARODS and ANNA 7. To get extra money during the year they do carpentry work and commericial fishing.

WEATHER CONDITIONS:
GRAYLING 27 degrees with snow and 10 mph winds
UNALAKLEET 23 degrees snowing with 10 mph winds
KOYUK 12 degrees snowing with 20 mph winds
ELIM 14 degrees snowing 10 mph winds
WHITE MOUNTAIN 9 degrees with snow and 15 mph winds

When there is a strong wind it doesn't help that those mushers ahead of you are breaking trail as it all blows in by the time you get there.
The Insider reporters, BRUCE LEE ( a former musher) thought many would rest in ELIM before attempting the trail to WHITE MOUNTAIN due to the winds and snow.

Pictures

March 12, 2018
           ALIY ZIRKLE LEAVING KALTAG

          JEFF KING RUNS ON THE TRAIL IN A SNOWSTORM NEARBY UNALAKLEET

                       THE VILLAGE OF UNALAKLEET

                    DEEDEE JONDROWE IS IN UNALAKLEET GREETING NIC PETIT

                  VOLUNTEERS IN UNALAKLEET CARING FOR DROPPED DOGS

MARCH 12 IDITAROD

MARCH 12, 2018

Now the race is heating up. Its a RACE to NOME.

As of 9 PM EST the standing:

INTO KOYUK: (4)
l. JOAR ULSOM
2. NIC PETIT
3. MITCH SEAVEY
4. RAY REDINGTON JR.

INTO SHAKTOOLIK: (18)

14. ALIY ZIRKLE
15. JESSIE ROYER
21. HUGH NEFF

INTO UNALAKLEET: (9)

26. MARTIN BUSER
27. JEFF KING

INTO KALTAG: (19)

34. JIM LANIER
49. SHAYNEE TRASKA (r)

INTO GRAYLING: (12)
LAST PLACE:
62. TOM SCHONBERGER (r)

Everyone has taken a 24 hour mandatory rest and all but 8 have taken their 8 hour mandatory.

RYAN REDINGTON scratched in KALTAG  with an 8 hour and 24 hour rest finished. He had 11 dogs.He said in the best interest and health of the team.
There were three REDINGTON'S running. They are descendants of RAY REDDINGTON one of the "Founding Fathers" of the IDITAROD. Two have scratched with one left.

JESSIE HOLMES is on the TV show "Life Below Zero". He tried to film from the trail with his GoPRO, to use on the show, but it didn't work!!

On the trail the mushers see IDITASPORT walkers, bikers etc. The bikes have the fat tires and they
usually travel from one checkpoint to the next. I had never heard of walkers but I did see a picture of one fellow walking the trail on ski type snowshoes.

NIC PETIT went through a blinding snow storm along the Yukon River and lost the trail. He said it was quite a challenge and lost time but came out of it and gradually got back on the trail.

OLD WOMAN'S CABIN isn't a checkpoint but a stopover for many. It is recognized as a powerful, spiritual place which draws the mushers in and they sometimes find it difficult to leave. The story is and old woman lived off the land until an avalanche took her. Now her spirit roams the area, some have claimed to see her spirit. You have to leave a special gift for the old lady or,it is said, you will have bad luck. Its one of DEEDEE JONDROW'S favorite places to stop.
Its a shelter cabin between KALTAG and UNALAKLEET.

KALTAG is on the west coast of the Yukon River with a population of 230 mostly native Americans.
In 1839 smallpox killed most of the people. When the GALENA lead mines opened in 1919 KALTAG was down river from there so on the transportation route for the mines until the source dried up.

pictures

MARCH 11, 2018

MUSHER GEAR HANGING UP BY THE STOVE TO DRY IN KALTAG

 MORE GEAR:

MUSHERS RESTING IN KALTAG

 NIC PETIT 1ST INTO KALTAG GETS THE "FISH FIRST" AWARD

STUDENTS FOLLOWING THE TEACHER ON THE TRAIL BY COMPUTER

MARCH 11th IDITAROD

MARCH 11, 2018

ROBERT REDINGTON scratched in SHAGELUK after such a long run and completing his 8 hour layover and his 24 hour. He said it was in the best interest of his team. He had 11 dogs when he scratched.

As of 2PM EST race standings are:

17 mushers in KALTAG
l. NIC PETIT
2. JOAR ULSOM
3. MITCH SEAVEY
4. RICHIE DIEHL
5. PETER KAISER
6. RAY REDINGTON JR.

13. ALIY ZIRKLE

32 mushers in GRAYLING
21. MARTIN BUSER
33. JEFF KING
37. JIM LANIER
49. SHAYNEE TRASKA

7 mushers in ANVIK
3 mushers in SHAGELUK
3    "          in IDITAROD

COMMENTS FROM THE MUSHERS:

NIC PETIT'S dogs were really pulling to get going. He seems to be pushing them and staying in first but he says the dogs are still anxious to get going.
MITCH SEAVEY says he's on his schedule and is in KALTAG at the moment. He stressed "you have to get rest to do well and stay on top". I believe he was referring to NIC who is pushing hard and not getting much rest.
JOAR ULSOM was in Kaltag and preparing for the long 7 hour run to UNALAKLEET.

WEATHER REPORTS:
ANVIK: 5 degrees and cloudy
GRAYLING/EAGLE ISLAND:
5 degrees and cloudy--snow expected tonight and tomorrow
UNALAKLEET: 7 degrees with snow on Mon and Mon night

FACT: At times it is difficult for the mushers to stay awake. Some play music, learn Spanish, count dog booties or play the harmonica. Whatever works.....

TEACHER ON THE TRAIL: One of the goals of the program is to capture young minds to learn with games, videos, hands on activities, fun facts all through the Iditarod experience.
They have Iditarod Bingo, "field trips" to the vet before the race, videos with interviews from the mushers, "meeting" the dogs in ZUMA PAWS to mention a few. MARTIN BUSER is very instrumental in teaching kids thru actual field trips and on the video's. One girl mentioned a math puzzle from MARTIN : if you divide the distance by time you will get the average miles per hour the team is going.
There are projects  for ex, math and science creating excitment and a hands on feel for the students.
Another example was in 2011 when TRENT HERBST ran the IDITAROD. When he wasn't a musher he was a 4th grade teacher in Idaho. His 4th grade helped build his sled. They actually came to the start of the race to cheer for their teacher and his dogs.
This IDITAROD EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS A LESSON IN SUCCESS!!!

pictures

MARCH 10, 2018
          MARK GREENE, VOLUNTEER CHECKING MITCH SEAVEY IN AT KALTAG. MARK SAID "THEY'RE GOIN TO LET A GUY FROM OHIO COME UP TO VOLUNTEER??--WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE--I NOW COME EVERY YEAR"

   IDITAROD CHECKPOINT WITH SOME DERELICK BUILDINGS IN THE BACKGROUND

 MARCELLE FRESSINEAU RUNS ON TRAIL , IN THE EARLY MORNING, INTO IDITAROD

 SOME VOLUNTEERS IN IDITAROD ON WALKIE TALKIES. CHECK OUT THE PARKA-HAND MADE I'M SURE AND LOOKS WARM WITH FUR COLAR.