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.