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.