MARCH 9, 2025 DAY # 8 IDITAROD KALTAG1 - EAGLE ISLAND1 - GRAYLING 1 - ANVIK

 MARCH 9th, DAY #8  KALTAG1 - EAGLE ISLAND 1 - GRAYLING - ANVIK

The 1 and 2 after the checkpoint name only means 1 SOUTH and 2 NORTH. I mentioned, yesterday, there was a loop on the trail to make it longer due to the change in route. They need to make it the distance it would be on a normal route.  On with it.........

Gabe Dunham scratched in GRAYLING. She said the trip from EAGLE ISLAND was filled with ice ruts due to the thaw and then freeze. The route affected her dogs and she didn't want that so she decided to scratch. 

Paige Drobny said the trail to EAGLE ISLAND from KALTAG was one of the 10 roughest she'd ever been on. So, as you see, this weather is certainly affecting the teams. BUT its SNOWING in GRAYLING and now in EAGLE ISLAND and its getting colder. Snowing very hard so there will be some accumulation. FINALLY!!!! 

There is a small air strip on EAGLE ISLAND and today there were two moose on the air strip but didn't seem to cause any problems. Don't know why there is an air strip there but only for the fact the population is 1, thats ONE. I'll show you his cabin. He probably built this air strip to bring goods in. He wasn't going to parties or socializing so why not build an air strip?? EAGLE ISLAND looked like the most desolate place on earth.

JODI, our commentator and x musher, spoke about the P TEAM, the drug testing team. Times during the race, this team goes to the checkpoints and tests the dogs for any drugs or substances. Today they were at KALTAG. QUINCE MOUNTAIN will take his 24 hour lay over here. I believe he is the only one left that hasn't taken it. Good resting QUINCE!

SAMANTHA LALONDE came limping into EAGLE ISLAND as she twisted her ankle!! She is powering thru and did see one of the VETS!! Hey,Vets cured my daughter when she was in a foreign country. They will now begin to feel the intense winds so many will put on their "wind suits". I will show you a picture of Dallas Seavey in EAGLE ISLAND wearing one. DALLAS is there to see SAM, his friend and she also is running some of his dogs. He was talking with the dogs and taking pictures--in his wind suit---blurrrrry picture but you get the idea of the wind suit.

                                                                                                                                                                                   This is SAMANTHA LALONDE'S team heading out of EAGLE ISLAND (see DALLAS taking pics)