Tibby's Blog

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

CONT'D MARCH 11th DAY #10. STANDINGS

CONT'D MARCH 11th DAY # 10. STANDINGS

Top 5 teams as of midnight EST:

JESSIE HOLMES MATT HALL PAIGE DROBNY MILLE PORSILD MICHELLE PHILIPS

I am "short" tonight as there was a breakdown in communications at UNALAKLEET. I will have more for you tomorrow night. It's becoming more and more exciting as the race goes on.

TILL TOMORROW

MARCH 11, 2025 DAY #10 IDITAROD. EAGLE ISLAND 2 - KALTAG 2 - UNALAKLEET

MARCH 11th DAY #10 EAGLE ISLAND 2 - KALTAG 2 - UNALAKLEET

explanation below: sorry

JESSIE HOLMES won the award ,Bristol Bay Native Corp ,for being the first into KALTAG 2. He won 25 lbs of fresh Bristol Bay Salmon Filets, $2,000 and a wood burned art piece, made by one of the locals.

Because of the north south route on the loop, we knew at some point a north bound would pass a south bound. JESSIE HOLMES and MATT FAILOR are doing just that.

Again sad, rookie musher BRYCE MUMFORD from Preston, ID scratched in GRAYLING 1. Thats all we know for now. JESSIE ROYER, veteran musher doing volunteer work this year in GRAYLING - riding in a 4 wheeler amongst the dropped dogs.

JESSIE HOLMES coming into UNALAKLEET 1st. (Snow fence in the foreground).He wins Ryan Air Gold Coast Award (this is a real good one!!) $1,500 in gold nuggets, carved sled dog team and LOTS OF PIZZA from PIECE ON EARTH in UNALAKLEET. Fans can send him pizza to be delivered when he comes in. On his way out a snowmobiler sped out on the trail to hand him a piece of pizza!!

Monday, March 10, 2025

CONT'D MARCH 10th DAY #9. PICTURES AND STANDINGS

CONT'D MARCH 10TH DAY #9. PICTURES AND STANDINGS

First the top standings at midnight EST:

JESSIE HOLMES PAIGE DROBNY MATT HALL MITCH SEAVEY MILLE PORSILD

The first three are out of EAGLE ISLAND 2 to KALTAG 2 (70 mile trip). MITCH is into EAGLE ISLAND 2 and MILLE is out of GRAYLING 2.

"Things" have changed. Recently, PAIGE caught up to JESSIE. I don't know how but good for her!!! They said the reason for that was. -- JESSIE, being first, has to pack the trail down so he is only going about 5mph. The trail will be better the more sleds on it and will be faster than the poor guy, JESSIE, who has to "plow the road"!!!!!

Not sure if I showed you the one "homestead" in EAGLE ISLAND. Population ONE!!

"There's no place like home" - no matter where you are.........

Ryan Redington stop at GRAYLING 1 on his way to ANVIK

RYAN REDINGTON who has run this race MANY TIMES said this was the most difficult IDITAROD he has ever been on. This is due to the conditions---no snow and warm temperatures. Not ideal for the dogs and the mushers.
TILL TOMORROW - getting to be a nail biter!!!

MARCH 10, 2025 DAY #9 IDITAROD. GRAYLING 2 - EAGLE ISLAND 2 - KALTAG2

MARCH 10th DAY#9. GRAYLING 2 - EAGLE ISLAND 2 - KALTAG 2

Remember (1) after the checkpoint name means they have gone SOUTH-- (2) on the loop then head NORTH (2) 1 = SOUTH 2= NORTH. on the loop

I told you I would show you The GRAYLING Native Store. The one Greg said carried EVERYTHING. Literally soup to nuts!! SMALL BUT MIGHTY!!!!!!

Due to the loop, the volunteers made signs to make sure the mushers went to right way ( 1 and 2).

A scary picture. BAILEY VITELLO on the YUKON to GRAYLING (check hole in ice!@##)WHEW

One of my very favorite photo's MATTHEW FAILOR on the YUKON in a white out. Great focus!

FYI: QUINCE MOUNTAIN is bringing up the rear and still needs to take his 8 hr layover-in KALTAG

ON TO PAGE #2

Sunday, March 9, 2025

CONT'D MARCH 9th DAY #8. PICTURES

CONT'D MARCH 9TH DAY #8 - PICTURES This is the first time I could get a picture of PAIGE DROBNY having her banquet. This was her award for being the first to GALENA. She chose the race coordinator and the locals to share the dinner with her.

This pic of BAILEY VITELLO is distorted due to the heavy snow falling in GRAYLING

JESSIE HOLMES was the first into GRAYLING 2 (going back--now north).He is from Alabama!!! what's he doing mushing in Alaska!!!! He won the Transit Spirit of Alaska Award. He was given a pair of beaver mittens (pictured) and hat that LORETTA MAILLELLE (center) made. She was raised in GRAYLING.

One grave error on yesterdays blog entry: I said the dog that died was pregnant but they were unaware of that. Two weeks before the dog had her complete physical with the VET. A dogs gestational period is about two weeks (NOT 2 YEARS!) so they weren't aware of it.

TILL TOMORROW.

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.