MARCH 10,2018
Weather is the problem today, snow and winds.
As of 2PM EST here are the standings:
INTO GRAYLING: 29 mushers with NIC PETIT at the lead
29 are in GRAYLING
5 in ANVIK
4 IN SHAGELUK
3 IN IDITAROD
MOST OF THE TOP RUNNER HAVE TAKEN THE MANDATORY 8 HOUR REST BUT THE BOTTOM HALF HAVE NOT.
THERE ARE STORMS BETWEEN IDITAROD AND SHAGELUK.
KELLY MAIXNER'S DOGS HAD TROUBLE, AT TIMES, FINDING THE TRAIL. HE EXPERIENCED BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS.
EACH RACE HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER. THE CHARACTER OF IDITAROD XLVI IS
BEING REVEALED ON THE YUKON RIVER.
ON THE YUKON THE WEATHER IS HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON THE RACE DUE TO THE LIMITED VISIBILITY , THE PLANES ARE NOT ABLE TO GET SUPPLIES INTO EAGLE ISLAND. MUSHER WILL HAVE TO CARRY SUPPLIES SUFFICIENT FOR THE RUN OF 122 MILES FROM GRAYLING TO KALTAG WHERE THEY CAN RESUPPLY. MANY ARE TAKING THEIR 8 HOUR MANDATORY AT GRAYLING DUE TO THE WEATHER.
SOME THOUGHTS ON FOOD FOR THE LONG RUNS: KIBBLE WILL BE LIGHTER AND CONTAIN MORE CALORIES THAN FROZEN MEAT. IN RACING, WEIGHT CARRIED TENDS TO EQUALIZE SPEED. WEIGHT ISNT THE ONLY FACTOR, AS YOU CAN SEE, WIND AND SNOW CAN ALSO PLAY A ROLE.
THE INSIDER TEAM WHO BROADCASTS LIVE FROM THE CHECKPOINTS ARE ALSO NOT ABLE TO FLY SO THEY ARE STILL IN IDITAROD WITH THE TEACHER ON THE TRAIL.
ANVIK IS AT THE MOUTH OF THE ANVIK RIVER AND 34 MILES FROM HOLY CROSS.
HOLY CROSS!!!!!HANK SURE HAD A LONG WAY TO GO FOR COLLEGE!!!!
POPULATION HERE IS 104. IT IS HOME TO THE DEG HIT'AN PEOPLE. ANVIK IS YUP'IK
MEANING EXIT.
EAGLE ISLAND IS TRULY AN ISLAND AND A TENT CAMP. NO POPULATION HERE, JUST A CHECKPOINT FOR THE RACERS.
THE VOLUNTEERS ARE TRULY A DEDICATED AND INTERESTING GROUP OF PEOPLE
(WELL, HANK AND I WERE VOLUNTEERS AND ALL I CAN SAY IT WAS FUN AND EXCITING). THERE ARE SO MANY AREAS TO VOLUNTEER AND EACH ONE IS JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE. ANYONE CAN VOLUNTEER.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Friday, March 9, 2018
pictures
MARCH 9, 2018 SNOW ON THE DOGS IN IDITAROD CHECKPOINT
VOLUNTEER VET RON HALLSTROM CHECKS EMILY MAXWELL'S
DOG AT THE IDITAROD CHECKPOINT
JIM LANIER PASSES A DERELICT CABIN IN IDITAROD--THE
GHOST TOWN
DOG AT THE IDITAROD CHECKPOINT
GHOST TOWN
FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2018 IDITAROD
MARCH 9, 2018
At 11:30pm EST standings:
TOP 3 INTO GRAYLING:
l. NICKOLAS PETIT
2. MITCH SEAVEY
3. JOAR ULSOM
INTO SHAGELUK:
11. ALIY ZIRKLE
22. MARTIN BUSER
INTO IDITAROD:
34. JEFF KING
40. JIM LANIER
INTO OPHIR:
50. SHAYNEE TRASKA
SCOTT WHITE scratched in TAKOTNA says in the best interest of his race team.
NICKOLAS PETIT wins The LAKEFRONT ANCHORAGE AWARD being the first
musher to the YUKON. I wouldn't mind winning this one. It is a gourmet meal by the Chef
at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage. Probably put NICK to sleep on the trail. Hope not.
The Lifeblood of the race is the IDITAROD AIR FORCE made up of 28 volunteers.
They fly straw bales, drop bags , checkpoint volunteers, Teacher On The Trail, Insider crew, dropped dogs, checkpoint food and enuf Tang to fill a space shuttle!!
MARCELLE FRESSINEAU encountered 2 big woolly bison and calf on the trail. After seeing her lead dogs were interested she ran after the bison with an axe and that scared them off. Lucky!!
ALIY ZIRKLE says her team just doesn't have the "spark". You can't force them to be lively and maybe the warmer weather has something to do with it. They are more used to the cold.
At 11:30pm EST standings:
TOP 3 INTO GRAYLING:
l. NICKOLAS PETIT
2. MITCH SEAVEY
3. JOAR ULSOM
INTO SHAGELUK:
11. ALIY ZIRKLE
22. MARTIN BUSER
INTO IDITAROD:
34. JEFF KING
40. JIM LANIER
INTO OPHIR:
50. SHAYNEE TRASKA
SCOTT WHITE scratched in TAKOTNA says in the best interest of his race team.
NICKOLAS PETIT wins The LAKEFRONT ANCHORAGE AWARD being the first
musher to the YUKON. I wouldn't mind winning this one. It is a gourmet meal by the Chef
at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage. Probably put NICK to sleep on the trail. Hope not.
The Lifeblood of the race is the IDITAROD AIR FORCE made up of 28 volunteers.
They fly straw bales, drop bags , checkpoint volunteers, Teacher On The Trail, Insider crew, dropped dogs, checkpoint food and enuf Tang to fill a space shuttle!!
MARCELLE FRESSINEAU encountered 2 big woolly bison and calf on the trail. After seeing her lead dogs were interested she ran after the bison with an axe and that scared them off. Lucky!!
ALIY ZIRKLE says her team just doesn't have the "spark". You can't force them to be lively and maybe the warmer weather has something to do with it. They are more used to the cold.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
MARCH 8th IDITAROD
MARCH 8, 2018
A new day, new adventures.
As of noon EST here are some standings:
l. JOAR ULSOM into IDITAROD
2. LARS DAUGHERTY into IDITAROD
3. JEFF KING out of OPHIR
5. MITCH SEAVEY out of OPHIR
10. ALIY ZIRKLE " "
20. MARTIN BUSER" "
rest in OPHIR:
31. MATT HALL (r)
39. JIM LANIER
45. SHAYNEE TRASKA (r)
JIM LANIER , a Dentist and 5 time Iditarod musher, in TAKOTNA, had a message for his wife.
He said after eating about 5 delicious meals in TAKOTNA ( I told you, Misty is doing her job!!), he received a mush-a-gram (love it!) from his wife saying he was doing well and she would see him in NOME. He said its the best mush-a-gram he ever received (probably the first as well). He is a great guy and older than the rest but keeps plugging along. Lets watch him.
In TAKOTNA ,I told you previously, that many take one of their 24 hour mandatory rests here because of the great food. I was there and can attest to that. ALSO if any of you watch
The Last Frontier on TV you may have seen Doc Sayer. He has a cabin here and also gold mines in the area besides his practice. Hank and I flew with Misty's husband from MCGRATH to TAKOTNA with Doc Sayer. We had such fun and heard some great stories. He comes each year for the IDITAROD watching and to see his good friends, one of which is DICK NEWTON who is "The Mayor" of TAKOTNA!! His wife, now deceased made this checkpoint famous with her pies. Misty has tried to keep up the tradition and seems to be doing a great job. Doc Sayer, Dick and a few others
go from here to Nome on snowmobiles after the mushers have passed thru and meet them in NOME. Just to remind you they are MUCH older men but hearty as can be. They are such fun.
JOAR ULSOM was first into IDITAROD and received the DOROTHY PAGE award. This is the half way point of the race.
Little history of some villages the mushers are passing through.
NIKOLAI: pop. 91 is an Athabascan Village where residents are active in subsistence food -gathering. ALCOHOL is prohibited in the village (probably why they only have 91 pop!!)
MARTIN BUSER named one of his boys NIKOLAI after the checkpoint and another boy ROHN-same reason.
ROHN: pop. 0
It is an area tied with RAINY PASS and considered one of the most spectacular scenic area around.
From here you go into the flatlands of the interior. ROHN is a cabin checkpoint. The cabin built in 1930's.
Some mushers take their 24 hour layover here to rest up before heading across the bleak and treacherous FAREWELL BURN area.
IDITAROD: Is an abandoned town, named after the Iditarod River. Iditarod comes from the Athabascan word "Haidilathna" (say that 5 times). In 1908 gold was found in a tributary to the Iditarod River. Miners flocked here and built camps known as FLAT. It was a bustling town in 1910. There were hotels, cafes, brothels, 3 newspapers, bank etc. by 1930 the gold source "dried up".
Now its a ghost town.
A new day, new adventures.
As of noon EST here are some standings:
l. JOAR ULSOM into IDITAROD
2. LARS DAUGHERTY into IDITAROD
3. JEFF KING out of OPHIR
5. MITCH SEAVEY out of OPHIR
10. ALIY ZIRKLE " "
20. MARTIN BUSER" "
rest in OPHIR:
31. MATT HALL (r)
39. JIM LANIER
45. SHAYNEE TRASKA (r)
JIM LANIER , a Dentist and 5 time Iditarod musher, in TAKOTNA, had a message for his wife.
He said after eating about 5 delicious meals in TAKOTNA ( I told you, Misty is doing her job!!), he received a mush-a-gram (love it!) from his wife saying he was doing well and she would see him in NOME. He said its the best mush-a-gram he ever received (probably the first as well). He is a great guy and older than the rest but keeps plugging along. Lets watch him.
In TAKOTNA ,I told you previously, that many take one of their 24 hour mandatory rests here because of the great food. I was there and can attest to that. ALSO if any of you watch
The Last Frontier on TV you may have seen Doc Sayer. He has a cabin here and also gold mines in the area besides his practice. Hank and I flew with Misty's husband from MCGRATH to TAKOTNA with Doc Sayer. We had such fun and heard some great stories. He comes each year for the IDITAROD watching and to see his good friends, one of which is DICK NEWTON who is "The Mayor" of TAKOTNA!! His wife, now deceased made this checkpoint famous with her pies. Misty has tried to keep up the tradition and seems to be doing a great job. Doc Sayer, Dick and a few others
go from here to Nome on snowmobiles after the mushers have passed thru and meet them in NOME. Just to remind you they are MUCH older men but hearty as can be. They are such fun.
JOAR ULSOM was first into IDITAROD and received the DOROTHY PAGE award. This is the half way point of the race.
Little history of some villages the mushers are passing through.
NIKOLAI: pop. 91 is an Athabascan Village where residents are active in subsistence food -gathering. ALCOHOL is prohibited in the village (probably why they only have 91 pop!!)
MARTIN BUSER named one of his boys NIKOLAI after the checkpoint and another boy ROHN-same reason.
ROHN: pop. 0
It is an area tied with RAINY PASS and considered one of the most spectacular scenic area around.
From here you go into the flatlands of the interior. ROHN is a cabin checkpoint. The cabin built in 1930's.
Some mushers take their 24 hour layover here to rest up before heading across the bleak and treacherous FAREWELL BURN area.
IDITAROD: Is an abandoned town, named after the Iditarod River. Iditarod comes from the Athabascan word "Haidilathna" (say that 5 times). In 1908 gold was found in a tributary to the Iditarod River. Miners flocked here and built camps known as FLAT. It was a bustling town in 1910. There were hotels, cafes, brothels, 3 newspapers, bank etc. by 1930 the gold source "dried up".
Now its a ghost town.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
more pictures
THIS IS THE EQUIPMENT USED TO BLAZE THE TRAILS FOR THE MUSHERS
SNOWMOBILES USED TO BLAZE THE TRAILS (is the little green guy going to help!!?)
PICTURES
MARCH 7, 2018
SLEDS WAITING IN MCGRATH
RYAN REDINGTON ACCEPTING BEAVER MITTS AND BLANKET IN NIKOLI--1st to arrive
VOLUNTEER SIGN UP IN NIKOLI
ALIY ZIRKLE AT CHECKPOINT IN NIKOLI--NOTHING FANCY HERE
SLEDS WAITING IN MCGRATH
MARCH 7th IDITAROD
MARCH 7, 2018
Standings first: as of 1pm EST
l. Joar Ulsom OUT of OPHIR
NEXT in TAKOTNA:
2. HUGH NEFF
3. KETIL REITAN
4. MARTIN BUSER
5. MITCH SEAVEY
skip a few to our "watchers"
9. ALIY ZIRKLE
15. MATT HALL (r) rookie
26. JEFF KING
IN NIKOLAI:
51. SHAYNEE TRASKA
7 more in ROHN:
64. TARA CICATELLO (r) rookie
65. STEVE WATKINS pulling up the rear
SHAYNEE TRASKA is just so positive. She admitted there were some rough spots but sparkled when taking about the beautiful country with her best friends (her dogs).
So far the trail has had its challenges but all in all a fine ride, so far.
Standings first: as of 1pm EST
l. Joar Ulsom OUT of OPHIR
NEXT in TAKOTNA:
2. HUGH NEFF
3. KETIL REITAN
4. MARTIN BUSER
5. MITCH SEAVEY
skip a few to our "watchers"
9. ALIY ZIRKLE
15. MATT HALL (r) rookie
26. JEFF KING
IN NIKOLAI:
51. SHAYNEE TRASKA
7 more in ROHN:
64. TARA CICATELLO (r) rookie
65. STEVE WATKINS pulling up the rear
SHAYNEE TRASKA is just so positive. She admitted there were some rough spots but sparkled when taking about the beautiful country with her best friends (her dogs).
So far the trail has had its challenges but all in all a fine ride, so far.
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