Iditarod Day 9 - Leaders Play Tag & Sled Dog Zaster Dies

KING ARRIVES IN UNALAKLEET FIRST

From PressPages:

NOME, ALASKA -March 09, 2008- Four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King is the first to arrive at the Gold Coast community of Unalakleet. King (Bib # 11) arrived in Unalakleet this afternoon at 2:02 (March 09, 2008) with 16 dogs. The distinction of being the first to make it to the Norton Sound netted King the Wells Fargo "Gold Coast" Award. This is the third year in a row that King has won the Award!

Wells Fargo representatives Loren Prosser (manager of the Nome Wells Fargo) and Carol Charles (Manager of the Unalakleet Wells Fargo), presented King with $2,500 in gold as well as the "Gold Coast" Award.

Unalakleet is strategically located on the coast of Norton Sound, just north of the Unalakleet River. There are only six more checkpoints remaining between Unalakleet and the burled arch of Nome.

NOTE: King may have been the first into Unalakleet but Lance was the first out by one hour. He dropped two dogs there and is down to 12, while Jeff is still running all 16 of his team. Dog pictured below is Eagle, who runs for Mitch Seavey. Jeff Shultz's images HERE.Death on the Iditarod:

March 8, 2008 - A 7-year-old male named ‘Zaster’ in the team of musher #87, John Stetson, died at 0120 this morning. Zaster was dropped at Ophir at 0200 on Friday and had been transported to Anchorage where he was being treated for signs of pneumonia.

A necropsy will be conducted by a board certified pathologist to make every attempt to determine the cause of death.

Addendum: The gross necropsy of "Zaster," a seven year old male from John Stetson's team, has been completed. Aspiration pneumonia was determined to be the likely cause of death. RIP: Zaster.2 more Mushers that have called it quits:

IDITAROD XXXVI MUSHER John Stetson, (Bib #87) made the decision to scratch this afternoon at 4:00 (March 08, 2008) in Cripple Checkpoint. The Duluth Minnesota rookie cited concern over sick dogs on his team, and the loss of a dearly loved team mate, Zaster, as his reasons for scratching. Stetson had 14 dogs on his team.

IDITAROD XXXVI MUSHER Ryan Redington, (Bib #51) made the decision to scratch at 6:00 pm (March 08, 2008) in Ruby Checkpoint. The Iditarod veteran from Wasilla Alaska said his team was not performing well, and he felt it was in their best interest to scratch in Ruby. Redington had ten dogs on his team when he made the decision to scratch.

Remember the Iditarod Invitational that started Feb 23, and is still in progress? This race features hikers, (believe it or not) skiers, and bikers, that race over the Iditarod trail to either McGrath (350 miles) or all the way to Nome! Here is one intrepid biker on his way to Nome, being passed by the sled dogs en-route to the same finish. I've blogged about it HERE . Latest news of this event is HERE. Leader Board is HERE

New Video + Brief Iditarod Update

Lance Mackey is Flying on the Yukon River... His team is famously frisky and the race is moving along at a good clip in spite of the warmer temperatures. Jeff King is just a couple hours behind and he may battle it out with Lance for first place in the end. But the Iditarod is defined as a race of attrition, so it is still anyone's victory. Current Standings and Race News PLUS Jeff Shultz's Photo's.

NEW VIDEO!
Super fast run through the redwoods. The dogs are going about 15 MPH. Whee!



Dog Power!

Iditarod Day 7 - Jonrowe 1st @ the Halfway Point Lance 1st to the Yukon

DeeDee Jonrowe at the Ceremonial start in Anchorage March 1st, 2008. She is carrying a rider as part of the opening festivities. Some folks pay to ride, and some children are granted rides on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Photos of Dee Dee from her Website

This Posted by Jon Little in Race Coverage

CRIPPLE - March 6, 2008, Checkers huddled around the inflatable palm trees set up as a joke at this remote tent camp on Wolf Kill Slough were expecting Paul Gebhardt as dawn broke this morning. Instead, they heard a woman’s voice chirping across the snow-covered swamp speckled with black spruce.

It was DeeDee Jonrowe, and nobody was more surprised than she to be the winner of the GCI Dorothy Page Halfway award, which comes with $3,000 in gold nuggets. A stunned Jonrowe reportedly was thrilled, saying today was her husband Mike’s birthday and she hadn’t gotten him a gift yet. The gold would do fine.

This from Iditarod Press page : At age 54 Jonrowe has been running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race since 1980. (this is her 28th time!) She holds the fastest time ever recorded by a female musher, and has garnered thirteen top ten finishes. Her Iditarod record is HERE .

A Side Note: I recently read her story; Iditarod Dreams; A year in the Life of Alaskan Sled Dog Racer Dee Dee Jonrowe , co-written with Lew Freedman. In it, I learned that in addition to being an extreme musher she is also a Christian, and happy to Praise the Lord at every turn of the trail. A passage from her book reads: "The top priority in my life is to be the best I can be wherever the Lord wants me to do service. A lot of people think if you're going to influence people's lives, you have to live your religion by becoming a missionary in Africa, but I don't believe that's the case. I believe the Lord has a purpose for me as a Christian dog musher. There are not that many Christian dog mushers. In fact, if you think about it there are fewer Christian dog mushers than there are missionaries in Africa." She is pretty funny, and is a gutsy and inspiring, not to mention quite glamorous gal as well. (Gotta love her pink frilly-skirt mushing coat!)

And Back to Race Coverage

“This is probably the first time in the history of the Iditarod that the award was won by a person who didn’t even know they were in first,” said Bruce Lee, the Yukon Quest champion, former Iditarod musher and current Insider analyst following the race.

If Jonrowe was jubilated, her competitor, Paul Gebhardt, was crushed. “That was the worst run of my life,” he said. He’d been leading the race but ran into a series of problems. First, he had to pack a 60-pound male dog only a few miles beyond Ophir. Then wet snow started falling, soaking everything in Gebhardt’s sled. It was taking so long to reach Cripple that the tired musher thought he must have overshot the incoming trail, and he backtracked about a mile before running into Jonrowe. By the time Gebhardt arrived here, he’d been on the runners for 20 hours, starting in Takotna. He’d camped only three hours on the trail. The 17-hour slog in warm weather effectively takes him out of the hunt for a win, he said. “I really, really hurt my dog team doing that. They’re not quitting, but it took so much weight off them. I pretty much took myself out of contention.”

Gebhardt wasn’t the only one traveling slowly, or the only musher here feeling a little dispirited, questioning their judgement. It’s par for the course. The fastest times so far, posted by Martin Buser and Cim Smyth, were 11 hours from Ophir. Two years ago, Jeff King made the run from Ophir in about eight hours. Cim Smyth put it this way: “It’s like somebody stretched the ground in the two years in between.”

Martin Buser proved to be a practical joker, for anyone watching the satellite tracker and wondering why Buser was suddenly shooting around the terrain at unreal speeds. He took the two pound tracking device off his sled, handed to a pilot and asked him to fly around for awhile. Just for laughs. Buser was wearing a loud, red Hawaiian shirt and plaid green and blue pajama bottoms for comfort while taking his 24. Son Rohn looked remarkable, coming here just three hours behind his father.

MORE NEWS: Rohn, March 6, 2008 – Rookie musher Kim Franklin, from the United Kingdom, was withdrawn from the 2008 Iditarod earlier today.

Franklin reported that one of her dogs chewed through the gangline and two dogs left the team during Franklin’s nighttime run from Rainy Pass to Rohn. She was unable to locate them and went on to Rohn.

Under Iditarod rules, mushers must arrive in a checkpoint with the same number of dogs that they left the previous checkpoint with in order to continue in the race.

A withdrawal has the effect of involuntarily eliminating a musher and team from the race but does not imply any deliberate misconduct or violation. The two dogs were located back down the trail in Rainy Pass and were flown to Anchorage and released to their handler.

ALSO:IDITAROD XXXVI MUSHER Cliff Roberson, (Bib #56) made the decision to scratch at this morning, at 8:15 (March 05, 2008) at Rohn Checkpoint. The 60 year old Iditarod musher from Corvallis Oregon incurred minor injury to his eyes. Roberson had fifteen dogs on has team at the time he decided to scratch.

ALSO:IDITAROD XXXVI MUSHER Jessica Hendricks, (Bib #23) decided to scratch this morning, at 8:00 (March 05, 2008) in Nikolai Checkpoint. The 25 year old Iditarod musher from Two Rivers Alaska made the decision to scratch because of the effects the warm weather had on her team. Hendricks had 7 dogs on her team when she scratched.

AND: IDITAROD XXXVI MUSHER Jason Barron, (Bib #41) made the decision to scratch this morning, at 9:40 (March 06, 2008) in McGrath Alaska on the banks of the Kuskokwim River. The 36 year old Iditarod musher from Lincoln Montana stated that his dogs were sick. Barron had 14 dogs on his team when he decided to scratched.

Eighty-nine mushers and their teams remain on the trail and on the way to Nome.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - (March 07, 2008)
LANCE MACHEY - FIRST TO ARRIVE IN THE YUKON..in time for a 7 course breakfast and $5000~

IDITAROD XXXVI Musher Lance Mackey (Bib # 6) was the first to arrive in Ruby Alaska this morning at 7:32 with 14 dogs. Ruby is nestled on the Banks of the Mighty Yukon River. Mackey was greeted by well wishers and a seven course meal courtesy of the Millennium Hotel Anchorage, proud sponsor of "The Last Great Race to Nome."

As the recipient of the "First Musher to the Yukon Award", Mackey was treated to a seven course meal prepared by Millennium's Executive Chef, Keith Culhane. This year's menu included Chicken and wild mushroom terrine, Yukon potato Bisk with shrimp ravioli. The main courses included halibut flowers on a bed of peach chutney, and a fillet of beef stuffed with Alaskan king crab, along with brie en cruet. A desert of raspberry crepes, served with bitter sweet chocolate sauce rounded out the succulent feast. A carefully selected fine wine was served with each plate.

Mackey received a special "after dinner mint" of $5,000 crisp $1 bills presented by Millennium's Food and Beverage manager Brooke McGrath.

NEWS found Here Race pics are by Jeff Schultz. Readers please go HERE to enjoy more of his amazing shots from the trail.I drafted most of this late last night. And already it is old news....

It is very interesting to watch the lead positions change through the course of the race. Lance has been first, and he has been much farther back. DeeDee was first at the halfway point, and today she is running 17th. No one who has ever been first at the hafway point, has ever won the whole race , so now I'm rooting for DeeDee. Though the good money is probably on Lance Mackey; he has turbo powered pups!

The variables on the trail, and for each person individually, are huge. You really can't call it until it's done. Errors in judgement, equipment issues, injury, fatigue, crummy snow conditions, or illness for dogs or driver, can all take a strong leader and put him or her in the back of the pack. Riding that edge between knowing when to push your team, and knowing when they need rest, is a major factor to just completing this race. Winning it, I'm sure is a whole new mind game.

A tapped out team will just lay down and stop running. It is in the driver's best interest to keep them healthy, fueled up, rested, and in good spirits. So, even when grinding through warm soggy snow, or getting lost on the trail, the driver must maintain a calm and positive attitude or the dogs pick up on the frustration and funk, and it brings the whole team down, often with dire consequences.

This provides an insightful metaphor for life; Don't get yourself too worked up or bummed, because your team may fall apart!

Iditarod Update II

Iditarod News can be found here and all these great images too...Above, Jim Lanier's all white team departs from Rainy Pass...Below, Mitch Seavey was the first into Rainy Pass. Lance Mackey is currently in first place and has covered over 250 miles since Sunday. He has dropped just one dog. Joe Garney and Tom Roig have both scratched due to health concerns for the dogs. Current Standings with musher links are HERE
This dog is called Shy Girl (sigh) she is running for Melissa Owens and her story is HERE . Below, is ZUMA, the Official Canine Reporter for the Race. He explains things very clearly in a super child friendly way.
THE WEATHER as of Monday:
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - (Monday, March 3, 2008) - It’s day two of the 36^th edition of “The Last Great Race On Earth” and Mother Nature is already getting into the race. Nikolai Alaska is the first checkpoint that is on the north side of the Alaska Range and warmer temperatures are in the forecast for at the next two days. Day time highs are expected to be in the low 30’s with night time lows dropping slightly into the lower 20’s. Snow is in the forecast as well.

McGrath temperatures are also expected to climb. Snow is also in the forecast. Unseasonably warmer temperatures look like the norm along the Kuskokwim River until temperatures begin to cool down on again on Thursday, March 6^th.

You can watch updated weather along the Iditarod Trail at the StormReady Weather Center.This cute pup is an Iditarod Veteran. He is running for Paul Gebhardt. His name is Bear and you can pet him anywhere, just don't rub his head! His story is HERE.

Jeff Schultz's images from the trail are amazing. The photo above really captures the activity at most checkpoints. Dogs are fed, bedded down and get a well deserved break...

Don't forget to check out the final standings on the Iditarod Invitational; that crazy human powered race over this very same trail that is still in progress. Though the racers that set out for McGrath have all arrived (Jill's story is intense, and she is a great writer and rider, too! ) there are still many bikers, skiers, and believe it or not, walkers on their way to Nome- the race for those hardy souls is barely half over! News HERE. Leader Board HERE.

Iditarod Update

We had the privilege of watching the start of the 36th Iditarod live online . The feed is all glitchy now, too many armchair mushers I guess, and the server croaked.

The Very Cool Iditarod Tracking Page works beautifully though. Track Your Team Live, is also free. It is a satellite technology using gps transmitters . It features just 19 of the teams, and is experimental and somewhat controversial in nature. To watch the live video feed, (which isn't even working right now...) and view lots of other 'insider' videos, you have to sign on as an Iditarod Insider (just $20 - so worth it...?..)

The live feed we did get to see of the re-start out of Willow, was awesome. There were so many leaping, barking and generally excited dogs, some ugly, some beautiful, with all tails wagging for the most part. Some dogs needed no handler, some needed two! Watching the teams of 16 dogs, as the 8-10 handlers that are holding them back, with 4-6 strong men just holding the sled, finally give them the go ahead and they tear down the chute, is amazing! Many lead dogs are gunning it and looking straight down the trail, some dogs are listing sideways or taking it at a trot. Some of the team members are even looking backwards, or at the crowd, as if they've forgotten something or see someone they know! As a lot, there were some very bright dogs, and some not so smart ones, with strength and athleticism their common bond. The mushers all gave the teams a scratch and a rub here, and a check or repositioning there, before finally getting on the sled and taking off. There was obvious affection between them. They send the teams out every two minutes for more than 3 hours. There were 96 entered and already one team has scratched after only running the 11 mile ceremonial start yesterday. Gb Jones let the short ceremonial start, also serve as his finish. He is veteran musher, and illness has forced him to not only cancel his attempt this year, but he is retiring for good; "There is life after the Iditarod."

More Later. Photo is from the trackyourteamBlog

Countdown to Iditarod

Is it time to brush up on your mushing terminology? Just review this list of commonly used mushing and sled dog race words. A well trained mushing dog must have good mastery of basic obedience in addition to any mushing specific commands introduced here.

• Alaskan husky: a northern dog of mixed breed, usually used to denote those bred for racing.


• Basket: the main body of a sled, where passengers or gear may be carried.


• Booties: slippers for dogs, worn while working under certain conditions to prevent ice forming between their toes. Made of a wide range of fabrics, including fleece and Gore-tex.


• Brushbow: the curved piece out in front of the main body of a sled, designed to stop brush from damaging the sled.


• Dog Bag: a fabric bag carried on a race sled, used to put a sick or injured dog into in order to carry him to a place where he can be cared for.


• Dog Box: a carrier for several dogs, most often seen as a wooden structure in the bed of a pickup truck. Styles vary widely, but usually built with individual sections that hold one or two dogs each.


• Driving Bow: the handle that the musher holds on to - also called a Handlebow.


• Easy!: the command for the dogs to slow down.


• Gangline: the main line that the dogs and sled are attached to.


• Gee: the command for the dogs to turn right.


• Handler: a person who assists the musher.


• Harness: a webbing of fabric that fits a dog snugly, to which the Tugline and Neckline are attached.


• Haw: the command for the dogs to turn left.


• Hike!: the command to get the dog team moving.


• Husky: in common usage, any northern breed dog - properly, a Siberian Husky.


• Iditarod: most famous for the name of a competitive sled dog race, but also has native meanings


• Lead Dogs: the dog or dogs in the front of a team. These dogs are noted for their high level of intelligence and drive, and are often females. May be run as Single lead (1 dog) or Double lead (2 dogs).


• Mush!: many people think this is the term used to get a team going - Hike! is most commonly used.


• Musher: a person who drives a sled dog team - also called a Dog Driver.


• Neckline: a short line (10-12 inches) attached to the Harness and Gangline, that keeps the dog in line.


• On By!: the command to go by another team or other distraction.


• Pedaling: pushing with one foot while keeping the other on the sled.


• Point Dogs: used by some mushers to denote the two dogs right behind the Lead Dogs. Others call them Swing Dogs.


• Rigging: all the gear used to attach dogs to a sled.


• Runners: the narrow pieces of wood that a sled rides on. Usually have a replaceable plastic layer to reduce maintenance. The runners extend behind the Basket so the Musher can stand on them.


• Safety Line: an extra line from the Gangline to the sled, in case the main fitting breaks.


• Snow Hook: a large metal hook that can be driven into firm snow to anchor a team for a short period of time without tying them.


• Snub Line: a rope attached to the back of the sled, which can be tied to a tree to hold the team when the snow is not firm enough to use a Snow Hook.


• Stakeout: a main chain with separate short chains to attached several dogs to. May be strung between the front and back bumpers of a truck, or between two trees.


• Stanchions: the upright pieces that attach the runners to a sled.


• Swing Dogs: depending on which musher you're talking to, either the two dogs directly behind the Lead Dogs, or those between the Point Dogs and the Wheel Dogs.


• Tack: harnesses.


• Team Dogs: all dogs other than the Lead Dogs, Point Dogs, Swing Dogs and Wheel Dogs.


• Toboggan: a sled with a flat bottom instead of runners. Used when deep, soft snow is expected instead of a good trail.


• Tuglines: the main line that connects the dog's harness to the Gangline - the line that the dog tugs on.


• Village Dogs: a derogatory term for poorly socialized dogs of unknown breeding.


• Wheel Dogs: the two dogs right in front of the sled. These will normally be the heaviest dogs in the team.


• Whoa: the command to get the dog team to stop. Mushing terminology/dictionary written by DogSled.Com

DogSled.com also has a great collection of links for all things Iditarod.The Iditarod starts tomorrow, Sat, Mar 1, 10:00 a.m. (Anchorage time) at Downtown Anchorage at the Corner of 4th Avenue & D Streets. With the real start (restart) set to occur Sun, Mar 2, 2:00 p.m. departing from Willow. A great overview of anticipated trail conditions is HERE. Considering the immense and ever changing landscape and shifts in the weather that one encounters during this intense race, it is anyone's guess what the conditions will be in the end. There are 96 entrants this year. HERE is a good run down on who to keep an eye on, in terms of placing and winning this incredible race. And the musher line up is very interesting as well, for they each have a story to tell. I am psyched to see how the race goes and am rooting of course, for all the dogs mostly. Racing images are from (ADDENDUM:have ALL been deleted. TO view visit :) Iditarod photo gallery page or (addendum) HERE for daily photos from the trail, like these beauties taken at the ceromonial start Mar 1. Notice Lance Mackey's dog, airborne in its excitement to go!Additional pics from Magali P on FLICKR (she has a pretty cool, and biligual blog) as well, with lots more dog related prose and photos.
Note RE: OBEDIENCE CLASSES: If you took my advice last week and adopted a new pup you are eligible for free obedience classes starting tomorrow, and every Saturday, from March 1, through April 12 - at 12:30 (puppy) and 1:45 (adult). These classes are at The Farm Store at 3956 Jacob's Avenue. Cost is $65, but the first three classes are FREE to anyone who has recently adopted a dog. Farm store # 707 443 7397. Classes are taught by Michelle Stone, and cover the basics,and beyond. It is so important to invest both good energy, and discipline into your dog. The years you share together will be enhanced by this groundwork. If you think you love your pup now, take him/her to obedience classes and you will love your obedient dog even more! And your obedient dog will trust and obey you for a lifetime. Sweet and happy days will be in the future for both of you. See you there, or on the Iditarod trail! Photo below from Here.

Iditarod Invitational

The World's Longest Human Powered Winter Race

350 miles or 1100 miles

These folks have it going on, truly. This is not a dog powered activity, but it is a race inspired by the dog teams of Alaska. It is basically a mountain bike, ski or foot race of 350 or 1100 miles. The bike riders have super suped up bikes, and the walkers pull a sled with their gear behind them the whole way. This event, which started yesterday, goes on around the clock. Participants are allowed to prearrange for food drops only; all gear must be carried. The racers pack for daily caloric consumption of over 6000 calories, and will still drop body weight over the course of the race. A good sport for big eaters! THIS BLOG , written by a couple of self professed big eaters, goes into great detail about the intense caloric needs and the importance of fun food groups like chocolate. They intend to get 50% of their calories from fat. Photos above by Whit Richardson, those below are from blogs referenced, and the map is from race site. Here is another fun filled Arctic Athlete BLOG of one of the bikers...and JILL HOMER is racing too. I can't even comprehend attempting to hoof it. Pretty brave and strong souls. Note: This year they will take the northern dark colored route. The Map of the route:
Time limit to complete the 1100? 30 days. For the 350 you have just 10 days. To Find ongoing race results Check the LeaderBoard HERE or the latest news HERE. ADDENDUM: as of Thursday the 28th the first bike rider has arrived in McGrath at 4:20 am! ADDENDUM 2: Great coverage of the race and additional commentary featured on the NPR site HERE.