Kristin Bacon Departs Rohn for Nikolai
On Wednesday morning, McGrath is right smack-dab in the middle of Iditarod action! Yes, some teams have passed through to Takotna, some have gone beyond Takotna to Ophir. Yesterday, due to snow, some portions of the trail were not flyable so veterinarians were dispatched to Ophir by snowmachine.
Emily Maxwell’s Icy Departure from Rohn
Meanwhile, back down the trail, all teams have departed Rohn. I heard from a couple of sources that going into Rohn was tough and leaving Rohn was tough. So as mushers breathed a sign of relief to have the Dalzell Gorge behind them, they were suddenly faced with knee-deep overflow just prior to the checkpoint. Wonder if anyone packed chest-waders for such an occasion? You can bet some of the experienced and even the inexperienced did exactly that. Others are just prepared with an extra pair of boots.
Alison Lifka with Vet Bill Simpson
Cindy Gallea is running in Red Lantern right now. She has 14 years of Iditarod experience with 12 finishes. Being a rookie on the trail, I’d feel good about having Cindy behind me in leaving Rohn. Rookies who are just out of Rohn include Victoria Hardwick and Alison Lifka. Veterans who’ve just left Rohn include Cindy Abbott with 2 completed Iditarod runs and Jeremy Keller with 1 completed Iditarod run on his résumé.
Shayne Traska Heads into Rohn Roadhouse Checkpoint
There are a bunch of early morning arrivals sitting in Nikolai right now. Martin Apayauq Reitan rolled in at 01:05 Wednesday morning followed by Shaynee Traska. Blair Braverman, Emily Maxwell and Nikolas Wickstrand made Nikolai during the 03:00 and 04:00. Finishing their run across the Farewell Burn and checkpoint into Nikolai between 05:00 and 08:00 was Anja Radano, Kristin Bacon, Michael Baker, Ryan Santiago and Marcelle Fressineau. Sharing some Julien Schroeder photos of these and other mushers from Rohn Checkpoint.
Anja Radano in Rohn
Mushers who are on their way from Nikolai to McGrath with new snow on the trail include Robert Redington, Jessica Klejka, Lance Mackey and Sebastien Dos Santos Borges. Of the group, Jessica and Sebastien are rookies. Robert has 3 Iditarod starts and one finish in 22nd place. Lance has 14 starts with 12 finishes. He is the only musher to capture 4 consecutive championships. He has done the Quest and Iditarod in the same year and has double victories in 2007 and 2008. With Lance in the pack, there’s a wealth of stories and experience and a treat for him to hear the perspectives of less experienced mushers.
Aliy Zirkle hasn’t spread straw in McGrath for a number of years. She’s always moved on to Takotna. Last night she stopped, much to the delight of village race fans. There was a huge crowd gathered around her team as she spread straw and the vets checked her team over. Aliy is very enthusiastic and energetic and it’s nothing to meet her on the way into the checkpoint and before I can even say “Hi” she’s asking me how’s it going. My reply last night was, “Hey, I get to ask you that.” She laughed and then said the first 300 miles of her race were going well. She described the tough trail into and out of Rohn. After a short rest, Aliy was back on the trail. This morning she is resting in Ophir as is Nicolas Petit. She arrived 5 hours behind Petit.
Aliy is breaking trail toward Iditarod as I write. Nicolas Petit, Jessie Holmes and Aaron Burmeister are in Ophir. Martin Buser is on his way to Takotna. As expected, there’s a large contingent enjoying Takotna hospitality for their long layover. It’s not only the pie that lures mushers to stay, it’s the moose steak cooked to perfection and the peace and quiet of the tiny village.
Pam Flowers who ran back in 1983 told me that when she arrived in Takotna, she was planning to continue on. As she stated her intention, the hostesses of the checkpoint were clearly disappointed that she wouldn’t be coming into the checkpoint to share stories and enjoy food. Seeing the disappointment, Pam changed her mind and went inside. She never regretted the time she spent with the generous residents of Takotna.
