7PM Ruby—Gateway to the Yukon—Waiting for arrival of lead pack—Seavey Holds Court

Our crew has now been shuttled to Ruby, where we wait the arrival of the lead pack. 

Here’s the challenge.  From the air it’s easy to see that the trail departing the very remote checkpoint of Cripple heads more or less north for 65 miles to the Yukon.  Additionally, the lay of the land transforms from sparse tundra on a wide flat monotonous arctic plain, to rolling hills gradually becoming noticeably more forested, in places congested with competing birch trees and spruce big enough to build a log cabin.   Moose tracks decorate the snow, something we didn’t see on the other side of Cripple.

Inexorably, the trail advances to the Yukon, up and over a small range of significant mountains guarding the river.  Mushers will fall from a high ridge, sometimes slipping on side hills built on giant snowdrifts, follow a valley, then ascend again.  Near Ruby, a tired musher that likes to jog the hills will be asking when it will end.  Finally the trail, now following an old road established for placer miners tops out and winds downhill to Ruby, a village itself built on a hillside.

the Yukon is the lowest point in a monstrous valley 2000 miles long, note trail on the windblown hardpack

Mitch and the other mushers like the distance of 65 miles, but they know it will be work.  They should do it one giant run if they are competitive.

As many readers already know, once the mushers hit the Yukon at Ruby to Galena to Nulato to Kaltag, they are required to declare at any village, an eight hour rest.   Check out the map available and see that significant 200 miles of trail is on the bed of the Yukon.

Most mushers will decide to declare their 8 hour rest at Ruby, a decision built more on experience than some grand scientific theory.

Mitch Seavey’s dogs

I took a few photos of Mitch’s dogs in Cripple.   He bracketed his conversation about his dogs with the info that he had fed 30 lbs of meat and 15 pounds of dry kibble on the 98 mile leg from Takotna to Cripple, a 12.5 hour run.

mitch feeding dogs, deep snow, on arrival in Cripple

Mitch explained that his dogs were loping at times in the deep snow in order to keep up the speed. Then he introduced Custer, a substantial white dog that did not make his team last year.  However, Custer kept in the team this year and emerged as possibly his best leader.  Custer has run 4,000 miles this winter in training.   The front six dogs in the team are leaders of equal caliber.  Kosher, he tells me, could be the best (I’ll try to keep track of this dog—he’s the yellow dog in the photos.)

Mitch's leader , including white dog with tinge of yellow, Custer

He also wanted to highlight the performance of Talon, an incredible pulling dog placed in the wheel, just ahead of the sled.

Seavey in with snappy dog team to Cripple, assumes lead, hustles to bed his dogs before departing direction Ruby

Progress of the lead pack

Well, good question, as I sit in the Ruby school library writing this post.  Guess what?  Across the table I am exchanging info with Jerry Miller, the conceptual developer and owner of IonEarth.  If you go to the Insider, the tracking displays which have revolutionized viewing for the dedicated fan, were built by IonEarth.  

While I write the article, Jerry has been analyzing data and tells me that Aliy Zirkle is holding her own in comparison to top competitor Mitch Seavey.   Despite her decision to rest before Cripple (she probably decided to rest in the sun) it all worked out mathematically— even up on the trail to Ruby.

Jim Lanier

Jim Laniers driamatic arrival was just too much for me to entirely drop.  Lanier, who I have mentioned is a very funny human being, talked after he had bedded and fed his dogs, put the gold in the vault, and was eating and decompressing before a nap.  This was a long trip, notwithstanding Jim 72 years old.    He reminded me that I had hollored out, when I saw him Takotna, that he “should go for gold.  Will somebody go for the gold. ”  Jim, suddenly thinking it was a good idea, said, “I am going to Cripple.”  

Fortunately, he was able to squeak into Cripple to edge Seavey by 18 minutes. Jim told me he hoped his son Jimmy was inspired by his accomplishment.

Speaking of Trent Herbst- he designed a ruse.  “I took some straw, and told Trent I was going all the way to the Yukon to Ruby, and therefore was going to camp about a mile away.”   About a mile away, Jim threw the straw away, “I got a little chuckle when I did it, and headed for Cripple and the gold.” 

Final thoughts

Breakaway strategies, long runs, perspectives are all being tested.  Sometimes it’s easy to become preoccupied with the front and forget the train behind including Baker, King, et al.  All these top mushers are patiently allowing strategies to work for them.  Watch for more plays on the Yukon, a different kind of trail that may favor teams like Baker and Gebhardt.