Queen of Hearts, Aliy Zirkle Leaves Deshka Start (photo D. Poyzer)

Aaron Peck, wearing bib #2 led the mushers out of the chute.  Victoria Hardwick, wearing bib #48 was the final musher to depart for the round trip to Iditarod.  This was the destination Joe Redington Sr. originally had in mind and thus the namesake.  Nobody seemed to know where Iditarod was and nobody was interested in running a race out to Iditarod and back.   But once the gold town of Nome was mentioned as a destination, interest grew.  Dick Mackey was the second musher to sign up behind Joe Redington.

With 47 mushers, the field for the 2021 Iditarod is the smallest since 1978 when Dick Mackey wearing bib #13 won gold in his sixth attempt.  Wearing bib #15 today is rookie Brenda Mackey.  Brenda’s father, Rick won Iditarod in 1983 wearing bib #13 in his sixth attempt.  Brenda’s uncle, Lance wearing bib #13 in 2007 won his first of four Iditarod Championships is his sixth attempt.  To make sure he could select Bib #13, Lance camped at Iditarod headquarter for an entire week before the day sign up opened in June so he could have first choice at bibs.  Back then mushers chose their bib number by the order they signed up in.  Between Dick, Rick, Lance, Jason and now Brenda, there have been Mackeys in all but five of the 49 races.  Brenda is the first woman to represent the family.

Just a few hours into the race mushers will pass on by the Yentna Station Roadhouse that has traditionally been the first checkpoint of the race.  They used to have five check in lanes flagged off so mushers could check in quickly and continue on.  Not this year.  The first checkpoint of the race will be Skwentna at mile 67.  Very few mushers actually stopped to rest at Yentna so it made good sense to move the first check in stop to about 7 to 8 hours into the race at Skwentna where mushers will likely take their first rest.

When going by Yentna I hope each musher offers a moment of silence to honor recently passed Yentna Station Roadhouse Master, Dan Gabryszak.  Dan and his wife, Jean established the Roadhouse in 1981 and a few years later, the Iditarod route shifted to run the Yentna River and Yentna became an official checkpoint of the race.  Dan and the entire family were gracious hosts of the checkpoint, opening the lodge to house the communications equipment and serving meals to the small army of volunteers that descended upon Yentna for the first day and night of the race.  Over the last year, we’ve gotten sort of used to celebrating big events by drive by processions.  Dan, this parade is in your honor!

Local mushers out for a run in Willow, AK. (photo D. Poyzer)

When might the Skwentna River Crew see the headlamp of the first musher come around the bend and head toward the welcome Banner? Having worked comms at Skwentna for a number of years, believe me, seeing the first headlamp is a huge thrill.  It’s the trigger for several hours of intense activity in the checkpoint.  Looking back at 2020, Robert Redington arrived in Skwentna at 23:40.  That was a slow run through deep newly fallen snow so instead; I’m basing my prediction on stats from 2019 with a hard faster trail.  Jessie Holmes checked in at 20:58 and Matt Hall followed at 21:30.  I’m going to say 21:05.

Something to watch tonight and into tomorrow is who moves up toward the front.  Teams depart from the start in two-minute intervals.  Victoria Hardwick wearing bib #48 will depart 92 minutes after Aaron Peck wearing bib #2.  This start differential is added to the 24-hour required rest.  So, for tonight and up through the 24-hour rest, the leader isn’t the first team charging down the trail.  But watch to see who’s moving up toward the front from the teams that drew the higher number bibs. 

It’s likely that you’ll see those back of the packers begin to make their move.  You’ve got Jessie Holmes #44. Paige Drobny #42 and Joar Leifseth Ulsom #41, see how many places they gain between the start and Skwentna.

Sit back and enjoy the race.  Remember that following the race through the lens of the Insider crew and through GPS tracker is the next best thing to being there!