Ryan Redington Talks to Insider at Puntilla Lake (Photo Credit Insider)

Starting tonight with happenings at the back of the pack. Julie Ahnen in bib#29 has just made Finger Lake where 11 other mushers are resting.  Most of them are rookies but veterans Jeff King, Lisbet Norris and Apayauq Reitan are part of the group camped out in front of Winter Lake Lodge owned and operated by Carl and Kirsten Dixon. 

Years back, before the Dixons purchased the lodge, the Iditarod check point was located on the far side of Finger Lake.  There wasn’t much interaction between the owners of the hunting camp and the Iditarod volunteers or mushers.  The Dixons changed all of that. The checkpoint was relocated on the lake directly in front of the Lodge.  The trail was also relocated.  Back then the teams departed Finger Lake on the same trail used by the Iron Dog racers.  Now they depart the checkpoint where the Winterlake Lodge dock is located and follow a trail that runs between some of the lodge cabins and then into the woods behind the lodge.  As it leaves lodge property, a sign with lettering made of birch branches marks the trail as it heads to Red Lake.  The descent to Red Lake is steep, very steep and might be considered just a teaser for the upcoming Happy River Steps.

Iditarod Trail Out of Finger Lake (Photo Credit Terrie Hanke)

As Ryan Redington reached Rainy Pass on Monday, the insider crew was there for an interview and Ryan shared his trail run from Finger.  Redington said that the steps were very good.  They had lots of snow and were very smooth and he didn’t tip over at all.  As a matter of fact, he really enjoyed the steps.  He had anticipated it would be much worse but was pleasantly surprised at how easy the steps were.  Redington talked about a moose that was on the trail.  They followed it for nearly a mile before the moose finally left the trail.  He wants to wait to follow someone out of Rainy so he doesn’t have to clear the trail of moose as he makes the climb to the Rainy Pass summit at 3,200 feet.  Redington said he was carefully controlling the speed of his team to be averaging 9.5 mph.  This is a bit of a different strategy as other years he’s gotten to Rainy averaging 11 mph.  Ryan prefers camping at Rainy rather than heading further up the trail because there is water available and that saves time.  The Insider Interview with Ryan is just one of MANY video clips that Insiders can enjoy.

There are seven mushers traveling between Finger Lake and Rainy Pass.  They’ve made the exceptionally steep descent from the Winter Lake Lodge down to Red Lake and are ready for the steps.  Ryan Redington was the first musher to take the steps in the 2022 race and said he enjoyed them, called them smooth with plenty of snow.  As each musher descends the steps, a little more snow is scraped off by using the sled brake  Ten mushers later, then 10 mushers after that and those steps won’t be quite as smooth or snow covered as they were for Ryan.  The run will get more and more challenging with each passing team.  While Ryan didn’t tip over, it’s pretty common and many will.  Hang on!

Puntilla Lake Checkpoint (Photo Credit Terrie Hanke)

Nineteen mushers are sitting on Puntilla Lake just short of Rainy Pass.  This checkpoint is usually referred to as Rainy Pass but is technically Puntilla Lake.  Call it what you like but the climb to the summit of Rainy Pass is what’s up next.  Then mushers plunge down to the interior through the Dalzell Gorge.  Again, Race Marshall Mark Nordman says there’s ample snow and the trail is very good.  Martin Massicotte, Sebastien Dos Santos Borges and Hanna Lyrek are rookies who are resting at Rainy and will soon tackle the ascent and descent into the Interior.  Although designated as rookies, Massicotte and Dos Santos Borges have attempted the race previously and have navigated the gorge in 2020 and 2019 respectively.  Good luck Hanna!

There are twenty teams, all veterans, who have left Puntilla and are headed to Rohn.  Having made it safely across the ice bridges of the Gorge, Ryan Redington arrived in Rohn at 17:42 followed by Aaron Burmeister.  They are resting at mile 188.  Rohn will see many teams arrive as the evening wears on.

Just another reminder that the two guys in Rohn are leading the pack but they are not leading the race.  Start differential will be added to the departure times following the 24 hour layover.  When all teams have completed the layover, then the first place team is the leader on the trail.  At that same time the Rookie of the years contenders come into focus also.

Lisbet Norris and Her Siberian Express Cross Willow Lake (Photo Credit Dave Poyzer)

Just a thought from the Willow Restart, there were some really beautiful teams.  Dogs doing what they love to do, so happy to be running and pulling a sled, harnessed with their best friends and hauling their favorite human.  It was really a bluebird day and a great spectacle for those there in person as well as those watching the Insider Live Stream.  Of the 49 dogs teams, I was completely awestruck by the handsome Norris Siberians!