Ryan Redington on Norton Bay Heading to Koyuk at Sunset (Photo: Insider Video)

It’s the second Sunday of the 51st Iditarod.  There are 30 of the original 33 still on the trail.  The front of the pack is sitting in Shaktoolik – Redington, Kaiser and Diehl.  Rounding out the top five, Matt Hall and Kelly Maixner are heading to Shaktoolik.  Reports say the winds are blowing around 25 mph from the north – nothing unusual for Shaktoolik.  The back of the packers, Eric Kelly and Jed Stephensen, are sitting in Eagle Island with their sights on Kaltag. 

Peter Kaiser On Norton Bay Heading to Koyuk at Sunset (Photo: Insider Video)

The rest of the top ten are sitting in Unalakleet, likely catching a nice nap on a real bed up in the checkpoint.  Perhaps there’s Peace on Earth Pizza waiting in the checkpoint.  If not, there will be sourdough pancakes and bacon along with any number of mouthwatering dishes provided by local residents. 

Peace on Earth Pizza Waiting for Christian Turner In Unalakleet (Photo: Insider Video)

The top two rookies are sitting in that top ten group – Hunter Keefe and Eddie Burke, Jr.  Keefe is running a Redington team and Burke is running a Burmeister/Browning team.  These two guys have had the best training from seasoned Iditarod veterans and they have been successful in their qualifiers and other races.  When was the last time there were two rookies contending for a top ten position?  Race archives would have the answer, if you have the time.

There was a close race for rookie of the year back in 2014 but it was for 17th and 18th place.  Nathan Schroeder wearing bib 25 started out ahead of Abbie West as she was wearing bib 69.  On the run to Rainy Pass, Abbie over took Schroeder and she maintained the lead through Elim.  Nathan arrived in White Mountain 6 minutes ahead of Abbie.  West checked into Safety 1 minute ahead of Schroeder but they departed at the same time.  Somewhere in those last 22 miles, Abbie again was in the lead but dropped her bib.  Nathan tried to retrieve it but he missed.  He shouted at West and she was able to run back to recover the wayward bib.  Nathan took the lead and maintained it to the finish line and Rookie of the Year Honors finishing in 17th place, six minutes ahead of Abbie.

It was back several checkpoints when Wade Marrs mentioned to the Insider guys he was running pretty close to John Baker’s Southern route scheduled that earned him a record time in 2011.  Mentioning the guys in front of him were well ahead of Baker’s record pace.  Taking a look at Shaktoolik arrival times today, the leaders are indeed ahead of John’s arrival time.   In 2011 Baker checked into Shaktoolik at 14:44.  Today Ryan Redington checked into Shaktoolik at 13:20 and Pete Kaiser at 14:06.  This will be an interesting comparison as Ryan and Pete continue up the coast.  Baker’s record Southern route run was completed in 8 days, 18 hours and 46 minutes arriving in Nome on Tuesday 3/15/2011 at 09:46.

Denmark musher, Mille Porsild is out of Unalakleet in 8th place.   In 2020, Mille earned Rookie of the year honors at 15th place with a time of 10 days, 1 hour and 43 minutes.  She improved to 5th place on the Gold Trail Loop of 2021, receiving the Humanitarian award.  She claimed 14th place in 2022.  Mille started mushing in 1992 behind a team of Polar Husky sled dogs for polar explorer Will Stegar on a three-month expedition in Canada.  That expedition led to other long haul expeditions that lasted two to six months going up to 3,000 miles in Greenland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Alaska and Canada.  She’s spent more than 1,000 nights in a tent on sled dog expeditions.  A ten day Iditarod light weight “expedition” would seem like a quick jaunt. 

Her first race was the 800-mile Nadezhda Hope  Race in Chukotka, Russia.  Mille’s interest in sled dogs was ignited by her grandfather who told her stories of his adventures with sled dogs.  Her great-grandfather founded the world’s first Arctic research station in Greenland.  Indeed, Mille comes from a mushing family.  Earlier this year, Mille earned second place in the Yukon Quest 450, finishing behind Iditarod veteran Michelle Phillips.    

Next up for the leaders of Iditarod 2023 is Norton Sound.  Back in 1925 during the Serum Run, Leonhard Seppala of Nome met up with Henry Ivanoff  on the sea ice between Shaktoolik and Koyuk.  The life saving serum was handed off and Seppala who turned and headed back toward Nome.