March 5 Takotna 8:00am

The Takotna checkpoint population has exploded over the night and in a headlight sweep behind the community center/checkpoint one can see reflectors on harnesses like stars.  Each team is parked not more than five yards from the other.  The dogs are accustomed to the race  protocol and pay no attention to mushers using the narrow alley between teams to feed, adjust blankets, change wrist wraps, or inspect team members.

In the early morning night I notice a musher wearing white wind pants distributing straw to beds.  It’s Allen Moore, 2013 Yukon Quest champ and the husband and kennel partner with frontrunning Aliy Zirkle.  I kind of caught him at one of those times in early light when humans are just becoming alert and talk quietly so they don’t wake up the rest of the world.  He has spent all night traveling and just putting his dogs on a 24 hour rest.  He must be, has to be, finally ready for a good nap.

“Yeah, I spent a lot of time repairing.”  He  told me his run across the Alaska Range was a repair mission.  His sled has only two main stanchions and he replace three, which meant he replaced both the originals and then replaced one of the replacements.   After having run the Yukon Quest in February for a thousand miles and now finding himself on the Iditarod, this is a very trail hardened musher. 

Next to Allen, Mitch Seavey, the defending champ appears.  “I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I do it.”  He is spreading square blankets on his sleeping chargers.  The very refreshed Mitch, who tells me he has just logged a six hour nap, is a more animated Mitch than seen yesterday.   Asking about the leaders, he is quite enthused to tell me about the rotation and points out his role players.  “Taurus and Pit, one of my three year olds, led into Takotna.”  What about the 8 year old duo Gumbo and Kosher?

He advances to the middle of the team, uncovers the face of Gumbo, and points to Kosher.  “They took me through the rough stuff.  They were a little stressed when we came into Nikolai so they went back in the team for a break.  He  tells me that Kosher’s third eyelid was slightly closed when he arrived in Nikolai, probably a result of a brush slap to the head.  The vets provided him with some ointment and now it appears Kosher is visually back to normal.

Pit, it should be noted, is part of group of three year old males that Mitch had buried in the middle of his team. They are rowdy, not very settled canine citizens and Mitch didn’t want them turned loose in wild surges of power on the trail. Now, however, he plans to gradually cycle them back to the front.  Pit’s job last night was to give the team a little boost in speed as he ran copilot with Taurus.

Tanner, the super leader who gained fame last year, was totally not available in the middle of the team.   I took a photo of what was said to be Tanner, under his blanket. Tanner, like the rest of the team, is also wearing a dog coat.  He is not taking visitors until the sun comes up.   Tanner has seen limited duty thus far but will be rotated into the lead after the 24 hour.  His job is speed and reliability.  Mitch assures me that Tanner will be going on leader shift.                     Tanner not receiving guests. He has retired in solitary underneath his square black blanket.

Mitch has many leaders.

Michelle Phillips, who has a wry sense of humor, was unloading her five gallon bucket cooler from her sled bag.   With a twist off lid, this is a handy musher item.  Insulation surrounds the bucket, so one has only to add water to a bucket of feed and  let it soak for five minutes– a hot meal is prepared. 

Following Michelle to the hot water tub in front of the checkpoint, I learned that she was a sensitive person—-her knees, elbows, entire body had been thoroughly tenderized by the rocks on the trail. However, Michelle is one of those minimal humorists that discounted the experience.   Later, out the window, I saw her ladling hot feed in bowls to her swifts.  Following the banquet, she was on her sore knees massaging her dogs’ feet applying a liquid linement.  Many mushers use aljuval (question my spelling?) which does not test or violate the very strict drug policy on the Iditarod.

Thinking to spark the morning with a cup of coffee, I find Robert Sorlie, the 2x champ, in the cafeteria. His team is one the fastest on the trail—-an equal to Zirkle, Seavey, Lindner, Dallas Seavey, et al.  This is unusual for Sorlie as we usually know him as very steady, but capable of giant runs that leave the field.  I question him about the change in character of his team.

“Yes , this team is very fast.”  He admitted that he might have considered going to Cripple with his other teams, but he feels that Takotna is the place to declare his 24.  “I think the trail will be faster for me after teams go ahead of me.”  He is referring to the observation that dogs love to travel on a scent trail. In other words, Sorlie’s dogs will know that Sonny’s team laid down a trail and will be very interested in running the trail.  Robert admitted, “This is the best team I have ever driven.”

So, this is a different Sorlie.  He has the advantage of speed but also the knowledge to slow his team for long easy runs.  Very dangerous for the Iditarod pack.  Sorlie, who is normally like Zirkle and a health/exercise nut, smiled and said he deserved pie at 8am.  He eased over to the pie counter and returned with a gigantic slice of pie mounted with a white mountain of whip cream.

Further down the table sits Dan Kaduce, who is still wearing his light parka, his hat, and a headlamp, is eating bacon and eggs .  Bruce Lee and I have fun with him and ask if he is ready to abandon racing and stop for a while. 

Dan Kaduce, although he has declared 24, still appears to be in race mode—note headlamp at breakfast

Meanwhile, a group of veterinarians are discussing the sled dog, one of the rookie vets already marveling at the capacity of the animals.  She said the experience of feeling the dogs, noting the knotted lean musculature, was instructional.  “I have clients who think they own performance canines,” and commented with a smile that she will have a different perspective in the future.

Here are the latest dynamics of the trail.  No reasonable person in Takotna is hazarding predictions.  Zirkle, Sorlie, King, Seavey the Older and the Younger are here resting.  Lindner, Burmeister, et al try to push for an advantage to Cripple.  Martin Buser, now off his 24 hour in Nikolai, will breeze through Takotna about 10am and pass his resting competitors, leveraging a hard earned time advantage.  Can he maintain?

We move to Cripple today, pilots telling us that weather remains mild and clear for flying.