Joe Runyan and Sebastian Schnuelle on snowmachine have left Unalakleet to follow the leaders. My job is here in Unalakleet keeping track of the teams as they arrive and depart the first checkpoint located on the Bering Sea. Thirteen teams have passed through and without having to go out on a limb; the winner is in that group.

A couple hundred folks were out to greet Aliy and the trio, Buser, King and Lindner, that followed close behind.  The Wells Fargo guys from Nome were there to present the Gold Coast Award which consists of $2,500 in Gold nuggets – roughly 2 ounces.  They didn’t send Aliy down the trail with the gold in her pocket and the trophy in her sled, it’ll be re-presented in Nome at the finisher’s banquet.     

The fans waiting for Aliy Zirkle to arrive in Unalakleet enjoyed bright sunshine, light winds and twenty-two degrees.  Thinking she’d arrive around three in the afternoon, villagers  and volunteers began to gather.  Aliy didn’t arrive until twenty-minutes to five.  While they were anxious to see her on the river and then make her way into the checkpoint, they didn’t seem to mind the wait and passed the time visiting and speculating about the rest of the race.  Having a woman in the position to win was the topic of many  of those conversations.  Men have dominated the race for more than twenty years.  Susan Butcher was the last woman to claimed Iditarod gold and that was back in 1990.  It was her fourth championship.  There was a period of six years between 1985 and 1990 where women won five races.  Thus the saying evolved, “Alaska where men and men and women win the Iditarod.”

Looking at rest taken in UNK three of the top five took fours off. The teams, parked between the berms, had a chance to rest out of the breeze and the mushers took advantage of the well-known cuisine in the checkpoint. For a fact I know there was salmon, warm/fresh out of the over cinnamon rolls, Middy Johnson’s sourdough pancakes and a long table filled with plenty more.

Community members are very generous and bring food to the checkpoint for the volunteers and mushers to enjoy. As a musher, what would you choose? You’ve got seal-a-meal frozen pizza and lasagna in your sled that you can heat up along with your dog water or you can feed your dogs and head up to the checkpoint for a smorgasbord of delicious fresh entrees. While eating, you’d also have a chance to dry out damp clothing and then there’s a power nap in a quiet room with a bed.  Aliy devoured a stack of Middy’s sourdough pancake, bacon, a cinnamon roll and toast before napping. 

Jeff King stayed only two and a half hours before pushing onto Shatoolik. Dallas Seavey signed in then continued right on through passing below the six wind charges sitting high on the hill outside of the community. Dallas and Jeff are on a schedule and have a strategy with running and resting. Mushers are very quiet about their strategy and this is point in the race where planning, preparation and perseverance pay off. Don’t discount luck either.

Dallas Savey jumped into the top five with passing on through Unalakleet. The 2012 champ came in an hour into Sunday morning. When he arrived, his dad, Mitch, was resting along with Aaron Burmeister, Robert Sorlie, Joar Leifset Ulson and Hugh Neff.

There are some dogs that capture the hearts of race fans.  Aliy runs a smart little female named, Olivia.  Seven year old Olivia has beautiful icy blue eyes and an orange mask to go with her athletic physique.  Olivia runs team, usually just ahead of the wheel dogs.  Olivia trotted into UNK very smartly, ate well, yawned a couple time then went to sleep restoring her energy. 

During interviews, Aily was asked, “What do you expect the trail to be like leaving Unalaklett?” Aily responded, “Tough.” He response came as if tough was the name of the game and it has been during Iditarod 2014. A quick glance at GPS tracker shows nine teams within 24 miles of the leader. Jeff King is 4 miles behind Aliy but moving faster. Stay tuned, this is a tight race and don’t forget that 27-year-old Dallas Seavey wears running shoes inside his over boots.