Looking at the GPS Tracker on Wednesday about supper time, teams are either moving toward their preferred layover spot or they are already into their 24-hour rest. Strategy is involved in determining where to settle down for the 24-hour rest. But for every well thought out plan, mushers need to adjust according to trail conditions and the weather. It’s also important that they read their dogs. Jeff Deeter told Alaska Public Media that he decided to rest early when his team was strong. So they could be ready for the next 600 miles. Building on strong is way smarter than re-building during the long rest.
It’s likely that plans changed this year due to the torturous winds around Finger Lake and up through Rainy Pass, the sugary snow and intense cold. Here’s what the tracker and the race stats have to say.
The expedition teams are the bookends of the race right now. Kjell Rokke and Thomas Waerner are out of Ophir heading to Cripple. Steve Curtis and his support team are at the other end of the race. They are camped about 22 miles out of Rohn. The Expedition mushers aren’t required to take the 24-hour layover.
We have Riley Dyche, Matt Hall, Lauro Eklund, Josi (Thyr) Shelly and Jesse Terry in Ophir with Keaton Loebrich being the only team moving between Takotna and Ophir. There are two rookies, Terry and Loebrich, in that group.
Fourteen teams are settled in at Takotna – Brenda Mackey, Sam Martin, Kevin Hanson, Hanna Lyrek, Bailey Vitello, Wade Marrs, Pete Kaiser, Jessie Royer, Michelle Phillips, Travis Beals, Ryan Redington, Mille Porsild, Paige Drobny and Jessie Holmes. Mackey, Martin and Hanson are rookies.
It would seem that the rest of the teams will settle down in McGrath and that would include Rohn Buser, Jeff Deeter, Chad Stoddard, Gabe Dunham, Jason Mackey, Joey Sabin, with Adam Lindenmuth, Sam Paperman, Sadie Lindquist, Grayson Bruton and Jody Potts-Joseph on the way from Nikolai. Sabin, Lindenmuth, Paperman, Lindquist and Potts-Joseph are the rookies in McGrath.
Rookie Richie Beattie has been in Nikolai for about 8 hours after his 11 hour, 1 minute run from Rohn. It’s entirely possible he’s decided to 24 there. Beattie and the rest of the teams will have to take an 8 hour rest on the Yukon River and also at White Mountain.
Earlier today there were some teams camped on the north side of the Farewell Burn. Dogs and mushers were soaking up the warmth of the sun after enduring temperatures seriously below zero overnight. Insider was there to catch their stories.
Jason Mackey, camped not far from the Buffalo Camp told insider about seeing some of the big furry beasts. Mackey said he’s done the race 10 times but this is the first time he’s seen any buffalo. It wasn’t just one, but 8 in a herd. He did mention that he smelled them before he saw them. Mackey seemed awed by his good fortune. Other parts of his race haven’t gone as smoothly as he’d hope. He has a couple of female dogs in the team who are in heat and the males can’t settle down to focus on the race. Mackey’s team is made of up of dogs that ran the recent Quest Alaska 750. With him and his son, Patrick.
Brenda Mackey had the misfortune of damaging her brake between Skwentna and Finger Lake. One of two claws was twisted so that it hit the drag pad and so the brake couldn’t get to the snow. The socket wrench she needed was in the sled she’d sent out to McGrath and that’s a long way over some serious trail. Fortunately, it was Uncle Jason to the rescue. He had the necessary socket wrench so the brake was adjusted enough to be effective and Brenda was back in business.
Sydnie Bahl has a sled story too. In the Gorge a runner broke so at Rohn she had to part with the tail dragger portion of the sled. She packed all her vital and required gear into the main bag and left the tail dragger in Rohn. The left runner is shorter than the right. She has room to stand but when turning that short runner is a real problem. She also has another sled waiting in McGrath. Sydnie scratched in 2025 in the Idita-river Iditarod so when asked how her team was doing, she said they were happy and working hard. Some of them were just two-years-old last year but now they are three and they have much more confidence.
Gabe Dunham was also basking in the sun along with Bahl and the Mackeys. She was sleeping soundly and didn’t hear the Insiders arrive on their snowmachines. She did wake and praised her dog team saying their speed is great and they have a lot of attitude and pizzaz. She said the trail through the Gorge and the Burn was in great condition. On her run through the Burn, Gabe saw buffalo standing along side the trail. That’s a first for her in Iditarod. It’s not surprising that mushers would see buffalo in the area as this is where buffalo were introduced years ago. In years of abundant snow, moose and buffalo often choose to travel on the same hard packed trails the mushers use.
Once teams start moving after the 24-hour layover, the race really comes into focus. The team who is in the lead, is actually leading the race. Mushers have many tricks up their sleeves as they adjust their runs, rests and speeds. The next several days are going to be filled with strategy on their part and speculation on our part. Pure fun for Iditarod race fans.
