10 am in the Takotna checkpoint A desultory day in Takotna, snow falling in 30F temperatures, mushers on a 24 hour break stumbling into the kitchen area for a cup of coffee, then retreating back to a designated sleeping area for another nap, while pilots discuss weather maps on the widescreen tv. Meanwhile, middle …
3AM Takotna The black hole of the night, 3AM, and yet a few mushers are wondering about the community center in Takotna. I catch Jeff King by his dogs parked in the temporary parking area. Like Lance Mackey, who is parked nearby, he is planning on resting in Takotna for five or six hours and …
Burmeister makes dramatic entry to Takotna at 848 PM and sets the bar for the competition. Aaron asks the checker “Where can i park,” to which she replies, “you are first in and can park anywhere you want.” After a lengthy conversation with her and some volunteer handlers, it is decided to lead the team, …
We wait for Aaron Burmeister—checkpoint on alert 12 miles out and the Takotna checkpoint prepares for the arrival of Aaron Burmeister. Computer saavy fans are watching the little green GPS dots on a large flat screen in the community center, and deduce the following: Aaron is leading the pack. Aliy Zirkle, who started 2nd …
We just took a plane out of Nikolai in direction Takotna to find Aaron Burmeister leading the pack from Takotna to McGrath. Using the GPS tracker tool, we can deduce that Aaron is about five miles ahead of Aliy Zirkle (2nd place 2012 Iditarod) and ten miles ahead of Lance Mackey and Mitch Seavey. Generally …
Aaron first in Nikolai
Aaron Burmeister and trotting team arrive 8:11Am in Nikolai Aaron in at 8:11AM, Lance Mackey at 8:50 AM, and Aliy 9:02 AM. There it is, that’s the summary for this morning. We have three race leaders, notwithstanding Martin Buser resting 77 miles back in Rohn, …
Nikolai—warm at 20F (that’s plus)—-wakes up to greet Mushers Village volunteers Joyce Cordella , Oline Ticknor, and Shelmarie Nikolai (the same as the town) start mixing for pancakes and prepare for incoming mushers. The village of Nikolai traces its name and heritage to early Russian fur traders who established a post here. Names (like Nikolai …
Nikolai—1 am—mile 243 Part of our Insider crew is now in Nikolai, the first Interior village on the trail, at about mile 243. All of us here wimped out and took a nap after little sleep in the first day of racing. We are staying at the school, which is really the center of …
Rainy Pass 2pm
1PM Finger Lake Lance Mackey just checked in and eventually got his dogs on the trail after dodging about a 100 tourists (no exaggeration) that had flown into Rainy Pass Lodge to watch the race. The Iditarod sets up in one of the lodge cabins which has windows on three sides so we were all …
Rainy Pass 10AM
Just landed at Rainy Pass and astounded to learn that Martin Buser is in to Rohn at 9 53AM after about twenty hours on the trail. Meanwhile, his second team piloted by Matt Failor is also on the trail to Rohn, maybe three hours back. However, Matt started 66 and Martin started 2nd. When times …
