6AM Thursday CrippleCheckpoint—-top 5 leave Ophir in Knot to Cripple—Lanier and Herbst battle for the gold prize—by Joe Runyan Mitch Seavey, Zirkle, Dallas Seavey, King, and John Baker leave Ophir in a one hour time knot around 4AM bound for Cripple. Trail breakers I talked with here in Cripple tell me the mileage is a …
5PM Cripple checkpoint—We land in a pillow of new snow, wait for the Pack Part of the Insider Crew departs for Cripple, the very remote checkpoint which communicates Ophir with the village of Ruby on the Yukon. First, a description of the now more rested front runners we left in Takotna. Just before departure, Andy …
10 am wednesday TAKOTNA —Mushers retire for a respite from the rigors of the trail by Joe Runyan
10 AM in Takotna checkpoint—-The mushers retire for a respite from the rigors of the trail At 7am and with the suffused light of day, I attempt to survey the resting dog yard, now populated with teams parked in the designated “24 hour mandatory” section. A group of Norwegian students, as part …
1am Wednesday in Takotna—Pack settles for 24 hour Mandatory break Aliy Zirkle continues to maintain steady pace into Takotna, followed by a determined (dogged) group of front runners. The scene in Takotna Since we have internet in Takotna, we are able watch the little green dots approach our vantage, noting Zirkle in the lead. This …
8PM—Tuesday—-Zirkle in front of pack enroute to McGrath Aliy Zirkle continues to hold on to her lead position as she and the pack approach McGrath. Baker, King, Mitch Seavey, his son Dallas Seavey, Hugh Neff, Paul Gebhardt, Ray Redington, and Lance Mackey remain in the following pack. I cant bore you with place and travel …
Tues 10AM—Zirkle accelerates in lead to NIKOLAI—Finger Lake Tent comes Down by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod Champ Aliy Zirkle’s push to the front into Nikolai has given my pundits new found fodder, a virtual plethora of possibilities, for rumination. Personally, I love this part of the race, the posturing that is required to be placed …
Tuesday Morning 7am—Dan Seavey leaves Finger—-Zirkle and Baker lead pack to Salmon River Race Roundup Outside our tent of sleeping, snoring, rolling, tossing volunteers packaged in neat rows on the floor, Dan Seavey unhooks his team at first light in direction Rainy Pass, the last in a train of mushers marching up and over the …
9PM—Looking at the times into rohn—Monday evening Like so many fans, I just can’t help looking at the gps little dots and the checkpoint times at my Insider account. Trying to wring some meaning from the thrusts and parries of front runners Hugh, Lance Mackey, Baker, and the presently unknown intentions of Aliy Zirkle (did …
4 PM—Finger Lake—Monday March 5 by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod Champ Positioned in the back of the pack, I get a chance to meet mushers with a goal to finish in Nome. The hurried frenzy we saw at the front of the pack early this morning is replaced by a decompressed zen. These mushers are …
Finger Lake—9 AM by Joe Runyan
9 AM Monday—Finger Lake Checkpoint by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod champ The excitement of this early morning of mushers into Finger Lake has now waned, especially as we hear that Ray Redington is into Rainy, closely followed by Yukon Quest Champ Hugh Neff. Discussing his dramatic run in a blistering 3:15, insiders here in Finger …
