People, Places, or Dogs
Mushers often travel together and this would be particularly true with some of the adverse trail conditions experienced since making the Gold Coast. Iditarod served up four teams on Wednesday evening for entertainment during the dinner hour. First of the quartet to make the burled arch was rookie, Ralph Johannessen. The Norwegian is a candidate …
Ham, egg & cheese – that’s how Wade Marrs, Nathan Schroeder and Abbie West came into Nome during breakfast this morning. From the church where volunteers are housed, I heard the fire siren announcing the 16th musher into Nome, Wade Marrs. There was enough time to finish my hot chocolate and a couple of bites …
With a night of unprecedented drama surrounding the finish of Iditarod 42, fans are hungry for more as the mushers, even today, persevere through winds that would drive less hardy souls inside and under the covers. It was no picnic for anyone (Dallas Seavey, Aliy Zirkle, Mitch Seavey and Joar Leifseth Ulsom) coming to the …
It’s Monday morning. On the slough at Unalakleet is Allen Moore. His wife and kennel partner is resting the required eight hours in White Mountain. I couldn’t help but wonder how Allen could concentrate on his race when Aliy was working hard to claim the Championship. Allen as calm as could be said that it …
Dew Claw Dan departed the berms on Kouwegak slough as the sun crept above the horizon. One could almost imagine that a tagline was attached to the sun and Kaduce’s team was assisting it into the sky over Unalakleet. Kaduce and his canines looked sharp as they headed out to Shaktoolik. Orchid, M.K., Pepsi and …
Matt Failor rolled into the first Gold Coast Check point with a fast moving highly spirited dog team. They trotted in like nobody’s business and be it not for the mandatory stop, vet check and sign in, Matt and his Alaskan Huskies would have trotted right on through. Failor called whoa to the dogs and …
Minnesotan Nathan Schroeder has traversed the Kaltag Portage and is taking rest on the coast of the Bering Sea at Unalakleet. After checking in, Nathan asked how cold it was here last night. That’s a common question for mushers coming out of the interior to the coast. Frequently there is a difference, often up to …
Over the noon hour in Unalakleet, there’s a five-some parked between the berms. Team Baker arrived, checked in with the vets and immediately departed along the slough heading to the Blueberry hills and onto Shaktoolik. Abby West and Ken Anderson are inside the checkpoint enjoying lunch. When you’ve been on the tail for a week, …
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 …
On an unexpected stop in Galena, I was able to talk with a couple of mushers who were preparing to take the trail toward Nulato. It was a picture perfect morning for the mushers and dogs – sunny, light winds and temperatures slightly below zero. The dogs were smiling! Katherine Keith was preparing to leave …
