Terrie Hanke
As the sun rose in Unalakleet on day eight of the 45th Iditarod, there are two mushers, Charlie Bejna and DeeDee Jonrowe parked on the slough. Much earlier this morning Seth Barnes and Laura Neese arrived and departed from the checkpoint. Laura Neese is making her rookie run to Nome. She’s a Yukon Quest veteran so …
Mushers turned their bibs in at Nenana for safekeeping. Even so there were plenty of bibs here in Unalakleet late this afternoon. The skiers participating in the community ski race were all wearing bibs, it wasn’t the mushers. The ski race takes place directly across the slough from the checkpoint on the dragon’s back. One can …
So much is happening in UNK and so little time to see it all and share. While the morning dawned quite clear, fog rolled in periodically during the morning. There’s a bridge about a mile from the checkpoint that the mushers pass under as they head to Shaktoolik. It’s a nice walk on a pleasant …
The scene in Unalakleet has changed over the past hour. While Mitch came and went from Unalakleet his closest competitors rested. Dallas stayed for 3 hours and 51 minutes. He left with 12 dogs. He and his Dad are even in the dog power department. Joar Leifseth Ulsom arrived in UNK at 20:38, dropped two …
Teams poured into Unalakleet behind Wade Marrs. Nicolas Petit was three minutes behind, Mitch Seavey followed 15 minutes later and the last of the quartet was Dallas Seavey in at 16:45. This is a race folks and don’t count out any of the teams that are soon to close in on the Unalakleet checkpoint. Of …
Which came first, Wade Marrs or the blue sky? The events were actually simultaneous. As a few patches of blue sky became visible through the clouds, Wade Marrs and team trotted smartly into the Unalakleet checkpoint. A hundred or so spectators cheered as the first musher of the 45th Iditarod made the Gold Coast. Marrs arrived …
The checkpoint is still fogged in. Official photo guy, Jeff Schultz is still in Kaltag. Photo Guy Mike Kenney is back in Huslia. I’m assuming Joe Runyan, Bruce Lee and the rest of the Insider Crew are grounded with Schultz in Kaltag. The teams are moving closer to the coast. It appears that Mitch …
People in Unalakleet are looking to see Mitch Seavey arrive early this afternoon. Dallas Seavey is close behind by just five miles followed by Wade Marrs, Nicolas Petit and Joar Leifseth Ulsom. Mitch departed Kaltag at 04:40 followed by Dallas at 04:45. Wade left at 05:28, Nicolas at 06:35 and Joar at 06:50. Clearly we …
Want to share a few more stories from Huslia. Soon I’ll be moving with the race down the trail. The people of this community have embraced the race and welcomed the volunteers and mushers with open arms, open hearts and open minds. Village people have been the checkers. They greet the mushers and record the …
Sebastian Vergnaud began mushing in his early twenties. Now at the age of 46 he’s living his dream of running Iditarod. Sebastian is a veteran of the Finnmarksløpet that runs across Finnmark in Norway. It is the world’s northernmost sled dog race. At 1,000 kilometers the race is run with 14 dogs and takes five …