GCI Presents Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award to Dallas Seavey (Photo: Insider Video)

Dallas Seavey arrived in Cripple at 20:09 on 3/6 to be first to the Halfway Award checkpoint.  Seavey of Talkeetna earned the Dorothy G. Page Award presented by race sponsor GCI.  He has his choice of either $3,000 in gold nuggets or a smartphone of his choice with a year of free GCI mobile service.  The Halfway Award recognizes the late Dorothy G. Page, Mother of the Iditarod.

GCI is the official technology partner of the race who is proud to power one of the most historic events in Alaska.  Tiffany Vasser of GCI says, “This race travels through some of the most remote terrain in our state.  GCI works to close the digital divide in rural Alaska.  Through our partnership with Iditarod, we understand how much fans and our neighbors around Alaska rely on GCI’s statewide network.”

Cripple Checkpoint Located at Mile 425 (Photo: Siri Raitto)

Seavey covered the distance of 73 miles from Ophir to Cripple in 14.5 hours.  He rested not far out of Ophir about 4 hours.  So by doing the math, his run time was about 10.5 hours.  Looks like his average moving speed was a little under 7 miles per hour. From the Insider video clip, Seavey’s dogs were really energetic as they come into Cripple – barking and lunging, ready to go on.  Dallas is parked back up behind the cabin for a nice quiet rest.  Temperatures in Cripple were below zero – get dog weather. 

It’s always a gamble to be the leader on the trail for the run to Cripple.  With new snow and warm temps, the trail could be slow.  The trail isn’t a regular snowmachine route between villages so the trail could be drifted and punchy even with race trail breakers traveling ahead of the mushers.  Tin this former gold rich country the terrain is flat.   At best it’s a monotonous run that seems to go on forever, especially for a tired, sleep deprived musher.  It’s not all that interesting for the dogs either.  Seavey pushed to Cripple in 2010 and placed 8th but in 2016 with the same move, he scored his 4th (third consecutive) championship.  So in only one of his five victories has he arrived at the Halfway Award checkpoint first.   

Nicolas Petit Departing Cripple for 24 in Ruby (Photo: Insider Video)

Nicolas Petit also headed out of Ophir without a 24-hour rest.  He arrived in the former mining community of Cripple with 16 dogs at 07:39 after a run time of 13 hours and 21 minutes.  Petit stayed for 3 hrs, 12 min then departed for Ruby with 15 dogs.  He said it was a sleepy journey from Ophir.  Insider Bruce Lee commented that his dogs looked very spunky and energized coming in. Petit plans to 24 in Ruby, an unusual but not unprecedented move.

Veteran mushers Beals, Redington, Kaiser, Hall, Keefe and Drobny completed their 24-hour rest at Takotna. It’s a short distance from Takotna to Ophir which they passed through.  All but Drobny have camped between Ophir and Cripple.  Jessie Holmes who is just off his 24-rest in Ophir has caught the resting teams and follows Drobny.  This is going to be a game of leap frog!

Camped in either McGrath or Takotna, thirteen Rookies are finishing their long rest.  Rookie Josi Thyr completed the 24 in Takotna and along with Gabe Dunham is heading to Ophir. Sean Williams chose Ophir for his long rest.  He’ll be released close to 19:00 this evening.  That accounts for the whereabouts of all 16 rookies.  Dunham and Williams aren’t eligible for Rookie of the Year honors as they have previously started the race.

It’s really exciting to see the GPS tracker go from orange (resting) to green (running).  Racing is on the minds of the ten or so teams that are beyond Ophir.  BTW, have you read Jim Lanier’s book, Beyond Ophir?  Lanier is a mushing legend who first ran in 1979 and in each decade of the race since then.