It’s a bit of a walk but well worth the view.  There’s a bridge about a mile and a half from town that the mushers pass under as they head to Shaktoolik.  It makes for a great shot and it’s best to make the hike when more that one musher is headed out of town.

Ray Redington, Jr on his way to Shaktoolik

Four guys went out in close succession although I only made the bridge for the final two, Ray Redington Jr and Scott Smith.  Paul Gebhardt and Hugh Neff pulled the hook a few minutes ahead of Redington and Smith.  

Hugh Neff is the current Yukon Quest Champion.  He’s in for the distance double by also running Iditarod.  It doesn’t look like Hugh will pull a Lance Mackey and win both races in the same year.  Hugh moved to Alaska in 1995.  Prior to that he was a golf caddy in Evanston, Illinois.  After he began mushing, he read Lew Freedman’s Iditarod Classics which planted the seed for Iditarod.  Freedman’s book is filled with stories from Iditarod icons old timers.  Since the year Y2K, Neff has completed in 24 one-thousand mile races.  He’s run 14 Yukon Quests and 10 Iditarods.  He is a two time Quest champion – 2012 and 2016.  Along with mushing, Hugh is a public speaker and writer.   As he nears Shaktoolik, Hugh is running in 16th place.  Neff has completed 9 of his 10 Iditarod runs, placing in the top ten twice.

Paul Gebhardt is currently running in 17th place with nine dogs on his team.  He’s on his way to Shaktoolik.  The distance between Unalakleet and Shaktoolik is just forty miles but the difference in weather can be very drastic.  It’s rather pleasant and warm here in Unalakleet but it’s very cold and windy out at Shaktoolik.  Nothing much to break the wind out on the spit where Shaktoolik is located.  The wind really gets moving the closer the mushers get.  It’s part of the race veteran mushers have grown to expect.  Paul has been mushing since 1992, running his first Iditarod in 1996.  Gebhardt is on the trail for his 20th Iditarod.  He’s completed all but one of those races and has finished in the top ten seven times.  Paul says he finds sled dogs to be more loyal than any human could ever be.  He says, “They love me without question and in turn I love them back the same way.”

Ray Redington Jr, was one of the mushers I was able to capture up near the bridge.  Ray Jr who is wearing bib #18 is in 18th place as he travels to Shaktoolik.  Yes, Ray is the grandson of race founder Joe Redington, Sr and the son of Iditarod musher Raymie Redington.  Ray was joined by his two brothers in the 2016 Iditarod, Ryan and Robert.  Ray’s wife Julie is the daughter of Iditarod veteran Steve Flodin.  Redington has missed only one race since 2001.  He’s had top ten finishes from 2011 to 2014.  He’s been in the top twenty all years with the exception of his rookie years when He finished in 35th place.  Ray’s best time was in 2014 when he finished in 7th place in 9 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes.  Ray is going to put it all together one of these years and win the race for his grandfather.

Scott Smith departs to Shaktoolik

Iditarod and Quest veteran Scott Smith followed Redington out of Unalakleet in 19th place.  The 40 mile trip to Shaktoolik will likely take around 6 hours.  In his Trail Notes, Don Bowers has said that the trail from Unalakleet to the top of the Blueberry Hills will be reasonably sheltered.  But for the last 12 miles, mushers will be running along the coast and will experience winds that make this run challenging for rookies and veterans alike.

Nathan Schroeder is on the slough in front of the checkpoint as of supper time on Sunday.  Nathan became interested in mushing at the age of 12 when he took a sled ride behind a team of Malamutes.  He’s done most of his racing in the lower 48 and finally realized his dream of iditarod in 2014.  He’s on the trail as a three year veteran in 2016.  Nathan is a four time John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon champion and was Iditarod Rookie of the Year in 2014.  That was a close race between Nathan and Abby West and it all came down to a dropped bib.  West checked into Safety 1 minute ahead of Schroeder but they departed at the same time.  Somewhere on the trail, Abbie dropped her bib.  Nathan tried to retrieve it but missed.  He shouted at West and she was able to return to recover the wayward bib.  Nathan took the lead and maintained it to the finish line.  Nathan is currently running in 24th place as he heads to Shaktoolik.

Sigrid Ekran of Norway is soon to depart Unalakleet for Shaktoolik.  Ekran earned her degree in Northern Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  She began running dogs in 2006.  She ran her first Iditarod in 2007 and placed 20th.  In 2008 she placed 24th.  She returned to Norway to compete in the La Grande Odyssey, the Femundløpet and the Finnmarksløpet.  She is a champion of the later two races.  Ekran returned to Iditarod in 2012 and placed 11th with her best time of 9 days, 15 hours and 16 minutes.  It doesn’t look like a top ten is in store for Sigrid this year but her credentials from Norwegian races suggest that in the future she very well might be a top ten finisher.

Sunset over the Bering Sea