andy anderson leads dallas team after arrival in white mountain, team lunging towards direction parking area

0014 a.m. White Mountain, Dallas Seavey and team into White Mountain as Leader of Iditarod by Joe Runyan

Dallas Seavey’s team trotted seriously up the Fish River, a church bell ringing to alert villagers, and arrived in White Mountain.  “Bones” Carl Brown welcomed Dallas to White Mountain and promptly signed him in.  Andy Anderson, race judge, checked his bags for mandatory gear, while a crowd applauded and cameras blinked in the dark night.  Jupiter and Venus, bright in the northern sky, were like guiding beacons.

After a few minutes of formality, Dallas’ dogs had quite enough and began lunging in harness, whining to trot over to the parking area. Trail hardened, they could see the blue bags of straw neatly arranged near the bank of the Fish River and smell the bags of canine ration.

Dallas moves his prime leaders Diesel and Beatle to place in rear of towline

Dallas fielded a few questions, but emphasized that the last ten days were “if you like dog mushing, the funnest days of my life, I just had fun mushing dog.”   He pointed towards the parking area, foot on the brake, and pulled his ice brake.  Jessie Royer, a favorite Iditarod musher now organizing the dog yard yelled, “Ready, Dallas,”  to which he replied, “Let’s go.”

The dogs dug deep, brake kicking up snow, and Dallas parked.  I asked for him to give credit to his leaders.  While he unclipped a pair of leaders to place them to the rear of the towline near the sled, he identified the two. “Beatle is my new leader, seeing more and more duty.  Beside him is my Quest leader diesel (referring to his team that won the Yukon Quest, another signature Alaskan 1000 mile race.)

I should also give credit to Elim.”  Elim, coincidentally, was the leader he was using earlier today in Elim.  Finally he credited Guiness, his nine year old leader on her last race.   “She didn’t have to feel the pressure of leading, but she was great in the team.  This is her last year.”

Final Thoughts 

I am just now talking to one of the attending veterinarians. “Well I just completed my tasks, I am not sure of the orthopedics, but the dogs are in very good shape.  They are all eating very well on their beds.”  

From practical experience, and eight hour rest will be transformational for musher and dogs.  77 miles to the finish.

More updates to follow—Aliy still on the trail about five miles out,  wild movements in the top ten—all to be explored in forthcoming update.