Kaltag - Unalakleet

[mira]

Mitch has left Kaltag, Dallas and Wade isn't that far behind.

[tanglefoot]

wade has given chase as has nick the mad frenchman and Joar the viking..... watch out, this is gonna go down to the wire i think this year.

[tanglefoot]

Nick P is smoking along, his speed has picked up and is faster than anyone else in that pack, plus he has more rest on his team. i wonder if he can catch the seaveys and wade?

[mamamia]

A must read by Jen Seavey on Dallas" facebook page:

Iditarod Update from Jen- March 12th (day 7) 4am
The contenders have converged in Kaltag. Mitch is free to leave from his mandatory 8 hour layover at 4:40am. Wade should be able to leave right with him or within an hour of him.
Dallas checked into Kaltag half an hour behind Wade. He left Koyukuk with a 13 dog team, but only ten on the line. Tux, Ripple, and Lobben were in the sled, and he arrived in Kaltag with Hero and Reef riding. The dogs he's choosing to carry at this point are the one's that he considers the strongest, best ones. It was 52 miles, so he likely rotated dogs throughout the entire run.
He has executed the the first part of his strategy- "fast turtle mode." It took a lot of nerve to watch his dad let his team roll down the trail at 9-10 mph, and still stay committed to the 8.5 mph taxi service. Now it's time to race. 300 miles to go. Dallas will switch to his light weight racing sled, drop any dogs that he thinks aren't as fast as the rest of the team, and accelerate to the finish. He's driving a monster dog team!
Joar and Nic are checking into Kaltag as I write this, so are just a half a rest cycle behind. It will take a strategic move for either of them to assert themselves as contenders for the top spot. Note the * on the current standings are times that are adjusted for Daylight Savings.

[elsietee]

You can't fault the strategy, but it still just seems kind of wrong.

[dilli]

Sailor Seb's two cents worth analysis
https://www.facebook.com/Sebastian.Schnuelle.Fanpage/posts/1694994977193944

[mamamia]

I have to agree elsietee. It bugs me. It is like they are no longer playing on an even field. You know how when you see musher interviewes and they complain about the trail or the cold and then shrug and say something like "but everyone has to run the same trail". The idea is that the Iditarod is full of hardships and difficulties but everyone gets an equal shot at how they handle it. Except it is not so equal now. You have two teams with big money sponsors and unlimited resources doing something that is beyond the reach of the average joe or jane musher. One of the things I have always liked about the race is that everyone had the same chance at winning-male or female, young or old, shoestring or sponsored. Once they got out on the trail they all had an equal shot. So yes, what the Seavey's are doing makes for great strategy but it goes against the spirit of the Iditarod. Maybe they need to run their own race with others who want to run like that and leave the Iditarod for everyone else.

[elsietee]

I haven't really stared at Mitch's sled to see where he's stashing dogs. Obviously, Dallas' sled is the "super-sled" in terms of carrying dogs, but I think M's is just a big sled? So in theory anyone could copy him?

I just don't see how you could enforce a "no carrying dogs unnecessarily" rule.


On a more cheerful note, the vid of Aliy arriving in Koyukuk yesterday afternoon shows her saying "hah, I thought I was in about 30th place!" (She was around 9th). She just left Kaltag in 6th, 2hr25 behind Joar.

[mamamia]

I haven't gotten a good look at Mitch's sled bag but he clearly has a kennel built under his seat.

[Daniel]

... It bugs me. It is like they are no longer playing on an even field. ...

I know what you feel. But has the field ever been even? Even if you prevent the teams from carrying dogs (like elsietee I have no idea how to put that into meaningful rules), the guys with more money will have an advantage. Last but not least to reduce the likely success of Mitch or Dallas to this strategy is underestimating how much effort they put into this. They are top notch in so many other details too, that I am sure they would be in there for the win with any rules.