IditaProject Forum

Today's (Sunday 3/3/19) New York Times Mushing story -- thanks for posting Mushkraut!:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/spor ... rming.html

" The usual shortcut across the Norton Sound on the Bering Sea was erased by a wicked storm that broke up the sea ice, tossing chunks onto shore."

Well there is the reason for the overland route.

This is a great little story if you are on FB: https://www.facebook.com/skinnylegsleddogs/

Watching this morning's interviews from Willow:

• Joar talking about Russeren - his big b/w lead dog - says Mikhail Telpin's Chuckchi (sp?) dog bred one of Joar's lead dogs and he got a big fluffy dog, who he hasn't raced, but sounded like others have. Then that dog bred another of his lead dogs by accident - and he got Russeren - so "the dogs know best".
  
• Pete Kaiser says its been warm in Bethel all winter.
  
• Wade says trying to find space in his sled for all the ppl gear he can't wear bc it's too warm.
  
• Linwood concerned about overflow. Has been teaching dogs to swim.
  
• Jessie Royer - only has four dogs from her YQ team.
  
• Kristin Bacon - her friend decorated her drop bags with pics of pigs on them (for = Bacon).
  
• Richie Beattie - his dogs are out of Zorro breeding.
  
• Lance's cozy tent for when you are on a "sit down" trail. Says it's not very aerodynamic, but good for comfort. Has a battery to run his light/phone (it has an external light, because with a headlight he can't see through the front window). Will run about 12 hours and then he can recharge at the checkpoints. Also has a solar panel for on-trail charging.

I hadn't seen or read about Lance's "tent". Looks like it's adapted from a snowblower. I hope it helps him get to the finish safely and with all fingers and toes intact.

RE. Jessie Holmes

He said in one of his pre-race interviews that he planned on going far and fast, but putting a lot of rest into his dogs during the early part of the race (which is pretty much what he did last year). Expect to see him go as far as RP before stopping long. He attributes this approach to how fast he was on the coast.

On the flip side, Matt Hall mentioned that due to a miscalibration on his snow machine(?), he had been training at 7 mph instead of what-he-thought-8 mph - and then asking his dogs to go 8 mph during races - which explained his slower pace later - the dogs weren't ready for the increase in speed. He also said that Jessie was a good friend from way back - they used to work traplines together as kids - and that when it came to the coast, Jessie "had a card that I didn't have" (i.e. speed).

loving the lance mobile!

Jeff has a new one too, the sled bag opens up like a kids baby buggycover from the handlebars upwards so he can access it on the run, loaded dogs can have more head room and space.

Love the inventions of the 'old' guys. anything to help them finish and do as well as possible!!

Any idea what the King is carrying in that trash can?

his prototype sled hahaha

hey dont forget the iditapod podcast too, its awesome!