Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

[mira]

Sass has arrived in Ophir

[Breeze]

Stay ahead of the pack and keep the dogs healthy. Taking the 24 amid a few teams, spread out, is way less risky that parking the team and sled in the " long term lot" where the straw is laid too close together. Nic did say that all of his dogs had vomited, and the dog-bite injury was from one dog scarfing up a snack left by someone else with an ensuing argument. Dogs who dip scooby-snacks along the trail ( leftovers and just plain yuck dog poops) are dogs that get in trouble with bad digestion and intestinal ills.

Nic. Oh Nic. I shake my head a lot about him, because his personality is so " focused" on his way or the highway. When he gets pushed around by things out of his control, or when he makes a mistake, he tends to ignite, boil over, and sabotage whatever lesson may be happening. When I think of other highly successful long distance mushers, I can't really name another with a short fuse like Nic.

( and please don't infer that I don't respect Nic Petit. I do. I just wish he wasn't wound so tight that he sabotaged himself. )

[Another UK Fan]

Resting in Ophir now - Brent Sass, Travis Beals and Lance Mackey. Interesting trio of teams . . .

[elsietee]

Some interesting videos coming out from overnight.

Jessie R is 24-ing in Takotna. Bruce mentioned to her back in Nik that she wasn't driving a sit-down sled. She laughed and said she was going to switch to one. She said she doesn't like driving a sit-down in the AK Range because it's too hard to steer - around all the trees. But her sit-down is in Tak and she'll have 24 hours to pack it (i.e. better than trying to rush it). She said she's only started using one in the last 3-4 years, so she's slow to adopt that style. She was all excited to win the first to McGrath award - said she's never been first to a checkpoint before. And then she won a gorgeous Pendleton blanket (so pretty in blues) for getting to Tak first. She was trying to get her "usual [parking] position" - first spot on the left, near the building.

Bruce was complimenting her on how much attention and time she pays to each individual dog. She agreed and said that's how she gets them to Nome. She said she learned much of it from Michelle Phillips, also from Kim Henneman (one of the ID vets) who's a homeopathic vet. She's fed probiotics for years - four different kinds, and then instead of Prilosec and Pepcid that everyone else gives, she gives licorice and papaya - every checkpoint, every dog gets this (she laughed, saying Joar told her "that's a lot of pills". Laughs again and says "Yes, it is. It gets old". ) Licorice roots supposedly heals ulcers quicker than anything which is better than pepcid/prilosec. Then she has natural anti-inflammatories. She learned the homeopathic stuff from Michelle - and that's "huge". Despite the viruses going around, she's only had three dogs be sick for one meal - and one coming into Tak, but he's already better. Whenever she sees the slightest problem on the trail, she stops and gives them whatever to stop it and that she thinks that makes a big difference in getting them over anything faster.

Richie is also in Tak and 24-ing- he was just on the night video there, looking and sounding amazingly "with-it" considering. He still has 14 dogs. He said that it is -20°F in Takotna, but that Ophir is down in a hole and it could be -40°F there so he didn't want his dogs shivering for 24 hours - and that you'd have to feed double the dog food to get the weight back on them in those circumstances. Richie said Jessie was *flying* when she left Nik - he wasn't going slow, but she was just gone, but that he gradually caught her up and they came into Tak only a few minutes apart.

I wouldn't be surprised if Brent Sass doesn't keep on going out to Cripple (where it'll be quieter?). His team looked absolutely amazing blowing through Tak - focused and fast and eager.

Joar says he isn't too tired just yet. He said his dogs were really slow leaving Nik - the trail was soft (they were "swimming") and they were slow getting going. Sounds like he's stopping in Tak - he said half his team are young dogs, so he doesn't want to go further. With this team, he never considered going further unless the weather was really good. He's not going to switch sleds, although he sent a backup sled there in case of any breakages. He said his backup sled has some blankets and extra shoes in it. He said that Lance passed him going fast on the way to McGrath, but slowed; and that Thomas W's team looks strong (this is the second time he's mentioned this, so I'm guessing he's most worried about him).

I'd say that Paige is *really* racing this year. She's been on camera a few times thinking hard about the competition. When she went through McGrath, she wanted to see exactly who stayed and who was where and what time they went through.

Thomas W in Tak - says his team are a "trotting team" not a "charging team". That he likes to keep a steady even pace, not too much power, but not too much slow. He says that works when the snow is soft - they don't over-exert themselves. He's going to 24 in Tak as planned. He said the soft trail is very typical in Norway - they don't get hard trail very often. He calls this first part the "Transportation Stage" - just getting your dogs here and being in position, so he's achieved that. The next part is keeping in position - more difficult. Then the last part you just "GO".

[COHusky]

thank you elsietee
terrific update

[elsietee]

There's more, but I'm trying to pretend to work at the same time

I'll update as I can.

[elsietee]

Aaron B says his team is "building" right now - he is still having to stay on the brake to keep them slow - if he gets off it, they'll be loping at 12 mph. So he's trying to slow them down - esp. on that section on the way to McGrath. It was really sugary, dry and bottomless. He kept stopping them for a few minutes, going up and down the lines, trying to keep them nice and calm, because he didn't want anyone pulling anything. So he's trying to keep them mellow for later in the race. He thinks they're really strong, eating well. But he says he's learned from his mistakes in the past - to stop in Tak for 24 - while they're strong and "coming up" and save it for later.

The trail from RP to Tak has been exceptional, but that first section of trail was very stressful on them. He said he planned to go from Rohn to Nik in one go. His rule of thumb is if he can get to Bear Creek* in 5 hours, he keeps going. But they got to Bear Creek in 4 hrs 40 mins, but there was 3" of fresh snow after that - so he opted to stop there for 3 hours with Pete instead of breaking trail.

(Pete mentioned something about the fire there being hot and cozy and not wanting to leave at 6 am when he was supposed to - very easy to get tempted to stay).

*Bear Creek is a cabin about half a mile off trail about 2/3rds of the way between Rohn and Nik. Many mushers have stayed there this race. It looks to be behind a little hill, so is likely nice and sheltered.

[braider]

Drobny and Phillips out of Ophir - first musher to Cripple the half way point gets $3000.00 in Gold nuggets.

[SuldalsXpressen]

Sass is out of Ophir also! This I did not see coming. Is he planning on Ruby?

Eskil

[elsietee]

Sass is out of Ophir also! This I did not see coming. Is he planning on Ruby?

Eskil

I wouldn't be surprised if Brent Sass doesn't keep on going out to Cripple (where it'll be quieter?). His team looked absolutely amazing blowing through Tak - focused and fast and eager.