Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby SuldalsXpressen » Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:06 am

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

Eskil



elsietee wrote: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.


:D

Yes, I thought he might go to Cripple, BUT not after spending so much time in Ophir.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:11 am

Jessica Klejka is 24-ing in McGrath. She was super-peppy. Says she lives in Bethel, so the cold isn't causing her any problems. She's going to feed/sleep/feed/sleep/feed/sleep - and dry out some clothes.

Travis Beals in McGrath - says the last section sucked and he's got a few sore dogs from it. If he had food in McGrath, he'd 24 hour there, but he doesn't. He says he can stop in Tak (has food there), but that it's too soon. So he's figuring it all out. "It's not all smooth".

Brent dropped a dog in McGrath - said it was nothing bad, it just wasn't keeping up with the rest of the team and they were moving pretty fast.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:12 am

SuldalsXpressen wrote: Yes, I thought he might go to Cripple, BUT not after spending so much time in Ophir.



Maybe he's headed to Ruby? That would be the half-way point, and he knows the dogs are good for it (following YQ training).
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:27 am

Interestingly, there are four teams who have gone through Ophir on the way to Cripple (miles 425).

Three of them were top-three in YQ where they're used to going all the way to Dawson (500 miles) before their long rest. :)

Oh, and Lance - he's chasing that pack too (Mitch is the other one in the group).

Michelle just pulled over to snack? - she previously rested 5 hours in McGrath (mile 311), then has been going for ~7-8 hours (she's at mile 364... so maybe go another hour or so before stopping and resting on the trail, then going on to Cripple for 24?).
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:18 pm

Beringtons in Tak:

They went to Ophir the last couple of years for their 24.

Ophir is quieter - which is the most tempting thing. It's more intimate, less people there. They have nice wall tents for sleeping in, but they get so hot. You have a bunk to yourself and you can spread all your stuff out, but you get too hot.

Here in Tak, you're lucky if you get close to the stove.

They feed you in Ophir - if it's meal time and you're there. If you're not, then you miss out.

In Tak, the kitchen is always open for feeding people.

Then they talked about how you divide up your run. They said you do Tak to Cripple in two runs, but you don't have to carry your camping stuff - you pick it up in Ophir and there's a cabin about 22 miles past there that you can camp at (wondering if that's where either Mitch/Kelly or Michelle/Paige are staying?).

Also you can preview your dogs after the 24 - if there's one you're not sure about, you can keep going to Ophir and drop it there if it doesn't work out. If you 24 in Ophir, then you have to carry all your camping supplies and a dog if it doesn't work out.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:29 pm

Ramey Smyth in Tak:

Dogs doing really good. A couple who are tired are going home. Leaders doing awesome, all dogs have "perfect stools". But their eating has been a little bit spotty. He'd rather they ate like ravenous wolves.

Says that he's staying a little closer to the front this year. He's not ready to take complete advantage of that yet, needs to still baby his team a little bit. It's going to depend on the weather.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:31 pm

Pete in Tak:

Feels like he's been playing kindergarden teacher "don't hit; play nice; eat your food; sit in your chair straight; don't turn around... that type of stuff".

Race isn't going as planned, but he figures that's pretty much par for the course - dealing with adversity and how well you cope. Frustrating, but part of the deal.

Dogs are now eating better, but he still needs to refocus their energy into running and working.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:37 pm

Aaron B in Tak:

Left his drink insulator in Nik by mistake, so is making a new one (out of that silver foil-coated bubble wrap stuff and duct tape). Got 8.5 hours sleep, which was incredible. Gave the dogs two massages. Dogs were jumping and barking and screaming like they were at home, so he's v. happy.

First time in 7 years he's stayed here for 24.

Says past mistake was to go too far because the dogs were doing good - so he went all the way to Cripple, which was a bad idea. So since they're doing good, he stopped here. Going to keep building on what they've got going on.

In the dark re. what the other teams are doing and not going to pay attention until Kaltag, where the race is at.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby elsietee » Wed Mar 11, 2020 5:00 pm

Takotna:

Linwood:
In recovery mode. First day had dogs not feeling good. So he's been stacking on longer rests and it seems to have worked. They are fast when they feel good [looks like he had the fastest time from Nik to McGrath].


Tim Pappas:
Fixing his sled - he ran into a tree and broke one of the handlebar supports [sorry, don't know what that part is called]. He's fixing with wire, string, tape and two short splint branches.

Jessie Holmes:
Team came in tired, he put two longer pushes with a short rest in between to get in to Tak. He plans to keep being conservative and not use the speed he has - keep the runs short to 5.5 - 6 hours and see where he's at when he gets to the river. Temptation is to look at other people's times and start racing. But he's learned there's a long way to go. But it's hard not to let emotions get involved - have to be diligent and pay attention to the details.

Went to Ophir the last couple of years but it didn't work well for him. This year he's been camping a lot because of how he breaks up his runs - not more than 5.5 hours. Says the food in Tak is really good.

McGrath:

Wade:
Had a couple of little kinks to work out. If he hadn't stopped, he might have had to drop key dogs, so better to stop and let them recover. His dog-leggings got wet and then froze earlier in the race and this trail has really required those, so he wanted to get them thawed and dried out. Team is fast on good trails, but not so good on soft trails - which is what he's seen a lot of.
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Re: Rohn-Nikolai-McGrath-Takotna-Ophir

Postby COHusky » Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:04 pm

really appreciate the Insider updates Elsietee
thanks so much
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