Unk-Shak-Koyuk-Elim-WM

[mira]

There's a "party" going on in Shaktoolik so no one seems to want to leave. The wind is resported to be strong breeze (22knots) and it's coming from north, meaning they will be traveling straight into the wind.

Aaron and Richie has been there for almost 9 hours, after them several others have joined the party, they are currently 11 mushers, Mitch Seavey was the last to arrive, just a couple of hours ago. If there are problems with ice breaking or something I guess they will wait for daylight? I think daylight won't come for another three hours or so, which makes plenty of time for the teams to get rested.

And Dallas is mushing again, he rested for four hours at mile 828. I guess Brent will start again in ~20 minutes, then he will have rested four hours (at mile 847). Elim is at 852.

[Delichte1960]

5 miles to Elim, 28 miles to Golovin, 18 miles to White Mountain = 51 miles. next stop for Brent is White mountain, for his 8 hour manditory rest. As of now it is Brent's race to lose. And Dallas doesn't seem to be able to close the gap. And he is starting to run out of room to do this. Meanwhile the gap between 2nd & 3rd place seems to be widening.

[mira]

Yup.

Interestingly, Aaron Peck, arrived and left Shaktoolik. Wonder if those people who have been there for 10 hours will follow?

[Alphashe]

And with 7 dogs. Fingers crossed he has some good and strong leaders. What a race this is.

[mira]

Chad rested for four hours and is following..

[mira]

And with 7 dogs. Fingers crossed he has some good and strong leaders. What a race this is.

I didn't notice that.. really interesting. I rewinded the GPS a bit. He rested for five hours at mile 738 (or something), Shak is at 756. I doubt he plan to go all the way to Koyuk? Koyuk is at 804, so he must plan to stop at the shelter cabin?

[fladogfan]

Burmeister, Diehl and Kaduce on moving now also.

[braider]

There they go. This will be fun to watch.

[elsietee]

Chad has run a smart race! He's been on a 4-6 schedule and hasn't done anything wild and crazy - yet there he is, currently in 3rd, completely under the radar.

Aaron Peck took a 5.5 hour rest in the Blueberry Hills closer to Shak, then took a quick hour-long rest at the shelter cabin on the spit before setting out across the ice. He'll have to take another nice long break in Koyuk.

Dan Kaduce has been flying ever since Ruby, posting very fast times, with seemingly no reduction in speed in his team.

Unclear why Aaron B, Richie, and Jessie took so long at Shak, although Dan also took 7 hours there, so maybe the weather really was just too bad to deal with.

Possibly also Aaron B, Richie, and Jessie felt they took too much out of their dogs and didn't like how they looked at Shak? Perhaps their extra rest will translate into speed and they'll catch the teams ahead of them?

Mille's broken sled seems to have taken all the energy out of her - she did look really wiped out arriving in UNK. I don't see any penalty rests showing up on the standings sheets, though.

Mitch's puppy team seem to have rallied and are back in the mix.

At this point, my TTPs are in tatters, but how fun to see some new faces up front!

[elsietee]

Chad's Bio:

Brady ‘Chad’ Stoddard, 34, was born in Anchorage Alaska and grew up in the small island town of Friday Harbor, Washington. He grew up adventuring in the North Cascades with family and was an all-state basketball player in high school. After graduating from Western Washington University he moved back to Alaska and got his first job working with sled dogs for Alaska Icefield Expeditions in Juneau. Chad also spent several years giving dog tours in the mountains of Wyoming . Chad has been fortunate to learn from several accomplished Iditarod mushers including Billy Snodgrass, Lance Mackey, Sven Haltmann and now Dallas Seavey. Chad’s great-grandpa William Burk Sr. delivered mail around the time of the 1925 Serum Run and has family ties to Nenana. Chad says, “it would be a great privilege to travel the Iditarod trail again this year and honor those dogs and mushers who have come before me. The love of the simple and strong life, the dogs, the challenge, the connection to the land and its people are what has brought me home to Alaska and Iditarod.”

Ah! That might explain it.

It looks like they're his dogs (not Dallas' B Team, which I wondered). This from a GoFundMe from at least 15 months ago:

Our beloved Brady Chad Stoddard is embarking on the adventure of not-too-many lifetimes, competing in the 2021 Iditarod with his beautiful team of amazing fur babies!!! Contrary to popular belief following your dreams, doing what you truly love, and raising and racing dogs in the remote Alaskan bush does not pay well , and executing a successful Iditarod has many many expenses from dog food, gear, entry fees, gas, and on and on. I know times are hard for everyone but we would be so humbled to receive anything you can pitch in to help our beloved Chad and his beautiful team chase their dreams all the way to Nome!! ‍