2023 scratches :(

[ThisSpaceForRent]

From Brent on his Wild and Free Facebook page:

Hello all just want to let everyone know I’m doing ok and resting well in Unalakleet after

Great news... and thank you

[tanglefoot]

‘
Iditarod Trail Committee
2100 South Knik-Goose Bay Road • Wasilla, Alaska 99654 907.376.5155 • www.iditarod.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2023
Rookie musher Gregg Vitello scratches at Iditarod checkpoint
Anchorage, Alaska – Rookie musher Gregg Vitello (bib #29), of Milan, New Hampshire, scratched at 3:34 p.m. today at the Iditarod checkpoint which was in best interest of his team. Greg contacted Race Marshal Mark Nordman through a third party and asked for the Iditarod trail sweeps to escort him and his dog team back to Iditarod. Gregg and his team are fine and will be transported off the trail by the Iditarod Air Force.
Vitello had 12 dogs in harness when he scratched, all in good health. ###
Media contact:
Shannon Noonan
Iditarod Marketing & Communications Email: media@iditarod.com

[tanglefoot]

Such a shame. Maybe the dogs were sick?

[Breeze]

Tangles, I think Gregg was not as well conditioned for an Iditarod as his son Bailey. He certainly didn't grow up on the runners. Props due him for getting to halfway !

[fladogfan]

I agree Breeze, the announcement from ITC says "Vitello had 12 dogs in harness when he scratched, all in good health."

[libby the lab]

Well, shoot veteran Musher, Eric Kelley scratched in Shak. Dogs are all in good health.

[elsietee]

Bum.

The good thing is, he got to see the Southern Route, which is what he wanted.

With the wind blowing across Norton Sound, and with him being 3 hours behind Jed, this was probably a wise move. Stop while you're still in a good place.

[Pippiroo]

From Eric Kelly's Facebook page Daybreak Mushing:
DayBreak Mushing - Eric Kelly
2h ·
Hey everyone just letting you know the dogs and I are home from the trail. The race did not go as planned but I am proud of what we have accomplished.
I will share a race recap in the near future.
The short version of why we scratched.
After working our way through the Blueberry Hills out of Unalakleet we headed down toward Shaktoolik that’s when the north wind picked up. Once we were down on the coast the wind was steady at around 50 right in our face. We were mushing from marker to marker when possible but visibility was almost 0. We got to a point where we could not find the next marker. I could see my leaders were struggling running into the wind I whoa’d the team up so we could refocus. At that point the team decided they had had enough and laid down I got them all huddled together and got ready to settle in for an extended stay. We were sitting unprotected on the coast in a 50 mph wind it didn’t take me very long to realize I was soaked with sweat from our climb through the Blueberry Hills and the wind was cutting right through my layers. I decided then it would be best to call the race. Almost immediately I saw a light coming towards me. It turns out Gloria Andrew from the village had been watching me on the tracker and when she noticed I had stopped took it upon herself to get on her snow machine and come check on us. Once we talked she headed back to Skaktoolik and returned with Gary & Mark from the check point as well a veterinarian we loaded the dogs in Gary’s trailer and towed my sled back to the checkpoint. I can’t thank everyone from Skaktoolik the vets and volunteers for the help keeping us all safe. Thanks to all who have followed along and supported us. Although we didn’t finish we had a great adventure, anytime spent with my team on the trail is a blessing.

[tanglefoot]

Always another race. That wind could habe put him in a serious pickle had he got cold from being wet, the dogs would have been fine just not Eric. Ise move

[fladogfan]

pip thank you!
Always good to learn right from the musher who dropped out,
the real reason behind the scratch.