AAS Scratch Thread

[dilli]

Back to topic for a minute

I learned lots from Josh's most recent podcast interview with Dr Phil, AAS race director last night.

I learned I had scratch and withdraw semantics confused. Dr Phil clarified about the changes in Hugh's status from scratched to withdrawn to scratched again.
Here's the difference ...
A musher scratches from a race at his/her own personal discretion.
A musher withdraws from a race for a variety of extenuating circumstances, predominantly for the welfare of the dogs .. and usually involves others in the decision to withdraw.

Dr Phil said the switches were made by a relatively new and confused checkpoint volunteer and an official straightened out the confusion .. it's official .. Hugh scratched. Whew.

[Breeze]

Josh mentioned rumors of a team coming into Nome by air, another scratch, but we are still waiting for official word. Napoka had a dog in basket at Candle? Thomas, Bey and Darling are not to Candle yet.

Neff has mushed back to Council, apparently he had issues with his support team?

Lots to keep watch over, and I have to hand this off to y'all. Looks like I've got another 4-WD slog-fest on my hands this morning to get to work.

I'll try to peek at Josh and the AAS leaderboard from work!

Breeze

[tanglefoot]

get to work safe breeze slog fest...yuk! raining here too!

[Moose]

Slog-fest is right, Breeze. Will this white stuff never quit falling? Safe trip there and back again.

[dilli]

Breeze

Josh mentioned rumors of a team coming into Nome by air, another scratch, but we are still waiting for official word.

2nd scratch has been confirmed .. it was Mike Santos and his 16 dogs .. mostly offspring from King's HHK

[Breeze]

WHEW!!!!!

I found my leaving point from this morning, now I can begin to catch up~

It was a slog-fest to work. Moose can vouch for where I work. I basically follow a river bed 16 miles to the next town , then climb about 1400' feet in elevation over 9 miles to the parking lot of the ski area, which roughly sits at 2000' above mean sea level. Today most of the trip was covered in 3-6 inches of March Crud ( varying degrees of particulate H20, from fully saturated SLUSH PUPPY to somewhat solid POOPSICLE.) dog people, y'all know about it. Scoop it, smell it, drive it, nasty any way you look at it. I'm home, safe, its all over for another round.


I got the Santos scratch, I got the no-time adjustment, I got the no Protest Period, I got the " radio comms were down overnight" ( Auroura burst ?????????) and I'm just pretty much sitting here wondering how much farther the AAS will go to ( GARFIELD) "truly resemble that remark" about being a slug fest.

It is exciting, it is invigorating, its Gold Rush because of the purse, Winner Take All, and we have a some big grudge matches on the line.

I'm questioning whether this race could ever field a sustaining participation in bottom dollars.

Enough of that, gotta catch up.

thanks for holding my place!

Breeze

[aren]

2nd scratch has been confirmed .. it was Mike Santos and his 16 dogs .. mostly offspring from King's HHK

Does anyone know why Mike Santos had to scratch?????
I had a look at their website and he seemed like he really wanted to do this race. According to the website they are trying to build a good Irod team for the coming years.

Good luck with the future Santos, sorry you had to scratch

[Breeze]

Aren,

Somewhere a few hundred posts ago I made a <razz/joke> about why Hugh Neff scratched.

Truly, there is Precious Little out there on this route for re-supply or reconnection to civilization. Lacking a strong back-up team, there is a real risk of being short on food, fuel, straw, dry socks/change of wet clothes and HOPE.

Should a musher find themselves without dog food, human food, and certain necessities, and see too far a distance ahead to obtain same, there are few choices save to throw hands up, scratch, and HOPE for the next plane to get you off the trail.

This is extreme sled-dog driving, unforgiving territory, CP's are burn barrels with PERHAPS a wall tent for the CP staff ( if their plane isn't shelter enough) and no amenities for mushers.

Takes a whole different level of thought to see these teams through this.

Breeze

[lower48fan]

Mike Santos, Bib #13 as listed in press releases AAS on Friday, scratched Thursday afternoon due to issues of needing to provide unusual amount of dog care to keep the team running. Josh's recent Iditablog Podcast stated that Mike had the largest team running, 16 dogs, which also may have contributed to his need to provide more care, because he had more dogs running. What amazes me is that both scratched teams mushed back toward Nome. Neff in Council waiting for instruction from the race officials. I surely wish more Alaskans were available to cover what's going on in this race & consolidate pertinent information on the AAS website. Staggared start time make-up issue still up in the air while finisher may be into Nome in the next 12 hours.

[CynCyn37]

This is all too weird. Guess we just have to wait and see. I might have to brew some coffee as my eyes are already drooping!