Iditarod > Ophir > McGrath Headed Home...

[mira]

Yes, and the colour coding is good, but the GPS tracker is quite chaotic. Looking forward to get most mushers past Iditarod

[Another UK Fan]

Looking forward to get most mushers past Iditarod

Me too. And I guess the mushers are too

[Another UK Fan]

Oh this is really interesting . . . There are two mushers resting in Ophir - Hal Hanson on his route to Iditarod and Dallas on the trail back. Two mushers, travelling in opposite directions, resting in one checkpoint. Any conversation will be totally unique! And likely never to happen again.

[Another UK Fan]

A numerical snapshot of musher location:


in Ophir heading back to Deshka Landing: 1 (Dallas)

out of Iditarod on trail to Ophir: 21

resting in Iditarod: 7

heading to Iditarod from Ophir: 11

resting in Ophir heading to Iditarod: 1 (Hal Hanson)

[flowerpower]

Interesting. In Ophir with both Hanson and Seavey resting, it looks like they are at opposite ends of the town. Separate dog lots for inbound vs. outbound?
Edit: Oh, never mind. When I replay it looks like Dallas didn't stop long in Ophir. He must have just been making some adjustments.

[fladogfan]

I open the GPS early and leave it up. Did not see changed colors you were talking about. Then thought "refresh"! That fixed it Like the colors, i was looking at each musher to see what their mileage was. Colors make it easier.

[elsietee]

This morning's crop of videos:

Brent in ID:
Says he thinks the trail (from OP to ID) would probably set up a little better for the people behind him, but it wasn't detrimental - he wasn't out there cussing himself. Plus he got REALLY good rest - there was wind, but it stopped when he arrived. He likes that the dogs have set the "reset button" - they are turning around and headed home and they'll know it. The trail has a lot of ups and downs and twists, so it's hard to get momentum, which is a little frustrating. He said he wouldn't have wanted to turn around straight away and do the same trail immediately.

Mille:
On the trail from OP to ID - which she'd never done before - the first 30 mile were pretty deep, some hills. But nothing bad. And then... <laughs>. Starts to open up - she likes tundra and sea ice, so they liked that part of the trail, she was very happy, cruizing along with the ravens - very spiritual. Then she met the trailbreakers and it got soft and punchy... and dark. You can see the trail markers really far ahead in the dark. Long hills, sections of twisty ups and downs between markers, then loooonnngggg hills - that part went on FOREVER. In the beginning she kept praising the dogs for getting up to the top of the hills, but after a while, she just stopped because she thought she was demoralizing them. Then she saw what she thought was a star - but it was a trail marker... then she saw a trail marker that turned out to be a star - but they were so far off. But the closer she got, the more excited she was to do her 24 here. She said she couldn't imagine turning the dogs around on a 4 hour rest and going back. Physically they could do it, but mentally... She started singing because she was done with the trail - but she wonders how much is her projecting her feelings. She's used to travelling far without turning aroundShe had zero issues with them, and they were barking and psyched the closer they got.

[elsietee]

Aaron Peck in ID:

Just seemed like the right conditions for a firm trail - and it was. Says he's seen lots of examples of people going longer and longer for their 24 and finishing strong, so he wanted to try that. Took his 8 in Nik to set the dogs up for the run to ID - to avoid depleting them too much - and it worked out.

Speculating on Richie/Pete/Joar staying in a cabin 20 miles from ID, so they can turn around and go straight back again. Was surprised and said "that's interesting", but he didn't like that option. He feels that because those guys usually use checkpoints, the dogs have the expectation that they'll stop. But accepts that those guys know their teams and they have great teams. But does like not doing a long push to ID.

Has a couple of dogs with upset tummies, but doing OK. A couple of two year olds who'd never done a race before (and he wasn't even sure about bringing them) says they have been rock stars.

[elsietee]

Aaron Peck in ID:

Just seemed like the right conditions for a firm trail - and it was. Says he's seen lots of examples of people going longer and longer for their 24 and finishing strong, so he wanted to try that. Took his 8 in Nik to set the dogs up for the run to ID - to avoid depleting them too much - and it worked out.

Speculating on Richie/Pete/Joar staying in a cabin 20 miles from ID, so they can turn around and go straight back again. Was surprised and said "that's interesting", but he didn't like that option. He feels that because those guys usually use checkpoints, the dogs have the expectation that they'll stop. But accepts that those guys know their teams and they have great teams. But does like not doing a long push to ID.

Has a couple of dogs with upset tummies, but doing OK. A couple of two year olds who'd never done a race before (and he wasn't even sure about bringing them) says they have been rock stars.

[elsietee]

Travis Beals in ID:
It was a long run, but he carried a full meal for 50-something miles and a half bale of straw, but their speeds didn't dip - so even though he planned to camp - he didn't. Has a couple of two years olds that are "still having fun". Says he def needed a long break there - didn't think he needed 8, but probably 5 hours [note: he did stay 8].

Says his team likes the hills, so hoping that taking some long breaks on the way home will set them up for the Gorge.

Maybe he should have done what Richie/Pete/Joar did, but maybe not.