Unk-Shak-Koyuk-Elim-WM

[elsietee]

...and Dallas just stopped at the shelter cabin on the spit before embarking on the trip across Norton Sound. That was a 57 mile run from UNK.

Brent is half way across the bay, trotting along at 7.5 mph.

Oh, but he just stopped out on the ice at mile 787. He's been stopped for 20 mins... snack break? mini break? 3 hour break? Does he have cell coverage out there, so he can see where Dallas is? Will he be able to see Dallas when D gets going again? If he camps here 3 hours, he can run all the way to Elim 65 miles down the trail.

* * *

Now I'm squinting at the teams headed to UNK:

Aaron B is bootying up his dogs, getting ready to leave after resting in UNK for ~3.5 hrs.

Jessie stopped around mile 680, and is resting in UNK after only going ~35 miles, which seems odd. Maybe his dogs don't like the wind? Maybe he's going to mirror Aaron B?

Mille and Dan Kaduce (running neck and neck) and Michelle Phillips all stopped at Tripod Flats (~mile 660), so are finishing a 45 mile run from there when they arrive in UNK. Thinking they might go through to the Blueberry Hills? (uh, no, looks like Dan and Mille are staying)(I worried something was going on when Mille arrived - she was talking very seriously to Nordman(?) and looked pretty wiped out. But then seems to be bedding them down normally.)

Richie stopped very late in the run - around mile 695, so he could comfortably run straight through to Shak, leapfrogging some teams.

Next - Ryan Redington and Pete Kaiser stopped at Old Woman Cabin (~mile 676) (Aaron Peck with his small team of 7, and Lev at currently camped there). It must have been too crowded at OWC for Travis, as he stopped briefly but carried on up to where Jessie camped - wondering if they'll all go through UNK?

Check out Chad Stoddard! I originally thought he was out of position because he hadn't taken his 8 headed in to Kaltag, but then, there he is, still in the top 15 or so. He stopped a little before Tripod Flats (even though he was ROTY last year, he hasn't seen this part of the trail before).

[elsietee]

From: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2022/03/13 ... rent-sass/

Compared to Seavey, Sass’ team has generally run at slower speeds and cut on some rest, something he’s said he trains his dogs for.

He lost about 20 minutes of his lead to Seavey during the run over the Nulato Hills to the Bering Sea coast, resting at the trailside Old Woman cabin at the top of the pass outside of the checkpoint.

Seavey, meanwhile, said he’s added an hour of rest to his stops in the race’s first half to help his dogs recover from a stomach bug. The illness made them less voracious than usual, and gave them diarrhea. He’s also been letting some of them rest in his tow sled, but ended up dropping some of those dogs anyway after they got injured.

That’s left him with some up-and-comers in lead — Pecos and Titan — whom he jokingly referred to as “Dumb and Dumber.” He said Pecos, an Iditarod veteran from last year, has stepped up in maturity this year, but still struggles to find the trail on the icy Unalakleet River.

“He’s just looking at the birds in the sky, just runs right off the end of the trail,” said Seavey. “I’m like, ‘Dude, pay attention!”

: )))

[elsietee]

Overhead on the live feed - Mille busted both of her runners on her sled, so is trying to find a replacement (she sent her spare sled to McGrath, thinking the Burn is what would mess up her sled). It looks like they might have found her one (there's an empty sled pulled up behind hers). Trying to figure out if she has to take a penalty for getting "outside help" - it's unclear from the rules:


Rule 15 -- Sled: A musher has a choice of sled subject to the requirement that some type of sled
or toboggan must be drawn. The sled or toboggan must be capable of hauling any injured or
fatigued dogs under cover, plus equipment and food. Braking devices must be constructed to fit
between the runners and not to extend beyond the tails of the runners. No more than three (3)
sleds can be used by a musher during the race after the re-start. No more than two (2) sleds can
be shipped beyond the re-start. Should a musher use another musher’s sled for any reason that
will be considered one (1) of the three (3) allowable sleds. These sleds may be used at the
musher’s discretion. Sleds or mushers may not be assisted with sails or wheels. Ski poles are
allowed. No other sled exchanges are permitted except that a sled damaged beyond repair may
be replaced if approved by an official. Once a sled has been left behind, it cannot be transported
along the trail. It cannot be used again unless approved by the Race Marshal as a replacement for
a broken sled. One trailer may be drawn and is to be considered one of the three (3) allowable
sleds.

Rule 31 -- Outside Assistance: No planned help is allowed throughout the Race. All care and
feeding of dogs will be done only by that team’s musher. All dog maintenance and care of dog
teams and gear in checkpoints will be done in the designated localized holding area. A musher
relinquishing the care of his/her team to leave the checkpoint and or village without approval of
the Race Marshal must withdraw from the Race. Common resources available to all mushers will
not be considered outside assistance.

Rule 51-- Penalties: Policy and rule infractions may result in issuance of warnings, monetary
penalties, time penalties, censure, withdrawals or disqualification.
...
• Time penalties will be imposed when determined by race officials a rule infraction has
occurred and a competitive advantage has been gained. Time penalties require a majority
decision of a three-member panel of race officials appointed by the Race Marshal. Time
penalties may be imposed up to a maximum of eight (8) hours per infraction and will be added
to the twenty- four (24) hour layover, the eight-hour layover on the Yukon River or the eight
(8) hour layover at White Mountain. Time penalties will not be levied past White Mountain.

[elsietee]

<phew>

There was some speculation that Brent was in trouble because of the weird place he stopped, and because the tracker was acting strangely, but they just posted some video of him camped out there. I was worried he'd encountered open water, but the video shows totally flat ice for miles around, with a good wind whipping over it.

Brent says he's fine, says he just wanted to break this run up a little more evenly, and that this was all planned.
He says it's not really that cold out there, just windy. Sun is beating down and it's the hottest part of the day.

[elsietee]

Brent camped out:

[elsietee]

Brent camped out on the ice:

[elsietee]

Dallas' team romping across the ice before the shelter cabin - the snow is blowing horizontally across the ice - an amazing sight to see in action (and with Dallas crouched behind the sled to reduce wind resistence):

[elsietee]

Brent's team, trotting like a machine across the ice, with Brent kicking hard on the back:

[elsietee]

Even though the camera guy looks to be a good long way away, zoomed in on the team, the dogs kept glancing over at him (presumably a good sign - they aren't just zoned out, trotting, they are aware of their surroundings and interested):

[ThisSpaceForRent]

Thanks elseitee ... your reports are ALWAYS very welcomed and insightful.