March 14, 2005

• Race Update (updated)

  The leading twelve mushers are all out on the Bering Sea coast now,
  most of them still in Unalakleet.   The latest posted update
  at iditarod.com shows Robert Sorlie out of Unalakleet after a four-hour
  rest. 

  Martin Buser arrived in Unalakleet two hours after Sorlie and left two
  hours after the leader, following a four-hour rest.  A few minutes
  before Buser left the checkpoint, Ramy Brooks breezed through, spending
  only three minutes in Unalakleet. 

  An hour or so later, John Baker came through, spending about three
  quarters of an hour there.  By that time Jeff King, Mitch Seavey,
  Ed Iten, Doug Swingley, Bjornar Andersen, Dee Dee Jonrowe, Lance Mackey
  and Aliy Zirkle were in Unalakleet, resting and caring for their dogs.

  In a radio interview from Unalakleet, Sorlie was questioned about Ramy
  Brooks who had been in second place through several checkpoints. 
  Sorlie said he felt less threatened by Brooks, who has been running
  with little rest, than by Martin Buser.  In a facetious reference
  to Martin’s table-saw accident shortly before the race, Sorlie said,
  “Give him a finger, and he’ll take the whole hand.”

  Someone at the checkpoint asked Martin if he could still count on his
  fingers and he answered that he can count to four and a half.  He
  also spoke at some length about dog breeding and the major difference
  between Robert Sorlie’s dogs and his own.  He said that the
  fastest dog might not be the best in a long-distance race if there was
  another dog almost as fast that could sustain its speed with less
  rest.  “We need to slow down the rabbits or speed up the
  tortoises.”

  Martin Buser had lost two hours out on the trail when one of his dogs
  got loose and had to be retrieved.  Now he’s placing his hopes for
  a win on Sorlie’s somehow similarly losing some time.  Buser is
  now down to ten dogs, and the teams of the other eleven leaders in and
  beyond Unalakleet are between 11 and 13 dogs.

  Prize money in descending amounts goes to the first thirty
  finishers.  The first place finisher wins over $72,000 plus a new
  pickup truck.  Thirtieth place pays less than $2,000.  In
  thirtieth place, Jason Barron got into Kaltag just before 4 AM
  today.  He was one minute ahead of his father John and three
  minutes ahead of his wife Harmony.

  Something strange is going on back near the tail of the pack. 
  Around 11 AM yesterday, Paul Ellering preceded his charge Rachael
  Scdoris into Iditarod by an interval of about five minutes.  Both
  of them were there for over twelve hours.  Scdoris left the
  checkpoint with 13 dogs at 11:20 PM, apparently proceeding without the
  “visual interpreter” she has insisted she needs to inform her of trail
  conditions ahead.

  After dropping a dog (bringing his team down to 11), Ellering left the
  checkpoint half an hour after Rachael, five minutes after the current
  Red Lantern, Sandy McKee, pulled in.  Is the little blind bird
  trying her wings, is her minder becoming disenchanted with Rachael or
  enchanted with Sandy, or is he having trouble keeping up, or
  what?  Will we ever know?  Do I care?

  I am curious.

  In case any of my readers is curious about how others in Alaska feel about
  the little blind girl, I mentioned in the previous blog that top musher
  Doug Swingley (not an Alaskan, but a man in a position to know) says
  she can see as well as he can.  Today, the following letter was
  printed in the Anchorage Daily News.

  Teen bullied her way into Iditarod; other mushers deserve coverage

  Regarding the Feb. 28 front-page story “Blind teen surmounts obstacles to gain entry in Last Great Race”:

  Surmounts obstacles, my eye! She was a threat
  for a lawsuit, so the Iditarod committee caved in and changed the rules
  for her. That’s not “surmounting obstacles,” it’s bullying your way in.
  The little girl’s got a manager too. Have you heard that the
  20-year-old’s autobiography is already in local stores? Spare me.

  I hope the media (are you listening, Daily
  News?) remember that there are 78 other entrants and they all have fans
  who like to read about them too.

  —- Cristy Brown

  Kenai

  Update, 10 AM

  Robert Sorlie checked in at Shaktoolik at 7:00; Ramy Brooks
  checked in at 8:47, and Martin Buser at 9:00, exactly 2 hours behind
  the leader.  None of them had left the checkpoint when the latest
  standings were posted at 9:29.

  ---

  The End of the Trivia

  Dragging herself from her sickbed, maggie_mcfrenzie
  searched out and posted correct answers to the last two questions.  She
  is undoubtedly the grand prize winner.  A very close second place
  goes  wixer.  Ladies, please use my email link to send me your postal addresses and I will mail your prizes.

  For the curious, I identified the mystery man in my first Iditarod blog a couple of years ago.

  Regarding Herbie Nayokpuk’s sled runners, Dee Dee Jonrowe said, when
  talking about the many technological advances in sled design and dog
  breeding, that when she started running the Iditarod Herbie was using
  ivory sled runners.  It was presumably walrus ivory.
  

  • 1:47 pm
  • 3 Comments