March 7, 2008

• Iditarod Day “7″

  Six days into the race, much of the confusion surrounding the mandatory 24 hour layovers is sorting itself out.  Seventeen teams now in the front of the pack have all completed their 24s.

  In seventeenth position out of Cripple less than an hour ago (I’m writing this just after 9 AM AKST) with fourteen dogs, DeeDee Jonrowe took her 24 hour rest there at Cripple after being first to arrive at that mid-way checkpoint yesterday.  She was surprised, when she pulled into Cripple, to learn that she was first.  Paul Gebhardt had left Ophir six hours ahead of her, but he lost the trail and had to do some backtracking.   For being the first team at the halfway point, DeeDee won $3,000 worth of gold.  She said she intends to give it to her husband for his birthday.

  Takotna Checkpoint photo by Bob Hallinen of
  Anchorage Daily News
  

  Lance Mackey (center above, Wednesday at Takotna with Ray Redington Jr. in foreground), with fourteen dogs, was first to the Yukon River, pulling into Ruby at 8:32 this morning.   I can’t help wondering where he’d be now if it wasn’t for all the hard times and handicaps he’s running with this time.  He froze his feet in minus 60 degree temperatures at the start of the Yukon Quest last month (but still won that race), and is experiencing numbness now.  Teams in this year’s Iditarod are facing challenges created by temperatures too warm for comfort, melting snow, and overheated dogs needing more rest during the daylight hours. 

  At the start of this Iditarod, Larry and Hobo, Lance’s two best leaders, got into a fight over a female in his team who is in heat.  In Takotna, he told ADN reporter Kevin Klott,

  “All my main males want her. All they want to do is turn around or stop,” Mackey said. “Those things are setting me back a little bit.

  “I just have to coax her through it, which is distracting my team a little bit. Normally I don’t say much to them. Now I’m getting dogs (turning their heads) saying, ‘What’s he doing back there?’

  “Even my neutered males are still interested in this female. So that’s what we’re dealing with.”

  He dropped Hobo in Rohn, and another dog last night in Cripple, but I don’t know whether the second dog dropped was the troublesome bitch or another dog.

  In order, between Lance in the lead and DeeDee at seventeenth position, all on the trail between Cripple and Ruby:
  Hans Gatt with 13 dogs
  Jeff King and his full team of sixteen
  Rick Swenson with 15
  Kjetil Backen with 14 dogs
  Aaron Burmeister and 13
  Mitch Seavey and 13
  John Baker and 14
  Jim Lanier with all sixteen starters
  Sebastian Schnuelle and his full 16
  Jessie Royer and 14
  Ramey Smyth 13
  Paul Gebhardt, who dropped four dogs in Cripple and is now down to 11
  Sigrid Ekran with 14
  Gerry Willomitzer with 13
  William Kleedehn, current leading contender for Rookie of the Year, with twelve dogs

  Jason Barron scratched in McGrath, and the Trail Committee’s race Marshal withdrew rookie Kim Franklin in Rohn for her inability to keep up with the back of the pack.

  Rookie Dries Jacobs, in McGrath, is the current Red Lantern.

  below:  Frodo showing affection for his musher Bruce Linton
  photo by Bob Hallinen of ADN
  

  All photos below are from the Fairbanks News-Miner and
  The Associated Press, photographers unidentified

  Ed Iten leaving Finger Lake
  

  Gerry Willomitzer lovin’ his dog
  

  Ryan Redington and Columbia
  

  the dog water cooker at Takotna,
  attended by Tammy Capsul
  

  at McGrath-too warm for happy mushing
  

  • 2:18 pm
  • 2 Comments