February 23, 2009

• Yukon Quest – Monday, Feb. 23, 2009

  

  I reported last night that (unless it was a data entry error) two mushers at the back of the pack were missing on the trail.  That was apparently a data entry error, and there are some evident discrepancies in the standings on the site today.  Becca Moore and Iris Wood Sutton are shown arriving at the Eagle checkpoint at the same time that they are shown leaving 40 Mile.  I’m sure that teleportation would be against the rules and both teams would be disqualified if they tried it.

  For what it’s worth, Iris Wood Sutton is shown leaving Eagle at 6:03 AM Monday with 11 dogs, and Becca Moore was reportedly out 9 minutes after her with 10 dogs.

  At the other end of the race,William Kleedehn and Hugh Neff apparently lost in Central Checkpoint the three-hour lead they had over Jon Little out on the trail.  Kleedehn was first into Central at 3:02 PM Sunday, with eleven dogs.  Neff was three minutes behind him with nine dogs.  They were still there at 5:55 PM, when Jon Little arrived with ten dogs.  Little dropped a dog at Central, and Kleedehn dropped two dogs. 

  Hugh Neff was first out, at 7:55 PM, followed five minutes later by William Kleedehn.  As Kleedehn was leaving Central, Brent Sass was arriving with nine dogs.  Three minutes behind Kleedehn, Jon Little hit the trail.  Brent Sass spent the night at Central, dropped one dog, and left at 8:00 this morning.

  If the trail and the dogs are exceptionally fast, the championship could be decided before midnight tonight.  Otherwise, it will be sometime in the wee smalls tomorrow morning when the winning team reaches Fairbanks.  If the pace already set remains consistent, the last team should reach Fairbanks and end the race by the end of this month.

  

  • 2:54 pm
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