Showing posts with label alaska sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alaska sports. Show all posts

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Last team reaches Nome

Josi Thyr's team at the restart
of Iditarod 52. March 3, 2024.
Willow, Alaska
Jeff Reid came under the burled arch to end the Iditarod 52nd running Saturday at 2:22am. The twenty-ninth and final musher of the race was awarded a red lantern and asked to extinguished the Widow's Lamp before heading off to the dog lot and a well deserved rest.

Reid had fans worried much of Friday when his team continually tried to head out from the checkpoint of Safety only to return. Reid left ahead of Severin Cathry and Joshua Robbins out of White Mountain only to watch first Robbins and then Cathry pass him out of Safety. Both Cathry and Reid had trouble getting their team to head out of that final checkpoint, but as Robbins' team left for Nome Cathry was able to follow. 

Reid's team wouldn't. The musher tried several times to get his team to get up and go. Fans went to bed that night wondering if we'd seen the red lantern come in and not get awarded when Severin Cathry finished. Would Jeff Reid get moving again? Race Judge Sebastian Schnuelle responded to fans on social media telling them he was having leader trouble, he would rest and try again "in the morning". Fans went to bed hoping that they wouldn't see another scratch.

They woke up seeing Reid was already in Nome. After "two meals and great naps in the beautiful sun" the team was ready to go again. Apparently part of the problem was a dog in heat that got the rest of the dogs a little nutty. "What a trip, man," Reid said as he crossed under the arch and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. He was checked in, declared rookie no more, and like that Iditarod 52 was over.

38 teams started the race, 29 finished. Most of the scratches came from the large number of rookies (as is normal), but a first time scratch for a hardened veteran surprised everyone. Each team  has their own stories of the trail. We'll get to read them and hear them in the coming days. 

Tomorrow the 29 who finished will be celebrated at the banquet, awards will be given, and then by Monday Nome will get her town back, the Burled Arch will go back to it's spot off to the side to wait for next year. Everyone will fly home and the IditaSlump will commence. 

Now, for fans at home, it's an empty map. No more green and orange flags moving up the blue line. No more glitches. No more refresh, Refresh, REFRESH! No more waking up at all hours to check where their favorite musher is. No more - we hope - harrowing tales of angry moose, bison, or musk ox on the trail. Fans will have to go back to "regular life" similar to how the mushers will. What to do?

We still have the T-Dog and Kobuk440 races to look forward to for our tracker addiction, and then it will turn towards summer. Two weeks goes by way too fast in comparison to the whole 50 weeks of waiting for it. There will be puppies, and glaciers, and fishing, and lots of weeks with no updates from teams. And then the last Saturday in June will come around and the next season will begin with the Iditarod sign ups.

And the obsession will start up again.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Four rookies on their way to Nome, one stuck in Golovin

Friday looks to be the last day on the trail for Iditarod 2024 - unless one team can somehow reboot and charge up to White Mountain soon. Three rookies are making their way into the final checkpoint of Safety, one just left white mountain, and the final team has been in the former checkpoint of Golovin for over 24 hours.

Lauro Edlund leads the final flight into Safety with Sevy Cathry and Jeff Reid close behind. The three have traveled most of the trail together and no doubt will continue to do so all the way to the arch. As they leave the checkpoint it will be just a little more coastal run before climbing their final mountain of Cape Nome. Then a run along a road, one final river crossing, a run along the beach and then up onto Front Street where the burled arch and a belt buckle awaits.

Joshua Robbins left White Mountain around 8:45am. As officials counted down he went through a similar ritual to what he did back on Willow Lake a week an a half ago. As he stood on the back of his sled the team broke out into a loud and happy "dogsong". The team's battle cry only stiffled when the official said go and the musher didn't let them leave - he was still trying to put on his parka. The judgemental looks of the team were comical, but they were soon on their way "nice and steady".

Robbins will have to wait a while to find out if he's the Red Lantern this year or not (assuming he makes it to Nome, and why wouldn't he?) as Sean Williams has not scratched yet even after being hung up in Golovin. The three time Iditarod rookie is once again seeing his hope of finishing dashed as his team reportedly will not go out onto the Sea Ice of Golovin Bay. The dogs are still energetic and have been rides to children of Golovin to make the most of their time in the former checkpoint.

Golovin was a checkpoint of the Iditarod for many years, but as teams were able to run further between checkpoints and with the mandatory 8 of White Mountain being the next stop, Golovin became a memory. Until this year. It's an unplanned stop for one team, and it will no doubt be a memory for all. Williams' team reported that he would try one more time this morning, but with little movement on the tracker it's unsure if they will ever get moving.

The Iditarod is coming to a close quickly. It was one of extreme lows and highs. 38 teams left the starting line March 3, and it may have 30 finishes. It's not over quite yet and cheering in the final teams is something every fan should be excited to do.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

No one has won it more

Dallas Seavey and his string of ten dogs that are "all heart" rode into Nome at 5:16:08pm Tuesday. The 37 year old musher cheered and pumped his arms as he ran alongside the sled into the chute. With a crowd cheering and speakers blasting the announcer's words to the crowd the little dog team that could hardly seemed phased.

It's been a tough season for Seavey. In November during a training run with Seavey, Isaac Teaford, and handler Josiah Liebe a snow machine drove into the team driven by Liebe. Several dogs were killed while three were injured with life altering injuries. Josiah was driving a team filled with Dallas' core Iditarod team and it was suddenly gone. On top of that were the horrible sounds and visions of the carnage Dallas came upon when he got word that the team behind him had been hit. It wasn't something you just shrug and move on with.

Seavey borrowed dogs from his father, three-time Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey, and rebuilt the team and plan for the race season. He tested them out on the Copper Basin. He tweaked the roster. He tweaked the game plan. Everything was plugging along, but he just wasn't getting the same vibe from the team as in years past. They weren't the machine (or monster as his other teams were called) he was used to.

Iditarod start weekend rolled around and his game face was on. He looked prepared but he hedged his bets in interviews. He wasn't yes we're going to win, it was yes we're going to make damn sure we do everything we can to be in the mix so that if we can get position to win we can. Then a moose ran into the team not even 12 hours later. A dog was critically injured. Dallas had some sort of mental shift and he "lost his head" and didn't do what he thought he did. He didn't communicate properly with officials. He didn't gut the moose properly. He leaves the injured dog that he thinks just has a deep cut in Finger Lake with the race vets and by Rainy Pass he's getting a call asking if he wants them to perform surgery on the dog. What?!

In McGrath he's told that race officials convened and determined he did not gut the moose sufficiently, he was assessed a two-hour penalty that would be tacked onto his mandatory 24hour rest. What was supposed to be a 25 hour rest was now going to be 27 hours. He would be two hours behind. He accepted all of this and moved forward. In Cripple on his 24 he conceded he probably wasn't going to win this year, he was hoping for fifth.

When asked at the finish line how he came back from being five hours behind the leader out of Cripple to winning by three or more hours Dallas explained he has two sides. "There's the side of just taking care of the dogs and getting to the next checkpoing, and then my analytical side where I am analizing and studying everything." He said when he did the numbers and realized he had a chance, he took it.

"I knew that to win six it was going to have to be hard. You can't win six and it be easy. It can't be not special." Dallas spoke after he came into Nome acknowledging that while his first one will always be the most special, number six just may always be the hardest. He spoke of dogs that maybe weren't the cohesive team he was used to but they were all heart. He choked up mentioning the hard season, what he and the team and his kennel have been through. What they are still going through.

Rick Swenson held the record of most wins for 30 years before Dallas matched it in 2021. Rick's last win wasn't a pretty one either. It was hard. And it was in a time when you didn't have an Insider camera watching your every move in a checkpoint or a GPS tracker attached to your sled. There's a reason why Jeff King would tweet out to Tom Brady the year Brady won his fifth - but at the time it didn't look like it as he was down by 25 points or so - "The fifth one's a Bitch!". 

It was said that the record would never be matched or broken. For 30 years that rang true. Then it was, well, you can match it, but you won't break it. And now here we are. Six wins in. Dallas has grown up a lot in the 12 years since his first. He's become even wiser, even more wise in how this all shakes down. 

What hasn't changed is the love for the race and his dogs. It was evident as he made his way to the finish line. His tradition of stopping the dogs on the beach before the hustle and bustle of town to thank each dog. To take in the sights, the sounds, the smells - the quiet before the media storm. 

It was evident as he waved to everyone lining Front Street shouting out thank you for coming! It was evident the way he cheered his 10 dogs up into the chute. The way he immediately went to each dog telling them good job and thank you. The laughter and joking he had with the checker (hi Nicolle!). The smiles, the cheers, everything about it was just so Dallas Seavey that kid all those years ago watching his dad come into Nome. Getting excited for Iditarod every year. Hero worshipping the mushers who came before him.

Now Dallas Seavey has been declared the Greatest Of All Time in the sport of Iditarod. Number six was a bitch, but if anyone could do it with as much grit and determination as it takes, it's Dallas. Dallas Seavey.

"THANK YOU! See you in Nome!"

Dallas Seavey pulled the hook at 7:53am in White Mountain and his team of 10 Alaskan Huskies trotted back out onto the Iditarod Trail, they have just 77 miles until they reach the finish line. Seavey has a three hour lead over current second place team of Matt Hall. Should Dallas maintain his lead he will achieve an historic sixth victory in the Last Great Race.

While it may seem like this is a runaway win for Dallas Seavey, the veteran musher knows not to celebrate just yet. Just ten years ago Dallas was third out of White Mountain following well behind the leader Jeff King who was nearly three hours ahead of Seavey. Aliy Zirkle was chosen to play spoiler having left White Mountain an hour behind King. As the trackers made their way through the Topkok Hills it looked like everything was going to stay as it was. No one was gaining, and King wasn't faltering...

...until he did. Halfway from the hills to the checkpoint of Safety King's tracker stalled. And stayed stalled. Reports came in of hurricane force winds in the Blowhole. Joe Runyan blogged that anyone out there was risking their life. A midnight, Jeff King hit his SOS button ending his race. He was blown off trail with no way to continue. Aliy Zirkle in the meantime was totally unaware of Jeff's misfortune and made it to the checkpoint of Safety completely rattled by the storm. She was advised to stay and wait until the winds died down. She had a two hour lead on Dallas and it seemed the right idea.

Then Dallas came into Safety and quickly signed out - he didn't want to be in the wind anymore than he had to be, and with no real barrier from the wind for the dogs it was better to keep moving in his opinion than sit there and wait it out. He was unaware Aliy was still there. Unaware that Jeff was not in Nome. 

Dallas won his second Iditarod that night in crazy dramatic fashion.

A similar storm hit in 2022, Dallas didn't win that year, but he came awfully close to it. We can sit and rehash the fairness of Brent Sass getting a message on his InReach device telling him to get moving as Dallas was still moving while Sass hunkered down to wait out the storm, but it's done and over with. Sass managed to hold Dallas off, but again Dallas proved that while one team is stuck in the final leg another can make progress. If anyone knows that the race ain't over in White Mountain, it's Seavey.

Faster finishes from White Mountain to Nome take 10 hours, sometimes they can take 11 to 12 hours. If Dallas manages to stay first and doesn't get stalled in the Topkok Hills or The Blowhole outside of Safety, look for a finish around 5:30pm AKST tonight.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Rookie Erin Altemus scratches in Ruby

 After 18 hours of rest in the check point, leaving only to turn around and come back, Erin Altemus' Iditarod has ended early. In a post to Facebook Sunday morning, her husband posted the news.


"Well my friends, this crazy iditarod experiment came to a screeching halt this morning and Erin had trouble leaving the checkpoint of Ruby. At that point she was in last and couldn't afford to rest her dogs anymore and get too far behind the leaders, in which she would have gotten withdrawn anyway," he wrote. "They had been dealing with some intestinal and mental issues and a tougher than normal trail. She had personally been dealing with a cold throughout the trip. The dogs and Erin are doing well and we'll get her back to Anchorage and give her lots of backrubs and love. I know she didn't give up easy and this was super tough for her. I'd like to say she'll try again but I don't really know yet. It's a huge sacrifice to get up here to the start line so we'll have to re-group and see what happens. Like they say it's just a dog race, we'll be ok, thanks for the love and support!"


Choosing to scratch is never an easy decision, but is always the right one. Even some of the greatest ever to run this race have had to make the decision. Altemus had ten dogs in harness when she chose to scratch. Musher and dogs will travel back to Anchorage via Iditarod Airforce. Erin is the first scratch of Iditarod 52.

Party at Old Woman Cabin

In a turn no ones truly predicted, the entire lead pack chose to rest at Old Woman's Cabin early this morning. Dallas Seavey was first to the cabin followed by Jessie Holmes, Travis Beals, Matt Hall, Pete Kaiser, and Paige Drobny. They didn't all come in together, but it was an interesting sight to see at the front of the Iditarod all of the potential winners huddled together waiting for the other to twitch.

At around 8:40am, though, trackers indicated Jessie Holmes was out first from the party pack.

Judging by the slow going - well under average speeds for these teams on this leg - the trail conditions must not have been ideal. Dallas Seavey led all night but managed only to make it as far as Old Woman. Travis had a four to five hour rest on everyone at his campout and yet he chose to wait until after Seavey passed to get moving, and he didn't make up any time on the five time champion.

Dallas has taken shorter rests - other than the mandatory 8 - on the Yukon to catch back up to the others and then did this push in what seems to be tough trail. It's a gamble that may or may not pay off, but it seems to be a risk Dallas was willing to take.

This is anything but normal in recent memory. Most often your leader was out on the trail all alone. Now we still don't have a clear favorite to win, and it's all guesswork. 

At 8:48am the tracker showed Dallas Seavey on the move giving chase. This is far from over, folks. Buckle up and settle in, the last leg is going to be a WILD RIDE (see what we did there?).

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Seavey makes a move

In an interesting turn of events Dallas Seavey has "cut rest" and headed back out on the trail after spending just two hours and twenty-five minutes out on the trail. The Five Time Champion has banked more time than the other front runners in part due to his two hour penalty added on to his 24 hour mandatory rest. However, Dallas and his team of fifteen dogs seemed to hit the Yukon and kick into a gear many didn't expect - at least, not realistically.

Dallas pulled the hook at 9:01pm and left Kaltag after sending three dogs home. The musher had thought about leaving them with the volunteers in Nulato, but chose to keep them in the team for the run to Kaltag, however now speed matters and the fewer dogs he has the more efficient he will be when he takes breaks out on the trail and in checkpoints.

As Dallas was pulling out of the checkpoint, Jessie Holmes was readying his team to do the same. Jessie pulled the hook forty-six minutes after Dallas and gave chase. Matt Hall also pulled the hook and left just two minutes after Holmes. 

At last glance at the GPS tracker, Travis Beals is still resting at the shelter cabin 13 miles outside of Kaltag. It's anyone's guess when he will decide to pack up and head to Unalakleet, whether he knows Dallas and Jessie and Matt are all on their way. The race to the coast looks to be a close one.

Dallas packed straw in his sled, expect the champion to camp before Unalakleet as is his habit.

It's too quiet

Kaltag got busy this afternoon as first Travis Beals and then Jessie Holmes were followed by Paige Drobny, Matt Hall, Ryan Redington, and Dallas Seavey into the checkpoint. Only Beals chose to cut and run after a quick stop to grab supplies. Beals went 13 miles up the trail and camped. 

That was this afternoon, the sun has now set and no one is moving. It seems the front runners are all still trying to preserve as much energy as possible from their teams. Dallas Seavey who was two hours behind his schedule due to a penalty given at his 24hour mandatory seemed just a day ago to not be in the running to challenge Beals, and now he's acting as though he might be the first of the chase pack to leave Kaltag. 

In the back of the race the final two teams are running into Ruby and then everyone but Beals will be on the Yukon. Beals, of course, left the river and is now on his way to Unalakleet (or will be once he stops camping).

This race is far from being determined. All of the teams resting in Kaltag (and the one camping) look phenomenal. This may be one of those races that isn't declared until the teams run up Front Street in Nome. 


First three -no, FOUR- are into Nulato

It was a long night on the Yukon for the top teams as they traveled down the wind tunnel known as the Yukon River. By 10pm the air temp was already -10 (according to Dallas Seavey's sled thermometer) and getting colder. Teams were running into Galena to meet up with Travis Beals who has a strong handle on the lead. Beals chose to take his mandatory 8 in Galena and pulled the hook at 11:24pm and found himself pulling into Nulato at 5:49pm giving him a run time of 6 hours and 25 minutes.

Dallas Seavey left Galena after a 3.5 hour rest in the checkpoint following forty minutes behind Beals. Dallas had a six minute faster run. According to commentary on the Insider it is believed Dallas will take his 8 in Nulato. Of the top 10 teams, Seavey is the only one who has yet to take his 8. This should not be surprising considering his over 27 hour break in Cripple. The team has been power charged this whole race and the longer than normal rest did not seem to slow them down (which can sometimes happen if a team isn't managed correctly).

Jessie Holmes came into Nulato at 8:15am and he ran it 10 minutes faster than Seavey. Holmes has the smallest team of the three as he is down to 11 dogs (not something to worry about), Beals has 12, and Seavey is still at 15. Holmes team looked fast and loose coming into Nulato. Holmes has taken his 8 so this shouldn't be a very long break for him.

Nulato will continue to see mushers come in Saturday morning and afternoon, and it will no doubt unnerve Seavey that he is "stuck" there as Beals and presumably Holmes take off well before he can. Beals has never had to "protect his lead" in the Iditarod, it's all new territory for Travis and he, too, will have to survive the mental gymnastics that entails.

Paige Drobny is picking off teams one by one as she goes further down the trail. She is now fourth into Nulato with a blistering pace of five hours and forty-five minutes. The Squids are definitely going to play a huge factor in how Beals and Holmes race the Coast.

At -30 on the river this morning, there's only one more checkpoint on the river before they cross over to the coast. Early Sunday should be when we see the first team hit the coast. (And, yes, folks we're to the point where you should probably order those Peace on Earth pizzas in Unalakleet for your favorite teams, and maybe some for the volunteers on the trail). 

There's no clear shake down yet, which seems a little strange. There is a huge field of contenders late in the race and it may not be until Shaktoolik that we get a better picture of how this all ends. 


In the back of the pack there was quite teh shake up last night as Calvin Daugherty turned around and went back to Cripple about two hours into his run to Ruby. According to chat fans KattiJo reported over night that Calvin had forgotten his mittens and chose to go back to get them. He is now about seven hours behind schedule and third from last place. Robbins and Mumford continue to go back and forth in the Red Lantern position.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Calm before the storm

The Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage was a buzz with fans, volunteers, sponsors, and even a few veteran mushers Friday as reality set in that the big show begins in mere hours. Registration was a hive of activity as the bulk of volunteers descended needing their credentials. Outside by the lake volunteers took their handler's training course on how to properly "walk" teams to the starting line safely on snow and ice. Inside the different logistic crews looked shell shocked as they had their final meetings in the hotel lounge. The Merchandise table never saw a quiet moment. 

In walked legends like Dan Seavey and Dean Osmar to chat with other old time volunteers. Sebastian Schnuelle sat by the fireplace and greeted old friends with hugs in between checking his phone. Rob Urbach, CEO of Iditarod, took pictures with fans. Chas St. George checked in with everyone. Mark Nordman wandered in and out. 

The Lakefront, as always, is the heart of the race. While no longer an official sponsor, the race still books many of the conference rooms and hotel rooms. The merchandise table is once again in the hands of the race volunteers. It feels like it always should. Is it chaos? Yes, but it's Iditarod chaos. It's familiar. It's fun. 

It's Iditarod.

Tomorrow the event kicks off with the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage. The celebration of all things sled dog and long distance mushing. All frustrations are set aside and everyone just has fun. The teams will be smaller in dog number, they will go slow, they will stop to say hello to fans... this is about celebrating Iditarod. Sunday will be all about the race, but Saturday... Saturday is for Iditarod Nation.


Teams start from Downtown Anchorage beginning at 10am Saturday and leave in two minute intervals. They will travel 11 miles through the heart of Anchorage before being loaded back into their dog trucks and be driven up to Willow for the ReStart in Willow.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Iditarod 52 rookie class

Sixteen rookies are ready to head to Nome this March for the 52nd running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Each musher has their own story and reason for why they are in the sport and why this is their year to run the Last Great Race. Unlike many Iditarods, only five mushers are running dogs entirely out of someone else's kennel (though in each case they have trained with the dogs they're taking to Nome exclusively), the majority of rookies have their own kennel program. The future is looking strong for mid-distance mushing even with the hardships of the current economy and climate. 

Like all hopeful graduates, the sixteen rookies will have to take a final exam filled with so many unexpected twists and turns. While they must participate in the mandatory rookie meeting several months before race day as well as qualify for the race and get veteran mushers to sign off on their abilities, the rookies still have no real knowledge of just what they will face. Sure, they've heard the stories, they've seen the videos, they know the warnings. But it's one thing to know it and another thing to live it. How many of them will pass their final exam and graduate? Who will get top marks? We'll know in three to four weeks from now.

Anna Hennessy - Anna's rookie run will take her down the trail with a team of dogs out of Kathleen Fredrick's Shameless Huskies kennel. Anna has been mushing for about eight years, the last three winters with Kathleen in Alaska. Anna is an ER nurse and adventurist in her off time. She has had solid finishes in all of her mid-distance races leading up to her biggest test yet. To learn more about Anna you can check out her Iditarod Bio, Website, Kennel Facebook Page, and Instagram.

Benjamin Good - Another one of those "two-year plan" Alaskans who just wanted a couple years of adventure and it turned into a lifetime. Good stated in his bio that he got into dogs learning to skijor using a couple of dogs from Aaron Burmeister's kennel. Good's team has seen some success in races over the years and he's won the vet award in a couple. Iditarod, as we know, is a beast all its own and far longer distance than what he's run previously - but he has run the shorter Quests so he has seen some tough terrain. You can learn more about Benjamin by checking out his Iditarod Bio, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Bryce Mumford - Mushing is a family affair for the Mumfords. Bryce got into dog mushing after watching a tv special on the Iditarod in 2008. While Bryce is the one who got the family into the sport, his father and his kids are also racing these days. Mumford notes that one of his proudest moments in the sport is winning an award for best dog care in the Race to the Sky race. Mumford is one of the few teams not from Alaska in the Iditarod this year. To learn more about Bryce and the Mushing Mumfords you can read his Iditarod Bio, Website, and Instagram.

Calvin Daugherty - Iditarod fans may recognize this kid as being the son of Iditarod veteran (and Everest climber) Larry Daugherty. Calvin has worked full time with Mitch Seavey's kennel for the last few years and it's now his turn to take the Team Seavey dogs to Nome. It will be interesting to see what his Iditarod schedule will be - will he be holding back like many of the "handler" teams have in the past, or will he be given more freedom to challenge for a top spot? With Mitch not running it could be that Calvin will have a role similar to Christian Turner's role last year. Let's just hope he doesn't take after his dad and become a sequel to the "Lost Boys". You can learn more about Calvin by checking out his Iditarod Bio, and Instagram.

Connor McMahon - The musher who named his kennel Feral Racing has been working with dogs since age fifteen and it was a malamute with "behavior issues" that got him into mushing. The one-dog team instilled a desire to mush full time and that's what the Canadian does now. Training and racing dogs in the winter and giving rides in the summer at Caribou Crossing. McMahon's 30 dog kennel has worked for this moment. To learn more about Connor you can read his Iditarod Bio, website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Erin Altemus - Erin and her husband run a kennel of 30 dogs called Sawtooth Racing in Minnesota. It's taken twelve years to get here as the dream took a backseat as they had and raised their daughter who is now six years old. Erin says she has the right team and circumstances to make Iditarod 2024 the right time. Fun fact, Sawtooth Racing is where fellow rookie Anna Hennessy learned to mush before moving on to Shameless Huskies in Alaska. You can read more about Erin via her Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Gabe Dunham - Gabe is one of the second year rookies in the race this year. Gabe originally ran in 2020... yes... THAT 2020. The year the race went from normal to half way through finding out that a pandemic was shutting everything down and checkpoints were being moved well out of villages to protect their populations. Gabe made it to Unalakleet before having to scratch. She's been 2/3 of the way down the trail. Gabe ran this year's Kusko to get her team some coastal trail experience. The Evermore Adventure team is ready to tackle that last third. Dunham has also been under the mentorship of Linwood Fiedler. To learn more about Gabe you can visit her Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Isaac Teaford - This Navy Vet turned musher has worked his way up the ladder of handler to B-team driver for Dallas Seavey's racing kennel. Many will remember Teaford as being one of the mushers involved in the snowmachine incident on the Denali Highway in November. While it wasn't his team that was hit, he was first on scene and had to help with the triage and dog care. After several months of no doubt reliving those moments Isaac will be on the runners living out a dream he's had for a long while now - the ultimate healing experience. Don't expect Teaford to be racing for Rookie of the Year, but don't expect him to be last either. (According to his Insider interview he's also quite musical.) You can learn more about Isaac by reading his Iditarod Bio, his Facebook Page, and his Instagram.

Jeff Reid - Probably one of the smallest kennels represented in this year's race. Jeff is another military veteran who found mushing as a way of healing. He found mushing after reading Gary Paulsen's Winterdance. He and his wife moved to Alaska where Jeff began working with Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore before forming his own kennel with dogs from them as well as Sebastian Schnuelle. Frozen Trident kennel is close to 7 years old, now, and they are ready to hit the trail. To learn more about Jeff you can visit his Iditarod Bio, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Joshua Robbins - Another military veteran who works at restoring other veterans dealing with post military life and mental health, Joshua runs his small kennel on the Little Willow River with purpose. Robbins has been living this lifestyle for the last 4 years. He's won awards in mid distance races voted on by his fellow mushers. He seems to be a favorite in the community. You can read up on Joshua by checking out his Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Josi Thyr - The There and Back Again musher has turned heads this season as she's competed against some of "the best" in the sport and managed high placements. Josi came third in the recent Yukon Quest Alaska in the 300 mile race, coming behind an Iditarod champion and former Iditarod Rookie of the Year (and she would be rookie of the year for the YQA except second place got that honor this year). Josi has been mentored by some of the best in Iditarod, handling for both Aaron Burmeister and Jessie Royer. She could challenge for Rookie of the Year this year. To learn more about Josi, read her Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Lara Kittleson - The second team out of Mitch Seavey's kennel this year will be driven by Kittleson. This handler is also a talented artist and writer. Don't expect Lara to challenge for Rookie of the Year but do expect her to finish as the goal of any Seavey handled team is to get the young dogs safely to Nome at a good steady pace that is both fun for the dogs as well as a good test for their future. Lara has a very upbeat and positive personality that if you've ever met her you know she'll be one of those mushers having fun out on the trail with the pups she calls her "tater tots". Read more about Lara through her Iditarod Bio, and Instagram.

Lauro Eklund - Eklund is an established generational musher from the Interior of Alaska. His good natured posts have found their way into the hearts of many fans. On top of that, he's just a good dog driver. They're a steady team that like cold temperatures. Eklund has studied races and learns from the best in how to schedule a race. That came to a head last year in the Yukon Quest Alaska as the race marshal decided to end Eklund's race early (in any other year his schedule would have kept him middle to the front of the pack). Lauro should be able to get that belt buckle as long as he sticks to his schedule and the front runners don't speed up the race. You can learn more about Lauro by checking out his Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Sean Williams - Another rookie who's gone down the trail but didn't quite make it all the way, this time Williams is running his own dogs. Williams learned a lot from working with Martin Buser for years. Sean now runs his own dogs as part of the group that hosts tours out of Alaskan Mushing School. Like many of the Happy Trails Alumn, Sean is capable of reading his dogs and knowing what they can do and what they need. Read more about Sean via his Iditarod Bio, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Severin Cathry - Severin achieved a lifelong dream 14 years ago when he visited Alaska and rode on a "real life dog sled" - he was hooked. The musher grew up on a dairy farm but is now all huskies. Severin will run a team out of Midnight Howler's Racing Kennel - home of junior musher Arien Sanderson (who is running the Junior Iditarod this weekend). Learn more about Severin by reading his Iditarod Bio, and Facebook page.

Will Rhodes - This rookie is one of those where you wonder how this could be their rookie race. If you know mushing you probably know Will Rhodes. Will shares a kennel with his wife Brenda Mackey. The Mackey's Alaskan Distance Dogs kennel tried their paws at the Gold Loop trail in 2021 but illness took them out before they could complete it - Brenda was running that time. This time it's Will's turn. Expect Will to run a solid race, and he could easily challenge for Rookie of the Year - though that won't be his goal (is my guess). Happy, healthy dogs at the FINISH is the goal for all of these teams. Will is also one of the mushers who prides himself on winning awards for best dog care. Read more about Will from his Iditarod Bio, Website, Facebook page, and Instagram.


Sixteen mushers will run to Nome in just a little over a week with the one goal of completing the race and obtaining their finisher's buckle (and their membership into the exclusive Iditarod Sled Dog Race Finishers Club). They are attempting what few have tried and many have dreamed. This is one of the bigger rookie classes with a lot of talented teams. Each one to make it to the starting line is a winner in many ways after tackling finances, qualifiers, drop bags, and all hoops in-between. Here's to Iditarod's Class of 2024! Good luck, Rookies, may you soon be rookies no more!


Who are you excited to cheer for? Who do you think will come out on top as Rookie of the Year? Comment below with your thoughts!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Monday, February 19, 2024

Iditarod 52 musher roster

It is time! The countdown is finally on! We're at the 10ish day mark before teams line 4th Avenue in Downtown Anchorage for the Ceremonial Start. We'll ignore the pouring rain South Central Alaska has going for it this week and will think cold and snow for the first weekend in March (though a second Iditaslush cup might make for some fun pictures, right Mr. Schultz?) 

Seriously, though, it's our favorite time of year as the Fur Rondy and Iditarod action get underway. With that comes all of the standard blog posts on Reitter's Block, and first up - to maybe help you familiarize yourself with the teams as you create your Fantasy Mushing team - is the musher roster.

Thirty-nine mushers are currently on the roster (there were 40 until this afternoon when Iditarod announced a popular musher has been disqualified citing Rule 53 - the personal conduct rule). There are four Iditarod Champions currently listed. Sixteen of the thirty-nine are rookies. Eleven women plan to take teams to Nome. Five countries are represented.

Thirty-nine mushers are currently on the roster (there were 40, but then two disqualifications of mushers happened due to personal conduct concerns - now one of those teams has been reinstated) There are three Iditarod Champions currently listed. Sixteen of the thirty-nine are rookies. Eleven women plant to take teams to Nome. Five countries are represented.

As always the roster is in sign up order until after the bib numbers are released post Musher Banquet on the Thursday evening before the race. Kennels have been noted and public social media links for each team are linked when possible. There's always room for error, if corrections need to be made be sure to comment below!

Without further adieu, your Iditarod 52 lineup!

Bib #MusherKennelLinkLinkLink
2Anna BeringtonSeeing Double RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
3Connor McMahonFeral RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
4Will RhodesMackey's Alaskan Distance DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
5Mats PetterssonKiruna Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
6Bryce MumfordMushing MumfordsWebsiteInstagram
7Dallas SeaveyDallas Seavey RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
8Jessica KlejkaTailwind KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
9Jessie HolmesCan't Stop Racing KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
10Hunter KeefeRedington's Mush AlaskaWebsiteFacebookInstagram
11Joshua RobbinsOutreach 22WebsiteFacebookInstagram
12Mille PorsildRunning Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
13Lauro EklundSkookum ExpeditionsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
14Travis BealsTurning Heads KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
15Isaac TeafordDallas Seavey RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
16Matt HallSilver Ace Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
17Nicolas PetitNic Petit RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
18Jeff DeeterBlack Spruce Dog SleddingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
19Jason MackeyMackey's TopNotch Comeback KennelWebsiteFacebook
20Jessie RoyerThe J TeamWebsiteFacebookInstagram
21Ryan RedingtonRedington MushingWebsiteFacebook
22Josi ThyrThere & Back Again Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
23Erin AltemusSawtooth RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
24Gabe DunhamEvermore AdventuresWebsiteFacebookInstagram
25Anna HennessyShameless HuskiesWebsiteFacebookInstagram
26Peter KaiserKaiser RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
27Sean WilliamsAlaska Mushing SchoolWebsiteFacebookInstagram
28Amanda OttoHusky HomesteadWebsiteFacebookInstagram
29Aaron BurmeisterAlaskan Wildstyle RacingFacebook
30Severin CathryTurning Heads KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
31Matthew Failor17th Dog/Alaskan Husky AdventuresWebsiteFacebookInstagram
32Bailey VitelloTeam BaileyWebsiteFacebookInstagram
33Benjamin GoodGood Alaska MushingFacebookInstagram
34Deke NaaktgeborenNautique Sky KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
35Jeff ReidFrozen TridentFacebookInstagram
36Lara KittelsonSeavey's IdidarideWebsiteFacebookInstagram
37Calvin DaughertySeavey's IdidarideWebsiteFacebookInstagram
38Paige DrobnySquid AcresWebsiteFacebookInstagram
39Wally RobinsonCrooked Creek Kennel/Robinson RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Bold notates past Iditarod Champion.
Edited March 1, 2024 to add bib numbers.

Who are YOU excited to see race to Nome? Predictions? Care to share who you have on your Fantasy Team? Comment below with all of your thoughts, cheers, fears, and jeers!



If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).