Dallas Seavey leads out of McGrath

 Dallas Seavey left McGrath and headed towards Nikolai today at 5:32pm after taking his mandatory 8 hour rest in the checkpoint. Brent Sass, who was second into McGrath today, also declared his 8. Brent came in at 12:42pm and won't be able to leave until 8:42pm if he takes that full 8 (if he doesn't he'll have two more checkpoints to take it in). Dallas has just under 3 hours over Sass at this point. 

Third in was Wade Marrs. Wade's been sitting back in the chase pack for most of the race. According to his social media team on facebook, Wade's said that he planned to start pushing once he left the checkpoint of Iditarod, and clearly it's worked. He's caught up and managed to come into McGrath 59 minutes behind Sass. Marrs also needs to take his mandatory 8, so if that's what he does here, he'll be leaving McGrath at 9:41pm.

The former leader on paper Ryan Redington came in just under 2 hours after Marrs. Redington took his 8 fairly early in the race as well as his 24. When speaking with Iditarod Insider on his return to Ophir this morning Redington all but conceded the race stating that both Seavey and Sass had great looking teams and that his team can't catch them - he spent quite a bit of time resting in Ophir before giving chase. Redington is down to 9 dogs, which isn't too small a team, but it sounds like they're showing signs that they aren't up for the big push at the end. With his mandatory rest completed Ryan and team can leave whenever he feels they are ready.

As Dallas was pulling out of McGrath, Travis Beals was pulling in. Beals had already completed his 24 and his 8 and it was speculated he would try to blow through. Beals has -imo wisely- chosen to bed his dogs down for a rest in McGrath before giving chase. It will be interesting to see how long Beals and Redington stay in the checkpoint before challenging the leader.

In other news, Larry Daugherty's tracker has been glitching for over 24 hours and it's finally been replaced and he is once again shown as moving. So if you thought his name jumped significantly on the map, he was not perpetually in McGrath. It was the aliens, and they have finally released their hold on the signal. He currently sits in the checkpoint of Iditarod and will no doubt be headed back soon. Hal Hanson seems a solid Red Lantern at this point. I got curious last night and asked Dallas Seavey if a team of Seavey dogs had ever won the red lantern. He couldn't verify one did in Iditarod (he says it sounds right, though) but he did point out Dallas got the red lantern during the 2005 Knik 200. My how times change.

The race is on

Sure this blog should have gone out much earlier today, you know, when Dallas Seavey decided to cut his rest in Iditarod short and head back down the trail towards the finish. We've still got -hopefully- a full three days until a champion is crowned, but this is when the RACE part of the race truly begins. Up until now, they were all jockeying for position. They all pretty much feel they still have it. Dallas is miles ahead, but he didn't take his 8 in Iditarod like he first planned, and so now those that already have have a few hours on him. Not enough to declare this not Dallas's year (and I'd argue a top 10 finish in this deep of a field after a three-year hiatus would be a win), but it's not as clear cut as some would like.

On paper when you look at rest, it appears Ryan Redington is leading the Iditarod. This is exciting because in 48 races, a Redington has never won. Iditarod 49 looks like it's trying to change that (and what a story a Redington winning on essentially the original trail Joe Sr. dreamed of). Ryan, however, has pushed from nearly the beginning and has had to send a few dogs home (at last look he was down to 10). With just under half way to go, he should be fine, but it's still really unknown what the teams will expect running back across the burn and through the gorge. 

Aaron Burmeister and Travis Beals have also taken both the 24 and the 8 hour rests and are within striking distance of either of the two frontrunners. Brent Sass is still capable though he still needs his 8 (as do the three amigos of Pete, Richie, and Joar). Mille has taken her 8 and is finishing up her 24 in Iditarod and could really play a spoiler. 

Currently Dallas is shown as resting just 30 miles from Ophir S. It's a good guess that he does not plan to take his 8 in Ophir, which means who the heck knows how this will all play out. Apparently Dallas has made mention that he's still rotating carrying dogs (as he has all race) in the sled bag while running, and he's "still building the monster". He's hardly not a front runner or even in the top spot, whatever the Iditamath suggests.

This field is incredibly talented and it's just mind boggling how many combinations there are to decide who is going to finish where... and we haven't even hit the big obstacles that everyone keeps saying they dread (well all but apparently Hal Hanson who WANTS to see the Gorge again). 

Speaking of the back of the pack, everyone is out of McGrath, though it looks like either Larry Daugherty's tracker never reset/died or he left it behind (uh oh) because he is clearly listed as OUT OF McGrath on the standings, but his tracker still shows him as resting. I do believe he was planning to swap sleds and it could have been the easy mistake of never taking the tracker off/out of the old sled to put it with the new one. Either way it probably won't be remedied until Ophir so just keep refreshing the current standings.

Our current red lantern is Will Troshynski who stated in an interview with Insider this morning about how he is just taking in every experience and his "mistakes" have been so excited to talk to people to gain knowledge that he's left out of checkpoints hours later than he was supposed to. Whoops! His energy in the interview was infectious (though I don't want to think how much caffeine or sugar may have been in his system at the time) and it was just so great that Insider gave the back of the pack so much attention throughout the day (keep it up Insider, you give me a glimmer of hope that you're listening!) 

This may be the last night that I get a decent amount of sleep. I suggest everyone do the same. It's gonna be a *WILD RIDE* (do not judge me in all of my years of writing out into the void I've never used that to talk about Iditarod).

Larry Daugherty to run Iditarod 46

Larry Daugherty at the ReStart in 2016, his rookie year.

Many fans noticed earlier this week that there was a very late addition to the roster of Iditarod teams, Iditarod veteran Larry Daugherty's name appeared and had people questioning. Yesterday the doctor turned sometimes musher took to social media to confirm that yes he was running. This morning he shared how it all came to be on his facebook page:

While I am obviously thrilled to be in the race and very grateful for the opportunity, my heart was and is broken for Jason whose team I am running and who did all of the training and preparation to get this incredible team of dogs to the starting line! I've quickly learned that Jason is the most organized musher I have seen and stepping in for him has been so seamless because he just has absolutely everything completely planned out, tidy and in order.

I am incredibly appreciative of the trust he has bestowed in me and I hope to make Atka nation proud.

I'm already very attached to these dogs. For those who have not been following Jason already, soon I will introduce you to Ambler,Mullet, Tytte,Roros, Fido,Aphrodite, Redman,Cash, Kodiak,Copenhagen, Stach,Wally, Canuck, Pecan, Jet and Tank. This is a phenomenal team, very disciplined, full of power and ability. It's humbling to be the guy they are pulling.

...snip...

When I first dreamed of the Iditarod, it was the southern route that enchanted me the most. It is the only route I have not done, and I'm so incredibly excited to see that portion of Alaska by dog team.

Thanks to all for the support. Prayers for Jason for a speedy recovery.

Until Saturday, mush on!

Most remember Daugherty as one of the two teams out of the Seavey kennel a few years that took an extended detour. Both Larry and fellow musher Patrick Beall became known as "The Lost Boys". Both completed the race that year, it just took a little longer. This will be Larry's first trip on the Southern Route of the trail, which was last run in 2013. If weather holds the next couple of years will see the Southern Route run to make up for the years missed. Many villages used as checkpoints on the race need the race as it brings in income to the area. Many have faced severe hardships in the last 5 years due to the lack of visitors in the odd years.

Jason Campeau was set to run the Iditarod, but after a severe head injury during the Yukon Quest (that could have been fatal if not for the awesome response by strangers and race officials), Campeau was unable to run Iditarod this year. The Canadian musher ran the race in 2015 and in 2016, having a bit of a backwards race last year that saw him drop significantly in the standings. It was believed at the time of his injury, Jason was running in 5th or 6th position (unofficially).

Campeau's team was trained to run a competitive race - far more so than Daugherty's previous teams - so it will be interesting to see if Larry can make it into Nome as the "most improved musher", should that be one of the goals the two men have mapped out for this team.


Campeau's social media statement on his team, and who will run in his place.