Mille Porsild shares tribute of dog Charley

Mille Porsild and team have, understandably, been silent since her scratch from Iditarod 54 after her dog Charley died while running. The gross necropsy performed by a licensed veterinarian has found no cause for why the four-year old dog died, and further tests will be conducted to try and pinpoint what happened.

Mille posted to Facebook Sunday evening explaining that her scratch was not due to a rule, the musher stated she just could not continue without Charley. The post also gave more insight to what the necropsy found (or didn't find); " no physical trauma, clear lungs, great body condition," Porsild wrote, "no nothing, no answer."

Porsild's post did go into the event of Charley's passing, and raw emotion was still evident behind every word. It's every dog owner's worst nightmare realized. Any pet owner who has experienced a similar event with their pet can understand Mille's anguish. (This is your trigger warning, if you will, before you choose to read her post.)

Porsild is known for her dog care and her storytelling. Mille was awarded the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award for her dog care at the 2021 Iditarod. She often shares photos and stories of her dogs on her social media and gives interviews praising her dogs throughout races. The shock and pain of the loss of Charley rippled through the Iditarod community. 

"Charley was light. She was a beautiful soul - a force of nature teaming with radient energy and electric vitality," Mille wrote in tribute. "She was wonderfully quirky.  A brilliant autistic being whose mind moved in its own ways with a most often very singular purpose. And yes, this made her an absolutely incredible sled dog. It also made for her being shy and uneasy with ‘new.’ But once you gained her trust, two - or four legged, she was a bestie. Her and Lion share a very special bond, this is a gigantic loss to Lion. She looked to him for guidance and sense of safety… and she has guided Lion to a little less drama and a lot more lightness in the moment with her gentle very joyous heart."

When a dog dies in the race, according to Rule 42 the team's race is automatically done unless it was clear outside forces were the cause (moose, snowmachine, etc). The race gives the musher the choice of having it be considered a scratch (musher's choice) or a withdrawal (race official). It is not a disqualification unless necropsy/tests find the musher to be at fault. The rule is controversial to some fans and mushers. Mille, apparently, was aware of the discussion going on after her scratch and wanted to set the record straight.

"I scratched Iditarod 2026 in Elim," the musher wrote. "The reason provided “The loss of our beloved Charlie.” I was not forced to scratch, I did not scratch because of a rule. I appreciate that some think it unfair that we could not continue on to the finishline because of Iditarod rules… but please know, of that I was simply not capable."

It is too soon to be asking Mille if she will race again. It is too soon to ask much of anything from Mille at this point. The waiting and the wondering will haunt her - as it does ever pet owner when something like this happens. 

At the Musher's Banquet in Nome, Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach in his speech Sunday Night asked for a moment of silence for Charley ahead of the celebration.  All of Iditarod mourns with Mille and it was evident Sunday.

"I wish people love and celebrate Charley for who she was," Mille finished her statement, "For her love and utter joy. 

This, our time together, her spirit, is in my heart.

Charley is part of me forever."

Results of gross necropsy released

In a press release Friday morning, Iditarod shared the results of the gross necropsy performed on Charley a dog who expired on the trail from Mille Porsild's team. Persuant to Rule 42, Porsild was given the option to scratch in Elim. The dog was flown to Unalakleet where the necropsy was performed. With the results being unable to determine cause of death further testing needs to be done - we may not know the results of those tests for many weeks to come.

 "2026 IDITAROD MEDIA ADVISORY  

Date:   March 20, 2026 

From: Dan Carter, Race Marshal, Iditarod Trail Committee  

Unalakleet, Alaska –  Charley, a four-year-old female from the race team of Mille Porsild (bib #15), expired en route to the Elim checkpoint on March 17, 2026.  Charley was flown to Unalakleet where a necropsy was conducted by a board-certified veterinary pathologist.  The necropsy did not identify any obvious traumatic or medical abnormalities to explain Charley’s death. 

Further laboratory testing is being conducted in accordance with race protocol to support a thorough investigation and complete the necropsy, with every effort made to determine the cause of death.

 ###  

Media contact:   

Shannon Noonan Iditarod Trail Committee

 shannon.noonan@iditarod.com"

Mille Porsild scratches from Iditarod 54

Mille Porsild at the Ceremonial Start
of Iditarod 54. March 7, 2026.
Anchorage, Alaska

Iditarod released a brief statement Tuesday afternoon of Iditarod Veteran and fan favorite Mille Porsild scratching in Elim earlier in the day. The release was short with no additional information.

"Veteran Musher Mille Porsild (bib #15) of Denmark, scratched Tuesday, March 17 at 11:43 a.m.  at the Elim checkpoint pursuant to Rule 42," the statement reads. "Porsild had 13 dogs in harness when she scratched."

Rule 42 is the expired dog rule. The race takes all dog deaths seriously and, as part of rule 42, will perform testing and necropsy to try to determine the cause of death. Rule 42 gives the musher the option to scratch or be withdrawn from the race when a dog expires.

Porsild was running in sixth position when she scratched.

Holmes, Drobny off the Yukon

Paige Drobny at the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 54.
March 7, 2026. Anchorage, Alaska

It's a race to the coast for the two teams that have led the majority of the 54th running of the Iditarod. At 4:23pm AKDST Jessie Holmes made his way off of the Yukon River and into the checkpoint of Kaltag. The reigning Iditarod Champion stayed long enough to collect his prize from the sponsors - Bristol Bay Salmon as part of the "Fish First Award" for the first team in Kaltag - and then he headed across the way to Unalakleet.

Paige Drobny made it to Kaltag at 7:31pm AKDST and she too quickly left the checkpoint. Holmes elected to take a rest on the run to Kaltag, Drobny ran straight through. Both runs (when you factor out Holmes rest time) ran the run at about the same speed from Nulato to Kaltag. Drobny will have to stop soon to rest her team, and it's most likely she's headed for Tripod Cabin. Holmes is showing slower speeds on this run out of Kaltag, but he'll most likely run until he reaches Old Woman Cabin.

With what appears to be three hours between the two it feels like this race is solidly Jessie's - as long as he doesn't make a mistake or a giant storm blows him out to sea. However, Iditarod fans can remember a handful of times when a musher with a significant cushion had their race go sideways on the coast, so as long as Paige plays it smart, makes her move at the right time, and she keeps chipping away at Holmes' lead we could have ourselves a dog race by White Mountain.

The chase pack of Riley Dyche, Travis Beals, and Mille Porsild are on their way to Kaltag with Mille looking to come into the checkpoint in the next hour. Behind them are the rest of the top ten continually leap frogging over one another. Ryan Redington reported at the beginning of the race that he was dealing with a severe Gastrointestinal illness, but by the 24 hour layover he was over the worst of it. Fans earlier Saturday were concerned when Jessie Royer stayed well beyond her mandatory 8 in Galenda, spending nearly fifteen hours in the checkpoint. It's been said Royer is now feeling poorly and needed the extra rest for herself.

The Rookie of the Year race is heating up between Kevin Hansen and Sam Martin. The two have traded spots for the highest ranked first year rookie all race long, with Martin currently running between Galena and Nulato as Hansen sits in Galena. Neither musher has taken their mandatory 8 on the Yukon, but it looks like that may be what Hansen is doing now. Expect them to leap frog each other again before they make it to Kaltag. Jesse Terry is also in the hunt for ROTY and is within reach should the other two falter in the final leg.

The back of the pack is still going strong, with everyone into the checkpoint of Ruby as of 4:51pm AKDST. Will they continue to all stick together, or will we see some of them break away on the Yukon? Time will tell. Jody Potts-Joseph is the current red lantern in the race.

Holmes is showing as resting on the trail now and Drobny is 19 miles behind him, still running. Is Paige making her move here on the run to Unalakleet or will she shut it down for a rest here in the next few minutes? Time will tell.

Do you think Jessie Holmes has this in the bag? Will Paige be able to catch him? Will neither one be the 2026 champ? Comment with your thoughts below!

Drobny, Redington chase Holmes out of McGrath

Paige Drobny and team at the Ceremonial Start of
Iditarod 54. March 7, 2026. Anchorage, Alaska.

Jessie Holmes has about an hour and a half lead over the next two teams out of the checkpoint of McGrath Tuesday night. The reigning Champion has commanded much of the first leg of the 54th running of Iditarod, steadily gaining time on the competition. 

Holmes was first to McGrath at 8:03pm AKDST. The champion spent just moments in the checkpoint gathering supplies from his drop bag and accepting the First to McGrath award before continuing on. Holmes was seen carrying a large bale of straw on the back of his sled as he took off.

At a little after 9:30pm AKDST Paige Drobny and her team of Squids entered McGrath. The musher wasted no time allowing vets to do a quick once over of her team before leaving - without grabbing anything from her drop bags. Iditarod Insider commentator Jodi Bailey said it was no big surprise to see Paige not grab supplies as Drobny and her team are experienced back country living and carry large loads all year long. Ryan Redington was just minutes behind Drobny and spent a quick few minutes to gather items from his drop bags before taking off in chase.

As of 9:45pm AKDST Mille has checked into McGrath and is surrounded by fans and volunteers. It remains to be seen what she plans to do here in McGrath. It's about to get busy as the front runners continue to jockey for placement heading into their 24 hour mandatory rests. 

It's anyone's guess what Jessie Holmes has planned as it appears with the straw bale he will camp on the trail which may mean he is planning a push to Cripple. A ballsy move, but one that could pay off if his team is ready for it.

He'll have several other checkpoints to stop in between McGrath and Cripple should he so choose.

Hang onto your hats, Iditafans! The race is getting ready to go into nap mode (so we'll all be able to catch up on work while the mushers try to catch up on sleep). 

Iditarod 54 top ten

We are in the new era of Iditarod mushing. The roster has slowly grown in the last couple of years and while still not the numbers from the twenty-aughts and twenty-teens we no longer wonder if there will be much of a roster at all. With nearly forty teams set to head towards Nome in just under two weeks from now, a strong group of "new" potential champions are poised to take their team to the next level.

Sure, their names have been in the "waiting in the wings" status. The "potential to win" status. The "future champion" status. But there were still those teams that just had that much more experience to get the job done again and again. This year's roster is full of those teams that have been "waiting in the wings". They've won the other races. They've been in the top ten for years. They all have the experience and the ability to run a race that is a winning race.

But there are a lot of them. This roster is stacked with talented dogs and mushers. Of the four returning champions, three will be gunning for that top position. 2020 Champ Thomas Waerner is the only musher not focused on winning - his job this year will be to guide the inaugural "expedition class" musher to the finish line. Our three remaining return champs are the exciting trio of Holmes, Kaiser, and Redington. 

So as you prepare to choose your Fantasy Mushing Iditarod 54 team, let's take a look at the highest potential teams in this year's race (that will probably be the higher priced teams in FM.)

Jessie Holmes - The reining Iditarod Champion. The Team Can't Stop musher was all smiles and positive energy at race sign-ups this past June. Holmes entered the Iditarod in his rookie year with the full intent of immediately being competitive. And, he was. Winning Rookie of the Year, Holmes went on to continually contend for a top placement. And, then, in 2025 it happened. Holmes took a very similar approach this season as last. He was very choosey of which races his team would enter, deciding on the Copper Basin and... that's it until after Iditarod. It worked last year, let's see how it plays out this year.

Jessie Royer - One of the top female mushers for well over two decades now, Royer is no stranger to the top ten of Iditarod. Unfortunately for Royer her schedule was a little different this season as her stomping grounds in the Lower 48 saw a winter similar to what Alaska faced in 2025. Several mid-distance races were canceled, including Montana's Race to the Sky a race that Team J dominates. This should not in any way make this year's Iditarod more challenging. Royer spends a lot of time in the winter in Alaska and in any situation extremely adaptable. She's a sure bet to get you those fantasy points.

Josi Shelley - This may be a risky choice for top ten, but the 2024 Rookie of the Year just had a hell of a race on the Yukon Quest Alaska 750. She didn't just win that race, she dominated having a Libby Riddles like run where she lead by hours staying ahead of the bulk of the massive winter storm that hit during the race. She could absolutely make waves in the top ten this year if she plays her cards right and her team is bounced back from their historic win last week. We've seen other teams run both races back to back (and, yeah, the Quest is shorter now) and it's only seen one team win both in the same year. Could Josi repeat that feat?

Matt Hall - Is Matt going to be the next musher to ride the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" roller coaster? We've seen him come in second now a couple of times. In the last two years he's come in second. Last year he changed up his training program by doing more human training year round as well as focusing on just running Iditarod and not running many if any races in the months before. He said he was taking a page out of Dallas Seavey's book. Marathons for Hall in the summer, training dogs in the winter with the prize a long adventure on the Iditarod trail. He's nearly there, will it happen for him in 2026? That's what we're all watching.

Michelle Phillips - She was fourth last year. Her first in the top ten. She's consistently in the top twenty when she runs the race. She just won the Two Rivers 200 race, another dominate win by one of the mushers on this list. She's won the Canadian Quest several times in their different long lengths. She'd no doubt have been in this year's race had they been able to put one on. Last year's race was the longest and for many the hardest in modern Iditarod history and Michelle managed her best finish - by far. She's one of the toughest out there and it will be exciting to see how she slingshots off last year's result.

Mille Porsild - She's been crowned by many to be "the next". We've had several "the next" since Susan Butcher hung it up in the 90s. Porsild's friend and mentor DeeDee Jonrowe knows the pressure of being labeled "the next" better than anyone. Jonrowe raced against Butcher and after Susan's retirement was expected to take the legend's place as dominating the men on the trail. Jonrowe came close, but never took it all the way. Since Porsild's rookie year in 2020, the musher has yet to be out of the top 15, with only two years finding her team out of the top 10. She's as tough as they come, and as fast as they come, with experience to boot. 

 

Paige Drobny - The Squids lit up the race scene this winter and are now pointed towards Nome. While Drobny's husband took the team out for most of the race season, Paige is set to take another shot at the top placement of the Last Great Race. While always a fan favorite and certainly a consistent top twenty team, Drobny and the Squids made a huge jump in 2024 running down many of the top teams in the final leg of the race to come in fifth place - without pushing her young team. Drobny improved on that placement last year coming in third. If she and her team - now in its prime racing experience age - manage to follow this pattern.... just sayin'.

Pete Kaiser - Talk about coming in right under the wire. Kaiser's name wasn't even on the roster until Monday. Like drop bag Monday. Like just under three weeks from the Ceremonial Start Monday. The 2019 Champion's team looked incredible on the Kusko. They always do, but there was something about this year's team that had lots of comments on just HOW good they looked. Strong, powerful, energetic. As Pete made his historic tenth Kusko win the media immediately asked if he was sure he wasn't going to run the Iditarod and he musher played coy. Hope dwindled as food drop deadline approached and then the announcement was made. 

Riley Dyche - Speaking of the Kusko, Dyche once again came in second, gaining one minute on the champ from last year's race. Dyche said post race that in about 20 years he'll catch Kaiser. Hopefully it doesn't actually take that long, but Dyche is one of those spreadsheet mushers. Like many mushers of the newer generation, Dyche uses race archives to prepare his "thesis" for the master class of Iditarod. He studies race times, strategies, training habits. Everything. He and his wife have quietly built their kennel and their team to become one of the top kennels, choosing to lay low and out of the internet spotlight. He's truly the dark horse of mushing that way and time will tell how it works out for him, but don't be surprised to see him in the mix.

Travis Beals - Another solid bet for a top ten finish for Fantasy Mushing teams, Beals has come sixth the last two Iditarods. Two years ago he lead for a good portion of the race before realizing he punched the gas a little too soon on the Yukon (and he ended up with an eye injury that didn't help). Last year in the longest and some say toughest Iditarod in modern race history he once again ended up six after a strong race. Those added miles to the total may have played a part. With the race going back to a trail far more familiar with weather far more usual forecasted for the race, Travis should be right on track to stay in the mix and improve on his already impressive track record.

What?! Have we done it?! We've stuck to ten?! 

Ha! If you've read this blog before you know it's not possible to start at ten. These days there are just too many teams with the potential to ruin this perfectly, professionally, punctuatedly list of ten. No, no. We have some honorable mentions with not just an outside chance of spoiling the whole thing, but a very real chance of doing so. 

Honorable mentions like Rohn Buser who is returning to Iditarod after a life hiatus. He went out and did other things, met and married his wife who is very much equal kennel and business partner, he's a two time dad. Last year was supposed to be when Buser returned to Iditarod but his daughter had other plans and he withdrew so he could be dad to his newborn daughter. He's currently running the Su Dog 300 as a final training run. He's used most of the races this season to get the miles and exeperience focusing on a positive race for all. It's anyone's guess how much he pushes in this first Iditarod back. 

Jeff Deeter this past summer had noted that he wasn't fully planning on a bid at the Iditarod this year always hedging with it would depend on how the team looked, but when sign ups came around his name found its way on the list. So he must have seen something in the team that suggested they were gonna go for it. Deeter ran a conservative Kusko, and had to scratch from the Yukon Quest Alaska as the trail disappeared during the storms needing to preserve the team for the big one. 

Wade Marrs made the move back to Alaska after several years in the Upper Midwest of the US. Partially due to his spending his summers in Alaska managing a touring operation, but also just to get back to Iditarod - and that feeling of home. It should be expected for Marrs to remind people why he was so exciting to follow when he last ran Iditarod. 

Ryan Redington won the whole thing just three years ago. He's seemingly in the last season or so taken a backseat in the mid-distance races, using them to build up a his team for Iditarod. Perhaps he's playing a mental game and he'll surprise everyone in the Iditarod. Maybe this will be more of a training run. We'll know by the time he reaches Nome. (Blogger note: Ryan let me know today that he's not playing a mental game and is always working to build a better team. He's all in with a strong team.)

Bailey Vitello was just supposed to run the Iditarod to check it off the musher bucketlist. Then he did it, and he got bitten by that bug. The one they all talk about. The one that they all say they're done in Nome and then at the last Saturday in June they show up and ask "what is wrong with us?" And Bailey's stayed, trained, raced, and is now one of the up and coming stars. In three races he's jumped from a twenty-seventh place rookie run finish to fifth last year.

The race kicks off with the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, Alaska on March 7, 2026 at 10am with the restart in Willow, Alaska on March 8 at 2pm. 

Who do you think should be on the list? 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).

Top Ten in Nome

It's been a slow but wild ride to get the top ten into Nome. With the longer trail it seems the run to White Mountain gave each team a cushion and spread out what is normally a quick first ten teams into the finish. Holmes came in Friday morning and tenth place did not finish until Saturday Afternoon. This feels more like the "good ol' days" of mushing when finishes went on for a week or more. We don't have that many teams left on the trail to make a weeks worth of finishes possible, but it's still a strange and wonderful feeling to have Iditarod last "just a little bit longer."

Second place Matt Hall came into Nome just three hours after the champion. This is Hall's second second place finish. The musher chose to focus his entire season on Iditarod and had mentioned ahead of this year's race that he would not be able to run down teams using the carry dog strategy, however Hall did keep up with two teams doing just that. Matt was always in good spirits during this year's race and fans ate up his baby talking encouragement to the dogs (especially when he couldn't turn it off when talking to people while caring for the dogs). Matt was in White Mountain letting village kids play with his sled and pet his dogs. In Nome Matt's dog Dyea swallowed his celebratory steak whole. At the finish Matt joked about how long the race felt on the Yukon, turning around afterwards and asking "ONLY ten days and seventeen hours?! It felt like two weeks!"

Third place was Paige Drobny and the Squids. The team was enthusiastically cheered into Nome by the team of handlers decked out in boas and flashy tinsel skirts - they even did a kick line. As they cheerleaded out "Paige-Paige Drobny!" a strong line of eleven dogs trotted up into the finishers chute. Paige was greeted with a flower boa from husband and kennel partner Cody Strathe as she walked down the line petting and praising each of her canine teammates. Paige was a very last minute addition to the Iditarod roster. Like February last minute. Paige told everyone in her finish "interview" that after seeing how well the dogs had done in races in January that they "deserved to be here" in the Iditarod. And belong they did. The team that surprised everyone last year with a 4th place finish as a bunch of young "rookie" dogs have proven they were no fluke. This team is special and Paige/Cody better make the decision now that a third go needs to happen.

Fourth place saw Michelle Phillips cross under the newly installed burled arch. The Canadian musher was in stealth mode for most of the race. Fans certainly kept her on their radar, but she wasn't really in the conversation for a top spot for most of the race. Phillips and team kept a low profile and by the coast began to pick off teams with ease. As "Clipboard Nicolle" welcomed the musher to Nome and announced her finishing time of 11 days 4 hours, Michelle giggled and said "Wow. That's a Quest race!" referring to the now bygone thousand mile race across Alaska and Canada. Michelle's 9 pups were perky and they quickly trotted down to the "barking lot".

Perhaps the surprise of this year's top ten is fifth place musher Bailey Vitello. The musher is most likely in the running for "most improved" musher, having jumped from last year's 17th place finish to this year's fifth. The musher known for his personality and his mullet came to Alaska in 2022 to run the Iditarod in 2023 - it was going to be a one time thing. "Problem" was - he fell in love with Alaska and with the Iditarod. With this fifth place finish it's likely he'll be here to stay for a while. Bailey was greated by friends and family in the chute, in his sled bag was his dog Jenny who he said was on her last race and he felt she deserved to make it to Nome so he chose to carry her on the last leg. The pup seemed content to ride, but also looked like she wanted to jump out and join the rest of the team eating their steak dinners. He said at the finish "I've always wanted to run the Fairbanks route, but I don't ever want to run the Yukon again." He's promised he will be back.

Travis Beals managed another sixth place finish having leap frogged over several teams late in the race to get there. Travis admitted at the finish that he tried to be a little more laid back this year after having gone a little too hard last year to end up going from leading the race to dropping quickly behind on the race to the Coast, but "it was maybe a little too laid back" this year. Beals came in early Saturday morning and was met by his family under the newly constructed Burled Arch that Beals helped with by finding "the perfect tree." The tree came from Seward, Beals' hometown and original training trails, and when Ramey Smith was on the quest to find a new burled tree for the arch Travis said he had just the one. Travis has the fastest time from Safety to Nome of the Top Ten taking only two hours and forty-four minutes (the award, though, is determined amongst the top twenty teams).

Seventh place had many fans worried as Mitch Seavey was poised to take fifth place when he came into White Mountain ahead of both Bailey and Travis. The three-time Iditarod Champion had leapfrogged over many teams along the coast to get back into contention, and he seemed like a shoo-in for that fifth place (or maybe battling for forth with Michelle), but then he stayed in White Mountain. And he stayed... and stayed a little more. Sean Underwood of the Insider reported that all was fine with the team but that Mitch had "hit the snooze button". It was offered that Mitch had maybe injured himself and was having a difficult time. Still, when the musher did finally pick the team up and point them Nomeward the team trotted down the trail at the typical pep and step of a Seavey team. Seavey didn't stay long in the finisher's chute, opting to get the dogs bedded down in the barking lot and then heading to his bed. Handlers report the musher is still in good spirits and that he just needs some rest and time to recover from this very long and difficult Iditarod.

Six dogs ran into the chute for an 8th place finish for the 2023 Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington. Ryan had had a fantastic and seemingly flawless first half of the race. Even with the punchy trail that caused some dogs to be returned home much earlier than expected, Redington was in good spirits and had high praise for his mighty team. Things seemed to go sideways on their way to the coast, but they managed to stay in the top ten even with the smallest team. Ryan noted the difficult training conditions he and many of the mushers faced this year and how he was so proud of the little team that managed to complete one of the most difficult trails to date. Ryan said he was proud to continue the legacy of his grandfather and hoped for many more Iditarods to come. Before leaving the chute, Ryan made sure to take to the microphone to congratulate the newest member of the Iditarod Champions club Jessie Holmes.

It isn't Iditarod if there isn't drama, and Mille Porsild gave everyone a good bit of it again this year. Not the bad kind of drama. Not the medical kind of drama. No, the tracker fell off the sled kind. The tracker somehow managed to disconnect from the musher's sled around the shelter cabin at the entrance of the infamous "Blowhole" and so no one thought anything of it to see it showing as "resting". With no way to track where the musher was, or even any indication that they weren't tracking her, volunteers decided they could let their guard down and rest as well. As they kept watch on a non moving tracker, no one was aware that Mille was nearing the final stop of Safety. When she made it in no one apparently was around, so she took it upon herself to check in and out and she continued to Nome. Weird, but not anything she felt overly concerned about. It wasn't until several hours later when the next team came into Safety that volunteers even realized Mille'd been there and realized she didn't have a tracker. Nome was notified and soon "clipboard Nicolle" was woken up from her nap and told they were going to have to do this finish "old school". Mille pulled into the finish shoot and shouted "Well that was difficult!" also exclaiming how happy she was to be in Nome. She was greeted by friends and family and Iditarod Champion Jessie Holmes - who then went right to work unbootying the team while Mille checked in with Nicolle. 

Riley Dyche rounds out the top ten coming in Saturday afternoon and is currently the most recent finish off the Iditarod trail. The Dark Horse Kennel's musher came under the burled arch declaring "that was a tough one." Riley took a year off from Iditarod as he made some big changes for his kennel, moving from Two Rivers to Big Lake where he worked on renovating the home and property to make it into the kennel set up he wanted. The musher is also now the one running the cart rides at the Iditarod HQ property in Wasilla - taking the reins from Raymie Redington. Riley said he had a strong core of yearlings in his 2023 race that he spent the last two seasons building around. He admitted that this year's race was a challenge and didn't go according to plan, though he also conceded he believed it didn't go to most people's plans, and said it proved to be mentally challenging. Through its challenges, though, Riley's team broke the top ten, which is an 8 place jump over his last Iditarod. If Riley isn't careful he may need to change the name of his kennel because he is quickly becoming anything but a dark horse.

There are still thirteen teams on the trail, with a battle for 11th place currently being run from Safety to Nome. Will it be Matt Failor who currently has a three mile lead, or will Nicolas Petit do what many expect him to do and continue to speed up and over take the 17th Dog. Petit is often able to claim the "fastest from Safety" prize, and currently shows as running over 2mph faster than Failor.

Our current Red Lantern made her way off the Sea Ice and into Koyuk earlier Saturday and is currently resting in the checkpoint. Jenny Roddewig has been able to successfully navigate much of the second half of Iditarod alone. She has 170 miles to go.

Look for the next teams to come into Nome around 7:45pm AKDT. 

Holmes still commands lead into Eagle Island

As the sun rose over the Yukon River Monday morning, Jessie Holmes and team were seen trotting into the Eagle Island return checkpoint. The musher quickly went to work replenishing his supplies from his drop bags, grabbing straw and heet, and heading out around 9am. There's no more guessing over where the leader will be taking his mandatory 8. As he originally planned, Jessie will stop and rest in Kaltag2, the final checkpoint available for mushers to take their mandatory. 

Holmes hasn't had the perfect run leading up to this decision. As snow continued to fall Sunday the trail became slow and punchy. Teams slowed 1-2 mph from the speeds they've averaged so far. On Jessie's return on the loop, the veteran musher took an extra rest on the trail between checkpoints allowing the chase pack of Matt Hall and Paige Drobny to catch up a bit. Both Hall and Drobny have taken their mandatory 8.

Holmes admitted to Insider in Eagle Island that he was now feeling "pushed" by those behind him. This may play a factor into how the third leg goes for Jessie. We've seen him in past races start racing other teams and allowing their decisions effect his, and that is something he will have to be aware of as he continues to lead this race.

The back of the pack are all making their way to Eagle Island with most of them into the checkpoint with only Sydnie Bahl and Quince Mountain still to get to the checkpoint. Mountain has roughly 50 miles to Eagle Island (by the GPS) and is solidly our red lantern. It was good to see him continue as he is several hours behind the back of the pack group of rookies.

Your *unofficial* top ten (using the GPS tracker) currently are:

Jessie Holmes
Matt Hall
Paige Drobny
Mitch Seavey
Mille Porsild
Michelle Phillips
Nicolas Petit
Travis Beals
Ryan Redington
Bailey Vitello

Of the top ten, Mitch and Nic still need to take their 8. Redington and Vitello are on their way to Grayling the rest are inbetween Grayling and Eagle Island (except of course Jessie).

Holmes, Drobny, and Hall on their way to Grayling

We are about to hit the unofficial halfway point of Iditarod 53. The lead pack have fully entered the "loop" part of this year's trail and are closing in on the checkpoint of Grayling. Holmes and Drobny played leapfrog several times throughout Saturday but are now firmly planted in first and second respectively. 

Paige Drobny had a strong run Friday night into Saturday morning and chose to rest for over five hours in Eagle Island before leaving Saturday afternoon for Grayling. Holmes, who was first into Eagle Island, chose to spend just minutes in the checkpoint gathering supplies before heading back out on the trail. The musher drove his team for another two and a half hours or so before camping on the trail for most of Saturday afternoon, pulling the snowhook around a similar time as Drobny left Eagle Island.

Matt Hall is in a lone chase pack of sorts as he sat in Eagle Island for another hour and change before following Paige out of the checkpoint. Currently Holmes is 16 miles to Grayling and holding a 9 mile (or one hour-ish) lead over Drobny who has a thirteen mile lead over Hall (one and a half ish hours). Michelle Phillips just left Eagle Island and is about 11 miles behind Hall.

The next chase pack is currently led by Ryan Redington, who rounded out the top five into Eagle Island Saturday. Mitch Seavey and Mille Porsild came in nearly together with the elder musher coming in just ahead of one of Iditarod's leading ladies. More recently Travis Beals, Nicolas Petit, and Riley Dyche rounded out Eagle Island's top ten. More teams are on their way so the volunteers of Iditarod's most remote checkpoint are about to get very busy (but I hear beef stroganoff is on tonight's menu).

The trail report coming from those who made it to Eagle Island were harrowing. Sean Underwood of Iditarod Insider reported that Ryan Redington said that this was the hardest Iditarod he's ever run. Bruce Lee of Iditarod Insider reported that Paige Drobny told him Saturday morning that the run from Kaltag to Eagle Island was in the top ten worst trails she's ever run. 

Trail reports are that of overflow as well as a trail that has set up extremely hard where the trailbreakers went through. That's normally a good thing, but the trail breakers drove over the overflow when it was... well... overflow. That trail has now hardened and there are post holes and ski ruts that are essentially throwing sleds all over the place. Mushers told war stories to each other of being thrown all over the trail, dumping sleds, and coming up battered and bruised.

The back of the pack are making their way to Nulato having taken their 24s. Red Lantern Quince Mountain passed many of them in the wee hours of Saturday and found himself in Nulato around 2:20pm, Mountain has taken many long rests whenever he stops so it's anyone's guess if he's planning to push further into the race before 24ing or if Nulato will be home for him until Sunday afternoon. Mileage wise Mountain is no longer the Red Lantern (for the next hour or so anyway), however he is the last of the back of the pack to take his 24 so hours wise he's still mathmatically the Red Lantern.

No more scratches have been reported after the wave of them yesterday, however KTUU reported the preliminary necropsy results gave no answer as to why Dan Kleins dog Ventana passed away. They did report that the initial exam post mortem revealed the dog was pregnant but there was no information as to how far along into the pregnancy the dog was or if it was known that she was pregnant. A full necropsy takes time, last year final results were not given for the three expired dogs until fall.

Reminder: Most of the US SPRINGS FORWARD an hour Sunday morning, so keep that in mind when you see in and out times and calculate rests. Alaska participates in Daylight Saving Time.

Iditarod 53 top ten (and change)

It's safe to say we are fully into a new chapter of Iditarod. The torch was fully passed several years ago and a new wave of mushers have fully cemented themselves in the top class. Perhaps it's because we're down to smaller rosters than in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and teens. Perhaps it is because the "legends" have mostly moved on allowing the next generation to create their own legends. Whatever the case, more and more the "up and comers" from just a few years ago are the "favorites to win". It's a bittersweet love to see it. That being said, there are a lot of familiar faces on this year's top ten (and change) list.

We have two Iditarod Champions coming back for another go. One won just two years ago, the other last won in 2017 and has been away from the race since 2022. One is considered to be in the "prime age range" for an Iditarod musher, the other currently holds the title of oldest champ AND is the oldest musher in this year's field. Both have ties to the Iditarod's beginnings. Legacy mushers if you will, but ones who have created legacy in their own right.

While one might think they have the advantage (and in many ways they do) with this year's last minute reroute announcement on a trail that is showing currently as being over 1100 miles long it's given everyone a little more equal footing. The drop bags had been planned for the Southern Route, not 600+ miles of river running where miles between checkpoints can sometimes be further. The race says it will do its best to match drop bags with the new checkpoints, but it's still a guessing game as to strategy. Guessing who will adapt quickest is the name of the game.

So let's take a look/guess at who just might crack the 2025 top ten (without hopefully jinxing them). We will go alphabetically just to seem organized.

Jeff Deeter - Coming off of his Yukon Quest Alaska 550 win (his first race win ever), Deeter looks poised to contend for the champion title in this year's race. Jeff's steadily climbed the ranks since 2018 (his rookie year was 2008 but he took time off to build a home and kennel). Jeff's entire season has been focused on building a winning team for Iditarod this March. He came fourth last year in a very tight battle at the finish, choosing to hold back and make his move on the coast. It paid off. Deeter is serious about his chances this year.  

Jessie Holmes - The 2024 third place finisher in Iditarod is looking to build off of last year's near win with taking it all the way. Holmes championed the mushers' case to change the route after reports had many worried that the traditional route was not a good option. Jessie says the team he has this year is the team he's been building for. He's trained with this team all year off grid in the interior, choosing to focus on Iditarod this year and not many mid-distance races and the one he did enter (Copper Basin) he won! Holmes runs atop mountains (and films it) but won't have too many chances to test out those skills this year on the trail.

Matt Failor - While Matt has just a single top ten finish in his career history, he does know how to race on rivers. The 2019 Kuskokwim Champion just might be one of the teams that does very well on the new route. Failor is known for his care for his dogs as well as his sportsmanship on the trail (remember he's the one who got to gut a couple moose out on the trail a few years ago - and did it properly with very little experience). Consider Matt a wildcard in the race.

Matt Hall - Hall. Is. Serious. Coming second to Dallas Seavey last year may have lit a raging fire under the 2017 Yukon Quest (back when it was still 1000 miles, remember) champion. Matt decided to solely focus on the Iditarod this year. He started cross training doing marathons/cross country type running. He's been following an athlete diet. He's not gone out on any races (his wife did take their team out on the Copper Basin). He has said multiple times in interviews that he's going for one thing in this year's race. Matt Hall is focused, don't count him out.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle just won the Yukon Quest in Canada, which wasn't a total surprise, she kinda owns that race these days. Michelle's last Iditarod was in 2022. She got caught in the windstorm that thwarted many teams finishes, but managed to make it through to the finish and came 17th. There was a bit of a squabble over how she handled the storm with her team (may have bent or even broken a rule or two) but ultimately the race sided with her (after she appealed). She took time off from Iditarod, but has come back this year with a strong looking team. 

Mille Porsild - You'd be hardpressed to find a tougher woman in this field than Mille Porsild. Last Iditarod the woman ran most of the race during a bout of pancreatitis! Her race could have completely derailed -and nearly did in McGrath when she was forced to take her 24 to try and regain health before being allowed to continue. She placed an impressive 7th place under the circumstances. Mille just finished up the Yukon Quest in Canada coming in 4th place in a very competitive 450 mile race. This will be Porsild's sixth Iditarod, her lowest placement was 15th her rookie year, she's only finished out of the top 10 twice.

Mitch Seavey - The three-time Iditarod Champion is back on the runners after taking some time away. In that time he watched his son Dallas win an historic sixth Iditarod (just last year) with some of the dogs from Mitch's kennel. But we aren't talking about Dallas, we're talking about Da Man Seavey. He's the record holder for oldest Champion as well as fastest finish time (2017). A man of few words, Mitch's bio on the Iditarod website simply reads that he is running the Iditarod "because it is hard." A few years back Mitch said he would only run the Iditarod until he felt he was no longer competitive. Expect him to race for a top placement.

Paige Drobny - Paige and her team of disco dogs (IYKYK) also known as The Squids surprised everyone, including maybe even the musher, as they came from behind and picked off many of the top teams. Paige had planned to run a relaxed and fun race with her team of younger dogs. It was about experience and not just pushing for a top placement. But as the race ran on Paige realized her team was ready for more. She placed fifth place right behind Jeff Deeter. Paige was a last minute entry for this year's Iditarod and it was after she and husband Cody realized just how special a team they had. Cody took the team to the Kusko (his first time there) and came third just 32 minutes after the winner. They just might be right about this team's speacialness.

Riley Dyche - Full disclosure, it was pointed out that the race preview for the Kusko was not fair to Riley. And Riley proved that right when he nearly ran away with the race in Bethel. Riley ended up just minutes behind Pete Kaiser and was incredibly candid about the "mistake" that cost him the win. Riley is very much a dark horse just because he has chosen to stay off social media, so unless one is within the inner circles of mushing it is quite easy to count him out. Let's not make that mistake again. He took last year off to work on his home and kennel and took this season to solidify his seat at the table.

Ryan Redington - The 2023 Iditarod champion had something to prove (in his mind) when he won. The grandson of Joe Redington Sr. - the Father and Founder of the Iditarod - was well aware that a Redington had yet to win Joe's race. Ryan had really hoped the 50th running of the Iditarod would be THE year, but it was the 51st running that he took home the title. Ryan has taken it a little easy this year choosing to allow handlers to have a little more fun while he sat back with some of his younger dogs. Now it's Ryan's turn to take the top dogs of his kennel out on the trail. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to start of fast as he typically does, or if he holds back considering the extra 150ish miles this year's route has added to the trail.

Travis Beals - In 2024 the new dad was in a place he'd never been previously: leading the Iditarod. While Travis had a solid race plan, he started to improvise to protect his lead, and it was just a little too soon for the sort of move he tried. In trying to keep space between him and the chase pack, he neared burn out. The musher realized the mistake and course corrected for preserving his team and not trying to push through it (top it off he injured his eye which he dealt with for the final third of the race). He finished 6th and mentioned in post interviews it was a huge learning curve. Travis is a good study of Iditarod strategy and no doubt will take the lessons of 2024 into 2025. 

You'll note the top 10 is really a top 11. Right now the Iditarod feels a lot like the 70s and early 80s of the race where the race was top heavy with excellent teams all poised to take the top spot. It comes down to skill, planning, as well as the breeding and training programs of the dogs. There are other teams that are wildcards and could play spoilers to get into the top 10 and mix things up. Perrenial fan favorite Nicolas Petit chose to spend the winter training in Eureka, running only the Kusko saying he needed to try something different to prepare for Iditarod. Rookie Jenny Roddewig is a second-generation musher who spent most of her life dreaming of Iditarod, she's a seasoned competitor with several wins in mid-distance races under her belt (blogger note: when she signed up on opening day there were a LOT of people, mushers and officials, excited to see her there) she's looking like she'll be in the running for Rookie of the Year. Many will be looking at Jason Mackey or Brenda Mackey to be the next great musher out of the legendary Mackey family - Brenda of course is focused on finishing what she started in 2021 and getting her belt buckle, Jason is hoping to find that magic carpet ride his father and older brothers experienced. 

There's an argument to be made for just about every team on the roster this year to make the top ten.

With so much river running it will be up to the mushers to keep their teams focused. A lot of similar scenery is tough on all living being's psyche, and if there's wind, they'll feel like it's a wind tunnel (dogs hate the wind in their face, so this blogger's been told). It's been suggested that teams that carry dogs (Seavey and Beals will be the teams most likely planning this strategy, not confirmed) the resting dogs while on the trail in the sled bag was a strategy Jeff King initially tried, and Dallas Seavey perfected it (Mitch learned some of those tricks, too). It's a controversial strategy as some mushers feel that it's not in the spirit of the race which is to run with your team not rest half of it while the others pull. Still, it's not against the rules and it's a musher's choice whether or not to use the strategy to their advantage.

With just eight days until the Ceremonial Start, fans have a lot of time to think and rethink their Fantasy Teams, and hopefully this top ten and change can help the choices being made... or maybe it'll just further confuse things. It's that most wonderful time of the year!

Who do you think will be in the top ten? Thoughts on who was overlooked? Is anyone overhyped? Comment with your thoughts below!

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).

2025 Yukon Quest (Canada) race preview

A "cold wave" has washed over the Yukon Territory ahead of this weekend's Yukon Quest (Canada). Yes, do not be confused. We've already talked about one Quest on the Alaskan side of the border, now it's time to talk Canada. 

It's been long enough without the one long thousand mile race that most fans are getting used to (if not accepting of) the duel[ing] Quest races. But, for those who may be newer and don't know the difference, let's get a reminder. The Yukon Quest originally ran a thousand miles through the Yukon region of both Alaska and Canada. It was the only thousand mile race of its kind that ran across country borders. Two boards worked together to put on the race, one on the Alaskan side and one on the Canadian. They would take turns hosting the start and finish. It was considered the "harder" thousand mile race or the "better" thousand mile race by its incredibly loyal fans.

Then small differing of opinions between boards grew into not so small things and a breakdown happened. A pandemic happened. Now, we have two Quests that fans and mushers have had to choose sides. Because instead of having different weekends for the two races in the last couple of races they've run at the same time. Le sigh.

But enough of rehashing the rehashes. Let's talk this year's race.

The Yukon Quest will start out from Teslin, YT and will travel to Quiet Lake, Ross River, and Taro before turning around and heading back for a finish in Teslin. The shorter route goes from Teslin to Quiet Lake and finishes at Ross River. The Yukon Quest is a unique race in that it allows mushers to count their rest on the trail as well as in the checkpoints, only requiring a 6 hour rest (plus time differential) in one of two checkpoints (Ross River 1 or Faro)  in total 32 hours of rest must be taken for the 450. Mushers are allowed to rest in checkpoints outside of that mandatory 6 hours, and it will be counted as "trail rest" so long as it's at least 30 minutes.

For the 175, four hours of mandatory rest must be taken at the checkpoint at Quiet Lake (plus differential) and ten hours out on the trail for a total of 14 hours.

There are ten teams set to run the 450 and eight teams for the 175. Fans will recognize many of the names on the rosters with a few newbies in the mix.

Who to Watch

The 450 is stacked with fan favorites and some great up and coming names, however there are three teams that are most likely strongest to take the top prize.

Jessie Royer - One of the smartest mushers in the field, Jesse is no slouch. She is consistently at the top of very competitive fields both Quest and Iditarod. Jessie is a master at dog training and is quite capable of getting a large team to the finish line. Expect Jessie to run a smart race but be right in the mix and able to take the prize. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle kind of owns the Quest now that isn't not the beast it once was. Even before she was well known for being in the top five consistently. She's won the 450 twice and is looking for a three-peat. She's nearly a shoo-in.

Mille Porsild - Tenacious is a word often used to describe Porsild. The woman ran the Iditarod with a bout of pancreatitis that nearly derailed her race in McGrath last year. Even with the medical setback that forced her to change her scheduled rests to compensate, Mille managed to come in seventh in a highly competitive field. But, right, we're talking the Quest. Mille is no longer a newbie to this race and she's a quick study. She has decades of experience running dogs. Don't count their fierce musher out.

The 175 is a little harder to tell who may be the best chance to win it all. However with most of the readers of this blog being part of the UglyDog community I would be in the dog house without fleecelined jeans if I didn't mention Quince Mountain as someone to watch just because he's just so gosh darn nice! (But I'd also keep an eye out on Nathaniel and Miriam.)

How to Watch

Official Website
As with all races, the best way to get information about the race is by visiting the official website. The race's website is full of information on the race including rules, musher bios, and checkpoint information. This is where armchair mushers will be able to keep up with the race's press releases.

GPS Tracker
The trackleaders link is already live! The YQCanada is on the ball getting that info to the right people. The only "problem" is it gives the Aliens that much more time to decide where they are going to cause trouble.

Social Media
The race's Facebook page is where the race is most active on social media. They do have an X (Twitter) account but they haven't posted since 2024. They also have an Instagram page. The race plans to do live feeds of the bib draw, start, and possibly finishes on their Facebook page.

Schedule of Events
(times are local time)

Thursday, January 30
6:15pm - Meet the Mushers
7:00pm - Bib Draw

Saturday, February 1
1:00pm - Meet the Dogs

Sunday, February 2
1:00pm - Race Start (450 first, 175 following)

Monday, February 3
2:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 175

Wednesday, February 5
5:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 450

Friday, February 7
5:30pm - Finisher's Banquet

Who are you cheering for? Comment below!

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.

2025 Copper Basin 300 race preview

Pack your shorts and tanks, it's not your mama's Copper Basin this year. 

That might be a tad bit of hyperbole, but seriously - it's not every day you see the Copper Basin weather be predicted to being anywhere from 35F ABOVE 0 to 48F! Say what?! The "toughest 300 mile sled dog race" isn't just tough because of the elevation changes and middle of nowhere locations - it's tough because it's supposed to be COLD. Like -40 or more cold. Now the temps are going in the opposite direction. Just as all of the rest of Alaska, the CB300 is dealing with unusually warm temperatures.

Even with the weather (both historic and well as current), the Copper Basin 300 remains one of the most popular races in Alaska. The mushers often comment that they love not just the terrain they pass through, but also the organization of the race itself. It seems that love continues as (at the time this blog post was originally written) thirty-six teams are signed up for the 36th running of the CB300.

As with all races this time of year there's a healthy mix of veteran and rookie mushers alike. Those that are using it for a training run for bigger races, others that are using it to qualify for said bigger races. Some just enjoy the trail close to their home turf, others are just happy to find trails with snow. 

Since the Copper Basin 300 is one of the races followed by Fantasy Mushing, let's take a look at some of the sure bets for a top placement.

Who to watch

Cody Strathe - The Squids came in third place in last year's Copper Basin, Cody on the back of the sled for that one. Paige Drobny ended up in fifth with the Ateam of Squids last year which were mostly young and inexperienced (for a top team) dogs. Expect the Squids to be in top form and ready to battle for top placement.

Dave Turner - Can't leave this guy and his Racing Chaos dogs off the list. Dave is a speedy musher and one who has a few tricks up his sleeve. He's a quick study of the trails and when he can find a way, he makes it happen. Turner hasn't won a mid-distance race in a few years, but it would be foolish to count him out of the top ten.

Elke Hall - Last year the Silver Aces teams were split between their two mushers, this year Elke is representing the whole of the kennel with her top notch team. She's posted several of her training runs specifically for the CB300 on social media, and it looks like she is very serious about how she wants to tackle this year's race. Look for Elke and her crew to not let the boys have all the fun.

Jeff Deeter - Black Spruce has two teams in this race, but it's up to Jeff to take the A team all the way. It's a good guess this race will be used to test out the team for the upcoming Iditarod, but Deeter will want to make sure to stay in the hunt for the top prize. 

Jessie Holmes - Holmes wants a win. It's obvious that he is hungry to get a championship at the CB300, and he very nearly got his wish last year coming in just a minute or two behind champion Brent Sass. This year the two most recent champs (Sass, and Nicolas Petit) are not in the race. Jessie is two years post having a house fall on him (litterally!) and seems to be poised to finally get his win.

Matt Failor - This guy is gonna win 'em all before he retires, he has to. He's won the Kusko, he can win the others. Even though he's all about Ohio State(it's hard to forgive, but we'll allow it - GO BLUE) you can't help but cheer for the guy. He is often awarded humanitarian and sportsmanship awards, but he's also consistently in the mix for the top spots in the mid-distance races he enters. 

Michelle Phillips - Expect her to win or come very close to it. Just do.

Mille Porsild - Mille knows dogs. Mille knows mushing. Mille is a force on the trail. There's some very strong girl power in this roster, and Mille's one of them. She's a fierce competitor and it would surprise no one to see her in the top three. Mille withdrew prior to race day.

Rohn Buser - Rohn came in 8th last weekend in the Knik 200 which he was using as a training run of sorts for the Copper Basin. The dad of soon to be two babes will no doubt work to finish in a top placement. Buser had hinted he would run the Iditarod this year, but then baby changed those plans, so races like the CB300 will be his "big race". Expect him to do well. Rohn withdrew prior to race day.

Ryan Redington - He just came in second place to Emily Robinson on his home trails of the Knik 200. Ryan likes to start out fast and try to get enough of a buffer between he and the rest of the competition. Don't expect anything different here at the CB300, but with the warmer temps that may not be the best strategy. Still, his years living, training, and racing in the Lower 48 may have he and his team a little more conditioned to the wild weather we're having in Alaska this season.

With the above freezing temps predicted for this year's race, it could prove that those that leave out of the start earlier in the line up fare better - at least for the first day - than those towards teh back. Torn up trail that's already slushy/not well set because of warm temperatures can easily slow and tire a team out if they are stuck in the back of the line. Keep bib numbers in mind when you choose your Fantasy Team.

But what about watching if you can't be there in person, well, as always, there are ways to follow online!

How to follow

Copper Basin has several areas where cars cant go and satellites can't find. There's a remote checkpoint that almost no instant communication comes out of. Just remember, if the trackers don't work or the news isn't instantaneous to just be patient. Part of the fun of a sled dog race is the unknown.

GPS Tracker
TrackLeaders.com is once again supplying all of our GPS tracking obsession needs, you can find this year's map and teams here. (The link goes live typically after the bib draw/starting order is finalized.)

Official Website
If you want to see official in and out times, the official website is the best place to find the updated timesheets. Remember, this is all done by volunteer and communication and connection can be sketchy, but if you want the latest greatest numbers use patience and follow along on the CB300 website.

Radio Broadcast
KCAM Radio will broadcast the start beginning at 10am (or shortly before). If you're in the area you can listen to the broadcast on AM 790, or online through this link.

Kale Casey LIVE
That's right, your FAVORITE live stream of any dog mushing race will be covering the action of this year's Copper Basin 300. Kale was out of town for the Knik 200 to celebrate another trip around the sun. However, he's back for the CB300! Be sure to catch when he goes live by following his page on Facebook! And don't forget to buy him a coffee or two. Kale often goes live around an hour before the start to give a little pre-race coverage, so keep your eyes peeled for that notification when he goes live.

Social Media
Updates will most likely be posted on the race's Facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. There may even be live video feeds, but there's been no promise that systems will work for the whole start. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #CB300.

KCAM normally posts updates throughout the weekend on the race on Facebook as well. KTUU/Alaska's News Source is always good for a recap of the races.

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 10
10am-3pm Registration and Mandatory Vet Checks
5:30pm Mandatory Handler Meeting
6pm Mandatory Musher Meeting & Bib Draw
*Rookie Meeting follows directly after Bib Draw*

Saturday, January 11
10am - Race Start

Tuesday, January 14
6pm - Award Banquet

So, who are you expecting to cross the finish line first? Who are you cheering for? Do you foresee any spoilers? Comment below with your thoughts ahead of the Copper Basin 300!

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.

Petit is going to Ruby

Nicolas Petit and team rode into Cripple Thursday morning at 7:39am AK time. Petit chose short term parking and did not declare his twenty-four. Petit has a full string of 16 dogs and stated that the current schedule he's on is one he's had planned for two years.

In an interview Wednesday with Iditarod Insider Nicolas Petit stated that when he got Covid in 2022 and was forced to sit out the race just several days before the start he asked Jeff King to take his team to Ruby for his 24. Petit said he had always wanted to get past Cripple before the long rest and that in 2022 he felt he had the team to do it. Last year, he said, he 24'd in Nikolai and that was "a big mistake."

The veteran musher quickly got to work bedding down his dogs and feeding them before wandering over to the lovely smells of bacon. Look for Nic to take a few hours of rest before continuing. Team Petit is the only team not actively taking their 24 or running with a completed 24.

In other news, Mille Porsild's social media team shared the veteran musher is battling pancreatits. She was monitored during her mandatory 24 with the caveat that race officials had to clear her before she could continue. Porsild was allowed to pull the hook, as they say, and head off down the trail. Mille's team says that she will take the race one checkpoint at a time as she continues to deal with flare ups. She currently sits in Ophir.

Mille isn't the only one dealing with illness, though probably not as extreme, Travis Beals reported to his family that he is suffering from a very bad cold (possible flu?) but that he is on antibiotics now and had hopes of bouncing back during his 24. Beals is currently out of Ophir on his way to Cripple. It seems a very bad flu bug is going around Iditarod with many of the volunteers having reported being sick as early as the Ceremonial Start (if not before).

In regards to Dallas Seavey's two-hour penalty - it seems we won't have more detail until Insider chats with Dallas later today. They wanted to give Seavey ample time to rest in Cripple before bothering him as they report he's run the race so far with very little sleep. If you aren't an insider, now might be a good time to subscribe as the race is truly underway now.