Iditarod 46: My Top 10

I had so many goals for this season in making sure my blog kept going and had great insights into what we were seeing in the sport - I got massively sidetracked with vacation, work, and the Olympics. Oooo shiny! is my theme so far for this year it seems.

That being said, it IS time for me to make horrible guesses as to who has the best chance to be named champion of the 46th running of the race. I feel like the race should be two weeks out, not less than a week (Thursday is the Musher's banquet). So, this is what it is. I think I did fairly well... 8 of my picks made the top 10 and the who who didn't came in 11th and 12th. Go me! I expect I won't have quite the same success this year, but I'm hopeful that my picks are fairly accurate.

My list is once again alphabetical by first name as I don't want to try and talk percentages in who's most likely to take first.

Aaron Burmeister - Aaron last raced three years ago in 2015. Since then he's been key in some of the rule changes we've seen handed down by the ITC Board. I'll try to stay neutral about all of that, but Burmeister's team has seen action while he's been "retired". Aaron's team has been run in the Iditarod by his brother Noah (is my understanding, comment below if I am wrong). Aaron came in third in his last Iditarod race, and I don't expect him to be too far off the pack this time around either. It will be interesting to see just how he stacks up with this year's roster.

Aliy Zirkle - Her husband Allen Moore just won the Yukon Quest with essentially the team she will take to Nome. This is how they've done things for a while. He runs the A team in the Quest, Aliy runs it in the Iditarod. Zirkle typically runs the YQ300 with the B team that Moore then takes on Iditarod. Zirkle did not run the shorter Quest this year as she was unable to plan a race that would be fast enough for her to then head for Dawson to meet up with Allen and the Red Team. I've said it the last few times, but really, the weak link on this team seems to be Aliy. I hate saying that, but sometimes she gets too in her head and she plays it safe at just the wrong time. I do feel, though, that if the Red team is that much faster than the Black team that she may have a freight train heading to Nome.

Jeff King - The four-time Iditarod Champion is still looking for number five. He's come close in the last decade or so, but after his brief retirement he hasn't been able to make it happen. He's come close, but teams are starting to pass him. Is it age? Well, Mitch Seavey's proven old dogs can still win this thing. Is it strategy? It could be, what won races even 10 years ago doesn't work these days it seems. King was out of the top ten last year, but just barely (he came in eleventh). Whatever placement he gets, however, we're sure to have an entertaining time watching him run his team. I'm not so secretly hoping he can tie Swenson's record.

Jessie Royer - My girl Royer. What can I say? She came fifth last year, a year that saw a lot of women shaking up the racing scene. She's had a fairly good season again this year, and I don't expect that she plans to sit back and relax this year. Jessie's steadily gotten better, and she's a true veteran of this trail. I believe that Jessie should be the top ranked lady musher coming into the race. Yes, I said it. As I said last year: Should she pull off a win, it'd be an upset, but she'd also become the first non-Alaskan woman to win. She's got the goods, she could pull it off.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - I know, I fan girl over his face every year, but seriously. I feel like he is constantly posing when he's on those runners! All jokes aside, Joar is not a joke. He was fourth last year. Fourth. It was a fast race from Fairbanks to Nome in 2017. Joar came in to a roaring crowd in Nome (I missed it, how I don't know, but I did...I blame exhaustion). Joar is one of those "silent teams". He's got the goods, but very rarely does he really make the conversation by the folks "in the know". It's probably how he likes it, he can just sneak in. Maybe he'll sneak in first to Nome?

Mitch Seavey - The THREE-time and defending champion shows no signs of slowing down. Mitch won last year's race in record time with a team he says he could not slow down. They flew into Nome wowing everyone with their endurance and strength. Mitch had never seemed happier with a team, and I hear many of his team from last year were in the running to make this year's team. Seavey spent most of his time further north of his stomping grounds training, and he skipped the Tustumena 200 this year opting to keep with his training schedule. I never count Mitch out, but without Dallas Seavey in the race to compete against during training and the race, it will be interesting to see Mitch's style and strategy. Can this be a year for Mitch to hit a fourth win? I'm hoping if Jeff can't take it that Mitch can.

Nicolas Petit - The only races this guy hasn't won this season are the ones he didn't enter. Petit is hungry. He came in a controversial third place in last year's race (minutes behind Dallas Seavey who accidentally left his vet book at a previous checkpoint, but Nic brought it to the finish and allowed Dallas to stay in the race). I do not expect for Petit to accept anything but first, this could mean that he makes some risky decisions (risky race wise, not life threatening). I expect him to push his team hard, they've trained and raced that way for several years now. Petit will rise or he will fall hard. There doesn't seem to be an in between.

Pete Kaiser - Pete just won yet another Kusko 300. They had some issues with trail this year with warmer temps keeping a lot of the race from the river. From the sound of things, the race on the coast for Iditarod will be very similar. Kaiser is a solid team, and last year came 9th. He's always in the conversation, as he should be. He knows what it takes to win, he just has to put his team in a position to make a move.

Travis Beals - I have been sitting here for a few hours trying to decide if Travis should be on this list or if I should go with a Redington. I'm still not sure I chose correctly, but Travis does seem to have a strong team this year. Beals had to take some time off from Iditarod after he was banned from the race for domestic violence "issues" that he had to work through. Beals followed court orders, and jumped through all of the hoops, which satisfied the race officials to allow him to participate in this year's race. Travis comes from solid family tradition in mushing and turned heads early on his career (hence his kennel's name "Turning Heads"). Travis did not take time off from training dogs while satisfying court requirements, and I expect him to have a good showing in this year's race.

Wade Marrs - He set the pace last year and man, he almost had it. It was exciting to watch Wade race against the Seavey's with their own game! He's no doubt learned a lot from that and I expect him to not make the same "mistakes" twice. He's also had a really nice racing and training season, and seems very confident. Where he might have had some distraction was having to be the face and spokesperson for the Iditarod Finisher's Club in regards to the Doping ruling on Dallas Seavey and what all that drama entailed. In a week he'll be able to let go of distraction and just mush. He'll be pushing.




Honorable Mentions:

Gonna go with Ray Redington Jr on this one, he placed very well last year (in the top ten) and has been very hot on the racing circuit this season. I'll also give Ramey Smyth another chance, he should always be in the conversation. He was in my top 10 last season and came in 12th. Not bad.


Which mushers do YOU have in YOUR top 10? Who are you cheering for? Agree/Disagree with my picks? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and check back as I continue to blog about the 45th running of the Last Great Race!

Small roster so far for the Tustumena 200

Lance Mackey attended the
Iditarod BBQ in June 2016.

Ten names are on the list after the Tustumena 200 opened registration on Friday. Most names are unfamiliar, but 2017's second place team of Nicolas Petit and third place team of Dave Turner will be back, and four-time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey looks to return to the T200. Mackey withdrew from the 2017 Iditarod due to health and family concerns, and has no plans to run the Iditarod this year.

Lance posted on facebook earlier this year that his kennel was downsizing - partially due to family needs, but also because he could not find reliable handlers - but was not leaving the sport. Throughout the summer Mackey raced cars, which has becoming his #1 passion of late, and shared glimpses into his home life (Mackey became a father to son Atigun in 2016) via social media.

Lance Mackey has run the Tustumena 200 multiple times, but has only taken the title once - in 2008. Mackey started his kennel on the Kenai Peninsula before moving further north and creating the Comeback Kennel (after battling and beating cancer). It's been nearly a decade since Mackey has raced on the Peninsula behind a dog sled.

Nicolas Petit barely lost to 2017's champion Cim Smyth, and no doubt has his sights set on taking the title this season. The bib numbers were drawn Saturday for those that registered Friday, and Petit will be first out of the chute. In a 200 miler, this can be an advantage (unlike the Quest and Iditarod where you don't want to be first but you also do not want to be last either). Petit will no doubt come out will all guns blasting.

Interestingly not on the list is Mitch Seavey. Seavey won the race in 2013 and had high praise for the race. In 2017 he came in fourth after having issues with his team out on the trail (someone *might* have forgotten the first rule of mushing: don't let go). The Tustumena 200 is a good training run for the top teams because of its hilly trail (it runs through the Caribou Hills). There's still a lot of time (and a lot of room on the roster) to sign up, so we may see Mitch Seavey on there soon.

Also off of the roster, but a little less surprising, is Paul Gebhardt. Rumors swirled early this fall when Gebhardt began selling and leasing out his kennel to other mushers - some of them top name mushers. Many believed he was retiring/getting out of mushing, but all of that talk was quashed with Gebhardt's announcement this week that he is battling cancer. His daughter started a gofundme page to help offset costs as Paul and his daughter will travel to Seattle for a stem cell bone marrow transplant in late February. Gebhardt has multiple myeloma, but is reportedly responding incredibly well to treatment. Paul is a fan favorite, and a familiar face on the T200, and will be missed, but it won't be surprising if he doesn't show up to show his fellow mushers support in January.

While the T200's roster is a tad anemic, the Tustumena 100 is already half full with five names on the roster. It could be that with the lackluster start of the Alaskan winter on the peninsula (they finally saw snow stick today) that mushers are waiting to see if there is any real chance of a race before planning to travel to the Kenai. Time will tell.




Who do you still hope to see on the roster? Who are you excited to see already listed? Comment below and let me know!

Just 77 miles

Mitch Seavey at the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, Ak. March 4, 2017

Mitch Seavey pulled the snow hook at 7:36am after his mandatory 8 hour rest in White Mountain. From there it's a mere 77 miles to the finish. If he keeps his pace what it's been this entire race he will be in sometime after 4pm, crushing his son Dallas's record for fastest time. It's just 77 miles until "Seavey the Elder" wins his third Iditarod championship. Just 77 miles.

But don't declare him the winner just yet. While it looks like it will take an act of God for any team to overtake him, it's happened before. Many times. Susan Butcher in 1991 lost her chance to win when a storm blew in - Rick Swenson kept going and won. In 2014 an insane windstorm caused Jeff King (who had such a lead over the rest there was "no way" he wasn't going to win) to scratch, and Aliy Zirkle to hunker down in Safety while Dallas Seavey pushed through to win. Today's forecast shows no sign of anything like that happening this time around, but it's Alaska. Weather is sometime unpredictable.

It's just 77 miles. Mitch and his team of 11 superstar dogs will run to the final checkpoint of Safety where he will put his bib over his parka, call up his dogs, and make the short jaunt to Nome. He'll have to climb one final mountain (which in normal years would be more like a hill compared to what they ran through, but this year is the biggest one). He's run along the coast until he pops over the seawall and runs down Front Street. He will stop to snack his dogs along the way. He will give them all a quick rub down and a bunch of "good boys!" as they munch on their snacks and hydrate.

There will be no more resting on the trail. Aside from the stops to snack and water the dogs, they're just going to run. It's just 77 miles, and then their race is done. They'll get all the rest they could ever want after they run under the burled arch. Their musher will also get the rest his body so desperately needs. The dogs have been pampered this past week, the musher not so much.

Dallas Seavey just left White Mountain with a 13 minute head start on Nicolas Petit. It's hard to imagine either will run down Mitch's team. It's possible, we know that, but it's highly unlikely. It's just 77 miles, and Mitch has an hour lead on them. It's just 77 miles before Mitch Seavey gets to stop racing and just admire what his team accomplished. It's just the 77 miles this team of dogs has trained for all year.

It's just 77 miles until someone, most likely Mitch Seavey, wins Iditarod 45.

First to the Yukon!

Nicolas Petit at the finish of the
Tustumena 200. January 29, 2017

Just over 32 hours into the race, we have the First to the Yukon award winner - Nicolas Petit of Girdwood ran his team into the checkpoint of Tanana at 6:44pm. Several other teams have followed, including Martin Buser, with Mackey and the elder Seavey unofficially also into the checkpoint. As part of the "winnings" for the First to the Yukon, Petit will reportedly dine on King Crab, clams, shrimp, smoked duck, lamb chops, mango sorbet & Dom Perignon. Hopefully the musher isn't allergic to anything.

Further down in the race, there are plenty of teams just miles from the the Yukon. It's about -15 below tonight, but it looks like for the next few days the cold will pass and while still not the balmy temps they're more used to in the first couple of days of Iditarod racing, it's closer to it than what it's been the last 30+ hours. (Seriously, -35 at the start?! Who does that?!)

There are only 3 teams who haven't made it to Manley Hot Springs. Ellen Halverson is not the current red lantern so if she keeps up her pace and can keep the other two at bay (and they aren't DQed/Withdrawn) she should finish this year.

So where do the teams go from here? This is where the strategies will begin to take shape. The Yukon trip is broken up on the Fairbanks route when it detours further north to the Mushing equivilent of the Holy Land known as the village of Huslia. We saw the run from Tanana to Huslia (yes there are checkpoints in there, but I'm just talking this section) really separate the teams. Strategies blew to pieces, others allowed themselves to second guess and they lost just enough ground. In 2015 the Huslia trail was completely new. Not used in 2003. This time it's fresh in the memories of most of the front runners. They've got their plans in place. They know what they did wrong and what they did right last time.

It's still far too soon to tell who will win (if we're lucky we'll see the winner a week from tonight), it's still too soon to predict the winning strategy, but we're starting to see statements made. Will it be another "perfect schedule" from the teams like the Seaveys, where a monster is built and released at the opportune moment? Or will we see a more throwback winner in someone like Nicolas Petit who makes it up as they go along? Waiting in the wings and making sure they aren't forgotten are King, Buser, and Zirkle. Familiar names - two, like Dallas, are gunning for the fifth title... the other trying desperately not to be runner up yet again.

Most teams will bed down for 6 hours or so. Get some sleep. It'll probably be the last day before the 24s that we can sleep and not miss something important.



*since starting typing this blog, the top 10 are all into (or just about into) Tanana*

How much do the first days matter on Iditarod?

Ray Redington Jr's dogs at the Ceremonial
Start of Iditarod 45. March 4, 2017

You'll hear it often: the REAL race doesn't start until after the front runners take their 24s. The REAL race doesn't start until they hit the Coast. So if it doesn't start until then, what can fans learn from the start of the race? Is it important at all in deciphering how the teams will shake out when all is said and done?

While it is WAY too early to tell who is going to win in the first 24 hours of the race, you can begin to gauge what teams are ready and have their routines down. You can also drive yourself crazy wanting to know what's happening in between checkpoints and refreshing the tracker. Slow down, take a breath. There's still 7 or so days of race to go before it becomes a nail biter. 

The teams have made it through the first checkpoint of Nenana. The only Iditarod checkpoint on "the road system" it's different than any of the others as it's easily accessible to everyone. This is the only checkpoint teams can get help from family and handlers. Last time the race came through here it was disorganized and chaotic, they got it right this time, though. No sleds backed into by dog trucks. 

Trail reports from teams coming in all agreed on one thing - the trail was better than what they thought it would be. Deep, punchy snow for the later teams seemed to be the theme of the reports, which is not surprising. The further back one is this early in the race, the more chewed up the trail becomes. The first day of racing mushers ride the brake which means a once packed trail can become just deep nasty snow by the time 30 or so teams churn it up. That means another 40 or so teams are essentially breaking trail all the while churning it up for the next team because of the brake.

An interesting note is that the Seaveys are leading the race early. Like Martin Buser, they've headed out ahead of the rest and are not taking it easy like in years past. A lot of theories go into the reasoning. Anything from it being a River trail this year so the running is a little less taxing than running up and over mountains like the traditional route would be. My theory is they planned to get out ahead of teams because of the reports of a lot of snow on the trail. Trail breakers go ahead of the race to lay down a trail using snow machines (on the traditional route most of this is done by the Iron Dog). The trail wouldn't be very nice once 30 or so teams went over it, my guess is they'd rather churn up the trail than run in it.

The most attention has gone to Dallas Seavey's new carbon fiber and kevlar sled bag. It looks like one of those old fashioned Olympic Bobsleds. I'm waiting for the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team to pop out of it. Most fans have said they don't like where the race is headed if this is the direction he's taking it. It remains to be seen if this sled gives him any advantage. Dallas needed a way to carry dogs and rest them (another strategy some fans are complaining about) and this is what he's come up with. There's no mistaking it's not your average sled. It makes enough noise to scare even the most seasoned moose away that's for sure. There's no way he can play a successful cat and mouse game with that racket. 

Also leading the pack in the first day of the race are Martin Buser, Nicolas Petit, and Wade Marrs. Not overly surprising. Not overly troubling. It's the first day. The race won't really start for another 4.

Iditarod 45: My Top Ten

It's that time again, time for me to pretend I know what I'm talking about and choose the top 10 teams that I think have a shot of winning. I'm going to try and keep it alphabetical again. These choices are strictly my own, I had no outside influence or help. I rarely choose the correct top ten, but have come pretty close.

Aliy Zirkle - She's been knocking at the door for the last few years, and we won't count last year against her. Aliy went through an ordeal that no one should have to go through, and if you aren't cheering for her this year I don't know what your problem is. Aliy's running her kennel's A team once again, and they just came in third on the Yukon Quest (driven by her husband Allen Moore). Zirkle's team looks strong, but she will once again be the weaker link of the team. One has to wonder about her mental toughness returning to the race that nearly cost her everything last year. Perhaps the reroute will be a blessing in disguise for the SPKennel leader.

Dallas Seavey - He broke Rick Swenson's record of being the youngest musher to win the Iditarod. He holds the record for fastest finish. If Dallas wins this year he TIES both Lance Mackey's 4 consecutive wins, AND Rick Swenson's five wins. However, Swenson hit that record in the early 90s, and there have been four 4-time champions since then that can't seem to break that fifth win. Dallas has youth and health on his side, and many armchair mushers pretty much have him winning without even starting the race. I'd actually be very surprised to see him win this year. There's something about that fifth win that is just so illusive. However, if anyone was to crack it, it'd be Dallas. He doesn't seem to believe in pressure.

Jeff King - Speaking of four timers trying to crack into that fifth win... King last won in 2006, but it wasn't from lack of trying. Jeff has come close many times to winning his fifth title. Had it not been for a freak windstorm that blew his team off course and became so violent King had to flag down help so that he could get his team to the safety of the checkpoint of Safety, he'd have won his fifth title in 2014 (Dallas won that one). King was poised to take control of the race last year before his team was viciously attacked by a drunk on a snowmachine. Jeff continued and finished the race, but momentum was lost and a win was out of reach (he did manage to stay in the top 10, however). Hopefully he can tear himself away from posting about how much he can't stand Trump to have another great run on Iditarod.

Jessie Royer - If Royer's not in your top ten, then you haven't been paying attention. The Montana-ite is eating up a lot of trail and gaining on the top contenders consistently year after year. Don't let the hiccup of 15th place last year fool you; Jessie is going to be in the mix. The last time the teams ran this trail (just two years ago) she came in 4th. She had some of the strongest, fastest runs in the Yukon Quest (though she was not the top woman finisher). She's learned tricks from a 4-time Iditarod Champion. Should she pull off a win, it'd be an upset, but she'd also become the first non-Alaskan woman to win. She's got the goods, she could pull it off.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - Someone tell this dude that life is not a photoshoot! Doesn't matter what angle or who's shooting, chances are you get a nearly GQ photo of this guy on the back of his sled. But he's not just some wannabe pretty boy, he's got the goods. He has quickly made himself known on the Alaska mushing scene. He's serious about his dogs, and he seems to have it all together. His team looked strong in the races he's run this season, and he's consistently improving his standings. He was 6th last year, I expect he'll make a run to get a higher placement this year.

Mitch Seavey - "Da Man" Seavey. His motto is "just mush". When talking with Mitch all you'll ever get is "I'm just going to mush my dogs and see where we end up." That's like hearing a figure skater say "I'm just want to skate my best." It's a PR phrase. It's quoteable. And should the chips fall and you aren't first, well, at least you don't have to eat your words. That being said - do not let him fool you. Mitch is every bit as competitive as his son. He doesn't sit back and "let" anyone beat him. He does run his dogs to the best of THEIR ability, but they only get to the level they are because he is competitive in training and dog care. He's come in second to Dallas twice. He's won this thing twice. 2015 he was on a trail he was unfamiliar with. He knows it now. I don't expect him to not make that push to the front at the right time.

Nicolas Petit - Nicolas has run an aggressive race season this year. He's been aggressive in his race strategy. He nearly won the Tustumena 200, and had control of the Copper River Basin for most of the race before his dogs just had enough of breaking trail. I don't expect him to treat the Iditarod any differently. The question will be, will he push too fast and too hard too soon. He's done that in the past where his race looks very good only to have his team slow far too soon. Teams catch up and pass him. Nicolas seems to genuinely cares for his team, however, so they have yet to truly quit on him. They trust him. He trusts them. If they can make it come together, he can give those multi-champions a run for their money.

Pete Kaiser - He's a three time Kusko Champion. He's got a solid list of race stats. His team does better with wind and cold than those who have been in the warmer temps of South Central. Fans have been waiting to see Pete take a run at the championship for a while now. He has the goods to do it, he just has to make that magic happen. The Kusko is a tough race, Iditarod's just longer.

Ramey Smyth - He's back! After playing Mr. Mom while his wife could run the race, this year Smyth is once again driving the family team to Nome. The Smyth teams are known for their speed, especially in the last leg of the race. In 2012 when Ramey came in third he came out of no where to get there. I was working for the Seavey's then and the family was on their way to Nome when he made his move. I get a call from Dallas' family to ask how the GPS was looking and I said Ramey'd made a move and was gaining. Dead silence on the other end of the line. That's how dangerous a Smyth is to your race. Smyth's brother Cim just won the Tustumena 200 last month doing the same thing. Waiting for that opportune moment. You can't not have a Smyth on your list. They're just too dangerous to forget.

Wade Marrs - Who doesn't love Wade? I mean really! He's another younger musher who has consistently improved over his career. Some "experts" have said this is his year to make a move. Some have even said he's the only one with a real chance to out Dallas, Dallas. I don't know about all that, but he is doing a bang up job of getting attention with his team and driving ability. He's one of my dark horses as I'm just not convinced it's his time just yet, but anything is possible. Anything, especially when one considers the Fairbanks trail is a more equal playing field as no one really has the advantage of having run it over and over and over again learning every bump and turn.



Honorable Mentions:

I nearly put Noah Burmeister on my list, and honestly he probably should be on my top 10. He's another one of those mushers who just knows how to kick it into gear, plus he's got a great family history in this race.

Scott Smith is another musher that's on the rise. He's gained ground in the last couple of years. He cracked the top 10 last year. It will be interesting to see how he does this year. He's another one to watch. It's exciting to see names I don't automatically recognize come to the forefront. Makes me feel like this race is alive and well. Which seeing as how it's the 45th run of the race, that's a good feeling.


Hopefully I get to see all of these faces and more while I'm in Nome!

Which mushers do YOU have in YOUR top 10? Who are you cheering for? Agree/Disagree with my picks? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and check back as I continue to blog about the 45th running of the Last Great Race!

Snowy finish of the Tustumena 200

A snow storm blew in as the leaders headed out of the Hills and towards the finish line. By the time Cim Smyth pulled in to win, the snow was coming down hard - and got even heavier by the time Nicolas Petit came in a few minutes later. Crazy stuff, made for some great photos, though!

More under the cut!

What a T200 Checkpoint looks like

Okay, I might as well just post the rest of the photos while I'm on my blog, right? These are just highlights. I took far more photos than I want to post here (because I just don't want to bog down the bandwidth). You can view all of them (and then some) on my galleries page ( click here ).

Freddie's Roadhouse is located in the heart of the Caribou Hills (outside of Ninilchik, Alaska). The hills are where the snowmachine (snowmobile for you outsiders) enthusiasts congregate all winter long. The Roadhouse feeds and houses many of these folks. It's central in the trail systems. This includes the mushing trails, and so it's the first and last checkpoint during the race. Good food, warm hospitality, just a great place to meet up and watch the dogs come in.

Mt Redoubt was huge and very visible from Freddies.

Iliamna was also very visible.

More under the cut!

Copper Basin 300 dominated by Girl Power!

Ryne Olson of Two Rivers, Alaska at the ReStart of Iditarod 44.
Olson is the first woman to win the Copper Basin 300 in 16 years.

The 2017 Copper Basin 300 has become known as one of the most difficult in race memory - and it hasn't officially ended yet, but a champion has been crowned. Ryne Olson of Two Rivers, Alaska, is the first woman champion in 16 years. Coming in second was Paige Drobny, another newer musher to the scene. Third place looks to be well known veteran of the trails Michelle Phillips. This is believed to be the first time women have taken the top three spots in a well-established mid-distance race (or any dog sled race).

Olson is somewhat of a newcomer to the scene, she's steadily built up her kennel after leaving SP Kennel - run by Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore - to pursue her goals to become a competitive musher. Not surprisingly, Ryne has taken what she learned from the current top rated female musher and gone the distance. While many believe Nicolas Petit to be the odds on favorite to win, the outcome was not meant to be. Snow storms blew in over the weekend, causing a soft trail which most believed caused the race to slow. Petit's early lead created issues for the team as they were constantly breaking trail, ultimately seeing the team scratch (end the race early). Another well seasoned veteran of mid and long distance racing, Sebastian Schnuelle also scratched today - citing the vehicle collision with his team last month as a big factor in the health and strength of his team. Schnuelle scratched from the CB 300 and has withdrawn from the Iditarod due to his concerns for his team.

The race is not finished, the tracker shows at least 20 teams still headed for the finish line. But for now the victory is seeing a resurgence of lady mushers taking control of one of the toughest races in the competitive season. With less than a month away from the Yukon Quest, and under two months for Iditarod, fans and commentators alike are talking of a girl power fueled championship. This hope may be a tad premature, but it's definitely an exciting conclusion to this year's Copper Basin, and makes things interesting going forward - not just for 2017, but for the years to come. Aliy Zirkle's got company.