Seven teams headed for Nikolai

Dallas may have a strong lead ahead of the chase pack, but he can't rest easy yet. With 250+ miles left in his race there's still enough time for one mistake to cost him the race. Behind him are some decent looking teams, some of which have admitted to holding back until the final third to be able to have the power and energy to run down the leader - whoever it is.

We're already seeing some who were in the front falter. Petit and Buser were the first two to be overtaken in the first few days of the race, and now it seens Ryan Redington's team is fading. While he did give his team 5 hours of rest in McGrath the dogs seemed a tad reluctant to stop napping and start running. By the time they headed down the trail, though, they perked up. But as of about 10:40pm Aaron Burmeister, who left 39 minutes after Ryan, had overtaken the team dressed in lime green. This could be the first of many passings Redington will endure in the next two days.

Sass is running in fourth at the moment and of the teams chasing has the strongest looking team to the minds of many analysts (why are they counting out Burmeister?). His team does look really good, and it seems he's learned a thing or two about team management. They looked good coming into McGrath and leaving.

Wade Marrs left McGrath an hour after Brent and it doesn't look like he's gaining anything on the Yukon Quest champion. And just a short while ago Travis Beals and Mille Porsild left McGrath just minutes apart. Mille is posting some of the fastest times against all of the front runners and she's really made it clear she wants to be not just top lady but top dog. 

Dallas is about 12 miles away from Nikolai. It'll be interesting to see what he does in that checkpoint. Will he drop his trailer? Will he stay long in the checkpoint?  

And will anyone really push to challenge the four-time champion?

Dallas Seavey leads out of McGrath

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

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

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

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

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

Iditarod Poll Time

 Alright, fans, let's have some fun. For the next day we're going to answer the question EVERYone is asking.... WHICH IS COOLER:
Dallas Seavey or
Dallas Seavey's sweater

Okay the poll:

— Toni Reitter (@tonichelleak) March 12, 2021

The race is on

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some thoughts to close out day 4 of the Iditarod

 Just some random thoughts as I continue to work through the Insider videos and watch the trackers move ever so slowly (it feels) tonight when I should be sleeping.

I really love seen Aaron Peck sticking it out with the "front runners". I'm hoping he can hang in there, he has yet to take any mandatory rest, but he's not the only one (Brent Sass is currently on his 24 in Iditarod and I assume that's what Peck will do, too). 

Mille's most likely vying for not just a top 10 placement, she could probably come in top 5 and right now looks like the top lady. (And now, I've jinxed her.) 

I was surprised to see that Dallas made a video ahead of the race stating that he was most concerned about the part of the trail he is currently on. Basically, he hasn't seen this part of the trail since 2013 (due to bad weather keeping the race off the trail for several years, and then he took a break from Iditarod). He's not normally one to say anything that hints at unsureness so I just found that interesting. As I type this Dallas is INTO Ophir. It will be interesting to see what he says about the run and if he stays long.

I don't know why but I feel like the Iditarod Champion for 2021 was in Ophir today and was resting. Not counting Dallas who just got there or the three that were running away from Ophir for most of the day. I don't know why, my gut just says this is where it will be chosen somehow. I'm no expert and I'm often wrong.

Part of that feeling comes from ever since Rohn, I've felt like Burmeister's team was incredibly strong (there I go jinxing again). He has said in several interviews now that his dogs just don't seem to want to go as slow as he thinks they should. That sounds very familiar as Mitch Seavey kept saying that about his 2017 team, and he broke all kinds of records with his win that year. I've probably read way too much into Aaron's interviews, but he just seems so at ease and set to running his race and I love to see it. It gives me confidence that his team will be right up there in the end. Burmeister has taken his 8 and is currently on his 24.

I've really enjoyed getting to know the different mushers and the causes they want to bring awareness to. Kaiser and Diehl (and Gunnar Johnson) all running to bring about suicide awareness and prevention. Wade Marrs running as always to bring awareness to Turners Syndrome. Other's I'm forgetting at the moment because I'm starting to fade. It's just nice to see mushers using the Iditarod as a platform for causes important for them.

I don't know what to make of Ryan Redington, I think he may be pushing too hard, too long, too fast. He's doing well to be in Ophir and like Burmeister is working to get his 24 done and has already taken his 8. I don't know that he'll stick to top 10. He's down a few dogs already. We'll have to see.

I love that Pete and Richie are running together. Waiting for either one to make a move, not sure we'll see one until Iditarod.

That's all for tonight. There will be a lot of movement tonight. Wish I could stay up for it all... 

Musher tests positive for Covid-19 in McGrath

 In an official statement released by the Iditarod Trail Committee this evening, the race announced it had its first musher test positive for Covid-19. Gunnar Johnson, who is running a team out of Jim Lanier's kennel and mushing to bring awareness to Suicide Prevention and remembering those lost to suicide, received the rapid test upon coming into the checkpoint of McGrath. The rapid test came back with a positive so he was given two more tests, each coming back with the same result. The musher is reportedly asymptomatic and did not come in contact with any of the community members of McGrath.

Gunnar Johnson withdrawn from Iditarod 49 due to positive COVID-19 test

Anchorage, Alaska – Veteran Iditarod musher Gunnar Johnson (bib #11), of Duluth,

Minnesota, has been withdrawn from the 2021 Iditarod race at approximately 3:15 p.m.

today due to a positive COVID-19 test at the McGrath checkpoint.

Iditarod Race Marshal Mark Nordman, in consultation with epidemiologist Dr. Jodie

Guest, made the decision to withdraw Johnson, who is asymptomatic, based on the

protocols established in the COVID-19 mitigation plan. Under this guidance and per the

Iditarod race rules, Johnson understands that he has been withdrawn. He is incredibly

disappointed and felt his dog team looked great.

Per the mitigation plan, Johnson:

• Was immediately notified by COVID-19 Team personnel of the positive results;

• Was immediately removed from the checkpoint area by COVID-19 Team

personnel to isolate away from others in an Arctic oven tent; and

• Will be removed off the trail using safe transport.

Per the COVID-19 mitigation protocols, all mushers are tested for COVID-19 just outside

the McGrath checkpoint using a rapid antigen test. Johnson was tested by a COVID-19

Team member and the rapid antigen test came back positive. Johnson was then retested twice using a molecular-based COVID-19 test and both results came back

positive.

Johnson did not come into close contact with race personnel or community members,

nor did he enter any buildings or community spaces in McGrath. However, he did park

his team as he was planning to rest at the checkpoint.

The COVID-19 Team is in the process of contact tracing and performing additional

mitigation measures as needed. The State of Alaska has been notified of the results.

Johnson had 14 dogs in harness at the time of the withdrawal.

Gunnar had a strong run through to McGrath and looked to improve his standings significantly from his previous Iditarods (ok partially due to there being fewer entrants to begin with). Johnson's rookie run was in 1991, he last completed the race in 2017.

Brent Sass is first into Iditarod

 Brent Sass just pulled into the halfway point of Iditarod winning the award for first to Iditarod as well as a nice long rest. Earlier in the race Sass said he intended to 24 in Iditarod. Sass has spent much of his time camping out on the trail away from checkpoints - something he has done in most races. The three-time Yukon Quest's champion's team looked ready for a much needed break from the trail.

Just about two hours ago, Dallas Seavey pulled the snowhook and left McGrath to head on after the front runners. The 4-time Iditarod Champion still has his 8 to do, while there are several teams on their 24 who have already taken their 8. The next couple of days could get really exciting with another bunch of leap frogging.

The back of the pack are almost all into McGrath. Rick Casillo is less than 20 miles bringing up the rear as the current red lantern.

Another scratch was announced this morning when rookie Brenda Mackey called her race in Nikolai this morning. She had nine dogs in harness with still many miles to go and decided it was best for the team to scratch. I'm sure we'll hear more once she's back home, rested, and can put it into words.

The night is young and a lot of teams are close to pulling their snowhooks. There's still a lot of trail left but the gap is closing quickly for those nipping at the heals of the leaders. 

Trail Update: No trip to Flat afterall.

 According to Insider and KTUU tonight, due to a large amount of new snow, trailbreakers are unable to break trail for the teams from Iditarod to Flat and loop around so teams will run to Iditarod and turn around right there and head back.

Also DeeDee Jonrowe reports that Brent plans to 24 in Iditarod. 

Day 3 of Iditarod makes headlines

What a day for race fans! Most in Alaska woke up to news that Aliy Zirkle had to scratch in her final Iditarod - the first time the 2000 Yukon Quest Champion has ever scratched from an Iditarod. Zirkle sustained a concussion and "orthopedic injury to the upper torso" (preliminary reports said collarbone, while others say dislocated shoulder, there's no official word at this time from Aliy's camp) during her run through the Gorge and into Rohn. She was looked over by officials and medical and it was determined she could not continue. This is a devastating end to her final Iditarod and I cannot say enough how much I wish her well.

Teams continued to move through the Burn into Nikolai throughout the morning. The front runners all noting that they weren't really looking forward to returning to this portion of the trail on the return trip. Martin Buser told Insider in an interview in Nikolai that he tried to "turn back the clock" and relive his championship days, but now his dogs are running at about 60% and he is "perplexed" as to why, so he is giving them extra rest and regrouping.

Dallas Seavey rested before coming into Nikolai, choosing to blow through the checkpoint and run straight to McGrath where it's believed he will take his mandatory 24+time differential rest. Brent Sass also blew through Nikolai but camped out shortly after leaving that checkpoint. Sass was 2.5 hours behind Dallas coming into McGrath but again chose to leave the checkpoint and is currently camped out on the trail. 

Ahead of Sass into McGrath were Pete Kaiser, Richie Diehl, and Joar Ulsom - all coming in just minutes apart. of the top five, Pete had the fastest run over from Nikolai.

The next couple of days is all about getting on those mandatory rests in, so expect for a little bit of leap frogging and then very little movement from the top teams. Now is a good time to get your naps in, or actually do some work in the office. But have fun still watching them move.

(Oh and as I finish this up Bruce Lee just said on the Live Feed that Aliy mushed FIVE MILES WITH HER INJURIES to get to the checkpoint. OH MY WORD. If ever you needed proof that Aliy is not only the real deal but super human... Captain Marvel ain't got nothin' on Aliy.)

Front runners are headed into the Farewell Burn

 Well, so much for the guessing that the race schedule would be similar to a "normal" Iditarod year. The teams are running at fast paces and the front runners are already past the Happy River Steps, Dalzell Gorge and Rohn. Ryan Redington let the pack out of Rohn and currently rests near Farewell Lake. He will soon be joined by Martin Buser and Richie Diehl. 

While a lot of talk happens on how hard the Steps and Gorge are on sleds, it's the Farewell Burn that can really give teams hardship. The frozen tussocks continually hammer the sled and the musher. Sore muscles (if the musher is lucky that's all it will be) and banged up sleds are the norm. Most teams are more than thankful to reach the checkpoint of Nikolai by the end of the run. 

The burn is often unique in that this is most often the part of the trail with the least amount of snow (not counting Anchorage and "downtown" Nome). It's no surprise to see teams rest a while after coming out of the mountains before hitting the trail again. It could be a good mental rest for the mushers as much as it is a physical rest for the dogs. While the tussocks wreak havoc on the sleds and the mushers, the dogs manage really well on the more solid ground even with the bumps. There's no post holing so they can get good speed so long as the sled stays upright.

With the race being 100 miles shorter it looks like a lot of the top teams feel they need to maintain a fast speed early on. There's less time to catch teams that may falter so they all need to be fast but not too fast and definitely not slow. There are a lot of top names that are further down in the standings still trying to run this race like it's the typical 900-1000 mile jaunt. It's anyone's guess on this new loop which strategy will play out.

There's a snow storm on its way (is it Iditarod without one?) and it could dump quite a bit of snow on the teams in the next couple of days. The live cam at Nikolai show big heavy flakes coming down. Should make for an interesting night of mushing.

Gallea scratches due to illness

 As of 4pm (AKST) this afternoon, Cindy Gallea's scratch was officially announced by the ITC. Citing illness not related to Covid as the reason for her feeling it was in the best interest of her team that she end her race in Skwentna. The 69 year old Iditarod veteran last ran in 2019 citing it as her final run, but adventure called and she wanted to give it another go in 2021 saying this was for sure her final Iditarod. Sadly her race ended before the 24 hour mark.

The Deep Root kennel, who partner often with Cindy and cite her as the inspiration for their own Iditarod run last year, posted a statement on Cindy's wellbeing following the official announcement:

"With sadness we wanted to let everyone know that Cindy scratched from the race. She developed severe vertigo and nausea to the point she is unable to stand, let alone drive a sled and manage the care of her 14 best friends.  In the 2014 Iditarod, she developed the same issue causing her to scratch from the race. The symptoms in 2014 lasted a number of days.  

She is resting at friends in Anchorage and dogs are doing great. She said dogs had an amazing 65 mile run.  

Damon will be flying up in the morning to help take care of our gal and dogs.  We pray her symptoms subside soon and her spirit mends quickly. 

I'll send out an update when we know more information soon."

Vertigo is not something to fool around with, and I can only imagine what it was like to deal with that while flying out on a little bush plane while also dealing with the incredible sadness of having to finish the race so early. Wishing Cindy all the best.

Gallea may be out of the Iditarod

 Iditarod fans noticed just under an hour ago that Cindy Gallea's tracker went from sitting in Skwentna to suddenly going 155mph towards Anchorage (the opposite direction of the other teams). We're still waiting on official word, but all experience suggests the musher scratched.

Gallea made headlines just days before the race when she and her team were denied entry into Canada to get to Alaska for the Last Great Race. After a lot of pleading that went no where with the Canadian Government (including, according to a social media post by a fellow musher/kennel, pleas directly from the Iditarod Trail Committee) Cindy resorted to shipping her team and gear via Alaska Airlines and followed a day later. Mushers in Alaska rallied and got her a dog truck and other needed equipment and met her and her team at the airport. 

Concern of added expenses coming in around $5,000 quickly made the rounds of social media and in less than 24 hours $8,000 had been donated to the team to get them to the starting line. Now it appears that their race is over just a day into the game. 

Will update when we get official word.

First teams lead into Yentna Station

Matthew Failor's team at the ceremonial start
of Iditarod 48. March 7, 2020.

Teams left Deshka Landing with minimal fanfare Sunday afternoon headed down the trail for a historic 49th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Unlike every other year, teams of 14 dogs will only run as far as the ghost town of Iditarod before turning around via a loop in another goldrush historic site of "The Flats" and returning to Deshka Landing. The first "day" of racing is always just the front runners shaking out away from the middle and back of the pack. Teams are just working to calm down the dogs and get into a sustainable rhythm for the next 800 or so miles. 

The first checkpoint of Yentna Station is typically not somewhere many teams stop for more than a few minutes - and with the Covid-19 protocols in place there's probably even less incentive to stop. They will only pick up supplies and if need be they can leave a dog at the checkpoint in the care of Iditarod Staff and Vets until the pup(s) can be returned to Anchorage and then their handler(s). Some teams may choose to break up the run to Skwentna with a stop near the checkpoint but expect most teams to run right through.

Honestly, the first few days of the race really aren't that "important" to follow the GPS religiously (she says as she is watching and freaking out even though she knows better). Take time away from the screen. It's important to practice self-care while waiting to see news on your favorite team(s). Once they start taking their 24s then it's time to really pay attention.

In other race news, there was a last minute withdrawal today. Rookie Sean Williams announced this morning he was withdrawing - according to posts by fans on social media it was due to "personal family reasons." Hoping all is well and that he'll be back on the runners next year. 

How to follow Iditarod 49

Today marks the first time the Iditarod will not have some sort of start in Anchorage, Alaska. It's a strange feeling not starting the first Saturday in March with the most famous sled dog race in the World, but here we are. Covid can suck it. With the new trail and rules in place, there's little opportunity to sneak a peek at the race in person, and there are fewer media personnel on the trail... so just how does one follow the Last Great Race during the (hopefully) tail end of a global pandemic? I've got you covered with some of my favorite (and best) resources.

Official Links

Of course, we should probably start with the official resources given to us by the race itself. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's website has blogs by several volunteers/staff throughout the race (I miss Sebastian Schnuelle and Joe Runyan's insights). You can find info on race rules, musher profiles, the history of the race. It's a good resource for Iditarod. They also have a lot of ways to give money to the race with their online store, donation buttons, and ITC Memberships. Don't forget their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, too.

Iditarod Insider is the official subscription for the GPS tracker as well as live feeds and other video interviews. While they do have a free option, you don't get much with it. Unlike other races, the GPS is behind a pay wall. They do plan to live stream the start FREE to all, however. The feeds and videos are cohosted by Greg Heister (the brains of the Insider) and Bruce Lee (a former Iditarod musher who knows his stuff). They have a "proven formula" on how to do it and while they do tend to focus on the front runners, this is really the only game in town especially in a year when they aren't allowing media to be in checkpoints or have access to the teams during the race.

Alaska's News Source is the official media outlet for Iditarod again this year. KTUU and KTVA merged recently so there's a lot of coverage hopefully to glean. They also have a streaming channel via Viut it with a dedicated channel just for their Iditarod coverage. I assume it will just be the stories they share during their sports segments in their regular news programing, but it's still a great source. They also have Facebook and Twitter.

QrillPet is once again broadcasting the race. The QPAWS project (that "world series"/"grand prix" of mushing that began last year) was curtailed this year as the European races were canceled, but QPAWS is alive and well at the Iditarod. 2020's Iditarod Champion Thomas Waerner will be on deck to give his commentary (I mean, Dallas can't race and commentate... though, knowing Dallas he probably COULD). Their live feeds and GPS work outside of North America, but for those of us in the US and Canada we have to use Insider. You can view the daily updates free on their YouTube channel. 

Other News Sources

With the Iditarod closing the trail down from most media personnel as a way to mitigate the danger of spreading Covid-19 (mmhmm) there will be a different look to how the race is covered by the rest of Alaska's media, but they still plan to do their best. 

Anchorage Daily News just got word they would be allowed to have one reporter on the trail, so expect some of their excellent coverage as always via their articles as well as reporting from their Iditarod dedicated Twitter account. 

The Iditapod will be back with daily coverage of the race, though without their tails from the trail, still the team will no doubt give it their all. This podcast is one of the best ones out there following the race and you definitely want to give it a listen. You can follow the hosts of the podcast on twitter as well. Casey Grove and Tegan Hanlon.

Another podcast is Dog Works Radio's Iditarod coverage. Dog Works Radio is run by musher and dog trainer Robert Forto. He and Alex Stein have, for the last ten years, done a special podcast daily during Iditarod following the race. This year, your's truly, is "guest hosting" because Alex begged... kinda. Anyway, take a listen to it. Please ignore my rambling. 

Social Media & Blogs

For Twitter, I'd offer the advice of just be careful when reading any tags. During Iditarod the Animal Rights "activists" (I use that term so very loosely) really attack the race, the fans, and the mushers hard. It's their one way to boost revenue for themselves in the guise of "saving the sled dogs". So if you don't like watching people make complete fools of themselves while distorting the truth, you may want to just stick with twitter handles you recognize and trust. But if you want to follow the Iditarod Hashtags I'd suggest #Iditarod2021 as the safest option. The #Iditarod hashtag is basically PETA and their ilk (so I won't link it here for that reason).

Some top twitter handles to follow during Iditarod (not related to the ones listed above) are:
Danny Seavey - excellent "insider" knowledge, is fairly good at responding, he's come a long way in the three-ish years he's been back on that particular platform.
Alex Stein - one half of the Dog Works Radio Iditarod coverage team, Alex did a documentary on the race a few years back. Definitely give my friend a follow.
Toni Reitter - okay, shameless plug... but, seriously, I'm updating there constantly during races.
Zachary Hughes - former co-host of the Iditapod podcast, Zach has joined up with the ADN to report live from the trail. Due to bubbles and rules he'll be based in McGrath (one of the only places on the trail that has a lot of tent space, I guess). Definitely follow him!  
Jeff Schultz - while not the *official* Official Photographer these days and has said he will not be out on the trail this year, I refuse to not link to the all time greatest sled dog photog. Jeff still plans to work on his Faces of Iditarod project (I was a subject last year, a total honor) and I'm sure will share some of his photos from races past. 

On facebook you'll want to follow:
Danny Seavey - if you've followed the race at all over the last 10 years or so, you know Danny weaves a good tale and explains a lot of what you're watching. No doubt we'll see his blogging skills on facebook again this year (and heaven help him if he ditches us).
Mushing Tech - while they're more apt to follow other races, they still give a lot of insight to the sport and can definitely help you work the math of what GPS trackers are telling you.
Alaska Mushing News - they basically do what I do on twitter - share anything and everything musher. It's a group so there's a lot of info shared all the time.

There are other pages that I'm sure tickle people's fancy, but these are the two I use most (during the full race season).  

So there's a quick list of links that will help you follow along with this year's race. And remember you can always find updates on this blog, too! Did I miss an important link (always possible)? Comment below with suggestions for addition.

2021 Iditarod Top Ten

The 2021 race will be one like no other when it comes to Iditarod. For the first time since the 1967 inaugural run, the race will not go to Nome. Unlike the '67 experiment, teams are still running well over 800 miles. Like that race, it will have few "modern conveniences" and a whole lot of camping. The '67 run was not the Iditarod Sled Dog Race we know today, but it did give Joe Redington Sr enough proof (for him) that a race like the one we know today was possible. 

2020 seems like a year of impossible. The world shut down while facing the global pandemic. The US dealt with a tumultuous political season. 2021 seems to be the sequel as the world deals with the fallout. The drama of the global pandemic started in earnest while teams ran to Nome last March, the world vastly different for the mushers coming off the trail than when they started their journey. That continues with a race unfamiliar to them all, with "bubbles" and mitigation plans. 

Even with the changes, 47 teams are set to leave Sunday, March 7, from Deshka Landing in Willow, Alaska. With the Covid-19 pandemic still in full swing the race opted not to hold the traditional Ceremonial Start in Anchorage (a first. Even in no snow years they managed to run teams through the city.) So the "restart" is now THE start. The race has asked spectators stay away to protect the integrity of "the bubble" to keep risk of infecting communities off the road system to a minimum. 

The big news is who isn't running the race: 4-time Champ Jeff King is choosing to create a new qualifying race to take place during the big one called the Ididn'trod, 4-time Lance Mackey is working on recovery and sobriety while also grieving the loss of his partner and mother of his two children, and 3-time Champ Mitch Seavey announced during last year's race that he wouldn't run in 2021 (but it's not retirement). 

Even with some "big names" missing from the roster, the race has a strong list of contenders for the top spot (and the top 10). Let's take a quick look at who has the best chance to take top billing.

Aaron Burmeister - Aaron's had a good last few seasons of racing. His teams have looked strong in this year's mid-distance races. As a long time contender in the Iditarod, it'd be wrong not to put him on the list. Aaron came in 5th last year, and while the teams aren't running to his beloved home town of Nome, he's very familiar with the Iditarod trail and this "gold-trail loop" shouldn't throw him off his groove. With this year being one of new strategy it's anyone's guess what any team will do, but don't expect Aaron to shoot out of the gate, he's one of those that use the tried and true method of "building the monster". Aaron will run with Bib Number 36. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio. 

Aliy Zirkle - Oh, Aliy. The 50 year old Queen of Dog Mushing announced earlier this year that the 2021 Iditarod will be her final one. Fans of the sport and of the musher have been in a state of mourning ever since (as if 2020/21 haven't taken enough from us?!). Aliy has spent 20+ years of her life working hard to WIN this race. The 2000 Yukon Quest Champion has come oh so close several times (often coming second to one of those pesky Seaveys). While this may be her "swan song" do not expect another 18th place finish like last year. She's got one last shot at taking this title and Aliy is still VERY hungry for that win. While we don't want to lose her to retirement, we do wish her one heck of a final ride. No matter what happens in this race, Aliy is champion in the hearts and minds of many and will go down as one of the Iditarod Legends. Aliy will run with Bib Number 32. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her Iditarod Bio.

Brent Sass - The three-time Yukon Quest champion managed a 4th place finish in last year's Iditarod after taking time off from the race to refocus. Sass had to take time off this season and not run the races he signed up for due to injury as well as some "things needing attention at home." Brent has the goods to take the tile, but with injury and other setbacks it's unknown what sort of shape his dogs are in (he has maintained that that dogs are ready to go and he's been the weak link this year). Still, Sass has been vocal in saying Iditarod is the focus this year (he did not run the Summit Quest for this reason). Brent will run with Bib Number 21. He can be found online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio. 

Dallas Seavey - The last time we saw Dallas race the Iditarod was 2017. He came in second in that race (behind his dad) in a hard fought race. Then news broke later that year that Dallas' dogs had somehow been given a drug during (or right after finishing) the race and all Hell broke loose. Dallas sat out 2018 in protest and raced in Norway. He liked it so much he went back in 2019. Dallas's personal life also took a detour and so 2020 he once again sat on the sidelines. With his dad, Mitch, announcing that he was sitting 2021 out, that became the perfect time for Dallas to "borrow" some of his dad's best dogs to combine with his best to create a "Super-team". There's no doubt that Dallas will be one of the front runners (Mitch came in 2nd with many of the dogs on Dallas's team). Expect Dallas to play the patience game to its fullest. Dallas will run with Bib Number 23. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his Iditarod Bio.

Jessie Royer - Jessie nearly had it last year, she owned the first half of the race and many felt she just let up on the brake a hair too soon. Jessie takes every year as a learning year and improves upon the experience. She's unflappable, having caught her sled on fire last year and just laughed it off when retelling it to the media - even while showing off the singed parts of her sled. Often overshadowed by Zirkle, Royer has quietly climbed to "third in the World" (...or...well... Iditarod). Expect her to ride that momentum this year. The real test will be if her team can do two rounds of the Alaska range. Jessie will run with Bib Number 24. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - The newlywed 2018 Iditarod Champion managed a 6th place finish in 2020 and should sit well for another top 10 finish in this year's race. In fact, Joar has never placed lower than 7th since entering the world of Iditarod in 2013. From a Fantasy Mushing standpoint, he's an anchor type musher to choose. He's yet to have a scratch or have an actual loss to his name. Joar's team should be well prepared for the mountains times two trail this year. It will be interesting to see what sort of strategy he brings to this year's race. Joar will be running with Bib Number 41. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Nicolas Petit - To be honest I almost left Nic off the top ten. Petit has had a rough go of the Iditarod of late with scratches the last two years. When not scratching, however, he manages top ten finishes. Petit likes to start fast and hope to end fast, and often times he does. He is king of the mid-distance races with many wins under his belt, but he's not able to take that to the thousand miler. However, with this year cutting the mileage to around the mile marker where Petit's team has shown to have problems in a normal year, this could be Petit's best chance yet. Do not expect Nic to race the Iditarod any different to any other race he's run in the past. His team is built for speed. Nic will run with Bib Number 10 (in his 10th Iditarod, his team feels that's significant). You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Paige Drobny - The Squid Acres musher finished 7th in both the 2019 and 2020 Iditarods. Paige has done well in mid-distance races and, like Jessie Royer, has had a steady climb in the ranks. I didn't add her to my top 10 last year (I did give her an honorable mention, though!) and that was a mistake. I expect her to have another solid run, and would not be surprised if she places higher than last year. Paige will be running with Bib Number 42. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Peter Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion had a rough race last year coming in 14th, but they said defending your title is always difficult. Kaiser came in second at the Kusko this year, coming in after his best friend and competitor Richie Diehl. Pete is well liked by fans, and no doubt deserves to be in the top ten. With having dogs from the West Coast of Alaska, it will be interesting to see how they handle a trail that's mainly in South Central and mid-Yukon River. Temps are typically warmer (and less windy) for much of the portion of trail teams will run on this year, the Sea Ice section of the traditional trail is usually the "true test" of endurance for the teams. With no race to the coast it's anyone's guess how teams will shake out. Don't count Pete out. He's really come into his own with his training program and I expect him to play a key part in this year's race. Pete will be running with Bib Number 3. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Richie Diehl - The 2021 Kuskokwim Champion beat out a very competitive field that hosted many top Iditarod teams this past month. Diehl also hails from the West Coast of Alaska and is best friends with Pete Kaiser. In interviews after the Kusko both Kaiser and Diehl admitted that they trade information/ideas/advice with each other. Their dogs are linked in their breeding programs. While each kennel is definitely their own beast, the friendly competition between friends has only helped both teams become tops in their field. Richie scratched from last year's Iditarod, but that just could spur his team on to fight for redemption. Richie will be running with Bib Number 6. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

The field is tight, and so - while I do call this a top 10 - I have a few "honorable mentions" again this year. I found every time I tried to pare down my list to ten I ended up adding another name instead of subtracting one. Honestly I think the race continues to get more competitive each year in ways I don't remember it being when I was growing up. This is a DEEP field filled with a lot of "young" mushers. More women are at the top of their game. It's an exciting time in sled dog racing. 

Matt Hall - The 2017 Yukon Quest Champion took last year off from the Iditarod as a rebuilding year with his team. Feeling his team was full of too many inexperienced pups, he took a year to just give them a fun stress free season to get some miles under them. Hall finished 6th in 2019 in just his second Iditarod. 2021 will be his third Iditarod. He could be a major dark horse and spoiler in this year's race. Matt will be running with Bib Number 17. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Matthew Failor - Failor was one of three teams that got caught in crazy overflow on the coast of the Iditarod trail last year forcing him to scratch after his sled got stuck and they couldn't get it unstuck (dogs were fine). The 2019 Kusko champion is a solid top 20 finisher in Iditarod, but it won't be long before he cracks the top 10. Matthew will be running with Bib Number 29. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle was another team last year that fell out of the top 10 after many predicted she could break top 5. Phillips has been MIA with most of the mid-distance races this year, and it was uncertain she would even keep her name on the roster for Iditarod considering the issues with traveling from Canada to Alaska, but as of February 26 she was still on the roster and received a Bib Number. With her experience on the Quest for years she should have no problem scaling mountains during this year's "gold-trail loop". She could be a spoiler for the top 10 easily. Michelle will run with Bib Number 26. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Mille Porsild - The 2020 Rookie of the Year is the true dark horse of the 2021 race. Mille is a highly skilled and experienced musher and her 15th place finish in her rookie year in an extremely difficult race. While many fans only knew her as the PR person for Joar's social media - taking amazing photos and weaving beautiful stories filled with mushing history - Mille was a well established musher in her own right and it's wonderful to see her make her mark on the Last Great Race. Mille will be running with Bib Number 28. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, and her Iditarod Bio.

Ramey Smyth - Ramey comes from a mushing family, with his parents being members of the "Iditarod Trailbreakers" being firsts in the race. His father Bud ran in the first Iditarod and his mother Lolly was one of the first women to run in the 2nd Iditarod. Ramey is known for his fast speeds in the final leg of the race. He can really move up in the standings and is always a threat for a top placement. Ramey will be running with Bib Number 9. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

Travis Beals - Travis was 10th in last year's Iditarod and seems to be on an upswing. Beals took it easy this season with few races on his schedule, so it's hard to know just how his team is going to be, but don't count them out. Travis and team are a solid bet to do well in the Last Great Race. The long time musher knows what he needs to do to stay in the running, and continues to improve. Travis will be running with Bib Number 33. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Wade Marrs - New dad Wade Marrs is another musher who is always *right there* on the cusp of the top 10. Marrs and team came in 12th last year, so it's possible that he could crack the top ten this go around. It will come down to how well he can adapt and be prepared for a race that loops back around to where they've been instead of heading towards Nome. Like all of the other teams, he's no doubt thought long and hard about the new challenges a race like this year's Iditarod will be. Keep an eye on him. Wade will run with Bib Number 25. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram (look for his super huge puppy STITCH), and his Iditarod Bio.

This year's race is shaping up to be all sorts of dramatic and interesting. With champions returning, other champions missing, and the Champion of Hearts retiring after one last go I personally expect to be very emotional throughout this race. It's another one for the history books.

Who are you cheering for in this year's race? Who do you think will win it all? Thoughts? Comment below!

Meet your 2021 Iditarod Rookies

Sean Williams at the Re-Start of
Iditarod 48. March 8, 2020.
Williams is returning as a rookie
in 2021 due to not finishing last year.

With the start of Iditarod 49 just a week away, the last minute jitters are hitting all mushers but probably most within the 12 mushers hitting the trail in their rookie runs. While some of the mushers have taken the trail before, they've yet to complete the race, and as always there are many who are first year rookies. 

The twelve rookies consist of "puppy" teams from established kennels as well as rookies running teams of their own dogs from their own kennel. Some have a lot of miles and experience under their belt, others are fairly new to the scene. They all have their goals, their reasons, for running. Even with the trail changes (there's no crossing under the burled arch in Nome this year) the rookies are excited to run and get that belt buckle.

So just who are the Class of 2021? Let's take a few minutes and get a glimpse into who are setting off to make their dream come true. (And, just maybe, this will help you pick a rookie or two to round out your Iditarod Fantasy Mushing Team.)

Brenda Mackey - That last name looks familiar, doesn't it? Brenda is no rookie to mushing. Her dad won the Iditarod back in the 80s, her grandfather won before that (in that split second finish), and of course her uncle is the legendary 4-time consecutive champion. Her personal pedigree goes as far back as her sled dogs to the founding fathers of long-distance mushing. Brenda and her Husband have run a successful kennel for many years and it's very exciting to see the first female Mackey in this year's race. Having no idea of her game plan, I'd expect her to be a front runner at the very least for Rookie of the Year. Brenda will run with Bib Number 15 (if it'd been #13 we could just call the race her's now... so close). You can find her online via her Website, Facebook, and Instagram. She also has one of the best written Iditarod Bio of any team. 

Chad Stoddard - Another Mackey connection, Chad was once a handler for Champion Lance Mackey. Chad has compiled a team with dogs of his own as well as - I believe - a few from kennels he is associated with. Make no mistake he is not running a "puppy team" in the sense that he's running another musher's second string. Expect Chad to stay relatively steady within the middle of the pack. Chad is running with Bib Number 18. You can find him online via Facebook and Instagram. There is a GoFundMe page set up to help with expenses, and you can see his mushing pedigree via his Iditarod Bio. 

Christopher Parker - Christopher was bit by the mushing bug about ten years ago. He's trained under and worked for several Iditarod kennels. He looks to be working with a team of dogs borrowed by several kennels mixed with his own. He will run with Bib Number 19. He is a man of few words on his Iditarod Bio, Facebook, and Instagram. He also has a GoFundMe set up to help offset race expenses. 

Dakota Schlosser - The sprint turned long distance musher is another team running with a team of dogs from their own kennel. Dakota finished his qualifiers last season, winning the Humanitarian Award (given for best dog care) in the Alpine 300. He also ran the Junior Iditarod twice as a kid coming in 4th place. He also builds custom sleds for many teams that race sled dogs. Dakota will most likely be running for Rookie of the Year in this year's Iditarod, so he's one to keep an eye on for sure. He will run with Bib Number 39. You can find him online via his Website, Facebook, Instagram, and of course his Iditarod Bio.  

Hal Hanson - While 3-time Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey won't be running in the 49th Iditarod, his up-and-coming super star dogs will be under the steady hand of Hal Hanson. Hal has worked for Team Seavey for a number of years, and if you've visited their tours you've probably met him. Hal will no doubt be in his customary fur hat and beaver mittens (and I think he has a fur parka too?) - he's originally from Oklahoma so he gets cold (haha). Don't expect him to be racing for any awards, his goal is to finish with as many pups in harness all happy and ready to GO again. Hal will run with Bib Number 12. You can find Hal online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

Jeremy Traska - Jeremy was a "kind of" late entry on the Iditarod roster. His wife, an Iditarod Veteran, had signed up but has had some "lingering health issues" that had her rethinking her entry in the 2021 race. With those concerns, and the promise of an interesting and different Iditarod, Shaynee swapped her entry for Jeremy (with Iditarod's blessing, of course) and so the dogs of Howling Ridge Kennel will once again run down the historic gold mining trails. Jeremy will run with Bib Number 5. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Iditarod Bio.

Joanna Jagow - The main musher of the Motley Crew Kennel should be fun to follow with her positive outlook and her awesome sled dog names. Her kennel is made up of mostly dogs she's raised, but she does have a few dogs from other kennels in her Crew. Iditarod fans may recognize dog Banjo from Jeff King's Kennel. Banjo was part of King's team in 2017 and was injured when a snowmachine driven by a drunk driver drove through King's team at speed topping 110mph. Nash's littermate Nash passed away due to injuries, but Banjo made an amazing recovery. It's unsure if Banjo will be running with Joanna next week. Joanna will run with Bib Number 22. You can find her online via her Website, Facebook, Instagram, as well as her Iditarod Bio. 

Joshua McNeal - Owner/operator of Crooked Creek Kennel started his mushing career on the Kenai Peninsula before relocating his team further north in search of more consistent winter weather and snowy trails. Josh worked with Ken Anderson and his team in leading up to Anderson's final Iditarod, and now many of those dogs reside at Crooked Creek Kennel. There are a few other dogs from other kennels in the mix as well but they all call CCK home. It will be interesting to see how McNeal and team do in their rookie run. He could be a dark horse for Rookie of the Year. Joshua will run with Bib Number 30. You can find him online via his Website, Facebook, and Instagram. His Iditarod Bio is pretty much empty. 

Sean Underwood - You might remember this name from last year. Sean had always planned to run Iditarod in 2021, but just hours after Jeff King spoke at an event promoting the 2020 race he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and Sean had less than a week to prepare to take Jeff's A-team to Nome. Underwood made it so close to the finish but was one of three teams to get caught in crazy overflow and had to hit their SOS buttons to end their race. When he returned to civilization and back to Husky Homestead the future was unknown with Covid looming. Due to a very dismal tourist season in Alaska, King's kennel had to downsize its employees/crew and so Underwood found himself moving to Dallas Seavey's kennel and will be running Seavey's "puppy team" in this year's race. Sean will run with Bib Number 47. You can find him online via his Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Iditarod Bio.

Sean Williams - Probably the hardest musher to figure out what to think. He offers only a website for the company he works for in his Iditarod Bio (Alaskan Mushing Company) which I can only guess means he'll be running a puppy team for either Martin Buser or Matt Failor. Sean is running a "puppy team" for Martin Buser. Sean will run with Bib Number 35. You can find out about the touring company he works for online via Website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Susannah Tuminelli - Running dogs from Kathleen Fredrick's kennel, "Cruisin Susan" will be running dogs she's helped raise and train over the last two years. An adventurer at heart, she traveled from her home on the East Coast to Montana to finally the wilds of Alaska. She should have a solid finish in the Iditarod. Susannah will run with Bib Number 31. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram and Iditarod Bio.

Will Troshynski - Owner and lead musher at ATAO kennel, Will is a former Jr. Iditarod musher from Martin Buser's kennel. After studying and learning from one of the sport's leaders in racing and dog care, Will has come full circle to running their own program. ATAO stands for “Adventure, Truth, Accountability, Onward” - which just so happens to be the kennel's philosophy. The very progressive and outspoken kennel could make news if they make it to the finish line as Will has the chance to be the first openly Trans musher to finish the Iditarod. Will is running with Bib Number 27. You can learn more about Will online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Iditarod Bio.

Which rookies are you cheering for? Who do you think will win Rookie of the Year? Will a rookie be the Red Lantern? Comment below with your thoughts.