Seavey maintains hour lead over Burmeister

Dallas Seavey and his 10 dog team surged into the checkpoint of Skwentna at 12:44pm today looking like they were ready to continue down the trail without stopping. However, due to Skwentna being the checkpoint all teams will take their final mandatory 8 hour layover and dogs charged over into the dog parking space and immediately got to work getting into rest mode. Several dogs laid down and excitedly started pulling at their booties (think of it as like those of us that have to wear bras taking our bra off immediately after work, it's just ahhhh). Dallas went to work getting the dog food repaired and straw laid down for the dogs. 

Aaron Burmeister and his team of 13 marched into the checkpoint an hour later with an official time of 1:45pm. Aaron has made up a lot of ground since McGrath, but he's quickly run out of real estate. The veteran musher running his 20th Iditarod this year made his move last night knowing he would have to make a monster run from Rainy Pass to Skwentna if he had any chance of challenging Dallas. With having an hour between the two suggests he will need a major wind and snow storm ala 2014 to blow up Dallas's lead. It's not impossible, but it's also not probable (thank you Capt Jack). 

It also looks like Brent Sass is now trying to preserve his placement as third. Maybe he's hoping Aaron pushed too hard and won't have any gas left in the tank and can be over taken, but it seems like with the time gaps between the top three, we're pretty set for placements. Brent came in an hour and fifty-five minutes behind Aaron Burmeister, checking in at 3:40pm. 

The mileage from Skwentna seems to be debatable. Some are saying 67 miles, others say 61. There is a steady snow falling in Skwentna and much of the area is supposed to get snow through much of the night. This may play a small factor, but it should not play a huge role in who ends up where.

The top three can leave Skwentna at the following times:

Dallas Seavey can leave at 8:44pm
Aaron Burmeister can leave at 9:45pm
Brent Sass can leave at 11:40pm

Then it's 60-70 miles to Deshka Landing and the finish line.

If Dallas manages to win this will be his fifth title. He will be the first musher to tie Rick Swenson's record of 5-wins. Dallas acknowledged today that the fifth win is elusive telling Iditarod Insider "the damn thing is cursed." Dallas went onto say his biggest worry in Skwentna is that he will fall asleep and take the wrong river on the home stretch. Which is possible. We've seen it happen in other races. But it will be a big mistake like that to allow Aaron a chance to overtake Dallas and his Monsters.

Predicted finish:
Bruce Lee told insider between 2am-3am
Danny Seavey 4:50am
Me: Heck if I know but I'd say about 3:30am.

Oh and to make it a little more fun and maybe more "real" Pete Kaiser's website has a recording of the Nome Siren you can play when the team is two miles out. The siren is played for every team that comes into the finish (unless it's after the top... 30? then it's only those during waking hours bc noise ordinance can only be ignored for so long). 

Dallas Seavey first into Rainy Pass

 After allowing Burmeister and Sass pass him on the way to Rohn, Dallas blew through the checkpoint earlier this afternoon after stopping just long enough to check in and grab gear and go. The climb ahead was anyone's guess how things would go, and it's no doubt Dallas had every intention of just going with it and not think too much. His team looked strong coming into the checkpoint and charged down the trail at a strong trot after a brief moment of confusion when Lead Dog North tried to take a different path. 

When coming into the checkpoint his team came in hot. They were strong, still tugging fully on the line. The musher announced he was staying for "a little bit" and asked where to park his team. He's learned that due to the Rainy Pass Lodge ponies stealing hay from the haybale area he would have to wait until someone opened the electric fence. "Wow, all sorts of new obstacles (challenges?) for mushers!" 

When Dallas was asked by Bruce Lee of Iditarod Insider how the climb was Dallas answered with a chuckle, "Steep." He also said his feet were frozen due to there being "a little bit of overflow out there."

Dallas managed to make the run into the checkpoint only about a half hour slower than when he was on the outbound trail. Considering it was a rough climb for most of it, it's impressive that he managed to only slow slightly.

It also looks like Burmeister is doing well with the trail, and should keep in step with Dallas's time at the very least (he ran the Rainy to Rohn trail much faster than Dallas). 

Brent Sass has also started the chase. Should be an exciting night and early morning. 

Time to get that last nap in, folks... we aren't sleeping much from here until the finish tomorrow, whenever it is.

Aaron Burmeister leading into Rohn

 Aaron Burmeister passed Dallas Seavey from where he was camping on the trail around 1:45pm today. Seavey did not give chase as some speculated he would, and allowed Brent Sass and Ryan Redington to pass by before he, too, pulled the snowhook. It's now 3:35 and it looks as those Seavey has already passed Ryan Redington.

With his rest on the trail Seavey still has the advantage over Sass and Burmeister - and it's assumed the both of them will rest in Rohn. Dallas should slingshot out ahead of them as he chose to rest closer to the checkpoint and he'll be the first to head UP the gorge.

I've gotten a few questions in the last day if this trail has ever been done in reverse in Iditarod history. As far as racing, absolutely not - this is the first time. However, race fans may remember that Jeremy Keller chose to scratch after the first breaking news of Covid shutting the world down hit last year. Keller wanted to get home to his family before everything went crazy (he had a sixth sense it, if you think about it). So he chose to run the trail with the dogs backwards instead of waiting for transport off the trail which we know can take a few days. So it's been done, and been done recently. It's not easy, but it's doable.

Dallas said in a pre-race video up on his youtube channel that he does not enjoy this part of the trail they are on now (other than Hal Hanson I haven't heard one musher say they enjoy it... rookies). It doesn't mean Dallas will struggle, but it's anyone's guess how any of this will play out. We are looking at him hitting the gorge as the day begins to cool down and the sun starts to sink lower. I would guess he SHOULD be through the "worst" of it before dark, but it doesn't matter much now because I don't expect a team to really stop when in the gorge.

Dallas is currently 2 miles behind Sass who is 7-8 miles behind Burmeister. 

This is going to be a fun night. 

It's a three way race

Fans followed through the night (I passed out around midnight. I'm too old for this, man! lol), others woke up to the early morning news to see that Aaron Burmeister and Brent Sass had caught and passed Dallas Seavey in Nikolai. The race leader to that point made the decision to rest a few hours in the checkpoint before continuing down the trail. In a pre-race recorded video on his youtube channel that dropped today, Dallas explained his strategy for this part of the race. Essentially, Dallas is planning to break up the run to Rainy Pass with just a quick pass through Rohn (cuz, you know, checkpoints). In his video he expected that most teams would do the same. So far he's right.

While Burmeister and Sass left Dallas in Nikolai they both chose to stop just a few miles out to camp. Dallas overtook them and now has about a 17 mile lead (if we can trust the trackers). While Sass is technically still right there with Seavey and Burmeister, he has allowed Ryan Redington to get with him. It's honestly surprising to see Ryan keep up as his dogs just seem not as peppy. It could be more than Brent is still healing from a broken collar bone suffered about 7 weeks ago. This section of trail is painful in the best of health, and it could be that this is where we leave Sass to the chase pack. It will really depend on just how healthy Brent is and if there's any significant pain going on.

This is also a section of trail that the trackers aren't always pinging so it'll be up to Iditarod checkers to get the info to the comms quickly so we can know just how teh teams look against each other.

The chase pack has a few familiar faces we haven't seen in a while (Joar has made a move and it looks like Diehl is also trying to make a play). Pete Kaiser pulled back last night and has now reportedly decided to scratch in the best interest of his team. His team posted earlier today that his dogs were feeling under the weather, so his decision truly was in the best interest of the team. The 2019 Iditarod Champion really is one of the best.

Don't expect to do much else but watch the trackers for the next 24-36 hours. This race is going to be nailbiting for those wanting any number of outcomes... and pretty soon we'll see just how the Gorge factors in to all of this (will they all wish for "the Blowhole" on the coast).

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.