It’s 10pm Sunday night.
RED TEAM UPDATE
Aliy and the Red Team have about 25 miles to go before hitting the western coast of Alaska at the village of Unlakleet.
Earlier today they camped 15 miles outside Kaltag on the trail and we are expecting them to stay in Unk for a few hours.
The latest “Run Dog Run” video from the Insider has some great shots of the Red Team. I took a few screen shots but it really is fun to see them moving and perking up their ears when they notice the photographer.
There was a news snippet on KTVA showing the team coming through Nulato. The ADN also ran a story and shows a great picture of Aliy receiving a packet of pictures drawn by the children of Nulato (click on the red links to take you to the stories).
BLACK TEAM UPDATE
Right now Allen and his 15-strong team are on the trail towards Nulato, having spent six hours in Koyukuk resting during the heat of the day. We expect them to blow through the checkpoint.
We are imagining Allen enjoying himself immensely with this team.
This year he has fewer “yahoos” on his team than usual and has a lot of experience with him. He’ll enjoy being able to coach his inexperienced team mates: Scooby, Hotshot and Five, and get back-up from the likes of Scout, Willie, Waylon, “Big O” and Scooter. Scooter has always been a team cheerleader and the closing stages of the race will benefit from her enthusiasm. Chipper and Lydia will be exhibiting their feisty personalties at every chance! Nomex, Chena and Tinder are an interesting trio for him, all three were close to making the Red Team so this run will only strengthen their abilities ready for next season. Chemo, Outlaw and Clyde were also close to getting on the Red Team so are very strong, talented and experienced members of his team. The run/rest schedule he is following allows him to get more sleep when he camps than in the Quest, and he’ll be delighted with the speeds his team has been able to keep to so far.
NOTE: we still don’t know who he left behind in Huslia, we are hoping whoever it is will get back to Anchorage tomorrow or the next day. We’ll keep you posted.
We found this great pic of the Black Team resting in Galena with Outlaw keeping watch in this article by Zachariah Hughes with KNOM radio in Nome.
Aliy's team was certainly stylish running the river with their glowing collars.
The team look fantastic and happy on the Insider shots.
Thank you for the links.
🙂
Almost to Unalakleet, and a rest Aliy!
WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!
Amazing how adorable the Red Team looks in these snaps!!! Thanks!!!
Breeding will tell!!! They even seem to know when to smile for the camera!!!
Beautiful animals all, best,
Margaret
SPK dogs are so photogenic!! They seem to sense the camera and then give a smile! I love seeing Iron get a chance to shine on the A Team….good boy…he saw that camera man!!
Aliy and the Red Team made it to the coast….bet she is glad not to have the wind a factor this year in this final leg! Rest up Aliy….Blueberry Hills next…..hope the fog doesn't limit the views!
Allen is moving right along with his Team of 15! I know Allen likes to race the Team a bit in the last part of the race to give the yahoos some experiance. Go Allen and the Black Team!
Good morning from Erie! Love waking up to these. Thank you, Moira!
When I checked the GPS after waking up on the east coast, it was great to see Aliy made it 7th into the UNK checkpoint with 13 superstar dogs! Getting some rest before heading out into the coastal winds to SHK and then across the sea ice to KYK makes sense. I have faith the dogs will lean into the wind and get Aliy exactly where she needs to be.
Allen is doing great with the Black Team and I'm sure those youngsters are learning a lot. I expect that soon they are going to learn how to steadily move up in the standings as Allen coaches them to maximize their abilities while indulging a bit of his competitive side. Nevertheless we know that he will push them as a learning experience but never such that they aren't having a fun time.
I'm so enjoying rooting for Aliy & Allen and all the fabulous four-legged athletes. Always proud to be a fan. SPK is the BEST!!!!!
Go Dogs! Go Aliy! Go Allen!