I just got off the phone with Bridgett, following a phone call she got from Aliy in Nikolai. Keeping in mind that we’re racing and I can’t tell you anything about strategy — or anything that implies strategy — in this public forum, here’s the news from the trail: Overall … Read More
I’ve finally had a few minutes to check out the Iditarod discussion forums and saw some of the dialogue about “Happy The Sled Dog.” My apologies for leaving you all in such suspense for so long. There’s a lot to Happy’s story this year, and I will try to give … Read More
Aliy is out of Rohn and on her way to Nikolai with 15 dogs of the Red Team. I do not know which dog she dropped in Rohn. According to a text message I just received from Bridgett, Aliy is ahead of her “race plan” and doing very well. Allen’s … Read More
Thus, the substitutions are as follows: Oddball is in for Nacho who moved up to the Red Team. This is a pretty even trade of power/speed, and adds experience to the team. Honda is in for his sister Malibu whose early-season wrist issues flared up again last week. Honda is … Read More
Thus, the only change between this roster and the one shown in last week’s Howler is the substitution of Nacho for JJ, a dog who is normally so totally steady and reliable that it was very surprising he showed signs of minor soreness in the last training run before leaving … Read More
Earlier this afternoon, Aliy was fourth into Rainy Pass with all 16 dogs: While that certainly is “good news” and fun to see, I want to remind all of you that it really doesn’t mean anything. At this initial stage of the Iditarod, teams are leapfrogging each other like crazy, … Read More
In Part 3, we pick up when the SP Kennel Red Team is hooked up and waiting its turn to begin the staging process. The Team roster was in flux right up to the last minute, so this also gives us our first chance to meet the final team. Then, … Read More
In Part 2, we pick up about an hour before the SP Kennel Teams’ start times. Some of the “early” teams have started down the trail, but our fantastic canine athletes are all still hanging around the dog trucks, putting on their harnesses, booties and game faces. So, here’s a … Read More
Before we start getting into our “real-time” coverage of the race, let’s catch you up on the rest of yesterday’s activities. Well before the starting area got too chaotic, I had a chance to film brief interviews with Allen, Aliy and Bridgett: In Part 2, we’ll check in with the … Read More
Good morning! I just woke up from a really good sleep — yip woo! — and taken my first look at the standings/GPS. It is way, way too early in this long, long race to make any assessments or offer any analysis, but — as some of you have noted … Read More
