ID: Nenana Retrospective

In the first of our retrospective “catch-up” posts here’s the report from Nenana.

After we got both teams off the start line in Fairbanks, Doug, Spencer, Meghan and I went out to Nenana to await their arrival. Unusually for the Iditarod, handlers were able to supply drop bags from the truck and take them, along with a bale of straw to the team. Normally we are not even at a checkpoint and if we were, we would be completely hands off and the drop bags have already been shipped to the checkpoints ahead of time. The change in route meant we were able to drive to the checkpoint very easily and help with bags and straw on this occasion.

Welcome to Nenana

Aliy and the Red Team came into the checkpoint and pulled to the side of the trail to quickly grab some dog food, supplies and some straw. The stop was really efficient so they spent only a few minutes in the busy checkpoint before heading off down the trail. The veternarians did a check of the team while she packed her sled and confirmed with Aliy she had no concerns.

The Red Team arrives in Nenana

On their way!

Those of you with the tracker will have noticed they then camped for a few hours on the trail between Nenana and Manley. Aliy and Allen are both comfortable camping on the trail so you will see them do that frequently throughout this race. They plan a run/rest schedule that suits the dogs, whether there is a checkpoint or cabin handy or not. Often times it is much quieter for the dog team outside of a checkpoint and they can get a better rest, especially at the early checkpoints where there are many energetic dog teams coming and going.

Allen and the Black Team arrived less than an hour later and stayed in Nenana for about three hours. The official standings show they had just a two minute rest there but that is because he left the main checkpoint area and he found a park just off the trail further away from the checkpoint building. It might have looked to everyone there like he had gone through the checkpoint.

The Black Team arrives in Nenana

Allen gives Junior and Kodiak their straw; the yahoos (Driver, Commando, Chipper and Pepe) taking it all in while Olivia and Sandy are already settling in for a sleep

It is very obvious when you see the team come into a checkpoint who are the experienced dogs and who are the newbies. Even before the straw went down the more experienced front end (Junior, Kodiak, Beemer, Boondocks, Lester and Viper, Chemo and Felix and Biscuit) and back end (Sandy and Olivia) were settling down for a nap while the yahoos in the middle/back, were still wide-awake; interested in what was going on with the teams next door. The last three to go down were Commando, who found a girlfriend in DeeDee Jenrowe’s team parked next door, and gazed longingly at her, Chipper who sat up for most of the time, nodding off now and again and waking herself up, and Driver who was just too excited about having new friends to meet. Pepe circled for a while taking all the excitement in and Dutch finally flopped himself down off his straw and made himself a great pillow in the snow.

Commando’s the last man standing (sitting); Dutch’s snow pillow

After completing his exit ‘chores’ and some expert manoeuvring to get out of the parking spot the team headed down the trail. Allen took straw with him as he left Nenana and the team camped on the way to Manley for about four hours.