It’s 8am Monday morning
RED TEAM UPDATE
Insiders will have seen a video where Aliy talks about having to “bench” three dogs in Unalakleet “due to circumstances out of our control”. Two of them, Junior and Scooby, stepped into deep snow and hurt their wrists. This trail has been hard on wrists and shoulders!
Champ was the third dog. He didn’t eat well in the checkpoint which is unlike him, and he wasn’t feeling 100%. Turns out he had developed a fever and is being well cared for by the vets in the checkpoint.
Unk is well set up to receive returned dogs. They have individual kennels for the dogs, an army of vets and volunteers, and it is a hub airport to get the dogs back to Anchorage. Hopefully they will all head back to Linda’s in the next day or two and be reunited with their team mates.
She said she had a great run over from Kaltag but is disappointed to have to leave three team mates behind. They’ve all had a stellar season.
She spent about five hours in Unk and during that time was able to speak to Allen on the phone about his health. Of course she is worried but knows Allen better than anyone so trusts his judgement.
Her 10-strong team of Dutch, Chipper, Spark, Kodiak, Clyde, Rodney, Five, Driver, Nomex and Violet and left Unk at 6.14am ready for a sunrise run up to Shaktoolik.
The run is 40 miles up a well-travelled snow machine route. It is relatively sheltered for much of the run except the last 12 miles where it is on open and barren coastline. The forecast for today for Shak is scattered showers, a high of 19F and winds up to 24 miles an hour so not a perfect dog mushing day.
BLACK TEAM UPDATE
The Black team is moving! (Yes, I have been obsessively hitting refresh for the last hour!)
Allen is feeling much better after several doses of antibiotics and sleep. When he spoke with Aliy in Unk they agreed he wouldn’t go unless he felt he could. This morning he has no fever and assured us he is okay to go and that he and the team are ready. They will camp along the way and he is going to take a cautious, sensible approach today.
He and his 13 team mates left for Eagle Island Hospitality Stop around 8am this morning. We will be watching the tracker closely all day.
Hopefully Aliy won’t have to drop any more dogs during the race and all ten teammates will make it to Nome. I’m glad to see Dutch in lead! Good job Dutch! Go Aliy!!
I’m glad to hear that Allen is feeling better and is back on the trail! I have been watching the tracker constantly!
GO RED AND BLACK TEAMS!
Thank goodness for this news – and I love Aliy’s term “benched” – as baseball season is just around the corner!
SP Kennel can bat cleanup for my team any day!!! WOOF!!!
This morning has been GPS page refresh, Current Standings page refresh, watch the live cam in UNK, watch Aliy’s video, click, refresh, begin again.
OMG frustrating with the standings page. BUT, I’ve been in the seat of those doing the updating. They too are staring at the GPS wondering why they haven’t gotten updated from the checkpoint or are verifying information before it goes live.
Glad to see Allen on the move. Hope his rest got him well. I’m sure the dogs itching to go helped his mood too!
Aliy must be heartbroken to leave 3 dogs. The trail sure has been rough this year and my friend Joe at the dog lot has been busy.
Wishing all safe, happy, and healthy run the rest of the way. We got your backs!
My morning has been the same as Dawn’s lol! Wow, what a race for the Red and Black teams. I can’t tell you how much I admire the resilience and tenacity of Aliy and Allen. They are just the best!! I am so glad to hear that Allen is feeling better and hope the pups will take good care of him on the trail. I, too, am sure that Aliy is heartbroken to have had to leave behind 6 dogs during this race. I will be really glad to see them both cross under the Burled Arch! Thanks for the update 🙂
Allen, you are an Iron Man!!!
I did watch the Insider video. It is hard to see so many great dogs be removed from the team on this final stretch, but we are all very happy that they are not on the trail. I was glad to hear Aliy say she is staying positive. That may be about the race, but I interpreted it as staying positive that Champ will be okay since they will give her updates along the trail. Anyway, I am glad she said it. I felt better.
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Putting love and the bonds that come with it first will always define a true human.
What a day it has been! Am glad to hear Allen is better today and continues to improve.
Iron Man he is as Leo said. It is hard to believe what the mushers go through on the trail.
A different trail it has been this year. So sorry for the three benched as I so much wanted
to see the rest finish but luck was not on there side. Hope Champ has got over his fever.
Junior and Scooby get well also. We fans are pulling for both teams and crew–Be Safe!
Linda–will be busy but happy I’m sure!
Well this is bitter sweet post…so glad Allen is up and feeling good enough to be back on the trail, but so sorry to hear Aliy had to bench Champ, Junior and Scooby. This race has been full of challenges…must be Allen left his YQ Easy button back in Two Rivers! Like Aliy said….try to stay positive!
Sending good vibes to Ally and her dogs!!! So exciting to watch this online can’t wait to make it up to Alaska to watch one day!!!
Rest well in Shaktoolik Aliy, Dutch, Chipper, Spark, Kodiak, Clyde, Rodney, Five, Driver, Nomex and Violet. Enjoy your race up to Koyuk.
Geez, that means Violet has a third partner in wheel at this time. It’s a good thing she gets along with everyone.
Get well Champ Junior and Scooby. I’m praying for your safe return to your SPK family.
I’m happy Allen feels better. I certainly hope he feels good at the end of the next 120 miles. Perhaps sitting behind a team that had a day off will be good for his soul, mind and body. Go Back team, enjoy that trail to Kaltag, and do your best to get Allen to Nome.
Thank you Moira, especially for letting us fans know which of our stars have been benched. That is information we can not get anywhere else, and yet is important to all of us.
Go” Black team,” not “Back team.
Ha ha, I worked 16 hours, but only took a nap before checking in, sleep deprived.
A-town’s Becky – I laughed out loud at the sleep deprived comment! Not 16 but I average 12 hours every day so I can totally relate!
Oh my – what an incredible race. What a gosh-darn-LONG race. I am SO happy Aliy is still ‘trying to stay positive.’ Go, Aliy, go! She is an ‘iron woman’ just as Allen is an ‘iron man.’ SO happy Allen is moving again. I wonder if he’s having problems holding back the atomic dog team after a day of rest? The SPK teams are moving along and we’re all helpless to help except sending love and encouragement to all of the 4 leggeds and to the 2 2-leggeds on the trail and to the SPK 2-leggeds who give us these updates. To Moira and the dog log crew – thank you SOOOOOO much for these updates. I don’t have the insider so I rely on these to get info. Funny – back before the internet I would find radio stations on shortwave that would announce the standings during the race. ..as most radio stations in the lower 48 didn’t have anything, you’d have to get Alaska stations. How times have changed.
So glad Allen is feeling better, you know what is best for the coming days.
Aliy, sorry to hear about the team injuries, team first SP Kennel all the way! Aliy you have us fans pulling for you as always! 💕🐾