It’s 8.30pm Alaska time. Feeling: Curious where the team will take their 24.
Right now the team is stopped at McGrath checkpoint. They ran the 48 miles over from Nikolai in roughly seven hours (at the time of writing the Current Standings have not been updated with her run time)
What’s happened through the day? Aliy and team pulled in to Nikolai checkpoint at 8.58am and stayed for almost four hours, before pulling the hook at 12:54pm.
The video of the team pulling in to Nikolai showed them all looking great, Aliy included. Her team line-up was Mismo and Five in lead, QT and Dutch in swing, Commando and Amber, Spark and Nomex, Rodney and Driver, Bruno and Jefe with Decaf and Violet in wheel.
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A short interview with Aliy had her almost chastising herself for “dilly-dallying” but she’s doing pretty well so far we reckon!
The weather in the area is around 24F currently and it is snowing. This will slow the race down as the trail become sloppy and sugary – it will be a slog from here. Strategy is everything right now.
Teams will be starting to take their 24 hour rest breaks soon. Aliy packed her drop bags with a few contingencies in mind so can take the long break at a number of different checkpoints. She is going to see how the dogs are looking and consider the weather forecasts and trail reports before she decides where to stop them. There is a fine balance – you don’t want to push them too far and have 24 hours rest not be enough to replenish their energy but you don’t want to stop too early and wish you had gone just that bit further – especially if the snow keeps falling. We will really only know for sure when she is stopping if, after about five or six hours she is still there, we might assume she is staying long.
Next checkpoint after McGrath is Takotna, 18 miles away – famous for delicious pies and a real pull for mushers! The trail is well travelled by local village snow machine traffic that would normally hard-pack the trail but obviously the snow will make a huge difference. By staying in McGrath it is unlikely she will stop the team in Takotna. Beyond that is Ophir, 23 miles away.
Turns out Allen and Doug were unable to fly today with the weather rolling in. They may get out later in the week.
Allen and Doug will just have to hunker down with a computer and a dog, like the rest of us. Sorry guys!!!
Aliy and her team really did look great arriving in Nikolai. All the dogs had their lines tight, pulling into the checkpoint. I can not say that for Nic’s lead dogs.
The Red team has been running well, up through Nikolai, I believe Aliy’s times (run rest combined) have been just shy of what I think was her fastest run on this route, in 2013. The run to McGrath is the first indication the team is slowing. If the trail was difficult and they need to recharge, or Aliy wants to regroup to make it to Ophir, or even Iditarod, I’m sure she is looking out for the best interest of her healthy team, just one third through the race. Rest up in McGrath pups, we’re all cheering for you.
Just when I think she will 24 in McGrath she pulled the hook….14 dogs strong heading for Takotna and beyond! Go Aliy!!! Hope the weather behaves for her!
Rooting for you from Bismarck! My Mom met Aliy when she lived in Wasilla in the 90’s and always rooted for her… I caught her bug!!
Thanks, I’m very interested and didn’t know where to look for information. Any of the event televised?
WOOF WOOF WOOF
Holy tracker, I’m off on my business rounds but Red Team is shown in second place!!! I guess none of this matters until everyone has taken their 24 hrs, but it is always great to see the sun shining (it is here, with low teens temps) and Red Team in the hunt!!!
Aliy is moving along nicely. If the live feed was working as she went through Takotna a couple hours ago, I missed it. The Insider coverage has been really good. There was a video of Linwood Fiedler talking about Mats Peterson helping him find his dogs. Such awesome sportsmanship shown there. Mats helped save the lives of some, if not all, of those dogs. Go Aliy! You are doing awesome! Now I must get to work, darn-it!
I watched the team come into Nikolai and Aliy’s system of taking care of dogs for as long as Insider kept the camera focused that direction. The team looked great! She moved Decaf to the other side and had me slightly confused. He must have been leaning that way! She is running her run now. New coat, new race, new Aliy! I don’t think Dilly Dally Aliy sits well with her. I’ve been lurking in and out of the chat on the Livestream and Aliy sure is loved! Lots of folks watching her and cheering her on.
The Red Team is doing amazing! I’m glad she still has all 14 dogs with her. Go Aliy! I am cheering for you!