Its 4:45am. Feeling: Kinda tired (but reluctant to say it out loud as I watch seriously sleep deprived mushers head down the trail)
Aliy and her 14 team mates are working their way up to Eagle Island. As I write they are 20 miles out.They spent 5.25 hours resting in the Grayling checkpoint then pulled out down the river.
For the second year running, the logistics team have had to battle weather issues at Eagle Island and have been unable to get food drop bags ahead of the mushers. As it is not a village, simply an island in the middle of the Yukon, the organisation can’t send the bags too far ahead of time then leave them unattended for fear animals will get into them. What that means for the teams is that they must take with them all their supplies they will need to get to Kaltag. I believe there is straw and fuel at Eagle Island and that it is still deemed a “checkpoint”, unlike last year, so if a team chooses to stay eight hours there it will be counted (disclaimer: that is my assumption as I haven’t heard that the checkpoint is closed). Even if the weather improves they now can not transport the bags for any musher behind as they could then get an unfair advantage.
This won’t be a problem for Aliy. She is used to travelling distance with supplies – all the Yukon Quest mushers in the field will not bat an eye at this development as there are parts of the Quest trail that are unsupported for nearly 200 miles.
You may be asking “why hasn’t Aliy stopped to take her eight hour break yet – almost everyone else has?” (except Pete Kaiser) The team took their 24 hour rest further up the trail that most other teams so they are fresher, in theory, than the others. They can ‘afford’ to delay their next long rest. There is still a long way to go in this race and the coast has notoriously difficult weather. The advantage to resting long later is that the team will be well rested more recently than most.
Aliy will have replenished both hers and the dogs’ energy stores later than the others so could have more zip at the end. That’s the theory anyway. This also means that when she does stop she will be leap-frogged again by the mushers that have already got two ticks beside their name. Aliy is on a completely different rest schedule to anyone else that’s for sure. She is the one behind that dog team running that trail so no one but her is able to make that call. We trust she’s doing the right thing by her dogs – which, at the end of the day is all that matters to her.
If you haven’t seen them already, there are a couple of really lovely reports about Aliy in the villages of Shageluk and Anvik. Click the red links (left) to see them.
Yes, she is close to Eagle Island! Go girl!! 62 miles and Kaltag but I like her game plan.
Go Aliy and SPK Dogs!!
This says it all. The woman with a heart for children should win! Wishing for your and your dogs’ success and safety, Aliy.
I feel guilty passing out at my laptop Moira! I’m thinking “Dang, Aliy is up and running, you can’t stay awake Dawn?” Sheesh. She is running their race and it’s FAR from over. So proud of her and this team. Run dogs Run! Thanks for the links.
After meeting Aliy and Allen while attending an Iditorod teacher camp a few years ago with my daughter, a fourth grade teacher, I have watched her race every year. I always root for Aliy and know there will be a year to celebrate her winning the Iditorod.
She is a champion in so many ways! Go Aliy!
The Anvik stop and chat with kids piece was the most wonderful thing I have ever seen…Aliy is amazing!!!
And previously the Shag video was equally awesome. Amazing!!!
Tears welled up as I watched the Anvik video, especially.
So why do we follow SP Kennel? Yup, this is why!!!
A lesson in priorities.
I hear everyone got a bit drenched in the rain and wet snow. Hopefully wherever she stops for her 8 hour rest has a good place to dry her gear! I loved seeing that video of her handing out trail snacks to the kids….she is indeed a fan favorite….especially with the kids!
Love, Love 💕 💕 💕 the village videos. Thank you for sharing the link. As much as I would love to see Aliy win the Iditarod, this is what makes her a fan favorite! She’s leaving lasting, positive impressions on the children.
Wow!!! Aliy is wearing Allen’s big boy waders!!! in the Shagelug video – no wonder she could race through the rain and mud and whatever!!!
AND make a fashion statement!!!
Aliy Zirkle, you are a source officielle inspiration and i hope i will get the chance toi meet you one day! Let’s go, keep going you can Win this race!
Aliy is so amazing to take the time to interact with children like this in the middle of a serious race. I love it!
I hope she had Allen’s waders on again when she left Grayling. It looks like the teams got into water about 20 miles before Eagle Island.
It seems impossible to predict how the weather will impact the team. Do you go when it’s snowing/raining, dark, windy or do you wait till there’s light and it’s even warmer and possibly windier and wetter?
I could see the appeal of an eight hour rest at Eagle Island. If the weather is still bad enough, there should be no airplanes and few snow machines to interrupt the dog’s rest. The Eagle Island standings are slow to update. An eight hour here would have her back on the trail at about three this afternoon.
Amazing Aliy still has her entire team, and a handful of them, Bruno, Decaf, QT and Jefe , are about to find out the race to Nome is a few miles longer than they thought. I’m so excited for them.
Oh BOY
It’s not three pm yet and Aliy is back on the trail!
Looks like she’ll be doing her mandatory eight on the Yukon in KALTAG with Pete.
I hope it’s not to warm and the team has a fantastic run to Kaltag.
Woohoo!
Aliy just keeps making this year’s race more and more exciting.
I hope she is having as much fun as I am!
🙂
Go SPK, perhaps you’ll be able to dry off in Kaltag. 🙂
My confidence in Aily and the team stands firm. Go Aily Zirkle !!