Its: 8am. Feeling: excited the team is back on the trail with two green ‘mandatory rest’ ticks next to their name. Back on even ground with the other teams.
After resting a mandatory eight hours in Kaltag, Aliy pulled the hook with 13 team mates towards the Western Coast at Unalakleet (Unk). They left the checkpoint in eighth position.
Watching the Live Feed as Aliy prepared the team, she took time to walk the dogs around after they woke up to stretch, shake and settle – like we do in the morning. They, like us, can’t go from full sleep to running down the trail without a few minutes of limbering up.
Some of the dogs are dressed in wind jackets but not all, she will be carrying other jackets in her sled if (when) they are needed for the rest of the team later on.
What’s ahead?
To paraphrase Bowers’ Trail Notes – This leg of the race travels over the ancient Kaltag portage to the Bering Sea coast. Looking at the trail map it follows a relatively straight valley angling southwest through the coastal mountains. The route has been used for millennia by Interior Athabascans and Coastal Inupiat people. It is normally a well-used snow machine highway. It marks the major transition from the inland river environment to the coast. Conditions can be vastly different at opposite ends of the portage, and wind is a constant threat on the western half.
The first part of the trail is climbing and the team will encounter a number of different landscapes including wooded areas, taiga, and open stretches, across frozen streams and lakes, along flats, up hills and ridges, through tundra and on river.
This year Sebastian Schnuelle reported there is significant snow and combined with the wind we could hear on the live stream, it could make for a difficult crossing – but, hey, it’s the Iditarod. If it were easy we’d all be doing it. (While you are reading Sebastian’s blogs check out this one that shows us inside the Kaltag checkpoint and this one that has great pics of Aliy and team arriving)
Here is an Aliy Cam from last year as she moved along the same trail.
I asked Allen about this trail the other day:
The trail to Unk is 85 miles and the team is not likely to do that in one run. There are two cabins between Kaltag and Unk – Tripod Flats then Old Woman plus plenty of other camp spots at which she could rest the team. She knows this trail and all its nuances well and will pick the best place to maximise her strategy.
Today the family/handler crew is starting the trek to Nome ready to greet the team in a few days. Unfortunately it has been storming in Nome and various flights have been cancelled so we’re not quite sure what’s going to happen. Either way, we’ll be incommunicado for much of the day so keep an eye on the tracker, the Insider videos and Iditarod Facebook page for updates.
Go team! (And go aeroplanes!)
If I am reading the Analytical view correctly, none of the front leaders have stopped for any length of time on the trail to Unalakleet – and that is without an 8 hour rest for all but Pete. I wonder why that is …
..
I do see a short stop for all of them, which could be at one of the cabins, but it does not pick up as even 1.5 hours (if you compare it to that time Aliy stopped on the Yukon between Eagle and Kaltag). With a long stop at one of the cabins, rankings could slip at this point and I wonder if that is what is driving the front leaders – or weather.
Watched Aliy prep to leave and the dogs stretching out. Maybe they were looking for the snooze alarm just like we do in the morning or the time change has them screwed up too! They’ll shake that off in no time and cruise on down the trail. Thank you for Allen’s insights and safe travels to all today ~ team and the support crew. Go dogs Go!
I enjoyed watching the live feed of Aliy getting ready to leave, taking time to get them in a good position and facing the right direction. They looked a little sleepy 😴 and Driver did not want to face forward, LOL! I love that dog. Watching Aliy get the dogs moving reminded me of the years when I was waking up my kids to go school.
Safe travels everyone! I’ll be glad to hear when y’all are safe in Nome.
Good Morning to you and the Team.. happy to see you all had your rest and headed on out.
Loved the Portage Trail video from last year … could almost feel myself riding along with you 🙂
Have a good run today and stay safe (and warm) 🙂 (Y) <3
Thanks for the info Moira and Allen. Dogs look in great shape and hope the crew and handlers can
make it to Nome today! Go Aliy and Red Team–We love you and Safe Travels!!
Thanks ever so much for the news!!!
Aand yes, I remember last year!!!
I did a lot of graphics from this section – the combination of the expanse of blinding snow making it hard to differentiate between land and sky and the howl of the wind (and the spotting of a moose, if memory serves – or not-in the tree line) spoke volumes to me.
GO RED TEAM!!!
Exciting race go Aliy and teammates. Hope family & handler crew get to Nome. Safe travels all.
Safe travels to the SPK Crew….Aliy is moving right along….hope the coast is kind to the Mushers in regards to wind…I hear Nome got another 6 inches of snow today. I enjoyed Allen’s description of the trail and the history…very cool!
Thank you for the updates. The Red Team is moving along nicely. I enjoyed the audio clip and the video. Go Aliy!
I totally enjoyed watching Aliy on the live stream this morning, walking the dogs and getting them set to go.
What a day!
Aliy’s so close to Unalakleet, but
ARRRGH! I have to go to work tonight, grrr.
Be checking back in as soon as I get home in the morning.
Awesome run today Aliy and team.