We were very happy to see Allen and the Black Team arrive in to Koyuk this morning at 5.39am. They’re now resting up after a long, slow slog before embarking on the 48 mile run to Elim. It seemed they ran that leg with Mike Santos and his team.
There is a lot of traffic on the trail from Shak to Koyuk as the teams that were stacked up make their way towards Koyuk. We’re watching closely.
It seems there was some major weather happening outside of Shaktoolik today with huge snow drifts and strong winds. At one stage there were about 25 teams stacked up at the checkpoint waiting for it to be safe to continue on. If you see the tracker you’ll notice most of the teams are in groups; this will be for safety and to share the trail breaking duties.
Allen left Shak with all 14 Black Team mates at 8.01pm and is currently about 30-35 miles from Koyuk. They spent over 16 hours at the checkpoint. We did pack plenty of dog food in the drop bags so they would have been just fine for that amount of time.
We will be anxiously watching the tracker tonight until they all get safely into the next checkpoint.
All our dropped dogs: Outlaw, Nelson, Driver and Sissy are out at our good friend Margie’s kennel in Knik. Here’s some pics from earlier today.
Outlaw and Molly at Barbara’s (remember Molly from Beemer’s big day out?); Driver and Outlaw on their way to Margie’s
Driver enjoying Margie’s home; Sissy and Nelson with Margie
9 days, 4 hours, 44 minutes, 25 seconds!
Congratulations to Aliy, Scout, Quito, Nacho, Scruggs, Scooter, Willie, Chica, Mac, Mismo, Waylon, Izzy, Schmoe and Clyde; plus Sissy, Nelson and Outlaw back in Anchorage.
A big crowd came out to see the team cross the line and the familiar “Aliy, Aliy, Aliy” can be heard. I didn’t catch the audio of her interview either, sorry. I think something that wasn’t meant to be unplugged, got unplugged.
Enjoy the video, particularly the part when the team is ready to be driven down to the dog lot. Have they really just run 1000 miles?
The Red Team crosses the line
Under the Arch; Aliy with her super-fantastic lead dog Scout
Aliy phones her Mom (thanks to Verizon!); Waylon reminds us all that he is, in fact, the bomb. Check out those muscles!
I’m working on some video now and we’ll get some photos from the dog lot soon.
Aliy and her 13 team mates cruised under Nome’s famed Burled Arch this afternoon at approximately 2:45 PM Alaska Time. They proudly claim 5th place in Iditarod 2015.
The welcoming crowd chanted ‘Aliy, Aliy, Aliy’ as the team emerged from the sea ice onto Front Street. They continued to chant and cheer as the team trotted up the street and into the finish chute.
Rockstars Quito and Scout were in lead. They led the parade of the biggest dog team in the top 5 finishers this year. These canine athletes all chugged steak and salmon snacks, waited for their booties to be removed (and thrown to surrounding fans) and enjoyed praise and love bestowed by SP handlers and family.
After thanking each dog personally, Aliy returned to her sled where she was welcomed to Nome by Iditarod officials. Next her mandatory gear was checked, her signature affixed to the official finish form and she was surrounded by photographers and journalists.
Aliy’s dad, sister, nephew, step-daughter, son-in-law, grand babies, veterinarian, handlers, sponsors and friends greeted her in the chute. Quite a gathering of loved ones enjoying the Red Team finish!
The handlers will now usher the dogs to the Iditarod dog yard. There they are thoroughly examined by a team of veterinarians, then fed and watered before being tucked into their cozy beds. Aliy will soon be finished signing autographs and talking to fans and will be on her way to a shower and bed. Well deserved rest for all.
All is well! More soon.
Kennel Mom
The team has just passed through Safety so has about 20 miles to go. Conditions are quite different from this time last year, thankfully. She’ll still be working hard behind the sled: ski poling, pedalling and running up the hills to help the team.
It has dawned a gorgeous day here in Nome. There is no wind and the sunrise was simply beautiful. Aliy will be enjoying her final run this morning with her amazing team! This could be the last time some of her team mates run this race with her so it will be a bittersweet time for her. Eager to finish but enjoying the moment.
The support crew on the ground here has swung into action – a welcome change from staring at our many digital devices! We set up the dog yard this morning with straw lined kennels; warm, dry jackets and fleece blankets at the ready. We’ll prepare a meal fit for superstars and pack some steaks for the finish line.
For Aliy, we’ll take some hot food, a fresh salad and a change of clothes. And, of course, we have plenty of hugs and kisses for them all!
Aliy’s nephew Sam (right) is particularly excited to see Aunt Aliy and the team.
We are incredibly proud of each of them. Aliy has run a great race and gave her team the rest they needed all the way along. The most important thing to both Aliy and Allen is to arrive at the finish line in any race with happy, healthy dogs.
We will head down to the finish line soon and Kennel Mom Mickey will be with you as they cross the line. We’ll get pics and video to you as soon as we can.
Go Team! Yay!
PS: You’ll see Allen and the Black Team are still resting in Shaktoolik. They may not move from there until after the Red Team has finished. When possible, Allen likes to see her safely home before continuing with his race.
The crew got back from White Mountain and said Aliy was in great spirits and even used the word “sassy”. She’s really happy with her team and to be in the position she’s in.
Both Ryne and Jen Nelson caught some video of the team coming into the checkpoint.
When the team was leaving, Scooter and Schmoe were singing and the rest were barking and ready to get going! She had Quito and Scout up in lead for the final run.
They’re off!
The Red Team of Aliy, Scout, Scruggs, Nacho, Quito, Scooter, Willie, Chica, Mac, Mismo, Waylon, Izzy, Schmoe and Clyde left White Mountain at 3.24am headed for home!
GO TEAM!
Jen Nelson sent through these pics from earlier this afternoon in White Mountain. Video coming later. Thanks Jen!
