The Iditarod

 

The Yukon River has separated the Iditarod teams like organic molecules passing through a gas chromatograph - Jessie Holmes has arrived at Kaltag, the last Yukon checkpoint, while two other teams (Mike Parker and Quince Mountain) have yet to arrive at Ruby, the first Yukon checkpoint, 137 miles back. Holmes will take his mandatory 24-hour rest at Kaltag before moving on.

Four teams (Nick Petit, Michelle Phillips, Mitch Seavey, and Travis Beals) have arrived at Nulato, the Yukon checkpoint before Kaltag, with Petit blowing right through with only a 44-minute pit stop. Seavey, at least, is taking his mandatory 24 at Nulato.

Paige Drobney, yesterday's leader, has pulled out of Galena, the second Yukon checkpoint, after her mandatory 24; only two other teams have taken their break so far and none ahead of her, giving her a distinct advantage at 7th place.          

But, and here's the exciting news, rookie Emily Ford pulled out of Galena four hours before Drobney and is currently in 6th place, ahead of veterans Matt Hall (8th), Ryan Redington (9th) and Mille Porsild (10th), who are still in Galena along with eight other teams. Ford will probably time her 24 along with the other leaders to not give up much ground in the race.

Six teams have pulled out of Ruby and are en route to Galena, five more teams are still in Ruby, and as mentioned above, the last two are still heading toward Ruby. That's over 250 miles between the leader, Jessie Holmes, and Quince Mountain. Rookie Charmayne Morrison scratched back at Tanana before starting the run along the Yukon.  

Typically, after Kaltag, the last Yukon River checkpoint, the trail drops down the Kaltag portage to the Bering Sea. But because of this year's improvised route, the teams will instead head south after Kaltag and run the traditional Southern Route in reverse - Kaltag to Eagle Island to Grayling to Anvik to Shageluk - and then back to Kaltag again, a 329-mile loop. This puts the half-way point of the race somewhere between Eagle Island and Grayling on the first passthrough. Ironically, this being the 100th anniversary of the Iditarod, the loop stops one checkpoint short of the town of Iditarod itself.

The temperatures continue to be unseasonably warm for this time of year in Alaska. The trail is still slushy in places and bare in others. The daytime heat is also affecting the dogs, not used to the warmth, and some teams are choosing to get most of their mileage in at night. Mille Porsild, for one, is taking her mandatory 24 at Galena today in hopes of moving on after the daytime temps return to normal tomorrow.