Whatever advantage or disadvantage this year's novel starting point in Fairbanks offers will soon come to an end as the racers set out along the Yukon. This year, the teams didn't have to pass through the "moose alley" between Yentna Station and Skwentna, or cross over the Alaska Range before reaching the Yukon. Theoretically, this could favor rookie teams and downplay the experienced musher's advantage; alternately, it could reduce "surprises" like a random moose attack or a high-altitude snowstorm.
So far, the route has generally followed the Tenana River, but the Tenana checkpoint is where the river meets the Yukon. The stretch between the Tenana and Ruby checkpoints is the longest (117 miles) in this year's race, and the lead teams are currently on this long stretch. At Ruby, this year's route joins the Iditarod's traditional northern route.
Although Jason Mackey was the first musher to arrive at the earlier Manley checkpoint (mile 137), Ryan Reddington, the 2023 champion, was the first to leave. But Mackey passed Reddington somewhere along the 65 miles between Manley and Tenana and was the first to arrive at the latter checkpoint. Mackey and Reddington both spent around three hours at Tenana resting and caring for their dogs, and Canadian Michelle Philips was the first to set out from Tenana and is currently in the lead en route to Ruby.
After Phillips, Denmark's Mille Porsild is in second place, followed by Jessie Holmes, Matt Hall, Paige Drobney, Bailey Vitello, Mackey, and Reddington. Brenda Mackey, Jason's niece, is near the center of the pack in 15th place.
In all, as of 8:00 am Alaska time, 16 teams have left Tenana, seven teams are still at the checkpoint, and ten teams, all rookies, are still on the stretch between Manley and Tenana. Brenda Mackey and Emily Ford are the only rookies so far who've left Tenana for Ruby.
The 117-mile run along the Yukon to Ruby will be the biggest challenge so far. The Yukon is swept by strong winds which can wipe out the trail and drop the windchill to below −100° F, although the current forecast for Ruby is a relatively mild 24 to 33° F and winds of only about 5 to 15 mph.
The uniformity of this long stretch can also be a hazard; suffering from sleep deprivation, some mushers have reported hallucinations. Dog-sled teams travel around 5 mph, so it will take them nearly 24 hours to reach Ruby from Tenana. But as no team can go 24 hours without rest, the mushers will have to bivouac along the trail and care and feed their dogs in the wild, not to mention taking care of their own needs and bodily maintenance, and the time between the checkpoints will be much longer than 24 hours.
I wish all of the teams, both human and canine alike, safe passage to Ruby.
Update: According to race updates on social media, the run from Manley to Tanana was challenging, some even saying it was the worst they had seen. There was even a reported sand storm around Squaw Point, about 11 miles from Tanana.
Mille Porsild's team reports that her sled got busted and needs to be replaced. Her team returned to Willow for their spare sled and drove it back to Fairbanks on a truck. Wright Air Services then volunteered to re-route a flight to Ruby to bring the sled to the Ruby checkpoint. The spare is there now, waiting for Mille to complete the long stretch between checkpoints. Her team reports that she is currently resting at mile 266, about 53 miles from Ruby.
Update 2: Brenda Mackey scratched at 4:35 this afternoon at the Tenana checkpoint. Her dogs were all in good health, so the reason for her scratch is not immediately clear.
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