During the Iditarod race, mushers decide when, where and how long to rest their dogs. The only exceptions to this are the 3 mandatory stops. There is an 8 hour break that must be taken at the second to last checkpoint, there is an 8 hour break that must be taken at one of the checkpoints along the Yukon river, and there is a 24 hour break that can be taken at any one of the checkpoints. When to take this break is a big decision for a team. Not only is there strategy, but there is also luck involved. Weather and trail conditions can change and favor either the team that stopped early or the one that pressed on. As the teams stop for these breaks, it becomes difficult to gauge who is really leading the race.
The weather has played a big role in the race this year. It has been snowing and blowing. It slows the teams down and makes travel challenging. One of the most dramatic effects of the weather this year was that the race itself was unable to get supplies and personnel to the Eagle Island checkpoint. The race had to drop the checkpoint leaving the mushers with a 122 mile trip between the neighboring stops. This forced mushers to think on their feet and adjust their travel schedules.
While there is lots of coverage on the Iditarod website, I just watched some of the coolest Iditarod footage I have ever seen through Facebook at Kale Casey Live (http://www.facebook.com/kalecaseylive/) He was in the checkpoint of Unalakleet and he was giving great narration and live footage of the top three teams. You could watch exactly how they were caring for their dogs, what the officials and veterinarians were checking, and see the excitement of the local fans. I have been involved in this race for years, but I have never had the chance to have such an extended view of the checkpoints. Kale was answering questions that were being asked in live time by Facebook viewers. You can log on and tell him DogGoneIt recommended his coverage. You can re-watch any of Kale’s old videos and I am sure he will have more live ones in the next couple of days.
The race is just reaching the Bering Sea coast. The front runners are making their final push. The winner will likely arrive in Nome late on Tuesday. However, there are still 200 miles to go so it ain’t over until the Fat Lady sings.
Until next time, I hope you are all having as much fun with your dogs as we are with ours. Mike, Caitlin, and Max