Iditarod 2009!!!

[ManyCairns]

^ Love the personal observations, Toni.

BTW, it's a dream of mine to visit AK or the Yukon in the next couple of years and visit at least one kennel to do a tour and ride or even one where you get to try mushing yourself a little bit. I definitely hope to pick your brain for who runs a good tour like that -- I'm sure the Seaveys, maybe Seb's Blue Kennel, who else is good?? Anyway, I can dream ...

 

[Tonichelle]

Well, it depends on where you go. As you are aware it's a BIG country up here, and so it's where you want to go and what you want to see.

The Kennels I know a little bit about are not just the Seavey's (they have a dry land two and a half mile tour through Dan Seavey's homestead) but Jeff King's Kennel (which is just a tour and a talk) and Martin Buser's (again a Kennel tour)... There are glacier rides in South East but with the crazy weather we've had in the last couple of summers more and more tourists have complained that they were unable to actually do the tour. Dry land tours are your safer bet. I'm not sure of any mushers who let you run dogs yourself if you aren't working the kennel with them (aka Jen Seavey before she was Jen SEAVEY ) but I know there are mushing "camps" (but again those are in SouthEast and I honestly have no idea what they are... if they're just kennels or what... I've never understood how they work and what makes them different).

Not sure how many mushers run in the winter other than the seavey's (who do it when it fits into the training schedule)... but that's another option.

I'd say come to South Central Alaska (fly into Anchorage) and then look me up and I'll play tour guide lol

you need at LEAST two weeks to see even part of Alaska. I try to talk people out of the cruise idea... so many people complain that they don't get to do enough, and personally I don't think you get to see Alaska at all... you get to see tourist trap Alaska, but not the actual state.

 

[sillylionlove]

Thanks for all the updates. It seems like a brutal race this year.

Toni or Rally....do you know when this is going to be televised? I know last year...I think it was the outdoor channel or something. televised some part of it. I always enjoy watching it.

 

[Tonichelle]

at this time there's no plan for a national network to cover it. the Discovery channel did not renew the contract for a second season of the minidocumentary that it had for last year's... and the outdoor channel hasn't followed the race since 2004 or 2005.

I would suggest ordering the Iditarod Insider DVD when it comes out in a month or two. They are FANTASTIC.

 

[ManyCairns]

Posters on the Iditarod forum have mentioned a program put on by the Versus network/channel, formerly Outdoor Life Network. From their comments, I gather the first 2 episodes were mostly recap of the '08 race as a lead-in to this year's, but there were apparently scenes at checkpoints and such that gave a feel for the race. I haven't seen it but wish I could! And I have no idea of show time(s). As the posters said, not great but at least it's some kind of coverage! (I daresay dog sledding is covered even less than figure skating. Why is it that I love all these relatively "obscure" sports, lol?)

 

[Tonichelle]

DALLAS SEAVEY HAS JUMPED FROM 11th this morning to 5th right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he's two places and a checkpoint ahead of his dad! Most of the teams are stalled due to the winds coming off the ocean, but Dallas is plowing through... this could be pretty exciting for the Seavey family if Dallas is the first of the kids to beat their dad in the race! LOL

 

[Tonichelle]

Well, you can pretty much say the race is over. Lance Mackey is in White Mountain. He has a manditory layover of 8 hours and then it's all downhill into Safety and then Nome... He should get in sometime between noon and 3pm...

and there's an update on Lou Packer's two dogs (and he did scratch when I thought he did, the ITC just hadn't announced it until today).

Gross necropsies have been performed on both Dizzy and Grasshopper by a board certified pathologist. In both cases the cause of death could not be determined by visual examination of all organ systems. Further testing, including histopathology, is pending.

Mitch Seavey made it into Koyuk a little while ago... he's behind Dallas in 6th.

 

[Tonichelle]

Dallas is back in 5th, Schnuelle and John Baker are into White MT taking their 8 hours...and Lance is out of White Mountain *sigh* Burmeister is 4th ... Mitch is just a couple minutes behind Dallas in 6th... I think the places 2-10 are more exciting than the championship at this point.

and another team bites the dust:

NOME, ALASKA - (March 17, 2009)

IDITAROD XXXVII Musher Jeff Holt (bib #68) made the decision to scratch between Grayling and Eagle Island at 7:30 pm this evening (Alaska Time). Holt had 9 dogs on his team when he made the decision. The Iditarod Air Force (IAF) deployed earlier in the day and airlifted Holt and his team back to Unalakleet this evening. Holt made the decision based on the best interest of his team.

 

[sillylionlove]

I just read on msnbc.com that Mackey won the race!

Here is a link to the article and if you get a chance...take a look at the photos...they are amazing!!

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29753567/

 

[Tonichelle]

yeah he came in around 11:3something this morning according to my mom. I was at lunch and missed the announcement on the radio.

not that I much care anyway... the more exciting part of the race will come in later tonight.



and i finally got my ceremonial start photos up *sigh* - http://alaskanmagic.smugmug.com/Sports/454324

 

[Tonichelle]

Top 8 are in nome. the placements really haven't changed since safety. I think the weather played a huge part in the race this year (I know, I'm captain obvious) because it seems everyone is just in it to finish, not run up to a higher spot on the board

Mitch is 4th, Dallas 6th
Jeff King is out of white Mountain, he should be into Nome this afternoon.


Red Lantern is currently rookie Timothy Hunt. Jen Seavey is 52nd.