Iditarod Race Updates and Coverage--Ultimate Iditarod

At the moment, Tyrell and I are camping right along side the trail about 27 miles toward the Cripple checkpoint, having left Ophir at sunset. It's still, probably about 10 above zero, with clear skies, and a curtain of green aurora to the north. Tyrell has built a cozy fire.   I have prepared dinner of Swiss steak. And I'm writing on the laptop which is placed on the snowmobile seat. Quite a nice scene, all in all. So nice we just had to share it with you.
Since Ty's last update in Takotna, we don't have too much more information about how the race is doing. We passed the teams of Mike Williams and Devan Currier on the trail between Takotna and Ophir. The Ophir checkpoint was quiet, with a few teams resting there in the dark.
We're getting closer to Jim each time we move, now that we've overcome our mechanical problems. He probably is resting on the trail just a few miles up ahead. He likely is getting ready to move on to the Cripple checkpoint as we write this. We just got so tired that we had to stop before we (literally) tipped over.
We do have lots of second hand information about Jim from the checkpoint folks in Takotna, where he did his 24 hr rest. Everyone said he looked great, felt great, always had a smile. Most importantly, the vets said the dogs looked great, and he left with 13 strong huskies.

The trail has changed dramatically, in the last 24 hours of travel. From the end of the "Buffalo Tunnels" out of Rohn, starting in the Burn, the snow has increased, and the trail is now a virtual highway: hard packed, yet not icy. Perfect for fast runs, yet just soft enough to minimize the chance of injuries, especially to the feet and wrists.
The Iditarod Trail is well marked. There are actually three types of markers. Most commonly are pieces of lath, painted orange on top, with a small piece of reflective tape just below that, about 10 inches below the top. These show up amazingly well in even the dimmest headlight. Other official markers are pieces of orange flagging tape, and yellow reflective triangles nailed to trees. These are permanent markers, and more and more are put up every year as the trail becomes established. Originally, the trail changed quite a bit, year after year. But over time, the trend has been to keep it the same, and to use more of the permanent markers.

The trail left Nikolai on the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River, and continued on to McGrath on the main stem of the Kuskokwim. It went partly on the river, and partly over land to Takotna, and now is heading across the big, flat expanse of country which drains into the mighty Yukon River. The vegetation is primarily small spruce and birch. The terrain is mostly forested, with frequent small streams to cross, which drain into the Innoko River, a large tributary of the Yukon.

Time for bed now....the plan is that tomorrow we will hook up with the main group of teams toward the front of the pack, and have lots more to say about how the race is unfolding.

Wow...just as I wrote those last words, Mike Williams and his team passed by. They stopped briefly. Mike asked how far we thought it was to Cripple, and clarified what time it was. He looked pretty tired, and said he was going to camp soon. He was carrying a bale of straw on the sled for bedding for the dogs

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