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Ruby Checkpoint

Total mileage from Wasilla:  523 miles

March 09, 1:00 a.m.

A glaciated creek is frozen on top of the trail.

Large portions of the trail over from Cripple were covered with glaciated ice.  At one point I had to just stop and laugh.  The last 40 miles of trail into Ruby are on a summer-use road and at one point there was a highway sign sticking out of the ice.  The ice was so deep that only about a foot of the ten-foot sign was exposed, it read 'caution slippery when wet.'  Really?  

    The buzz here at the Ruby checkpoint is almost entirely about Linwood Fiedler's scratching from the race.  An informant who was here at the time when Linwood returned to Ruby said his eight remaining dogs were just tired, and Linwood was just tired of pushing them.  In order to run at the pace Linwood has been maintaining everything has to be perfect.  Unfortunately for Linwood, everything wasn't perfect.  The problem is that you can never tell how good your team is until you push them, and then, if you pushed them too hard, it's too late.  Anymore, the Iditarod is so competitive it is all about taking chances.  If you run a conservative schedule with enough rest to maintain a large team you're in twentieth place, but if you're willing to take a chance and push harder you may take tenth.  To win, you have to take big, well-calculated risks and get lucky.  Linwood took the big risks, and just wasn't able to get away with it.  He's a competitive guy and a good musher.  He'll be back next year.

"Onward"

We have almost caught back up to my dad Mitch Seavey.  He left the checkpoint an hour before we got here so we should pass him on the way to Galena.  Our informant told us that Mitch looked good and was moving along at a decent pace.  I should see him tonight and have the whole scoop for you in the morning.

Reporting from the trail for Ultimate Iditarod,

Tyrell Seavey   

© 2002 Ultimate Iditarod, Snowcrest Racing Sled Dogs, Seavey's Iditarod Racing Team
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