Bill Gallea for Ultimate Iditarod

Replacement sleds wait for their teams at Unalakleet, as a checker waits for the first team.

FOR THE ROSES
THE FAB FOUR


FOR THE ROSES

The excitement is palpable here in the Unalakleet checkpoint. We’re expecting teams to arrive here within the next two hours. Observers from the trail report that Robert is still in the lead, perhaps one hour ahead of Ramy Brooks. They also note that Ramy is working hard, poling beside his sled to help the dogs in a valiant effort to see those yellow roses draped around the neck of his lead dog.

Robert left Kaltag first last night at 4:41 AM. He rested six hours at that checkpoint, after running a total of 14 hours up from Eagle Island. Of course, we know he rested along the trail. We saw his campsite just a few miles north of the checkpoint as we flew to Unalakleet last night. He had departed, however, and we had no firm information on how long he rested.

A freelance writer from Norway, Yngve Fagerli, reporting on Robert’s race to a European audience, told me that Robert rested six hours on the trail. He sounded like perhaps Robert had shared with him his race plan. If that estimate is accurate, he ran from Eagle Island to Kaltag in 8 hours, almost 1 hour faster than it took him to traverse the same stretch on the way downriver. But on the way down, his team would have been tired, heading for their 24-hour break. A slower time then would not be surprising.

The waiting game in Unalakleet. Here’s Jeff, our freelance photographer, the KTUU reporter, and Yngve Fagerli, who is reporting to Europe.

The calm before the storm. The Unalakleet checkpoint headquarters will be crammed with people in just a couple hours

Ramy Brooks drove his team of huskies out of Kaltag only one hour and 22 minutes after Robert. He rested for five hours, and Robert rested for six. Ramy took eight hours to get to Kaltag. We can’t really be sure from this information which team is faster, since we don’t really know how long Robert rested, and therefore how long he ran. We should be able to tell which team is faster when they get here, since it is almost a certainty that they will both come straight here, with no significant rest on the trail.

And there is a third team solidly in contention. Three-time champion, Jeff King, of Denali Park, left Kaltag just before 8 AM, after four hours and 20 minutes of rest. This puts him only three hours off the leading pace. Jeff’s time to Kaltag was almost exactly the same as Ramy’s. He probably feels that he can shorten his rest a bit now since he has a bit of rest “in the bank” having come off his 24 the latest of any team in the front of the pack. It’s a gamble, though, since shorting rest now might lead to a slowing of the team. Nonetheless, the reason to take the 24 so late is just so you can make such a move in this kind of situation.


THE FAB FOUR

Mitch Seavey was in 17th place this morning, into Eagle Island with 12 dogs. We’re anxious to catch up with Mitch soon, to hear his stories.

Cindy Gallea was in 34th place Monday morning, having left Anvik at 9:45 AM, just behind Bill Pinkham and Cim Smyth. She has ten dogs, and rested eight hours in Anvik.

Tyrell and Jim are both out of Eagle Island this morning in 38th and 40th positions, respectively. Ty has 13 dogs; Jim has 11. Jim’s team is about four hours behind their kennel mates.

We plan to fly back to the Anvik and Grayling area this afternoon, perhaps after Ramy Brooks gets in. Hopefully we can see Cindy, Jim and Tyrell then. It is doubtful we’ll be able to see Mitch, who is probably going to be well on his way to Kaltag by then, if not already there.