LAST MINUTE TRAIL CHANGES!!

Saturday, March 8, 6 p.m.

One of Robert Sorlie's dogs rests on some straw in Anvik

Martin Buser makes his way to Grayling

This year seems to be the Iditarod of changes. Before the race started there was one change after another until it seemed like the changes would never end.

First they changed the race route from the normal one of restarting the race in Wasilla and running through the Alaska Range to starting in Fairbanks and running through the interior and down the Yukon. This change was very unexpected and happened due to lack of snow and open water on many of the rivers the race normally ran on. After this they changed the route from going through Ruby to Ophir and around the southern route instead to going down river through Ruby to Kaltag and make a loop down through Grayling, Anvik, and Shageluk. Then it was the ceremonial start and there were more changes to that part of the race then can be numbered.

After the race had started everyone thought that the changes had stopped and it was time to race. Little did we know we were all wrong. There has been another change in the race that once again revolves around the trail. Due to lack of snow in Shageluk race marshal Mark Nordman decided to eliminate it as a checkpoint in the race. This then means that the race does not go as far south on the Yukon River and the length of the race is then shortened. It is calculated that the race will be 35 miles shorter which isn&Mac226;t considerable but that will change how the mushers decide to implement their run rest schedule for this section of the race.

Hopefully this will be the last change for this year's Iditarod but the way things are going I wouldn't make any bets.