More Snow and a New Snowmachine

October 30, 2001

Seavey's Iditarod Racing Team--Tyrell Seavey

Winter is definitely upon us.  We now have an accumulation of close to ten inches of snow.  Training is moving along swiftly and the dogs are now going on 20 mile runs.  It takes most of our time just to keep the dogs run, and any spare time we do have is spent preparing the place for the winter months. 

This is the same model snowmobile that Tyrell is currently working on customizing for Ultimate Iditarod's coverage of the Iditarod from the trail.

I went into the local Arctic Cat snowmachine dealer this week and bought a Panther 440.  It is an efficient, tough, medium-sized snowmachine and should handle the trip to Nome well.  The dealer gave me a good price so the normally hefty price tag was slightly reduced to $4,300.  I am already working on several major improvements.  First, I removed the seat and am having it cut down to a smaller size.  When that gets back I’ll take it into Mike’s Welding and have Mike (the guy who went to Nome with me last year) weld up a second fuel tank on the back rack of my snowmachine.  This will give me long-range capability so I can travel day and night and not have to worry where the next fuel station is.  I have studded the track to give the machine more traction on large hills and icy trails.  I also did some minor adjustments to the engine. 

We have decided to start offering winter tours here at our training location.  My second cousin, Darrick Gutting, will be the main tour guide.  My brother Dallas and I will help him on days with large groups.  The yearling pups are the main “tour” dogs so they will be getting more valuable experience and also stay in good shape.  The moose are starting to come in closer to civilization.  They are attracted to the hard-packed trails, plowed roads and the protection from predators.  There are some predators about too; we have seen two wolves, a coyote, and a lynx in the last couple days.  The bears will be in hibernation soon so that will help ease the threat on the moose.     

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Arctic Motor Sports for their help and support of Ultimate Iditarod.  Your support is greatly appreciated!

See you next time,