Trail Mix: ‘Logistics are the hard part’ in Iditarod coverage
There's really not a lot of "planning" for this. I'm only two days in, and I feel like more attention goes towards tracking flights, coordinating deadlines, and finding Internet than it does to figuring out who's at the front of the race and why.
Wednesday’s Three to Read: catch up on Iditarod 44
The 2016 race strategies that mushers have chewed over for months are coming into focus as top teams near their mandatory 24-hour rest period...
Gatt scratches at Nikolai checkpoint
Hans Gatt, a veteran musher from the Yukon, scratched at 8:35 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Nikolai checkpoint.
300 miles in, Iditarod mushers deciding when to “push” — or rest
Iditarod dog teams have travelled more than 300 miles down the trail in the last three days. Defending champion Dallas Seavey. Says they’ve reached a turning point in the race.
Resting becomes strategic as Iditarod teams push through McGrath
Mushers have reached a point in the Iditarod where rest becomes strategic. Overnight, a number of them opted to push their teams further down the trail, while others chose to hunker down for a mandatory 24-hour rest. The majority of mushers who arrived first into McGrath, didn’t stay long, but some of their decisions earlier in the race, might offer clues about their race plans.
Dallas Seavey leads Iditarod field between Ophir, Cripple
Reigning Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey, of Willow, leads the field Wednesday morning, spending about 5 minutes in the Ophir checkpoint before continuing on toward Cripple at 2:21 a.m.
Dallas Seavey first into McGrath, Mitch Seavey first out
Dallas Seavey was the first musher to reach the McGrath checkpoint Tuesday evening at 6:34. 11 minutes behind him--and with the fastest run time...
Iditarod reaches a turning point in Nikolai
The village of Nikolai was bustling all day as dog teams pulled in and out of the sixth checkpoint on the Iditarod trail. After teams have passed over some of the roughest trail, the race reaches a turning point. From here, mushers will evaluate their dogs as they try to decide how best to execute a their race plans.
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Brent Sass, Noah Burmeister, and Dallas Seavey race on to McGrath
Dallas Seavey is surging to the front of the Iditarod trail between Nikolai and McGrath. The defending champion dropped one dog and rested four hours in Nikolai, about 250 miles into the race. His father Mitch Seavey and Wade Marrs followed closely behind this afternoon, according to the Iditarod GPS tracker.
Tuesday, March 8th’s Three to Read: catch up on Iditarod 44
Two days into the race, Iditarod strategies are coming into sharper contrast. As mushers leapfrog one another, here's what you need to know to...
17 journeys for 17 Iditarod rookies
The vast majority of mushers driving dog teams in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are veterans. The field of rookies is small and their goals are varied, but they’re all taking cues from seasoned veterans.
DeNure scratches in Rainy Pass
Delta Junction's Zoya Denure scratched in Rainy Pass this morning at 9:50 a.m. According to an Iditarod press release, Denure made the decision due to concerns for her team.
Petit first to arrive in Nikolai
Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit is the first competitor into the Nikolai checkpoint. Dallas and Mitch Seavey are running in second and third place, respectively, with Wade Marrs trailing in fourth.
Trail Mix: An Iditarod reporter’s ambitious reading list
Trail Mix is Alaska Public Media's trail reporters' inside perspective on covering the Iditarod.
Whenever I travel, I bring something to read. Even...
Iditarod mushers battle “The Crud”
In the first couple days of racing, Iditarod dog teams are running along some of the roughest parts of trail reported on this year’s Iditarod. But the actual trail may not be the challenge. A handful of mushers are sick and others are making an effort to keep their dogs race ready.
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Petit retakes lead on the way to Nikolai
After briefly relinquishing the lead Monday, Nicolas Petit is back in front on the way to Nikolai. But, the pack isn't far behind. Dallas Seavey, Wade Marrs, Mitch Seavey and Hugh Neff are within 10 miles of Petit.
Hugh Neff Arrives in Rohn in Iditarod 44
Yukon Quest champion Hugh Neff is the first musher into the Rohn checkpoint, arriving at 3:57 with all 16 dogs. As of 5:00 Monday afternoon,...
Mushing Explained Video: Designing the perfect dog sled
Iditarod mushers are preparing for a particularly bumpy, brutal ride on the trail’s first leg on icy terrain with little snow. Many have modified their run strategies, and adjusted one of the main tools for keeping a competitive edge: their sleds. Many mushers say durability is trumping speed this year as they expect to take a beating along the early trail.
Koenig scratches at Skwenta checkpoint
At 2pm, Martin Koenig of Seeley Lake, MT scratched at the Skwentna checkpoint. The veteran musher had fallen ill and it prevented him from finishing the race.
Mushing Explained Video: Feeding the furnace of elite Iditarod sled dogs
The lives of the 1,300 sled dogs running now to Nome have led up to this moment as they race to against the world’s best dogs and wiliest mushers. Years of training come down to a couple short weeks of elite performance, sometimes running more than 100 miles per day.