A King’s march to the mighty Yukon River
The first dog team in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has reached the midway point of of Ruby on the Yukon River, 495 miles along the Iditarod trail. Jeff King’s team was not only the first team to arrive, but is the only team to travel this far without taking 24 hours rest.
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Mid-pack and back-of-the-pack Iditarod mushers meet adventure on race trail
Spirits in Takotna were high Thursday morning, with a cluster of well-fed and rested mushers getting set to end their 24-hour rests. The front-runners who rested here like Mitch Seavey and Pete Kaiser roared back onto the trail late last night. The mushers camped out now, like Ryne Olson, are on a different pace.
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Trail Mix: No need for five-course meal in Ruby when there’s $5 bear soup for sale
Near the first Iditarod checkpoint on the Yukon River, the Ruby Bible Church was selling a soup and sandwich lunch special for $5. When I arrived, there were three options to pick from, and I went with the "Seven Bean and Black Bear" offering.
Iditarod teams consider options for run down the Yukon River
Halfway to Nome, the real racing has begun as Iditarod dog teams make their way to Ruby, the first stop along the Yukon River. Somewhere in the next 134 miles, teams must take a mandatory eight-hour layover, but gaps are starting to open up in the field. The challenge for mushers now is how and when they will decide to make their big moves.
Aliy Zirkle takes lead en route to Galena
Iditarod veteran Aliy Zirkle was the second musher out of Ruby early this morning, but she overtook Brent Sass a short ways down the trail. Both are on the move toward Galena - a 50-mile run down the Yukon River - with 15 dogs in harness.
Musher Ken Anderson receives 2-hour time penalty
When he came into Ruby Friday morning, race officials informed Ken Anderson that they would add two hours to his mandatory eight-hour layover. The penalty comes after Anderson violated rule 38 and ran more than two dogs abreast.
Friday’s Three to Read: catch up on Iditarod 44
The teams that have been lurking behind the front runners in the spotlight are about to come out of the woodwork. Leading teams are done with their 24-hour layovers (or soon will be) and head to the flat expanses of the Yukon River, where a new race opens up to the Bering Sea coast.
Zirkle first musher into Galena, Sass first to leave
Iditarod veteran Aliy Zirkle was the second musher out of Ruby early this [Friday] morning, but was the first to reach Galena, checking in at 10:46 a.m.
How chefs cook wilderness gourmet on the Iditarod Trail
One of Jeff King’s prizes for reaching the Yukon River in Ruby before anyone else was a five-course meal supplied by on of the Iditarod’s sponsors. And as Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes reports, the meal might mean more to the chefs than it does for the musher.
Mushing world questions whether new Iditarod muzzle rule benefits sponsors or the sport
As Iditarod mushers drive their teams to Nome, a controversial rule-change is casting a shadow over the event. Some are accusing race organizers of siding with corporate sponsors by placing a so-called gag-order on mushers competing in the event. But even critics say that without those sponsor dollars, there might be no race at all.
Aliy Zirkle arrives first into Galena
Aliy Zirkle was the first musher to reach the Yukon River checkpoint of Galena Friday morning. She arrived at 10:46 with 14 dogs. Brent Sass was next into the checkpoint but swiftly moved through without stopping with his 15 dogs. Mitch Seavey pulled into Galena by 2:45.
Sass and Zirkle lead Iditarod down Yukon River
Dog teams moved swiftly down the Yukon River all Friday afternoon. Many came off an eight-hour rest, but some mushers chose to push their teams before taking the mandatory break on the river. KNOM’s Emily Schwing reports.
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Sled dog dead after snowmachiner attacks Iditarod teams
In Saturday's early morning hours, a snowmachiner repeatedly tried to harm Iditarod veterans Aliy Zirkle, Jeff King and their teams outside of Nulato, according to an Iditarod press release, killing one dog and injuring several others.
INTERVIEW: Jeff King describes snowmachine attack
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Jeff King's dog team was attacked by a reckless snowmachiner. One of his dogs was killed, two are seriously injured. KNOM's Emily Schwing caught up with King in the Nulato checkpoint to find out what happened.
Iditarod mushers in striking distance surprise themselves
As top Iditarod teams reached the checkpoint at Galena, several were trying to account for their spots at the top of the pack. Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes spoke with three mushers surprised for one reason or another with their place in the standings.
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Mitch Seavey first to Kaltag, Brent Sass first out
Iditarod veteran Mitch Seavey was the first musher into Kaltag on Saturday morning, checking in at 7:41 a.m. But, as has been the case in the dash down the Yukon River, Brent Sass was the first one out.
Checking in with Iditarod mushers Baker and Burmeister
Mushers and their teams are making their runs down the Yukon River. KNOM’s Emily Schwing caught up with two mushers who have roots in Western Alaska mushers to find out how their races are going.
INTERVIEW: Sitting down with Aliy Zirkle in Galena
On Friday, before Aliy Zirkle and her team's run-in with a person riding a snowmachine who, according to an Iditarod press release, deliberately tried to harm her and her team, KNOM's Emily Schwing sat down with her during a Galena during Zirkle's mandatory 8-hour layover.
Fans show support as Zirkle moves through Kaltag
Shock is the best way to describe the reaction from spectators and mushers alike as news of a rogue snowmachine attack on two well-known mushers broke early Saturday morning.