In case you’re not familiar, the military uses SNAFU to mean “Situation Normal…All F***ed Up”. Thankfully that is no longer the case for this handsome boy.
The top five mushers are currently clustered around the Ophir checkpoint.
Brent Sass left Ophir at 4:21 this morning.
Aaron Peck left at 8:32 this morning.
Mille Porsild left at 10:22 this morning and is down to 11 dogs.
Ryan Redington arrived at Ophir at 2:34 this morning, also down to 11 dogs.
Aaron Burmeister arrived at Ophir at 4:15 this morning.
In other race news, Dallas Seavey won the Alaska Air Transit Spirit of Iditarod Award by being the first musher to arrive at McGrath with all 14 dogs in harness. He was awarded a pair of beaver fur and moose hide mittens and a hat made of beaver fur and beaded velvet, all made by citizens of McGrath. Congrats to Dallas, and kudos to the crafters in McGrath!
Here’s how the top five mushers are doing. All have arrived at the Nikolai check point, and the top two have pulled back out onto the trail. The remaining three appear to be taking their 8-hour rest periods.
Brent Sass out at 7:59 AM
Dallas Seavey out at 9:04 AM
Ryan Redington in at 4:45 AM
Aaron Burmeister in at 6:15 AM
Richie Diehl in at 6:40 AM
Ryan Redington at 7:24
Richie Diehl at 9:20
Nicolas Petit at 9:57
Brent Sass at 10:47
Michelle Phillips at 11:03
All of them still have all 14 dogs on board. It’s 35 miles to the next checkpoint at Rohn, so expect them to be there soon as the sleds travel somewhere between 5 and 10 mph.
The first musher, Aaron Peck, and his dogs are now leaving Deshka Landing for the start of the Last Great Trail Race, the 49th running of the Iditarod!
This will be Aliy Zirkle’s last race as she heads into retirement following 20 years in the sport.
Many other races have been cancelled during this year of COVID19 but the Iditarod has made some significant changes to allow it to carry on. The route has been made into a circle, beginning and ending in Deshka Landing rather than riding all the way to Nome, and many of the checkpoints have been set up away from town centers to keep the mushers isolated from native communities. In addition, no spectators are allowed.
Meet Elon! This handsome young fella is neutered, well on his way to potty training, and good with other dogs. Here’s what he has to say for himself: Hey everyone! My name is Elon! I’m 1-2 years old and I’m all puppy. I get along with my foster siblings, though they have a hard time keeping up with me. My foster dad’s say I’m doing great with potty training and I’m just getting introduced to my kennel, but have done well. I’d love to have an active family and a big, fenced in back yard so I can play fetch and chase squirrels. I can be very rambunctious and may knock over a small child, so older children would be best. I am a quick learner but would benefit from some professional training as I knew nothing before coming to HOHR. I am neutered, UTD on vacc., microchipped, and kept on monthly flea/tick/hw meds.
Elon is currently a guest of Hands of Hope Rescue in Great Bend, Kansas. If you’re lucky enough to be nearby, why not contact the rescue to find out more about Elon and all of his friends. Send an email to [email protected] or fill out an online application.