Leaders
travel to First and Second Versions of Checkpoint.
To keep the confusion down a bit, Iditarod has called some of the
new trail checkpoint names things like Kaltag 1, Kaltag 2 and Eagle
Island 1 and Eagle Island 2. Reading the stats gets more interesting
by the minute. Some say the checkers out there need traffic signals
as teams are coming and going both directions. The latest change
yesterday that eliminated Shageluk from the route had some folks
wondering if it threw a loop into already planned run-rest schedules.
Rick Swenson was said to have bedded down his team on the river
ice, intending to blow through Shageluk only to find that it was
no longer a place
he would need to go. The change could have cost Rick a few hours
time. That would be enough to make some mushers really mad, wouldn't
you think? G.B. Jones was finally spotted by trail sweeps and is
bringing up the rear of the pack with Adam Scott Gibler and Lachlan
Clarke. Good luck to all those in the back of the pack. Those guys
have their own separate race going on and sometimes it is a race
against themselves.
Most of the front runners have now taken both their 8-hour layover
and their mandatory 24-hour layover. Ramy Brooks, Jeff King and
Robert Sorlie are trading places regularly in the front. Jessica
Hendricks is doing really well in the Top 20 and is an obvious choice
for Rookie of the Year, a title held by Sorlie in 2002. Randy Chappel
of Texas also seems to be having a great rookie year. Martin Buser,
Ramey Smyth and Johnny Baker are also hanging in there in shooting
distance of top honors.
We visited Millenium Headquarters tonight and met up with a few
Georgia fans. Steve Major from Cleveland, GA and his family were
in, about to fly to Nome. Linda Birchall from Avondale Estates,
GA was in the lobby, sorry to be heading home tonight. Jerry and
Barbara Lake from Virginia, IditaSupport Members, had just flown
in and went with us to Moose's Tooth Pizza for a bite to eat. They
were very happy to be heading to Nome on Monday for their first
time at the Finish Line. The Iditarod "scoreboard" was
abuzz with talk and constant updates as information came into the
phone room. We visited the dropped dogs' area out behind the hotel
and finally saw one of the Bootie Brigade dog coats on one of the
well dressed fellas out back. Most of the dogs were bouncy, alert,
and looking to be petted.
Stephen
Drake, IditaSupport member, had a few trail stories from his experience
as a checker. He told us that Todd Capistrant had been coming up
the trail in the dark and noticed his leaders veer off to avoid
something in the trail. When Todd got closer, he realized that the
object being avoided was a tent, set up right in the middle of the
trail!! The IditaSport individual, who had swiped reflective trail
marker stakes to hold his tent in place, unzipped just enough to
stick his head out and ask "What are you doing way out here
with all those dogs?" Wonder what century this guy is in? Of
course, trail talk says that everyone by this time was very tired.
The snow conditions and the human FEETprint in the trail have made
traveling very exhausting. The weather is clear and beautiful out
there so far, and has not been a factor. Keep your fingers crossed.
Top Headlines from the Anchorage Daily News
February
28, 2003
Start Position — Musher —
Hometown
1 — Howard and Julie Farley — honorary
2 — John Baker — Kotzebue
3 — Ted English — Willow
4 — Cali King — Denali Park
5 — Perry Solomonson — Whittier
6 — Jason Barron — Lincoln, Mont.
7 — Tyrell Seavey — Seward
8 — Jessie Royer — Fairbanks
9 — Ed Iten — Kotzebue
10 — Dexter Kancer — Nenana
11 — Blake Matray — Two Rivers
12 — Ben Stamm — Argyle, Wis.
13 — Jim Lanier — Chugiak
14 — Paul Gebhardt — Kasilof
15 — Martin Buser — Big Lake
16 — Karen Land — Sand Coulee, Mont.
17 — Cim Smyth — Big Lake
18 — Jeff King — Denali Park
19 — Vern Halter — Willow
20 — Lance Barve — Willow
21 — Frank Sihler — Wasilla
22 — Gerald Riley — Nenana
23 — Robert Sorlie — Hurdal, Norway
24 — Cindy Gallea — Seely Lake, Mont.
25 — Aaron Burmeister — Nome
26 — Lynda Plettner — Houston
27 — Charlie Boulding — Manley
28 — Ray Redington Jr. — Two Rivers
29 — Todd Capistrant — Emerald, Wis.
30 — DeeDee Jonrowe — Willow
31 — Jack Berry — Salcha
32 — Debbie Moderow — Anchorage
33 — Ramey Smyth — Big Lake
34 — Carla Kelly — Anchorage
35 — G.B. Jones — Wasilla
36 — Ken Anderson — Fairbanks
37 — Bruce Lee — Denali Park
38 — Karen Ramstead — Perryvale, Alberta
39 — Randy Chappel — Arlington, Texas
40 — Peter Bartlett — Willow
41 — Linwood Fiedler — Willow
42 — Ramy Brooks — Healy
43 — Mitch Seavey — Seward
44 — Sonny Lindner — Fairbanks
45 — Aliy Zirkle — Two Rivers
46 — Melanie Gould — Talkeetna
47 — Rick Swenson — Two Rivers
48 — Tim Osmar — Ninilchik
49 — Gerald Sousa — Talkeetna
50 — Ellen Halverson — Wasilla
51 — Mike Williams — Akiak
52 — Bill Pinkham — Glenwood Springs, Colo.
53 — Palmer Sagoonick — Shaktoolik
54 — Adam Scott Gibler — Chugiak
55 — Dean Osmar — Clam Gulch
56 — Jon Little — Kasilof
57 — Jim Gallea — Sterling
58 — Bob Hickel — Anchorage
59 — Keith Aili — Ray, Minn.
60 — Jessica Hendricks — Copper Center
61 — Russell Bybee — Willow
62 — Kelly LaMarre — Geneva, Ill.
63 — Lachlan Clarke — Colorado Springs, Colo.
64 — Robert Bundtzen — Anchorage
65 — Clint Warnke — Bonnie Lake, Wash
he would need to go. The change could have cost Rick a few hours
time. That would be enough to make some mushers really mad, wouldn't
you think? G.B. Jones was finally spotted by trail sweeps and is
bringing up the rear of the pack with Adam Scott Gibler and Lachlan
Clarke. Good luck to all those in the back of the pack. Those guys
have their own separate race going on and sometimes it is a race
against themselves. 
Barbara Lake from Virginia, IditaSupport Members, had just flown
in and went with us to Moose's Tooth Pizza for a bite to eat. They
were very happy to be heading to Nome on Monday for their first
time at the Finish Line. The Iditarod "scoreboard" was
abuzz with talk and constant updates as information came into the
phone room. We visited the dropped dogs' area out behind the hotel
and finally saw one of the Bootie Brigade dog coats on one of the
well dressed fellas out back. Most of the dogs were bouncy, alert,
and looking to be petted. 
Stephen
Drake, IditaSupport member, had a few trail stories from his experience
as a checker. He told us that Todd Capistrant had been coming up
the trail in the dark and noticed his leaders veer off to avoid
something in the trail. When Todd got closer, he realized that the
object being avoided was a tent, set up right in the middle of the
trail!! The IditaSport individual, who had swiped reflective trail
marker stakes to hold his tent in place, unzipped just enough to
stick his head out and ask "What are you doing way out here
with all those dogs?" Wonder what century this guy is in? Of
course, trail talk says that everyone by this time was very tired.
The snow conditions and the human FEETprint in the trail have made
traveling very exhausting. The weather is clear and beautiful out
there so far, and has not been a factor. Keep your fingers crossed.