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Hardcore Huskies Newsletter 08 Race Edition.pdf [ Archive ] |
| MACKEY WINS BACK TO BACK IDITARODS! | Wed, Mar. 12th, 2008 | |
Lance Mackey just won is his second Iditarod edging out 4-time winner Jeff King. Mackey finished the 1122 mile run in 9 days, 11 hours and 46 minutes.
This is the second year in a row Mackey won both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod in the same year.
Congratualtions Lance Mackey!
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| Heather Arrives in Kaltag Ahead of Last Year | Wed, Mar. 12th, 2008 | |
Heather and the Hardcore Team rolled into Kaltag early this morning, nearly two full days ahead of last years pace. Kaltag is the point where the northern and southern routes meet. Heather and her team arrived at 46 minutes past midnight on March 12th (4:46 AM EDT), which means they have been on the trail for 9 days 10 hours and 46 minutes. Last year it took Heather 11 days 9 hours and 58 minutes to reach the same checkpoint. In spite of all the adversity she’s faced this year, including running a lot of the race with fewer dogs this year, Heather and the Hardcore Team is 1 day 23 hours and 12 minutes ahead of last year!
Heather and the Team will now rest in Kaltag about 8 hours before heading out on the 90 mile run to Unalakleet which is located on the Norton Sound.
Kaltag, population 234, signals a brief respite from the driving winds as the trail from here leads overland through Kaltag Portage to the coast of Norton Sound where the winds take on new meaning. Kaltag is the home of Virginia Kalland, widow of Edgar Kalland who was one of the original mushers who helped carry life saving diphtheria serum along this trail in 1925. She also owns one of Kaltag’s three stores.
Note: The location for mushers check-in is at Rich Burnham’s house, but the official checkpoint and gathering spot is the community hall about a block away.
The distance to Unalakleet is actually about 82 miles. Heather can plan on 13 to 20 hours for this trip, depending on how long she camps along the way. If the weather gets bad, though, this trip can easily take more than 20 hours. Last year Heather made this run in 16 hours 7 minutes with 10 dogs.
There are two excellent resting spots on the trail, fifteen miles apart: the Tripod Flats cabin is 35 miles from Kaltag, and the Old Woman cabin is 15 miles farther on, about 35 miles from Unalakleet. Both are snug log cabins maintained by BLM and the local villages and can provide welcome refuges in case you encounter a storm.
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| They just keep going, and going, and going! | Tue, Mar. 11th, 2008 | |
They are off once again, headed down the mighty Yukon River. Heather and the hearty little eight remaining members of the Hardcore Team are off to Kaltag, 42 miles south. They left Nulato at 7:15 PM AKDT (11:15 PM EDT) and, baring any misfortunes, should arrive in Kaltag a little before midnight AKDT (4 AM EDT).
This is the last leg on the river. When they reach Kaltag they will cross overland past the Nulato Hills to Norton Sound and the city of Unalakleet. When the Teams arrives there they will run up the Bering coast to Nome. Heather will certainly have a feeling that he is almost there, but reality is the Team still will have 261 miles to get to Nome.
When the Hardcore Team leaves from the checkpoint at Nulato the trail winds back through the village streets (not the same way they came in) before dropping down the bank and onto the river. Heather will probably run the Hardcore Team along the right (west) side of the river for awhile, depending on how the ice has frozen. About four miles south she’ll pass the north tip of Ninemile Island, separated from the east bank by Ninemile Slough. Eight miles from Nulato the Ninemile River flows into the Yukon from the southwest, shortly after which the Yukon makes a slight jog to the left (east) around a headland. There may be overflow in this area.
A mile or so past Ninemile River, as the Team passes the headland on their right, the south tip of Ninemile Island will be on their left, nine miles from Nulato. (Like many islands on the Yukon, the island may not look like an island; Heather may only see what looks like a stream entering the river, which is actually the slough separating the island from the mainland.)
Five miles past Ninemile Island (or the headland on the west bank above Ninemile River, which is probably a better reference), Heather should another island almost in midstream; two miles on will be another much bigger island which squeezes the main channel of the river against the right bank; this is Halfway Island, whose north end is halfway between Nulato and Kaltag.
Six miles later she’ll pass a very prominent headland with bluffs on the west bank, almost 700 feet above the river; the headland is about 11 miles from Kaltag. The end of Halfway Island will be on the left (east) side of the river where its slough re-enters the main channel. Just beyond the headland, Sevenmile Island lies hard up against the west bank, with another 700-foot hill on the west shore at the island’s midpoint.
The south end of the island is split by a slough; if she can make it out, the slough is about seven miles from Kaltag. At night Heather will probably be able to make out the flash from the Kaltag airport beacon by this point. The trail may run along the east side of the river here to go down a slough behind an island lying just upstream from Kaltag.
When the Hardcore Team comes out of the slough they’ll head directly across the river and up the bank to Kaltag run up the main street of the village for several blocks to the log 8-sided community center, which is the checkpoint. Teams will be parked in the general vicinity of the community center. Cold water is available in the community center. There is usually a fair spread of munchies in the checkpoint. In 1999 there was a minor problem with restroom facilities, necessitating a couple-block hike; the checker will explain when she arrive.
Kaltag is a familiar spot for Heather and the Hardcore Team. This is the checkpoint where the northern and southern routes meet up for the final 351 mile push to Nome.
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| North Dakota Students Following Iditarod | Tue, Mar. 11th, 2008 | |
After the 2007 Iditarod race, Heather went to Fort Lincoln School in Mandan to share with the kids about the race and what it was like to cross 1100 miles of Alaskan wilderness. Now some of those students are a part of this years Hardcore Team. In Febtruary the 5th grade classes held a bake sale to raise money for the Heather and the Team. Now they are tracking the progress of this years Iditarod race, especially the progress of Heather and her Hardcore Team.
To see the story done by KXMB TV in Bismarck, North Dakota, CLICK HERE.
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| The Hardcore Team is Still Going! | Tue, Mar. 11th, 2008 | |
Heather and the Hardcore Team slid into the Nulato checkpoint at 10:38 am AKDT (2:38 pm EDT) Tuesday, March 11th. It took the Team 7 hours 53 minutes to make the 52 mile run from Galena.
It’s now time for lunch and a nap for the dogs while Heather will reportedly use this time to grab a warm meal and a nice hot shower before heading out on the next leg of the race, a short 42 mile run to Kaltag.
The Teams current rest stop, Nulato, boasts a population of 359. Originally founded in 1838 at the confluence of the Nulato and Yukon Rivers, Nulato was a Russian trading post. Without a stockade, the Indians promptly burned it down. In 1841, the Russian American Company rebuilt the trading post consisting of seven log buildings, but again without a stockade. In 1851, the Koyukan Indians again burned it down and killed most of the inhabitants. In 1853, the trading post was rebuilt at the present town site, two miles upriver from the old site. The checkpoint is the community hall.
Heather and Hardcore Team will probably rest here for 6 to 8 hours. They have now completed 719 miles with 397 remaining to get to Nome.
Defending champion Lance Mackey and 4-time champion Jeff King arrived at While Mountain a short wile ago where they are now taking their mandatory eight hour rest before the final 77 mile push to Nome. Mackey holds a slim 57 minute lead over King. Mackey’s team seems to have slightly more speed than King, making the trip from Elim to While Mountain 7 minutes faster than King.
Based on the run times from last year from While Mountain to Nome, Mackey or King should arrive between 2 and 3 AM AKDT (6 and 7 AM EDT) on Wednesday, March 12th, which means the total elapsed time for the race will be about 6 to 7 hours slower than last year.
If Heather continues on her present pace, she should arrive in Nome on Sunday, more than two days ahead of last year’s time.
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