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| Heather & Team Arrive in Takotna | Fri, Mar. 7th, 2008 | |
It took 2 hours and 35 minutes for Heather and the Hardcore Team to make the 18 mile trip from McGrath to Takotna. The ten dog team and their musher arrived at 2:32 PM AKST (6:32 EST).
Musher Sue Allen, who left McGrath 11 minutes after the Hardcore Team, passed them along the way arrive 7 minutes of Heather and her Team. Allen still has 15 dogs while Heather has 10.
We suspect Heather will stay in Takotna until later this afternoon when it cools down before they head to Ophir. Allen stayed only 20 minutes and then left for Ophir.
As we wrote in an earlier post, Takotna only has about 75 people but it offers some of the best hospitality on the trail. There is usually a cook on duty in the kitchen who will whip up a meal for you. In the past few years the village has even made a point of giving every musher a steak dinner. (There seems to be an ongoing contest between McGrath and Takotna to see which place can do more for the mushers—and they’re both winning.) About the only disadvantage to Takotna for a layover is that there are no stores but there is a bar! I suspect Heather won`t spend too much time in there.
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| Back on the Trail But Team Down to 10 | Fri, Mar. 7th, 2008 | |
Heather and the hardcore Team have completed their mandatory 24 hour rest and were back on the trail at 11:57 PM AKST (3:57 PM EST) headed for the next checkpoint in Takotna; however the Hardcore Team has been struck by an intestinal virus and is down to ten dogs.
The Hardcore Team actually had to wait longer than 24 hours before they could leave, their rest adjusted because of the staggered start. But because Heather was having health concerns with some of her dogs she actually waited a bit longer.
The Team has apparently been bitten by the same bug as many other teams, including some of the top teams like Lance Mackey and DeeDee Jonrowe. In fact, one source told us that one of the top teams had scratched because of this virus. We’re told that because of the unseasonable warm weather and the close proximity the teams are to each other, any little bug is transmitted between teams very easily. Colder weather usually won’t allow these germs to live long enough to cause problems. The vet in McGrath has placed the dogs on medication and they seemed to be improving during their 24 hour rest.
As with the other dropped dogs as soon as we can confirm which members of the Hardcore Team are no longer running, we will let you know.
We’re being told that Heather plans to get to Takotna and possibly take some extra precaution with her team by resting them there a bit more before heading for Ophir. That way she will avoid traveling during the heat of the day which is easier on the dogs.
In case you are wondering at this point in the race last year Heather had the same number of dogs in this point of the race, 10. We’ve been told that some mushers have traveled longer distances than the 711 miles that the Hardcore Team has left and still made it to Nome. In fact, Heathers mentor, Jerry Sousa, in 2003 did most of the race with just 7 dogs.
This is normally a fast two-to-three-hour run on a well-traveled snowmachine trail. Last year the Team made the run in 2 hours and 23 minutes. The trail crosses the Kuskokwim, runs up the Takotna River for a mile or so, then swings up the left bank for an overland run west toward Takotna across a gradually rising and mostly open area. About halfway it will climb up and run along heavily wooded Porcupine Ridge, after which it will drop back down to the Takotna River for the last couple of miles to the checkpoint. As with most Iditarod trails, it is usually best at night or on cold, cloudy days when it has a chance to set up. On hot afternoons it can become punchy and very slow.
When Heather and the Hardcore Team leaves the checkpoint via a ramp angling down the riverbank she’ll need to make sure the checkpoint handlers line her up for a straight shot down the ramp. At the bottom she’ll cross the half-mile-wide Kuskokwim River directly to the mouth of the much smaller Takotna River, up which her and the Team will run for maybe a mile, cutting up off the river once and then back onto it, before finally heading up the left bank (west).
The trail gradually climbs westbound for about eight miles across a mostly open stretch of swamps, muskeg, and scattered treelines. About five miles after leaving the Takotna River Heather and the Hardcore Team will cross the small Tatalina River, but veteran mushers say it may not be obvious to Heather will need to watch closely. Once she starts the climb up Porcupine Ridge, she’ll have a couple of miles to the top, about a 400-foot rise on reasonably moderate grades. The trail may have ruts and moguls from fast-moving snowmachines, which can make for slow going. Heather will need to watch for a couple of glaciered areas as the trail works up the bottom of the ridge.
The Hardcore Team will run through the forest along the top of the ridge for a couple of miles. Heather will see that she is headed directly for the summit of Tatalina Mountain (3,200 feet high and 2,400 feet above where she is).
After a run atop the ridge the Team will swing to the right and start down the mountain to the Takotna River on a mile-and-a-half downgrade with a total drop of about 500 feet. She’ll need to watch for a couple of possibly icy areas on the lower slopes before she drops down on to the river. Once on the river the Hardcore Team should have a fast couple of miles on up to the checkpoint, which is always located in the community center on Takotna’s main street.
Takotna only has about 75 people but it offers some of the best hospitality on the trail. Many mushers took their 24-hour layovers here because it is relatively quiet and away from the bustle of McGrath. There is usually a cook on duty in the kitchen who will whip up a meal for you. In the past few years the village has even made a point of giving every musher a steak dinner. There seems to be an ongoing contest between McGrath and Takotna to see which place can do more for the mushers—and they’re both winning. About the only disadvantage to Takotna for a layover is that there are no stores (there is a bar), and it can be a hassle to ship a replacement sled there.
NOTE: Now that she has completed the mandatory rest we can calculate exactly where the Team is this year in relation to last because thus far they have run the exact same part of the course and took their mandatory rest in the same checkpoint.
At this point in 2007, Heather’s total elapsed time was 147 hours and 24 minutes. This year it is 120 hours and 27 minutes. This is an improvement of 27 hours and 59 minutes.
When Heather gets to Ophir, the trail turns north and she will be going through areas she has never seen before. Ophir is where the northern and southern routes split. Heather and the Team will return to more familiar ground when the reach Kaltag was this is where the routes join together for the run to the coast and then to Nome.
When she left McGrath, the Hardcore Team was shown in 79th position with 89 mushers still in the race. Until all of the mushers complete their mandatory rest, we will not have a real sense of where the team stands.
Finally when we talked with folks at the Hardcore Kennel in Talkeetna a short while ago, we were told that Tweaty was dropped because the vet felt she was bloated. However, Heather says that Tweaty actually just overate, eating not only her meal, but that of an adjacent dog. The dog handler said “It was nothing that a good poop wouldn’t have solved!” But being extra cautious about the health of her dogs, Heather took the advice of the vet and dropped Tweaty.
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| Hardcore Team Down to 11 | Fri, Mar. 7th, 2008 | |
We now may have some insight as to why Heather and the Hardcore Team took a little longer than expected to get from Nikolai to McGrath. She had some dog issues.
Race records were recently updated to show that Heather left Nikolai with only 11 dogs, not 13 reported earlier. We have not idea at this point which Hardcore Team members are still in the race or which have been dropped but will pass that information along as soon as it becomes available.
While a first blush this may seem like very bad news, it really isn’t. Last year at this point Heather was down to only 10 dogs which she continued to run for 547 miles all the way to Shaktoolik. She dropped a dog there (Kitty) and ran with 9 until the final checkpoint in Safety where Shadow thought it best to take a plane the final 22 miles to Nome. This year Shadow ran only the first leg of the race to Yentna Station before returning to the Hardcore Kennel in Talkeetna.
As posted earlier, the warm temperatures are having an impact on the race. We learned that at least two teams have scratch due their dogs not handling the warm weather.
Paul Gebhardt, one of the early race leaders ran into a series of problems, due in large part to the warm weather. First, he had to pack a 60-pound male dog only a few miles beyond Ophir on his way to Cripple. Then wet snow started falling, soaking everything in Gebhardt’s sled. It was taking so long to reach Cripple that the tired musher thought he must have overshot the incoming trail, and he backtracked about a mile before running into msuher Deedee Jonrowe. By the time Gebhardt arrived, he’d been on the runners for 20 hours, starting in Takotna. He’d camped only three hours on the trail. The 17-hour slog in warm weather effectively took him out of the hunt for a win, he said. “I really, really hurt my dog team doing that. They’re not quitting, but it took so much weight off them. I pretty much took myself out of contention.”
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| More Messages of Support | Fri, Mar. 7th, 2008 | |
Here are some additional messages of support for Heather received by the hardcore Team:
Heather, I have been following you daily though out this race from Charles Town, WV. I met your sister Heidi a couple months ago and she gave me your website. My prayers are with you and the team for an enjoyable and safe race. I admire your courage and spirit of adventure. I have told many here in Charles Town about you and the Iditarod. I wish you great success,
Carroll Bond, Charles Town, West Virginia
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Heather: I met you at your Mom Deb`s home in West Virginia when you were just a "wee" lassie!! I moved there from Juneau, Alaska working for the Coast Guard! I`m really excited about actually knowing a female in the race and give you a big GO GIRL!!
Shirley Melillo Harmes -- now retired and living in Texas
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Dear Heather,
You go girl! Keep up the good work. Everyone is praying for your success. We know you can do it!
Elaine Gerhard,Martinsburg, West Virginia
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Hi Heather;
I just want you to know that we`re rooting for you and the Hardcore Team from here in Bismarck, ND! You & the team are doing soooooooo G R E A T! Enjoy your much deserved rest there @ McGrath, and give all your remaining pups a hug and a "good boy/girl" from us here in Bismarck! Sending all positive vibes your way, and watching your progress here daily. You`re truly an inspiration Heather!
Take Care Girl!
Mike
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Your run has been awesome. Keep up the great, courageous work. Good luck to H and the 13. Regards,
Gene and Vera and Daisy Phillips, California
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Hi Keep up your great racing, just stay focused and strong, your dogs will get you there across the finish line. Good Bless from a diehard Siberian musher.
Barb Baker, Northern Bagley Minnesota.
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Hi Heather! I live in Inwood, WV and go to church with your mom and have actually met you once. I proudly wear your T-shirt. I lived in Alaska for 15 years, 1982 to 1997, so finally having some kind of connection to someone in the Iditarod is exciting. Good Luck to you and your team. You are awesome!!
Terri Martin, Inwood, West Virginia - Formally of Delta Junction, Alaska
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Heather,
In February 2007 you and Jerry took my son, daughter-in-law, her mother and I on a run through the trails in Talkeetna. Your love for the dogs and sport was evident and your enthusiasm for your first Iditarod run was contagious. I became an "Insider" that year so I could follow your progress and learn about the race. It was a great two weeks! Now I`m back to follow 2008.
Keep up the good work!
Nanette deLucia, Madison, Connecticut
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Heather you are my hero! Miss you and hope you are having fun. My daughter Callahan likes the doggies. Quit falling asleep on the job. I know you can pull an all nighter. I reckon we saw the sun come up a couple of times.
Matt Roland and family
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Heather we are watching and cheering you on in Michigan! Sending prayers for your journey.
Roslyn Christiansen, Michigan
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Heather,
Keep mushing, you are doing great! I have been glued to the Iditarod Race from the start. I keep watching the Iditarod Insider for hopes of a peek interview of you on the trail, but nothing so far. You are very strong, brave and determined. We wish the dogs and you the best while completing the race. We`ll be watching for you and our prayers are with the Hardcore Team!
Kevin and Karla, K & K Trucking, Inc., Streeter, North Dakota
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I lived in ND most of my life, Bismarck for 13 years. I am a dog lover and love to read about your race in Alaska. Best of luck!!
Kathy Bohne, Gillette, Wyoming
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Hey Heather:
That Back-Row-Altos at St. Leo in Inwood, WV are behind you all the way. Our t-shirts show it!! GO HEATHER and HARDCORE TEAM!! Good luck and God Bless!!!
Stephanie, Terri and Sandy, West Virginia
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Heather:
You have fans in the western suburbs of Chicago praying for you and cheering you on! I look forward to all your progress reports every day and then pass along the information! The very best to you!
Mary Chin, Saint Charles, Illinois
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Just a quick note to let you know Abbie and I are keeping up with you morning and night. We are cheering you on and still wondering how you stay warm!! Sending our love your way. Keep your jouney safe.
Sandy Hochhalter, Bismarck,North Dakota
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Way to go Heather!! W e are watching you`re progress daily at school in Red Lake Falls,MN I worked in Mandan with you at West Plainview. I think you told me about this dream and now it`s a reality!! "Keep Rockin` in the free world" I am so pumped for you.
Stacy Haugen, Minnesota
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Heather You are doing soooo well! You totally amaze us and prove that if one sets their mind to do something it can totally be done. You and your team are awesome! We are so proud of you!!!
Rachel, Bob & Grant, Bismarck, North Dakota
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| Notes from the Trail | Fri, Mar. 7th, 2008 | |
Heather and the Hardcore Team continue to rest in McGrath. She should depart there for the next checkpoint in Takotna around 10 AM this morning AKST (2 PM EST). The run to Takotna and the next checkpoint in Ophir are rather short at 18 and 25 miles respectively.
Heather has not yet called so nothing new there. We expect that after initially getting to McGrath she had to feed her dogs and bed them down. She probably took time to swap out her sleds. We suspect she ate a good hot meal and possibly got a nice hot shower and then has gone to sleep. Hopefully we’ll hear from her when she wakes up before she leaves. She’ll probably feed her dogs a couple of hours before she departs.
The warm weather continues to take its toll on this year’s race. The temperature in Cripple yesterday rose to the mid to upper 40’s! As of 2 AM AKST in McGrath the temperature was still a balmy 24 degrees.
For the dogs and mushers of the Iditarod, this weather is not a welcome. Unlike most sensible human beings, mushers prefer COLD weather. The reason is simple—the dogs run best at temperatures around –20 to +10oF. Anything warmer than that and the dogs start to get a bit hot while running—kind of like a human getting hot when hiking or jogging with the temperature in the high 80’s.
When the temperatures climb above 15 or 20 degrees, especially with the sun out, mushers must consider changing their running strategies to account for the warm weather. The most preferred strategic change is to rest during the “heat” of the day and run during the cooler parts of the evening, night, and morning. Many mushers will likely opt to go as slow as possible to help keep the dogs cool. In addition, many mushers will take several short (about 5 minute) rest stops at shady places along the trail to allow the dogs to cool down and eat some snow (a common thing that sled dogs do for a “drink” of water while running.
We’ve learned from Hardcore Dog Handler, Heather High in Talkeetna, Alaska that one of the two additional dogs dropped from the race this year was Tweaty. High was not aware of why Tweaty was dropped. She was waiting for the second dog to arrive in Anchorage so she can pick them both up at the same time. We’ll update the information as soon as it becomes available. High speculated that because Tweaty is a smaller female and the trail is soft which makes pulling a bit more difficult for the smaller dogs, she may have a sore wrist.
We have received a lot more messages of support for Heather and plan on posting more of them soon so stay tuned. Keep them coming if you want. We’ll continue to post them from time to time so everyone can see the breath of support she and the Hardcore Tem have from all over the country. Also, even if she can’t access the internet and see them during the race, Heather will definitely read them when she arrives in Nome!
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