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| Halverson is Red Lantern | Mar-21-2007 | |
Ellen Halverson was the last musher to arrive in Nome when she pulled under the burled arch at 2:56 am AKDT (6:56 EDT). Ellen was presented her Red Lantern award by Wells Fargo. She said she was glad to finally be in Nome. Congratulations Ellen!
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| HEATHER IS IN NOME!!!!!! | Mar-20-2007 | |
Heather completed Iditarod 35 at 4:35 PM AKDT (8:35 EDT) today after 16 days, 1 hour, 35 minutes and 28 seconds! CONGRATUALTIONS TO HEATHER AND HER TEAM: Odo, Earp, Shadow, Kitty, Dolly, Wyatt, Bruner, Horst, Dexter, Snogo, Diamond, Fast Eddy, Piggy, Dixie, Cal and Tweety! Welcome to Nome!
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| Iditarod 36? | Mar-20-2007 | |
We just got back from the Safety Checkpoint where we were able to see Heather and Bruce Linton. Both were in great spirits and looking forward to getting to Nome.
Belive it or not, Heather is already looking forward to next year, Iditarod 36.
"I want to be most improved musher next year," said Heather. "I've learned I can do this and I know where I can improve my time."
Heather said the entire experience has been unbelivable.
"The Danzyl Gorge, Norton Sound, in fact all of it has just been breathtaking," said Heather.
Heather was glad to hear that Ellen Halverson arrived at WHile Mountain shortly after she had left.
"That's great," Heather said. "I was really worried about her."
When Heather arrived in Safety she had a passenger in her sled, one of her lead dogs Shadow. Apparently Shadow had had enoungh racing for this trip. Shadow was checked by the vet at the checkpoint and for precautionary measures Heather decided Shadow could fly to Nome.
As she and the other 8 dogs left on her team pulled out of Safety, a couple of them barked and Heather had a tough time getting the team to get onto the trail. It seemed others wanted to join Shadow on the plane to Nome. When they finally got onto the trail, Heather look back, gave us a wave goodbye and yelled "Bye bye Shadow! See you in Nome!"
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| Heather through Safety | Mar-20-2007 | |
It has been a long day since talking to Heather about 1 am EDT but she's getting closer and closer to Nome. She arrived in Safety at 11:29 am AKDT (3:30 pm EDT) with fellow musher, Bruce Linton, arriving about a half-hour ahead of her and leaving Safety for Nome shortly after Heather arrived.
Heather's step-dad, Dann took a snowmobile out to Safety to surprise her and to cheer her on to the finish. He found her to be in good spirits and very excited to be nearing the end of her first Iditarod. But she says she's learned a lot and is ready to vie for Rookie of the Year in next year's Iditarod.
She and the dogs had a small snack before leaving Safety at about 12:15 AKDT. She left one of her leaders, Shadow there as felt he had been through enough but the other 8 dogs were all good and ready to roll. Go Heather, we will be watching on the Iditarod Insider as you come into Nome about 4:15 AKDT (7:15 EDT)!
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| Heather Making Final Push to Nome | Mar-20-2007 | |
Heather left the White Mountain checkpoint a short while ago at 3:49 AM AKDT (7:49 EDT) for her final 77 mile push to Nome! We estimate Heather and her 9 dog hero's will arrive in Nome around 3:00 to 4:00 PM AKDT (7 to 8 PM EDT). Bruce Linton took off with Heather at 3:50 AM.
Meanwhile, the other half of the "Final Four" Ellen Halverson and Don Smidt are at White Mountain taking their mandatory 8 hour rest. Halverson, who's broken sled underwent emergency repairs in Elim, finally left there at 6:15 PM yesterday and arrived at White Mountain at 3:39 AM. Smidt got to the White Mountain checkpoint at 2:05 AM.
The first part of Heathers final run is to the checkpoint in Safety, which is 55 miles from White Mountain. This can be one of the most dangerous stretches on the race when the wind blows or a storm hits, which thankfully is not the case today. In reasonable weather, like today, this is a pleasant five-to eight-hour run.
The race uses the main snowmachine trail to Nome. It is well marked at the beginning of the race, but inevitably many markers are knocked over or blown down. Some parts have been permanently marked.
The trail leaves White Mountain on the Fish River for about three miles, and then leaves the river to cut overland to the southwest, crossing low, rolling tundra and several streams before reaching the Klokerblok River. It runs up the river and across some low ridges, and then crosses into the drainage of the Topkok River.
The trail then turns west and climbs over a series of barren ridges to a 400-foot saddle just northwest of Topkok Head, overlooking the coast. It then descends sharply to the beach, reaching the Nome Kennel Club shelter cabin at the foot of the hill, 30 miles from White Mountain.
For the next 12 miles the trail runs along or just behind the dune line and the “driftwood line” on the shore. This stretch is wide open and is subject to winds of more than 80 miles an hour from the north, as well as blinding whiteouts. The trail will join the Nome-to-Council road (not plowed in the winter) at the Bonanza Ferry bridge and then follow it for the last 12 miles to Safety.
Trail conditions on this leg can range from excellent to abysmal, and usually include glare ice, overflow, drifted snow, bare tundra, sand, and exposed gravel on the road.
One consideration is that the wind will most likely die down right after sunrise (if it’s going to die down at all), but will probably come back up by noon and continue to blow through the afternoon and evening.
Once they arrive in Safety, most mushers head directly for Nome after signing the race log. In Safety, race officials put the race bibs back onto the mushers so spoters can tell who is about to arrive in Nome and the awaiting crowds can be kept informed.
This 22 mile run from Safety to Nome is the home stretch, but it can be tough at times. The trail usually follows the Nome-to-Council road from Safety to just past Cape Nome, then cuts down to the beach and generally parallels the road (crossing it a couple of times enroute). The trail finally climbs up the seawall at the east end of Front Street for the last ten blocks to the burled arch. An alternate route swings around to the north of Cape Nome but still picks up the beach trail in the same place. Either way, it’s ten miles from Safety to the beach cutoff, and another eleven to the end of Front Street.
The trail is completely exposed to the elements—there are no trees anywhere close to Nome unless you count the “Nome National Forest” of used Christmas trees on the ice behind Front Street. The road is normally not plowed past Cape Nome, but the surface can be blown down to gravel. The wind can blow very hard sometimes (especially around Cape Nome) and ground blizzards aren’t unknown even as you pull up the seawall to Front Street. Allow two to three hours for the run to the arch under normal conditions.
When Heather's team crosses under the burled arch at the finish line, the official timer will check her sled to make sure she has all of her required gear; cook stove, axe, trail mail, dog booties etc. Once the check is complete, Heather will sign the official log. Then her total elapsed time will be announced to the crowd and she will be listed as officially completing the 35th Iditarod! But she is not done.
Once pictures have been taken, interviews completed, etc., Heather will move her dogs to the dog yard about a block from the finish line where beds of straw, a big meal, and lots of treats await them. When the dogs have been cared for Heather can finally get her shower, hot meal, and a log nap! The race is finally over!
NOTE: For you who are subscribers to the Iditarod Insider, we are told the video of her finish will be on-line within minutes so be watching for it!
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