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Hardcore Huskies Newsletter 08 Race Edition.pdf [ Archive ] |
| Heather Arrives in Finger Lake | Mar-05-2007 | |
After a run of nearly 7 hours, Heather and her team arrived in Finger Lake at 5:35 PM AST (9:35 EST). She arrived just two minutes ahead of Hernan Maquieira from
Ushuaia, Argentina.
Hernan's goal is similar to that of Heather. He wants to arrive in Nome with as many dogs as possible and spend a beautiful time on the trail. Hernan was recently quoted “I will be representing Ushuaia, Argentina in the 2007 Iditarod.”
The next leg of the race will take Heather through some of the most difficult parts of trail. She will ascend for thirty miles or so up the Alaskan Range to nearly 4000 feet where she will reach the summit at Rainy Pass. Veteran racers say you should not make this run in the dark.
To illustrate how dangerous this portion of the trail is four time Iditarod champion Doug Swingley, (Bib #28) made the decision to scratch this afternoon (March 05, 2007) at Rainy Pass Checkpoint because of injuries he incurred between Finger Lake and Rainy Pass. According to officials at the checkpoint Swingley may have suffered broken ribs and a dislocated thumb when he was thrown from his sled on a glaciated part of the trail near Puntilla. After careful consideration, Swingley said his greatest concern was whether he would be physically able to care for his team for the duration of the race.
We'll have to wait and see what Heather decides about when she wants to tackle this leg of the race.
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| On the Trail to Finger Lake | Mar-05-2007 | |
Heather and the dogs are on the trail heading toward the next checkpoint in Finger Lake after their 7 hour rest in Skwentna. They left Skwentna at 10:45 AM AST (2:45 PM EST).
Heather and Ellen Halverson are again sharing the trail as Ellen left Skwentna ten minutes after Heather.
It should take four to six hours for this leg of the race. Their next food drop after Skwentna will be Rainy Pass which is another four or five hours past Finger Lake.
It’s uphill most of the way to Finger Lake, but the trail isn’t overly tough. The trail leaves Skwentna southbound on the Skwentna River, cuts off the left bank to parallel the river in a swamp for eight miles, then swings west to cross the river at the site of the old Skwentna Roadhouse about ten miles out. It then climbs up into the heavily wooded Shell Hills for a mile and a half, down through open swamps and wooded areas to cross Shell Creek after another mile and a half, then on for another three miles across small lakes, swamps, and woods to Onestone Lake, where you’re about 25 miles from Finger Lake. After two-mile-long Onestone Lake, the trail works west along open swamps and meadows, through occasional treelines, and across a few lakes, steadily climbing to Finger Lake.
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| Heather Arrives in Skwentna | Mar-05-2007 | |
Heather arrived at the Skwentna checkpoint at 3:29 AM AST (7:29 AM EST).
The next leg of the race starts the steady climb to Finger Lake so Heather and her team will rest for several hours before hitting the trail once again.
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| Yentna Station to Skwentna | Mar-05-2007 | |
After a 3 and a half hour layover in Yentna, Heather left for Skwentna at 11:39 PM Alaska Standard Time.
Heather appears to have teamed with fellow rookie Ellen Halverson, who is also originally from North Dakota. Ellen and Heather left Yentna within a few minutes of each other.
From Yentna they race to Skwentna, which follows the Yentna River, with the last few miles up the Skwentna River to the checkpoint. The river stays between well-defined banks for about five miles upstream from Yentna Station, and also for the last 15 miles into Skwentna. In the middle 15 miles it branches out into a maze of channels and sloughs, any of which can have a trail for local traffic. This is normally a fast run with no hills, provided the trail is in good shape; most teams make the leg in three to four and a half hours.
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| Willow to Yentna | Mar-05-2007 | |
Heather completed the first leg of the race in 4 hours and 11 minutes.
This stretch is nominally 50 miles but is actually a few miles longer, generally running about 55 miles leave Knik Lake westbound on the old Iditarod Trail, running across low, mostly wooded hills, open swamps, and a number of lakes. The trail crosses the Little Susitna River at the 18-mile point, then works over to Flathorn Lake across an area of level swamps and woods cut by a few sharp ravines (about 30 miles). After a couple more swamps and tree lines you’ll drop onto the Susitna River after 35 miles go north up the broad Susitna for a few miles and then swing up the wide Yentna River, the Susitna’s main tributary, for the last 17 miles to Yentna Station.
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