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Leaders take a 24 hours break and charge toward Cripple.
The Ophir checkpoint is a busy place today with Bill Cotter,
Tim Osmar, and Dee Jonrowe all catching up to the front
runner. They have finished their 24 hour rest and are expected to leave Ophir a
round 9:00 this morning (it it currently 8:20 a.m. here).
At the same time Martin Buser fiished his mandatory 24 hour layover.
Rick Mackey, Vern HAlter, Diana Dronenberg and Ramey Brooks
all out of Takotna by 4 am. this morning putting them near
Ophir about 7:50 a.m.
Rick Swenson, Doug Swinle and Jeff King all took their breaks
in Takotna. They left between 5 and 6 a.m. about four hours
off the pace.
Matt DeSelanos who took his 24 hour break in McGrath noticed that
the 24 hour breaks are being taken later in the race this year
and thinks this is better for the dogs and the musters to wait until
they are tired.
Technically David Olofson is leading the race. He left
Takotna last night around ten but has yet to take his
24 hour break.
[NOTE: AT THIS POINT IN THE RACE IT IS HARD TO SORT
EVERYTHING OUT BECAUSE OF THE 24 HOUR BREAKS AND THE
FACT THAT THE RACER CAN CHOOSE WHERE HE OR SHE WANTS
TO TAKE THE BREAK. THIS WILL ALL SORT OUT OVER THE NEXT
FEW DAYS AS ALL THE FRONT RUNNERS HAVE TAKEN THE BREAK]
It is 40 miles from Takotna to Ophir, another 60 miles
to Cripple and Ruby is 112 miles beyond Cripple.
Charlie Boulding is resting in Ophir, not eligive to
leave until Noon.
As the front runners continue to count second, others are
out for a different kind of fun.
The APRN reporter sopoke with one of the drivers about what
the race was like 15 years ago -- mushers would camp and take their
time to get to know one another.
Today the competetive teams eat up the trail faster than it was
ever thought possible.
Further back in 40th position is Alridge who can recall a different
race - someone would chop trees, build a fire, drivers would stop
by, add wood, stop a while, drink coffee, and yak.
Alridge has run the race 6 times, this is his first since 1979.
and life has changed on the Iditarod Trail
Trails are better, training is better, gear is better and the
race is different. Nobody builds a fire on the trail.
For the front runners the place to camp is Nome.
Tea has been replace dby high energy high nutritional drinks.
Comraderie has been replaced by suspicious respect among
the front runners.
Aldridge is not here for the stress of competition but
to see the country, visit old friends, think about the
mail drivers of 75 years ago and to get to Nome sometime.
Aldreidge finished all five times he ran in the 70's, 3
times it took more than 20 days to get to Nome and there
were lots of fires back then.
Well - that's the report for today.
I did hear on the radio last night that they did a
prelimnary necropsy on Susan Butcher's dog in Nocolai,
didn't find anything, and sent it to Fairbanks for
further study.
Cheers from Juneau where it is 38 degrees today and rainy.
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