The Coast

Dropped dogs getting a ride to Anchorage from the Iditarod Air Force.

Each dog has a specialty.  Some are great for medium distances and hauling.  These dogs help the musher get over the mountains to the Interior and then are "dropped" and sent back to Anchorage while the rest of the team goes on.  Some dogs get too tired so are relieved of duty and sent home for a well deserved rest.

Try to imagine flying a plane with panting huskies as your passengers.

Newton is taking some time to rest in Nulato with 12 dogs.  He has completed about 2/3 of the race and is currently in 47th place in a field of 58. 13 mushers have scratched so far.  I think he is doing so well for a rookie who grew up in much warmer climes.

The first checkpoint on the Coast is Unalakleet.  Many mushers have already arrived there and pressed on.  Some are taking a break before mushing up the Norton Sound toward Nome.

This photo is from a live Cam.  Look at all that dog food!  The musher ( I know not who) is bootieing up one of his dogs while another eats.  No one is allowed to assist although they are there if something allowed is needed.  Yesterday I could have checked the gps to figure out who this is.  Today that gps is for paid subscribers only.  It sure was fun to watch while it lasted but am not enamored enough at this point in the race to pay for it.  I will simply follow the Alaskan news online and the Iditarod Race Standings page.

In Nome, for the last few days, big boys with big boy toys have been packing snow for the final run under the arch.  The fence is now in place.  In a few days there will be hundreds of people lined up along it to watch the teams arrive under the burled arch.

There's a live cam for this too.

Iknitarod Knitting is definitely coming along although I do seem to have slacked off a bit from my 2 hours a day.  Guess I won't finish with the front runners.

The cardi is currently at about 7 inches but stalled while I work on

This is my legwarmer pattern in Knit Picks yarn.  They have a deadline so have budged to the front of the line ahead of the socks and cardi and scarf.