Very quick post: Tim's in White Mountain for the last of the mandatory rests. Dogs are eating seconds at every meal and they "became men" in the last few days and Tim says they're shaving now. Even Spots, the female. The team has really jelled over the last few runs and he is STOKED to get to Nome - as is every one else. Unfortunately, after a long, long struggle on the trail Alan Peck has pulled the plug. His sled broke, he had to go back to a checkpoint, more ground blizzards....so Tim is in the Red Lantern district, if you will.
Mount Redoubt, THE VOLCANO, made her voice heard last night near Anchorage and is still hollering and as a result, air space is closed everywhere. I know some mushers flew their handlers and dogs back to Anchorage Sunday while the rest of us were nodding off during the Finisher's Banquet, but that means the rest of us (from the big guns down to the broken arrows), are now just one big, stinky family holed up on the Bering Sea, waiting for a flight. Or a musher. The good news is the chute and the burled arch will be Times Square north on New Year's Eve, what with all the people trapped in Nome and all dressed down with nowhere to go. Literally. What a welcome for the red lantern!
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Let's not forget - the Red Lantern goes to a FINISHER of the race. Tim, we're damn proud of you and your team.
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge accomplishment, to finish the Iditarod! Very proud of Tim and his team(and hope his family will be pampering him and the dogs SOON!) I'm certain that a warm soft bed and a hot shower (for Tim) and meal will be quite a reward for the last couple of weeks. Way to go Dr. Tim and dogs!
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ReplyDeleteThank you Mary for all of the updates. It sounds like it takes quite a family commitment to run the Iditarod...congratulations to all of you!
Wowee...get a good picture of that Cooper SLED!! It was a rookie, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, darn. Paula and I were going to come and surprise Dr.Tim at the finish but that damn volcano blew our plans all to hell!!
ReplyDeleteAt least there will be people there for him. He won't give a crap if they stink or not! Now, you and Colleen go and strap yourselves to the burled arch posts so they don't even think about taking it down before tomorrow morning!
Elf
Mary, I'm wistful as I'm reading about you being in my hometown, and wishing I were there to show you around! I hope you've met Mary Knodel (Arctic Trading Post) by now...she's just one of the many wonderful people I miss dreadfully (she'll remember me as Joe & Nell Martin's daughter). Been watching Tim's progress here at home in Sands/Gwinn tonight, but almost midnight, so heading off to bed. We're having freezing rain after having lost a substantial amount of our ridiculous amount of snow recently. Hugs to you! Jan Hutchens
ReplyDeleteWe're going to try to get to Two Harbors on your way back home...great job, Tim! Way to stick with it!!! M&K
ReplyDeleteDid Tim find what he was looking for up there? Big musher being pulled by reindeer? Was it supposed to be on Monster Quest? I heard a sack of toys was involved?
ReplyDeleteWay to go gang! Sisu runs deep in dem bones, eh?!!
go gooooooooons