iditarod 2013...mitch seavey into nome

 timing was right so i watched mitch seavey come into nome.  also saw aliy zirkle come in second.  a great race to watch this year.  congratulations to mitch and his team.  he looked worked over when he got to nome. he's in his 50's and probably knew he had better take this opportunity while he had it.  aliy definitely looked better coming in, but she's a bit younger.  seavey just had the lead dog to end all lead dogs.  he had great praise for his lead dog.  when all the pieces come together with a team you have to go with it.

 aliy has been in second place two years running,  this year to mitch seavey, last year to mitch seaveys son, dallas.  her team did outstanding though.  i hate to say clique things like mitch wanted it more. i think really he just has wanted it and saw the opportunity and held on with all he had.

 above is that rookie from california and these will be pictures of her attempting to get her brake out of the snow. directly below is that team of seavey's though that got him to nome in first place!

 aliy's dog team just won the yukon quest before running the iditarod..could that be a factor?  could that have been just enough to keep her from first this year.  hell, in this race, especially this year, second is nothing to cry over and she certainly wasn't crying.  she did have her trademark smile and good attitude.  she said something like, "i tried to catch that slippery sucker".  seavey came out to greet her after she crossed under the arch in nome.  he was gracious and kind and congratulated her on her well run race and echo'd what he'd said after he won.  she will win this race, probably more than one time.

 i was hoping aliy would win this year, but there were so many who were up there in the front that i would have been happy winning. it was an exciting race til the end and they all are to be congratulated for their efforts despite extremely difficult trail conditions and warm weather.

 this is matt failor who was running with busers team of dogs.  he was in on the plan to zip to rohn and take a 24 hour rest.  some are saying this is proving to have been a bad move on busers part.  i'm not sure if that is the case or not.  martin just got hit by the yukon hard. will have to see what his end interviews are like...he may not say..probably already planning for next year.  buser, king, seavey..they all have been hitting this trail for many years and so it seems fitting that one of them pull one off and win it. i'm sure they are all itching to add one more before they contemplate retiring. seems this race gets in the blood though and people keep returning no matter how painful each trip to nome seems to be.  seavey really did look beat up.

 martin is in the 16th spot and failor is in the 28th spot.  so clearly, the strategy didn't completely succeed i guess...may need some tweaking. failor makes his first pass on long lake.

 as the rookie continues to fight her brake.

 she hasn't scratched yet, but she is falling further and further behind it seems.  she actually isn't in last place anymore.  chulpach has been at the rear with her all along.  it's the rookies dogs i worry the most about.  they just don't have the experience with dogs, 9 days turns into 10 days turns into 11 days..and so on. that wears on the dogs.  will stubborness and determination mean they don't pick up on issues and exhaustion in their dogs?

 there were 4 scratches today.  lance mackey's brother (half?), jason,  dropped out.  bundtzen, a local physician scratched.  jan steves also scratched.  there was some blip at some point today that there was concern that her gps was shown as not moving and crew was sent to check on her.  nothing more was said about that except, she'd scratched.  they always say, for the sake of the dogs, but little details really come out.  jason mackey was sick with a flu of sorts which helped him make his decision. demoski, the 67 year old from wasilla also scratched today.

 another team heads out as abbot continues to battle her hook, which she finally got up before this team passed her.

 i think at first she was pushing it in further, probably just nerves.

 the iditarod stories will keep coming as teams come in.  king is next to arrive according to the gps.  he just has 3 miles to go...so pretty soon.  he was booking it at close to 12 mph..just wanting to get to nome.  often the teams also have been before and dogs are smart, they know the end is coming up and they will be done. dallas has slowed up a bit.

 was a cloud free day here in anchorage.  amy and miss lucy joined us for a walk.  lucy was an angel the enitre walk.  we did the campbell airstrip and then came back along the side trails.  lots of folks out enjoying the snow and warm weather.  it's feeling more and more like spring.  iditarod...spring.  that is how that goes.

 at least 3 miles, probably closer to 3.5 miles so not bad for that little one.  rio was plodding along, i kept forgetting she was there almost.

 saw a few moose today, one on trail and one on drive home.  the moose numbers always increase in town about this time of year.

 62 is brent sass. he's in the 20th spot, behind lance and ahead of baker.  not bad company to be keeping.

 i can tell by these dogs that this next one is the russian.  telpin.

 he's down in the 52nd spot so not doing quite as well as his beringa partner from norway.

 his team is russian sled dogs.  a bit more husky and also thicker fur.  this could have been a disadvantage in this years heat.  i do say heat as the temperatures were in the 30's and 40's F at times.  for sled dogs that is hot.  the last part of the trail dropped back down to 0 and 10 below.  aliy and seavey came in coated with frost.  they were poling those last many miles.  aliy has blistered hands from it.

 they sure look like a handsome bunch though. not sure if ulsom brought his own dogs over here like telpin did?

 they are a cool bunch of dogs, obviously i was snapping away trying to get pictures of them

 went in to work for a few hours to learn more about the emergency room charting. i'm back there for the next 3 nights for orientation starting thursday.  i also managed a swim today. 5pm..the pool was all lanes for swimming. not sure if that is just because of spring break.  it was nice though. the water is still warm and clear.

 people are so strange.  there was the live stream for the ending and you have a running comments section.  there were these people claiming to be from anchorage making these ridiculous comments, just to be annoying.  do people really have nothing better to do than that?  so strange.

 i have again,not accomplished anything from my to do list.  where do my days off go...?  how do other people actually get stuff done?

 king is in. sound like he looked more tired than seavey, but his team looked pumped up.

 matt giblin above and richie deihl.  i'm sure i spelled those wrong. one is in 39th spot and the other in 40th spot. they won't be in for awhile.  dallas is up next.

 i guess you can pop in close to when a team comes in and watch it.  i shall  be turning in.  tomorrow the video clips of their arrivals through night will  be posted at the iditarod site. i think i can hold out til then.

 always nice to see the first few in though. i like to watch them all and get some idea of how their trek went.

 liked the green booties on these..

 nice long tongue

 was thinking of fair weather friends this week.  there are those who only want to be around when life is good, this is true.  there are also people who only really show up when their lives are not so good and then once they feel better or life is better, you are brushed aside.  i just find it annoying sometimes.  yet, i'm the type of friend that  can't brush people off when they come to you in need.  it's just annoying when people only come to you for their needs.  you get sucked in and then you remember, oh right, that is why i haven't heard from them for awhile.  they are feeling good or they have a new boyfriend or whatever the case may  be.

 james volek...also works with buser and also has buser dogs.  he's in third from last place with a young buser team.

 lindner.  i remember this dog from last year.  so cute...i think i took loads of this one at last years race. how could you not?

 i have loads of pictures storing up from walks this past week of my favorite pups, blossom and rio catalina.  blossom was hilarious yesterday with all her snowballs.

 i like a dog with a little fur!!

 i'm reading a book written by a woman and her family.  she was born in russia, they were initially a well to do family.  stalin took over and things got worse.  then hitler came along.  most of her family was killed, she was taken to germany as slave labor.  she kept journals of all this time and hid them in her pillow. they were not jewish, but saw what was happening and lived in fear.  she wrote in many different languages as she spoke 6-7 of them.  she eventually ended up in the united states and married, had kids.  she would never speak of her time in germany or of her childhood and relatives really at all.  she would sneak up to the attic from time to time. her husband just figured when she was ready she would talk.  one day she took him up to the attic and showed him she'd been working on translating all her old diaries so that her story would one day be known.  so i'm reading it.  interesting so far.

 lindner was last musher out that day.  he's actually running in the top ten and should be in by morning i'm guessing.

 here is a repeat picture of the second place winner.  she was so close to first that i shall just give her her due.

 denali seems to always be out there on long lake with us.

off to read and crash for the night.  all the best for a safe run to nome for all those still out on the trail.  been fun posting about this great race for another year....thanks for stopping by and reading.