Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 2020 Iditarod

any thoughts ? i am still pullin for Jesse Holmes for a win but he lost a dog early. or kinda would like to see Mitch Seavey win too ?

I hope Mitch bought a lockback knife.

That was a nasty cut!

I suspect Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl will do well again.

Id like to see Wade Marrs or Brent Sass take it. Anybody but a seavey really.

Sass may have a great run too. After dominating the "other" sorta big race for several years running.

Wasn’t Seavey the guy that sued Kershaw or whoever it was that manufactured the knife?

I decided to google it and he was the chickenshit that doesn’t know how to use a folding knife and blames others for his ignorance.

Fugg him. I hope he cuts another one completely off due to his complete liberal minded dumbfucktitude

all news to me about Seavey, anyway still hope Jesse Holmes does well ? long ways to go yet

Haters gonna hate... He and his son dominated for quite a while. Hard to fault him for a single cut that had a huge impact on a race. Especially under sleep deprivation and extreme stress. Easy to fault him for suing.

No fault on the cut exactly. Stupid to sue. but thats these days.

Yep. We all do stupid [bleep], some of us more than our fair share....

But suing Kershaw was chickenshit, and there's no 2 ways about it.

Stupid to not have a lockback knife. Ain’t exactly hard to find.

Ive know him for years. Ya, the guy is a top shelf dog musher but also a pompous ass. He lives about 1/4 mile away from me.

Can’t believe they still run that race. How many dogs will have to die? I bet the race doesn’t make it 10 more years. Get em PETA!!!

FOAD

On an anchorage bus

Here is the way I look at- 27 dogs died between 2004 and 2016. Usually a team starts with 16 dogs. There are on average 50 teams. So approximately 800 dogs run every year. So as many as 9,600 dogs ran between 2004-2016, 27 deaths. Those dogs have better odds of survival than my jack russel crapping in the backyard. Have you ever seen the iditarod? All those dogs want to do is mush. I love the race!

The dogs have been abused. You would run too if subject to such treatment. Yes I’ve seen the race. It’s pathetic. Time for it to go. They lose enough sponsors it will stop.

#doglivesmatter

We need a like button...

These dogs are treated better than the babies in Planned Parenthood, so KMA.

Don't feed the democrat, boys.

Fugk PETA and similar groups.

It's About the income, aka fleecing the low intelligence, not about the critters.

Do you have any experience around iditarod kennels? I do. I can tell you that the dogs are very well cared for. Slightly unsocialized but very happy. They are bred for cold weather. Im the first guy to get pissed off about poor treatment of dogs. These dogs in general are treated very well. Better than most outdoor dogs in the state for sure. They are bred to run. Show them a harness or gangline and they go ballistic! They would rather run than sit on your couch.
You should take some time a vistit one of these kennels. Dont buy into Peta BS. The Great Alone is a good start for you. Good film. These guys are all about dog health.

Shame on the anchorage muni for allowing those ads on the busses.

Worse, Alaska Air dropped out as a sponsor...

I know. I sent them "feedback" via the web site. They thanked me for the message.

I'll see if I can post it.

Alaska Air Logo



March 5, 2020


Dear Mike,

I appreciate that you took the time to contact Alaska regarding our recent announcement of the discontinuance of our sponsorship for the Iditarod.

We can assure you that PETA did not play any role in our decision to end our Iditarod sponsorship. We have been part of the Iditarod for more than 40 years and are proud of our sponsorship, which was focused on dog health and safety. As we transition to our new corporate giving strategy, LIFT, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for young people in the communities where we fly, this is a good time to evaluate our sponsorships and make adjustments. As such, we are going to sponsor the 2020 race, giving the Iditarod Trail Committee time to secure new sponsors. We wish the best to the new Iditarod leadership team and the safe running of future races for both dogs and mushers.

Sincerely,



Erica B.
Customer Care Representative

WTF this is a great race those dogs are a special breed and love to run ! i hope this dog sled race " Iditarod " continues forever,it is the greatest dog sled race in the world ,maybe the greatest race in any sport of endurance,weather,for a person and his/her dogs . this is no candy ash race where everyone gets the same award ! these musher`s train all year long for this race with their dogs ,they live and breath dog sled racing ,just finishing the Iditarod is a great accomplishment. 1,000 miles,snow,cold below zero weather,many days on the trail ,feeding and taking care of their dog team alone,sleeping out in this cold climate , i wish them all a safe great run !

i think some of these musher`s are laying in the weeds and just hangin back yet. i bet when they all get to around Kaltag area most of these musher`s will start push`n the dog team harder? > i am think`n Jesse Holmes is one of these musher`s just wait`n and when he gets to the Kaltag area Jesse is going to let `er buck ! these ladies in this dog sled race are dang tuff too,one of these ladies just might win too ? i figure Jesse top 10 again or maybe top 5 ,jesse is tuff and his dogs are in real good shape for this race.

Good for you!

Looks like Sass is in front still this morning in Ophir. Im suprised to see Mackey in third. It seems in past years he is middle of the pack early in the race. I was just looking at the weather out front of them. Suprised how warm its going to get. Only -8 in Ruby right now. Supposed to get up to 22 today.

Place-keeping means little this early... just the difference between taking a rest just before and after checkpoints changes the appearances in the standings but does nothing about the real positions...

First scratch

https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/A...afe-and-sound-Iditarod-48-568689401.html

'A huge relief': Lanier, dogs safe and sound but forced to scratch after hours-long stranding in Rainy Pass

'A huge relief': Lanier, dogs safe and sound but forced to scratch after hours-long stranding in Rainy Pass

By Beth Verge | Posted: Tue 7:30 PM, Mar 10, 2020 | Updated: Wed 6:20 AM, Mar 11, 2020

RAINY PASS, Alaska (KTUU) - For veteran Iditarod musher Jim Lanier, all was well leading up to the 48th running of the Last Great Race on Earth.

"We're ready, and we're in shape," Lanier said at the ceremonial start of the race this past Saturday. "I don't think I have anything to prove, but I've got a lot to enjoy.

"I really enjoy the support I get from just about everybody," he said, "and it's wonderful, hearing people say, 'Hey, We're glad you're here,' and, 'Go for it!' And that's what I'm going to do."

On Tuesday, however, things changed drastically for the 16-time finisher, who first ran the Iditarod in 1979 and had to run qualifiers to get into this year's race.

The 79-year-old made it 153 miles to the Rainy Pass checkpoint, departing from there at around 7:30 a.m. en route to Rohn. Following the Iditarod Insider GPS tracker, however, his position slowly dropped from the middle of the pack all the way the 57th place. Lanier's position would appear to hardly move for a six-hour span, concerning spectators, teammates, friends and family alike.


Eventually, his handler called Rainy Pass Lodge, saying the stop "was not part of his race plan," and triggering a rescue operation.

Thus, Steve Perrins — son of Steven H. Perrins, both part of the family that owns the lodge — was sent to find Lanier.

"With the wind chill out there right now, you get frostbite pretty darn quick," Steve Perrins said, adding that there was considerable concern over Lanier's condition in the event he was able to find the team. "I was getting cold just driving out there to go get him. You definitely need the right gear and even if you have it, it can be dangerous."

Perrins and a race official came across the team near the mouth of Rainy Pass itself, just one section of the trek to the next checkpoint in Rohn. Lanier was up and roving, Perrins said, but was lacking heat resources and was very obviously cold.

"But when we saw him out there with his dog team, it was a huge relief," said Perrins, to whom Lanier had said his dogs refused to run after coming up on a steep section of trail. "We didn't know what to expect, but he was in good shape when we got there, luckily."

Steven H. Perrins, who had stayed at the lodge while his son went out to look for the musher, said it was clear Lanier had run into other problems out on the trail after the attempt to return to Rainy Pass Lodge.


"He had tried to get his dogs to go up the hill," he said, "and was having a hard time, so he decided to turn around and come back. And he just got tired and cold and sat it out.

"So when they got to him," he said, "he needed help."

Lanier was brought back via snowmachine, and the race marshal mushed his dog team back to the checkpoint.

"He was in good spirits when he got here," Steven H. Perrins said of Lanier's arrival to Rainy Pass Lodge, "except he was disappointed that he had to scratch. But he's safe and healthy, and his dogs are back, and all is good.

"We were all relieved because Jim is getting up there in his years," he added, "doing this phenomenal feat for a man his age. The weather has been extremely cold, the winds have been blowing up here 25 to 35 (miles per hour), and the windchill has been way down, so we were all worried."

Despite a safe return to the lodge, and Lanier's best efforts to finish yet another Iditarod, he will be unable to do so. With his team being flown out of the pass, and per race protocol, Lanier will have to officially scratch, becoming the first to do so in Iditarod 48. This is his fifth scratch all-time.

I'm aware of that. More looking at their approach to the race in relation to past years. Like when Mackey won multiple consecutive races he hung way back. Then made a big charge late in the race.

Good job Alaska Airlines!!!! Always on the forefront of change!

I sure wish you would take the time to read about the race and the stats. Really look into this independently and not just buy into Peta BS. If you want to make a difference in animal cruelty look first into your neighborhood. I bet there are plenty of pitbulls outside right now. Iditarod dogs are supreme athletes and are treated as such. Do you think a person striving to win this race is doing it with abused and malnourished animals? Come on man...

As much as I hate to ruin the fishing here...... you're being trolled, bud.

[quote=WDH]Good job Alaska Airlines!!!! Always on the forefront of change

WDH > go down to Arizona if you wanna see dog cruelty ,pitbulls fenced in to protect a beat up old trailer house no water or food dishes and i am sure plenty drugs too inside the trailer. sled dogs in Alaska live like kings compared to this anyplace American trailer court trash people with pitbulls. >>> long live dog sled racing and the NRA !

You are NOT welcome at my campfire!

Don't feed the democrat.

Somebody gots ta break trail! This year, being out front early seems like a bad move except to get the poke of gold halfway.

its a forced race, the mushers hate it, the lying huskies would sue....

How long have you been retarded........? Tough question.......? Sorry, how about, how old are you...?

i see Jesse and few others are taking their 24 hr.required rest now,good ideal suppose to be cold tonight. old Mitch Seavey still sled`n along and in 3rd place now.

🤣🤣

I heard your campfires suck anyhow. Someone said the music sucks...

And now you will never know!

I heard somebody sucks alright

I see that Seavey already dropped two dogs. Zirkle has climbed up a bit. I would sure like to see her finally win it but history says she wont.

Whatever boomer



This site needs a “like” button

I am going out on a limb... Pete Kaiser and Joar will be in the top 5. Richie Diehl will be top 10. All three are young, extremely tough, with history as distance runners. They can take a lot of strain off the dogs and in a slow race that makes a lot more difference than in a fast race. Brent Sass will be top 10. Jessie Royer will be in the top 5. Mitch will be top 10. Aliy will not make top 10

Sitka those are good guess`s, i still think Jesse Holmes top 10 maybe better ,Jesse is in really good shape too. Mitch Seavy is one tuff old dude as they say he`s got true grit top 5. but right now its anyone`s race to win depends kinda on how their team holds up including musher?

Interesting. I would be incline to agree with you. Although, I dont know much about Richie Diehl. I just looked him up and he is a smaller guy. He also still has all 14 dogs. In my mind that means the dogs are not having to work as hard. He may have a little extra gas in the tank later. My guess of the 5 we will see in the top 10- Joar, Sass, Marrs, Kaiser, Seavey, and we will see Zirkle somewhere in the 7th to 10th position. There are a few other names I would love to see in the top 10 but I doubt they make it.

I have known Richie and Pete for years. They are extremely polite and modest. Right after last year's race I watched them wrestle for fun. Richie won, but it took some doing. Strapping fellow in great shape jumped up and challenged Richie "right now!" Alex is well over 6' and probably has 30+ pounds on Richie and was a wrestler. It was over almost before it started.

In '18 Richie was running with the top 3 and his dogs got sick. He held his dogs back well past what the race vets required. He still almost made top ten.

I see Lance is moving up, Come back kennels is at it gain, still running lucky 13 dogs.....!

Thats a good story. I cant help but like Richie now! Hope he does well.

Just got back off trail. 8 malamutes, 10 days, 130 miles, 1200 lbs of gear and supplies, no caribou! Snow is too deep and the herd hasn't started moving back.

I've run a handful of Iditarod dogs and flew to Nome for the 2017 finish to pack up dogs for the flight home. I know and have met a lot of these guys and gals over the years. They all spend thousands on dog care. Dog mushing is as Alaskan as it gets. Support it and never give in to the ani-mushing orgs. To do so would be a cultural genocide.

Anyhow, as a musher, here's some insights on this year's race:

Brent Sass and Page Drobny have dogs that are miled up from the Quest. This level of stamina will really show in the final standings.

In 2017,I watched Jesse Royer pull into Nome with a full 16 dog team. She won't push her dogs hard, but will always finish competitively in the top 10. To make it to Nome with all your dogs is an immense accomplishment.

Lance had teams running non-stop on the Denali highway. His dogs are miled up. With all his health issues, regardless of final standings, he is one tough SOB. All will power. He can't handle cold due to damage from frost bite and circulation issues from being a cancer survivor. The fact thst he's in the top 10 is beyond words. His dogs recover faster than other dogs and in turn, motivates him. It comes from breeding a dog named Zoro. Zoro genes are in other kennels as well.

Holmes got a late start mileing up. Dogs not as miled up for as many months as other teams. Dogs may fade towards last third of the race.

If you're seeing 4-6 mph pace in front of pack (top 10), the trail is sht. It makes it easier for the back of the pack as trail gets more solid. This is a slow year, too much snow all over the state.

Mille porsild has a hodge-podge of dogs from at least 5 different kennels. Unrelated,it's a wonder she's doing so well with no fights. Truly remarkable. She, joar, chuck Schaefer from Ivik/kotz/willow and a couple others flew to Russia to race dogs. They cut up fremented walrus with axes, to boil down for dog food. She's done multi-thousand mile arctic expeditions with big freight huskies. Though a rookie, she's a very gifted dog driver.

Some of the race predictions here on this thread are amusing, and far fetched.

Which predictions are far fetched specifically?

we can all make predictions ? that`s all they are is predictions. in the end it might not be any of them that have been mentioned that are in the winner`s circle ?
i still will say this Mitch Seavey at age 60 is doing dang good against much younger people and not many at 60 years of age can show this kind of desire or grit !

If I believed in god I would be praying for those dogs every night. #dogslivesmatter

Agreed. I don’t fault him for the cut, like you said there’s a lot of factors including stress and sleep deprivation that can cause mistakes to happen. I also don’t take anything away from him for his dedication to the sport. The commitment to that sport is unlike any other sport out there. It’s a full time job year around.

My problem is that he didn’t take personal responsibility for his mistake and instead blamed others for it. I would think that for an Alaskan like him that ethos, being self-reliant and responsible for your own safety, would be a hallmark trait. People are people...

yup!

I remember this. I believe mitch is left handed. On certain folding knives, the lock mechanism is right near your pointer finger as you grip the knife. He was cutting string on a bail of straw. Closed on his fingers and cut him bad.

I've had them close on me too as I'm left handed, and nowadays will only use benchmade knives with ambidextrous axis-lock.

I use an orange handle griptillian or a blue handle bugout.

$20,000-$30,000 in dog food and race sign up costs. Sponsors involved too. A lot on the line to trust in made in China kershaw trash.

Spyderco makes a safe folding knife too popular with mushers.

I was issued a Benchmade on my first tour to Iraq. That knife did two more one-year tours in Iraq.

I'm real partial to them and gift them to friends and family.

Forgot to add: that picture is the benchmade bugout model. Awesome knife for everything. Cut up 5 caribou and a bull moose with It. Also on me all winter.

It was gifted to me by a left handed veteran Iditarod musher who's pushing to Nome on the trail right now.

Looks like Pete is down to 11 dogs already... tough trail. Way too early but but five of my picks are in the top 6...

These little doodads are quite a nice addition to the Bugout, just FYI.


ETA; E T S Y is being edited out. Google Bugout Backspacer

Sass just ran 120 miles with 4 hours of rest. Pulled into Galena and jetted right out. All other mushers stayed for rest.

My guess is he knows it's going to be warm weather tomorrow so he'll probably take a 6-8 hr rest further up the trail in Kaltag, mid day while the conditions are sht. He'll run further from the pack tonight while it's cold.

Back in 2015, Sass had a real hot team and was such a threat to Dallas seavey, that Dallas ratted him out for having an ipod. Dallas argued that it could be used for two-way communication. Sass was only using it for music and was oblivious. Poor guy was in tears at Tanana check point when Nordman was forced to disqualify him. Even Nordman was upset to break the news to him. Sass was right on Seaveys tail. Typical seavey-dick-move. Sass was super graceful and apologetic about it all and had no bitter words for anybody.

Sass making his comeback tonight.....

I was looking ahead at the weather yesterday and noticed that. I expected most of them to employ that strategy. But I guess after running 500 miles the gas tanks are understandably a little low.
I didnt know that about the ipod!!!! I dont care what anybody has to say in defense of either Seavey. [bleep] em both!!!!

OAM,
I ain't got no dog in the fight, uh....dog in the race.
I've defended Dallas at times as well.

2017 Craig Medred and those dirt bags schandelmeier and zoya denure were grilling him at the stake saying he doped his dogs and culled dogs even writing opinion pieces in the paper.

I picked up for him and wrote to the mouth piece of the trio, Medred.
I told him my experiences giving a race dog tramadol after sewing up a 6 inch gash in the dog from a bad fight. The dog was a non-performing sloth with no depth perception on a minimum dose. I told him it's not a "performance enhancing" drug.

Dallas hired a lawyer and figured out that it was administered after the race. PETA operatives were hanging around the dog lot in Nome in 2017. Nobody recognized them. I was there. Im pretty sure those fk-heads threw tramadol chewables near the dogs. Medred had no clue they came in chewable form. Medred, zoya nor schandelmeir ever apologized for the slander and drama they caused. PETA sewed division and chaos. Those three chose that side IMO.

Heck, even Mackey picked up for Dallas, as did all mushers and Mackey ain't no fan of Dallas.

There's an angle I've not heard before. Thanks.

Like them or not, Seaveys can mush dogs!

Realize, none of these guys are running much faster than any other. Dog are dogs and Physics applies. The huge swings in speed between checkpoints is based on where they take their breaks. If a team is making great speed they will try to hide it by stopping short of the checkpoint for a break and go hot after. Or if the dogs are dragging they may run them a little long, go straight through the checkpoint and stop just out of town. The required rests also confuse standings a great deal... How the mushers rest their dogs is a huge part of the final result.

Them fuqers are tricky!

I don' t pretend to try to keep up.

That doping chit was pure BS- As shown by mainer... everyone with any sense knew it at the time,

It worked, Dallas ran off to Europe...

Sitka, yep. Way more going on than meets the eye. If you have access to live gps tracker, you'll see more of strategy playing out in a more updated form than the race standings. This year, standard race standings have been very late and inaccurate by hours at times.

Things get tricky, even in checkpoints. Remember 2008? Two titans Lance Mackey in 1st, Jeff King in 2nd. Jeff pulls into Elim, sees Lance feeding his dogs and is confused. They both head inside to rest. Lance can't shake Jeff's team, his dogs are faster. It was like this the entire race, within spitting distance. Jeff, getting old,falls fast asleep snoring. Lance had one eye open the entire time. Bounces up, rushes outside calls up his dogs and blasts out in the night. Jeff woke up PISSED that no one let him know. Lance cut rest yet again out on the trail, only giving Jeff a glimpse of 1st place. Even with a faster team, Jeff never caught up. Lance pulled into Nome like a rock star.

Buser stayed back helping his rookie son for the first half of the race. Then because of his highly calibrated check point efficiency with his chores, he blasted by 20 teams and almost caught up to the top 3, finishing in 5th place.

Efficiency with chores and tasks is a big part as well. Hard to do with sleep deprivation. On mandatory 8 hour or 24 hr rests he leaves on the minute, while other mushers leave 20 minutes to an hour over. After 5 days,timely efficiency will put you dozens of miles ahead of your competitors.

In last year's race Pete woke Joar up to tell him he was leaving Elim, IIRC, and did not want him to think he cheated him. Of course Sneaky Pete has a reputation to live down!

its kinda look`n like Thomas Waerner is going to be in 1st soon ? if the statistic standings sheet are logged in and up to date ,i do think it could be done easier so people can understand musher standings better.

Sass a couple hours from Kaltag. Very strategic to stop there. His dogs are moving very slow from cutting rest. Kaltag to Unalakleet is 85-87 miles (Polaris odometer/ski doo odometer). He has a good lead and has a mandatory 8 hour to take. I'm betting he'll take it there.

When they hit the coast, dog teams from windy, treeless Alaska have an advantage. Interior and Willow teams don't contend with wind and disorienting landscapes. Petits leaders led him on a wild goose chase couple years back. Cost him the race.

Richie Diehls 14 dog team could pull away, if the top 3 miss the trail just once. Treeless alaska dogs are like little arrows in the wind, sniffing out the trail.

When my dog team was up in Kotz, I went and vaccinated all of Ed and Ruth Itens dogs. Ed used to hope for wind and blizzards on the coastal section of the trail. His dogs did immensely well in those conditions, because they were born into it.

Survived every mushers worst fear: getting gaffed by a snow hook. They are awful things, are always in the way and never seem like they're safely secured:

https://www.ktva.com/story/41896574...hook-in-january-mushes-iditarod-in-march

He's lucky to be racing this year. A little lower, it wouldve caught the meat of his neck, dug in and drug em to death.

Glanced off skull, but still broke it.


Anyhow, joar and Pete down to 10 dogs. Nervous stuff with over 300 miles left. They'll have to rest more and slow down the run distances to limp in a 10 dog team. There's one seriously steep climb left. Hard on a small dog team, they could quit on the musher.

Richie ended up with a big nightmare bitch in heat... spent an extra 3:42 in Nulato and then had to return to drop two dogs... lots of dogs are going to fail to make Nome.

Darn, Richie dropped another dog.

Purely my opinion:
The Iditarod official decision to cower and bow to PETA fks, by lowering team size to 14 animals is a terrible decision.

It's actually tougher on the dogs as its harder on a smaller team later in the race. It hasnt reduced the percentage of dropped dogs.

New Iditarod CEO actually went to PETA headquarters, thinking he'd find common ground with extremists who hate our culture and use clandestine tactics to snuff out sponsors?

14 is too small, but I suspect number crunching on Rob's part made him believe it would save money, too.

If he can break trail all the way to Nome with just 12 dogs, AND keep the lead he will have earned it!

Caving to PETA should NOT be excused. I"d say they need a new CEO very possibly. Or rethink it for next year.

Listening to idiots with no vested interest or experience is STUPID

Pete just blew past a bunch of folks... he is looking like he wants it... bad!

The official site just gave me a bunch of old news and I only thought Pete had become a miracle worker!

the CEO of the Iditarod was very wrong in a agreeing with 14 dogs ,he should have told Peta: no for the best interest for the dogs health we are going to stay with 16 dogs or maybe let each musher go to 18 dogs even ? back to the race looks like the dog teams and mushers are working hard. old Mitch Seavey is hangin in there, Jesse Holmes is doing good but Thomas Waerner is still lead`n the pack. but its still just a little early to see what happens, i will say this Holmes himself is in extremely good shape and that just might give him an edge to finish strong. i just noticed Nicolas Petit is sneak`n up in the ranks ?

PETA is creating the issue they want. Less dogs means worse on the dogs so it makes the situation worse.

Kind of like ethanol. Burn more fuel for less mileage....

>>you are correct and the CEO of Iditarod should have said : for the health of this fine sled dog race we will stay with 16 dogs or maybe go to 18 dogs. but the CEO took the bait >hook ,line and sinker what a idiot ! and this fine dog sled race" IDITAROD" will suffer for it ,it burns my rearend when people don`t stand for what is right ! WTF ! the CEO of the Iditarod sounds like a snowflake voter ?

Richie's team lost the drive when the bitch in heat left them...

They absolutely dropped out of Drive and refused to run. Richie had to scratch for the first time ever and Pete wasted a bunch of time helping Richie motivate dogs that were having NO part of it...

anyway old Mitch Seavey is sneakin up in the standings ,show`n his grit to the younger mushers.

Once again you can't fool or fool with Mother Nature. That applies to SO many cases.

Top three are in White Mountain this am.

Waernet
Seavey
Royer