Rohn poses with his lead dogs 4 year old Shaun White, and 6 year old Flash. Other finishers included Lindsey Vonn, Baloo, Rock, Roll, Pineapple, Rigid, Martian and Heath. Kikkan and Pike were dropped in Aniak. Suzette stayed in Kalskag and Rosie got to stay in Tuluksak. No major problems with the dropped dogs, Rohn just wanted a 100% sound team as he was anticipating a fast run. Rohn reported the first 50 miles of trail as snowy and the next 200 + glare ice with lots of tussocks (large mounds of grass that grow in the tundra.) He reported that it was just cold enough to freeze the snaps and gear after every puddle the team went through. His gangline looked like a big sausage at the finish. He felt and glimpsed Jeff's pursuit from Kalskag to the finish. His goal was to stay consistently fast and said he and the team had fun on the run into Behel. Whew.
Martin is coming along, working to get as many of his crew to the finish as possible.
Although the temperatures were a little warm, teams made good time to Kalskag, the second checkpoint on the K300 race. While the resting rules have changed for mushers to be able to do their mandatory 6 hour rest in 1 hour increments in Kalskag, Aniak or Kalskag on the way back, most everyone will take some rest time in Kalskag on the way out. The teams have basically raced 100 miles to Kalskag. The race is looking a bit like last year with Rohn and Jeff King out front, but this time they are being pursued closely by Martin and Paul Gebhardt. I think the starting time differential will be made up in Kalskag. Since Martin and Rohn started near the back, they actually have a little less rest to take. Will be intersting to see what the weather has in store for the teams today. The "12th Man" in dog racing is always the weather.
Rohn is racing predominately the same team he raced in the Knik 200. Rigid, Baloo, Rosie, Roll (brother to Rock), Shaun White, Flash, Martian, Vonn, Suzette, Rock, Pike, Kikkan, Heath, and Pineapple. Most of the dogs are four years old.
Martin crew includes Ivar, Sally, Doc, Phelps, Bessie, ShereKhan, Seattle, Hillary, Peach, Vesuvius, Pharoah, Banana, Drillbit, Lightning. Martin team is a mix of ages, definitely younger, for the most part, than Rohn's team. This is the first major competitive race for several dogs in Martin's team.
Lots of racing left in the K300. There is a mandatory 4 hour layover in Tuluksak on the return trail to Bethel. Today will be an exciting day to watch the tracker.
I miss being in Bethel for the race, mostly I miss our Bethel Hoffman family. Good luck to Taylor Hoffman who is in Barrow with the Bethel Warrior basketball team.
As usual with the Kusko 300, the weather became a major factor as of yesterday. Freezing rain prevented musher and dog food from being flown up the trail so the start tonight may be postponed. The race committee will decide this afternoon. Many years ago, the start was postponed due to wind chills of -100.
New rest rules allow mushers to take their mandatory 6 hours rest in 1 hour increments in Kalskag on the way up or back or in Aniak. This will make for a shake up in the typical resting on Kusko. The 4 hour mandatory rest in Tuluksak on the way back to Bethel remains unchanged.
Martin chose to start 22nd and Rohn last, 24th. Mushers choose starting number based on the order in which paid their entry fee. I think starting last gives our guys a way to gauge their travel compared to the rest of the teams and there is little additional rest added to the 6 to make up for the time differential at the start.
Best place for information so far is:
Local Bethel musher Pete Kaiser's parents keep pretty close tabs on happenings
The K300 began on time, on the river on a balmy breezy night in Bethel. Martin and Rohn are headed down the trail for a sleepless sprint for 300 miles.
