Iditablog.com – Iditarod 2010 News and Coverage

Here is a bunch of Iditarod audio, in chronological order:

From Unalakleet:

1 – Report from Unalakleet [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/UNK_Report.mp3[/audio]

2 – Report on the Bering Straight School District [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/BSSD_Iditarod.mp3[/audio]

3 – Report from Unalakleet on Lance Mackey & Hugh Neff [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/UNK_Report_Mackey.mp3[/audio]

4 – OLN version of the live Unalakleet [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/OLN_UNK.mp3[/audio]

5 – OLN version of a White Mountian Report [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/OLN_WMO.mp3[/audio]

Robert Sorlie’s 2005 Iditarod Win:

1 – Neil Live from Topkok Cabin 1 [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/topkok%201.mp3[/audio]

2 – Neil Live from Topkock Cabin 2 [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/topkok%202.mp3[/audio]

3 – Neil Live from Safety

[audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/safety.mp3[/audio]

4 – **All Live Audio from Wednesday Morning [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/Sorlie_Arriving.mp3[/audio]

5 – **Audio from Wednesday Afternoon [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/Wed_Afternoon2.mp3[/audio]

6 – OLN version of the finish [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/OLN_Finish.mp3[/audio]
Other:

Teacher on the Trail – 03/13 [audio]http://www.northslope.net/iditarod05/TOTT_0313.mp3[/audio]

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I took a blogging day off yesterday after going for so long with a new post each day. But I’m back for a while, and I’ll continue to tell you about what its like to live in a crazy place like Nome.

Lydia’s parents are in town, they arrived yesterday morning, and her sister comes tomorrow (Saturday). Its been fun showing them around town again, they were here in October but we had a huge storm so they didn’t get to see to much. Last night we went to a reindeer stew fundraiser for the Christian pilots association here in town, then we went to a Eskimo dance concert. It was pretty cool to see these people do dances that have been passed down for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. It really shows the deep routed culture and history these people have. Kids 10 and 12 were doing their dances, and older people were doing the grandpa dance.

Today Jerry & I followed the Iditarod trail up for a few miles and got to see some more mushers come into town. It was really cool to see them in their element, not on a city street. It was also really fun to go snow machining when it wasn’t so cold or windy. We went and watched Lydia play basketball, and tonight we are going to a halibut fry.

Tomorrow Jerry, & I, along with Lon and Irene (from KICY) are competing in the Nome Kennel Club’s businessman’s race. It should be fun, after spending my early childhood in Alaska its been a dream of mine for quite a while to get behind some sled dogs, and I’m excited to do it tomorrow.

• I’ve posted some pictures I took of the Iditarod Finish (click here)

Well, what a day it has been. We’ve had a mushers family staying in our upstairs room, its made things a bit more hectic around the house but I’m glad we could help out. Lydia’s parents arrive tomorrow morning, that will be exciting! Today was a very long day, I woke up around 5:00am and am just finishing work at 8:39pm. We’ve had a lot of mushers come into town, and I’ve tried to be downtown on front street for most all of them.

Robert Sorlie came in first, Ed Iten in second, Mitch Seavey third, Bjornar Andersen fourth, Ramy Brooks in fifth, John Baker arrived sixth, Lance Mackey seventh, Jessie Royer eighth, Paul Gebhardt ninth, and DeeDee Jonrowe came in 10th.

Here is a link a audio report that talks about Robert Sorlie winning the race (click here). If you’re interested, I still have to put up other audio from the past week.

I should have pictures of the finish up tomorrow!

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Sorlie Wins!!!!! He came in at 08:39 this morning. Ed Iten is in at 9:13

I’ll have pictures, stories and audio later in the day. But Now I have to head back down to the finish line.

Alrighty Folks, I’m back in Nome and the Race is on!

As of Late Tuesday Evening

As of this update, Robert Sorlie has left White Mountain at 8:59, after his eight hour layover and I’m sure is pushing his team hard all the way to Nome. Behind Sorlie, set to leave at 10:50 is Ed Iten, at 10:56 is Mitch Seavey. Ramey Brooks will leave at 11:23, John Baker at 11:36, and Bjornar Anderson at 11:49.

As you can see the times in the top 6 are pretty close, especially within the top 3. The piece of information worth noting is that Sorlie only has 8 dogs, and it took him 8 hours and 45 minutes to get to White Mountain from his last checkpoint. On the other hand, Ed Iten has 11 dogs and it took him 7 hours to get there, Mitch Seavey has 11 dogs, and it took him 7 hours 30 minutes to get from Elim to White Mountian. Robert is slowing down, and the others are speeding up. You could see three very close finishes tomorrow morning, and Sorlie won’t necessarily be on the winning side.

I’ll be downtown Nome all morning at the race finish brining Nome the finish.

Check me out, I’ll be on the KICY scaffolding, and you can view it on the (webcam).

I’ve got some great Iditarod memorabilia I’ll send out to you for the first few people who can email me good shots off the webcam of me broadcasting the finish.

I’m hoping to leave on a flight back to Nome in 20 minutes. Here are the current standings.

As of 10:30 am

Sorlie out of Elim at 4:17am

John Baker out of Elim at 7:08am

Mitch Seavey out of Elim at 7:26

Ramey Brooks out of Elim at 7:34

Ed Iten out of Elim at 7:50

Buser still in Elim

DougSwingly in Elim

I’ve got lots of audio & photos for you when I get back to nome!

Well, my last post was correct, I did get marooned only it was here in Unalakleet instead of Koyuk. So I’m spending one more night here, and one less night out on the trail somewhere else. This has given me the chance to speak with a few more mushers that I wouldn’t have otherwise had a chance to catch up with. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can catch the first flight out of here back to Nome. I’ll have to get White Mountian perhaps after the finisher comes into Nome.

Some pretty funky stuff went on today with the race standings, I’ll try and break it down for you.

Robert Sorlie is still in first place, however he got lost on the trail out of Unalakleet on the way to Shaktoolik, he left Koyuk around 6:00 this evening. Mitch Seavey came from a number 9 or 10 position into number 2 and is resting in Koyuk right now. Word is that he has a very fast team that he has been holding back for most of the race. He might try and make a pass at Sorlie, but there is some time in between them. Ramey Brooks came into Koyuk about an hour after Seavey did, and Martin Buser came in 20 minutes after that. Another huge move was made by Lance Mackey who is in the number 5 spot right now, earlier he was down in the teens, but after a 7 hour rest here in Unalakleet was able to climb up the ring. I spoke with him this morning around 9, and he was talking about taking it easy, enjoying the race, not taking things to seriously and BAM, he is a contender again.

Its on its way back to Nome, only 171 more miles. Hopefully I can beat them all there! I’ve also got to write some updates this evening that I can call in tomorrow morning for the Breakfast club.