Day 6- Morning Update- Cripple

GPS Tracker shows Pete in and stopped in Cripple. The Standings Page from 6:30 hasn’t shown this yet, but the Tracker appears to be working (When it has failed it has showed him farther back, not forward).

After such a long run, I am expecting him to rest in Cripple for a bit. Other mushers have been resting at this checkpoint for 5-6 hours before headed out for Ruby. Ruby is 65 miles up the trail from the checkpoint.

The speeds listed on the Standings Page from Iditarod cannot be accurate. I believe they are using the old mileages. On the Mileages listing, they show this:

Ophir to Cripple- 59
Cripple to Rubby- 112

But on the Checkpoint descriptions they say that the Cripple checkpoint was moved:

-From Iditarod–Important Note The Cripple checkpoint was moved for the 2000 race. It will be located approximately 45 miles farther toward Ruby, at the Poorman airstrip. This is the same location used by the Iron Dog snowmachine race for its checkpoint. This significantly changes the nature of this portion of the race. The distance from Ophir to Cripple is now about 105 miles instead of the previous 60, and the distance from the Cripple/Poorman checkpoint to Ruby will be about 65 miles, instead of the previous 112. The Trail Notes have been revised to reflect this change.

Yet if you look at Jeff King’s time, he made the run from Cripple to Ruby in 9.47 hrs at a speed of 11.45mph. Simple Math shows 112 miles. I am confused.

From the times I am seeing, I think that the Note above is correct, but the speeds are wrong. We’ll ask Pete when we see him:)

LOWER KOYUKUK AND MIDDLE YUKON VALLEYS-
INCLUDING...GALENA...NULATO...HUSLIA...KALTAG...RUBY...KOYUKUK
322 AM AKST FRI MAR 12 2010
.TODAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
HIGHS ZERO TO 10 BELOW. LIGHT WINDS.

Current Ruby Weather

-19 °F Light Snow

Melanie Gould of Talkeetna pulls into the halfway checkpoint at Cripple IDITAROD 2002