Correction The Award is $2000.
3 minutes! That’s what it came down to after another epic 9 hour run in from Eagle Island today. After leaving Eagle Island with Joar Leifseth-Ulsom, Pete came across Nic Petit who had been resting 18 miles up the trail. Pete arrived at 16:48 with 11 dogs followed shortly by Nic at 16:51 with 11 dogs as well.
The last hour had all of Pete’s fans pressing REFRESH on the Tracker while they two Teams made their way up the trail. In the end it was close, but Pete persisted and was first into the checkpoint. Good Job Pete! Good Job Team Kaiser Doggies!
Eventually Joar stopped for a rest and it was Pete and Petit for the run to Kaltag! Kaltag hosts the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Fish First Award that includes $3000 $2000 cash, a beautiful piece of artwork by Bristol Bay artist Apay’uq Moore, and 25 lbs of Salmon from Bristol Bay. You always hear that Alaska is the largest State in the United States, but in terms of our people, we are a close-knit bunch. I read Apay’uk’s name and said to myself, “Hey, I know her!” So I called up my daughter, Kelsey, got her phone number and gave her a ring to see what kind of artwork Pete just acquired. She told me this year it is a burned piece of spruce with a central drawn/burned piece of a dogteam. She is a master artist and we can’t wait to see it! Thanks Apay’uk for your hard work and contributing to Iditarod via BBNC!
Pete will have to take his 8 hour layover now in Kaltag, but that won’t hurt his feelings a bit. It is wet snow right now in Kaltag. Later this evening it is supposed to cool down which will be awesome for the Team and should provide a good trail. We’ll see though.
Wow! What a bit of excitement in the middle of the Iditarod!
I’ll have some stats and race analysis after more Teams make their way into Kaltag. There are several game plans that we are going to see tonight.
Speaking of which– Tonight is my first day of Spring! We SPRING forward this evening and get our light back in the evenings! Tomorrow will be a bit tough to wake up, but it is worth it. Totally!
Go Team Kaiser!!
