Good Morning again Team Kaiser!!
On the previous post I mentioned that Ryan Redington was in the decision pressure cooker. What to do? What to do?
A former champion on your heels. Do you stay or do you go?
It’s like playing cards and in this case Ryan had to show his hand. Pete then made a decision based on what he saw as well as what his Team is needing.
In this case, Ryan took the gamble to go and Pete is taking the safe bet and taking a break. Better to rest and recharge. In past races, a couple hour break in Elim with warm water and a place to warm the musher is a good option. Granted, there is an 8 hour rest awaiting in White Mountain, but if Pete is taking a break, it’s because the Team needs it. This is a beautiful dog team and they rely on Pete to make the best decision for them. No musher ever wants to break that special bond of trust.
Generally before making taking the trail to White Mountain without stopping in Elim, Teams will take about a 5 hour break in Koyuk knowing they have 84 miles in front of them. Last night Pete and Ryan took about 3 1/2 hours. With Pete stopping, he is going to gather a couple more hours of rest before heading on to White Mountain.
If Ryan is able to hold it together and run into White Mountain without a break, that may be the run that wins the race. It’s just really hard to say at this point. We have seen Teams that, once in White Mountain, even after the 8 hours, just don’t want to go. We have also seen Teams that are really super and this kind of move is what pushes them into that special category of Iditarod Champion.
For Team Kaiser, it’s a waiting and watching game. This is Iditarod and ANYTHING can happen!!
Go Team Kaiser!!
