Author Archives: tundratech

Congrats to Brent Sass

White Mountain Morning

White Mountain Morning

Good Morning Race Fans! The Last wake up of the 2022 Iditarod and CONGRATULATIONS to Brent Sass on his first Iditarod Win. Brent and Pete have competed many times in races and in a very close finish of the Kuskokwim 300, had there been another mile of trail, he might have overtaken Pete to win the K300! Many congratulations to a fine team and an amazing race. Brent led much of the way earning virtually all of the trail awards.

It’s been a long trail for Pete and the Team who at this hour are resting nicely on their 8 hour mandatory layover in White Mountain.

Last night’s action was a bit more that our hearts could bear as Pete decided to continue on from Elim put some distance between Team Kaiser and other Teams near him. As we watched, Pete came up on Richie Diehl, Dan Kaduce, and Jesse Holmes. It looked like they might be well matched, but alas the Teams of Kaduce and Holmes are a bit faster and ended up an hour in front of Richie and Pete.

Kaduce had an amazing run into White Mountain with a quick time of 5hrs 26min.

Pete arrived 11 minutes after Richie into the checkpoint at 5:01am. After an 8 hour layover, Pete and the Team will be able to return to the trail at 1:01pm for the final 77 miles of the 2022 Iditarod. Listening to his interview, it is apparent that Mushers are pretty tired and this last section is a welcome sight for all.

Looking at the Leaderboard Dallas Seavey, this year’s second place finisher, made the run from White Mountain in 9 hours and 1 minute. That’s a really fast time, but totally doable. I’d guess that Kaduce and Holmes will match it. If Pete and Richie race for the finish they may have fast times as well. Especially after an 8 hour break. Given all of this action, I’m guessing a Finish for Pete and Richie between 10pm to Midnight tonight.

We will be there to get all of the photos and video for you, so stay tuned to the tracker!!

Go Team Kaiser!

Elim

Golovin

White Mountain

Nome

Nome

Good Evening Race Fans!

As the sun sets on day Day 8 of the 2022 Iditarod, a leader heads for a the burled arches and a flock of Teams head for White Mountain.

After a 4 hour break in Koyuk, Pete and the Team were back on the trail with only 177 miles until they reach those arches themselves.

Arriving at half past 1pm, the Team looked excellent and Pete has to be pleased with their performance. Solidly in 9th position, the break in Skaktoolik didn’t seem to change his standing. Others weren’t so fortunate as some Teams fell back and others caught up and are doing well.

The top 10 this year is an amazing group of Teams as is the next 10 Teams as well. Such beautiful weather for a run into Nome!

Brent Sass looks to be the year’s champion if he can keep the blowhole of wind at bay. The entire Norton Coast is a glow of purple and gold as the sun sets tonight.

Tonight’s mushing weather:

Tonight- Clear. Areas of blowing snow. Lows around 4 below. North winds 15 to 25 mph.
Tuesday- Sunny. Areas of blowing snow. Highs around 8 above. North winds 15 to 25 mph.

Howdy Race Fans!

It has been a long run in from Unalakleet as Teams holed up in Shaktoolik over the night because of brutal winds. The net effect is that the whole leaderboard is thrown into a jumble as Teams all grouped together in the checkpoint last night.

Pete and the Team arrived into Shaktoolik at just after 2am and camped out for 6 hours before returning to the trail this morning at 8:00am. Now running with 9 dogs in the Team, they are moving nicely across the ice to Koyuk.

Brent Sass was first into White Mountain and a mandatory 8 hour layover at 11:05 am this morning. He will be able to leave at 7:05pm for the 77 mile run to the Finish Line.

The weather is still pretty windy. Although Koyuk is only showing 6mph wind, it is in a secluded area compared to ice trail which is showing winds 25-35 mph at times.

From Koyuk it is about 100 miles to White Mountain and the 8 hour layover. Then another 77 miles to the burled arches of the Finish Line.

It took Brent Sass about 16 hours to reach White Mountain from Koyuk.

If I was predicting a finish for Pete right now, here is my calculation:

Koyuk Arrival- 1:00pm
2 Hour Break- 3:00pm (Pete would never take a 2 hour break, I see other Teams getting ready to feed and with a 100 mile run in front of them, I’d predict a longer break)
16 Hours to White Mountain- 7:00am
8 hour layover- 3:00pm
10 Hour run (Very Fast) to Nome: 2:00am

My Team Kaiser Finish Prediction- 2:00am – 4:00am Wednesday Morning.

Weather on the Norton Sound today:

Koyuk-
This Afternoon- Sunny, with a high near 10. North wind 15 to 20 mph.
Tonight- Areas of blowing snow. Mostly clear, with a low around -5. North wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

White Mountain-
Tonight-Mostly clear, with a low around -3. North wind 20 to 25 mph.
Tuesday-Sunny, with a high near 6. North wind 15 to 20 mph.

Nome-
Today- Sunny. Highs in the mid to upper teens. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight- Mostly clear. Areas of blowing snow after midnight. Lows around 4 below. North winds around 20 mph.
Tuesday- Sunny. Highs around 9 above. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
Tuesday Night- Mostly clear. Lows around 4 below. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
Wednesday- Sunny. Highs in the lower to mid teens. North winds 5 to 15 mph.

Pete and the Team arrived into Unalakleet at 4:40pm in 12th position. I kind of expected him to continue, but I am now thinking that Pete has another strategy in mind. The win is not the issue, but a good happy Team is really the end game. Which honestly is the prime goal for every race 🙂

It doesn’t appear that weather will be the factor in the race, though at this point the wind from the North is a bit brutal for Teams as they head North towards Shaktoolik and then over the ice to Koyuk.

We have so many memories of this phase of the race that were weather related. A storm in Shaktoolik. A terrible wind storm in Golovin. It’s been the plethora of stories as Teams made their way up towards Nome.

Tonight, as Pete and the Team return to the trail, I’m sure Pete is making sure that the Team is healthy and ready to advance in case another Team may falter. A conservative approach as they head towards the last phase of this race.

Weather tonight will be windy and chilly, but not as crazy bad as we have seen. Visibility will be a factor and the leaders will definitely need to work to stay on the trail, but overall it should be a night of stars and moon as Pete and the Team head towards Koyuk. Out over the ice is a brutal mental experience. Miles of miles of the same trail.  Your mind gets the best of you as you don’t know if you are actually moving forward. One night in a past race, Pete was fully asleep as his Team passed Mitch Seavey in the night. It is a mental challenge to Pete and the Team have seen before, but still will be a challenging run.

Tonight’s weather:
Tonight– Clear, with a low around -11. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday– Sunny, with a high near 4. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Old Woman Cabin

BLM Old Woman Cabin 37mi to UNK

Old Woman Mountain

Good Morning Race Fans!

If you’re like me, you love the extra daylight that daylight savings time brings, but the first few days are it’s a little tough to get used to. I know I’m running a little behind.

That’s not the case this morning for Pete and the Team as they are making great time on the Iditarod trail.

At this hour Pete and the Team are taking a break near the Old Woman trail cabin on the portage to Unalakleet. Over the years strategy has changed and Unalakleet is no longer a place where many Teams take their break. Instead, they split the run from Kaltag to Shaktoolik into two longer runs and bypass the pancake extravaganza that the Unalakleet checkpoint puts on each year.

There has been a bit of jockeying between Travis Beals and Team Kaiser over the night with Travis pushing slightly ahead to take his break. The Teams seem pretty evenly matched at this point, but it is still pretty early to call.

At the front of the Race, Dallas Seavey appears to be gaining on Brent Sass with only about 13 miles between them Seavey has a faster Team and plenty of time to catch Sass at this rate, so it looks to be a great finish. As many Teams have found over the years though, anything can happen between even Safety and Nome, so all bets are off as to what Team will reach the burled arches to take the win.

Mushing weather is going to be a bit cold as Teams turn Northward. Not as bad as it has been in past years, but still it will be a bit of a slap in the face!

Unalakleet:
Today-  Sunny. Highs in the mid to upper teens. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph.
Tonight-  Clear. Lows 1 below to 4 above. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph.

It looks to be a beautiful, if a bit chillier day.

Go Team Kaiser!

Kaltag Sunset – 2017

Good Evening Race Fans!

The race is heating up as Teams jockey for position as they run down the Yukon.

There are about 350 miles until Teams reach the burled arches in Nome, but the clear picture of a winner is a bit blurrier at this point.

Brent Sass still maintains a sizeable lead running across the portage from Kaltag to Unalakleet, but Dallas Seavey has a faster Team and with so many miles to go, anything can happen. This holds true for Pete and the Team as well who are gaining trail on Mitch Seavey as they approach Kaltag.

Years ago, Iditarod Winner John Baker once said, “watch Kaiser on the trail up the coast!” For whatever reason, Team Kaiser seems to morph into a different Team as they leave Unalakleet and head North up the Coast. Presently running in 9th, there are several Teams that are looking back to make sure the orange Parka isn’t in their rear view mirror!

Travis Beals has been traveling with Pete since Ruby and he as well is matching Pete as they run down the trail.

Bottom line is that the race is far from over and the excitement is building for everyone.

Tomorrow is Unalakleet Sunday. So many stories… So many memories. It is bound to be a great Sunday of racing as we reach this milestone.

Mushing Weather for the evening will move from an Interior weather system to coastal influence. Thank goodness this race is not a few days ago when Nome experienced 50 mph winds. The blowhole must have been intense!!

Mushing Weather Forecast:

Kaltag:
Tonight- Clear, with a low around -2. Northeast wind around 25 mph.
Sunday- Sunny, with a high near 11. Northeast wind 20 to 25 mph.

Unalakleet:
Tonight- Clear. Areas of blowing snow in the evening. Lows around 6 above. Northeast winds 15 to 30 mph. Gusts up to 45 mph in the evening.
Sunday- Sunny. Highs in the mid to upper teens. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph.

Galena

Nulato

Good Morning Race Fans!

Another beautiful day on the Iditarod Trail!

Brent Sass is solidly leading the race having arrived into Kaltag early this morning at 2:36am. He should be leaving shortly after taking his 8 hour Yukon break. This will give him about a 20 mile lead on the second place Team, Dallas Seavey.

Pete is running in a solid 10th position this morning if you take into account that a Team just ahead, Chad Stoddard, hasn’t taken his 8 hour break yet.

Team Kaiser left out of Ruby at 9:34 last night with 12 dogs, having dropped one in Ruby. Earlier in McGrath he had to drop one as well. The Team arrived into Galena at 3:00am on the dot with one of the fastest runs to this point over that section of trail. After a 3 hour 55 minute break Pete was back on the trail and is presently on the way to Nulato.

The weather is just outstanding. Clear skies, 12 degrees and a 10 mph North wind puts the wind at their back and should be an amazing run down the Yukon. Taking into account the wind and trail speed, it will be almost dead calm for the Team.

What a great day to be dog sled racing!!

Go Team Kaiser!!