Headed Downriver

mcgrath

If you live on a river, the terms Upriver and Downriver become parts of your daily vocabulary. This afternoon Pete and the Team took to the trail to head downriver to the other Kuskokwim Checkpoint, McGrath, 48 miles away.

After such a long rest in Nikolai, I am thinking Pete may have a new strategy in mind for 2016. In his past races he has taken his 24 hour layover in Takotna (remember the Pies!). Pete related to me before the race that if conditions were good and the Team felt okay, he might push out to a different checkpoint for the layover.

Why do this? Well, in a 1000 mile race it might do well to split the race into equal parts. Cripple, for example, is almost exactly halfway to Nome. He might be thinking that if his team has good speed all the way into Cripple, maybe he can get a recharge and keep that speed to the finish.

As I said, there are plenty of strategies and many years of mushers playing them out, so we will just see how this “plays” out!

Kuskokwim Mushing Weather today-

AKZ227-090345-
UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
INCLUDING...MCGRATH...NIKOLAI...TAKOTNA...FAREWELL LAKE
343 AM AKST TUE MAR 8 2016

.TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 20S. EAST WINDS 5 TO
15 MPH. 
.TONIGHT...CLOUDY WITH FLURRIES. LOWS ZERO TO 10 ABOVE. NORTHEAST
WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH.

Thanks again to Kim Pravda for this short video from yesterday showing Team Kaiser leaving Rainy Pass. What a Great looking Dog Team!

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Video- Pete and the Team Into Nikolai

The last couple of years I had been asking myself and been floating the idea of a live cam at checkpoints. Well, someone must have been thinking the same thing and it is truly awesome! I hope it improves to cover all Teams at some point. On this trial run, it appears to be of the front runners, but it really makes the Insider worth it.

I captured the video of Pete and the Team arriving into Nikolai. After a hard night on the trail through one of the harder sections of the race, the Team looks AMAZING! Barking and lunging to go. Real good speed. Nice Team!!

We are now into the section of the race that I think about a poker game. You are going to see all kinds of things happen here in terms of layover strategy. Some will stay some will go, and everyone is watching everyone to see the “hand” they play. More inexperienced mushers will be swayed by others, where old timers stick to their game plan. In any case, this is a fun part of the race as we see the strategies play out from here to the Yukon.

Here is the Video. Go Team Kaiser!

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I Repeat… Pete Repeats!

A tired Pete Kaiser and his Team of 7 dogs arrived to re-claim the 2016 Kuskokwim 300 Championship. Arriving just 8 minutes in front of Brent Sass who was gaining on him on the run from Tuluksak to Bethel, Pete and the Team looked tired but content that the contest is over.

“It was not easy.” Pete said about the race. “The run from Aniak to Kalskag was especially tough.”

Pete Kaiser wins for the second time in a row, Pete crossed the Finish Line to a great crowd of spectators who cheered on only the third time in the 37th running of the the race.

We will have more later, but we are celebrating at Kaiser Racing Headquarters with family and friends.

Photos and Video to follow. Go Team Kaiser!!

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Video – Pete and the Team Pass the Burled Arches in Nome

After 9 days 15 hours and 44 minutes on the Trail, Team Kaiser completes the 2015 Iditarod Trail Race. Congratulations to Pete and the Team and thank YOU, the Kaiser Race Fan, for following along. Tomorrow I will get an interview with Pete about the race from Start to Finish. Go Team Kaiser!

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“We Can’t Go Anywhere!” Stopped on the Trail to Shaktoolik

Insider captures what we have all been speculating about. Wrong place at the wrong time had Pete and Wade Mars walking their Leaders after running into a non-existent trail. After looking and not gaining any ground, they finally found a band of trees that could protect the Teams and bed down until they could see anything. Pete and Wade sound in good spirits after their ordeal which cost them positions, but made it safely to Shaktoolik. Good Job Men! Listen in:

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FAA Captures Pete into Shaktoolik – Got to Luv Luv Luv Technology

You can see Pete into the checkpoint here.

You can see Pete into the checkpoint here.

Technology is a wonderful thing. One of my dreams is to have a webcam at every checkpoint. Not live video, just a once every couple of seconds or so webcam like the old days. It would be efficient, cheap, and we would, how do they say it, luv luv luv it!

In any case, the FAA has webcams all over the State of Alaska. They are very useful for pilots to see actual conditions of destinations. Today the webcam caught our own Pete Kaiser into Shaktoolik! Cool!!

Pete and the Team followed Wade Mars and his Team into the Checkpoint at 2:04pm after a 9hour and 9 minute run. Whooee baby! That’s a long tough time for this stretch of trail. I’m sure this will be a very good tale once we get it, but for now, we are glad to see both Teams safe and sound in Shaktoolik.

After such a struggle, I’m expecting a short break here. The thing on Pete’s mind, though, is Ken Anderson and Jason Campeau who are burning the trail up behind them. It will all be about the Team I’m sure, but it has to be looming in his mind.

At the front of the pack Aaron Burmeister was passed by Dallas Seavey who arrive into Koyuk at 12:34pm. Aaron arrived just 3 minutes later, but Dallas had made up an hour and 20 minutes since Shaktoolik. An arrival at this time today puts an evening finish tomorrow as my latest prediction and a finish for Team Kaiser in the early morning hours of Wednesday morning.

Pete is holding a solid 9th at this point, which has to satisfy him to some extent, but the ordeal on the trail is something that he will have to push from his mind and drive on up the trail to Koyuk and beyond.

Go Team Kaiser!

Current weather isn’t too bad actually. It is partly cloudy , temperatures have risen, and winds have subsided. It should be a fairly pleasant trip up to Koyuk. There is a chance of more wind later today as a front moves through, but hopefully it will remain at bay.

Shaktoolik Weather- Temperature 16F – North Winds at 10knots – Partly Cloudy Skies
Koyuk Weather- Temperature 16F – Northwest Winds at 7knots – Partly Cloudy Skies

Mushing Weather Forecast:

EASTERN NORTON SOUND AND NULATO HILLS-
INCLUDING...UNALAKLEET...STEBBINS...ST MICHAEL...ELIM...KOYUK...
SHAKTOOLIK
512 AM AKDT MON MAR 16 2015

.TODAY...CLOUDY. PERIODS OF SNOW THIS MORNING. SOME FLURRIES
AFTER NOON. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION AROUND 1
INCH. HIGHS IN THE TEENS. NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH. LOCAL
GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH.
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