Good Evening Race Fans!

Pete and the Team aren’t leading the race, but they are definitely making time and whatever Pete is doing is really paying dividends.

Arriving at 6:55pm this evening, Team Kaiser’s Shaktoolik to Koyuk time was, again, the fastest time at 5hr 31minutes. After a good long break, that Team really goes!!

Tonight Pete and the Team are resting up in Koyuk as they prepare for the Koyuk to White Mountain stretch.

The pit crew arrived into Nome this evening and are still getting settled to welcome Team Kaiser Home on Wednesday. Given how Pete is managing the Team, I’m thinking that he will also take a break in Elim.

Finish Forecast:
Koyuk to Elim – 7 Hours
Elim Break – 4 Hours
Elim to White Mountain – 6.5 Hours
White Mountain Layover – 8 Hours
White Mountain to Nome – 10 Hours
Total 35.5 Hours

If Pete leaves around Midnight, then that would put Team Kaiser into Nome around 8am on Wednesday morning. Those are conservative numbers, so they could easily arrive earlier. In any case, there are many more challenging miles ahead and more stories to tell!!

GO Team Kaiser!

Mushing Weather Forecast:
Tonight
Clear, with a low around -14. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near -4. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around -11. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near -4. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Good Morning Race Fans!

Ask any musher this morning how the race is going and you’ll get one word– “Cold!” Presently it is -23F in Shaktoolik, wind North at 10mph, with a wind-chill of -44F. Whew!! That’s cold!!

It’s been a cold run down the Yukon and now up the Bering Sea coast as Teams strategize these last runs of the 2024 Iditarod. Pete gave the Team a great 8 hour break last night in Unalakleet and was able to warm up himself for this last third of the race. Arriving into Unalakleet at 6:08pm last night, he popped the hook and returned to the trail at 2:18am early this morning.

The break was very worthwhile as, again, Team Kaiser had the fastest trail time into Shaktoolik so far arriving at 7:36am this morning after a 5hr 18 minute run.

As we have heard Richie say over and over in our conversations on Kaiser Racing Radio, it’s ALL about the dogs and what they need to be happy and healthy as they head up the trail. After seeing the performance on the trail, it’s apparent that the cold temps are making longer breaks necessary for both the Team and for Pete.

Dallas Seavey is leading the race and out of Koyuk early this morning. Pete is doing great and it is looking like a top 10 finish for our favorite Team!

Weather this morning in the area is absolutely beautiful– To the Eyes!! It’s cold, though, and Pete’s strategy of making the run over the sea ice in the heat of the day (which is only -5 today) will be best for the Team and for Pete. I’d guess Pete will break until just after lunch and then head out for Koyuk.

The pit crew is headed to Nome to welcome Pete across the finish line today- See ya Soon!!

Go Team Kaiser! Stay Warm!!

Mushing Weather forecast for today-
Today
Areas of blowing snow. Sunny, with a high near -8. Wind chill values as low as -50. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around -23. Wind chill values as low as -50. North wind 15 to 20 mph.

Pete and the Team are into Unalakleet at 6:08pm and as expected are going to take a break here before continuing North to Shaktoolik and Koyuk. Pete made quick work of putting straw down for the Team, but not before signing a few autographs and shaking hands with friends and fans. Pete has Celebrity Status in Unalakleet as fans have seen him over the last 15 years as well as winning the Paul Johnson Memorial and of course his Iditarod win in 2019. A crowd of fans was immediately there to see him and give encouraging words. Aspiaq! (Yup’ik word for “AWESOME”) is the only way to put it 🙂

Pete is running a conservative plan at this point in the race with low temps, winds, and a very long tough run that will take him and the Team North to Shaktoolik and then out across the ice towards Koyuk. It’s going to be a long night and a good plan is to build up rest for the coming trek.

Four Teams have left Unalakleet with six remaining in Unalakleet. As John Baker, Iditarod Champion from Kotzebue put it one time, though, “You don’t want Pete Kaiser chasing you up the coast!” We’ll see if that’s the case, but Team Kaiser has roots from the area and is used to the wind and temperatures that this night will bring.

It’s going to be an exciting evening!

Go Team Kaiser!!

Shaktoolik Sunday

Unalakleet Sunday

Good Afternoon Race Fans!

It’s a long cold run in from Kaltag. Last night on the river in Kaltag it was -40F. Travis Beals who lead Teams into Kaltag with a fair advantage, gave up that position as Dallas Seavey and Jesse Holmes mushed on by in the night with Travis following them to Old Woman cabin where several Teams including Team Kaiser camped out for 4-5 hours each.

Pete and the Team arrived into the campsite a couple of hours after the main group and took a 4 1/2 hour break after arriving at just after 8am this morning. Returning to the trail about 12:30pm, they are moving along nicely.

Jesse Holmes was the first Team into Unalakleet with Dallas Seavey arriving just 26 min later. Dallas didn’t stop and made his way another 10 miles out of Unalakleet where the Team is presently taking another break.

Unalakleet weather at 3pm local time is -7 with light 6mph winds. The next checkpoint, Shaktoolik, however, is reporting -8 with 21mph North winds.

Teams seem to be moving a bit slower and taking longer breaks which leads one to believe that the trail and temperatures are not an easy run and mushers are giving Teams a bit more rest, not to mention the mushers that need it as well. After a week out on the trail, the mental challenge of fatigue, lack of sleep, and the monotony of the trail begin to take effect and the next part of the race can be as much a mental as physical challenge.

Normally I would think that Pete would run right through Unalakleet, but I am seeing Matt Hall and Jesse Holmes both take a short break as well in Unalakleet, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Pete does the same here. Teams that have passed Pete while on break are making much longer runs into Unalakleet, so I’m thinking that they will need to stop longer before returning to the trail. I would expect Pete and the Team to be in the 6th or 7th position upon leaving Unalakleet.

It’s Iditarod Sunday and anything can and will happen. We have already seen the true leader changed over the night. It will be interesting to watch this evening to see things shake out.

There’s not a cloud in the sky, but the windchills are extreme.
Shaktoolik Forecast:
This Afternoon
Areas of blowing snow. Sunny, with a high near -6. North wind around 20 mph.
Tonight
Areas of blowing snow. Clear, with a low around -23. Wind chill values as low as -45. North wind 20 to 25 mph.
Monday
Areas of blowing snow before 4pm. Sunny, with a high near -7. Wind chill values as low as -50. North wind around 20 mph.

Stay Tuned!

Go Team Kaiser!!

What a great group of dogs! Team photos before they set off on the Iditarod Trail!