Iditarod 2009 – Paul Gebhardt Update # 5 as of 5am Friday, March 13 ©Evy Gebhardt
Bib #15 Paul and team are currently running in 7th position
Out of the checkpoint of IDITAROD as of 4:25am this morning
The big full moon is like a ghost hanging behind a thin veil of snow-bearing clouds here this morning, an interesting parallel given that the checkpoint Paul just left is considered a ghost town now. Once a bustling community that was home to over 10,000 people in the early 1900’s, the former gold mining town of IDITAROD is nothing more than a collection of deteriorating buildings that comes to live every other year with the passing of the Last Great Race. This location marks the official halfway point in the 1,000-mile race to Nome, and is by far the most isolated of any in the race. It is an area steeped in history, and one that obviously bears the name of this epic journey. Reportedly, in a 17 year period that ended around 1925, around $35,000,000 in gold was hauled out of this area by dog team. A staggering figure when you consider that at that time, an ounce of gold was worth around $20.
History aside, the significance of reaching this point in the race is usually a turning point for Paul. He carries a tiny notebook in his pocket that details all of the gear he has shipped out to the various checkpoints, as well as data such as mileage between checkpoints. One other statistic that is noted is the distance from the starting line to the finish line. Up until this point, it would reflect the distance they have already traveled. Crossing the invisible threshold called the half way point, the notation in Paul’s little book will now record how many miles left to go. And in Paul’s mind, he is beginning to break up the distance not in miles, but rather in runs.
Coming into this checkpoint, it was obvious that he had spent some time camping with the team out on the trail. He was only in the checkpoint long enough to gather supplies for the next leg of his journey before heading back out on the trail. While he may have had some plans about where he would like to have rested and done layovers prior to the start of the race, all of that flew out the door when the weather and a broken sled, threw a monkey wrench into his “plans”. But one of the strengths that I have always felt Paul has is the ability to adapt and innovate. If you look back at Paul’s most recent 2nd place finish (which he took on this southern route) he was off pace by nearly 6 hours from the perceived leaders of the race at this point. While they were moving up the trail ahead of him, Paul was plotting out and successfully executing a strategy to regain a lead and move ahead of them. To say that they never saw it coming was an understatement. Even the media still comments to me about the look of disbelief on the faces of Martin Buser and Jeff King when Paul and Lance Mackey roared into the Bering Sea coastal village of UNALAKLEET in 2007. So if I am guessing correctly, Paul has a new game plan unfolding as the miles of trail slip beneath the runners of his sled.
Obviously, intentions become fluid when the weather or trail conditions create unforeseen obstacles. Case in point is already the traffic jam of teams we saw stacking up back at McGRATH, TAKOTNA, and OPHIR where teams were almost forced to take their 24-hour layovers due to the lack of trail leading into IDITAROD. While no race official was forcing them to do so, the elements certainly were. After what Paul had encountered last year on the horrible trail from OPHIR to CRIPPLE, I guarantee you that no musher was too eager to be the first one out on the unproven trail into the wild lands they are currently traveling through. So Paul is not the only one to come up with a new game plan at his juncture, nor is he alone in being one of the high caliber teams capable of winning.
I should note the difference in trail that I had eluded to earlier. The Iditarod Trail takes on a different form depending upon which year it is according to the calendar. In an effort to bring this event to the villages in some equitable fashion, early organizers established a policy of having the route take a northerly or southern route depending upon whether it was an even based year, or odd number year. Last year, the trail obviously wound up through CRIPPLE and hit the Yukon River at the village of RUBY. This year, being an “odd numbered year” the trail turned south after leaving the OPHIR checkpoint. Paul has been asked whether he prefers one route over the other. He has consistently replied that he feels he has done well going either way, but that the southern route is more difficult. In explanation, he notes that it is technically a longer race given the actual mileage on the southern route. There are more hills on this southern route, most of which mark the leg of the trail he is on right now. And also that when the teams hit the Yukon River at ANVIK, they will face an uphill climb their whole trip along the “river”. (Water flows downhill after all…) He also said that while there is always wind to contend with on the Yukon, normally it is a straight-on head wind that they deal with on the southern route as they march up the river.
With these factors to consider, it becomes a tactical evaluation of the team’s capacity to handle not only the elements physically, but mentally at this point. Having a rock of a leader like HOUSTON is a tremendous advantage to Paul. He has often expressed that while HOUSTON doesn’t have the speed of some dogs, he is unconditional in his performance as a leader. That type of fortitude is infectious, and with Paul’s own persona, the young dogs and the rest of the team will feed off of this. I once read an observation of Paul and his team, pointing to how mimetic they were of his actions. By being calm and deliberate, and most importantly, upbeat, they will continue to do well.
The trail from IDITAROD will take the teams overland to the checkpoint of SHAGELUK, a 65-mile run through hilly terrain. While the checkpoint is not technically on the banks of the Yukon River, it is a spot that is included for mushers to declare one of the additional mandated rests during the race. The mushers are required to stop for 8 hours at one checkpoint somewhere along the Yukon River. (There will also be one more additional 8 hour rest at WHITE MOUNTAIN) They have several options to do this, so again, you will see some jockeying in positions as mushers select their resting point. You will also see rests that equal 8 hours or more above and beyond the mandated one depending upon trail. I would not be surprised to see Paul camping outside of the checkpoints where it would be quieter for the dogs, and only fulfilling the mandatory 8 at a checkpoint proper. He has supplies for the team awaiting him at every checkpoint along the way.
I do want to note that the field of mushers has decreased once again. Bjornar Anderson, the musher from Norway, pulled out of the race back in TAKOTNA. He like Paul, had taken a nasty spill out in the buffalo tunnels on the run from ROHN to NIKOLAI, and they suspect that he has some internal injuries. I am praying for his health. It has got to be disappointing for the team Norway group oversees. From my understanding, the team of dogs that travels here to race the Iditarod is a compilation of all the best Norwegian mushers’ dogs with one “jockey” selected to represent them. Twice the Iditarod has been won this way by team Norway, although in both instances it was the older Robert Sorlie that achieved this level of success.
I think that we are still in for quite a roller coaster ride as Paul and his team of 12 dogs makes their way to Nome. At this point, I would not make any assumptions as to who the likely winner would be. The media may pit one team against another and throw odds around like dice at a craps table, but the weather and the trail don’t care what anyone thinks. We can speculate all we want to, but it still boils down to the fundamental elements of a musher, a sled, a dog team and a quest. Good luck, bad luck or just plain no luck… in the end I think that it is the journey that matters.
Until later… enjoy the ride, Evy
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