Sebastian crossed the finishline the 6.4. at 16:46 h (7.4. - 2:26 MEZ) in 7th position.
Congratulations !!!
Sebastian left Kiana the 6.4. at 6:35 h (16:35 MEZ) in 4th position - there is only one checkpoint left before the finish line.
Sab is racing the Kobuk 440.
The race goes over 440 miles (700 km) from Kotzebue to Kobuk and then back to Kotzebue on another trail.
Sebastian reached the first checkpoint Noorvik in 7th position.
Sebastian and Rudi crossed the finish line in Nome.
Sebastian arrived after 9 days, 22 hours, 14 minutes and 35 seconds in 10th position with 14 dogs.
Rudi arrived after 11 days, 13 hours, 55 minutes and 28 seconds in 43rd position with 13 dogs.
Gratulation to the both Finisher !!!
Today Anchorage stood under the sign of the Iditarod - the Main Street was dominated by hunderts of huskys (to be more precis, more than 1150), ready to go on the over 1000 miles (1600 km) long trail to Nome. The real race starts tomorrow but the ceremoniestart today was the official start of the 36th Iditarod.
Sabs Iditarider found his place on the back runners of the sled and so I had the honor to take, as balast, place in the sled. It was a special athmosphere to start on Main Street, houses on the right and left and of course a lot of spectators. The perspective out of the sled was a kind of special for me - driving in situations where you what’s to done but not able to do anything.
After 11 miles (18 km) we arrived and loaded the dogs back in the truck - tomorrow Sab and Rudi are going for real.
Here are some pictures from the start of the 36th Iditarod.
Good luck and happy trails
Andy
This time Sab was lucky at the drawing of the bib numbers - he got number 68, so he can start at on Saturday at 13:14 h (23:14 MEZ) and on Sunday at 16:14 h (Monday, 2:14 MEZ).
Rudi got number 52 and starts on Saturday at 12:42 h (22:42 MEZ) and on Sunday at 15:42 h (Monday, 1:42 MEZ).
We closed our camp at Paxson and now we are all here in Anchorage.
For Sebastian and Rudi it’s meeting day today and in the evening there is the big startbanquet with the drawing of the bib numbers - unfortunately Sab is in the third group and so his lowest possible bib number will be 73 (but you all know Sabs luck in drawings).
On Friday they will have their last short trainingsrun - both are in the lucky position that they have still more then 16 dogs to choice from.
Lance Mackey won the Yukon Quest the 4th time in row.
While I didn’t reach my target - to run the Yukon Quest - but it has still been worthwhile. In Sabs opinion, I couldn’t find a plausible explanation why I have scratched in Mile 101, it was a gut feeling that I couldn’t make it and when I now hear the trail reports (jumbled ice, overflows, lack of trail markers) and see how many dogs had to be dropped, then I must say that it was probably a good decision.
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Yesterday evening I started from Mile 101 to Central. On the way I had some problems on the icy parts and when the trail got up in the windy sections my dogs didn’t want to go ahead and I couldn’t convince them to do so. So I returned to Mile 101 and after I sleep I decided to scratch. The dogs, and I, are all well.
Andy made it into Chena at 3:37 a.m. after taking a few detours on his way. The dogs look good. Now he has to take 3hrs of rest there, before loading the dogs into the dogtruck and drive to Mile 101. That drive normally takes 4hrs, the organisation alloted 12 hrs, that says all about the road conditions.
