Iditarod 2010: Monday Afternoon Update

Earlier this afternoon, Aliy was fourth into Rainy Pass with all 16 dogs:



While that certainly is "good news" and fun to see, I want to remind all of you that it really doesn't mean anything. At this initial stage of the Iditarod, teams are leapfrogging each other like crazy, all depending on who rested when, where and for how long. We want to see Aliy stay up toward the front of the pack, but don't be surprised if you see her -- or any of the teams -- bounce from 4th to 14th and back again... Okay?

It looks like Allen has dropped a dog. I have no information about who that was, but I will tell you anything I learn as soon as I learn it.

Along those lines: Unlike the CB300 where I could drive to checkpoints to meet the Teams and get current info for you, the Iditarod is entirely "out of reach" for me. If you actively watch the Iditarod website, you will know practically everything I know at any given moment. What I will be able to do is give you some interpretation and analysis -- even some semi-educated guesses -- about the information.

We are hopeful that Aliy's mom -- who is "flying the trail" with Sky Trekking Alaska -- will be lucky enough to intersect with the Teams at a checkpoint or two and -- hopeful again! -- that she will be able to call me with updates. I promise to share this info just as soon as I have it.

We also have a "fantasy" that Aliy will be able to send me a chip out of her camera from some checkpoint early on the trail. I think the odds are fairly slim that this will work out, so I don't want to build your hopes up. But, we've done everything we can to put the option in play and can always hope for the best.

Finally, I have seen your many questions as I've approved your comments. I hope to answer as many as I can as fast as I can, both in the "Final Team Roster" posts that I am working on right now and in "reply comments" that I will try to post soon.

In other words, folks, the Iditarod is almost impossible to "cover" but we have put some facilities in place that we hope will give us some quality updates along the way. I will do my best to keep you posted... Stay tuned!

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