How many checkpoints are there in the iditarod 2018

Please enjoy my adventure and I apologize if I left out any names as there is so much to capture along the trail. I will also be putting together a picture blog in the next several days. Thanks again for everyones support thought out the season, its very much appreciated!

I had drawn number 38 for this years Iditarod at the banquet, same number I had in Debbie was my IditaRider in and her husband Jim Abrams is a great supporter to the team!

The ceremonial start in Anchorage was a great time. My tag sled driver was local neighbor Dr. Jessica Kjlejka; we both had an amazing time during the first 11 miles with fans cheering us on and giving us hot dogs. My IditaRider was Charles Price, he also had a great time riding in the sled, supports the team and supplied us with several Go Pros for the race. Everything worked out great during the ceremonial start as I had great people to help me out. The restart in Willow went great as well! I had pretty much the same amount of help including GB Jones.

It was a sunny warm day and I made sure that the dogs got plenty of water before the start. I finished packing my sled with all the mandatory gear such as: snowshoes, ax, cooker, vet book, dog booties, sleeping bag, headlamps and dog food. Other things I carry are: cooler, dog bowls, ladle, harnesses, my gps, dog coats, lines, wrist wraps, batteries, supplements, food for me, diabetic supplies, sled repair kit, dog medical kit, runner plastic, clothes, beaver mitts, hand and foot warmers, wind suit and several other items that we need while on the trail.

I always seem too over pack but rather be safe than sorry. All of our other food and gear I sent out in our drop bags to all of the checkpoints back in February. I sent out 2, pounds of dog food and supplies that we will use along the trail. We are also supplied one bale of straw per checkpoint and heet for our cookers.

We were now off to Nome! Willow to Yentna 42 miles 3hrs. This section of the trail is mostly on lakes, the Susitna and Yentna Rivers. Five, four, three, two, one! We left the starting chute and we were on our way! Lots of fans lined Willow Lake and the first 10 plus miles wishing us luck on the way to Nome. The trail was in great shape, wide and fast going. The sun was shinny bright and there was a light breeze that made it comfortable for the team to stay cool. The dogs decided to take a wrong turn to Deshka Landing, since they were familiar with that intersection on the Willow I called out Haw and we were back on the trail again.

I think it was Blacks fault! We passed several teams and were also passed by several. I stopped half way and snacked the dogs some fish. We were about a mile from the 1st checkpoint and I saw Lou Schrader and we both yelled to each other our greetings. I pulled into Yentna and gave my race bib to the checkers, had the vet book signed, signed some posters and off we were with 16 happy dogs!

Yentna to Skwentna 30 miles 3hrs. This section of the trail is mostly of the Yentna River with several sloughs and channels. The sun was setting and it was cooling off which the dogs always travel better at nighttime. Lots of teams were camping along the trail. I stopped to snack the dogs, put on my headlamp and bundled up a bit for the run to Skwentna. Lots of fans were in certain areas cheering us, asking our bid number or name and giving out hot dogs as well.

The dogs were doing great and were still going at a good speed. My team is always hard to slow down during the beginning of any race. We now checked into Skwentna in 7th place, which was a little faster than I thought we would have been there.

I parked the team with some help from the checkers. They said that I had very well behaved dogs, which made me feel good. The vets are always on top of things as looking over each dog as soon as the team arrives. They truly care and do an amazing job! I took off booties, strawed the dogs, gave them a snack and started to make a meal for them.

Keeping the dogs hydrated is very important at all times. I feed kibble, beef, beef fat, chicken skins, fish, many supplements, etc. This checkpoint had hot water for us. Brown was still coming out of heat and Yukon had to be staked out by my sled to keep peace.

My dogs are always excited to eat and watch me the entire time I prepare a meal for them. Once I touch the cooler handle, they all stand up and are so excited!

This happened through the entire race and every checkpoint. They never turned down a meal or snack. Thank you team! After they ate I looked over all the dogs for any issues such as sore wrists, shoulder, foot problems, rubs, etc. They had a live band on stage playing so I decided to take an hour nap outside next to Brown and Black and listen to the music.

I hardly rest at any checkpoint, as there is always so much to do for the team. I checked my blood sugar and it was perfect and I had a snack and drank plenty of water. I started to repack my sled and carry enough extra food for the Finger Lake checkpoint since there are no drop bags there. I snacked the dogs and was ready to go. I put booties on the dogs and Yukon decided to chew the gang line, 2 tug lines and one neckline.

I replaced them and McKinley chewed the tug line in front of him. These dogs were ready to go and still interested in Brown. I said to myself this is going to be a long race. I pulled the snow hooks and we were off to Finger Lake with 16 happy dogs! We rested 3 hours and 44 minutes. Skwentna to Finger Lake 40 miles 5hrs. This section of the trail is mostly on rivers, swamps, treed areas and meadows.

We left a little after 2am and the trail seemed to be pretty slow in areas. The dogs are used to hard packed and fast trails. The dogs worked very hard and they all looked great.

The temperature was not bad at all but could have been a little cooler. I pretty much had been traveling by myself during this part of the race. I always look at my GPS to see how fast we are going and see when I need to stop and give the dogs a snack, which is usually every hours.

The sun was up and we were approaching Finger Lake. With the sun being higher in March, I tried to get on a schedule and not run during the day but that was really hard to do. We checked into Finger Lake, did all of our chores and went up to the lodge to get some drinking water and talk to a few mushers inside. I rested up, repacked the sled, got the 16 happy dogs ready to take the trail to Rainy Pass, including the happy steps. Brown and Black were still in lead and all the others were in the same position doing great!

We rested 4 hrs. Finger Lake to Rainy Pass 30 miles 4hrs. This section of the trail goes through treed areas, swamps, ravines, downhills, twisting tight trails and finally the Happy River Steps.

We left Finger Lake and it was still pretty warm out with the sun shinning bright as can be. About miles leaving the checkpoint, I noticed that I had trouble with steering the sled! I had hit several trees along the way but nothing that I thought that would have broken the sled in anyway. My team loves to go fast in the heavily treed areas. We were moving at a good speed and I was having a harder time with the sled. I stopped to snack the dogs and noticed that the stanchion was broke and the aluminum frame that connects to it was broke!

I had an extra one with and would fix it in Rainy Pass. The aluminum frame was another issue. We were approaching the steps and were picking up speed! We are now in the steps on the trail known for sleds to get wrecked, mushers to get injured and wipe outs! The team and I made it without out any problems, we all did great! I myself glanced at them and continued to watch the team excel to the drop off.

Once we dropped down, I looked over the team and all the dogs were lined out perfectly fine with no one tangled at all. Several teams were camped out right past the steps. After that, the trail has some pretty steep climbs, which I got behind my sit down sled to push it up the hills.

My team is definitely not the best going up hills at all so I come into action and push, pedal or ski pole as much as possible. The trail seemed to get worse with very soft snow and slow going. The trail was a little different coming into Rainy Pass and it added a few more miles with a very step hill to climb, which I think none of us enjoyed.

Oak and Aspen start to bark as we begin to go up the hills; they are the cheerleaders for the team. I heard and saw several airplanes flying overhead to and from Rainy Pass. That meant we were getting closer! This checkpoint is very busy with fans coming to visit. We finally arrived at Rainy Pass and were greeted by Karen Ramstead. I took care of all my dog chores and started to work on the broken sled. Tom Knolmayer had let me borrow a wrench to make the repairs.

We also talked about the trail and how our teams were doing. I was patient while working on it and everything seemed to be great with the repair. I was happy with it and figured that if it broke again, I had an extra one in McGrath to replace it. I had new runners installed on it the week before and a few other things fixed on it. I never had a broken sled before so this was all new to me.

We are allowed to send out another sled or two to any checkpoint at our cost. The dogs were all doing great, eating, drinking well, resting and no signs of any injuries. I was feeling really good at this point in the race. Karen told me that if the sled needed another repair, that the team of checkers in Rohn would have no problem fixing it.

If my blood sugars go too low, it can cause to pass out and that would not be good at all. I put booties on the team and we were going to make this next run at nighttime. McKinley starts getting excited when I start hooking up the tug lines and that gets the team motivated. The team looked great leaving the checkpoint. We rested 4hrs. Rainy Pass to Rohn 35 miles 4hrs.

This section of trail runs on open treeless tundra, small valleys and through the Dalzell Gorge. This is the highest point on the trail at 3, feet above sea level. We left Rainy Pass and about 5 miles out, the team picked up speed as they had spotted a fox on the right side of the trail. I saw his eyes in the distance with my headlamp. It was going to be hard going through the famous Dalzell Gorge but we had no choice. Its very scenic going through this area, but you will want to hold on and pay very close attention.

Steering the sled was very difficult, but we were making good time. I saw several headlamps leading the trail long in front of me. At times they looked like stars in the distance but they were other mushers looking back. Several teams were camped along the trail.

I kept breaking and looked down to see that the brake bar was broke! This definitely got me down as I had another thing to fix on the sled. It was very hard to navigate in the tight trail with a broken sled. I wiped out now and had my foot stuck under the drag mat! I was getting dragged down the trail bouncing off trees and trying to pull the sled into a snow bank.

I lost one of my ski poles along the way and the entire side of my sled bag was split open. We finally stopped up against a tree. I was wedged against it, trying to get my boot unstuck from under the drag mat while the dogs kept barking and wanting to go. Oak was really making a lot of noise and jumping. Lots of people always say how fun it must be to compete in the Iditarod; this was not a fun moment at all!

I was hoping that my ankle was not going to break. I finally was able to get my foot out and we were on the way again, sore but no broken bones. The dogs were doing great and crossed the several man made bridges over the water. We pulled into Rohn in 36thposition without brakes, but all was well.

Within an hour or so, they came over and fixed my sled. Here is everything you need to know about the race, including prize money, the dogs, and controversy. The Iditarod is the most famous dog-sled race in the world. The annual race is run every year through the entire state of Alaska, from Anchorage to Nome. It began in as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams, but eventually became the competitive race we see today. The teams consist of a musher and 14 dogs.

The race generally takes anywhere from days, though the longest ever was was Musher: the human guiding the dogs and directing the sled.

The term is believed to have originated from the French, whose command "marche" to walk sounds very similar to "mush," the command used to get the dogs to move.

The dogs on the team have positions relative to their placement ahead of the sled. Lead dogs: steer the rest of the team and set the pace. Paige Drobny said she feels prepared for long, unsupported runs in extreme conditions from her experience on the Yukon Quest.

By Saturday morning, Brent Sass had taken over the Iditarod lead. Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. Alaska Public Media. A sign at the Galena checkpoint notifies mushers about the next checkpoint, Nulato, 37 miles away. But people can still snowmachine out to see teams go by farther down the trail. As for the ceremonial start in Anchorage? So are the many other in-person events usually held in the lead-up to the race, like the musher banquet. That means teams will cross the Alaska Range twice this year but will avoid the windy Bering Sea coast.

Already, the new out-and-back trail means more race checkpoints will be located near remote lodges and in ghost towns. Nordman said the race will set up large tents big enough for multiple mushers to rest in some locations. Further down the trail, the race is completely bypassing the community of Takotna , usually a popular checkpoint where mushers can feast on an array of pies baked by residents.

Nordman said he expects many mushers will opt to rest away from others during the race, and near their dog teams. Normally, many checkpoint areas are often brimming with reporters, race staff, vets and others following the trail. Local residents also often gather at the checkpoint buildings, and bring food to share.

Those in the bubble must go through the COVID testing protocols and follow other social-distancing and sanitation rules. The idea, Urbach said, is to ensure everyone in the bubble has tested negative for COVID before the race begins, and then to keep them isolated from others.

Just 47 mushers — all but 12 of them are race veterans.