GIN GIN 200 SLED DOG RACE

TAIGA 300

PATSY ANN AN ALASKAN DOG

INTO NOME!!!!!!
MARCH 14th at 16:57:35



INTO Safety at 13:52:00 14 March 2008
23 Miles to go!!!!

77 MILES TO GO...March 14, 2008
Zoya has to be smiling all they way to Nome now...she left White Mountain at 06:44 next stop Safety...and NOME!

© map courtesty of Iditarod.com

Looking out of the Nome Kennel Club shelter cabin. Note all the mushers signatures.

White Mountain to Safety ...This can be one of the most dangerous stretches on the race when the wind blows or a storm hits. It can make or break champions, not to mention back- of-the-packers. Mushers have nearly died within what would normally be a few hours' easy running to Nome. In reasonable weather, this is a pleasant five- to eight-hour run; in the worst conditions, it can be impassable.

The race uses the main snowmachine trail to Nome. It is well marked at the beginning of the race, but inevitably many markers are knocked over or blown down. Some parts have been permanently marked. Markers are absolutely critical for this leg because visibility can be near zero in storms and ground blizzards.

The trail leaves White Mountain on the Fish River for about three miles, and then leaves the river to cut overland to the southwest, crossing low, rolling tundra and several streams before reaching the Klokerblok River. It runs up the river and across some low ridges, and then crosses into the drainage of the Topkok River.

The trail then turns west and climbs over a series of barren ridges to a 400-foot saddle just northwest of Topkok Head, overlooking the coast. It then descends sharply to the beach, reaching the Nome Kennel Club shelter cabin at the foot of the hill, 30 miles from White Mountain.

For the next 12 miles the trail runs along or just behind the dune line and the “driftwood line” on the shore. This stretch is wide open and is subject to winds of more than 80 miles an hour from the north, as well as blinding whiteouts. The trail will join the Nome-to-Council road (not plowed in the winter) at the Bonanza Ferry bridge and then follow it for the last 12 miles to Safety.

Trail conditions on this leg can range from excellent to abysmal, and usually include glare ice, overflow, drifted snow, bare tundra, sand, and exposed gravel on the road. You MUST check the weather carefully before leaving White Mountain; you may want to wait it out, stop at a shelter cabin, or at least convoy with another musher (preferably someone who has run this stretch before).

One consideration is that the wind will most likely die down right after sunrise (if it’s going to die down at all), but will probably come back up by noon and continue to blow through the afternoon and evening. In such situations, it is best to ask the locals at White Mountain or call race headquarters in Nome. All other things being equal, try to leave White Mountain about three hours before sunrise, so as to be heading up Topkok to catch any lull in the wind plus have daylight for the worst part of the run.

INTO WHITE MOUNTAIN March 13, 2008
Into White Mountain at 21:26:00 for her 8 hour mandantory layover.

Near the top of Little McKinley

Update March 13, 2008
Moving towards the finish line, Zoya is out of Elim at 15:15. Next checkpoint is Golovin.



Trail description - Elim to Golovin.....This is one of the more interesting legs on the race, with quite a variety of trail and terrain in a very short distance. Moreover, there is always a possibility of two extremely different routes for the first ten miles. The race follows the main snowmachine “highway” from Elim to Golovin and it is usually well marked and packed.

The trail usually heads back out on the sea ice from Elim and runs a mile or two offshore to a cabin at Walla Walla, on the coast eight miles south of Elim. In some years, when there is open water just off shore, the traill will stay overland on the Old Elim Mail Trail.

At Walla Walla, the trail rurns inland and climbs over the Kwiktalik Mountains with a series of long, moderately hard grades. The final summit is 1,000 feet at Little McKinley, about eight miles past Walla Walla and ten miles from Golovin. This is considered the hardest climb on the last half of the race.

Zoya is INTO ELIM March 13th at 10:25:00
Zoya arrived into Elim this morning at 10:25. So close to the finish line now she can surely taste it. The temperature in Golovin is currently 5 degrees, overcast with a 10 mile an hour wind. Next stop...Golovin.

The trail then makes a fast descent to Golovin Bay, running northwest along the bay ice for the last five miles to Golovnin. (The bay was first explored by Captain Gloving of the Imperial Russian Navy in the early 1800's. The bay and lagoon behind the town retain the original spelling; the town’s name ha been changed over the years.)

Plan on three to four hours for this leg. If the weather is bad, the trip over the mountain can be a long, hard one because it is almost all above timberline and exposed to the wind. The trail over Little McKinley can range from icy and windswept to soft and punchy.

Update March 13th 2008 OUT OF KOUYUK
Zoya left Koyuk at 04:17:00 thursday morning with 12 dogs.
Trail from Koyuk to Elim....This leg always seems longer than it is. Plan on five to seven hours, more if the wind is blowing. The trail follows the main snowmachine trail to Elim and is usually well marked. However, the wind can blow hard in the Moses Point area and the trail can drift over very quickly. From Koyuk, the trail runs southwest just offshore on the sea ice for about 12 miles and then cuts inland to the west across the wooded peninsula behind Bald Head, a prominent cape.

Ten miles later the trail crosses the mouth of the Kwik River, makes a three mile overland run along the dune line, and then jumps two miles across Kwiniuk Inlet to Moses Point. It then runs along a narrow spit and across some tidelands for about 11 miles to the old Moses Point FAA station, now abandoned. From there, the trail usually follows a nine-mile unplowed state highway up and over the heavily forested bluffs and down into Elim. An alternate route has been followed in the past along the sea ice from Moses Point to Elim.

Update Into Koyuk March 12th 2008
Zoya drove her team into Koyuk at 20:05:00. Next checkpoint, Elim, is 48 miles away. She has 989 miles behind her. Way to go girl!

Update March 12 2008
Zoya is back on the runners. She pushed out of Shaktoolik at 13:55:00. Next stop ..Koyuk.


Trail from Shatoolik to Koyuk
There is only one thing to say about this leg—bleak, flat, and deadly monotonous. Locals say the actual distance is under 50 miles, but it always seems like a hundred. There is not so much as a shrub on this stretch, most of which is over the sea ice of Norton Bay. Plan on five to nine hours for the crossing, more if the wind is blowing hard.

The trail runs almost due north from Shaktoolik, overland across very low rolling terrain for about nine miles to Reindeer Cove, then across the ice for five miles to Island Point, then back onto the ice immediately for the last 45 miles to Koyuk. There are no hills.

The trail is also the main snowmachine trail to Koyuk and is well used. However, winds can wipe it smooth in hours. It is well marked with Iditarod trail stakes, spruce boughs, or both. The trail can range from a groomed speedway to rough ice to drifted snow to glare ice. The wind is usually blowing, and almost always right in your face. Days with less than 20 or 30 mph breezes are uncommon. The wind can blow at hurricane velocity out here and ground blizzards can reduce visibility to zero in minutes. You MUST check the weather carefully before heading out. If you get caught in a storm on the ice, you will be in very serious trouble.

Another problem is that some dogs are put off by the white expanse and won’t go or will try to turn back. Every year teams stall here; some drivers are able to get their teams going after a rest, and some can get their leaders to follow another team across. Some have to scratch. This is where a “coast leader” is invaluable; these are leaders used to running in this environment and who aren’t fazed by winds or wide-open spaces.

Update March 12th 2008
Zoya arrived in Shaktoolik at 07:50:00 this morning. She says she's doing super, as are the dogs. She is in good shape---not too tired and is having fun! She is going to try to schedule better leaving checkpoints, so expect her into Nome early in the morning on the 14th.

Update 11 March 2008
Into Unalakleet
Zoya's has hit the coast line. Arriving in Unalakleet at 19:21:00 tonight with 12 dogs.

Next stop Shaktoolik
The actual distance on this leg is usually about 37 or 38 miles. (As with some other legs, the official distance sometimes reflects the longest possible routing, or old routings.) The race follows the main snowmachine trail to Shaktoolik; it is normally well traveled and well marked. The first 25 miles cross a mix of woods, taiga, open areas, and exposed ridge tops; the last 12 miles are completely in the open on the barren coastline. This leg usually takes four to six hours, but can be much longer if the weather is bad. The trail leaves Unalakleet northbound and runs just in from the beach, turning inland after five miles to pass behind rocky 850-foot-high Blueberry Point. It comes almost back to the shore at the fishing camp of Egavik before climbing up the Blueberry Hills, reaching the thousand-foot summit at the 18-mile point. At the top the trail turns west and makes a three-mile drop back to the beach, then follows a slough and the dune line northwestward for the last 12 miles out to Shaktoolik. The primary concern on this leg is the weather. Shaktoolik is windy even in good weather, but under some conditions the winds can blow from the north at more than hurricane force, with temperatures well below zero and chill factors worse than minus one hundred.

If the winds are howling, the trail from Unalakleet to the top of the Blueberry Hills will be relatively sheltered (except on the ridge tops), but the last 12 miles out to Shaktoolik can be extremely difficult with drifts and ground blizzards.

March 11th Out of Kaltag at 04:29:00
Zoya says she's learned alot running this thousand mile race. She's learning the trail, learning what her dogs are capable of doing and learning how to care for them in a long race like this. "Woo-hoo...it's been fun!" she smiles knowing there's more fun to come and the finish line gets ever closer.

Old Woman cabin

Trail to Unalakleet....
This leg follows the ancient Kaltag portage, a relatively straight valley angling southwest through the coastal mountains; the route has been used for millennia by Natives. It is normally a well-used snowmachine highway. It marks the major transition from the inland river environment to the Bering Sea coast. Conditions can be vastly different at opposite ends of the portage, and wind is a constant threat on the western half.

The distance to Unalakleet is actually about 82 miles. Plan on 10 to 15 hours for this trip, depending on whether you want to camp along the way, and for how long. (By this stage of the race your team may be able to make it without a major rest.) If the weather gets bad, though, this trip can easily take 18 or 20 hours. There are two excellent resting spots on the trail, fifteen miles apart: the Tripod Flats cabin is 35 miles from Kaltag, and the Old Woman cabin is 15 miles farther on, about 35 miles from Unalakleet. Both are snug log cabins maintained by BLM and the local villages and can provide welcome refuges in case you encounter a storm.

The trail climbs for 15 miles from Kaltag through mostly wooded country to the summit of the portage, about 800 feet above sea level. Then it descends slowly into the valley of the Unalakleet River, staying mostly in wooded or semi-wooded country with some excursions across taiga and open areas until Old Woman, then running across mostly open tundra on the south side of the river valley. The trail drops back down onto the Unalakleet River about 8 miles out of town, making a couple of short portages across river bends before crossing the frozen lagoon into Unalakleet.

Check the weather carefully before leaving Kaltag. In a few years the race has actually been shut down because of storms on the coast, or drivers were at least advised not to leave Kaltag. Watch conditions closely as you work your way to the sea, and be prepared to hole up in one of the shelter cabins if conditions turn bad, which they can do out here with breathtaking swiftness.

On this stretch of trail the primary markings will be permanent four-inch metal reflectors on trees, or on wooden tripods in open areas. Most of the reflectors are yellow or gold, but many have weathered to various shades of off-white; they still reflect well, but may be hard to spot during daylight. You might want to keep your headlight on in twilight periods to help you pick out the reflectors.

The permanent reflectors often mark a corridor rather than a specific track; this corridor can be a hundred yards wide, and there are multiple markers in many sections. The exact hard-packed trail will usually be marked with standard Iditarod trail stakes. This can be a major factor on the western end of the trail where it runs for miles across open tundra and the wind can drift everything in within minutes. When the trail is drifted over, you’ll want to try to follow the trail stakes because that’s where the packed trail is. (You don’t want to be floundering through unpacked open snow with your dog team if you can avoid it.)

Into Kaltag
With 851 mile behind her, Zoya arrived into Kaltag tonight at 19:24:00 with 12 dogs. Next stop, the coastline, a 90 mile run to Unalakleet. A favorite checkpoint for mushers and only 261 miles to go!

Trail into Nulato

March 10th 2008 Nulato
Zoya got into Nulato at 04:25:00 this morning. Zoya is seeing some slow down in the dogs, like many rookie teams, when the dogs are used to 200 & 300 mile runs the dogs have a mind set that it's almost time to stop. Once they realize their is more trail ahead...they will get excited about this "new" adventure" and pick the pace back up.

She's doing awesome.

For current 2008 Iditarod Updates click here

Did we mention Zoya has a weakness for Twinkies?

Update March 9th:
Into Galena at 11:23:00. Zoya dropped 2 more dogs, "Mota" & "Bligh" . No real problems just not eating as well as they could be.Temperatures are starting to cool down a bit which should help the dogs.
For current 2008 Iditarod Updates click here

Galena to Nulato.... This leg is all on the Yukon River and normally presents no real problems. It is a major snowmachine highway maintained by the locals and is well used all winter. Plan on four to six hours for this run. All the usual river hazards can be present, including overflow, rough ice, and open water. When the wind blows, the trail can become obscured very quickly, but it should be well marked. The trail can swing back and forth across the river several times on this leg to cut across bends.

Leaving Galena the river runs generally west. Fifteen miles from Galena the trail passes the fishing camp at Bishop Rock, a prominent landmark on the north bank of the river. Ten miles later it passes the mouth of the Koyukuk River, a major tributary, flowing in from the north, with the village of Koyukuk on the northwest bank. Five miles past Koyukuk the river swings south and the right bank becomes a low range of mountains rising to a thousand feet above the river. Nulato is eleven miles past the big bend to the south, on the right (west) bank.

Update March 8:
Into Ruby tonight at 16:26:00. She is running a good schedule now and if she can stay with it, she will see a lot of new teams before she sees Unalakleet. She was considering dropping "Motto", one of her lead dogs, who was having some issues with eating but is doing better now and will stay with the team. "Galen (leader) and "Mambo" (swing) both have been dropped and sent back to Anchorage where they are currently enjoying long naps in deep straw, mid morning walks and late night howls (missing their team mates).

Trail from Ruby to Galena

Next stop...Ruby to Galena:
This leg is all on the Yukon River and is generally easy running. The trail follows the main snowmachine route from Ruby to Galena. Plan on five to eight hours, depending on how long you want to rest your dogs, or if you do it during the heat of the day. Your biggest problem may be getting your dogs to go on the huge expanse of the mighty Yukon, which is a mile wide at Ruby and up to two miles wide downstream. More than a few teams have balked at starting down the river.