Busted sleds: Busted GPS

UPDATE: The GPS Tracking System is working again

As reports come in from the checkpoints, and a fresh batch of Iditarod Insider video are loaded, it has become apparent the Iditarod trail has taken a heavy toll on the sleds this year. Sections causing problems include several areas between Finger Lake and Rainy Pass Lodge including the "Happy River Steps", and the infamous Dalzell Gorge which is a steep down grade section that drops down to the Tatina river a few miles prior to the Rohn checkpoint. Appropriately, someone has placed a warning sign at the top of this section that is pretty direct and to the point. It simple reads "Watch Your Ass".

Rick Swenson's sled already had damage to his handlebar when he entered the Happy Steps giving him difficulties negotiating that section. He can be seen dumping his sled on it's side in the streaming Iditarod Insider video. Dee Dee Jonrowe arrived at the Rainy Pass checkpoint with a broken stanchion on her sled. She considered herself lucky given the incident happened in the same spot where she broke her hand last year forcing her to withdraw. That section of trail caused problems for rookie Nancy Yoshida, who racked her sled up on the Happy Steps rendering her sled inoperable. Several teams were held up to help her and she was eventually brought a new sled so she could make her way into Rainy Pass where she would ultimately withdraw. In another video, Paul Gebhardt and Mitch Seavey can be seen talking about their troubles on the trail in at the Nikolai checkpoint in another video. Seavey avoided damage to his sled in a wipe out, but Gebhardt hit a stump bending his stanchion which knocked his runner out of line requiring extra effort just to keep the sled tracking straight. According to Gebhardt's website, his wife Evy reports that he'll have to continue on in that method for another 70 miles to the Takotna checkpoint where he has another sled waiting.

Started as an experiment with a handful of teams last year, and now mandatory for all teams this year is the GPS tracking system that provides viewers with accurate positioning and weather data for the teams along the trail. This subscription service provided from Iditarod Insider has proven to be very addictive to fans like this editor who have an insatiable craving for copious amounts of race data. There have been some accuracy issues reported with the system, and Tuesday evening, an upgrade was scheduled. As of Wednesday morning, the GPS tracking application has been unresponsive, and as a result many fans are now having to cope with their addiction as best they can. The issue can be tracked back to the Ionearth server maintained by the folks who supply the service to the Iditarod. There is no update available yet from the Iditarod Insider message board regarding when the problem will be fixed.