Back from the Abyss

Things have been kinda hectic here in the Wyoming CVIB satellite office, so we've fallen behind on the coverage of this years Iditarod. Don't expect extensive coverage here because that can be found elsewhere, but there is still extensive interest in the event. A couple of quick observations for you. The trail over the Alaska range is in much better shape then most anticipated including the Happy Steps, which were supposed to be bypassed this year, but put back in because of the increased snow depth. There are many teams sitting out the heat of the day in rainy Pass now, and the consistent theme of their comments has been how well the trail over the steps were. A couple of highlights for you - Ramey Smyth fell asleep on the trail and as a result, lost his team for about 45 minutes. He is one of the favorites for many in the CVIB pool, but he still has plenty of race left to make up for that mistake. Aliy Zirkle likes to run with the leaders at the front end of the trail, and this year is no exception. I think she mentioned that she had some of the dogs from husband Allen Moore's 2nd place Qwest team. Lance Mackey is once again with the front runners, and you can be sure, all the contenders will want to keep him within striking distance. Sigrid Ekran is back in the race from team Norway, and looks to have a strong team. Yukon Qwest winner Hugh Neff is with the leaders and exudes confidence every time he speaks.