Trail talk

Good morning from McGrath!

Temperature is -18 F.

Idaho campers (Jay P’s Idaho Island Park fat bike training camp) Graham Muir and George Adams from New Zealand and Brian Broomall roll into McGrath at 6 am this morning all frosty but all smiles.

Participating in the ITI annual training camp is another way to enter the race. Camp participants have done extremely well in this race. It is a 5 day camp on the Iditarod Trail where participants learn the skills and knowledge necessary to safely navigate the route. They learn about layering, use of stoves, proper tire pressure, winter bike maintainance and how to eat and fuel our bodies in the cold. As race directors and race veterans teach those skills at the camps and share their knowledge from many years on the Iditarod Trail.

“Wow what an amazing experience!”

They saw Northern Lights last night and had good trails to ride.

There is much activity in the Schneiderheinze’s with racers arriving, eating breakfast and enjoying the famous mancakes and 3 egg omelettes.

Status runners

Rookie Rob Henderson is the leading runner in the 350 mile race. He is 41 miles from McGrath.

Beat Jegerlehner is the leading runner in the 1000 mile distance.

Troy Szcurkowski appears to be pushing his bike on the Southern Route beyond Ophir. There is no trail at this time until the Iditarod trail breakers come through braking trail ahead of the dogs. The ITI always follows the same route as the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

The Iditarod starts on Sunday out of Willow. The trail breakers are usually 24 hours ahead of the first musher. Mushers will start arriving in the community of McGrath Tuesday night.