It's a Dog Race

The Iditarod leaders have crossed the ice of the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea, and are now on the last leg of the race.  Some things are happening that are keeping the race followers guessing right up to the end.  Mitch Seavy is back in the lead and Jeff King is following close behind.  However, Aliy Zirkle has moved back into second place.  She has managed to hold on to a leader position throughout the whole race.  That's phenomenal considering that the front runner she was second to during the first of the race has fallen back to16th position along with most of the others that were in that group.  Somehow she has managed to stay at the front of the pack, no matter which pack. You go girl!!!

The weather which was rainy and too warm earlier is now back to winter.  The temperatures are about -20 degrees with a strong wind.  The trail is covered with about a foot of new snow that hasn't packed down, which means slow and hard going for the dogs.  Trail conditions and unusual strategies keep the race followers guessing.  Who knows, one follower even predicts it could be a photo finish with several making Nome at the same time.

However, it is a DOG race.  The true athletes and stars are the dogs.  They are running with incredible heart and enthusiasm.  They charge into checkpoints with their heads up and their tails wagging because they are having fun.  Each team has a lead dog which is indisputably the leader.  These dogs are natural leaders and take their position very seriously.  They are in charge of keeping the whole team under control and running together which occasionally means a nip or sharp command to keep a fractious pup in line or a sharp bark to keep a dog on pace and pulling.  The lead dog also is  the one who sets the pace and keeps to the trail.  These dogs develop an unbelievable connection to the musher.  They learn to anticipate his commands and follow them with trust.  Since these teams are driven entirely by voice commands that's pretty important.

That trust works both ways.  Several years ago, on a crossing over the frozen ice of Norton Sound, the mushers experienced extreme conditions.  The wind was howling and the snow blowing .  The mushers report that the effect of the blowing snow and constantly blowing wind create conditions that are an extreme white out.  It's like flying a plane when you just have to hope that up is really up but have no visual clues to base that on.  The musher in question noticed that he was constantly having to correct his lead dog.  He started watching closer for the trail markers (poles with fluorescent markings).  To his dismay he didn't see any.  Somehow he had drifted off the trail in the white out conditions.  He literally didn't know what direction he was going or where the trail lay.  He decided to trust his lead dog.  Giving her the signal she trotted off confidently in a different direction than he was heading.  Time passed and he was beginning to worry if he had made the correct decision, when a flash in the wall of snow caught his attention.  It was a trail marker.  She had led him safely back to the trail. 

It's still any dog's race.