48 hours into the race--and 350 miles for the leaders!!

Yes, it is between 48 and 52 hours into the race depending on the starting times, and the leaders are approaching McGrath. Officially that is 400 miles into the race but since the dogs got to ride from Anchorage to Willow in their dog trucks, so I'll call it 350. That is still some smokin' speed and the mushers generally agree many parts of the trail are very fast this time. However, we're now looking ahead to  the mandatory rest stops that everyone has to make and that will cause major ripples in the order of the leading pack. Some will elect to do their twenty-four hour stopover pretty soon while others will wait awhile.

There is another scratch, Zoya DeNure. I am not sure but I think she has never completed the race. I'll check that and I will not go so far as to call her a bad joke at this point.  She has had some bad breaks and problems but it is a little hard to take seriously a former model who does not seem to be able to get a team together and stay with them for the race. To me it is kind of sad as I feel bad when any woman drops out; there are often excellent reasons but it still isn't what I am looking for. However, there are plenty of Jessie Royers, Jodi Baileys, Michelle Phillips, Paige Drobneys and of course Aliy Zirkles and Deedee Jonrowes that make me proud and encouraged. These gals are making a great showing on International Womens Day--what a statement to make about the real strong and courageous women we have in the world today!

Okay, off the soap box <smile>. Yes, it was big Mac that Aliy dropped yesterday. He is one of the largest dogs in the SPK 's crew. The heat got to him and his size and heavy coat handicapped him in getting cooled off. Rather than risk his health, she chose to drop him. He is now safely back in Anchorage in the care of a friend who knows him and he'll be fine. Aliy's sticking in the top ten now, bouncing up and down in the rankings as she follows her own schedule of runs and rests.  She is seventh out of the ten right now and the only woman in the leader group but Michelle Phillips, Jessie Royer, and Norwegian Sigrid Ekran are in the top twenty five so they are making a good showing so far. There is a lot of race to be run yet.

As I said on my Facebook page, I hope someone will beat Dallas Seavey. If it cannot be Aliy, then one of the old timers with the creds and the moxie to keep right on going as mature men. Any one of them,though I would root for Lance Mackey, truly living up to his Come Back Kennel motto and out there again, giving it a darn fine run so far. He has won both the Iditarod and theYQ four timess, a couple of those in the same year! I do not see young Seavey trying the Quest; not sure why. Many thought last year was Lance's final race so it is wonderful to see him able to do it again, and not in the middle of the pack, either, but up in or near the top ten!

Former racer and blogger/race follower Sebastian Schnuelle got this good shot of Aliy today coming in to Nikolai. She and the dogs look fine! I am a "Red Team Member" this year as a small level sponsor so I am really rooting for "my" team!! GO SPK RED!!!

There was a great video taken of Deedee at the official start Sunday which is shared on my timeline on Facebook. She's flaunting her wonderful trademark pink and I am so happy for her and proud of her hang-tough attitude to keep going regardless of a very, very tough year. Now there is a real heroine--she is a lady in every way but despite her petite stature is a Huge Person in every key aspect. My respect for her is boundless. She is not in it to win it now but still racing seriously at her age (60+) is a feat in itself.  She will get to Nome and do it with most of her dogs; I would bet a large pile on it. May her God watch over her! (She is very religious and I think that faith helps her a great deal.) BTW, my FB page is https://www.facebook.com/gwynn.morgan

More tomorrow and I  will try to get the scoop on Ms DeNure.;She had only 11 dogs when she scratched; they may have gotten sick or something. It happens. Perhaps not only in Sue Henry's mystery novels does someone slip something bad to a few dogs or otherwise do some dirty tricks. I would hate to see that occur but it is not beyond possible.