AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Back in the day everyone in this race used North Face gear. They would spend upwards of $1000 on the best NF gear they could buy. By the end of the race it was junk, all tattered and torn to shreds. Now most everyone uses Klim gear. Klim sponsors the top guys and offers huge discounts to all the Iron Dog racers. At the end of the race it still looks nearly new. It's so much tougher than the North Face glamour gear it isn't even funny. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 This is the actual checkpoint in Ophir. One of the only structures left in Ophir. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckf Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Have you ever ridden the Iron Dog route, or parts of it, Tom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 5 minutes ago, ckf said: Have you ever ridden the Iron Dog route, or parts of it, Tom? I've ridden to Puntilla a few times. About 180 miles from the starting line in Bag Lake. I've ridden past Puntilla part way to Rohn through ptarmigan pass but thats as far as we got. I love this race and helping guys get prepared but I have no desire to actually compete. This race takes about $25k per person to prepare for and race. The money and the amount of time you have to commit to be competitive is just to much for me. lots of these guys spend 4 months getting ready for this race. It consumes their whole life. I like to do to many other things besides just the Iron dog. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Team 3 Barber/Spain scratched in McGrath this morning. Not sure of the circumstances but it probably had something to do with them coming in wet and cold on just one sled last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoughnut Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 3 minutes ago, Back Country Rebel said: Team 3 Barber/Spain scratched in McGrath this morning. Not sure of the circumstances but it probably had something to do with them coming in wet and cold on just one sled last night. It may have been similar to this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Here are the release times out of McGrath today. Not sure why they stayed in McGrath more than the 14 hours but it is what it is. 16 Minnick/Olstad 1:08 7:42:24 2/20/2017 9:50:24 41 Davis/Simons 0:40 8:01:29 2/20/2017 10:09:29 8 Johnson/Aklestad 0:24 8:07:00 2/20/2017 10:15:00 2 Sottosanti/Huss 1:00 8:18:06 2/20/2017 10:26:06 9 Plumb/Starr 1:04 8:19:15 2/20/2017 10:27:15 4 Menne/Thibault 0:52 8:30:34 2/20/2017 10:38:34 14 Leslie/Boylan 0:44 8:32:29 2/20/2017 10:40:29 31 Lessard/Lessard 1:02 8:44:06 2/20/2017 10:52:06 49 VanWingerden 2 0:36 8:51:26 2/20/2017 10:59:26 28 Gundersen/Norum 0:26 9:00:53 2/20/2017 11:08:53 39 Dow/Grindle 0:32 9:25:18 2/20/2017 11:33:18 5 Petito/Vaughn 0:56 9:26:00 2/20/2017 11:34:00 36 Conlon/Folsom 0:48 9:27:37 2/20/2017 11:35:37 6 Schachle/George 0:54 9:29:09 2/20/2017 11:37:09 17 VanMeter/Gueco 0:08 9:36:46 2/20/2017 11:44:46 45 Anselment/Nikolai 0:28 9:41:16 2/20/2017 11:49:16 7 King/Johnson 0:14 9:58:49 2/20/2017 12:06:49 20 Palin/Quam 0:04 10:26:14 2/20/2017 12:34:14 10 Morgan/Olds 0:22 10:32:09 2/20/2017 12:40:09 42 Lindner/Swenson 0:42 10:55:16 2/20/2017 13:03:16 24 Haines/Franz 0:06 11:03:16 2/20/2017 13:11:16 27 Drake/Jenkins 0:20 11:08:31 2/20/2017 13:16:31 22 Steiner/Strobel 0:30 11:20:20 2/20/2017 13:28:20 13 Telkamp/Johnson 0:18 11:21:00 2/20/2017 13:29:00 44 Berg/George 0:12 11:23:29 2/20/2017 13:31:29 19 Beatus/Attla 0:00 12:29:30 2/20/2017 14:37:30 32 Cleary/Hausbeck 0:34 13:52:30 2/20/2017 16:00:30 23 Kruse/Sindorf 0:10 13:55:48 2/20/2017 16:03:48 15 Potter/Schwochert 0:02 16:52:01 2/20/2017 19:00:01 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunt_ak Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Summary of where we are at now... LINK:https://www.thealaskalife.com/blog/iron-dog-race-2017-coverage-day-2/ I will hopefully be updating this article as the day goes on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckf Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Good to see the team Grip & Rip from Maine is in the top 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 28 minutes ago, hunt_ak said: Summary of where we are at now... LINK:https://www.thealaskalife.com/blog/iron-dog-race-2017-coverage-day-2/ I will hopefully be updating this article as the day goes on. Another great write up Kyle. Thanks for sharing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Three teams are back on the trail headed to Ophir. Looks like Team 16 and Team 41 may have had to do a little work on their sleds because Team 8 jumped ahead of 16 and are now less than 5 minutes behind Team 16. Hard to say what is really going on but for sure there will be some close racing today. All the times have been corrected in McGrath now so if you see a team in the lead and their transponder is pinging correctly then they are very likely the leader......... unless of course if another team is ahead of them without their transponder pinging correctly. Here is the official Iron Dog stats page and leader board. http://www.irondog.org/race-tracking/pro-class-2017/?view=stats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Posted by Team 15 one of the teams I am helping this year 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Several teams are reporting temperatures down on the river well below -40. Veterans saying it's the coldest they have ever been in this race. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Just saw on Facebook. Team #18 has scratched. Andrew Zwink is very sick with a stomach bug. May be flown out of he can't ride back to Big lake. Not life threatening, but no one wants to throw up in their helmet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 I received confirmation that Brad George of Team 6 had a little crash in the gorge yesterday. He broke a-arms and maybe a shock. Robbie went to Rohn and grabbed parts. They made the repairs and were back up to race speed. They are about 1hr 50 minutes behind the leaders. That's a lot of ground to make up but anything is possible in this race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry ginger Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 4 hours ago, ckf said: My biggest problem with the real cold temps was always my helmet. I used to have issues keeping my hands warm until I started using gauntlets. bv2s I have finally seen the light and love it from -15 to 20 too warm over that wore it yesterday and it was hot but in the rain goggles suck as well. I broke down and bought some insulated gloves this year(back of hands none in the palm) when it was -20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Rosenberg Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 I didn't backread , are all the Artco's broken down and out of the race already ? Fuckin idiots . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckf Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 28 minutes ago, Angry ginger said: bv2s I have finally seen the light and love it from -15 to 20 too warm over that wore it yesterday and it was hot but in the rain goggles suck as well. I broke down and bought some insulated gloves this year(back of hands none in the palm) when it was -20 I've always used HJC because parts are easy to find if you break something. 2 minutes ago, Sal Rosenberg said: I didn't backread , are all the Artco's broken down and out of the race already ? Fuckin idiots . What do you think, Ron? Of course they are because 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 53 minutes ago, Sal Rosenberg said: I didn't backread , are all the Artco's broken down and out of the race already ? Fuckin idiots . No. The top cat team is battling for the lead. The only cats out of the race at this point are the ones who crashed, hit trees, ripped off a-arms and blew out chunks of the bulkhead. So far the Cats aren't embarrassing themselves this year. Very unusual for sure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Rosenberg Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Just now, Back Country Rebel said: No. The top cat team is battling for the lead. The only cats out of the race at this point are the ones who crashed, hit trees, ripped off a-arms and blew out chunks of the bulkhead. So far the Cats aren't embarrassing themselves this year. Very unusual for sure. Thanks for interrupting your retirement and making the thread again this year , Tom . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 I saw a FB video of Team 12's crash just after the start on Big Lake. about 2 miles from the starting line they hit a little berm. The first sled went right over the berm but the second sled cartwheeled a few times, the first cartwheel it looked like the rider hung on and got slammed by the sled. They towed it back to the Cat shop where they replaced the steering post, handle bars, windshield, side panels, etc. They took back off and going across the first big swamp about 10 miles from the starting line the other driver lost control and does a high speed get off. Yardsaled the sled and possibly dislocated his shoulder. They decided to throw in the towel after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunt_ak Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 4 minutes ago, Back Country Rebel said: I saw a FB video of Team 12's crash just after the start on Big Lake. about 2 miles from the starting line they hit a little berm. The first sled went right over the berm but the second sled cartwheeled a few times, the first cartwheel it looked like the rider hung on and got slammed by the sled. They towed it back to the Cat shop where they replaced the steering post, handle bars, windshield, side panels, etc. They took back off and going across the first big swamp about 10 miles from the starting line the other driver lost control and does a high speed get off. Yardsaled the sled and possibly dislocated his shoulder. They decided to throw in the towel after that. Link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKIQPilot Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 3 minutes ago, hunt_ak said: Link? My mistake, actually is was a video sent to my phone. I will send it to you and you can post it on AKLife FB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckf Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Will they be riding through the night or laying over somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriftBusta Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Great thread Tom. Go Team Maine! Sounds like a great adventure....except for the -40 part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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