Day 10-11: McGrath (307) to Moose Creek (411)

               (Recycled from two years ago?  Sorry, I have limited new material 😎)

(Before I forget, if you've lost the tracker link, race progress can be found here... 14 dots remain! And, if you want to follow along with the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, progress for that can be found here!)

Just a cool 100 miles to report on…

Ryan left the familiarity and comfort of McGrath at 6:15am Tuesday morning.  My guess is a combination of all the action of racers coming/going and the coffee grinder had him ready to hit the trail.  The plan was to stick near George (Australia), and maybe Leah (Duluth, MN) and Julie (Grand Junction, CO).  None of that happened, as he took off and got to work out the rusty muscles and bike parts solo before hooking back up with them at Takotna (mile 325)..having an hour head start (and likely time to brew a cup of coffee) had to feel good.  I’d like to think so, because the time since has been a whirlwind.

The rest of their trek to Ophir (mile 346) appeared uneventful (I didn’t hear anything via inReach).  However, a tad bit of drama upon pedaling into town.  Apparently, Thierry (a “walker” aka someone competing on foot) had to return to Ophir after a few miles because of either a respiratory issue or a back issue (depends on which line of the telephone game you’re using haha).  Regardless, Thierry really only speaks French and had a cough (not unusual at all for these ultra events), and so the Iditarod dog race officials prohibited him and the other ITI racers from entering the checkpoint.  Ryan & Co. arrived in Ophir at 7pm but had to bike for another 50 minutes before being placed in a “rustic” cabin.  I may be reading into the texts, but Ryan seemed less than enthused…especially when I commented that he should focus on the silver lining: he got some bonus seat time towards tomorrow’s leg 😝

Twelve hours of rest and the gang headed out to Tolstoi (mile 369). Despite being fully rested, the warm temps and falling snow made for some pretty poor trail conditions.  I’m not sure how the other three racers feel about nudity, and maybe they know to expect it from Ryan, but I can’t help but think as soon as WiFi is available I’m going to get a video similar to one from a last year.  He’s all mine ladies!

I think the text I got upon their arrival went something like, “weather is shit” and “trail is mush and blowing in”.  They called it an early day at 2:30pm, choosing to rest until night when presumably the temps would drop and the trail would firm up.  And the excitement that comes with the arrival of the dog teams (a personal favorite for Ryan when it comes to the 1000 mile version of the ITI). Good news is the trail got fast and the dogs started coming!  The group hit the road at 2am and motored 11 miles to Don’s Cabin.  After a quick break, the group took off towards Moose Creek, a shelter cabin 28 miles away and likely resting spot for tonight (Thursday).

Ryan appeared to get a slower start than the other three, and while there were slower segments, there were also 5+mph segments…so I don’t *think* it’s mechanical. I have a few theories I’ll float until I get an official word…in no particular order of likeliness (and they very well could have occurred knowing Ryan!):

1. Morning two hour coffee ritual is a non-negotiable

2. He needed some alone time

3. His average moving speed has been a touch slower than the other three and maybe he’s just sticking to his plan knowing they’ll all regroup each night (see #2 above)

4. He can’t stop with the dogs and the mushers.

The following is one of about 47 videos he took last year during the first day of the dog race overlap.  I love this particular video for a couple of reasons…the musher sharing candy with Ryan, the last two dogs in yellow being so attuned to their musher and each other, the interaction captured in slow motion.

I can’t help but think reason #4 is a lead contender, especially since I saw this fantastic graphic posted to a race group online.  Ryan is the RW blue dot in the thick of it with dog sled teams.  No doubt it’s all smiles and fist bumps.

By the time I get this online he’ll have arrived at Moose Cabin (411).  I wish him warm food, good sleep, and a fast 15 mile ride to the ghost town of Iditarod.  The temps, snow, and wind are all projected to be pretty ideal for the next few days, so night riding might not be necessary…curious to see what moves, if any, are made tonight.