The last 24 hours have been a day for Ryan...one of those where the hits just keep on coming. I'd like to think these are exactly the sorts of circumstances that keep you exactly as tough, yet humble, as you need to be successful in races like the ITI 1000. That said, I'm okay if maybe an easy day here and there gets thrown in.
The last update noted slow, squishy trails with no dog sled teams to entertain. Not much has changed on that front. Ryan walked his bike most of the way to North Fork Innoko River Safety Cabin (416) from the Carlson Crossing Safety Cabin (374)...it's pushes like this that I'm thankful for his previous life as a Walker (he originally started these winter races as a foot competitor).
He complained about the lack of dogs (they were all using the soft trail conditions as reason to complete their mandatory 24-hr rest stop...track the dog race here!) and that he had run out of snacks (eek!). I had to chuckle at the question: "Can I eat dry oatmeal?" He did mention the northern lights were out, so that will always make any Alaskan outdoor experience better (I eagerly away him getting wifi so I can share with you the pictures I know he took...until then, here's a picture from roughly the same area (give or take 100 miles) two years ago.
He arrived at the North Fork Cabin at 3:13am. He texted that he was about to eat "his last meal," and that he'd be out of food when he woke up from his nap. Later, I found out the picture above was the contents of his last meal, plus the last of his oatmeal for breakfast (apparently, he couldn't do the dry oatmeal haha). At the time I thought this was a low stakes way to learn the lesson to not skimp on food (his plan this year was to scale back his own pre-planned, carried food...lean and mean style; rather, buy from grocery or scavenge amongst the unclaimed drop box food), as Cripple (where his and others' drop boxes were waiting) was only 6 miles up the trail. I would like to take that finger wagging back now.
He got a sense of trail speeds (improving) and asked when the next dog would be by...for the record, I guessed a little before 8am and the actual was 7:36am. Not too shabby for a girl with zero knowledge or understanding of dog sled racing (but who does have access to published race logs and a pace calculator). He headed off to Cripple at noon, arriving at 1:49pm to no ability to fill water and picked through drop bags (seems like others may have had a similar food strategy, common when what you pack a month ago that sounded absolutely delicious no longer sounds delicious). This was a "kick in the nuts" and why I feel bad about my finger wagging...he's now got 73 miles to Ruby and his next food source (eek!)
There was, however, coffee and a chat with Moose Slayer Musher Dallas Seavey. I know Ryan chatted him up and I'm surprised he ever left! But, he stuck to the typical hour long stop, heading back out and towards Ruby (495) at 2:41pm. My inReach message didn't land before leaving, so I'm not sure what's the plan for the rest of the day/night. My guess is it involves biking, walking, eating, star gazing, and whoop whooping the sled teams as they pass quietly in the night (y'all, they are so, so quiet...impressively quiet).
23 racers remain, including 4 chicks! Keep it up y'all!
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