Halfway
Alright. Cole officially has less ahead than behind, not by much, but at least the race is moving toward the finish, and most importatnly, Cole and the team are still moving forward. It looks like she ran to Cripple in one long run, probably to maximize the coolness of night. This will affect her run-rest schedule for today though, since she has another 70 mile run to Ruby, so she will likely stop halfway through and camp the dogs. Below is a pic of Colke’s team resting in Cripple under the northern lights which have been amazing for most of the week.
Apparently, almost every picture taken of Cole this year is with her and Quigley, which is great to see him still going strong. He led most of her Tustumena 200 this year and is a major trail breaker for us in training, but this is his first 1,000-mile race, so we don’t know if he will continue to lead when the team get tired and into the deep miles of the race. The pic at the top is of Quigley, and here’s another of her and him, with Wolf lying down by her feet. This nighttime one made the MSNBC website and the NBC Top Iditarod PIC of the Week, so GO COLE AND TEAM! HOpefully a few more people will finally start hearing about how hard she works yearround to do this crazy thing we do with the dogs.
In other news, Keno made it back to Anchorage yesterday, but the vets determined his cough did turn into pnuemonia, so they started him on a very aggressive antibiotic treatment and sent him to the emergency shelter overnight, so he could be in a warm building until today (most of the dropped dog stay in an outside dog lot in Anch until we can get there to pick them up). They said they thought his condition would improve quickly though beucase he was very alert and eating great. Hopefully he be cleared to come hojme today and can get some more recoop time on the couch here. Cyder and Woobie are still in McGrath waiting for a flight out, I guess the flying weather hasn’t been good, so the dropped dogs are starting to back up. Hopefully they’re in good hands and will all make it home safe and sound.
All for now, and remeber, if you haven’t voted for Cole on the Peninsula Clarion website poll, please do so soon. Thanks for all your support!
March 9th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I love that picture of Cole – no wonder it made an NBC top pick!
Good news, thanks for the update. Cole made the right decision for Keno and it sounds like he’s in good hands. Along with his teammates in McGrath.
The lights are stunning, we’ve been hearing about them down here in the Banana Belt but our weather has been too crappy to give us a view of clear skies. Those are such classic Alaska winter pics, just love the camp under the lights!
I just voted, here’s the link to pick the best finishing Kenai Peninsula musher.
http://peninsulaclarion.com/
March 9th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Go 42! Halfway and beyond – you guys go fast, and safe!
March 9th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Just voted! Thanks for the link Martha. Go Cole & team!
March 9th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Gps puts Cole about 6 miles from Ruby!!! Yay!
March 9th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Yay! Checked into Ruby!
March 9th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Yea! She’s into Ruby! Now it’s time for a rest.
I love that she made the MSNBC website! I voted for her pic on facebook as well as the one for the Clarion.
Go Rogues!
March 9th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Wow! Colleen made that run to Ruby in 10 hours 12 minutes! Great!!! Now time for a well deserved rest.
March 9th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
This morning (I think this morning…) I found a picture of Cole putting booties on one of her dogs. Now I can’t find it. Has anyone else seen it? Do you know where it is? I want to save it…but I have to find it first.
Any help is appreciated.
March 9th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
I just found a great picture of Butterscotch on the blog of Northern Adornments…the 6th picture down the page.
http://northernadornments.blogspot.com/
March 9th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Susan, thanks – gorgeous picture! Amy, was the pic on the ADN? It’s not one I’ve seen, sorry.
March 9th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Amy, I found it!
http://iditarod.com/photo/march-9-2012/?nggpage=2
Jeff Schultz picture
March 10th, 2012 at 4:25 am
Susan,
Thank you for finding those pictures. I would have sworn that it was on the ADN site… That’s what I get for thinkin’! Your help is appreciated.
Cole’s on the trail again.
Go Rogues!
March 10th, 2012 at 4:44 am
I found this on espnW website entitle “Meet the Women of the Iditarod”
Compassionate competitor: Colleen Robertia
Rounding out the short list of women who could contend at the Iditarod is zookeeper-turned-schoolteacher Colleen Robertia.
Ron Levy/Zuma Press/Icon SMI
Zookeeper-turned-schoolteacher Colleen Robertia is running in her second Iditarod.
Robertia, who is running in her second Iditarod, has also hiked the entire 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail. She got her start as a dog handler for Osmar and now runs her own kennel, Rogues Gallery Kennel.
Robertia, 35, is from North Attleboro, Mass., and graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1998 with a degree in environmental biology. She worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Georgia and later with a zoo in Jacksonville, Fla. Four time zones and a completely different climate away is her home of Kasilof, a “mushing mecca.” Not long after Robertia moved to Alaska in 2003, she started running dogs.
Unlike some other mushers hitting the trail this weekend, Robertia does not have a robust list of sponsors and funds most of her 40-dog kennel. Money’s tight, and Robertia said she will often scoop up the protective booties other mushers cast off along the trail to mend and reuse.
Just as she recycles gear, Robertia also refuses to dump dogs that are no longer able to perform in a racing capacity, an expensive proposition but one that could turn into a selling point for some potential sponsors.
Robertia’s primary supporter is Kassik’s Brewery in Kenai, Alaska. The company loved the story of Robertia’s spunky lead dog, Penny — who recovered from a car accident and fused ankle to complete the Iditarod — so much that they brewed a porter and put Penny’s picture on the label. Proceeds from the sale of “Penny Porter” and associated merchandise help Robertia feed the rest of the team.
Heading into the weekend, Robertia said she’s “incredibly excited and anxious. Racing brings all your emotions to the surface. I’ve been training for a year, but I think it’ll be a challenge to break the top 30. It’s a competitive field this year, but what keeps me in the sport is my love of my dogs and this desire to show that you can do this competitively and lovingly and humanely.”
Elaine K. Howley is an open-water swimmer and freelance writer in Boston.
March 10th, 2012 at 5:06 am
Here’s another pic.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36244940@N07/6805209814/
March 10th, 2012 at 7:24 am
I hope someone can answer my question…. What is a humane, and reasonable, speed with a dog sled? I am thinking of the dogs’ abilities, and endurance. I know the weather and the ground conditions would have an effect. I see a large differences of speeds on the chart on the Iditarod web page.
March 10th, 2012 at 9:33 am
Kathy, it can be very confusing! I found Zack Steer, writing this year for the Alaska Dispatch as a veteran Iditarod musher whose wife is running as a Rookie this year, gives a great explanation about how to follow racers:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/mush-holics-how-follow-iditarod-2012-without-falling-trap
Amy, Susan – I love those pics and articles you are finding!
March 10th, 2012 at 10:12 am
http://www.akphotograph.com/Alaska%20Blog/
7th of 9 pix is one of our team
March 10th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Great shot of Penny and team! Yay!