who's to lose this race.

[jplife]

Wow, this is going to be interesting.no mistake now, and the top 5 will probably leave uk pretty close to the same time.no napping

[Frozen Chosen]

...and you know, jp, the next 5-7 have a real chance also, being only 20 miles back. Michelle, John, Hugh, Ray, and Peter have a chance at breaking into the top 5 and maybe even contend for the top spot. Last year Dallas was placed just at the right spot and time. Bering Sea storms are famous (maybe, infamous) for the "wind tunnel" effect that seemingly appears out of nowhere, can last up to 2 hours or more, then dissipate about as fast. This caused havoc, last year, on Aliy and Jeff, who was leading I believe up until the storm hit him, totally demolishing he and the team. For Aliy, this experience shook her up so bad, that she lost concentration on the race and holed up at the Safety roadhouse (thinking that she was still several hours ahead of Dallas and that Jeff had gone ahead and was unbeatable). For Dallas, he was simply in the right place at the right time, and if I recall, was thinking that he was coming in third as he crossed the line on Front Street. (or was that the year before, maybe...? hahahaja, these races all meld together after awhile...

Good night all...

[fladogfan]

...and you know, jp, the next 5-7 have a real chance also, being only 20 miles back. Michelle, John, Hugh, Ray, and Peter have a chance at breaking into the top 5 and maybe even contend for the top spot. Last year Dallas was placed just at the right spot and time. Bering Sea storms are famous (maybe, infamous) for the "wind tunnel" effect that seemingly appears out of nowhere, can last up to 2 hours or more, then dissipate about as fast. This caused havoc, last year, on Aliy and Jeff, who was leading I believe up until the storm hit him, totally demolishing he and the team. For Aliy, this experience shook her up so bad, that she lost concentration on the race and holed up at the Safety roadhouse (thinking that she was still several hours ahead of Dallas and that Jeff had gone ahead and was unbeatable). For Dallas, he was simply in the right place at the right time, and if I recall, was thinking that he was coming in third as he crossed the line on Front Street. (or was that the year before, maybe...? hahahaja, these races all meld together after awhile...

Good night all...

Frozen, Aliy was shocked when she arrived in Safety and Jeff hadn't checked yet. She thought he was lost on the ice in that terrible storm. I saw an interview with her and she was almost in tears explaining the feeling that Jeff was in danger.
And I'm like you, what year was that? Last or the one before?

[mithious]

I think it was the year before????

I don't think it's anyone's to lose at the moment...there are too many teams in place, that one small mistake and it's all over but for the lady singing....ya know?

[frizzell66]

Earlier this year starting to think about last year's race, all I could actually remember was 2012's race. That was the one that sticks in the mind the most with on-the-way-to-Safety storm that knocked Jeff clear out of the race and put Aliy in the "get to Safety just to survive" mindset that allowed Dallas to sneak through - and again, it was all because of the 1/2 hour difference between the mushers - Jeff got the utmost worst of it making him stop during it, Aliy got it just a little less severe but still bad enough to make her question her sanity for running through it (life and death mushing), and Dallas got it just a little less severe than Aliy enabling him to stay focused on the race and get through to snatch first place (without even realizing it) - "Did you think you could do it?" "What exactly did I just do?" "You one the Iditarod, dude!" "I did, dude? Where's Jeff and Aliy? I thought that was my dad behind me!"

And then the 2015 DVD video started with another 10-15 minutes of the 2014 race. Then it was like, oh yeah, 2015, the re-start in Fairbanks, the river route, the jump up to Huslia - that was the 2015 race!

[frizzell66]

So except for any unexpected storms (although none forecast right now, that's why they would be unexpected), then it is a straight up race to the finish. Can Brent stay ahead of Dallas with longer runs and a slower speed? Aaron B. could not do it last year. Has Dallas built the monster once again? If he was leading to McGrath and to Cripple with a dog team at 80% capacity was he was saying at that time, then his dogs running at 100% at this point in the race should seal the deal as we say. Like it or not we probably are in the Seavey era with this young man heading to break all the records (most in a row, most wins overall, etc.).

So I will have to say that this is Dallas' race to lose at this point. Brent or Aliy could still pull it out, but it would have to take some major mistake by Dallas or some unforeseen event.

[JeanieB]

I am thinking the race as it stands now favors the Seaveys' "PLANS". But we don't have much history of Brent's abilities on the coast. There ARE different ways to build a monster. I agree with Frozen that the next pack back has mushers who can easily advance. We are going to have a long day and night watching this one play out. I've particularly got my eye on Wade Marrs. Remember his rookie year? He didn't even have a parka......a really cold Iditarod, too.....and mushed the whole race in Carharts.....I think I'm remembering that right. One tough cookie who has built a team of his own from the ground up.

[mithious]

Earlier this year starting to think about last year's race, all I could actually remember was 2012's race. That was the one that sticks in the mind the most with on-the-way-to-Safety storm that knocked Jeff clear out of the race and put Aliy in the "get to Safety just to survive" mindset that allowed Dallas to sneak through - and again, it was all because of the 1/2 hour difference between the mushers - Jeff got the utmost worst of it making him stop during it, Aliy got it just a little less severe but still bad enough to make her question her sanity for running through it (life and death mushing), and Dallas got it just a little less severe than Aliy enabling him to stay focused on the race and get through to snatch first place (without even realizing it) - "Did you think you could do it?" "What exactly did I just do?" "You one the Iditarod, dude!" "I did, dude? Where's Jeff and Aliy? I thought that was my dad behind me!"

And then the 2015 DVD video started with another 10-15 minutes of the 2014 race. Then it was like, oh yeah, 2015, the re-start in Fairbanks, the river route, the jump up to Huslia - that was the 2015 race!

You won the Iditarod, I did???? Yeah that was pretty funny. Not so funny thinking Jeff was not ok, Aliy tough as nails stuck at safety, yeah, that was a great year for stress and last year....I really liked that they left from Fairbanks, to be honest. It made the race completely different. Didn't like ITC again, or more so, or whatever so...for a bit there once again but the race was really interesting and it was the difference, Fairbanks, and other things, that changed it all. That is what this did, for this race, changed it all. I liked it when Jeff talked about silver linings, like him and Aliy being alive, never mind ok. Thank God it wasn't a whole lot worse. and look at Aliy go, after all that, and Jeff too. Warms your heart and tears the heart as well. You expect wild animals with four feet....not two. Wish I could give Aliy a huge hug, Jeff too, if he would take one

[tanglefoot]

I am sure he would take one from you mithy he is a big softy at heart, the videos of him singing your a fatty to nash as a baby puppy sat on the kitchen floor with him in this lap showed that.

[frizzell66]

I enjoyed seeing Jeff remember that video he put on FaceBook years ago about Nash - it came to him in his interview with the ADN reporter and they have that video - then they link to his FaceBook video of him singing to Nash. But the look on Jeff's face when he remembered that video was priceless!