Alaska News

Schandelmeier: Prerace picks didn't exactly pan out in this Iditarod

Picking the top end of the Iditarod isn't easy, and I didn't do so well this year. Only two of my top-five picks made the grade. However, I had the order of teams pretty jumbled.

Here was my fantasy top five: 1) Martin Buser; 2) Ken Anderson; 3) Joar Ulsom; 4) Lance Mackey; 5) Paul Gebhardt.

And here's my reality top five followed by where they actually finished: 1) Buser - 22; 2) Pete Kaiser - 14; 3) Dallas Seavey - 1; 4) Aaron Burmeister - 3; 5) Ken Anderson - 9.

My top pick, Buser of Big Lake, was my biggest miss -- he ran conservatively after leading the field early on.

I'm sure this Iditarod will be analyzed in depth by every competitive Iditarod musher. "What could I have done differently? Should I have taken Spot instead of Rover?" But remember, it's an accomplishment just to get to the finish line, no matter if one finishes first or 50th.

Different kennels take different approaches. Some work with their own dogs while others buy or lease animals right up until race time. However they do it, every team in the 2015 Iditarod has put substantial time, effort and resources on the line to put a team of dogs on the trail.

Some people believe sled dogs should not be driven for 1,000 miles in nine or 10 days. I have no argument that it is not easy for a dog to get up and go again and again after a short rest. No doubt, they would rather be sleeping. However, it is 10 days out of their life, and if not for race founder Joe Redington's dream, distance sled dog racing would be an anachronism. The Iditarod has become the focal point of the sport and a measuring stick for working dogs.

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I am not shortchanging sprint dog kennels, which have their own emphasis. But sprint dogs and sprint races benefit from the attention lavished on the Iditarod, too. Sled dogs are still in the villages and in our homes because of racing.

On the trail, DeeDee Jonrowe is still racing. Despite frostbite issues with her fingers, she is still driving and caring for 15 dogs and still in the hunt for the last paying position, 30th. That's a tumble from her 10th-place finish in 2013, the last race she finished. Kudos or crazy, she is still on the trail.

Willow neighbor Linwood Fiedler is a few places behind her. He must have a good sense of accomplishment for his run. Since 2009, the former Iditarod runner-up has finished only one race, a 29th-place showing in 2013.

Lance and Jason Mackey are traveling together a little farther back after getting hung up in Shaktoolik due to inclement weather.

I can only make guesses as to what is happening on the trail, as coverage becomes sporadic at this point in the race. But most Alaskans follow the race with only glimpses from afar. Dogs are my family's way of life, thus I may have some insight. But as is obvious by my top five picks, my accuracy can be weak.

Even though the winner is decided, the Iditarod is far from over. Teams will stream into Nome for days to come. Trent Herbst just left Unalakleet this morning, while Cindy Abbott is just reaching that Norton Sound checkpoint and running last.

I was sorry to see 74-year-old Jim Lanier of Chugiak scratch in Unalakleet for only the second time in a career dating back to the 1970s. The fact that he got there should be an inspiration. Most people his age are sitting in the easy chair.

It was calm in Unalakleet this morning though still blowing 25 mph in Shaktoolik, creating a little adversity for teams making the run across Ungalik Bay. Once the musher reaches Koyuk, they know the end is approaching. The teams toward the middle and back of the pack relax a bit.

For the dogs, though, the routine continues. They don't know they have less than 200 miles to go. Soon though, they will get a well-deserved, long rest. The team will have all it can eat and take a break for a few days.

It won't be long before they are at the ends of their tethers, barking to go, looking for the next trail. They are the dogs of Iditarod.

John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

John Schandelmeier

Outdoor opinion columnist John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest.

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