Wow, horrible news from the Iditarod overnight, some crazy attacker apparently drove a snowmobile right into the teams of first Aliy Zirkle and then Jeff King as they were coming into Nulato.  Aliy was okay although one of her dogs was injured, but Jeff King's dog Nash was killed and two of his other dogs were injured. 

I'm speechless with anger and sadness that someone would do this.  The Iditarod is like the Tour de France, it's a race that takes place out in the world, amid the world, and anyone can watch.  That's what's great about it.  But one crazy person can ruin it, causing injury and affecting the race.  Don't know what can be done, it is what it is, but it's too bad.

[at right, Jeff King's dog Nash, who was killed]

Meanwhile out on the trail, Brent Sass is stretching out his lead.  I know you are watching the Iditaflow tracker :) so you will have seen, he was slow going from Galena to Nulato (slope of line not very steep), but he continues to mush along and has a considerable lead. 

BTW tracker update: added run/rest times, #runs, and %running, as well as indicators for 24- and 8- hour rests.

The tracker below shows him and Mitch Seavey both in Kaltag, but Mitch still has to take an 8 hour rest, and Brent does not.  I think actually Aliy Zirkle and Dallas Seavey are both ahead of Mitch for the same reason.  Watch the Iditaflow tracker and you will know all :)

Here are some more pictures from the trail, courtesy of Sebastian Schnuelle, who continue to be a wonderful reporter on the trail (as well as a musher in his own right).

Brent Sass's lead dog Celia, in Galena.  Note that in dog sled racing both dogs and humans of both genders compete equally.

Aliy Zirkle and her beautiful team out on the Yukon River.

Brent Sass and his team, on the Yukon.  I continue to love the lime green boots.

Mitch Seavey and team, on the Yukon.  If you've been following the tracker you will have seen, Mitch is making more runs and shorter ones, and resting more.  But he's right in there, and his team may be fresher at the end.

Noah Burmeister's team, outside Galena.  Noah has taken more rests than anyone, and is in the hunt.  You'll remember this is his brother Aaron's team, and they've done exceedingly well in the past.

This is the view you would have as a musher, out along the frozen Yukon River, heading West.  Onward to Nome!

Here's the GPS tracker view of the race this morning:

(please click to enbiggen amazingly)

[All Iditarod 2016 posts]