Backen leads pack through Alaska Range

March 04, 2008

Matt Hayashida's 70-mile run to Skwentna would definitely qualify as smokin'. Skwentna is the first official checkpoint into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (Scott Jensen/KTUU-TV)

by Kevin Wells
Monday, March 3, 2008

SKWENTNA, Alaska -- The leaders of the Last Great Race are making the greatest climb along the trail from Anchorage to Nome.

The first teams, now 24 hours into the race, are presently climbing into the Alaska Range and then descending down into the Interior.

And where there's fire there's definitely smoke.

Matt Hayashida's 70-mile run to Skwentna would definitely qualify as smokin'. Skwentna is the first official checkpoint into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Hayashida's dogs wanted more playing time but coach has a conservative game plan.

"This is one of the longest runs I'll do for awhile," Hayashida said. "This one coming up they can easily handle, but it's a long race"

Soon, Hayashida, a Willow musher, has company. Lance Mackey, the reigning Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race champion and defending Iditarod winner, knows something about long races.

Mackey reports he's glad to have the chaos of the re-start in the rear view. It's not the usual surroundings his dogs find themselves in, he says.

"Keep it nice and easy, stopped four or five times to change leaders, basically gave them a chance to warm up," Mackey said.

They were hardly alone.

Some mushers consider the Iditarod an "annual vacation" and why not? The race only comes once a year to a place like Skwentna.

By day break, the checkpoint regained some of its tranquility. The new "Grand Central Station" was only 45 miles away at Finger Lake.

Two down for most and three for some. But there's still a long way to go.

Kjetil Backen, driving Team Norway, was the first to leave Rainy Pass Monday at 1:21 p.m., after just four minutes at the checkpoint. He had a nearly two-hour advantage over Aaron Burmeister, who was second out of Rainy Pass at 3:12 p.m.

Burmeister was followed by Gerry Willomitzer, Paul Gebhardt and Hugh Neff.

The rest of the top ten are also out of Rainy Pass, including Mackey, Zach Steer, Hans Gatt, five-time Iditarod champion Rick Swenson and Warren Palfrey.

Contact Kevin Wells at kwells@ktuu.com

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