Racers Approach Ophir and Finish at Big Lake, Morgan & Olds Close The Gap
https://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2020/02/21/racers-approach-ophir-and-finish-at-big-lake-morgan-olds-close-the-gap/
The top four Iron Dog 2020 teams are out of the Poorman checkpoint and racing towards Ophir, but according to trail organizers, it is unlikely to be an easy ride due to deep snow and trail obstructions.
Those top teams are heading from Poorman to Ophir, where trail breakers have been working overnight to clear the way for racers. According to an Iron Dog press release, heavy snow and high winds have obliterated sections of this trail. Trail breakers have marked areas where large timbers block the trail. Further down the race trail, a trail breaker near McGrath had a frightening incident that Iron Dog shared on social media. A young bull moose charged at the trail breaker, hitting the kill switch on the snowmachine and denting the sled. The volunteer was unharmed, but wildlife is always an obstacle for racers to keep in mind.
More at link.
Note (from Facebook posts) - moose are hanging out on the trail because the snow is very deep (one FB pic of a trail breaker chest deep). The moose are “tired, wore out, pissed” & are not getting off the trail for anybody.
Team 7, Aklestad and Oldstad, are 2020 Iron Dog champions
https://www.irondog.org/news/team-7-aklestad-and-oldstad-are-2020-iron-dog-champions
“Team 7, Tyler Aklestad and Nick Oldstad are your Iron Dog 2020 champions.
The pair, who led the way the entire race, crossed the Big Lake finish line at 1:18:37 p.m. Saturday, after what many are calling the most challenging Iron Dog race ever. This year’s race was revamped to start in Fairbanks and include an additional 375-mile loop that passes through Kotzebue. The additional mileage, along with extreme weather, took its toll on the machines and riders, and as of Saturday afternoon, there were only 11 teams left of an original roster of 29 teams.
Aklestad and Olstad had four previous wins between them — Aklestad in 2016 with Tyson Johnson, and Olstad in 2014 and 2009 with Todd Minnick, and 2005 with Marc McKenna. This is their first time finishing the race together, setting the new record of 50 hours, 8 minutes and 3 seconds on the new course.”
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Iron Dog fans are waiting for the Canadian team (37) to finish - due to their wrong turn, they’ve gone farther than any other team. They didn’t give up, but stayed with it. They have many new fans ... family members have flown to the finish. Unfortunately, they’ll finish late enough (still 153 miles from finish) that the finish line is being torn down (booooo!!!!); however, I think they’ll have quite a few fans turn out to see them come in & hopefully, fans will live stream. There are 3 teams more or less staying together (22, 24, 37) & team 8 is the last team on the course.