David Shurtleff, APRN - McGrath, Alaska
11:03 p.m. Monday, March 3
I don’t think I’ve ever put my mouth that close to a dirty sock in my life. Not willingly, anyway. I’ll get back to this in just a second…
McGrath has (otherwise) been great. I flew in from Anchorage early Monday morning, but my luggage thought it would be funny to get lost on the way. Being relatively new to Alaska (read: ignorant), I didn’t pack anything useful in my carry-on bag, and now find myself looking at the prospect of spending four days here with only my laptop, recorder, and the clothes that I’m wearing. No gloves, hat, toothbrush, deodorant…
So for the next four nights I’ll be crashing on the floor of KSKO, the local public radio station. They have a mattress left over from an auction in one of the rooms, so I will be able to sleep on that. Mike, the station manager, is just about one of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone here is amazing. The sense of community runs deep, and I feel like the folks here would (and might literally have to) give me the shirt off their back.
Continue reading ‘Reporter’s Notebook: McGrath, March 3′
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Musher Ramy Brooks has been suspended from running the Iditarod for the next two years. The suspension is the result of dog abuse that occurred in Golovin, a village checkpoint toward the end of the race.
Host: Rebecca Sheir
Reporter: David Shurtleff.
Standard Podcast [4:00m]:
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The lonely checkpoint of Eagle Island briefly played host to the front runners in this year’s Iditarod today, with Martin Buser arriving at 6:30 a.m. and Jeff King following at 7:50 a.m. Paul Gebhardt and Lance Mackey also checked in, at 9:34 and 9:35 a.m., respectively.
Eagle Island also witnessed a change in the race: Jeff King departed at 12:55 p.m. this afternoon with Martin Buser behind him literally 5 minutes later. King has been chasing Buser for the past couple of days, gaining a little time here and there with either faster teams or less rest, depending on which leg of the trail you watched. Eagle Island marked his move to the official front of the race.
Meanwhile, APRN trail reporter Annie Feidt checked in from Grayling, where she caught Jeff King arriving around 10:30 p.m. on Friday. We also heard from Mitch Seavey, reporting on the rough trail leading into the Iditarod checkpoint.
Four mushers into Eagle Island, led by Martin Buser [1:40m]:
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The ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage today enjoyed temperatures cold enough to keep the dogs sprightly and the snow frozen. But the low temperatures and lack of snow in recent weeks is making trail conditions unusually fast and hard. APRN caught up with several mushers and asked about their plans for attacking this year’s trail, starting in Willow tomorrow morning.
Mushers start in Anchorage, look ahead to rough trail [2:17m]:
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David Shurtleff, APRN - McGrath, Alaska
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