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iditarod 2010

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i'm going to start a new thread called iditarod 2010 with the up comingg race and the fact i will be pimping out my services and snow cat for the season i wanted to share some of the experience with the world went out to check the trail to safety yesterday it was a fit cold about - 14 f but the j-box heaters kept us warm and the windshield clear .the rest of the windows were covered in ice from all the snow powder sucked into the intake while running in the last week we have had light snoe with a total of 4 inches not enough to slow thing down but i look like a snow cloud when running down the trail. even had to run the wipers the whole way. safety road house is the last check point on the trail its a bout 22 miles from nome took 1 1/2 hours to get there with a few stops road houses in this area were spaced 10 miles apart be cause that's how far a man could walk in a day. as i start making more trips i will poste more pics and history.
 

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XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Cool Don - you are living the life up there and putting that SnowTrac to some real use! :thumb:
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks Don ..................... shameless plug follows .....................

Here's my latest update from team GP (General Physics), we sponsor, Tom Thurston, a Colorado musher and team ............ TTkennel.com

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Hi folks:

  1. Tom started the Iditarod at 4:12 PM this afternoon.
  2. It was a sunny day and maybe 20 degrees at the start.
  3. We had no problems - and Tom and the dogs looked great as they flew out of the starting chute.
  4. Tom has already passed the first checkpoint (Yentna) and he is in 48th place traveling at over 11.5 mph (quite fast).
  5. His goal is to finish in about 11 days - and place in the Top 30.
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Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Awesome thread. I will sure keep an eye on this one. Looking forward to more pics. Good luck to your the team you have in the race Dawg!!!!! :thumb: :D
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Latest Updated, they come from Russ, our lead in BDV ...................

Update #12


  1. Tom is currently resting with his dogs at a location past Finger Lake.
  2. So far, he is doing as he planned, and resting outside the various checkpoints.
  3. He is over 121 miles into the race and he seems to be doing very well (he still has all 16 dogs - which is better than last year at this point).
  4. Before he left Willow at the start, Tom mentioned that he would run the early part of the race with a good friend (John Stewart in bib #69)
  5. Tom and John appear to be in the 31st and 32nd places (so far so good)....
  6. You can track his progress at www.iditarod.com
Update #13

1. The Iditarod race is well underway and many teams are already arriving in Rohn Alaska (some 165 into the Alaska Range).
2. Tom is in Rohn, has all 16 dogs, is in 38th place, and is still traveling with his friend John.
3. Over the last 48 hours the road to Rohn Checkpoint, and the other side of the Alaska Range was dumped on with snow (a good thing).
4. The next challenge will be the Farewell Burn and the Buffalo Tunnels… These are long stretches of the trail from Rohn to Nikolai that have, in the past, been trouble for many mushers.
5. Tom seems to be moving a great pace, and is holding to his pre-race strategy. He wants to get through the Alaska range in good time, and then see how his team looks before he considers changing his pace.
6. Attached are (1) a picture of Tom at the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, and (2) a picture of me and my new girlfriend (we met on the Tony Knowles Trail before the race start).
 

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bill w

Member
keeping all your dogs as long as possible really helps the rest of the team...when you have to drop a dog the rest have to pick up the slack.this will be a very good thread...lots of people will never hear of the race.they should.....no animal cruelty here...and a lot of people will say that...but if you get ANY video of this..watch the dogs.they are born and bred to run like hell..at the end of this race they will still want to pull.friends with a quite a few of the mushers competing.good luck to all,and stay safe....Bill w
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Our team ended with 9 dogs last year. A full team rarely finishes, the vets pull dogs at the earliest sign of issue. These animals blow away a thoroughbred as far as being athletes.

Here is a link to a site that provides GPS tracking, speed and direction of the mushers, the map is interactive as well.

http://www.ionearth.com/2010/iditarod/web/

Enjoy
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Latest update, not particularly great news. Although the loss of dogs is expected, 3 at one time isn't good.

  1. As you probably know by now, Tom dropped 3 dogs at the last checkpoint and is now running with 13 athletes.
  2. I called our friend Kraig in Alaska to learn more - but he does not know which dogs are dropped (or how they are doing yet).
  3. This lack of information is very normal for this type of race - where chaos tends to rule.
  4. Tom's dropped dogs will be flown back to Anchorage by the Iditarod Airforce (when the weather allows) - and Kraig will care for them until the race ends.
  5. Kraig was optimistic when I spoke to him.
  6. There has been so much snow over the last three days (anywhere from 18 to 36 inches over 36 hours) that many mushers have been forced to drop dogs.
  7. For example - Warren Palfrey left 3 dogs at the same checkpoint as Tom, and virtually all of the lead teams are missing dogs too.
  8. We are guessing that many of the dogs became sore from running through deep and punchy snow.
  9. Tom is still doing well - and racing in 48th place - while several teams have already scratched.
  10. The next big decision for Tom will be "where to take the mandatory 24 hour rest".
  11. I'll let you know as soon as I hear about the dogs.....
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Sounds like it got rough just prior to McGrath .....


  1. Tom is taking his 24 hour rest in McGrath.
  2. I have not heard from Kraig or Tom yet about the dogs, but there is a 2-minute video of Tom that was posted recently on Iditarod Insider.
  3. In the video, Tom said he had some "rough runs" before McGrath - and this was a good time for him to let the dogs rest and regroup.
  4. From videos of other mushers, I've learned that conditions prior to McGrath were very bad.
  5. The runs had deep snow, high winds, exposed underbrush and stumps, big ruts within the Dalzell Gorge, brutal tussocks, etc... etc... etc....
  6. Several mushers broke their sleds and one hit a tree and had to be flown to Anchorage (he is fine now).
  7. Sounds like a brutal trip through the Alaska Range was had by all.... but Tom is still on his schedule and he has "no plans to go home early".
  8. On a personal note - the video shows Tom sending all his love back to his girls (Tami, Greta, and Leona).
  9. Stay safe !!.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i took 110 gallons of fuel to safety last night some one took a 5 finger discount on the heating oil that was left out there here are the pics it was -15 and light snow
 

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Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Not good now for the GP team ....... :) .......... but it's rough for everyone right now.


  1. I heard from Kraig last night - and its very, very tough at Iditarod this year.
  2. Tom is now down to 11 dogs, and that is not a good sign.
  3. The first 3 he dropped were Guinness, Owl and Oscar.
  4. Tom had to carry all 3 in his bag to reach the checkpoint and drop them (which is highly stressful as you can imagine).
  5. The dogs are OK, but the course conditions have been taking there toll.
  6. So far, about 150 dogs have been dropped across the course (that is a huge number).
  7. Common vet notes include fever, not pulling, sore shoulders, hurt feet, etc.....etc....
  8. From what I've learned, the tussocks across the Farewell Burn were not kind (imagine pulling a sled across a 13 mile barren plain with millions of turf knots that are 1 foot in diameter).
  9. Tom is now moving again - so we'll see how he makes out with only 11 dogs.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
Not good now for the GP team ....... :) .......... but it's rough for everyone right now.


  1. I heard from Kraig last night - and its very, very tough at Iditarod this year.
  2. Tom is now down to 11 dogs, and that is not a good sign.
  3. The first 3 he dropped were Guinness, Owl and Oscar.
  4. Tom had to carry all 3 in his bag to reach the checkpoint and drop them (which is highly stressful as you can imagine).
  5. The dogs are OK, but the course conditions have been taking there toll.
  6. So far, about 150 dogs have been dropped across the course (that is a huge number).
  7. Common vet notes include fever, not pulling, sore shoulders, hurt feet, etc.....etc....
  8. From what I've learned, the tussocks across the Farewell Burn were not kind (imagine pulling a sled across a 13 mile barren plain with millions of turf knots that are 1 foot in diameter).
  9. Tom is now moving again - so we'll see how he makes out with only 11 dogs.
you have read about that thats wwhat my snowtrac suspension is up against every day unusualy bad this winter because of the lack of snow

ps tussocks isnt the generaly accepted name out in the bush i suppose it will have to do for public comunications because of political correctness.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
ps tussocks isnt the generaly accepted name out in the bush i suppose it will have to do for public comunications because of political correctness.

Please elaborate? or does it have to go to an adult area. if so, PM me!
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
Please elaborate? or does it have to go to an adult area. if so, PM me!
those who want to know what the locals call the tussocks and hummocks pm me and i will share don't want to get kicked off the site for un intentionaly offending some one
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
front runners have made unakaleet to day i spun a rod bering on start up friday morning and don't expect to have parts here before the front runners make nome i
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i should also add i got up this morning it was - 38 and i have the call out phone this weekend got 3 calls for heating oil this morning before i got my first cup of coffee down.
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Don,

Sounds like you've had better weekends.....About the rod bearing, any idea why it spun at start up?

As for the cold, hang in there. Warm up will come pretty soon I hope. It was 55 here in the central mainland, melting snow like crazy

Good luck with the rod bearing, and let us know what you find, and learn a bit as well.

Best regards, Kirk
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
Don,

Sounds like you've had better weekends.....About the rod bearing, any idea why it spun at start up?

As for the cold, hang in there. Warm up will come pretty soon I hope. It was 55 here in the central mainland, melting snow like crazy

Good luck with the rod bearing, and let us know what you find, and learn a bit as well.

Best regards, Kirk
the damage was limited to one bering on #4 cylender my guess starting ad sub -15 and having the throttle stick from last nights snow dust melting and refreezing did it in should have taken the time to set up the space heater and pre heat it there was no excuse just my being stupid and trying to rely on synthetic oil
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Weekend updates for team GP find the team scratched ...... DNF ............ bummer..... :sad:


  1. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you Tom had to scratch today.
  2. Tom has never had a DNF in any race, so I know this will be hard to take - and me, on the other hand, have had several DNF's : - )
  3. But I know with 100% percent confidence that he did everything he could to get his dogs as far as he did (Tom would massage each and every dog muscle until his finger fell off before he would give up).
  4. I am also 100% sure he made the right decision.
  5. When he scratched, he only had nine dogs left, and we are so proud that he stopped before any of his team was stressed further.
  6. He and his team will now make his way back to McGrath and wait for transport to Anchorage.
  7. And we in Oak Creek will plan on a hero's welcome for him when he gets back......!!
Thanks to all of you for your support....

Just a quick note..... Tom and the dogs are fine... I have seen a 2-minute video where Tom explains what happened.... it seems the dogs just were not having too much fun out there (it looks like a bug got into his kennel). Regardless, we will have a great welcome home soon and I hope to see you there !!

I'll send one last email tomorrow - and then I'll let you all get back to your lives !!


  1. I spoke with Tom for 20 minutes today....
  2. First and foremost, both he and the dogs are all fine.
  3. Tom and his team are in Willow and will remain there for a few more days to re-cooperate.
  4. Tami will be flying up to Anchorage tomorrow and that will be awesome for both of them.
  5. I was always 100% sure Tom made the right call to stop racing based on his dogs health.
  6. It was great to learn today that Tom is 100% sure too.
  7. It's a long story - and his dogs were fine up until Rohn, but the run from that point went very wrong.
  8. The vets and Tom are not 100% sure what that was (it could have been bad food, a stomach bug, the mental stress of the tussocks on the Farewell Burn, or a combination of several factors).
  9. But the bottom line is that all his dogs (except Moo Shoo Pork) stopped eating anything substantial at some point on the run from Rohn to Nikoli.
  10. They all were drinking, but they would not eat (and they need 10,000 - 12,000 calories a day to race).
  11. But everyone is fine now, and we are all glad.
  12. So I thought I'd send along 3 more photos to close this out (a plane side view of the race on Day 1 just outside Willow, the athletes looking strong 2 hours before the race, and Tom's team of supporters at the re-start).
 

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billa

New member
Relying on synthetic oil at -15F is not good? Tell me about it. Really. I like Mobile1, but your experience has got to be better/harsher than mine here in tropical Anchorage (You know Anchor town is warm compared to everything upplanet).
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
once i get the new crank and bearings here i will be adding tanus padds to the block and put a 1500 watt space heater under the hood when cold its 23:41 and -22 tonight all i have to say is its spring time and global warming my a$$ had to wear a jacket all last summer keeps up this way i will be doing the same this summer.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
lance mackey came in at about 15:15 today here are the pics the first 2 are lance comming in to town 2 more crossing the finnish line and the lst are tim the toolman dispaying a booty off the lead dog on mackeys historical 4th consecutive win of the iditarod
 

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Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
tim is about funny he has macaurther attached to a leash and running around the shop saying mush and look at my lead dog
 

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bill w

Member
way cool for lance...he is actually a neighbor..i think his idea to not run the yukon quest was a good one.even tho he won it and then did the iditarod like ten days later,and won it too.almost 2100 miles behind dogs,in 08, he still has a smile on his face....as he always does Bill w
 

billa

New member
tanus padds??? By the way, I seem to remember from long ago and far away that some cold weather engines had the end crank bearing pinned to keep it from spinning. Do I remember right?
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
the vw engines are pinned but that dosn't help the rod bearings when they get run dry id didnt quite spinthe bearing just gauled the crank.
 
C

Clifford

Guest
Mr DDS, you are right they are pinned, but if you are having trouble with your engine, maybe you could contact a man named Snow Tracs on here, he seems to have a good engine that he has put $300,000.00 dollars into in the last two years by his claim,it might be a good solution for your engine...
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
Mr DDS, you are right they are pinned, but if you are having trouble with your engine, maybe you could contact a man named Snow Tracs on here, he seems to have a good engine that he has put $300,000.00 dollars into in the last two years by his claim,it might be a good solution for your engine...
you are right i'm trying to figure out which engine he is using but havn't yet i feel my solution will be a built and balanced aircooled or a 1600 ea81 subaru the problem with motors of the 80's there are not a lot of parts for them out there un like the vw motor that i think you will never run out of parts for
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Attached in Tom Thurston's Iditarod rmusher review report/newsletter from 2010. It great to know his focus remained on his dog's health! Good read if your so inclined.
 

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