McGrath interview with Aliy Zirkle

03/06/19 • 7 min

This is an extended interview with Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle in McGrath, recorded Tuesday, March 5, 2019 by KNOM Radio's Ben Matheson.

This is an extended interview with Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle in McGrath, recorded Tuesday, March 5, 2019 by KNOM Radio's Ben Matheson.

Previous Episode

S3E8: Taking 24-hour rests, as Aliy takes the lead

In this episode, we have a race update as mushers start to take their mandatory 24-hour rests at different checkpoints, part of the strategy of running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and we talk to the mushers at McGrath and Tokotna. Early Wednesday saw last year's runner-up, Nicolas Petit, in the lead for a time, heading into Ophir. But three-time second-place finisher Aliy Zirkle left that ghost town checkpoint before Petit and was mushing in first place prior to taking her 24. Plus, we answer a listener question about how the race accounts for a staggered start at the beginning.

Next Episode

Quince Mountain checks in from... Skwentna?

Braver Mountain Mushing's Quince Mountain is out on the 2019 Iditarod trail trying to catch up with the mushers on a snowmachine. Due to some technical issues, he was only in Skwentna for our Wednesday phone call. That's about 80 miles into the trail, and Wednesday saw leaders into the Iditarod checkpoint, which is about 430 miles into the 1,000-mile race. But.. Quince is alive and OK, and that's the important part. We talked about the journey so far, somehow even got on the topic of dog poop (again) and what it's like to see meticulously packed drop bags go unused during such a warm year.