Iditarod Trail Invitational v2017. Race Preview… Predicted Chaos

If you don’t want to read Judd’s soliloquy, just check out these links!

Trackleaders – The Iditarod Trail Invitational: http://trackleaders.com/iti17

The Iditarod Trail Invitational site: http://iditarodtrailinvitational.com

The ITI Info Page: http://iditarodtrailinvitational.com/news/iti-updates-during-the-race/

Keep reading if you want info… info as I see it…

Iditarod Trail Invitational v2017: It’s been years in the making. I don’t actually know how many years. Maybe 6. I remember reading about this race sometime in 2010. I think.

That’s right, reading about the ITI opened up an entire new dimension of The Alternate Reality at the Back of the Pack. Since that day I’ve been meandering through the world of 24 hour racing, bikepacking, snowbike racing and all other crazy things associated with bikes, fat bikes, and gear on bikes.

It’s been crazy fun over the last 7 years. But now I’m here, up in Alaska, ready to tackle the Iditarod. Well. ‘Ready to Tackle the Iditarod’ is a bold statement. Hell, I won’t know if I am (was) ready until I cross the finish line. We shall see.

One of the many race variables that is probably on many racer minds is the alternate route around Rainy Pass and the Denzell Gorge. The race organizers suggested that racers take the route around the pass & through Hells Gate. Sounds Crazy! Huh. We, you, shall see how it all unfolds. Follow the link below to the race tracker. Should be fun to watch, fun for you to watch. I’ll just be watching my step, when I’m in Hells Gate.

Anyway, no matter what the route is, I’m roll’n out with a few strategies. Not sure I’ll document these strategies, as it is a race, and I wanna smoke any and all freaks that I can. (Not really.) But I’ll tell you my #1 goal, the #1 goal is to keep moving. Forward velocity is the key. And that means short stops, minimal horizontal time, and in no way am I going to get stuck on a bar stool in the middle of the race. Not even if I roll around a corner and run into some ghetto temporary bar with kegs a flowing. (You think I’m joking! This actually happened one year on the Colorado Trail. The Morale Chairman or I can tell you all about it. Crazy!)

But in the big picture of snowbike races, snowbikepacking, it’s all about the snow conditions. The snow, the ice, the lack of, the too much of… whatever. Yes, The Race, in terms of hours on the course and @ the back of the pack, is defined by the snow conditions. But the race, in terms of The Adventure – My Adventure, is all controlled by… me. So, I’m optimistic that everything will be ok. Dawg.

Ok I’ll stop the Jaw Jacking right here. I have things to do and cranks to turn.

The Track, Google Earth Style

Check out these links, if you want:

Trackleaders – The Iditarod Trail Invitational: http://trackleaders.com/iti17

The Iditarod Trail Invitational site: http://iditarodtrailinvitational.com

** Remember… I’m just a single speed freak @ the back of the pack. I won’t be at the front of the front of the pack, by definition.

And here is my checkpoint sheet. No guarantees that this is accurate. Hell, I probably have it all hosed up. Yeah, it’s Judd Generated from available GPS files. So…. whatever.