2011 Iditarod - Ramey Smyth, five hours sleep in six days
2011 Iditarod News, March 16, 2011 - Besides all of the stories related to John Baker winning the 2011 Iditarod, one of the great quotes about how hard it is to win the Iditarod came from second-place finisher Ramey Smyth yesterday, when someone wished him happy birthday, and someone else asked when his birthday was
"Today, I guess."
Followed by the reporter's comment:
"It's hard to think straight when you've slept roughly five hours in six days."
To which Mr. Smyth said:
"About the sleep I've gotten in any Iditarod."
The full story on adn.com is very good, possibly their best story of the entire Iditarod race. It also talks about how strong Mr. Baker's dogs were in the town of Iditarod, when many other dogs were very tired and quiet.
2011 Iditarod mushers in Nome, Alaska
As of this writing at 9:30am on March 16, 2011, the top ten Iditarod mushers are all now in to Nome, Alaska. They are, in order:
- John Baker
- Ramey Smyth
- Hans Gatt
- Dallas Seavey
- Hugh Neff
- Sebastian Schnuelle
- Ray Redington, Jr.
- Peter Kaiser
- Ken Anderson
- Jessie Royer
Congratulations to them, and to all the 2011 Iditarod mushers and racing teams.