Jonrowe Slips; King Opens Lead

A skid on the glare ice of Norton Sound cost Willow’s DeeDee Jonrowe lost time late Monday, allowing frontrunner Jeff King to open a 1-hour lead as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race heads into a sprint for the finish.

Jonrowe, a veteran of 15 Iditarods still seeking a first-place finish, was 1 minute behind King when the two departed the Koyuk checkpoint 48 miles east of here Monday morning.

King, a two-time Iditarod champ from Denali Park, arrived at remote Elim at 1:28 p.m. and departed a half-hour later. Jonrowe arrived at 2:21 a.m. and stayed until 3:13 p.m., completing sled repairs.

King and Jonrowe claimed the lead positions Saturday after breaking away from a pack that included defending champ Martin Buser of Big Lake, 1995 champ Doug Swingley of Montana and five-time champ Rick Swenson.

Trouble began Monday for Jonrowe when her lightweight sled, designed to speed along sea ice, slipped sideways and slammed into driftwood that litters the shoreline.

Race marshal Mark Nordman said the accident occurred while Jonrowe was an hour or more from Elim. The collision damaged the sled’s undercarraige, he said.

Nordman said race rules permitted Jonrowe to repair the sled, borrowing minimal equipment from villagers if it was needed. “She did all the work herself,” Nordman said.

Teams in and out of Elim by 5 p.m. Monday, in order of arrival, were Charlie Boulding of Manley and Mitch Seavey of Sterling. Nine teams had checked in by 6 p.m., including Swingley and Buser.

From Golovin, the finish line in Nome is just 95 miles away.

King said he was satisfied with his progress, but the order of finish remained up for grabs.

“There are some real good teams right behind us,” King said . “I don’t know how we managed to sneak away the lead on them.”

Jonrowe said she had some trouble with her team overnight while crossing the frozen surface of Norton Sound.

“One of my leaders kept wandering and they wouldn’t stay on the trail,” she said. “It was a lot tougher run than I thought it would be.”

As usual, it was windy on the 58-mile trail of ocean ice.

“At first, it sleeted on us and I was encased in a sheet of ice,” she said. “The wind blew. And then it snowed and hailed. Kind of miserable.”

Jonrowe remains a sentimental favorite.