Gap Closing On Jonrowe In Iditarod

Dee Dee Jonrowe led a veteran group of big-name mushers out of this Athabaskan village Saturday night as front-runners in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race turned from the frozen Yukon River toward the Norton Sound coast.

Jonrowe, from Willow, checked out at 6 p.m. local time.

Two-time Yukon Quest winner Charlie Boulding of Manley, followed at 6:07 p.m. Then came Jeff King, from Denali Park, who won the Iditarod in 1993 and 1996. He left at 6:09 p.m.

Defending champion and three-time winner Martin Buser of Big Lake followed at 6:14, with 1995 winner Doug Swingley of Lincoln, Mont., leaving a minute later.

King warmed himself in the afternoon sunshine Saturday, about to pare his 10-dog team down to nine as he awaited the cooler weather of evening before returning to the trail.

“I’ve never felt better,” King said as he surveyed his huskies, resting on straw. “For me to arrive at Kaltag this early, that’s a huge coup.”

King pulled into Kaltag at 12:20 p.m., hours earlier than in 1996 - the last time the Iditarod followed its northern route.

King left one 2-year-old dog behind before leaving for the 90-mile run to Unalakleet. He said the animal wasn’t pulling well.

“I like the nine I’ve got,” he said, “If I’d drop another, I’d be out of it. But the ones I’ve got are frisky.”

Townspeople spent the afternoon milling about the resting teams, posing with a favorite musher and collecting autographs.