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Diehl And Kaiser Both On Their Way To Cripple

Zachariah Hughes

There are a half-dozen sled dog teams at the Cripple checkpoint, which is the halfway point of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Brent Sass was the first musher into the checkpoint last night, picking up the halfway prize. He and the other teams taking their 24-hour rest in Cripple will now have to watch as the mushers who have completed their 24-hour rest periods begin passing through later this morning.

Richie Diehl will be among those driving through and heading for the Yukon River. The Aniak musher followed Jessie Royer out of Takotna at a little before 1 a.m. on March 12. Diehl has been running fast and well, which he attributes to his dogs.

“I mean, they are definitely showing me a lot,” Diehl said. “These inexperienced ones that I took to the Kusko[kwim 300 Sled Dog Race], you know, they definitely showed me they could race.”

A couple of hours after Diehl left Takotna, Pete Kaiser’s team headed out at 3:01 a.m. He said that his dogs have been distracted by females that went into heat on his team, and have not been eating or running as they should. 

“I’ve done the best I can to manage it to this point,” said Kaiser. "Let’s just wait and see if they kind of get their heads screwed back on straight here at some point and all get on the same page."

Kaiser was glad to see his team finally eat better during its 24-hour rest in Takotna.

Jessica Klejka arrived in McGrath a little before 9 a.m. on March 11, and has remained there for her mandatory 24-hour rest. She should be back on the trail this morning, bound for Takotna.