The Barracuda! Who Knew?

It's wonderful to be alone in the woods communing with Nature, but sometimes you miss what's happening downtown. For instance, the second place finisher in the VP contest last year made an appearance at the Anchorage ceremonial start yesterday, and those of us out in the woods didn't even know it.

Lots of great videos from yesterday's start on YouTube today. Just search Iditarod 2009. My new favorite to win this year is Paul Gebhardt, 52 years old, a two-time runner-up with four consecutive top 10 finishes. Paul quit drinking 19 months ago, and says he's mentally sharper this year; I wonder why? We're on our way to Willow.