Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad traveled 191 miles closer to their Iron Dog goal of another championship on Friday, reaching Puntilla Lake, and home to Rainy Pass Lodge, just before 2 p.m. The 2020 Iron Dog champions, who scratched in 2021 just 758 miles into the race after experiencing mechanical problems, have kept a steady lead since nearly Day 1 of the race. Not far behind them is Team 10, Chris Olds and Mike Morgan, the 2019 champions who came in second to Team 7 in 2020 and placed third in 2021. Morgan and Olds pulled into Puntilla Lake at about 3:29, along with Team 6 2021 champions Robby Schachle and Brad George. By 4 p.m. the three teams were sitting around the lodge dining room enjoying homemade rolls and broccoli potato cheddar soup. 

“Those (Team 7) guys have made a bit of a gap, but anything can happen on the last day, as you know,” said Team 10’s Morgan, taking a break from his meal on Friday. Team 7 currently has a 2-hour and 39-minute lead over Team 10. The atmosphere at the lodge was festive and relaxed after a race that has soundly pummeled these Pro Class riders. Warm temperatures, heavy snow and flat light have conspired to test their mettle almost every step of the way. 

“This is probably the roughest Iron Dog I’ve ever run because of the warm temperatures and the wet, heavy snow,” Morgan said. “All that snow, once it gets soft, makes bumps and they are twice as big as normal.”

Olstad said Friday’s run into Puntilla Lake was wet, windy and warm. 

“It was like springtime riding,” he said. “It was all slushy, lots of open water. Once we got past Rohn, it was sunny, probably blowing 80 mph, and raining and snowing all at the same time.” 

Carly Perrins, whose in-laws own Rainy Pass Lodge, said the racers were relieved to get in out of the wind. She kept the food coming, as her husband, Steve, chatted with racers, and her 6-year-old son Dawson basked in the knowledge that he was lucky enough to be surrounded by snowmachine greatness. At least six other teams appeared to be making the push to Puntilla Lake, and they were keeping the soup and bread coming. 

Farewell (Burn) is super blown out and almost no snow there,” she wrote from the lodge. “It is raining in Rohn and a pretty rough ride coming into Puntilla.” 

Teams will be holding in Puntilla and Skwentna for Saturday’s grand finale. The first team to go out, Team 7, will be at 7:50 a.m., with the others to follow according to their adjusted times. Barring any last-minute injuries or mechanical problems, Team 7 and Team 10 should be the first two teams spectators see coming across the finish line. The official meet and greet for winning teams, as well as a live feed of racers coming off the lake, will be at the Menard Center in Wasilla. The first teams are expected at about noon.

“The race has gone well considering the conditions, and the weather situations we have dealt with,” said Iron Dog executive director Bob Menne. “We are happy to have the new and returning sponsors, and drawing excitement building with this race.”

Olstad’s and Aklestad’s 2020 course time, 50 hours, 8 minutes and 3 seconds, will likely stand as the fastest yet on the relatively new racecourse that includes the Red Dog Loop. However, in 2020, racers departed from Fairbanks rather than the Big Lake-Nome-Red Dog Loop-Big Lake route of 2021 and this year. That route was roughly 100 miles shorter.  

This year’s Iron Dog began with 28 teams, and as of 6 p.m. Friday, a persistent 16 teams were left in the running. Each has their share of stories to tell and challenges they have overcome, yet they continue on, determined to see their 2022 race to the finish. 

They include, as of 6 p.m. Friday: 

• Team 40: Rookies Mark Nelson of Kaysville, Utah, and Daniel Thomas from Salt Lake scratched last year, and came back to try again. They were traveling at the back of the pack, about 30 miles from Ophir. 

• Team 29: The Dohrn brothers are rookies from Minnesota proving they have the toughness of Alaskans. They were traveling between Poorman and Ophir. 

• Team 15: Rookie Bret Bohn of Wasilla and veteran Tommy Germany from Palos Heights, Ill., were approaching McGrath. Germany was a Red Lantern winner in 2018. 

• Team 11: Joseph Hale, a veteran racer who made history in 2021 after completing the Pro Class with his brother Israel, a double amputee; and David Wagner, a rookie from Arnold, Calif., were 10 miles outside of McGrath. 

• Team 44: Rookies Kyle Krause of Nenana and Ashley Wallace of Fairbanks were making good time, and just reached McGrath. 

• Team 24: Iron Dog Hall of Famer Evan Booth of Nome is traveling with his son, rookie Steffen Booth, who at 16 is the youngest to ever race Iron Dog. The two were taking a break in  McGrath.

• Team 12: Kotzebue veteran Christopher Collins is racing with Kotzebue rookie Doug Wicken with a message of suicide prevention and support. The “Never Alone” team was resting in McGrath.

• Team 49: The Sons of Thunder veterans from Palmer, Klinton VanWingerden and Andrew Gumley, were taking a break in McGrath. 

• Team 34: Rookie Brad Kishbaugh from Soldotna and veteran Kelly Sommer of Nulato, checked out of McGrath at just after 4 p.m. and were 55 miles from Rohn. 

• Team 5: Rookie Tom Davis paired with veteran front-runner Zack Weisz, and the two are running solidly in the money. They were just 70 miles from Rohn. 

• Team 9: Veterans Shane Barber from Willow and Troy Conlon from Fairbanks had just left Nikolai and were on the trail, roughly 40 miles from Rohn. 

• Team 22: Rookies Matt Piatt and Gregory Strohmeyer of Wasilla are the front-running all-rookie team, enroute to Puntilla, just 20 miles away. They also racked up a spectacular one-day 750-mile run on Thursday to pull themselves up in the rankings. 

• Team 23: The Miller brothers from Nome, Jordan and Jarvis, are having a strong race. Jarvis is a 2019 rookie of the year winner; this is Jordan’s first attempt. Team 23 was 40 miles from Puntilla at publication time.