“I’m not very predictable,” Aliy Zirkle says.
In the Takotna checkpoint, the Two Rivers, Alaska musher told KNOM trail reporter Laureli Kinneen that long runs aren’t necessarily her “cup of tea” but that she’s also flexible in her mushing strategy, adaptable to the condition both of the trail and of her dog team.
Predictable or not, Zirkle’s strategy seems to be working. At the time of writing (6pm Thursday), she’s in the top 5 of the race standings, nestled amid former champions Mitch Seavey, Jeff King, and John Baker.
When we caught up with her in Takotna, Zirkle struck a positive tone in her outlook for the race. She also talked about what it’s like to mush alongside her protegé – 23-year-old musher Ryne Olson – and without husband and fellow musher Allen Moore.
Hear Aliy Zirkle in Takotna:
