It’s Sunday March 15th in Unalakleet, we are waiting.  The sun rose at 0900 and will set at 2045.  Temperature at sunrise was minus 10 with winds fromt he east at 10 mph.  There were 6 mushers on the old portage from Kaltag to the coast.  Doubtful that it was as warm on the trail as it is here.  Word about the trail is that it’s fast and hard.  Aliy Zirkle is resting about 30 miles out of Kaltag or 60 miles short of Unalakleet.  King, Burmeister and Dallas Seavey rested in Kaltag while Aliy didn’t.  It’s doubtful that they’ll make the portage trail in one long run.  Once Aliy pulls the hook from her rest stop outside of Kaltag, she’ll most likely run all the way to the coast.  First to the coast won’t be until mid afternoon.

So here are some stats for the past twenty years on first to the coast and champion.  In 2004 Kjetl Backen made the coast first but Mitch Seavey claimed the Championship.  Lance Mackey was the champion in 2007 and 2008 but Jeff King was the first to the coast.  Queen of Hearts, Aliy Zirkle was first to the coast in 2012 and 2014 but Dallas claimed both Championships.  So for stats minded folks, in fifteen of the past twenty years, the Gold Coast Award and the Iditarod Championship have gone to the same musher.  Twenty-five percent of the time, The Wells Fargo First to the Coast Award hasn’t gone to the same person who’s claimed the Dodge truck and the winner’s check in Nome.  I’m not even going to mention names.

Here are a few shots from the checkpoint at around 0900 this morning.

Sunrise Through the Fish Drying Rack

Welcome for Norwegians

Coastal Sleds waiting in Unalakleet