The pace has been slowing down a bit here in White Mountain. A large group of mushers is out on the trail competing for Top 20 places. The recent ones to leave were John Baker and Ken Anderson. Both were adamant about wanting to leave the checkpoint without any help. John Baker once again being a team with out a neckline between the leaders, he has one leader willing to go, the other one, not so much interested. Yet he took the patience to teach her to run by the oh so tempting looking straw piles which were being raked up. John also has a very unique way to put booties; he has his dogs lie on their backs with all 4 feet sticking in the air. Looks easy. Ken Anderson had a thermometer on his sled, it showed 0F this morning. Perfect dog running weather. 

Nathan Schroeder arrived in the checkpoint. He was not all that active. I guess it was a long night. There is a big difference in mushers’ appearances at this point in the game. Sigrid Ekran for example is full of energy. She wished she could start the race now, as her dogs look so much better than at the beginning about a week ago. Other mushers look very forward to getting off the trail.

Coming up to the school, and finding my camera bag empty was not a good sign. Oh yeah, I put the camera on the back of the snow machine…., not good….. Someone came already walking up the hill handing it to me and …. it did survive. Here are a few more shots: