7AM—Unalakleet—Pensive Fans Peruse Postings—Aliy maintains lead thru night by Joe Runyan 

Update summary:  Linda, who is manning the gps computer and also recording data, is under tremendous pressure to provide second by second info.  She withstands the onslaught of questions and reports, according to official times, that the gap between our race leader Aliy Zirkle and Dallas Seavey is 52 minutes.  In addition, she observes that Dallas closed two miles on Aliy this early morning, increasing the palpable tension at the lead of the race.

Ali in ! Leads pack to Unk at -40F

The headquarters center in Unalakleet comes to life with breakfast and coffee available in the far end of the building this early morning.  Huddled at the COMMS area, the intelligencia of the checkpoint analyze data at the Insider gps page on the Internet.

This requires trained fans.   The first thing I ask, “Does anybody have any credentials, government documents, special training, union cards, or evidence of competency to analyze data?”  Everybody ignores me (see photo of intent group studying data.) 

a group of serious fans study the gps locations

Here’s the problem.  Presently, data is not processed with the data checker so that you can compare drama over time.  Hence, the dependence on data seekers at the Unk center.   It appears, the studious fans tell me, that Aliy has maintained her lead through the night, commenting only that Dallas Seavey has closed the gap by a couple of miles.

“She’s coming over the hill,” reports a lookout who yells the message through an open door.  A blast of arctic air swirls around the COMMS desk while fans begin dressing.   Estimates of -30 to -35F describe current weather, with only slight winds.  

Sheldon Katchetag wearing traditional hunting gear used by his parents, note polar bear mitts and mukluks

Aliy in about 7:30 am (my time, get the official time from the website) to the Unk checkpoint.  Getting a photo is like trying to score in a hockey game with positioning height, agility key in getting an advantage.  After receiving gold from Wells Fargo for first to the Coast, Aliy gets busy unclipping backlines, distributing a dry kibble on the clean snow for each dog while four vets examine the team, stethescopes in action to listen for lung and heart indicators.

on with the blankets, Aliy moves to next chore quickly despite deep cold

Just to keep the order of things correct so you understand the checkpoint ritual, Aliy now turns her attention to donning the dogs with blankets, a reasonable caution given the very cold temperatures she must have encountered in cold holes on the trail.  In fact, race marshal Mark Nordman tells me, “I think Aliy got pretty cold on the trail.”   Nevertheless, she is moving quickly, always her trademark cheerful with her fans, installing blankets and checking leggings that guard against abrasive crystal snow.

Bruce Lee tells me that the leggings work well to protect the back side of legs from the collection of abrasive snow, that for some reason tends to accumulate.  Personally, I never encountered that kind of snow on the Yukon where I trained, but it seems the very cold temperatures on the coast have transformed the snow crystals—a mysterious phenomena.

Next, in the chain of events, Aliy uses her knife to slice open the plastic bag enclosing the straw bale so that she can drag it around without spilling straw.  She eyeballs the bale and gives each dog an equal flake of straw for bedding.

Next stage, she hustles to the headquarters with five gallon bucket to retrieve hot water—a key element to make a warm gruel of kibble and meat and water for hydration.

That’s Aliy, in with an animated team, looking back at competitors Dallas Seavey, John Baker, and Burmeister.   Detail minded fans look at their watches to determine the gap to the chase pack and Aliy.

In the checkpoint, breakfast for volunteers and locals is incredible to include omelets, pancakes, gourmet ingredients.

Final thoughts

Fast changing, evolving at rapid rate, just accept the slice of reality in Unk for the moment.  Aliy more or less retains an hour lead on the pursuing pack.

My reaction!  I can recall this incredibly difficult run from Kaltag to Unalakleet and the inevitable cold.  The fight to stay awake is indescribable agony.  The only way I ever found to fight the urge to sleep and the cold was to get off the runners and jog with the team

The big question, of course, is who plays the next move in Unk?  I am back to the dog yard to talk with Dallas.