With no real internet in Skwentna, I just stayed for the first few mushers, to then continue to Finger Lake, as there is better internet here. The trail over has been fast. Very fast. In my 10 years on the trail I have never seen it this hardpacked, matter of fact, I did not even know how many lakes we crossed, as in the past, they were deeply covered in snow. Other years ski planes have a hard time landing and taking off, that is how deep the snow can be. The trail markers also told the same tale, as many of them were so high up in the trees, that someone would have to stand on the seat of a snowmachine, to put them in (the snow). Except a few small stretches where some moose left a few big holes, the trail is as good as it gets.
Yentna
Martin Buser with his “ Buser bullets” seems to be trying for a long run again. He was the only team not stopping. And he did not pack straw again. To me that means he is trying to run all he way to Finger Lake, or even camp along the way…. Last year he did not pack that much food, this year he loaded up two full bags into his sled. He did not root through any food drop, he simply loaded up, which shows that it is a calculated move. I passed Martin shortly out of Skwentna.
The first into Skwenta was Mike William Jr from Akiak. Arriving, his team calmty stopped and then was guided to the first parking spot. Volunteers with red glowing wands directing the traffic. Somehow reminds me of Harry Potter. The following teams did not park as easy as Mike. The snow is hardly a skiff on top of ice and 16 energetic dogs are hard to hold back. Mike’s team has trained on rather dismal conditions in the Kuskokwim Delta all winter. So they are used to little snow, or better said, no snow and glare ice. For Mike, this must have been some of the best conditions he ran on all winter. His dogs looked great and the vet team gave everybody a clean bill of health. With Mike the first team in, he was lucky to have the full attention of all vets on hand.
Mike Williams Jr.
Paige Drobny arrived next and she commented on how she was wondering if she was on the right trail, as only Mike had caught up to her and passed. Not that the trail was poorly marked, she just expected more people to catch her. The next team in was Champion Robert Sorlie. It was telling to see both teams parked next to each other. Although Sorlie arrived much later, he had his chores done much quicker than Paige. Not that Paige was slow, by no means, but Robert is really dialed in. Dishing out a bag for frozen trip snacks, each dog snapped them alligator like out of his hand. That is what a musher likes to see.
Paige Drobny
In short succession Aliy, DeeDee and Michelle Phillips arrived. Michelle had a rather hard time parking her team, with them pulling out her snowhook. Other mushers could take off their tuglines quickly, but with Michelle not having necklines, she could not do that, and her dogs would have rather kept on going.
Robert Sorlie
Here are a few shots of the early evening action in Skwentna, and hard to believe, but they even had live music playing on the river! One thing I noticed, that some mushers had straw packed on the sled when they pulled into Skwentna, like MIchelle Phillips– it looked like she carried it all the way from the start in her straw bag. Robert Sorlie had picked up half a bale in Yentna, even spiked with HEET bottles, but he also did not use that straw. They must have had camping on their mind, but than decided to run all the way to the checkpoint, with conditions as fast as they are.
Live music
Martin Buser going through
Dee Dee checking in
looking for a parking spot
Aliy checking in
first 2 teams in…
Paige checking in
Insider
They haul a lot of gear to shoot those nice videos.
Team coming into Skwentna Checkpoint
