TIME: 14:20 Alaska Time. 

LEADERS: #1 Sebastian Schnuelle, #2 Hans Gatt,  #3 Hugh Neff, #4 John Baker, and #5 Lance Mackey

WHERE ARE THE MUSHERS: Sebastian and Hans are both in Grayling.  Hugh and John are traveling between Anvik and Grayling and Lance is in Anvik

WEATHER: Anvik, Grayling and Shageluk are reporting 21 and clear.  Takotna is reporting 22 and clear, and McGrath is reporting 19 and clear.

SCRATCHED: There have no scratches in the past 24 hours.  YEAH!!!!

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: What is the difference between scratching and withdrawal from the race? When a musher scratches from the race, he or she makes the decision themselves.  The most common reason a musher scratches is for the best interest of the team.  This means a lot of things.  Sometimes, a musher is hurt or ill and they feel they cannot take care of their team properly. The team may be ill or not performing to the level needed to finish the race and the musher scratches.  The sled may have been damaged to the point that it is not useable and an extra sled is not available.  There’s just so many reasons a musher may have for not continuing the race.

Withdrawn means the decision was made for the musher.  The decision is made by a 3 judge panel.  At least 2 of the judges must agree to the withdrawal.  This decision does not mean that the musher did anything wrong.

FAN QUESTION: We are a fifth grade class in Hamden, Connecticut.We watch the Iditarod everyday after we take our fifth grade state test called the Connecticut Mastery Test.We wanted to ask you two questions.First of all we wanted to know what do the mushers do after they finish the Iditarod.For example,do they sleep for 3 days or go home and start training their dogs again?

From what I have heard, after mushers finish in Nome, the spend time with their families, take a hot shower, and then sleep. They need to be awake some so that they can greet their fans, meet other mushers as they finish the race, and attend the banquet.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: What is -31 degrees Celsius?  How is Celsius different from Fahrenheit? Celsius (C) is an international unit of measuring temperature.  It sets 0 degrees as the temperature water freezes at and 100 degrees as the temperature water boils at.  In the United States we use Fahrenheit (F) to measure temperature.  It sets 32 degrees as the temperature water freezes at and 212 degrees as the temperature water boils at.  So how can those of us who use Fahrenheit figure out what -31 degrees Celsius is?  There is a math equation we can use.  So all you math whizzes out there, get your pencils ready:

F= (C x 1.8) +32    Check in tomorrow for the answer.

Hope you are enjoying the race.  I can tell you’re learning a lot.  Your comments and questions have been great.  Keep up the good work.

Until tomorrow,

Gypsy