Due to challenging trail conditions in to and at Flat, I have made the decision to have the Iditarod mushers bypass the out-and-back route to Flat and instead turn around at the Iditarod checkpoint. 

The Iditarod trailbreaker crew has had a challenging time breaking the trail open due to the sheer volume of accumulated snow, and has been unable to dig out a safe, well-marked trail to allow teams to travel to Flat. This decision does not affect any mandatory layovers.

Note: the Iditarod/Flat/Iditarod loop is approximately 20 miles in length, so the new total  trail length of the Iditarod Gold Trail Loop is approximately 832 miles.