Flash, just got a call from kaltag.  Martin Buser is leading the pack at mile 607, keeping in mind that Kaltag is the next checkpoint at mile 624.

I talked to a race official who had just arrived at the checkpoint, having been ferried in by the Iditarod Air Force.  The air force has been grounded the last several days and hustling to get a functional checkpoint up at Kaltag and Eagle island.

According to trail breakers on snowmachines who have been hauling dog food to Eagle Island, the trail is wall to wall overflow.  With above freezing temperatures and rain, its no surprise.  This same official informed me that the temperature is now about 25F but with the afternoon sun, one imagines temperatures above freezing as here in Anvik.

Trail breakers were utilized to haul dog food because the airforce was grounded.  The unintended consequences are that the trail was not marked as well as normal.  The trail breakers are now running behind schedule and working overtime to catch up with the original job of marking and improving trail.  Once returned from Eagle Island, they have to continue in direction Unalakleet to stay ahead of martin.

Just for the fun of it, I have been writing down a snapshot of musher progress on the trail using the Iditarod tracker tool at the Insider (check it out, you can do you own analysis.)

Buser  607

Aliy 595

Mitch 593

royer 592

aaron 590

jake 590

lance 571

Generally speaking, it looks like Aliy and Martin are now traveling the same speed, but aliy did get some miles earlier this morning. She is 12 miles to Buser.  Mitch is 14 miles behind Buser now, but early in the morning he was 22 miles distant.  So, just for consideration, it looks like has chiselled at Buser’s lead by 8 miles on one run.

FinaL THOUGHTS

Wet conditions make one wonder what the leaders are doing for dogs feet.  They probably want to strip the boats, but nervous as ever about their huskies feet.   Usually they do well, as in spring time, but hit one stretch of ice where the water has dropped out from under the ice and the dogs might find themselves on granular ice.   As long as its warm, all is ok, but the mushers are looking to see if the weather turns cold and starts crystallizing snow.