I am sitting here with strategist Joe Runyan in Takotna. Its been a bumpy ride over. Lance seems to be resting at Don´s Cabin, about half way to Iditarod. Most likely, Joe thinks, Lance is not going to take his 24 hr there either and instead push on all the way to Anvik, so he can pocket the Millennium Alaskan Hotel First Musher to the Yukon Award: an incredible gourmet meal along with an after dinner mint of $3,500.00. So Lance is on the way to make up some of the losses of last month race.
Its snowing out, the temperatures are at least below freezing. That is much better than it has been yesterday. It’s a good day to run through the warmer part of the day. There is a slight breeze to cool down the dogs too, and that breeze is supposed to get quite a bit stronger. On the seldom traveled trail to Iditarod, that could wipe out the trail in no time. The Trail breakes have left Iditarod and are headed to the town of Shageluk. I will not stay long here in Takotna neither and keep on heading down the trail, quick stop in Ophir and than might camp out for a bit, seeing some teams in the remote stretch. Have to play it by ear. If its snowing more, the mushers will be happy about my super wide track punching in a trail. Is the trail just thinly crusted, than I might have to stay off it for a while and let the front runners go.
Here a few pictures of Lance taken yesterday on the run to Nikolai, where he posted one of the fastest times.
