Our Insider crew on snowmachines checked in with video from the trail.  Norwegian snowmachiners, including Robert Sorlie’s mushing partner Thomas Waerner (inspecting the trail for his race with the team in 2015), also arrived.

Our guys reported mushers could not stop on the river going into Skwentna as ice hooks would not hold.   T’herefore it appeared mushers moved to Skwentna, but even here locking down the team was difficult, with some teams creating havoc pulling out hooks in the parking lot.

Martin, as noted on the analysis at the Insider, stopped to snack his dogs midway between Skwentna and Finger lake.  Our guys reported that he disconnected back lines and allowed the dogs a short break while he offered a hot meal.   Allowing the dogs to roll on the snow and take a big meal break is a great psychological boost even if the break is only 15 or 20 minutes.

Since the trail from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass is tight, our film crew will not stop to rest.  Instead they are going to document leaders through the Happy Valley steps and several problematic glaciated areas.  They might be able to get a couple of hours of sleep before the first musher—-it might be Martin Buser—appears.

The contingent of Norwegians, understanding the congestion of the trail, are also leaving to go directly to Rohn checkpoint.  Here they will wait for the Iditarod pack.