Following the race has certain logistical considerations.  Our Insider camera crew follows the race by snowmachine and tonight will try to capture images of the front pack moving from Rohn checkpoint to Nikolai, where we normally expect a first arrival about 8am  (Martin Buser might surprise us earlier in the morning.)  The problem with this excellent intention is that the race leaders are effectively 50 miles apart—led by Martin Buser and Aliy Zirkle to the front and Mitch Seavey, Dallas Seavey, to the rear of the front phalanx. Remember that you can’t go backwards with a snowmachine on the Iditarod trail.  It’s a tough assignment to get images through the night, stay awake, and not miss the key personality.

Meanwhile, some of our production crew has been moved ahead to Nikolai, the first village on the Iditarod trail. We are housed at the school, where the community has generously allowed visitors to work and sleep in school rooms.  Additionally , the kids help prepare meals in the cafeteria for mushers and race entourage.

 I took a few photos so the reader can appreciate this small   community of about 100 souls.  The iditarod invasion easily    doubles the population.

The GPS tracker at Iditarod.com provides plenty of information for controversial views, depending on your favorite musher.  Case in point for Martin Buser fans who see that he has at least a three hour lead on the pack as race leader.  Zirkle fans see her edging to the front to also assume control.  Meanwhile, King, MitchSeavey, Baker, Dallas Seavey, Sorlie, Johanessan, Hans Gatt,  et al are running a more prudent schedule which, some argue , may benefit them further in the race.   ( Oh, oh, forgot Sonny Lindner, Dee Dee, Redington, Burmeister, Berkowitz, et al)

From the air I was surprised to see bare dirt trail out of Rohn.  In Nikolai i saw some photos taken by the Anchorage Daily News photographer of Martin Buser and team weaving their way through a grove of spruce on the trail out of Rohn against an entirely dirt brown background.  It was astounding.  Absolutely no snow, so one can imagine very tough going, continuous abrasion on sled runners, and blown booties by the hundreds.  A husky running on bare dirt goes through booties in minutes.   I can’t imagine what mushers will do—-probably compromise and keep them booted as much as possible and keep moving through the cool night.

The Nikolai checkpoint is organized very well with parking spots arranged like a new city.  The dog teams come off the river in front of  the village, check in at a wall tent staffed by village checkpoint officials and then are parked.   The accomodations in the gymn of the school are luxurious for mushers who haven’t slept in a warm building for two days of sleepless mushing.  Expect leaders to rest five hours and then depart in the direction McGrath and beyond.

I just saw an old friend who maintains a hunting guiding business out of Rohn and runs a flying service.  He commented that the trails are absolutely wicked with rocks and bare ground.  Sebastian just arrived and said the trip from Rohn to Nikolai was the most advanced snowmachining he had ever done, with dramatic points where he and a host of Norwegian snowmachiners winched sleds up hills and then reattached to snowmachines.

For Martins fans, Sebastian had good words, commenting that his dogs were focused and traveling well.

The race is on to declare a mandatory 24 hour break.   Buser fans think he may have worked hard to gain a three or four hour advantage.

Locals for the checkpoint think MARTIN could be in 5am—-