March 5 3:26PM Wed.— Burmeister first to Cripple and declares 24hr
After a night and day of maneuvering, Aaron Burmeister has emerged first in the very remote Cripple checkpoint location at 3:26 PM. “I am two hours ahead of schedule,” he said casually. After a check-in on the ice of the slough, volunteers here at camp Cripple led him to parking spot conveniently close to the musher warm shack and near a hard trail to the cook tent.
Still gimping on a bum knee now reinforced with a brace, Aaron was stripping booties and chatting with vets following close behind examining dogs. 
Aaron arrived with his big 76 pound leader, a veteran finisher of three Iditarods, in the basket. He inexplicably looked tired, so Aaron carried him in the sled bag for five hours. “Please check him out, I can’t figure him out.” Despite the extra load, his twelve remaining dogs covered trail steadily to Cripple.
“Really pleased with the dogs. These 12 are really solid, working beautifully, eating, resting. Their feet are perfect, but I changed 3x’s just to make sure.”
Asked about his move to Cripple, a good 100 miles further up the trail from the main pack resting in Takotna, he commented, “I think it’s a really good move. It’s put me a lot closer to the finish. I won’t have to make any big moves now, but it will test everybody else (referring to everyone except his colleagues King, Lindner, Baker).
Chatting with the vets, Aaron remarks that he talked to a “walker” on the trail (people have walked the entire trail) named John Harcourt. “John,” he asked, ” did you notice that wolf tracks circled your camping area?” Aaron could see where the wolf had walked around his sleeping mold in the snow and then sat off to watch him. For five miles he could also see the wolf tracks following John walking. Harcourt told him that he had seen the tracks but never the wolf.
But Flash, King has just arrived 2nd behind Burmeister at 4:05pm with 15 dogs in harness. I am sitting here in the Communication shack but am informed by Bruce Lee that King is parking so that he can easily leave. “He only said that he was staying for a couple of hours.” Said Bruce. But, it can mean only one thing.
He is lowering a sledge hammer blow to the race. Catch me if you can, push to the front, but I will be waiting at least 170 miles up the trail with a team just off a 24 to tailgate your team to the coast. Fortunately, Jeff looks to have an excellent trail to Ruby.
Back to the dog yard to talk to Jeff!!!!!
Race heating up with divergent plans—-Burmeister waiting in Cripple, Buser attempting to eclipse the pack with an early rest, the main pack including Zirkle, Sorlie, and the young and older Seavey idling in Takotna.
