We made it to Nome. There is no place like Nome. It feels home! Glad to be here. Along the way we passed a few teams, Ken Anderson right after leaving White Mountain, his dogs were still in warm up mode.
Next up was Wade Marrs, ski-poling hard, wanting to hang to 8th place for dear life. Good for this young musher to have such a strong showing.
Stopping at the Nome Kennel Club Cabin at the bottom of Topkok Mountain, we marvelled at all the historic signatures on the walls. Expecting some wind in the blow hole I got out my beaver mittens for the first time all trip. Good thing I did, as the wind was breathing at 30 miles an hour from the side. Jeff King was right in the middle of it and was moving pretty fast. Being a good sport, he took the Go-Pro along. The video showing the firsthand view of the blowhole should be up on the Insider in a little bit.
Shortly before Safety we passed Joar Leifseth Ulsom. He was also working hard, knowing that Jeff King is breathing down his neck. A quick stop at the Safety Roadhouse to relay a weather status back to White Mountain saw us passing fan favourite Aliy Zikle. Ski-poling as usual. She should be in here pretty soon. Beautiful day here in Nome. Heck, we will sleep in a real bed tonight!
Meanwhile Shaktoolik seems the place to be, with some 20+ teams piles in there. Winds of 25 miles are reported on the weather station with light snow and 9 Miles visibility. I wonder who gets sick and tired of sitting there first.
Might take the snowgo out again tomorrow for a few more shot! Enjoy these:
Wade Marrs: