With the Unalakleet checkpoint prepared, race volunteers and villagers have time for some speculation. Aliy Zirkle is in a good position up front. She reached Kaltag three hours ahead of second place defending champion John Baker. Zirkle rested six hours then began the 83-mile trek across the portage trail through the Nulato Hills to Unalakleet. Family members have arrived to greet Aliy and they expect to see her between 0300 and 0500 hours.

Aliy is running many of the same dogs that were on Allen Moore’s second place Quest Team – second only by 26 seconds to Hugh Neff. It’s common knowledge that dogs improve with miles and Quest miles are valuable training. Is it to Aliy’s advantage that husband and kennel partner, Moore ran the Quest team. Mushers don’t fare as well as dogs on the trail, and are commonly considered the weakest part of the team. Aliy comes to the trail strong and fresh. Is this to her advantage compared to 2012 Quest champion Hugh Neff and Quest finishers Lance Mackey, Brent Sass, Sonny Lindner, Kristy Berington, and Trent Herbst who covered the 1,000 mile trail?

Baker arrived at Kaltag at 14:32 followed by Mitch Seavey, Aaron Burmeister, Dallas Seavey and Jeff King with 90 minutes. This is a tight race. The question is, who will begin to cut rest and what effect will it have on the team and their position in the race. What about the teams that call this end of the trail home – John Baker (Kotzebue) and Aaron Bermeister (Nome). Will their dogs recognize the portage trail as the beginning of the trail to home? Time will tell.