Handler described the flight from McGrath to Unalakleet as absolutely magical. Imagine being in a boat on crystal clear water that is as smooth as glass. The lake you’re on is very deep – four or five thousand feet. The bottom fluctuates by a couple thousand feet. Structure is plentiful along the bottom and sides of the submerged ridges but the tops are bare. Keep all of that in mind but change the boat to a plane and the water to air. Visibility was almost infinite. She had the feeling they were looking right over the top of the world, maybe right over the North Pole. The Arctic Circle seemed just beyond her grasp. Is there a descriptor that goes beyond magical? Sensational, astounding, breathtaking, miraculous, divine, gorgeous, etc? Alaskan scenery tends to amp the sensory portion of the brain into astronomical overload.

Unalakleet is located in Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. The village is Eskimo. They have a new high school, newly blacktopped roads and six wind turbines on the top of a nearby hill. In this place where the south wind blows, those turbines save an average of 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year in generating electricity for the village of approximately 700 people.

As far as the race goes, Lance Mackey who has won the last four in a row is down to nine dogs but don’t count him out. Mitch Seavey, another top contender had to withdraw after his knife folded shut and severely cut his right pointer finger while he was opening a bale of straw. Hugh Neff, the musher who sports red and white Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat headgear was the first to reach the Yukon. The front of the pack is on the Yukon River in a pretty tight race with John Baker from Kotzebue in lead. The weather has been warm for the dogs so mushers are choosing to rest at the sunniest times and run early morning, late afternoon or during the night. The first team to arrive in Unalakleet wins $2,500 in gold nuggets compliments of Wells Fargo.

Born to Run,
Sanka