Lance Mackey has pulled away again (this time probably for good). He's at Elim checkpoint (only three more to go before Nome), and his nearest competitors: Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker, are at Koyuk (see yesterday's post for information on Koyuk), 42 miles east.
There are 11 mushers at Shaktoolik (yesterday's post), including: Mitch Seavey, Jeff King, Aaron Burmeister, DeeDee Jonrowe, Jessie Royer, and Aliy Zirkle.
Here's the scoop on Elim checkpoint:
Elim
Course Distance 825 Mi
Latitude N 64°37'
Longitude W 162°15'
Population 281 -- The checkpoint is usually at the fire hall. From here the trail heads over the hills of the Kwiktalik Mountains inland a little way to the next checkpoint on Golovin Bay.
This is from today's ITC update:
WARNING: MOTHER NATURE IS BACK WITH A BLAST
“The Last Great Race to Nome Alaska” is on and Mother Nature is sand blasting the front of the pack. Ground winds of up to 35 miles per hour greeted Lance Mackey as he made his way to Koyuk. Hours later, Sebastian Schnuelle arrived exhausted from breaking through the windswept trail and fighting wind chills of -50 degrees. Mackey described the trip from Shaktoolik to Koyuk as possibly one of the toughest stretches he’d ever encountered. (Apparently, Schnuelle is still recovering at Koyuk and was unable to leave with Mackey, who has now made it to Elim.)
More updates later on this St. Patrick's Day. I tried to link Gilbert O'Sullivan's: "Alone Again," which would have been so appropriate in two ways, but embedding is blocked. Sorry.
