Lance Mackey, the only musher to have won the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year (2008), and Sebastian Schnuelle, the only musher in this race who can duplicate that feat (he won the Yukon Quest a couple weeks ago), are virtually neck and neck at the Koyuk checkpoint, 783 miles from the start. The are no fewer than 12 mushers in and around the previous checkpoint, Shaktoolik (42 miles away). Here are the facts on the two checkpoints:
Shaktoolik
Course Distance 741 Mi
Latitude N 64°21.246'
Longitude W 161°11.412'
Population 199 -- One look down the street at the snowdrifts will tell you this is one of the windiest stretches of the trail. From here the trail continues overland for a short distance, then leads the mushers out onto the ice of Norton Bay, one of the most treacherous segments of trail that the musher may have to contend with. The checkpoint is at the armory.
Koyuk
Course Distance 783 Mi
Latitude N 64°55.719'
Longitude W 161°10.09'
Population 258 -- Once this checkpoint is reached, the mushers can breath a sigh of relief as almost all of the rest of the trail is at least over land. The checkpoint is the City Recreation Center.
The closest mushers to Mackey and Schnuelle at the moment are: Mitch Seavey (champion in 2004), Jeff King (four time champion), and Aaron Burmeister (best finish, 13th in 2007 and 2005) who are
all currently showing their positions as 754 miles from the start, so they're 29 miles behind the leaders. Oops! John Baker just showed up on GPS Tracker as being 764 miles from the start, so he is actually between the leaders and the trio of Mitch Seavey, Jeff King and Aaron Burmeister. With only four checkpoints to go, this is going to be some finish.
The above photos are: (1) Mitch Seavey between Kaltag and Unalakleet on Sunday, 3/15; (2) Jeff King between Kaltag and Unalakleet on Sunday, 3/15, (3) Sebastian Schnuelle's dogs getting some rest between Kaltag and Unalakleet on Sunday, 3/15; and (4) Lance Mackey arriving at Unalakleet on Sunday, 3/15. Click on each photo to make it larger.
We have only six scratches or withdrawals to date:
(1) Bob Hickel at Finger Lake
(2) Nancy Yoshida at Rainy Pass
(3) Bjornar Andersen at Takotna
(4) Kurt Reich at Ophir
(5) Rob Loveman at Ophir
(6) Laura Daugereau at Grayling
