The weather has changed.  Five teams are still on the trail, Taggert, Barnum, Jones, Siirtola, and Halverson.  Taggert and Barnum are on the way from White Mountain to Nome, G. B. Jones will leave White Mountain at mid-day and Siirtola and Halverson will arrive here just before Jones leaves.  Today it is snowing in White Mountain, there’s an 8mph wind out of the east.  The sun will not show itself today.  It could be worse, and before Siirtola and Halverson get to Nome, it will get worse.  If Siirtola and Halverson keep moving well, they should get to Nome be noon on Sunday.  There is a storm warning for the entire Norton Sound coast for Sunday morning.  1-3 inches of snow and winds at 30-35 mph.  It could be pretty nasty.  There are a couple of places that are naturally windy.  Even when it’s not windy it can blow at Topkok and the Blow Hole.  When wind is forecast, it usually howls through those two areas.  Halverson and Siirtola might get lucky, if they have good leaders they’ll be fine.  If they don’t have good leaders it could be the toughest run of the race.

Kirk Barnum arrive in White Mountain at 1:53 this morning, he could have left by ten this morning but he’s in no rush and stayed longer than his mandatory 8 hour break.  Barnum has a big smile on his face; he has been smiling every time I saw him on the trail.  Barnum is just one of the 62 teams that started the race; there have been times when he thought no one else was on the trail.  Barnum has been with teams in checkpoints but he has been traveling alone most of the way.  Barnum has been in between teams on the trail.  He’s been typically 3 hours behind the teams in front of him and 3 hours ahead of the teams in front of him.  I’ve said this is a solitary sport, Barnum has enjoyed being alone.  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’ve had the trail to myself and have been able to go when and where I want.  I’ve been on the trail by myself since the halfway point.”  Barnum has been having a good trip.  He said that once he realized he wasn’t going to be ‘in the race’; he’s been doing his own thing.  He said he is ready to get to Nome.

The Trail Sweeps, a group of volunteers that ride behind the competitors arrived here at 2:30 this morning.  They’ll sit here all day and then leave after Siirtola/Halverson complete their layovers and head to Nome.  The Trail Sweeps will spend tonight at a safety cabin about halfway to Nome.

Things you might want to know…

• The Trail Sweeps blew up one snowmachine in the first third of the race and then yesterday they broke the suspension on the replacement machine.  The took apart the machine in Elim, welded the suspension back together and  continued traveling late last night, early this morning.
• Mushers don’t take showers during the race.  A few of them showered during their 24 hour layover if they were in a place that had a shower.  But most of them are still wearing the clothes they started with.  They wear hi-tech base layers of clothes that wick moisture away from their skin.  The moisture evaporates, the stink does not.  There is a 3 foot diameter stink bubble around these people, for some of them it’s a five foot bubble.
• Blowing snow today.   Sunglasses are not necessary.

Will Peterson