Leaving the Yukon – March 11, 2008

     Laura is resting in Kaltag right now. After 761 miles she deserves as much rest as she wants. She arrived in Kaltag at 10:40 a.m. Alaska/11:40 a.m. Pacific after 5 hr 40 m on the trail. After this rest, she will be heading to Unalakleet, 90 mi NW of Kaltag. In good weather, this run would take 10-15 hrs average, but bad weather reigns supreme on this trail, so it may take anywhere from 18-20. Wind is a major concern at this point. It can physically move the dogs and the musher off the trail. Closer to Unalakleet, Laura will be running on open tundra and the severe winds cause snow drifts over the packed trail. Laura will need to pay close attention to trail markers so as not to get stuck in deep snow. Weather right now seems decent at 24 degrees with wind chill at 18 degrees. There’s light snow, but the visibility is still exceptional. If this weather holds, wind may not be a big issue on this leg, but in this area, weather changes very quickly, so the mushers have to be ever alert. When she leaves Kaltag, she will be leaving the Yukon River behind and following a heavily used snowmobile trail that connects the Inland Passage to the sea. 
     Dad called and he had a message on his phone from Laura. It’s a little dated (3/9 when she called from Ruby), but I’ll share it with you anyway. Laura said the dogs are all looking good. She ran through the night into Ruby and witnessed a spectacular Northern Lights show. She noted she was having some leader problems (no specifics on this yet) but had them sorted out. She did go through knee-deep overflow on one of her river crossings. She had to stop the team, get her boots dried out, change out booties on the dogs and then she was able to proceed. Just thinking about how cold her toes must have been convinces me I would never be a musher. She closed her message by saying she was having a “hoot.” Right before she hung up, she exclaimed, “I’ll see you in Nome!” With only 351 miles to go, I have no doubt she will