Note the smoke/steam in the photo. Not moving in the still air.
In just a few minutes, Pete and the Team will head North into the wilds of the Koyukon Valley. This stretch of the trail will be new to Pete and the Team, but should be a very pretty ride. It’s going to be cold, but not near what Teams last night experienced. Including his 24 hour layover, there will be some minutes added for the Start differential. It should be about 40 minutes actually, so between 11:30 and Noon, Team Kaiser will be On the Trail!
Current Weather in the Area:
Galena – Temperature -24F – Clear Skies – Light 3kt Wind
Huslia- Temperature -26F – Clear Skies – Calm
Huslia – 3-13-15 11:00am
Here is the trail description from Tim Huntington:
Galena to Huslia; distance of 84 miles. Note on Galena: home to the late Carl Huntington, the only musher to be champion to Iditarod, Fur Rondy, and the Open North Amercian
The trail leaving Galena follows lakes and old sloughs for about 5 miles then climbs the bank at Crow creek to begin the overland to Huslia. At 10 miles you’ll cross Bear creek, at about 13 miles you’ll cross a very big lake(Hourglass). Lakes and flats to about 19-20 miles then you’ll start travelling through jack spruce country. At 29 miles you’ll cross a small creek(Natlaratlen), at about 33 miles you’ll start getting to more lakes. At 34.5 miles, there’s a shelter cabin.the Galena to Huslia trail. It’s very bumpy whenever you are not on a lake (maybe 2/3 of the trail is bumps, 1/3 is awesome flat trail across lakes). The shelter cabin is about 37 miles from the Galena checkpoint, and is ready to go. We cut some wood, and there was some already there, dry and ready. It’s on the north side of a pretty big lake.
From there it’s more lakes and jack spruce until about 48 miles from Galena, where you’ll come to the Dulbi river for the 1st time. The 3rd time you come to it, you’ll cross and begin the portage to the Koyukuk river. You’re now at 58 miles, you’ll travel upriver for 3 miles climbing the bank on the right. There’s an old shelter cabin there. Wilson Sam’s place. It’s 21 miles to Huslia, all on lakes, flats, and tundra, with small portages .
Note on Huslia; home of the Huslia Hustlers. Ground zero of mushing legends. Names like Jimmy Huntington, George Attla, Cue Biefelt, Bergman Sam, Bobby and Warner. Heck,at one time everyone had good dogs here. This towns champions, used only the best of what everyone had. Ask to see some of the private home trophy collections, it’s impressive.
