After a bit over 3 hours rest in Shaktoolik, Pete and the Team are headed North for an evening trek up to Koyuk.
This section of the trail is probably the most mental challenging section of the race. Once Pete and the Team head out onto the ice, it may as well be the ocean. Once Teams leave the trail onto the ice it is 25 miles until they reach the other side. It can feel like a treadmill as the coast just doesn’t seem to move or come closer.
For Pete, it will all happen as the sun sets this evening. It should be a beautiful ride, but it will also be a bit chilly and very windy.
Pete is leaving out our Skaktoolik in 6th position.
In terms of expectation this evening, Mitch is going to have the fastest time to Koyuk from Shaktoolik thus far at between 6:30-7:00 hours. A similar speed from Pete and the Team should put them into Koyuk between 2:00am and 3:00am tomorrow morning.
One of Pete’s funnier trail stories came on this run several years back. Pete and Mitch had left out of of Shaktoolik on the way to Koyuk during the night. Pete tells that he could see Mitch’s light in front of him in the distance for hours. Then all of a sudden the light was gone. “Hmmm…” he thought, “Wonder where he went.” So he runs into Koyuk and no Mitch. A bit later Mitch comes into Koyuk and after they meet up later, Mitch tells Pete, “I hollered Hello, and you went right on by.” Pete had been TOTALLY ASLEEP! Totally missed it!
Sebastian Schnuelle heard the story and in his accent laughed and laughed. “Oh boy! It’s pretty bad to get passed in the middle of the night. But it’s REALLY bad to be passed by someone totally asleep!”
I smile every time I think of this story and this trail.
Current Conditions-
Shaktoolik-
Temperature: -12°C (10.4°F)
Winds: N (010 degrees) at 33.4 mph (29 knots: 14.9 m/s)
Visibility: 10 mile(s)
Koyuk-
Temperature:-13°C (8.6°F)
Winds: N (010 degrees) at 12.7 mph (11 knots: 5.7 m/s) gusting to 21.9 mph (19 knots: 9.8 m/s)
Visibility: 10 mile(s)
Mushing weather for this evening-
EASTERN NORTON SOUND AND NULATO HILLS- INCLUDING...UNALAKLEET...STEBBINS...ST MICHAEL...ELIM...KOYUK... SHAKTOOLIK 626 PM AKDT SUN MAR 13 2016 .TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. LOWS 5 BELOW TO 5 ABOVE. NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH. LOCAL GUSTS TO 35 MPH. .MONDAY...SUNNY. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. HIGHS 5 TO 15 ABOVE. NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH. LOCAL GUSTS TO 30 MPH.
