Good Morning Kaiser Race Fans! Pete and the Team were out of Ophir early this morning at 4:03 leaving a dog before moving back on the trail. They are currently running in 13th position factoring in the teams in the pack that haven’t taken their 24 hour layover. The run between Takotna and Ophir was one of the faster times posted and almost identical to Jake Berkowitz the night before.
Pete’s Times-
The trail from Ophir to Iditarod will take the team Southwest through the rolling hills towards the mining country of Flat and Iditarod. It is a long stretch of trail winding down to the Mining Ghost town of Iditarod.
From Iditarod:
This is one of the emptiest legs on the entire race, a full 90 miles of lonely country and endless trail. The trail crosses a mix of terrain and vegetation, ranging from taiga (black spruce) to barren upland tundra to thick river-bottom forests to brushy ravines and hillsides to swamps and lakes. This leg has no major problems, although are always patches of minor overflow, plenty of hills, and some potentially rough trail across the uplands. Its biggest feature is, as somebody once said of driving through Texas, miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.
You should plan for 12 to 18 hours, including a good several-hour rest somewhere along the way. Many drivers stop at Don’s Cabin, 36 miles out of Ophir. It’s a ramshackle plywood hut but it’s sheltered in the trees and has a stove. Another good camping spot is the tree line at the Windy Creek crossing, 10 miles past Don’s Cabin, or the Dishna River, a couple of miles past Windy Creek.
Don’s Cabin
Mushing Weather Forecast:
The story of today is undoubtably going to be about weather. Predictions are for high winds, but luckily for Pete and the Team they will actually play into their favor if it works out right. Presently it is warm, but below freezing with Northeast winds at their backs. Preditions are for the wind to switch to the East, but that is okay as from Iditarod to Anvik is an Eastward trail, so again wind will be at their back.
Present Anvik Weather:
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RUSSIAN MISSION...GRAYLING... HOLY CROSS...SHAGELUK...ANVIK...FLAT 328 AM AKST THU MAR 7 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AKST TONIGHT... .TODAY...SNOW. A CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S. EAST WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 35 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH. .TONIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW. A CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IN THE EVENING. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S. EAST WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH. .FRIDAY...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH.
