While Lance Mackey began his mandatory eight-hour layover at White Mountain, dozens of more dog drivers jockeyed for position for their highest possible Iditarod finish.
Hans Gatt and Jeff King would arrive roughly two hours after Mackey, all but assuring the reigning three-time champion would earn a record-setting fourth victory in a row. Expect a 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday finish in Nome for Lance Mackey. I'm not sure how they figure the length of the race, but it seems like his finish will be very close to that of Martin Buser's record pace of 2002, which was 8 days and 22 hours.
A little farther back, Hugh Neff appears to be back in action. Neff dropped two dogs at Koyuk, and given his relatively and uncharacteristic slow run into that checkpoint, I assume he had to pack at least one dog getting there. His speed is back up to normal as he pursues Ken Anderson into White Mountain, and I'm sure the pursuit for fourth place will continue to Front Street.
John Baker appears to be headed for another top five finish, remarkably. Or will Ramey Smyth claim that honor? They were two miles apart at Elim -- Baker pulling out just as Smyth was heading down the road leading into the village.
Mitch Seavey and Sebastian Schnuelle were only a couple of miles apart coming into Elim, so look for that race to be down to the wire. Actually, Schnuelle, Mitch Seavey, Ramey Smyth and John Baker could all shuffle positions. They were within an hour and a half of each other on Monday night.
Also, Ray Redington Jr., Martin Buser and Zack Steer all pulled out of Koyuk within minutes of each other. Buser and Steer took off after less than four hours, each with 14-dog teams. Redington set a blistering pace into Koyuk, where he dropped one dog, and left with 11. They all took off ahead of Gerry Willomitzer, Jessie Royer and Sonny Lindner, who got in to Koyuk about the same time as the others.
The trail must have been decent this year, since the dog teams are still at 10 dogs or more heading into the home stretch. They've gotten down to their core best dogs, and most hope to finish the race without dropping any more.
There are exceptions to the above, the latest being Cim Smyth, who departed Shaktoolik with a six-dog team. You can go a long way with six dogs, but the going is more tiring when there's less power to pull the sled up hills.
IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER
While it is true that Mackey has an all but insurmountable lead on the final leg of the Iditarod, the last 77 miles from White Mountain to Nome is no victory lap. It's not like the final leg of the Tour de France, where the bicyclists take laps around the Arc de Triomphe. Mackey and those who follow will get an easy start, gathering steam up the Fish River. They cut overland and begin a gradual, undulating ascent until they reach the Topkok Hills, which are mostly treeless, bubble-like mounds. Their sides are steep and the wind can be cruel, with the lack of trees. After going up the final, tiring uphill, the trail drops sharply back to sea level, where the mushers are greeted by one more challenge - the infamous Solomon blowhole.
The blowhole is not to be taken lightly.
There are shelter cabins at either end of this small stretch of harmless looking trail that borders the sea coast on the left. On a good day, this driftwood-lined trail seems benign, even boring, if not for the oddly frequent poles and trail markers slathered with reflective markers. Every so often, the cold air from the state's Interior comes rushing out of the nearby Topkok Hills, which form a perfect chute, channeling the breeze into a funnel aimed right at the blowhole, filling it with hurricane force winds and a blinding ground blizzard. Which is why the trail there is lined with trail markers and shelter cabins at either end.
Once teams make it past the blowhole, and past the aptly named Safety Roadhouse, their final hurdle is a steep uphill over Cape Nome. From the top, they get a gift, which is bittersweet. It is their first view of downtown Nome, and it can be emotional to see the goal within sight, and also realize that the adventure is nearly over.
Jon Little, a journalist for 20 years and a veteran of five Iditarods, is providing Iditarod commentary on the Check Point blog, hosted by Dr. Tim's Pet Food Co. at http://drtims.com/blog
By JON LITTLE