As we head into day two.....

This am I wake to find several Teams camped at mile 209, about halfway to Nikolia from the Rohn Checkpoint.  When I went to bed last night the lead pack was heading down the Dalzell Gorge in a string of endless Mushers.....it was actually hard to tell where the lead pack ended!  HOWEVER....this group camping at mile 209 was clearly a lead pack, consisting of both Redingtons, Mitch, Aliy, Jessie Royer and Richie Diehl.  Joar was camped one mile behind them.  As I write this Michele Philips has passed Joar and is reaching the resting Teams at mile 209, with Ryan Redinton being the first of the lead pack to break away and head on down the trail.  A few more Mushers are just 4 miles behind Joar at mile 205, consisting of Wade Marrs, Ramey Smyth and Ketil Reitan. Marrs must have heard me talking about him because he is now on the move.   Behind them, just a mere 2 miles is Nic Petit, Rick Casillo, Martin Buser and Matt Hall.  I can assume Nic has been there a while and has been joined recently by the others.

No sooner that I write all that and Nic now is moving, as is Mitch towards the front of the pack.  I suspect others will soon follow the parade to Nikolai. They say the winner of the race is always one of the top ten teams into Nik.....but with this being so close its hard to tell....perhaps the first 15 into the checkpoint may be more like it. 

The trail conditions are reported as better than it has been in years....so as long as you are on the trail you don't have to deal with wallowing in deep snow.  2 feet of snow has fallen in this area since the Iron Dog Race several weeks ago.  Wade Marrs says he has to constantly man handle the sled to keep it on the trail, and one video of him coming into a checkpoint had him sitting down on his sled, which I thought odd at this stage in the game.  Come to find out Wade is battling a bad lower back.  He says bending over is easy, but standing straight up takes him time. I can only hope there is a Chiropractor in one of the villages for poor Wade.  I know how that feels, and there is nothing like a good ole re-alignment to make you feel like new!

For those of you watching the Rookie of the year race, after a blistering hot first day, Jessie Holmes has backed off a bit and is resting at mile 188.  Matt Hall, who was playing it more conservative is presently resting at mile 203.  Matt is a Yukon Quest 2017 Champion and grew up in bush Alaska on the YQ Trail in Eagle....he knows how to pace himself.  Jessie has won many a mid distance race, but this is his first 1,000 miler.  He had to pull back the reins a bit in the Alaska Range. 

Now its just a matter of seeing how they file into Nikolia at mile 263.  Teams will then be setting up runs into their 24 hour rest...many of whom will take it at Takotna, at mile 329.  Others will push on to Ophir, mile 352 or Iditarod at mile 432.  BUT Takatna by far has the amenities and creature comforts most Mushers enjoy...and pies....many, many homemade pies.  Ophir and Iditarod are ghost towns, population 0.....quiet rest will be had but that is about it.  Last year, some like Dallas pushed into Ophir for his 24 hour rest.  We shall see what will happen here in 2018!