Delicate Trail and a Race To the Front

Here on Monday morning (EST) I find the checkpoint of Skwentna looking like a literal parking lot on the tracker, with only Fiedler, Petit, Kaiser and Cody Strathe heading to the next checkpoint of Finger Lake.  Looking at the analytical graphs on the tracker, Nic has opted to take only 2 short breaks, whereas the other teams here shut it down for a 3 or 4 hour rest on their way to Skwentna. 

According to the Insider Videos, the trail is a bit delicate, with a thin crust that after 15 or so Teams run on it starts to break down into a deeper snow, which could be a slog for following Teams, and there are many!  Sebastian Schnuelle is commentating for the Insiders, and says if it were him, he would like to be the 10th or so through the trail, and feels bad for the Mushers who have started towards the back of the pack.  From Finger Lake, the Teams start heading up into the Alaska Range, with the first obstacle being the Happy River Steps....a series of abrupt drops that can be like a bobsled run at best, and an all out harrowing experience at the worst if there is no braking to be had.  The first Teams will have a chance to brake, but quickly a trough develops from all the braking and try as they might there is nothing for the brake to bite into anymore....so hold on!

It will be interesting to see who breaks from Skwenta next, given the trail conditions and knowing what is coming up next.  At this point the front runners dont really mean a whole lot, except they have the best oppertunitities for a nicer trail.  Its a short little 45 mile trek from here to Finger Lake....Teams who rest up well in Skwenta will likely push on through Finger Lake to tackle the Steps.