Closing in on the Coast.....non-stop racing!

Wow....looks like the top teams are just running straight to Unalakleet, with only short snack breaks.  This is probably due to the fact Shaktoolik is no longer a checkpoint....so it looks like they are running this 90 miles pretty much non-stop....and then quite likely will all take another big rest at the Unalakleet checkpoint before taking on the next 90 mile leg all the way to Koyuk with no place to bench a dog before heading over the frozen Norton Sound.

The Tracker right now looks like this:

Waerner is keeping about a 11 to 12 mile lead over Royer and Burmeister.....speeds are about 6 mph on the average.  The Teams will encounter more snow as the get closer to the coast.....probably more wind too.  Waerner is breaking trail, but the trail becomes blown in behind him, so Royer and Burmeister are also having to break the trail again.  Burmeister is notorious for not breaking trail and following someone who is actually doing the work.  It appears he is using this tactic with Jessie on this leg.  Its not a very sportsmanship stance to take....normally there is an agreement the teams will take turns.  Back in 2013 Jeff King toyed with Lance Mackey by dogging him all the way down the coast....making him break the trail.  Back in the 80s and early 90s Rick Swenson was also notorious with setting the snow hook right behind Susan Butcher....forcing her to break the trail. In this race Burmeister was in an interview stating he looked at the trail and decided someone else can break it as he continued to rest his Team.  Anyhow, just thought Id point that out.  Don't look to Burmeister to help doing any of the trail breaking.

As I write this both Jessie and Burmeister are stopped.....probably snacking their dogs....or perhaps Jessie is saying to Burmeister "after you.....do your part of trail breaking".