CB300: Over The Hump to Chistochina

Right on time at 9:19pm Aliy and 11 team mates left Meier’s Lake checkpoint having taken their mandatory six hour rest plus extra 28 minutes for time differential. Everyone looked very enthusiastic! (NOTE: official time TBC)

All the dogs had a great rest and ate really well, which is so important in any race but particularly a cold one. It warms a musher’s heart to see dogs eating well and fuelling up ready for a big leg ahead. Aliy also ate well, which for those that know her know that’s unusual in a 300 mile race. Her racing metabolism usually only kicks in after 300 miles. She had a good sleep, was able to dry her clothes out, and left the checkpoint motivated to make up some time on those ahead of her.

Teams have to cross the Richardson Highway immediately after leaving the checkpoint to get onto the east side of the highway. Special thanks to the volunteers who are manning the crossings, keeping it safe for dogs, mushers and motorists. You’ll notice in the video the team didn’t leave the check-out spot until the all clear was given – this is for everyone’s safety. Karolyn described the exit as “flawless”, from leaving the camp spot to getting to the trail head. Great job team!

For my own benefit I wanted to see the terrain a little closer and thought you might be interested too. This is on the “My Topo” version of the tracker. The pin is the highest point. To change to this view hit the button with three squares at the top right of the map and choose your view.

By my calculations, the team is running in 4th position right now – going only by total cumulative run time. The top four have all run quite different schedules which makes for a fun and interesting comparison. Aliy and Ryne’s teams have to take only three hours rest at Chisto while Brent and Nic’s teams need to take four. You’ll also see from this table – and as Wes back in Two Rivers pointed out – no one is consistently fastest. We also haven’t ruled out Matt and Kalyn in 5th and 6th place. Anything can happen in a dog race. (Disclaimer again: my maths is subject to interrogation if you so desire).