It’s 8.45am Yukon Time. It’s 0F in Braeburn right now.
As I write this Allen and his team are slogging through snowy and windswept trail towards Braeburn checkpoint. The are 13 miles out and travelling between 4-5 miles per hour right now. It is hard work out there. The area has experienced a winter storm overnight bringing plenty of snow to close in the trail. Even the tracker is showing snow!
Cody and the Squids have just arrived into the checkpoint and Michelle and Brent are battling to the finish line.
Aliy and Bridgett sent through this video showing the checkpoint.
Once at Braeburn, teams have at a mandatory eight hours of rest. They also have the vet team go through each dog thoroughly (although that option is available at all checkpoints). Eight hours is the longest rest our team will have had since Dawson, most of the rest have been six hours and after their march through the snow, a couple extra hours will be welcome. During an eight hour stop Allen may add in a second hot meal for the dogs and will have extra time to walk them around to stretch out before their final 95 mile run to the finish line. Allen can also enjoy the Braeburn hospitality for a while and get some good sleep himself.
One of the handler’s roles in any race is to scope out the checkpoint and get the lay of the land, ready to tell the musher where they can park, where to get hot water, fuel, sleep and food. Even though Allen knows the checkpoints in the Quest well, at this stage of the race it doesn’t hurt to tell and retell those things. Braeburn opens up a couple of guest cabins for mushers to sleep and you can see just how deep the snow is that fell last night.
Braeburn Lodge, if you don’t already know, is pretty famous for, not just the cinnamon rolls but large size everything. Here is an omelette for two that Aliy and Bridgett are sharing for breakfast.
You can see just how warm it is as Bridgett has ditched her warm parka and is in a wind-breaker instead. And check out her ‘digital notes’ on her ‘hand book’ – the best place to keep useful notes on a race.
We’ll keep watching the tracker all morning to see both Allen’s progress and what’s happening up front.
YUMMY!!!
WOOF WOOF WOOF
Been watching the tracker and slow/tough is surely the word. Looks like Allen is about 7 miles
out. Be glad to see the team! When I was in Braeburn a few years ago the cinnamon rolls were as
large as the plate the omelette is on! Very delicious! Took 2 days to eat! Allen will sure be glad for
an 8 hour break after this run and dogs also!! Hope all is well!
GO BLACK TEAM WOOF WOOF WOOF !!!
1:45pm in the east and it looks interesting!!!
Wow, that’s a whopper of an omelette! Looks yummy! As mentioned by others, I too noticed the slower speed on the tracker each time I checked. I think every musher was breaking trail with the wind and snow that pummelled that area. Glad that part is over…for now.
Go Allen!! He and the dogs are working extremely hard on the trail and I know they will all be very glad to eat a big meal.
GO SPK!!
Allen and the Team are doing great….very proud of their progress given the trail conditions! I will be watching their progress towards the finish…it’s nice to know they will all be happy, healthy, and well fed in Braeburn! Yummy!