Diana Haecker, APRN – White Mountain
The Iditarod leaders are resting in White Mountain this evening. John Baker arrived at the checkpoint at around 4:00 this afternoon. Ramey Smyth followed in at around 5:00pm. The mushers take a mandatory eight-hour rest in White Mountain before making the final push into Nome.
It is also possible that this year will see a record finish.
That is what Elim race judge Jake Berkowitz is predicting.
That would shatter Martin Buser’s trail record of 8 days 22 hours and 46 minutes, set in 2002.
A large crowd welcomed Baker into Golovin as he made his way up from Golovin Bay and airplanes circled aloft.
While the weather along the coast is still sunny and warm, the wind did pick up. Hans Gatt, arrived in Elim around noon, sitting in third place. He wore his white windbreaker pants and jacket, fluttering in the wind.
Jake Berkowitz says the wind is Baker’s ally at this point.
Behind the three front runners are Dallas Seavey, Hugh Neff and Sebastian Schnuelle, all out of Elim on Monday afternoon.
Video by Josh Edge, APRN – Anchorage: Musher Ray Redington Jr. passes by a large crowd on his way out of Willow on March 6, 2011.
Photo by Patrick Yack, APRN – Anchorage: John Baker sits in his dog truck.
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