It's a gorgous day in Nome today. The sun is once again blessing us with its rays, making the current 14 degree temps actually feel rather pleasant. And for the first time since I arrived, the flags hanging above the burled arch aren't flapping crazily in the wind!
Even if the weather wasn't being so cooperative, it would still be a marvelous day. And by this point, you needn't ask why... At 12:38pm this afternoon, Friday March 16th, our friend Scott, the Mushin' Mortician, pulled under the burled arch in Nome! After 11 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes, and 31 seconds on the trail, Scott and his remaining 12 dogs finished their long journey in 39th place. Scott and the dogs all looked really good, although tired. We've since gotten all the dogs fed and settled into their snug straw beds, and Scott went off to enjoy some time with his family, a hot shower, and I'd be willing to wager a cold beer! I'm definitely looking forward to hanging out with him later today and tomorrow. Scott is a very animated story teller and even the snippets of his tales from the trail that I've caught so far are great. From a moose encounter that ended well aside from a tangled dog team to his descriptions of the 2 story tall ice jumbles he saw along the coast, Scott's stories promise to be chalk full of adventure and laughs.
And the grand finale that we've all been waiting so anxiously for is almost here! Kristy and Anna pulled out of Safety around 1:45pm today and should be joining me around 5pm Alaska time. Needless to say, I'm wicked excited! They left the last checkpoint in 43rd and 44th place. Kristy dropped one more dog in White Mountain before tackling the 70+ miles seperating her from Nome, leaving her with a team of 11 dogs. Anna still has the same 12 canine friends that have been with her since she last dropped a dog in Kaltag.
Stay tuned! I'll post an update later tonight with pictures and the twins' initial reactions to the race and their arrival under the burled arch. In the meantime, here are a few shots of Scott pulling into Nome. I also uploaded the latest round of pictures to Flickr last night, so if you haven't had a chance to check 'em out, take a look!
Even if the weather wasn't being so cooperative, it would still be a marvelous day. And by this point, you needn't ask why... At 12:38pm this afternoon, Friday March 16th, our friend Scott, the Mushin' Mortician, pulled under the burled arch in Nome! After 11 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes, and 31 seconds on the trail, Scott and his remaining 12 dogs finished their long journey in 39th place. Scott and the dogs all looked really good, although tired. We've since gotten all the dogs fed and settled into their snug straw beds, and Scott went off to enjoy some time with his family, a hot shower, and I'd be willing to wager a cold beer! I'm definitely looking forward to hanging out with him later today and tomorrow. Scott is a very animated story teller and even the snippets of his tales from the trail that I've caught so far are great. From a moose encounter that ended well aside from a tangled dog team to his descriptions of the 2 story tall ice jumbles he saw along the coast, Scott's stories promise to be chalk full of adventure and laughs.
And the grand finale that we've all been waiting so anxiously for is almost here! Kristy and Anna pulled out of Safety around 1:45pm today and should be joining me around 5pm Alaska time. Needless to say, I'm wicked excited! They left the last checkpoint in 43rd and 44th place. Kristy dropped one more dog in White Mountain before tackling the 70+ miles seperating her from Nome, leaving her with a team of 11 dogs. Anna still has the same 12 canine friends that have been with her since she last dropped a dog in Kaltag.
Stay tuned! I'll post an update later tonight with pictures and the twins' initial reactions to the race and their arrival under the burled arch. In the meantime, here are a few shots of Scott pulling into Nome. I also uploaded the latest round of pictures to Flickr last night, so if you haven't had a chance to check 'em out, take a look!
Scott arriving in the chute in Nome.
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Scott and his wife of 30 years, Debbie, reunite after nearly 12 days.
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Two of Scott's dogs under the burled arch. I think the dog on the right was pretty tired, as he was clearing leaning on his running buddy!
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