A band of low-slung clouds, tinged with hues of lavender and peach marked the end of Day 8 in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as I checked the standings from my vantage point in NOME.  Although of interest to me, the first couple of positions were not my focus, but rather, the incredibly tight pack of mushers that are creeping ever closer to the end of the 2008 race.  Paul is right in the mix of these, and as I compile this update, he was holding in the 8th position with teams slightly ahead of him on the trail and several others that were staying so tight to the back of his sled it would seem he had grown a tail. 

It is obvious that at this point, at least two teams have formed a travelling alliance with Paul, as both Kjetil Backen and our Kenai Peninsula neighbor, Mitch Seavey, were exact in their rests and travel through SHAKTOOLIK.  I saw that Paul had dropped another dog from the team there, departing now with 11.  I would venture, although I am not certain, that it was either Hag or Leitenant. I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Andrea Resciniti, who has been flying the trail with an Associated Press crew, and she reinforced another radio interview I had heard that Paul's team was suffering from some type of stomach issue.  There have already been a number of teams that have scratched from the race due to this, or something similar. In the radio interview I heard (which by the way is being broadcast by APRN who is once again providing exceptional coverage this year) Paul did comment that this was the first time in 12 years of racing that he has ever had this type of problem with the team.

With the snow conditions along the coast this year, it will be interesting to see how the last big push towards NOME plays out in the standings.  There is a little bit of weather moving in that could impact the trail, but temperatures remain favorable, hovering near 10 degrees. While some folks are conceding that places are locked in already, this race is far from over. In the 2005 race, Paul moved up 6 positions on the run into WHITE MOUNTAIN and few could forget the stunning shift in leaders in the 1991 Iditarod when Rick Swenson and Martin Buser walked their teams into the eye of a horrific blizzard to seize the lead and place 1st and 2nd respectively.

It remains to be seen.  The race is not over.  I am still just as in love with the guy on the runners of the sled as I was the day he left the starting line, and am eagerly awaiting his arrival into NOME.

Until later - Life is a journey, enjoy the ride! Evy