March 9 Koyuk—2:07PM—Aliy and King in Koyuk at 2:07PM

Koyuk is a warm, friendly village set on a hillside on the north side of Norton Sound. The noon sun shines directly on the village, the clear ice on roads like a mirror. The Koyukuk are great, known for exuberance and interest in the race. They say, “Hi” to guests. I hear, “Good to see you”, “Welcome to Koyuk” and I see a young woman with a beautiful long parka holding a sign that says, “Welcome to Koyuk” and thank her for the kindness.

Kim, our communication person, with a checker clipboard on her table says to questions, “When Darin comes to get the clipboard, it’s time to get excited. “ So I ignore all false rumors about incoming mushers and keep my eye on Darin. A little before 2pm, Darin retrieves the checker board and I dress for the cold wind now blowing.

At 2:07 pm a large crowd of village fans cheer as Aliy and team round a street corner for the checkpoint. Close behind, maybe 25 yards, follow Jeff King, who has obviously gained 45 minutes in the traverse of Norton Sound. The scene is pandemonium as Aliy’s dogs can barely keep their feet on the domed ice road, especially as Aliy’s sled careens to the side of the road. King’s team slides to the other side of the road and gains some traction. A volunteer runs to the front of Aliy’s team and helps her to a parking spot on a patch of snow, where her fans surround her—“Aliy, way to go” and several women friends from Koyuk give her a big hug. Another runs in front of King’s team and parks him directly behind Aliy.

Meanwhile, about ten kids are intentionally sliding on the ice, another ten are flipped upside down, and everyone over forty is walking with little weird steps to avoid falling. Our cameraman, who is not entirely expendable, nearly loses it on the ice so we remind him the camera is worth quite a bit of money.

While working with the team, race judge Jim Gallea explains to each musher that the next checkpoint at Elim will have water, straw, and food, but that accommodations for warm sleeping and lounging might be tight as a funeral preoccupies the community. Mushers may decide to alter race plans—possibly grabbing gear bags and camping out of the wind outside of the village.

King opens a couple more plastic bottles of alcohol and pours directly into his already burning cooker. Alcohol is the preferred fuel since it does not taint the feed, and it’s hard to blow yourself up, even when you’re trying.

After offering snacks, stripping booties, making the dogs comfortable on straw beds, and starting their alcohol cookers to bring water to a boil, the two mushers come to the checkpoint to have lunch together and talk about the run in friendly terms.

King walks over to the comm desk and requests a recent time sheet, which he studies, probably looking intently at the out times from Shaktoolik of Mitch Seaey and Dallas Seavey. We don’t have any credible reports on what’s happening on the ice, but the general impression is that Dallas Seavey is moving up through the standings. He had the fastest team on the trail yesterday. About three hours separate Mitch and Dallas from the front—now occupied by King and Zirkle resting in Koyuk.

Ok, so there it is. King and Zirkle in Koyuk at 2:070pm. King has advanced on Zirkle and now may have more power. My associates and I think King now controls the front.

We now look backward, wondering if other players are prepared to reel King back to the fold.