Top Ten are into Meiers Lake

While most of Alaska was blowing away or melting away.... floating away... it seems the little world that is the Copper Basin 300 remains mostly unscathed. Anchorage recorded wind gusts up to 110mph (officially, some on the hillside said they clocked them much stronger). Palmer flooded. Fairbanks reached late spring temperatures (in some areas 50F).

The Copper Basin is also dealing with unseasonably warm temperatures, but they stayed in the 30s. The trail has seen both snow and rain Sunday. Teams are not reporting a "slog fest" but it is a slower going than what one may be used to seeing in this race.

Then again, many years they have quite a bit of snow and trail breaking to do. It's the toughest 300 miles, after all.

Teams moved through the early morning into early afternoon from Lake Louise and Sourdough. Ten have made the haul to Meiers, including favorites to win Jessie Holmes and Cody Strathe. Strathe with his team of Squids left the checkpoint of Sourdough ahead of Holmes early Sunday morning but at some point was passed by the speedy Holmes. Holmes came into Meiers sixteen minutes before Strathe after leaving Sourdough four minutes behind.

Neither of the top two have taken their mandatory 6 hours plus time differential, but it would be a good guess they've both declared and are taking that rest here. Of the current top ten, none of the teams have taken their mandatory 6, however the chase pack have several who have taken theirs. 

Currently into Meiers Lake:

Jessie Holmes
Cody Strathe
Jonah Bacon
Travis Vanderhoof
Dave Turner
Kelsey Winters
Aiden Kosciolek
Lauro Eklund
Anna Hennessy
Elke Hall
Michelle Phillips
Sam Martin
Ben Simard

Two teams chose to cut their races short Sunday, Laura Allaway scratched at Lake Louise and Jessica Hickey scratched at Sourdough. No official release for either as to reason.

Look for teams to start leaving Meiers Lake around 830p or 9p Sunday night.