First team off the Norton Sound and into Koyuk was Jessie Holmes and his crew of 11 dogs at 11:30am Wednesday morning. The musher came in and quickly got the dogs bedded down for vet checks. Villagers from Koyuk and the surrounding area came out to greet the team as he was spotted running over the sea ice.
Holmes has commanded the lead for much of the race. The musher making darn sure he did everything in his power to not let the win slip away this time. While he played leap frog on the run from Unalakleet to Shaktoolik, Jessie's been on his own for much of the morning into Koyuk.
Thirty miles back are Matt Hall and Paige Drobny (Hall has a several mile lead over Drobny). with a chase pack behind them on their way to Shaktoolik. Bot Matt and Paige are currently working on crossing the Norton Sound.
The weather is oddly pleasant for this stretch of the race, bright sun and of course wind (which is directly in the teams' face as they cross). The dogs in Koyuk will get a nice meal in and some rest in the warm sun. As usual, Jessie has piled the dogs into what fans affectionately have termed a "cuddle pile". He'll have a several mile vantage point in spotting his competitors crossing, giving him enough time to pack up and head on down the trail should he choose.
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