IDITAROD: Special Coverage from APRN

There is a new rabbit to chase. Jeff King has pulled ahead of Lance Mackey during the first half of the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet. This 80+ mile leg will take mushers a dozen or so hours and there are many still hungry for the win — whether it be their 6th, 5th, 2nd, or 1st. One of the places that folks sometimes stop to break the run up is the Old Woman Cabin. This was a favorite of Susan Butcher and last year some of her ashes were left by her husband and daughter. The Kaltag-Unalakleet leg has it all: woods, steep hills, river crossings, open tundra. The last 10 miles of the trail near Unalakleet often becomes dodgy with markers and is sometimes difficult to follow if coastal winds cause the trail to drift over.