March 15, 2001

This is it:

This will be the last diary entry from me. Tomorrow morning I leave for Nome. Once I’m in Nome, I’ll take the short $5.00 taxi ride to the ITC headquarters (Iditarod Trail Committee), then check in so I can get partnered up with my host family. Then all there is to do is kill time until Karen shows up. I’ve figured out her ETA under the arch to be around 3:00 AST Sunday afternoon.
Here is the remainder of Karen’s schedule:

• Rest 8 hours in Unalakleet
• Run 8 hours to Shaktoolik and rest for 6 hours
• Run 8 hours to Koyuk and rest for 6 hour
• Run 7 hours to Elim and rest for 6 hours
• Run 8 hours to White Mt. Rest for 8 hours
• Run 12 hours to Nome rest for 1 year

Please don’t email or phone me when these times aren’t right, I won’t be here, see above paragraph. All these times do is cause headaches, they were actually dreamt up back in September so there is a certain percentage of error. The times are used mostly in the planning of the food drop bags.

Once Karen is in Nome and the dogs are taken care of, the first order of business is to get the team and ourselves out of Nome, we will be at the complete mercy of the airline. As soon as we are back in Knik its time to load the truck and beeline it for home.

Each musher has a mail slot in Nome, I’m sure that there is ways that you can get messages there in time, but your on your own for this one.

Later
Mark
(Karen's husband)