March 18, 2001 (part 2)

Well, Karen left White Mountain at 12:40 pm (4:40 pm EST), and is traveling to her last checkpoint (Safety) before the final leg to Nome.

"Mushers follow the shore of Norton Sound to Safety, where the checkpoint building provides the only light for miles. ' To me, it just looks like an old shack, but in winter, it's like a lighthouse,' remembers DeeDee Jonrowe. ' It always looks like a lantern in the distance. You can probably see it four or five miles away.' " A trail 1,100 miles long from Anchorage to Nome, and Karen has only 77 miles remaining.

GO Karen GO!!! : ^)

Those so inclined, please keep her in your prayers. She is now traveling along the Bering Sea. There is only one other musher left, and he is a checkpoint ahead of her. This is a very difficult part of her journey, and she is probably extremely tired. The landscape is barren with no trees in sight, and the area is plagued with high winds and ground blizzards, creating total white-out conditions. If she somehow becomes disoriented, she could wander out onto the Bering Sea and lose her way.

This is where one discovers the true value of our beloved Siberians. Karen will probably give her leaders their heads, and allow them to lead the way. They can find the trail much better than she, and as we all know, Siberians come into this world naturally independent and with high intelligence, for this very purpose.

She needs to fully trust in her "best friends" (as she affectionately calls them).

Godspeed Karen... : )

(Update provided by another fellow Sibernet member).
Ann