Posts - Page 59 of 286 - Christof Teuscher

My strategy for the remaining 77mi to Nome was to make things up on the go. I’ve heard several horror stories about the blizzards in the Topkok hills and the blowholes on the way to Safety, so I expected a lot of unpredictability. It’s easy to think you’re almost there, but the stretch from White Mountain to Safety is known to be one of the most dangerous sections of the entire race. If the wind blows and a storm hits, it can be simply impassable. Five days earlier, six mushers got into serious trouble right there and had to be rescued. See https://bit.ly/39a5ohl and https://bit.ly/3K5hUeX for some crazy stories. So…nothing is guaranteed if you’ve made it thus far, quite the opposite.

From White Mountain, the trail gradually climbs over barren hills, some very steep, and crosses the Klokerblok River several times. I was able to do some more great sledding on my pulk. After reaching a final saddle, I could suddenly see the coast and as far as Cape Nome. The trail dropped steeply do the beach (more sledding!), where the Topkok shelter cabin is located. I logged just short of 2,000ft of elevation gain on the 26mi from White Mountain to the cabin.

The wind was blowing so hard at the cabin that I had to tie my sled to its stairs. I remembered Beat’s advice: if it’s blowing hard at the cabin, it will be a lot worse further out. It was only 5:30pm, but I decided to get some rest, eat, sleep for a few hours, and see if the wind would die down at the end of the day, as it often does. The cabin was recently remodeled by the Nome Kennel Club. It felt like a Gucci shelter: there was wood for weeks, it had solar-powered lights, and you could even charge your devices on a solar-powered USB port. I made a raging fire in the stove, melted snow, ate, and rolled out my sleeping bag. The cabin was shaking wildly in the wind. How long will I have to wait here? Several days, like the guys who were stuck for 4 days in a storm and ran out of coffee?!

See you White Mountain!

Klokerblok river.

View of the coast before dropping down to the beach.

The Topkok Gucci shelter cabin. Solar lights and USB ports included.

A great spot to get some rest.

Last cabin with a view.

How long will I have to wait here?!

#iti2022 #iditarodtrailinvitational #ultrarunning #nome #alaska

The missing drop package was no big deal. I carried reserves for several days and had already skipped a few resupply packages because I didn’t need them. A lot of redundancy was built into my resupply plan because the mail is unreliable at best in remote Alaska. I had just short of 50mi to go to White Mountain, with Golovin on the way. I knew both of my next resupply packages had arrived.

The first stretch of today’s journey led along the shore on the sea ice to the Walla Walla cabin. I didn’t stop there and continued straight into the Kwiktalik Mountains. There were some good climbs up to 1,000ft of elevation. After the flat sea ice sections, I quite enjoyed some climbing. On the way down to the Golovnin Lagoon (the spelling is different from Golovin), a local on a snowmachine stopped. He was on his way to fix up a house for his daughter in Golovin. He showed me the weather and wind forecast on his phone and said I’d be good for the next few days, but that I shouldn’t dally. Did I give that impression?! Then he suddenly said he had to go because his wife was tracking him and would question him why he stopped for so long.

There was mostly blank ice on the lagoon to Golovin, where I stopped quickly to receive my drop package and some amazing (strong and sweet) tea from volunteers. I was eager to get to White Mountain, some ~17mi away from Golovin. There are no roads to White Mountain. Depending on the season, one can reach the town by snowmachine, boat, ATV, or plane.

Once again it was late and dark when I finally reached my destination on the Fish River. What I found was a little paradise: an entire house to myself, with a real bed, a shower, and the most delicious moose soup. A big thanks to longtime ITI supporter and trail angel Joanne and her family! I got some quality rest, dried all my gear, and refueled myself before tackling the remaining 77mi to Nome.