Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race leader John Baker departed Shaktoolik at 5:40 PM with 11 dogs in the direction of Koyuk across the sea ice. Playing a careful game of strategy, he rested for three hours in the village armory, rejuvenating his dogs for what should be a 6-hour hop to the next checkpoint. Much of the advertised 40-mile distance is straight across the sea ice of Norton Bay.

Weather is reported calm, temperatures barely below freezing. This is uncharacteristic for a vulnerable village situated on a long, unprotected spit exposed to the vengeful Bering Sea. Shaktoolik is known for howling winds, blowing snow, and white-outs that make confusing the featureless trail that runs across an unending vista of white sea ice.

Norton Bay crossing beautiful, treacherous

This crossing to Koyuk is, however, a challenge even without bad weather. The trip can be beautiful beneath expansive skies, but numbing in the monotony of the sea ice, and the white. The temptation to doze as the sled rocks like a cradle over windblown hard pack on a generally straight-arrow trail is a constant struggle.

At night, the musher must keep his headlight scanning the trail to be absolutely sure the lead dogs do not wander onto an errant snowmachine track. The trail is well marked but occasionally a blast of wind can take out a section of the carrot-topped, reflectorized Iditarod markers; or the ice can shift to break the thread of the trail. Then the musher must move cautiously from marker to marker, using his or her headlight to scan for a reflection in the dark. The dog driver best look back, too, just to make sure he hasn't wandered.

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 14, 2011

Aliy Zirkle arrives in Unalakleet at sunset on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 14, 2011

Martin Buser in the Unalakleet checkpoint on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Lance Mackey talks with Ariel Tweto as a crew with the Discovery Channel's 'Flying Wild Alaska' (not pictured) films in Unalakleet.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Lance Mackey, center, talks with Ariel, left, and Ayla Tweto, far left, after arriving in Unalakleet on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Sonny Lindner mushes out of Unalakleet on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

DeeDee Jonrowe leaves Unalakleet on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

2011 Iditarod leader John Baker arrives in Unalakleet on Sunday morning.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

A crowd surrounds 2011 Iditarod leader John Baker as his arrives in the Unalakleet checkpoint on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Mitch Seavey talks to his son Dallas in the Unalakleet checkpoint on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Dallas Seavey's dog Gatt relaxes in the sun in Unalakleet.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Ramey Smyth lines out his team before leaving Unalakleet on Sunday.

Stephen Nowers photo

Iditarod 2011: Unalakleet

Mar 13, 2011

Ramey Smyth leaves Unalakleet on Sunday during the 2011 Iditarod.

Stephen Nowers photo

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In short, one cannot lead the race and be inattentive here.

About 30 miles shy of Koyuk, the lights of that village finally become visible, but they are like stars. The dogs trot for hours still and the village on a hill overlooking Norton Bay never seems to get much closer. "When will we get there?" is the thought that goes through a musher's mind as he fights to stay alert in the dark and the white.

This will be Baker's night as two mushers chase him toward the next checkpoint.

An hour after the Shaktoolik departure of Kotzebue's Baker, Ramey Smyth from Wasilla and Hans Gatt from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, arrived in the village practically holding hands. Their travel times from Unalakleet were identical to Baker's at five and a half hours.

Smyth, Gatt blow through Shak

Had they followed Baker's plan, they would have rested in "Shak" -- as mushers call it -- for three hours. Instead they blew through the checkpoint and put their dogs on Baker's scent, now only about 45 minutes ahead.

What does this very interesting turn of events mean? Well, for one thing, Baker better be careful with his lead and not make a mistake in Koyuk. If he can arrive in Koyuk and maintain a 45-minute lead, he will retain some very good leverage.

Since the teams of Smyth and Gatt do not have the advantage of Baker's three-hour rest in Shaktoolik, the two mushers will almost certainly have to shut the teams down for a fairly long break in Koyuk, maybe five or six hours. Gatt, needing rest, might even stop at a shelter cabin that sits on a small hill just before the Shaktoolik-Koyuk trail leaves the last beach for the ice. Baker, on the other hand, has some rest in reserve, and could apply pressure by resting as little as four hours in Koyuk.

Rest time here is as important as run speed. Rest is an asset; it's money in the bank for the race leader. Baker is making it very difficult for his two pursuers to make up his two- to three-hour time advantage built back on the Yukon River. 

The Smyth, Gatt and Baker teams are neither gaining nor losing on each other. All three are running about the same speed, notwithstanding the reputations Smyth and Gatt have for running behind the sled to assist the dogs. Baker is not known as an extra "team dog" working behind the sled.