Trent just finished the run accross open water on the Norton sound from Shaktoolik to Koyuk.   He left shortly after midnight and arrived at Koyuk at 6:38 this morning covering the 42 miles in 6hr 33m at a pace of 7.33 mph.   Trent checked in to Koyuk in 24th place.   Trent sits about 150 miles from the finish at Nome at this point.  He'll probably reach White Mountain and the mandatory 8 hour rest there at some point today and then the final 77 miles in to Nome should have him at the finish at some point on Wednesday.   Also a picture of a team crossing the open water of the Norton Sound.

 

This is the stretch of open ocean travel made famous by Leonhard Seppala in the serum run in 1925 to save the children of Nome from a diptheria epidemic.   The dog sled relay of the serum from Fairbanks to Nome is the inspiration for today's Iditarod.   Seppala took the over sea route coming from Nome to meet the serum and on his return to save time over land travel.   Read the "Cruelest Miles" by Gay Salisbury sometime for an incredible accounting of the epidemic and the heroic efforts of the dog teams that saved the town of Nome.   A picture of Leonhard and his lead dog Togo is below.   There is also a slightly more detailed map to get a feel for the "shortcut" from Shaktoolik to Koyuk.