Tucked within a grove of trees, and nestled between two mountains, Tripod Flats cabin serves as a secluded oasis between Kaltag and Unalakleet along the Iditarod trail.
Musher Jesse Royer and her dog team stopped at the cabin on Saturday, hoping to catch some much needed shut-eye before the race’s grueling final leg up the coast.
“It’s one of my favorite spots on the whole Iditarod trail,” said Royer, who prefers the quiet of Tripod Flats to the comparatively busy official checkpoints. The musher and her dogs looked to be enjoying a final respite, before embarking on the exposed and windy section of trail that skirts Norton Sound.
This is Royer’s thirteenth Iditarod, and the Montana musher said even she is surprised by her team’s performance in this year’s race.
“Just getting to the Iditarod, for me, is more than half the battle,” she told KNOM’s Matthew Smith.
Far from letting a potential “top five” finish go to her head, however, Royer said her race strategy remains largely unchanged. From here on out, the musher plans to pay close attention to her team — and the weather.
