 By Bill MerchantI received a call from Tim last night about 22:30 from Shaktoolik. He got hammered by the big winds for the last 13 miles into the village which sits at the end of a spit of land jutting out between Norton Sound and the Bering Sea. When you drop out of the hills onto this narrow pennisula you are completely exposed to the forces of nature with no place to hide. He said it was all he could do to lean into the driving North wind and move forward. In conditions like that you can't stop to eat, drink or even relieve yourself. Your well being depends on your ability to continue moving until you can get out of the wind. Even the most descriptive writer around can not explain these conditions in a way you could understand unless you have been there. Conditions like this are demoralizing and sap your physical strenght in a way that cold alone could never do.
To get a little better idea about this stretch take a look at this short film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9V3rP8lwl8
Tim said he was going to get some rest in the school and see if the wind would drop a bit before he heads out to cross 18 miles of open river delta and 40 miles of sea ice across Norton Sound to Koyuk. This is the stretch of trail where a similiar wind storm turned back 4 time Iditarod champ Jeff King and sent him back to Shaktoolik with his dog team during this years Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The forecast doesn't look too good with 25mph winds with 40 mph gusts forecast. Let's hope the forecasters got it wrong and the wind calms for Tim's crossing. | 
