Tom't trip from Sault St. Marie to Toke, Ak SITREP#12‏ (fourteen)

www.michcanska.com

This is where Tom is now approximately
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Chase2(G2SV3)

Sent: Mon 3/01/10 5:50 AM

To All:

Tonight we are in High Prairie, western Alberta. The weather is unusually warm here and there is very little snow. the snowpack is light and the weather unusually warm. This is in stark contrast to the snow and cold in the eastern part of the U.S. The sledders must run their machines on bare highways and cross overs. There is some snow in the ditches, but running in ditches is tough on the back and the sleds. The metal gliders which are mounted under the skiis gets worn in a very short time. One guy on my team burned an large hole right through the skiis. He can't go on until we get some replacement parts from local dealers who we have to hunt down in the little villages etc.

The stress level is very high with a lot of "finger pointing". A number of sleds have been severly wrecked. The crews work all night to repair from materials carried in the trailers. We carry the most common. However, we need to constantly chase to dealers for major assemblies. i will be going south for about 100plus miles to get parts and will carry the sleds with me.

Getting ready for each day starts early in the am - up at 5:00am, and readying the support trailers for sled removal (sleds are stored in the trailers for security reasons). The next hour is getting all the gear ready and the riders suited up. Then we go to designated sites to pickup the accident wreckage and bruised riders. No one has been seriously hurt, but bruised mightly.

At the end of the day, a short supper and then to the trailers for repairs late in the night for the next day's ride

In spite of the lack of snowfall in Alb and BC, no rider wants to quit. We are still trying to get all to the finish line even though, these will get some breaks riding with me.

Tomorrow, we will enter BC and stop at Fort St John. All hope we find more snow at the higher lattitudes.

That's it for now..... Tom